Politics

Kevin Briggins recently published a piece titled “Minneapolis, ICE, and the Christian Response” that attempts to offer Christians a balanced framework for thinking about the recent unrest in Minneapolis. I don’t think it succeeds. The piece frames itself as balanced, but the scrutiny only flows in one direction. Briggins examines ICE opponents’ rhetoric in detail, attributes their concerns to emotional manipulation, and barely acknowledges that ICE itself might bear any responsibility for what’s happened. ...

I keep seeing the same rhetorical move, and it’s making me furious. An ICE agent shoots someone on video. The administration lies about it in ways that would make Orwell blush. And the response from certain Christian commentators? “Let’s not fan the flames.” “We shouldn’t rush to conclusions.” “There are extremes on both sides.” This posture has the appearance of wisdom. It sounds mature, measured, above the fray. It positions the speaker as the reasonable adult in the room while everyone else loses their heads. ...

ICE agents shot and killed Renée Good, a US citizen and mother of three, on a Minneapolis street earlier this month. Video shows her steering away from the agent who killed her. DHS immediately labelled her a “domestic terrorist.” ICE continues to terrorize neighborhoods and abduct citizens and non-citizens alike. Meanwhile, the president launched a military strike on Venezuela without congressional approval. He’s threatening NATO allies with tariffs and won’t rule out military force to seize Greenland—explicitly because he didn’t get a Nobel Peace Prize. And the Epstein files he promised to release? Less than 1% have come out, with documents connecting him to Epstein mysteriously disappearing from government websites before public backlash forced their restoration. ...

“Give me liberty or give me death.” Patrick Henry’s famous words have echoed through American culture for 250 years. They show up on T-shirts, bumper stickers, and church signs. They get quoted in sermons, usually around the Fourth of July. But here’s the thing: Patrick Henry wasn’t quoting Scripture. And if you read what the Bible actually says about freedom, it sounds almost nothing like what Americans mean when we use the word. ...

What Shall We Do With a Would-Be Tyrant? (to the tune of “What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor?”) Verse 1: What shall we do with a would-be tyrant, What shall we do with a would-be tyrant, What shall we do with a would-be tyrant, Early in the morning! Answer: Put him in the court and read the charges, Put him in the court and read the charges, Put him in the court and read the charges, Early in the morning! ...

🇺🇸 ROLL THE OLD REPUBLIC ALONG A Sea Shanty for Democracy (Traditional tune: “Roll the Old Chariot”) Here’s the original, in case you don’t know it: Verse 1 Oh, we’d be alright if the people stood as one — Oh, we’d be alright if the people stood as one — Oh, we’d be alright if the people stood as one — And we won’t be ruled by kings! ...

No kings, save One, the King of Kings, whose kingdom peace and justice brings. No kings, but He who blessed the poor, and binds their wounds forevermore. No kings, except the Crucified, who, on a tyrant’s cross, died – No kings! – to save the last, the least, and bring them to His wedding feast. No kings, save One, who wore a crown of bitter thorns upon His brow. No kings, but He who rose to save, to lift the outcasts from their grave. ...

Let’s try to define (or at least describe) fascism, shall we? Fascism: “a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition” (Merriam-Webster) Notoriously difficult to define, Umberto Eco nevertheless highlighted 14 aspects of what he called “Ur-Fascism” (PDF): ...

The following statements should not be controversial, but they sadly are. What would you add to this list? Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. January 6th, 2021, was an insurrection. Congress, not the President (and much less the President’s unelected adviser), holds the power of the purse. The Judicial branch, and not the Executive branch, interprets the law and the Constitution. No one, not even the President, is above the law. ...

With fascism on the rise in the United States of America and around the world, and with many so-called “Christians” gladly supporting the rise of the far-right and attributing it to the will of God, I was struck by these words from Ephesians 5 (which were assigned as one of the readings for Morning Prayer today). Ephesians 5:11-14 (New Living Translation, NLT) 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, ...

You Can’t Follow Jesus and Hate Immigrants You can’t follow Jesus and hate immigrants. Of course, this does NOT settle every question of immigration policy! But, if you’re a follower of Jesus, consider your overall posture toward immigrants. If you call yourself a Christian, I want you to think about this seriously. What comes into your head and your heart when you think of immigrants and refugees? Fear? Anger? Disgust? ...

The relationship between Church and State, particularly the intersection of Christianity and politics, has been on my mind since I first started paying attention during the lead-up to the 2008 USA presidential election. Back then, I was just a high school student, but these themes have stuck with me ever since. (For those curious, here’s a quick timeline: In 2012, I was studying biblical studies in college. By 2016, I was a seminarian, and in 2020, I was working on my Ph.D. in theology. Now, in 2024, I’m a software engineer! Yet political theology continues to weigh on my mind.) ...

Without context, words can mean anything and everything, and therefore mean nothing. It is only through the delimiting influence of context that words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs have any meaning at all. Although this seems simple enough, it is often forgotten when interpreting the Bible. Due to influences as simple as our versification of the biblical text and as complex as the historical/theological developments which have dictated how we teach and interpret the Scriptures, many interpreters (wittingly or unwittingly) ignore context when trying to ascertain the meaning of particular biblical texts. ...