Barney Wiget's Blog, page 13

Jesus: Republican or Democrat?

Though I risk being voted off the island by good sisters and brothers I’ll brave it nonetheless. I believe it’s inaccurate to portray Jesus as an apolitical preacher with nothing to say to his socially prejudiced and politically charged context. In fact, he was and is deeply political, but on his own terms with his own political priorities that fit no one party.

Though his kingdom can’t be defined by a party or by a certain form of government, it most certainly does affect the kind of political convictions we form, policies we support, and politicians we choose to represent us. Among other things, politics matters to God and should to us. He didn’t set us free from our personal sins so we could keep our social transgressions for ourselves!

[Excerpt from my book: WHAT ON EARTH? Considering the Social Implications of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount]

Tucker Carlson: Superstar or Something Else?

Carlson was fired (his third such firing from media companies) a week after Fox settled with Dominion Voting System for $787 million. I intended to post the following before any of that happened, but now that it has, maybe consider this a eulogy of his Fox career and a preface to his new platform on Twitter and Youtube. Eulogy actually means to speak well of someone after they’ve died. But I couldn’t think of anything nice to say, so I just stuck with the truth.

If you’re a fan of Tucker Carlson and what he’s selling, you probably won’t love this post and might not even finish reading it for that matter. But, don’t you think we should give time to sources and opinions not a part of our echo chambers? To be honest, TC isn’t part of mine, though I’ve spent some time listening to him over the years. What I’ve seen and heard first hand is even more despicable, and increasingly so, than I expected. If you’re not yet convinced that he and his ilk peddle half-truths, outright lies, and unfounded accusations against anyone with whom he takes issue, then maybe what I have to say will nudge you enough for you to slip off the fence and land on terra firma.  

IMHO, swallowing the stuff he and others like him spew is like taking a daily small dose of a slow acting poison. It accumulates in one’s system and can eventually do irreparable damage to the conscience.

Accuracy isn’t the point for TC. He piles up falsehoods and misleading statements like the cow manure I shoveled as a teenager on a cattle ranch in Northern California. You name it, he can lie about it––George Floyd’s murder, the Jan. 6 riot, Covid vaccines, and Donald Trump’s many foibles. Speaking of Trump, the question is he or is TC the most egregious liar?

To be fair, TC didn’t invent his crass and abusive presentation on the airwaves. He follows in a long line of shock jocks and talking heads that punch way above their weight. It doesn’t take a genius to observe that there’s an enormous market for his brand of “news commentary” and conspiracy theories lined up like the crowds at a World Cup soccer game. Accuracy and truth mean zilch to him as long as he can get cheers from his fawning fans.

What grieves me most are the millions of people who identify as “Christians,” that will consume just about anything, as long as it scratches their itch for vitriol and controversy. They hang on his every word, more so than they hang on to the words of Jesus, Paul, Peter, or John. They remind me of the rabid fans on those daytime tv shows that they blare in doctors’ offices like Maury Povich where they maul each other over who slept with each other’s boyfriend!

After listening to him and combing through articles about him, I thought I’d share some of the most egregious examples of his mendacity and audacity. [FYI, I didn’t take the extra time to record and cite the sources these quotes come from. Some from old Fox News shows itself, others from articles, his Twitter feed, and YouTube. You either trust that I didn’t make this stuff up or you don’t…]

His method

TC peddles loathing and fear, and people buy it at full price. But instead of doing it directly, you’ll notice that he usually uses leading questions as a tactic to keep him from being liable. “Is it possible that Anthony Fauci has a secret lab in China that concocted Covid…?” Then he can say, “I didn’t say that was the way it is, I was just posing the question.” Could it be that he knows that many in his audience score zero on the discernment meter and wouldn’t recognize a falsehood if it bit them in the gluteus maximus? (See how that works?)

On women

“I mean, I love women, but they’re extremely primitive, they’re basic, they’re not that hard to understand.”“How did we wind up with a country in which feminists do science?”“Most of the time, you can beat a woman in an argument.”

Need I say more?

On the “Left”

Have you noticed how he addresses his audience directly: “You are decent, generous, and deserving of better.” But about those he seems to disdain it’s, “They on the left hate America along with its Constitution and are all anti-American ruling class. They literally don’t care about you and are out to get you.”

Contemptuous name calling is his bread and butter. Everyone who disagrees with him is out to get you! Anyone who disagrees with him are contemptible scum.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, a Bible reader, or simply a critical thinking person, you’ll know how debasing and destructive is this kind of speech and how it appeals to the basest part of ourselves.

On race

“We have a moral obligation to admit the world’s poor they tell us. Even if it makes America poorer and dirtier.” They’re “making America dirty.”“I don’t know how black he (Obama) is, but I’m sure he’s a good basketball player, he says he is, anyway.”When a groupof Trump supporters beat a protester TC said it was “not how white men fight.”

Then he has the audacity to claim that “White supremacy is a hoax.”

On the pandemic…

“The vaccine makes it more likely that you are going to get COVID. That would be a pandemic of the vaccinated.”

“30 people every day are dying from vaccines.” (Not true.)

“Your response when you see children wearing masks as they play should be no different from your response to seeing someone beat a kid in Walmart. Call the police immediately, contact child protective services. Keep calling until someone arrives.”

You might say, “Well he doesn’t really mean it.” Then he shouldn’t say it to his sycophantic audience. Because, someday someone will do just that, if they haven’t already.

On other countries

“Iran deserves to be annihilated. I think they’re lunatics. I think they’re evil.”“Iraq is a crappy place, filled with a bunch of semi-literate primitive monkeys.”“Canadians are our retarded cousins.”“Unless Vladimir Putin has personally had you or one of your family members murdered, you really don’t have any right to criticize the guy.”

On Immigration and the “Great Replacement”

Remember during the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, the alt-right crowd chanted, “You will not replace us; Jews will not replace us”? These white supremacists were espousing the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory that the influx of immigrants, people of color more specifically, will lead to the extinction of the white race.

“I know that the left and all the little gatekeepers on Twitter become literally hysterical if you use the term ‘replacement,’ says Carlson, “if you suggest that the Democratic Party is trying to replace the current electorate with new people, more obedient voters from the Third World.”

He claimed that Democrats are “importing” new citizens “to replace the disobedient ones” and likened the Biden administration’s immigration policy to “eugenics” against white people.

He’s like a reverse Statue of Liberty telling everyone to get their tired, huddle masses the hell outa here!

On January 6th

“Just to be clear on terms, an insurrection is when people with guns try to overthrow the government. Not a single person in the crowd on January 6 was found to be carrying a firearm. Not one.” (Look it up for yourself. Not true.)

“There’s no evidence that white supremacists were responsible for what happened on Jan. 6.”

“Whatever happened to [U.S. Capitol Police Officer] Brian Sicknick was very obviously not the result of violence he suffered at the entrance to the Capitol. . . The footage overturns the single most powerful and politically useful lie that Democrats have told us about Jan. 6.”

I guess the fact that he was assaulted with pepper spray and died a day later were unrelated events? And that the day after the riot, Capitol Police issued a statement that Sicknick had “passed away due to injuries sustained while on-duty while physically engaging with protesters.”

On stupid street…

“The Bidens’ love for each other is as real as climate change.”“There was no physical evidence that George Floyd was murdered by a cop.”“We’re the real victims here. America is the real victim of the conflict in Ukraine.”“Our civilization (America) is superior and we need to defend it.”

I could go on and on. Carlson has sickened a vast swath of Americans with his poisonous words. And people keep coming back for more. What he wants in return are the usual suspects: money, power, and adulation.

If you are a fan of his brazen lies and condescending name calling then I guess go at it. But if you have a smidge of conscience and care about the truth that democracy requires, then I hope you’ll tune out Carlson and any other of our modern media false prophets and conspiracists, and find a better outlet for the news.  

Lastly, whether you love or hate Tucker Carlson’s approach, you can still pray for him as a fellow human, created in God’s image. I try to remember to do so when he comes to mind.

How Scripture Gets ON Your Heart

I love the Bible and can’t imagine my life without it. Its truths are splints for my soul. God talks to me through it and I wouldn’t relish a life without hearing his voice.

A rabbi told his students that if they studied the Torah it would put Scripture on their hearts. One of his students asked him why he said on their hearts instead of in them. “Only God can put Scripture inside,” he answered. “Reading it can put the Word on your hearts, then when your hearts break, the holy words will fall inside.”

I’ve had more of his words “fall inside” me since my heart has been broken.

[An excerpt from my book: THE OTHER END OF THE DARK: A Memoir About Divorce, Cancer, and Things God Does Anyway]

A Lesson in Empathy

When Willie Mays (now 92 years old) was a young boy, he was being bullied by a bigger kid in school, who took his money from him. So Willie went to his dad and asked him what he should do. Should he fight him, turn him in, or what? His dad told him no. Maybe he’s not a bully after all. Maybe he’s just hungry. Offer him half of your sandwich instead. Next time the kid accosted him, Willie offered him half of a sandwich, and they became good friends from then on.

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Why I loved Tim Keller

One of the many reasons I loved Tim Keller was that he pastored mostly wealthy Manhattans and yet displayed such courage over the years to say things like the following, based on Mary’s song in Luke 1:52-53 “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.”

“The gospel shows the poor that they’re no worse than anyone else and shows the middle and upper class that they’re no better!”

Thank you, Mr. Keller, for the courageous life you lived. Say hi to Jesus for us. See you soon.

Just Enough Time

You don’t know if you’re going to live long enough to slow down … and discover the truth of your spiritual identity. You may not be destined to live a long life; you may not have 60 more years to discover and claim your own deepest truth … you have to live every day as if it’s your last, because one of these days, you’re bound to be right. Anne Lamott (To University of California, Berkeley graduates, June, 2011)

The day before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr. preached:  “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life; longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will.”

In reality, everybody is terminal. Cancer reminds me to take full advantage of whatever time I have right in front of me and manage it wisely. The membrane between this world and the next is so thin it’s almost translucent. Before it tears I want to follow the Lord of both worlds as closely as I possibly can. On the other side, time doesn’t seem to be an issue, but over here clocks tick every second and calendar pages turn over every month.

When I was first diagnosed I worried about dying before my story was finished. I had, and still have, a number of things I want to achieve, people to reach, and chapters to live. It’s not so much the dying part that bothers me as living long enough and well enough to complete my story and complete it well. I believe that God will do his part to give me enough time to do everything he wants me to do. I may not have enough time to do everything on my to-do list, but I think I can still do what’s on his.

[Excerpt from my memoir: THE OTHER END OF THE DARK]

Love Who?

If I could I’d invent a loophole to get me off the hook of loving my enemies, believe me I would¬¬––maybe something along the lines of pleading insanity. I’ve made a few failed attempts at the “unrealistic-for-postmodern-times” excuse for not following him in enemy-love. If nothing else, I could hide behind the popular alibi that only spiritual superheroes like Mother Teresa and Bishop Tutu can do it.

When all else fails, I’m left with facing my failings, pinning down my flesh for a count of ten (eleven just to be sure), and devoting myself to living beyond human means.

These enemy-love ethics can only be cultivated by internalizing the blessed attitudes, especially this one on meekness. Only inwardly governed meek people can live into the kind of goodness that’s beyond the goodness of Pharisees. Only they are able to express unconditional love to people above them, below them, and against them.

“Love your enemy. It may be hazardous, but you must do it.” Walter Brueggemann

[An excerpt from my book: WHAT ON EARTH? Considering the Social Implications of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount]

THE BENEFIT OF PERSECUTION

“Wouldn’t our detractors just love it if we gave up our pursuit of what’s right? Yet far from reneging on our allegiance to live as citizens of his subversive Kingdom, we can actually be “glad” about the pressure they put on us. In truth, our persecutors’ unintended consequence crowds us to Christ! And instead of caving in, we may just find ourselves digging in to meekness, a craving for justice, mercy, purity, and peacemaking. Instead of becoming bitter at our detractors we may actually become better disciples.”

[An excerpt from my book, WHAT ON EARTH? Considering the Social Implications of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount]

Dobbs, Pro-life, and Where Do We Go From Here?

An old friend of mine asked me why I never speak/write about abortion. While not exactly true, since I do sparingly weigh in on the issue (see below), I take his point, and appreciate any civil pushback, which his was. Here are some of my thoughts in answer to his concern.

It’s true, I seldom weigh in on the abortion issue as there is no shortage of Christians speaking out in the media and social media on it every day. When I do write on the topic, I usually address what most Christians don’t take time to think through, and that is a consistently “pro-life” ethic from cradle to crypt.  Not to mention that Roe v Wade is has now been struck down, which along with a conservative majority Supreme Court, has been the primary focus of conservatives for the last 50 years.

I think it’s important to know that fifty percent of women seeking abortions today are living below the poverty line, and another 25 percent have low incomes that are barely above it. Sixty percent are already mothers of at least one child. They are often struggling to deal with unstable crisis situations that make it difficult for them to welcome another child into their homes without assistance. On this basis, I’m not justifying abortion. Just making the point that economic concerns during an unplanned pregnancy can reduce a woman’s resolve to bring her baby to full term.

Therefore, the kinds of things I write and advocate for the reduction of abortions in our country are these:

1. Subsidize pre-and postnatal care. Having a baby is expensive. In Arkansas, the average hospital delivery costs about $15,000, right around the national average. Mothers and families should not incur medical debt or drain their savings in exchange for bringing a child into the world.

2. Expand and reform the Child Tax Credit. The Biden administration’s temporary expansion and transformation of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in last year’s pandemic relief package was the biggest tangible boon to American families in decades.

3. Incentivize and streamline domestic adoptions. There are hundreds of thousands of children in the American foster care system. Adoption is often expensive and complicated. The government should prioritize policies making it easier for people to adopt domestically, while maintaining and strengthening processes that protect and safeguard children. Tax credits, allowances, and the like could make adoption a reality for more people.

4. We need more and better funded crisis pregnancy centers. And churches should do much more to advocate and provide for women in crisis pregnancies. Sitting around and complaining about abortion laws isn’t and never has been very productive.

Here are three former posts of mine on a consistent pro-life view and the weakness of a one-issue voting approach:

“The Danger of Donald Trump” (Part 3)

Are We Ready for the End of Roe?

Whether or not you agree with my thoughts, please feel free to share yours. With civility, of course.

Can Christians Support Donald Trump Without Risk to Their Witness?

I posted this in 2019, before both of his impeachments, January 6, 2021, and all the other outrageous actions by our former president.

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The short answer to the question above, in my view is “NO!” Chris Buskirk disagrees. In his article on the “American Greatness” site he challenges editorials by husband and wife: David and Nancy French of the National Review and the Washington Post respectively, wherein they posit that our testimony is indeed compromised by those who support Mr. Trump’s presidency.

Along with the Frenches I believe that our Christian testimony has been co-opted by party over purity, and has been compromised if not shredded, and repairs are needed––and fast.

“Nobody’s perfect.” It’s a common refrain for the Donald Trump mulligan-mantra. I suppose you might call it “imperfection” when a man who marries one woman, has an affair, marries his mistress, marries a third woman, has an affair with a porn star while that third woman is pregnant with his child, and then pays her off to keep quiet! “So what?” they…

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