Last night I went for a very, very long walk. The boys took a break from swotting to watch the US Presidential debate. Hilary Clinton had been talking about Roe v Wade as an eternal right, in a manner akin to a Slave Owner talking about Dredd Scott.
She was oozing false caring, what my Marxist friends would call bourgeois sentimentality. I started yelling at the TV. A walk would be better, so Robyn and I disappeared for the 70 odd minutes that the debate took.
Then the boys went off and studied a bit more. We switched to watching a murder mystery and music, and Robyn went back to her home.
Why does the debate matter? Is there a theology to these things? Consider these two quotes from Vox Popoli, filtering out the heavy trolling there….
“I’ll be interested in the Catholic response. Not only do we have a clearer contrast than ever between the two sides on abortion, but combine that with the leaks showing the Dems playing liberal Catholics for chumps. Liberal bishops are irked, partly from the embarrassment of being shown to be the fat girl at a pig party, but also because it shows what a sham their “seamless garment” arguments were all this time.”
The left Catholics always had contempt for their Bishops. Very few traditional Catholics defend them now. Even the most ardent “we must follow the example of our Bishops” people are getting quiet. With the Pope’s new appointments, expect the contempt to grow. It’s a moot point anyways, as the Church lost all of it’s political clout when it destroyed Catholic identity in VII.
Last week Franklin Graham had a rally with 14,000+ people on the capitol steps. Now most places Franklin Graham may not carry any weight, but the Graham’s are North Carolinians, and we are talking about Evangelicals and Churchians, so here it means something.
There he basically gave evangelicals very solid reasons for voting in this election, and voting for Trump. 4-5 potential Supreme Court appointments. We live in an evil and fallen world. So, it has always been an issue of voting for the lesser of 2 evils.
This resonated. I popped into a little country church this weekend and this was the message given to the life-long locals. Many seemed to breathe a sigh of relief that they could vote for Trump without violating their Christian conscience or endorsing his behavior.
The other thing is what happened after Hurricane Matthew. While it didn’t make landfall here, it made an over-sized mess of things due to how the storms tore things up inland.
What we saw afterward was Obama showed up, hardly mentioned the storm or the devastation instead taking it as an opportunity to campaign for Hillary. The obvious lack of care and compassion coupled with raw opportunism spoke volumes.
At the same time, the Trump women including Lara Trump, who is from NC, suspended their campaigning for a couple days and pitched in to help in Fayetteville, Lumberton and the surrounding areas. They showed up with a semi full of food and supplies “daddy” had paid for and helped distribute it and clean up a bit. When the press wanted to talk about her father-in-law she answered briefly and then said, excuse me, that’s not what we came here for, let us get back to helping those affected by the storm.
That contrast in behavior between the two sides couldn’t have been more obvious.
Many evangelicals will listen to the authority of the Grahams in a manner akin to the way Catholics used to listen to their bishops. That is less than it used to be.
But note the more powerful thing. During the latest Hurricane, Trump sent family with goods to help. Obama talked politics.
Most people need practical help. It is a step to sharing — in the illustrative quotes, politics, but there are more important things than politics.
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
(Luke 10:38-42 ESV)
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
(Revelation 9:20-21 ESV)
Martha was hospitable and served Christ. She did her duty. She should be honoured. Her complaint was understandable, and very much within the realm of female interaction: it is unfair, make her help me!
Mary worshipped. She also is honoured. And Christ did not reinforce the request of Martha, and her female wish for fairness.
Rodham worships fairness and sentimentality. She would damn Christ.
And for that, she is an example. Do not be like her.