As a Catholic, I have waited a long time for someone so connected to christianity to finally call Trump out to his face. Trump is using God’s name for his own political gain, it’s all a grift. And for too long most major christian institutions have done little to correct him or stand up to the blasphemy.
If calling for empathy and compassion sparks outrage. Then that’s very telling of who Trump is.
What happened at the National Cathedral was nothing short of the mask being pulled off the faces of pretend christians by a real one. When faced with the words and admonitions of their own Jesus, the phonies in the pews could only squirm and pull faces like toddlers. We also can't overlook how deeply offensive The Felon finds it to be publicly bested by a smart, courageous woman.
I don't know exactly when it became fashionable in republican circles to look down their noses at people in need whether from wildfires, hurricanes or other natural disasters, but it certainly is now. Here in NC, our own republican-controlled legislature has been dragging its feet on funding to western NC which was devastated by Hurricane Helene. In 2020, my SIL and her husband lost everything in the LNU fire in CA wine country. People in dire straits don't care about politics, they just want somebody to help them. But help is going to be slow and performative under this new regime - if it comes at all. Cruelty is in fashion now, even among those who call themselves followers of Jesus.
Bullies get off on hurting people and punching down. That's when it became fashionable. When the GOP became the party of bullies and bullying. The dopamine hit is all they have left. When you're programmed by fear, bullying makes you feel good. The Right has been programming their base with fear and greed for a very long time. Greed still works - a little - but because all the wealth is being sucked up to the top, mostly what's left is fear. And from fear comes the glee of bullying.
Yes, it's sick. Yes, it's an addiction, like a cult. No, it's not going to go away easily.
You are absolutely correct. It is bullying. The GOP, it seems, and Trump in particular, have become dealers in the drug of anger. They keep people hooked on it and get high themselves to the point where they are not interested in or it seems capable of building, only reacting.
Jane - I want to make a distinction regarding your last line. I'm not claiming to know the mind of god, not judging others' Christianity against mine as if I'm the standard. My distinction is just that what I observe in some "who call themselves followers of Jesus" is that they appear follow Jesus as rock star, sports giant, or movie idol. They like the character, yet I don't see them practicing the guitar, perfecting their drop shot, or rehearsing scenes.
On the occasions I'm functioning in my best self, my phrase is "following the ways of Jesus." There are numerous passages that describe Jesus's actions and statements of purpose & intent. I don't know the mind of god but I can follow those examples.
I appreciate the comment, J AZ. I can't know the minds of people who claim to be followers of Jesus, but I can see with my own eyes the difference between what they do and what he taught. You're probably right that for many of them, Jesus is just another celebrity in a culture that worships celebrity.
I think the worst part of the service for me was when they laughed at the notion of praying for the most vulnerable among us. This article is a great reminder that we cannot lose our empathy and that it needs to guide us more than ever now.
Which is made all the worse by the fact that praying is literally the least effort they can give. A prayer for the least among you does not require you to actually spend a dime or devote one moment of effort to changing things.
If you cannot even do that, you really have nothing to give.
Trump and the GOP are fundamentally bullies. Their policies are simply excuses for punching down. That's the whole plan, and where they get their dopamine hits. Punching down, bullying, and cruelty make them feel good. Hurting "the right people" is what it's all about. That's why "owning the libs" is so important to them. It's like a drug. We musn't expect real policies from this crowd.
And we should have exactly ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BULLIES.
That should be the people's campaign slogan. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BULLIES.
Very deep Mike, thank you for posting it. I feel like this loss of humanity, which is very real, is much like what can happen to long-term addicts, or dealers. At heart Trump deals in (and consumes) anger at everyone else, fear of any sort of change hence his reactionary bent, and cynicism about our ability to even live together much less build a world.
It is these drugs which he uses to keep his followers hooked on him like an abusive relationship. And which he spreads to the rest of the world. Now some like Musk seem to want in on the act.
Mike, I am struggling with reconciling something for myself. I really need your help understanding this.
The immigrant communities that Trump is gearing up to target in unbearably cruel ways deserve our empathy and help. But I also know you have been steadfast in your message that Democrats must allow it to happen lest we get on the losing side of the immigration question since the country has shifted so far to the right on it, and that we have to not be the ones who react too strongly.
It is keeping me up at night trying to figure this out. How to express our empathy and take action while also being politically wise? How do we square this inside ourselves?
Such a good question. As Dr. Martin Luther King taught us there’s never a bad time to do the right thing. If we understand that right will ultimately prevail we can and must have calm in confidence through political times like these.
The challenge is our political system is not designed to do the right thing. It’s just a system we’ve established and agreed to to resolve problems the best way we think humans can.
In other words, the political system will always let you down if you’re looking for it to produce the morally right outcomes.
It is never wrong to speak out for the weak and vulnerable but there are times when it’s more prudent to do so given the political dynamics. My expertise is in the political realm, as fallen and broken as it is. Every moment requires people of good conscience to rise up - be that person and you can change the political system. In many ways that’s what the Bishop just did.
That doesn’t mean don’t solve the problem. In fact we must work to solve the problems but we can - we must - do so humanely.
Thank you so much for answering, and for understanding. I don't want our efforts to help and protect the vulnerable to end up aiding those who would hurt them, so it is a relief to know that you are giving us your blessing (so to speak) to stand up for what's right. I always worry that my human instincts are bad politically.
You are absolutely right. I think acknowledging and having honest conversations about how we got to point with immigration is important too. It’s not just about what to do about the people that want to come here but the why they want to come here. Looking at the policy decisions our country has made to contribute to the helpless and desperation in their countries.
Mike, I so appreciate the heart & spirit in your message today. Your sense of Christianity feels familiar, me on my best days 😉 One need not be of any particular faith to hear and take to heart Bishop Budde's message of elemental humanity.
I want to point out that once again we see a woman stepping out from the silent crowd to speak truth. So many men who have power & influence fail to use their voices; some were in pews listening to Bishop Budde speak... and they remain silent in their fear, their moral weakness, their compromise of proclaimed values for 15 minutes in the limelight of Trump's approval, exchanging their "walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage" (Pink Floyd)
A little more free speech from a lot more of us, we can work together to turn things around.
View it as a blessing. This is a moment to be a shining example of the Christian faith. Be honored to be the light. Walk towards it and you will feel His love greater than ever before.
Thanks. Sitting here getting a bit emotional. I appreciate the encouragement so much. I am extraordinarily fortunate in having seen real faith lived out by my grandparents and parents...hence the painful contrast. But you're right, the contrast--the fact that I see it--is a blessing, for sure.
Brilliant! Challenging to focus my thinking this direction AND sometimes the only direction where I can make progress. I once had a pastor who'd say a beautiful prayer along these lines (blessings to Leah wherever on your journey!)
I found a couple online with similar thoughts:
May God bless you with discomfort... with anger... (you'll see why) -
Thank you, Mike. Your words are a gift. Authentic Christians will be an important part of the coalitions to come. They are out there. And they are speaking up. Two of my favorites here in Texas are Pastor Zach Lambert and State House Representative James Talarico. Also interfaith organizations like https://interfaithtexas.org are standing ground. I hope everyone is finding support and community in their local towns and states.
Thank you so much for this, Mike. You've put into words so much of what I've been feeling and way more. I really needed this today.
I'm going to go to the National Cathedral Channel and watch the whole service. I only saw the clip afterwards where Trump was asked about it and said, "Not very interesting, was it," which says everything about the man.
Trump has a defective circuit somewhere that makes impossible for him to feel empathy and makes him a bully. Many of the people defending him know the harm they are causing and do it anyway, and those are the ones I blame.
But the greatest tragedy is that Trump has made nearly all of us worse. After reading some of your pieces, watching Sarah Longwell's focus groups with Trump's voters, and talking with others, I've realized how naively dogmatic, closed-minded, and obnoxious I had become in some ways as a progressive. I just hope that it's something relatively minor in terms of human impact that brings us back together again instead of where this adminstration has the potential to take us.
As a Catholic, I have waited a long time for someone so connected to christianity to finally call Trump out to his face. Trump is using God’s name for his own political gain, it’s all a grift. And for too long most major christian institutions have done little to correct him or stand up to the blasphemy.
If calling for empathy and compassion sparks outrage. Then that’s very telling of who Trump is.
What happened at the National Cathedral was nothing short of the mask being pulled off the faces of pretend christians by a real one. When faced with the words and admonitions of their own Jesus, the phonies in the pews could only squirm and pull faces like toddlers. We also can't overlook how deeply offensive The Felon finds it to be publicly bested by a smart, courageous woman.
I don't know exactly when it became fashionable in republican circles to look down their noses at people in need whether from wildfires, hurricanes or other natural disasters, but it certainly is now. Here in NC, our own republican-controlled legislature has been dragging its feet on funding to western NC which was devastated by Hurricane Helene. In 2020, my SIL and her husband lost everything in the LNU fire in CA wine country. People in dire straits don't care about politics, they just want somebody to help them. But help is going to be slow and performative under this new regime - if it comes at all. Cruelty is in fashion now, even among those who call themselves followers of Jesus.
Bullies get off on hurting people and punching down. That's when it became fashionable. When the GOP became the party of bullies and bullying. The dopamine hit is all they have left. When you're programmed by fear, bullying makes you feel good. The Right has been programming their base with fear and greed for a very long time. Greed still works - a little - but because all the wealth is being sucked up to the top, mostly what's left is fear. And from fear comes the glee of bullying.
Yes, it's sick. Yes, it's an addiction, like a cult. No, it's not going to go away easily.
You are absolutely correct. It is bullying. The GOP, it seems, and Trump in particular, have become dealers in the drug of anger. They keep people hooked on it and get high themselves to the point where they are not interested in or it seems capable of building, only reacting.
https://open.substack.com/pub/publis324843/p/cynicism-and-other-drugs?r=7av8t&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Beautifully stated, Mike. I have always lived Portia's "mercy speech h in "The Merchant of Venice.Hear.
Suzanne - I've not had much exposure to classics so I googled what you mentioned. Thank you for this pointer!
I wonder whether where you said "lived" is a typo for "loved"? ...either way you express a wonderful thought 🙂
Jane - I want to make a distinction regarding your last line. I'm not claiming to know the mind of god, not judging others' Christianity against mine as if I'm the standard. My distinction is just that what I observe in some "who call themselves followers of Jesus" is that they appear follow Jesus as rock star, sports giant, or movie idol. They like the character, yet I don't see them practicing the guitar, perfecting their drop shot, or rehearsing scenes.
On the occasions I'm functioning in my best self, my phrase is "following the ways of Jesus." There are numerous passages that describe Jesus's actions and statements of purpose & intent. I don't know the mind of god but I can follow those examples.
I appreciate the comment, J AZ. I can't know the minds of people who claim to be followers of Jesus, but I can see with my own eyes the difference between what they do and what he taught. You're probably right that for many of them, Jesus is just another celebrity in a culture that worships celebrity.
I think the worst part of the service for me was when they laughed at the notion of praying for the most vulnerable among us. This article is a great reminder that we cannot lose our empathy and that it needs to guide us more than ever now.
Which is made all the worse by the fact that praying is literally the least effort they can give. A prayer for the least among you does not require you to actually spend a dime or devote one moment of effort to changing things.
If you cannot even do that, you really have nothing to give.
Trump and the GOP are fundamentally bullies. Their policies are simply excuses for punching down. That's the whole plan, and where they get their dopamine hits. Punching down, bullying, and cruelty make them feel good. Hurting "the right people" is what it's all about. That's why "owning the libs" is so important to them. It's like a drug. We musn't expect real policies from this crowd.
And we should have exactly ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BULLIES.
That should be the people's campaign slogan. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BULLIES.
Thank you for the post, Mike. And for the thoughtful answer to Sarah’s question.
Very deep Mike, thank you for posting it. I feel like this loss of humanity, which is very real, is much like what can happen to long-term addicts, or dealers. At heart Trump deals in (and consumes) anger at everyone else, fear of any sort of change hence his reactionary bent, and cynicism about our ability to even live together much less build a world.
It is these drugs which he uses to keep his followers hooked on him like an abusive relationship. And which he spreads to the rest of the world. Now some like Musk seem to want in on the act.
https://publis324843.substack.com/p/cynicism-and-other-drugs
Mike, I am struggling with reconciling something for myself. I really need your help understanding this.
The immigrant communities that Trump is gearing up to target in unbearably cruel ways deserve our empathy and help. But I also know you have been steadfast in your message that Democrats must allow it to happen lest we get on the losing side of the immigration question since the country has shifted so far to the right on it, and that we have to not be the ones who react too strongly.
It is keeping me up at night trying to figure this out. How to express our empathy and take action while also being politically wise? How do we square this inside ourselves?
Such a good question. As Dr. Martin Luther King taught us there’s never a bad time to do the right thing. If we understand that right will ultimately prevail we can and must have calm in confidence through political times like these.
The challenge is our political system is not designed to do the right thing. It’s just a system we’ve established and agreed to to resolve problems the best way we think humans can.
In other words, the political system will always let you down if you’re looking for it to produce the morally right outcomes.
It is never wrong to speak out for the weak and vulnerable but there are times when it’s more prudent to do so given the political dynamics. My expertise is in the political realm, as fallen and broken as it is. Every moment requires people of good conscience to rise up - be that person and you can change the political system. In many ways that’s what the Bishop just did.
That doesn’t mean don’t solve the problem. In fact we must work to solve the problems but we can - we must - do so humanely.
Thank you so much for answering, and for understanding. I don't want our efforts to help and protect the vulnerable to end up aiding those who would hurt them, so it is a relief to know that you are giving us your blessing (so to speak) to stand up for what's right. I always worry that my human instincts are bad politically.
It is one thing to call for immigration reform and quite another to abet unkindness. You work for both reform and aid at the same time.
You are absolutely right. I think acknowledging and having honest conversations about how we got to point with immigration is important too. It’s not just about what to do about the people that want to come here but the why they want to come here. Looking at the policy decisions our country has made to contribute to the helpless and desperation in their countries.
This is exactly the message we should be hearing from every pulpit in every Christian church! I am continually impressed by your eloquence, Mike.
Mike, I so appreciate the heart & spirit in your message today. Your sense of Christianity feels familiar, me on my best days 😉 One need not be of any particular faith to hear and take to heart Bishop Budde's message of elemental humanity.
I want to point out that once again we see a woman stepping out from the silent crowd to speak truth. So many men who have power & influence fail to use their voices; some were in pews listening to Bishop Budde speak... and they remain silent in their fear, their moral weakness, their compromise of proclaimed values for 15 minutes in the limelight of Trump's approval, exchanging their "walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage" (Pink Floyd)
A little more free speech from a lot more of us, we can work together to turn things around.
Wonderful commentary, especially the line that only light can drive out darkness. I'm reminded of "All the Light You Cannot See".
Thank you. What I needed to read today. As a Believer, this ugly era hurts. It really, really, hurts.
View it as a blessing. This is a moment to be a shining example of the Christian faith. Be honored to be the light. Walk towards it and you will feel His love greater than ever before.
Thanks. Sitting here getting a bit emotional. I appreciate the encouragement so much. I am extraordinarily fortunate in having seen real faith lived out by my grandparents and parents...hence the painful contrast. But you're right, the contrast--the fact that I see it--is a blessing, for sure.
Brilliant! Challenging to focus my thinking this direction AND sometimes the only direction where I can make progress. I once had a pastor who'd say a beautiful prayer along these lines (blessings to Leah wherever on your journey!)
I found a couple online with similar thoughts:
May God bless you with discomfort... with anger... (you'll see why) -
https://www.paulistcenter.org/a-franciscan-prayer-may-god-bless-you-with-discomfort/
Disturb us, O Lord - https://www.sneucc.org/files/justice/reverse+st.+francis+prayer++.pdf
Even in my most agnostic days I can see the value of setting these intentions for myself.
Thank you, Mike. Your words are a gift. Authentic Christians will be an important part of the coalitions to come. They are out there. And they are speaking up. Two of my favorites here in Texas are Pastor Zach Lambert and State House Representative James Talarico. Also interfaith organizations like https://interfaithtexas.org are standing ground. I hope everyone is finding support and community in their local towns and states.
##FUCKTRUMP
#FUCKGRAMPS
#FUCKELONMUSK
Thank you so much for this, Mike. You've put into words so much of what I've been feeling and way more. I really needed this today.
I'm going to go to the National Cathedral Channel and watch the whole service. I only saw the clip afterwards where Trump was asked about it and said, "Not very interesting, was it," which says everything about the man.
Trump has a defective circuit somewhere that makes impossible for him to feel empathy and makes him a bully. Many of the people defending him know the harm they are causing and do it anyway, and those are the ones I blame.
But the greatest tragedy is that Trump has made nearly all of us worse. After reading some of your pieces, watching Sarah Longwell's focus groups with Trump's voters, and talking with others, I've realized how naively dogmatic, closed-minded, and obnoxious I had become in some ways as a progressive. I just hope that it's something relatively minor in terms of human impact that brings us back together again instead of where this adminstration has the potential to take us.