My Dear Brother Johnson, Thou Shalt Not Lie about the “No Kings” Protests Tomorrow

You, (and I) claim to follow Jesus as our Lord. We should, therefore, live according to his teachings. We should speak the truth in love. We should love our neighbors and seek their wellbeing. If we are mistaken in thoughts or deeds, we should be open to correction, especially from our spiritual siblings.

You have made many assertions about the upcoming protests and I believe your affirmations are dead wrong. You say these peaceful protesters “hate America”. You have called them “terrorists”. You are called by God to be a peacemaker, yet you have stoked the flames of anger. You have not offered a shred of evidence for your accusations. Of course, I cannot know what is in the heart of every protester (neither can you). Nevertheless, the act of peacefully criticizing one’s political leaders does not mean hatred for your country. Quite the contrary! You and I should be able to agree that the Biblical prophets, John the Baptist, and even Jesus himself loved their neighbors and their enemies even as they denounced the sins of political leaders of their days. Criticism that is “constructive” must be accurate and provided to bring about repentance and growth. This kind of constructive criticism is genuine patriotism, not the “cheap patriotism” that is adulation and bowing down to a president. Peaceful protest is an appropriate application of the First Amendment.

I respectfully submit for your consideration some of your actions that I consider to be immoral and likely illegal.

I (and most of the protesters) think you are practicing hypocrisy. You say you cannot swear in Adelita Grijalva who was elected to her seat in a special election in Arizona because the House of Representatives is not “in session”. Nevertheless, earlier this year you swore in two Republicans who were elected in special elections in Florida when the House was not in session. There is no nice way to say this: you are a hypocrite. It seems that the real reason for not swearing her in is that you don’t want Grijalva’s vote to force the Epstein files to be made public. The names and identities of the sex traffickers and pedophiles should be made known to the public. Which side are you on?
According to our Constitution, the judiciary, the legislative, and the executive branches are co-equal and are to be checks and balances on each other. But you have allowed the president to roll over congressional responsibilities. Here are two examples.
You have allowed the president to overturn funding that had already been approved by Congress (USAID, New York’s transportation projects) without even raising a whimper.
According to our Constitution, wars are declared by Congress. Nevertheless, Trump is carrying out war actions against Venezuela, and he has not even met with Congress’ “Gang of Eight” to let them know or to get their approval.
You label protesters as “terrorists”. The first “no kings” protests earlier this year were overwhelmingly peaceful. What evidence do you have that show that these protesters are terrorists? Would you admit that some of their criticisms are valid?
You sent the House of Representatives home for vacations a week early and you have kept them “on break” for additional weeks (even though the Senate is “in session”). It sure seems you have no interest in finding a mutually agreed upon solution to the government shutdown. You have demanded that Democrats approve the Continuing Resolution so that you can have “more time” to negotiate the ACA extensions past the end of the year “sunset”. You have known for months that you needed 60 senators to approve the resolution. Why should citizens believe that you would use a time extension and act in good faith?

Speaker Johnson, as the Scriptures say, “Thou shalt not lie” and “Repent and find forgiveness.”

Trump, Netanyahu and Others: Credit where Credit is Due and Blame where Blame is Due

Sunday, in my community of faith, one of our pastors gave a sermon on King Solomon. On the one hand, Solomon is widely known for his wisdom. Nevertheless, the Scriptures also describe how he made many unwise (=stupid) mistakes. Which of the following affirmations is true: “Solomon was wise” or “Solomon made stupid mistakes”? Although they seem contradictory, both can be accurate and true…at the same time and referring to the same person. His father, King David, was “a man after God’s own heart”, yet after committing adultery with Bathsheba, he tried to cover this sin with a more deadly one, in which he authorized the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.

The pages of history are strewn with examples of these moral contradictions. One of my favorite U.S. presidents was Abraham Lincoln. He freed the slaves. He kept the Union together during a horrible civil war that cost some 620,000 lives. Nevertheless, that war involved actions that were morally horrific. Lincoln authorized Sherman’s non justified “march to the sea” (with its scorched earth policy) in which thousands upon thousands of Southern civilians had their homes and farms ravaged and destroyed. At one and the same time, Lincoln was a good moral president who also made some ethically horrible decisions.

We can see this moral contradiction in both Trump and Netanyahu. Accurate descriptions will give credit/blame where they are due.

Trump and team should receive credit for brokering the ceasefire

Most hostages on both sides have been released
Israel is removing its soldiers from Gaza
Hamas has agreed to disarm
Palestinians have the right to self-determination
Humanitarian aid will immediately increase into Gaza
Some twenty nations (Arab, European) have pledged to support the peace process with resources
An international “Board of Peace” will be created to ensure safety and stability in Gaza and a process leading to self-government

These phases require Trump to focus and follow through on his commitments. These will probably be more difficult for him than this initial step of the ceasefire.

It is appropriate and important to assign blame to Trump for his actions/policies that are immoral, dangerous and/or misguided. Some of these are:

Trump’s gutting of USAID is causing the premature death of tens of thousands innocent people around the world.
Trump’s firing of needed federal employees (FEMA, CDC, IRS) which is causing unnecessary harm to these workers and to the American public.
Trump promised to end the war against Ukraine on “Day 1”, but peace is far away because Trump has coddled Putin and has not applied economic sanctions. At least Trump acknowledges that Putin has “played him”.
Trump promised to target criminal undocumented immigrants, but over 60% of those detained by ICE have NO CRIMINAL RECORD!
Trump promised the Epstein files would be released, but he and Republican leaders (like Johnson) are doing everything possible to block their release. What is Trump hiding?
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is really quite ugly, because it takes away health care from millions of tax-paying citizens and food from the mouths of babes.
Trump promised to reduce prices for consumers, but he has an obsession with tariffs that add to inflation and have been a failure (see China).
Almost all of Trump’s public actions are moves toward presidential authoritarianism at the expense of the legislative and judiciary branches of our government and states’ rights.
Trump has character flaws that no ethical system can condone (bullying, womanizing, racism, lying to an extreme, blaming others for his own failures). MAGA readers: where is your prophetic voice against personal immorality?

Netanyahu likewise deserves credit and blame. Here is a short summary.

He should be credited for standing up to the conservative “war hawks” in his Cabinet who wanted to continue the war in Gaza.
He should also be credited for changing his position on Palestinian self-determination which the peace deal acknowledges.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu has rightly been found guilty of war crimes and genocide by the ICC. These are serious crimes and should not be swept under the rug.
Even today, he has made comments that cast doubt on whether he will abide by Trump’s 20-point plan. After Trump obtained an invitation for him to attend the summit in Egypt, Bibi backed out. Today’s celebration might be premature.

Today, more than ever, we the people need to express our approval or disapproval of our national leaders, not based on their party affiliation, but rather on whether their actions and policies are just or unjust.

A Ceasefire in Gaza! Kudos to Trump…IF He is Able to Implement it.

On Wednesday, President Trump announced that a ceasefire in Gaza had been brokered between Israel and Hamas (together with collaboration from several countries in the region). Although I frequently criticize the president for several political decisions that I consider immoral and vile, on this issue he should be applauded…temporarily, at least. The president issued a 20-point plan that (supposedly) both Hamas and Israel have agreed to. Nevertheless, some of these items might become “sticking points” if either side doesn’t follow through. Here are some of those points:

Israel agreed to halt its bombardment of Gaza. What happens if they continue to wage war on Gazans?
Hamas has agreed to disarm its followers/soldiers. Who will verify and certify this disarmament?
Israel has long opposed the independence of Gaza, but supposedly has now agreed that Gazans would be free. They would be governed by an international “peace council” of which Trump himself would oversee. What happens if the Israeli government backs away from this agreement?
The Trump plan allows for the discussion of nationhood of Palestine. Netanyahu says this is a “no-go”. This is a serious sticking point. Can Trump use his influence to get Israel to change its position?
Israel has agreed to pull out its soldiers from most of Gaza. What happens if they keep some/most of their soldiers there?
All Israeli and Palestinian hostages and detainees would be returned to their homeland and loved ones. What a wonderful homecoming! What happens if there are discrepancies in the number and health of these returnees? Who verifies these figures?

A just peace in Palestine has not happened for a long time. May this time be different!!!

The Shutdown Blame Game: Why the Republican Argument Does Not Persuade Me PLUS My Modest Proposal to End the Impasse

The federal government shutdown is now entering its fifth day with no end in sight. The lines are clearly drawn. The Republicans demand that Democrats pass the Continuing Resolution (CR) to re-open the government for seven weeks. If the government does not re-open, no negotiations will take place over health care legislation. The Democrats want health care discussions to take place now before any re-opening of the government. These include: (1) the restoration of Obamacare subsidies that are due to end on December 31, 2025; and (2) the restoration of Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefits taken away by the “Big Beautiful Bill” legislation. Meanwhile, only “essential” workers are on the job. Non-essential workers are temporarily furloughed until the government is re-opened.

The Republicans blame the Democrats for the shutdown and Democrats blame the Republicans and President Trump. I freely acknowledge that neither I nor any human being can be 100% objective in our analysis regarding who is to blame, but I submit the following evidence for why the Republicans seem to be more guilty (the six national polls that have asked this question reveal that the American people blame Republicans more than Democrats for the shutdown by 15-20%).

Evidence:

The Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives, albeit by razor thin majorities). How can they blame the minority when they have all the control?
The Republicans did not include the Democrats in any discussions of the “Big Beautiful Bill” because they did not need to do so… EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT our governmental predecessors in their wisdom, required that sixty Senators must approve certain resolutions, including the one before the Senate now. This was to ensure broad, bipartisan support for our government and its spending of tax dollars. From the beginning, the Republicans were well aware of this 60 Senator rule. Even so, they made the choice not to be bipartisan and try to bully the Democrats into submission and acquiescence at the last moment. Republicans need to accept responsibility for their choice.
Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to get Medicare and Medicaid benefits for undocumented immigrants. Federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving these benefits and there is no Democratic proposal to change the law. Therefore, this Republican accusation is a bald face lie. If justice were on the side of the Republicans, they would not need to resort to such obvious lies.
Project 2025 sketches out how the White House should “take advantage” of shutdowns to justify the illegal massive firing of federal workers, especially in Departments Trump does not like (ex. Education). He has also halted billions of dollars in funds (already approved by Congress) for projects in states run by Democrats (Illinois, New York and California). During his 2024 campaign, Trump denied any knowledge of Project 2025, because it was perceived by many Americans as being too extreme. Nevertheless, its chief architect, Russell Vought, served in the first Trump administration and is currently the Director of the powerful Office of Management and Budget. Trump is now fulfilling Project 2025 “to a Tee”. It seems quite clear that Candidate Trump lied to the American people regarding Project 2025. He does not lament the pain that the shutdown is causing. This was his plan.
President Trump claims the shutdown provides an “unprecedented opportunity” for him to hack away at pieces of the federal bureaucracy he does not like. It has also provided him with opportunities to try to ridicule his opponents (perhaps to get revenge for losing his Free Speech fight with Jimmy Kimmel). Trump posted an AI generated video in which he tried to ridicule Hakeem Jeffries with a Mexican sombrero and moustache. Trump was widely criticized by politicians from both sides of the aisle for this failed attempt at humor. Vice President Vance was asked for his opinion. He said he thought it was “funny” and that “the president’s joking and we’re having a good time”. The importance of the shutdown merits greater seriousness by the president who should perhaps leave the comedy to Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

My Modest Proposal To End the Impasse

Let’s now turn from who is to blame to how do we achieve a just end to the shutdown. On the surface, it looks like there is no fair way to end the shutdown. Republicans won’t negotiate health care while the government is closed and Democrats won’t open the government unless health care reforms take place first. Successful mediators know that leaders on both sides must be able to “save face” with their constituents. They must be able to point to some political victory for their base. A possible solution exists because the Democrat demands are two pronged: (1) the restoration of Obamacare subsidies; and (2) the restoration of Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefits taken away by the “Big Beautiful Bill” legislation. If the Democrats separate their demands into two packets, reasonable Republicans might agree with them. I propose that Democrats and Republicans negotiate NOW the restoration of Obamacare subsidies. This is less expensive than the Big Beautiful Bill legislation and is fairly easy to reach an agreement: just extend the “sunset” of the subsidies for one year until the end of 2026. If this is passed NOW, Democrats can THEN vote for the Continuing Resolution and end the shutdown, provided that Republicans agree to negotiate the BBB benefits during the next seven weeks.

Democrats could claim a victory in that they have restored the Obamacare subsidies and a (good faith) promise by the GOP to negotiate the BBB benefits. Republicans could also claim a victory in that they have re-opened the government, and that the major chunk of negotiations (the BBB benefits) will take place only after the shutdown is over.

How will the restoration of the Obamacare subsidies be paid for? I do not recommend raising the national debt! I do propose reducing the tax benefits for the very rich. Several months ago during the BBB discussions, even President Trump recommended this reduction. Will the adults in the room identify themselves and get the government back to work!

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, Where Is Your Faith?

You claim to be a follower of Jesus. This is a serious commitment. This means that your allegiance to Jesus should be higher than any allegiance you pledge to President Trump or to any other human being. I respectfully suggest that you are failing in your allegiance to Jesus, especially in the areas of truth and grace. In your position as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), you must provide honest counsel to the president regarding our federal budget and other economic items. Fair enough. Nevertheless, in your meetings with the president this week, you recommended Trump to permanently lay off many thousands of federal workers. You know that it is illegal to use a government shutdown as an excuse to fire federal workers. In previous shutdowns, a distinction has been made between essential workers and non-essential workers. Essential workers continue laboring on the job. Non-essential workers are “furloughed”, that is, they do not report to work during the shutdown, and after it is resolved, they return to their jobs, together with back pay for the time they were “off”. This is a temporary situation during the shutdown. There is NO legal basis for the permanent firing of workers. You can try to get these firings mired down in the courts, but in your heart, you know this is wrong. The well being of hard-working people and their families is at stake. President Trump has gleefully and vindictively announced he will use these layoffs to punish Democrats. I no longer expect any truth from President Trump, but I do expect truth and grace from fellow followers of Jesus.

You did not learn the “virtue of lying” at Wheaton College where you earned your bachelor’s degree and where I was a professor for 12 years. Our institution had its flaws, but it did not teach Christians to lie or to seek revenge. I expect you to stand up for the truth even when your GOP colleagues are spreading blatant lies. Speaker of the House Johnson and Vice-President Vance have blamed Democrats for the shutdown and have accused them of wanting to give Medicare benefits to undocumented immigrants. This is a lie, because federal law prohibits these immigrants from receiving these benefits.

Spreading these lies and promoting vengeful firings will not lead to a just resolution to the shutdown. I expect better from you.

If Comey is Found “Guilty”, He Should Go to Prison; If Comey is Found “Not Guilty”, Trump, Bondi, and Patel Should Resign

“The clearest way to understand the extraordinary nature of the indictment on Thursday of James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, is to offer up a simple recitation of the facts. An inexperienced prosecutor [Lindsey Halligan] loyal to President Trump, in the job for less than a week, filed criminal charges against one of her boss’s most-reviled opponents [James Comey]. She did so not only at Mr. Trump’s direct command, but also against the urging of both her own subordinates and her predecessor [Erik Siebert], who had just been fired for raising concerns that there was insufficient evidence to indict. At the same time, the Justice Department has also ordered prosecutors to investigate George Soros, a billionaire Democratic donor whom Trump has targeted for financing left-wing groups. The moves dispense with the decades-old norm that the agency should be free from political interference.” (quoted from NYT reporter Evan Gorelick’s piece)

In its vote to indict, the grand jury judged that the evidence it heard indicated that there were reasons to believe that Mr. Comey might have committed a crime. The two counts of that possible crime were (1) lying to Congress, and (2) obstruction of justice.

Shortly after the charges became public, Comey made his response. “My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way. We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant and she’s right. But I’m not afraid and I hope you’re not either. I hope instead you are engaged. You are paying attention. And you will vote like your beloved country depends upon it, which it does. My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I’m innocent. So, let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”

This is serious, especially now when our nation is divided more than at any time since the Civil War. For the healing of our country, our politicians and “public servants” should back up their actions with their careers. If Comey is found “Guilty”, he should not appeal, and therefore, he should go to prison; If Comey is found “Not Guilty”, Trump, Bondi, and Patel should resign from their positions.

Even a Broken Clock is Right Two Times a Day: Trump at the U.N. and Regarding Russia

Most of us who are parents strive to instill moral values in our children through our words and by our actions. We want our kids to grow up to become people of integrity who are honest, compassionate, humble and kind. If we catch them lying, we call them out. If they bully others, we stop them. We do not allow our sons to treat women as objects. Yesterday, at the United Nations General Assembly, our president’s worst behavior was on full display: arrogance (about individually ending “unendable” wars), lying (about inflation and climate change), racism (uncontrolled migration from “undesirable” countries), hypocrisy (denouncing rape yet himself being convicted of sexual assault), and bullying (forcing other countries like El Salvador to become complicit in our sins). I was ashamed and embarrassed by our president’s words.

Then, Trump had a side conversation with Ukraine’s President Zelensky. He later made some pronouncements that were shocking, a complete about face regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. After being “broken” during his speech to the UN, Trump’s moral clock was on time and accurate for a few fleeting moments. In a media post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said that he now believed that Ukraine could, with financial support from NATO and the European Union, regain all of the territory it had lost to Russia, including Crimea! This comment by Trump was a radical change considering that only a month ago the president had endorsed a plan that would force Ukraine to give up parts of their territory in exchange for peace. Then Trump added that Putin’s Russia was a “paper tiger” (Putin responded last night that his Russia was not a paper tiger, but a real bear.) It seems that Trump is slowly waking up to the terrible truth that Putin has been “playing” him with his “on again, off again” agreement/refusal ta meet for peace talks with Ukraine’s Zelensky.

I wish Mr. Trump well in his role of international mediator. Although he did not bring about peace on Day One as he had campaigned, he still has time to help end this war. He needs to grow some backbone and, together with our European allies, apply economic sanctions against Russia. Mr. President, there is still a bit of time to make the right moral decision. Do it!

First they came for the late night comedians, but because I am not funny, I did not speak up.

First they came for the late-night comedians, but because I am not funny, I did not speak up.

They came for the Ivy League universities, but because I went to a “state school” in Appalachia, I did not speak up.

They came for the big corporations, but because I am not a rich CEO, I did not speak up.

They came for immigrants who arrived here recently, but because my ancestors came from Western Europe over a hundred years ago, I did not speak up.

They came for the homeless, but because I have a nice place to live, I did not speak up.

They came for those on Medicaid, but because I have “better” health care, I did not speak up.

They came for all kinds of minorities, but because I am a well off, white guy, I did not speak up.

They came for the “least of these” siblings of Jesus, but because I don’t like to be with the least or lowest, I did not speak up.

There is a time to be silent and a time to speak up. Now is the time to speak up!

(The structure for my words borrows from the piece “First They Came…” by German pastor Martin Niemoller who valiantly spoke out against the evils of Hitler)

Governor Cox’s Wise Words to Bring Healing to our Suffering Nation

The horrific shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah on Wednesday has rightfully shaken our country. We are a nation where gun violence is out of control… and getting worse. Political violence during the first eight months of 2025 is double the rate of the same period in 2024. Yesterday, at a news conference, Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox went to the podium to deliver updates about the case — and to urge Americans to find a way, together, out of this dark moment. Before the news conference began, I had not heard of Governor Cox. Nevertheless, his message was reasonable and inspiring. Referring to the capture of the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, Cox affirmed, “There is one person responsible for what happened here, and that person is now in custody and will be charged soon and will be held accountable.” Then, the governor turned his attention to us. He urged us to look into the mirror and to seek out our better angels. Whereas some overly partisan people, from both sides of the aisle, spew vicious accusations at their political rivals, Governor Cox stepped forward as healer-in-chief. “All of us have an opportunity right now to do something different. We can always point the finger at the other side, but at some point, we have to find an off-ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.” Cox directed some special words to America’s youth, Kirk’s favorite audience. “Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture very different than what we are suffering through right now, not by pretending differences don’t matter, but by embracing our differences and having those hard conversations,” He suggested that this could become a watershed moment for the nation.

Cox’s words to build a more respectful culture stand in stark contrast to the comments of President Trump, who defended the radical right and then attacked the “radical left” as being responsible for the assassination. The president then added, “Radicals on the left are the problem, and they are vicious and horrible and politically savvy…. Worst thing that happened to this country.” It seems to me that Trump is not healing the nation; he is pouring gasoline on the fire. And on this issue, he seems quite mistaken. Preliminary findings reveal that Robinson had no connection with the political left. He comes from a conservative, religious, and Republican family. As Governor Cox said, this could be a watershed event for America, but it depends to a large degree on how we respond. Let us recommit ourselves to speaking and living out the truth in love, not with violence.

Florida and Vaccinations: Balancing the Common Good and Personal Freedom

Last Wednesday, Dr. Josepf Ladapo, Florida’s Surgeon General, together with Governor Ron DeSantis, promised to repeal a half-dozen vaccine mandates controlled by the Florida Department of Health and Governor Ron DeSantis and that the Florida Legislature would work to repeal other vaccinations required by state law such as polio, diphtheria, rubeola, rubella, pertussis, mumps, tetanus and other communicable diseases. I watched Dr. Ladapo give his announcement on television and at first, I was impressed. He said, “Every last one of them [the mandates] is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery. Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God.”

I am a strong believer in individual freedoms, and his message resonated with my beliefs…, at first. Upon further reflection and research, I now believe Dr. Ladapo is making a serious mistake for the following reasons.

Every state in the nation requires children to receive vaccinations before they can attend public school. There needs to be a high rate of compliance in order to guarantee public safety (above 90% to provide “herd immunity” against measles). Nevertheless, states (including Florida) already provide parents the option to apply for a vaccine exemption based on a variety of reasons (religious, philosophical, etc.). These exemption applications are almost always approved. Today, 5.1% of school age children in Florida are exempted from receiving the mandated vaccinations. Far from being “slavery” as Ladapo claims, these vaccination mandates are a reasonable balance between the common good and personal freedom.
Even though he is a medical physician, Dr. Ladapo does not seem to understand his role very well. Most medical doctors do, in fact, tell their patients what they should put in their bodies. Every time a doctor writes out a prescription, the patient has the option to follow or not to follow the physician’s recommendation. (There is an important semantic difference between “should” and “must”. “Should” is usually used when appealing to a person’s conscience. “Must” usually involves laws and potential punishment.)
A helpful parallel can be seen in the issue of drinking alcoholic beverages and driving a car. I am of legal age where I have the freedom to drink alcoholic beverages, even to the point of getting drunk…in my house. I also have the freedom to drive my car on public streets because I have a valid Illinois driver’s license. But I DO NOT have the freedom to drive if I am at the same time under the influence of alcohol. There is a reasonable restriction of my individual freedoms if my abuse of those freedoms present a danger to the common good.
A reputable study from last year showed that infant mortality rates have dropped over the last 50 years and access to vaccines brought those rates 40% lower than they would have been otherwise. Surely Florida, and the rest of the nation, can find a way to balance the common good of vaccine mandates and individual freedoms of exemptions. The current vaccine policy in Florida does NOT to be repealed.