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5 Differences Between Democracy And Christianity

January 15, 2021 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Christianity does not equal democracy but democracy is Christian

Democracy’s Concept Is Accepted By All
The Definition Is Not

Democracy is one of those words that every American owns. We love it, embrace it, and repeat it ad nasueam but I question whether it is truly understood.

The definition is simple:

Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

On the surface, we get that. The people (you, me, and everyone else) are ultimately in charge but there is a downside. When we say the people are in charge, we are talking about all the people. Not the wealthiest, the smartest, the most attractive, the morally normative, or any other high profile group.

The people refers to all the people and as the culture becomes more diverse so too do the democratically legislated laws. The body of elected officials who legislate laws take into consideration the entire constituency when writing those laws.

Everyone has a say. Every group is represented equally and that is the Christian approach to governance. Democracy is a very comfortable form of government when everyone in the country agrees with you. As differences begin to accumulate and the laws expand accordingly, discomfort rises among the more religiously rigid.

Admittedly, my thoughts about democracy have moderated over the years. I’ve always considered it a Christian concept and it is, but how far can you extrapolate that idea?

Are Christianity and Democracy equal? Is one exactly the same as the other? Is Democracy the word we apply to government so we can make it seem like a religion? I would say no, no, and probably.

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There are underlying Christian principles in a democratic form of government but democracy is neither sectarian nor religious. It can’t be because then it ceases to be a government of the people, for the people, by the people. Democracy is Christian but not in the way many Christians think. Democracy gives expression to those aspects of Christian doctrine that most Christians love to ignore.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbors. Not some of our neighbors. Not the neighbors we think are the right class or look like we do or agree with our personal beliefs. We are to love our neighbors period. Even if we consider them enemies, we are to find a way to love them.

Jesus said that too, but it’s not easy to do mostly because it runs contrary to our natural responses. How can we love our neighbors if we don’t allow for their differences, distasteful though they may be?

With a community as large and broad as the USA, you’re bound to find people you disagree with, lifestyles you could never accept personally, and personal choices you aren’t comfortable with. But that is the nature of community.

It’s logical. The larger the community, the more pronounced and widespread the differences. [Read more…] about 5 Differences Between Democracy And Christianity

Filed Under: Philosophy, Political Issues, Religion

4 Tax Reveal And Campaign Chaos Takeaways

October 3, 2020 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

“This Man Doesn’t Know What He’s Talking About”

It’s been a long and frenetic week for the candidates in this year’s general election. It’s fun for the public but not so much for those running the race. Let’s start with a few tax reveal takeaways.

Trump’s In The Dumps Financially

The New York Times finally opened the door to the Trump financial closet. What they found wasn’t bankruptcy but it could get there soon enough.

What we learn from the revelations is that even though Trump’s lifestyle keeps everyone watching, like reality TV, it’s more fantasy than real.

He flies around in a private jet emblazoned with his name on the side, splashes at all the big dinner events, plays golf at his many personally owned courses, and refuses to take his Presidential stipend but his tank is running on empty. He’s broke and with several hundred million in debt coming due soon and only an estimated $873,000 in stocks and bonds left to sell, it’s about to get worse according to reports by the New York Times.

It’s no wonder he wanted to be President and turn the oval into a spotlight for his family. It provides millions in free advertising for their related businesses. It’s amazing that he does all of this in plain sight and no one sees it as a problem.

With personal loans valued at more than $400 million coming due in the next few years and apparently no ability to pay, his lenders will be in the difficult position of deciding whether or not to foreclose on a sitting President should he win.

Maybe instead of voting for him, you should send a personal donation.

$70,000 In Hair Styling Costs

One of the endearing things about Trump is his hair. How many times has that crown been the focus of comedic fun?

The public loves it. I always thought he knew this and used it to his favor but, whether he likes being poked at or not, it’s become a trend among world leaders. Just have a look at Boris Johnson.

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The difference is Boris paid approximately $5000.00 for haircuts (at the very most) during the fifteen years the Apprentice aired while the Don paid $70,000.00. Both get a lot of attention for their hair and their antics. Boris paid a lot less for it. [Read more…] about 4 Tax Reveal And Campaign Chaos Takeaways

Filed Under: Elections, Philosophy, Political Issues

5 Reasons Not To Trust Trump

September 25, 2020 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Indictments: Republicans 142, Deomcrats 2

Salvation Doesn’t Change Your Basic Nature

When people ask why I didn’t vote for Trump, my answer is short and simple. I don’t TRUST him.

That’s a fairly uncommon answer. Many people don’t like Trump but liking him and trusting him are two different things.

Likability is not a primary issue anyway. It is a good quality to have but it doesn’t really qualify anyone as presidential.

Evangelicals started the like/dislike campaign when they claimed he is born again implying, of course, that that made him a good candidate. The problem with that theory is born again doesn’t qualify anyone as presidential either. I know many Christians I wouldn’t vote for.

“Born again” also doesn’t qualify anyone as likable. I’ve listened to many biblically sound messages delivered by people who weren’t that likable. But not to worry, saying someone is unlikable isn’t the same as saying they are bad. If someone is unlikable to you, it only means you and he or she don’t necessarily mesh.

The goal for Christians is to be Christlike but I don’t mean that in the absolute sense, nor should it ever be taken that way. No one is 100% like Jesus. Not you, not me. Not your parents, siblings, or the people at church.

Christlike means you’re different from what you were. Not perfect. Not likable. Just different.

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Trump may be different from what he was but, likable or not, his flaws are still quite obvious. Taken together, those flaws raise many questions but none of them alone make him untrustworthy. There is one flaw, however, that I believe makes him unfit for the job. Let me explain. [Read more…] about 5 Reasons Not To Trust Trump

Filed Under: Elections, Philosophy, Political Issues

Trump Is The Cause Not The Solution

September 20, 2020 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Trump's attempts to buy into the NFL were always thwarted

Chris Rock Rocks Bad Apple Idea

Recently a friend told me they didn’t like Trump but they’ll vote for him anyway because they don’t trust Biden to manage the protests.

I didn’t say anything then but many words came to mind. None of them say it all: inane, illogical, ridiculous, shallow.

I’ll show the evidence just now but Trump is causing the problem. How can he be the solution?

Worse than all of the above, though, thinking Trump is somehow a solution is also an expression of ingrained racism.

You can’t believe in or side with Trump unless you share in his racism at least on some level.

Let me say quickly that very few admit to being racist and if you implied they were, you would probably get a full-throated response. Furthermore, many people who admit racism is bad, also refuse to admit that it really exists.

Following Kaepernick’s taking a knee, Mike Ditka, the famous coach of the Chicago Bears said “there’s been no oppression in the U.S. for the last 100 years!”

Ditka’s really good with X’s and O’s (kudos from me on that) but he obviously never met Jim Crow, brown v the board of education and a few other pertinent historical issues in the cause for racial justice.

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Let me tell you, in this environment, if you aren’t vocalizing disgust for racism and reacting to the data that proves it, you’re a racist.

Maybe you nor Mike nor anyone else chose to be racist. Few people do but if you haven’t made and vocalized your choice to end racism, you’re a racist.

Before you balk, think about it.

Racism is like accents. You listen to people from other parts of the country and you immediately hear their accent. They don’t hear it but you and every other outsider do. They aren’t aware of it. They just speak and out it comes. To them, it all sounds natural.

Just like accents, people adopt a racist mindset slowly, over time. It isn’t born out of ill will but absorbed from a social structure ingrained with it. People don’t think about it. They don’t make a conscious effort to be racist. They don’t even realize it till someone points it out. They just take on and recycle the mindset without thinking. [Read more…] about Trump Is The Cause Not The Solution

Filed Under: Elections, Philosophy, Political Issues

Can The Commissioner of Labor Make A Difference

September 16, 2020 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Can You Live On Your Wages

Are You Drowning In The Status Quo

On Tuesday November 3rd we will be electing a new commissioner of labor for the State of North Carolina.

This is an exciting year because it’s an open election. The previous Commissioner, who held the office for five terms changed little. This time around, hopefully, things will be different.

The two candidates are Jessica Holmes for the Democratic Party and Josh Dobson for the Republican Party. Both candidates have political experience.

Jessica Holmes served for 7 years on the Wake County Board of Commissioners, which is no mean feat. Wake County is now the largest county in North Carolina. Not only has she served on the largest county but she also has the distinction of being the youngest person to serve as a commissioner and also the youngest person to serve as the board’s chair.

Jessica earned a law degree from the University of North Carolina.

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Josh Dobson served 8 years in the North Carolina House of Representatives and during that time was involved in a ton of legislation. One bill in particular represents where his head is on financial issues, SB 820 which was signed into law on December 3, 2018. Simply put, the bill increases the cap on incentives paid to corporations that move premises to North Carolina. On the surface, it sounds promising but it’s mostly about big money and deep pockets. You can read about a few of the problems with the bill on NC Policy Watch.

Josh earned a Masters of Public Administration from Appalachian State. [Read more…] about Can The Commissioner of Labor Make A Difference

Filed Under: Personal Development, Philosophy, Political Issues

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