Author Archives: Steve

The Poor Have this Problem, Too

As I’ve mentioned, I’m reading this year from the Africa Study Bible, written by and for Africans. I want to gain biblical insights from committed Christians who come from a totally different context. And I got one this morning.

I read Luke 18, which includes the story of the rich man who wanted to know how to gain eternal life. He was very devout, keeping all the commandments. But Jesus told him there was one more thing he needed to do: sell everything he had and give it to the poor.

Every sermon I’ve heard about this came from a middle-class minister directed at largely middle-class listeners. My assumption would have been that a poor minister, in preaching from this passage, would REALLY lay into rich people.

But a note in the Africa Study Bible hit a different angle. “Wealth can keep us from following Jesus, but so can lack of it. We can be so preoccupied with our poor conditions that we cannot love Jesus or help others. But we do not need money to love or reach out to help. Instead, whether rich or poor, we must put God before money.”

I’m guessing that note was written by a person with experience being “poor,” at least by Western standards.

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Leave Paul Ryan Alone

Sometimes people don’t have ulterior motives. Sometimes people mean what they say. Sometimes people hold good values and make decisions on that basis. Sometimes these people are politicians.

I think Paul Ryan is such a person. He says he’s leaving office to spend time with his family, to be an onsite Dad. Why can’t people just accept that? Instead, pundits are speculating at all kinds of other reasons based on political considerations. Often, when politicians say they are resigning “to spend more time with my family,” we all know that’s not the real reason. But sometimes it is. With Ryan, I believe it is.

The guy wants to be a Dad. He talked about that before becoming Speaker, and he’s talking about it again. That’s a good thing to want to be, and a good example to set.

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Florida’s Never-Ending Punishment

I’ve felt for a long time that when convicts pay their debt to society, they should regain the right to vote. That’s what happens in Indiana and 35 other states. So I was happy to see George Will’s recent column, which echoed my sentiments.

In Florida (and other states), felons lose the right to vote PERMANENTLY. Will mentions one Florida felon who went on to earn a law degree. But for the rest of his life, he can’t vote. Is that right?

Will writes of Florida, “The state has a low threshold for felonious acts: Someone who gets into a bar fight, or steals property worth $300 — approximately two pairs of Air Jordans — or even drives without a license for a third time can be disenfranchised for life.”

That now includes 1.6 million Floridians, including 20% of the state’s voting-age African-Americans. Nationwide, of the 4.7 million former prisoners who can’t vote, one-third are African-American. There is an undeniable a racial element, and class element, since such laws especially affect African-Americans and poor people. Nationwide, such laws prevent one of every 13 African Americans from voting.

Will continues, “What intelligent purpose is served by reminding felons — who really do not require reminding — of their past, and by advertising it to their community? The rule of law requires punishments, but it is not served by punishments that never end, and that perpetuate a social stigma and a sense of never fully reentering the community.”

In Florida, Republicans control both houses of the state legislature, plus the governorship. They don’t want to jeopardize that. Since Florida is the largest swing state, and blacks and poor people are generally more likely to vote Democrat, Republicans–not just in Florida, but nationally–have a strong interest in not restoring the votes of felons. Similar laws exist in Virginia and Arizona, two other significant swing states where Republicans have the upper hand.

But permanent disenfranchisement isn’t the norm. Here are the 14 states which automatically restore voting rights after a person leaves prison: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Utah. As you can see, it’s a mixture of conservative and liberal states. Another 22 states restore voting rights after a person completes parole or probation (they may also be required to pay fines, fees, or restitution before having voting rights restored). So states like Florida are in the minority.

Interestingly, in Maine and Vermont, felons have the right to vote even when incarcerated. California extends voting privileges to persons in county prisons. There’s a lot of other variety. Wyoming, in 2017, restored the voting rights of nonviolent felons. In 2013, Delaware eliminated the five-year waiting period for restoring voting rights.

Florida has a process for restoring your voting rights: you have to wait 5-7 years (depending on the crime) and then apply to the governor, who can say yes or no. Republican governor Rick Scott has received tens of thousands of such applications, but has approved only 1600 of them (compared to 150,000 by his predecessor). A cynic might wonder how many of those persons were white, middle-class people with Republican political connections. He has also pushed other measures to suppress voting among people who tend to favor the Democratic party (students, the poor, minorities). Scott is my Least Favorite Governor Ever.

Name a single instance, anywhere, in which Democrats have passed laws to hinder or prevent conservatives from voting? Take your time. I’ll wait.

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The Gun Survey Game

I received a “Gun Owner’s Action Survey” from the NRA. They, of course, don’t care about my opinions. It’s a fundraising piece and part of a membership drive, as betrayed by the final question, “Will you fight for your freedom by joining NRA today?” But the survey’s ridiculously slanted questions gave me good laugh. Here are two of them:

  • “Should Congress and the states eliminate so-called ‘gun free zones’ and leave innocent citizens defenseless against terrorists and violent criminals?”
  • “Do you oppose any United Nations treaty that strips the US of its sovereignty and gives UN diplomats the power to regulate every rifle, pistol, and shotgun you own?” (There are gullible people who think President Obama actually advocated this. I feel sorry for them.)

Of course, anti-gun groups play the same survey game. I can envision questions like this:

  • “Do you oppose letting mentally disturbed people, dressed in camo and wearing bullet-proof vests, carry sniper rifles and high-capacity machine guns into daycare centers, grade school music recitals, and church prayer meetings?”
  • “Do you oppose NRA-backed ‘stand your ground’ laws which make it perfectly legal for somebody to blow your head off if they feel offended by something you say?”
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When America Opened Its Arms to Refugees

James Michener, in “The Bridge at Andau,” criticized the United States for being slow to act on behalf of the freedom fighters of the Hungarian Revolution, and on behalf of the 200,000 refugees who poured into Austria. Other countries–France, Britain, Switzerland, and other nations–immediately leaped into the breach to welcome and care for refugees. But America did very little…initially.

But finally, we got our act together and entered the fray with unbounded generosity and compassion. By the middle of March 1957, just four months after the Russian invasion, the United States had accepted over 30,000 Hungarian refugees. Again: 30,000. Some voices objected–we should take care of our own needs first, and besides, there could be communist infiltrators among those refugees. But we responded not to fear or self-interest, but to human need.

Michener wrote about America’s response:

  • We lifted or ignored restrictions on bringing refugees into the US.
  • The US embassy in Vienna, Austria, sped up the flow of paperwork.
  • Our emergency relief organizations–Catholic, Jewish, Protestant–stopped squabbling and began working around the clock to reunite refugee families and get them cleared to come to America.
  • US aid groups flooded Austria with blankets, medicine, food, and money.
  • Educational foundations provided scholarships to American colleges.

Michener continued, “Then, when it seemed as if the United States had done all it could, there occurred the Christmas [1956] visit of Vice President Nixon, who cut additional red tape, reassured the Austrians of our continued support of their efforts, and spurred our own government to further generosity in accepting refugees. A massive airlift was organized….And across America, thousands of families who had never seen a Hungarian before suddenly opened their doors and welcomed strangers to whom they could not speak a single word.”

I’m supremely proud of THAT America, the America into which I was born on the day the Hungarian Revolution started on October 23, 1956. THAT is a country I believe God chose to bless. I think we had our thumb on God’s pulse–helping people who were needy, damaged, vulnerable, homeless, and helpless. People who needed a place to start anew, and we said, “Come to America. We’ll treat you well.”

Consider the similarities to Syria. Like Hungary, Syria was a Russia-aligned country whose people rose up against an oppressive regime, but were put down with help from Russia. As with Hungary, hundreds of thousands of refugees poured into Europe, which largely embraced them. But this time, America has been mostly silent.

Michener wrote 61 years ago, prophetically, “When the patriots in Budapest struck, we were unprepared. We neither knew what to do, nor had the will to do it. We stood before the world in very shabby moral clothes, and should this happen again, we might have to surrender our position of world leadership.”

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Michener and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution

I’ve known, since I was a kid, that I was born on the exact day that the Hungarian Revolution started. That has always intrigued me.

I just finished James Michener’s 1957 account of the Hungarian Revolution, “The Bridge at Andau,” published when I was one year old. It’s not a great book, by Michener standards. It feels like it was rushed into print. He writes with much personal outrage at what Hungarians endured during ten years of Soviet enslavement. A proud nation had been turned into a brutal, repressive, horrible prison state. Refugees told him numerous stories of torture and imprisonment at the hands of the secret police, stories that turn your stomach. As Michener notes, the Soviets imposed the same cruel oppression on all of its satellite states–East Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, and others.

The book begins by stating my birthday: “On Tuesday evening, October 23,1956–a day which the world will be slow to forget–a boy of 18…” and we’re off and running. A student demonstration attracts a crowd. Shortly, stones will be thrown, gunfire exchanged, buildings stormed, Russian tanks destroyed by kids. The people won their freedom, and for a couple weeks, made plans for a new Hungary. But Russia couldn’t let that happen.

The Russians invaded in force in November 4. The people put up a heroic resistance, destroying hundreds of Russian tanks with makeshift weapons. But defeat was inevitable. Thousands were killed, and thousands more were packed into cattle cars and shipped to Siberia. Darkness once again descended.

Over 200,000 Hungarians fled the country, most crossing the border into Austria. Thousands emerged from swamps to cross a footbridge near an Austrian town called Andau. Michener was there in late 1956 as a young reporter. He risked his life to help hundreds of Hungarian refugees evade Russian soldiers and secret police and cross that border. And he recorded their stories for the world to hear.

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Hugh Jackman and Laughing Man Coffee

Let me give a plug for Laughing Man coffee, a company started by one of my favorite actors, Hugh Jackman. This morning I drank the Dukale Blend, which leaves a wonderful aftertaste. I also love Hugh’s Blend. Both are among the best K-cup coffees I’ve had. Tomorrow I’ll try the Columbian, which I think is new.

Laughing Man somewhat resembles Newman’s Own, the brand started by Paul Newman. In both cases, all profits go to charity, and a foundation oversees the charitable work. The Laughing Man Foundation focuses on supporting small coffee-growing farmers like Dukale and their surrounding communities–providing grants to build and renovate homes, college scholarships, new business projects, and more.

Hugh Jackman started Laughing Man after a 2011 trip to Ethiopia with World Vision, a leading Christian relief and development organization. There, he met a coffee farmer named Dukale. Jackman basically went into the coffee business with Dukale. He provided half of the startup funds, and donates all of his profits to the foundation.

Jackman’s main role was helping small growers like Dukale gain access to better markets for their coffee in the US and elsewhere. He says, “It thrills me I can use my profile for something that is genuinely giving back.”

Laughing Man seems to have a commendable philosophical framework–not giving handouts, but giving people a hand-up, opening doors, and providing resources to help people get over the hump in bettering their own lives.

Pam and I are fans of Fair Trade. Laughing Man doesn’t throw around the Fair Trade label, but they are very much in that realm. Laughing Man promotes fair compensation, ethical practices, sustainability, empowering women, a low carbon footprint, entrepreneurship, and human dignity.

Through April 10, the business side is donating to the foundation twice the amount it normally does for every sale of Laughing Man K-cups. I bought four 10-pack boxes today, all different flavors.

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White Evangelicals: the Universal Donor

I love great analogies. I read one the other day from Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a Latina pastor in Chicago. She said her blood type is O-negative, which makes her the universal donor—her blood works for everyone. However, she can only receive O-negative blood. She related this to the evangelical church.

“In seminary, I learned that the universal theological donor is a white evangelical. This donor is always translating books into other languages, planting churches in other countries, setting up seminaries on other continents, and sending professors to teach global Christians. And this donor never seems to receive from the global church. White evangelicals wouldn’t say directly that they have nothing to learn from Latinx, African American, Asian America, or Native scholars—but they don’t notice when our voices are absent.”

This is worth talking about.

Go to the website of a suburban evangelical megachurch in your city. Check the staff page. How many are minorities? I’ve seen staff pages with 30+ staff members, and not a single minority. All white. If you do find a minority, there’s a good chance the person’s role is focused on that minority group—like, Pastor of Hispanic Outreach, or something like that. You rarely see a minority in a general pastoral position whose responsibilities include the entire congregation–an African American associate pastor, an Asian Pastor of Spiritual Care. The congregation may include people from the various minority groups, but only a white guy—a universal donor—gets to preach to them.

Van Opstal says that at religious conferences, “We tend to get relegated to speaking on niche topics like reconciliation, outreach to Latinx communities, and immigration. We aren’t given space to shape the framework of the conversations on universal themes, such as evangelism….No one sits at our feet.”

That must be frustrating.

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The Odd Cause of the Ten Commandments

In Alabama, voters will decide whether or not to allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed on government property. This was a big deal with Roy Moore. It always struck me as an odd cause. Only two of the Ten Commandments are actually illegal–murder, and stealing. Some would actually be illegal to enforce.

1. “You shall have no other gods before me.” It would be illegal–unconstitutional–to enforce this one. To display it on public property, without similar nods to the beliefs of other religions, implies something the Founders most definitely didn’t want.

2. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.” It would be an unconstitutional infringement on religion to prevent people from making idols as part of their religion. Catholics might even be in trouble, or anyone who wears a cross. There would be court cases to determine what is and isn’t an idol (or graven image).

3. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.” This is not currently illegal; the President does this, though evangelicals don’t seem to mind. Should we put a Buddhist or atheist in prison for what Christians would regard as misusing God’s name?

4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Who is going to enforce this one? We all violate this commandment, at least as it was observed during Bible times. Are we gonna shut down all restaurants on Sunday? Better yet, consider that the Sabbath is technically Saturday.

5. “Honor your father and your mother.” This Commandment is not illegal.

6. “You shall not murder.” This one’s illegal, though we have laws which, arguably, allow the state to murder (war, death penalty, cop shootings). “Stand your ground” laws can be used to justify murder (Trayvon Martin, for example).

7. “You shall not commit adultery.” Not illegal. Again, the President. Do we really want to begin arresting people for adultery?

8. “You shall not steal.” Definitely illegal for most people. The richer you are, the more legal it is.

9. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Consider the daily Tweetstorms. In some legal contexts, lying is illegal or actionable. But generally, it’s perfectly legal to tell lies about people.

10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, or property.” Not illegal. In America, we tend to worship the idea of wanting more than we currently have.

Like I said, I don’t see the point of what Alabama voters want to do. But I can see how it would be easy to get people all worked up about it.

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The Belt and Road Initiative

I’m guessing few of you know much about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which China launched in 2013. We’re ridiculously focused on the latest Presidential tweets, while the rest of the world marches forward.

The BRI is the largest economic development project in history, involving hundreds of projects in 65 countries, and it will change the world…at least for our grandchildren. It involves at least seven “corridors,” both land and sea, which will connect China with Europe, Russia, Africa, India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. It includes roads, railways, pipelines, communication networks, ports, airports, satellites, and much more (China already has a rail link all the way to Spain).

Massive projects will help build the infrastructure of countries along these trade routes–electrical grids, roads, and a whole lot of green energy (windmills, solar farms, dams). As those economies develop, China will sign trade agreements, and Chinese companies will develop new markets and shut us out. China is also buying control of ports throughout the world.

China is investing a trillion dollars in the BRI–seven times the size of the Marshall Plan. It will help integrate China’s economy with the economies of all of these other countries, bringing both goodwill and influence to China.

China is even bringing Latin America into the Belt and Road Initiative, recognizing that the Trump administration is alienating Hispanic countries (who clearly heard the “s***hole countries” comment). In January, China’s foreign minister met in Chile with his counterparts from 31 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. China’s goal, obviously, is to lessen US influence in our hemisphere and tie Latin American markets more closely to China (and insert Chinese values).

The United States won’t be part of the Belt and Road Initiative. We’ve been pulling out of international agreements, like the Paris Climate Accord and TPP, and lessening our involvement in international organizations, like UNESCO and the World Bank. China sees the Trump presidency as a strategic opportunity for increasing its influence. While we try to build a wall and otherwise keep people out, China is building pathways throughout the world. China is eagerly assuming the leadership that America is relinquishing (with big money to back it up). More and more, China is calling the shots on the regulations and systems that will govern the world, because we’ve chosen not to be involved in those meetings.

I encourage you to read up on the Belt and Road Initiative. Do a Google search–there’s a huge amount of information about the BRI. It’s important–maybe not for us, but for our descendants and America’s future.

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