Comparisons Between Trump and Hitler

I realize that this is off the beaten path of what I typically talk about on this blog, but there have been floating about the web comparisons between our current president and possibly the worst dictator ever to walk the face of God's green earth- Adolf Hitler. I'm currently reading a biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and I feel I need to weigh in on this issue, as the biography talks extensively about how Hitler slowly acquired power and implemented his hatred for the Jews. I think the comparisons have merit, but I think there are key differences as well. Let me elaborate.

First of all, the similarities are striking. Both Hitler and Trump rose on nationalistic emotions that ran deep within their respective countries. Both of them ran on a certain degree of xenophobia- Hitler towards the Jews and the Communists, and Trump towards Muslims and illegal immigrants. Both of them have significant psychological issues- Hitler was basically considered a madman of sorts, and Trump an extreme narcissist. Both of them took advantage of gullible Christians. However, I think that is the bulk of the similarities. It's important to also note the differences.

When Hitler came to power, it was roughly 14 years after the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Much of the anger that Hitler channeled came from how intensely humiliating the treaty was to the German people. If Germany would have won World War I, or if the terms of the treaty weren't quite so stringent, I'm fairly confident World War II would not have happened, and Hitler would not have come to power and been able to take over the entire government. Now Trump has no such rallying cry, and while he did get elected I think the populace is just as likely to vote him out at the next opportunity. In our country, I have a hard time imagining Muslims being treated as badly as the Jews were in Germany in the years leading up to World War II. Maybe I lack imagination, but without something like the Versailles event it will be difficult to turn Muslims into the pariah the Jews were in Germany before World War II. Also noteworthy- our democracy has existed a whole lot longer than Germany's had when Hitler was elected. The importance of this is that having a stable democracy makes it significantly more difficult for someone like Trump to take over the entire government and turn it into a dictatorship like Hitler did. I'm trying to use my imagination about how it might be possible for Trump to abolish the House of Representatives and the Senate- no. I cannot conceive of a circumstance that would allow Trump to remove this important element from power.

Also noteworthy- our constitution has maintained order in our democracy for over two centuries. Germany had only had a democracy for 14 years when Hitler came to power. They WANTED a dictatorship, or something more similar to a monarchy. I have a hard time conceiving our military allowing our president to become a dictatorship, or for the people of this country to tolerate losing their right to vote. Why would they? We have a thriving democracy. I have faith that the vast majority of Americans, and our military, would fight for the rights of the people to have a say in governance. Which means it would VERY DIFFICULT for Trump to follow in Hitler's footsteps. What is far more likely is that Trump will be impeached, or the 25th Amendment rule where the majority of the cabinet can rule the president unfit for office- these possible circumstances are FAR more likely than Trump becoming a dictator. While Trump's noted hatred for the first amendment has been duly noted, I don't think he will be able to stop the press from publishing unflattering reports about the president's decisions. I admit that is a scary situation, but even if Trump could replace all the Supreme Court positions, he'd still have to get nominees through congress that have to support the constitution, or congress wouldn't allow them to be appointed. In short, I believe our rights are pretty safe. Not completely safe- not so long as someone like Trump is running our country, but pretty safe.

All this to say I think we as a country can somewhat rest easy. I'm not saying there aren't political fights worth fighting- for one thing, Trump's desire to "repeal and replace Obamacare" is unsettling. His tax plan is disgusting. And many other things he wants to do I think will do enormous damage to the health of our country. However, I think the risk of Trump taking over the entire government and becoming a dictator is EXTREMELY unlikely, though I do believe there is a prospect that we will choose to destroy North Korea or end up in war with some other country for no good reason. At least we'll have the ability to vote Trump out in four years, and if by some miracle Trump somehow is not impeached in the next four years and somehow also wins reelection (God forbid), the constitution states that he can only be in office for a total of eight years. I know, that's a long time. However, it isn't a lifetime- and his predecessor WILL be elected by the people. And that fact helps me sleep at night...

Anthem Kneeling

I have seen a lot of upset posts about the protests and some standing up for the protesters, and it feels like an issue ripe for discussion. Here is my take.

It's interesting how such a thing as how you act during the national anthem is construed as a huge deal by some people. It's hard when the people kneeling in response to the anthem are millionaires who play a game for a living. As a white person living just a little above the poverty line and who has never been discriminated against because of his skin color, it's hard to connect to African-American millionaires who play a sport for money, protesting during the national anthem. However, this is an issue with multiple sides, and if I practice empathy, I realize that these men in their protest are reminding us that there is grave injustice going on on a daily basis all around us. That grown men are getting shot by the police, and then when that policeman is arrested he often gets off without a conviction- that's a big deal. If I take a moment and step into another man's shoes, I see that this injustice going on is a big deal- how can you draw attention to it? To be fair, these anthem protests are pretty effective. Without destroying property or making a street impassible by filling it with people, these athletes are drawing attention to an issue that is being somewhat ignored by White-America.

I don't know what to say- I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I'm grateful for what America has done for me. I'm painfully aware that there are many worse situations I could be in than the one I'm in. I think America is a great country. It has its faults, true, but overall I'm glad I live here. God has blessed me mightily in my life in this country. I have the freedom to make this blog and say largely whatever I want. It's a land of great opportunity, and I appreciate that. I also appreciate the fact that people died so that I could have this freedom, particularly in World War II. I have running water and food to eat. I have shelter and a place to sleep. I have a car I drive to go where I want to go, and in general I get treated well by the people I come across. I DO NOT want to come off as an ingrate to the people who populate this great country. On the other hand, grave injustice is going on in this country. African-Americans are afraid they will be shot when they come home from work by police who jumped to conclusions about their behavior. When an African-American walks around a store, sometimes it's assumed they're there to shoplift and are treated accordingly. Basically... I mean, I don't want to exaggerate what I imagine it is like for a person of color, but I have had conversations, and I know that it isn't as rosy for them as it seems to generally be for me. As a man who loves God, I'm called to care about the problems of my neighbor. How should I respond?

I'm at a loss. I'm really wrestling with how I should feel about all this. There doesn't seem to be a clear right answer as to what to say. Jesus cared a lot about strangers and about race-related issues. His story about the good Samaritan highlights that. He picked a foreigner for the hero of that story- that says something about Jesus. Here's what I can say- we as a nation would do well to consider another person's perspective. God doesn't want us divided as a nation over issues we should agree on- like whether it's okay for police to shoot African-Americans and get away with it. We should all be able to agree that that is bad. Can we agree that Colin Kaepernick has generally good reasons for protesting? Possibly, but I'm not even sure that we can all agree on that. I PERSONALLY feel that the issues being protested are far more significant than the importance of standing during the national anthem- maybe because I'm grieved over the injustice African-Americans experience on a day to day basis? Possibly. In my heart of hearts though, I wish there was a better way for these very wealthy athletes to protest what they are protesting. I think football should be football, not a forum for expressing grievances about injustice in our country.

Life on Earth- Training Ground For Eternal Life?

Years ago I read "The Great Divorce." In my rereading of "lies we believe about GOD," I'm finding the truth within "The Great Divorce" to be quite helpful. Let me elaborate.

In "The Great Divorce," a bus of people are taken from hell into Heaven. These people discover that everything in Heaven is far more... real... than anything in hell, so much so they can't even really walk on the grass there or do anything. This is because the way these people lived their lives on Earth did not prepare them for life in Heaven. Now to be fair, there is at least one passage in scripture that seems to contradict this possible interpretation of Heaven and hell- when Jesus was on the cross, he told one of the thieves that "today you will be with me in paradise." Perhaps God extends some grace to certain people? Or maybe this analogy isn't entirely fitting? I don't know. But it seems just to me. If you live your whole life in relationship with God, building your faith muscles and becoming strong in the Lord, it makes sense that that is training for eternal life. If you live your whole life cowering in fear or based on selfishness and greed, your faith muscles are bound to atrophy, and you will not at all be prepared for the rigors of Heaven. Here's the real question: what if living in relationship with God is preparation for Heaven, and what if choosing pride, self-righteousness, fear, and other nonfaith emotions just prepares you for perdition? What if the people of hell aren't just "not welcome" in Heaven, but actually can't survive the very "realness" of Heaven itself?

I like this thinking a lot. For one, it takes the blame away from God as being some sort of dictator punishing bad behavior and rewording good behavior. I'm sure God judges people on a more meaningful scale than just measuring our good decisions and our mistakes, but see... with this thinking it turns the judgment into a problem of our own making, AND it also turns having a right heart attitude, more than having the best actions, as key. See, with the right heart attitude, you mature as a believer and grow in faith, which is what you want. If all that matters is your behavior, you can get puffed up thinking that you did some things right. If it's the heart though instead of the actions, your motives for doing what you did come into play, which reveals the depth or the dearth of your faith. And it's that same depth of faith that makes it easier or more difficult to live in the realness of Heaven, depending on whether your faith muscles grew or shrank while on Earth. I think that is just.

If you look at scripture, it is clear that God values faith in a way that is hard for us to really grasp. Now I'm pondering the possibility that the reason faith is so prized by God is because he made his kingdom based on it, and that those that live and die by faith are the ones who will be the rulers and the rich in his kingdom- faith being the key element that makes us fit for Heaven. Maybe that thief's faith-filled-exclaim was enough for him to survive the rigors of Heaven? Maybe! And maybe the reason Jesus said that the rich have so much trouble getting into Heaven is simply because they've never lived on faith a day in their lives, so they aren't at all ready for the rigors of Heaven? I'm beginning to see the beauty of this explanation. When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and come follow him, perhaps he said these things because he was looking out for the best interests of the young man?

"The just shall live by faith." Yeah. And those that live by faith will be ready for Heaven when they get there...

Salvation

I'm reading a book right now called "lies we believe about GOD" by Wm. Paul Young. There are many good things in this book, but one thing that I found troubling was the notion that everyone is "saved." I must expound on this.

It is the current dogma of much of Christendom that "only belief in Jesus Christ leads to salvation." Now I agree with Paul Young that this belief has a profound effect on the Christian populace. It turns every person into a salesman for hellfire insurance. Is that what God wanted? Did God want his people to become "salesmen for Jesus?" See, I'm troubled by this. If the subject arises, sure- I'll talk about my faith without hesitancy. And if I do someone a solid by helping them out (giving a hitchhiker a ride, buying a meal for a stranger, et cetera) I may offer to pray with the person in question, hoping to minister the love of God that way. However, the idea that we are condemning people to hell because we don't talk about our faith all the time, which makes a person someone who isn't of faith might want to avoid- that's depressing and sad. We are called to be "the light of the world," but that doesn't mean we intentionally shine said light directly into peoples' eyes. No one likes that or wants that. It turns people we love into projects, and no one- I repeat, NO ONE wants to be another person's project. However, I don't believe the solution is salvation for everyone, as you will soon see.

Jesus talked openly and often about hell. One particularly pointed conversation about hell came in Matthew 25:31-46 seen here. This passage is a warning that every person should take to heart, for it's not about faith in Jesus or everyone going to heaven. In this passage, it's a person's own actions that save or condemn them. I want to say this. I believe God is going to evaluate everyone's life by their heart. God knows a good heart and a bad heart when he sees one. I also think that people with an intimate relationship with God are going to be in heaven. Beyond that, it's up to the mercies and kindnesses of our God, who judges hearts on a case by case basis. So then you ask me, what does that mean for the unbeliever? What does this mean for the atheist, the agnostic? See, we want to categorize everyone, as if that helped. Each person's heart will be evaluated based on their own merits. I believe God sends people to other people as an exam. How one responds to this exam will be used as evidence, either for or against a person, on the day of judgment. These "exams" are the place where God is checking our hearts out to see what we are made of, and whether we are fit for eternal life. No one can pass your exams for you. The greatest tests will come from the people closest to us- if you cannot treat your spouse, your kids, your parents and siblings well, what point is there in examining how you treat the man you come across on the street? Each man will be tried by the life they lived, whether the love they idolized actually existed in their day-to-day life. That's the point- to be more loving than you started out as.

What does this all mean? Some people ARE going to hell. However, stopping someone from going to hell is more about loving a person and showing God's goodness than it is about witnessing to someone. Love is what matters. Quit seeing people as projects in need of saving, and start looking at relationships as a meaningful opportunity to serve your fellow man. We're all called to serve, and everyone can do it. We're all called to live intimate, deep relationships with God and with some of the people around us. We're called to be light bringers. Be that city on a hill that can't be hidden! People are bound to notice, even if you don't shine the light directly in their eyes...

A Grief Observed

For anyone who has read CS Lewis, there's a stark contrast between his books "The Problem of Pain" and "A Grief Observed." The difference between them is, one is a book on the theory about pain from someone who had not yet really walked through anything tragically painful, while the other is about the practical experience of losing his wife. There IS NO COMPARING these two books, as they are worlds apart from each other. That's the problem with experiencing something first hand- it becomes real in a way that you didn't really understand before you walked through it. That's what this post is about- the feeling of loss and how to recover from tragedy.

I can hear anyone who knows me say, "no one close to you has died." And that is, in essence, true. I've never had a friend, a lover, or a family member I was really close to pass on. I haven't. I have had a bout with insanity, however. When that happened, I lost way more than I can easily put in words. Several things transpired during my illness. I was thrown into jail. I was physically assaulted by a police officer. I had medication injected into me against my will (multiple times in fact). I had a tube shoved up my penis. And I spent a sum total of four very long months in captivity in a mental hospital, without the freedom to do what I wanted. For me that was just the beginning. I lost some of my friends. I lost my spiritual home, to which I could not return to. I lost my job. I lost so much that I cannot express in words the ache I feel from the losses incurred. It hurts like hell. Where do I begin? I don't know. If I got honest, life has been a great, intense pain for me. Rejection is life.

I know some of you are wondering if I'm just here today to complain about the injustice of it or the sadness of it. No. I'm not. Right now I'm trying very hard to let it go. It's hard for me. The things that happened as a consequence of my illness were extremely hurtful and sad. I'll never be the same. I won't! I can't. The interesting thing is, if I had lost an arm or a leg or something like that, I think it would be easier for people to grasp the size of my loss. Instead I lost my dignity, my freedom, my trust in God. It's sad losing friends, a spiritual home, and a job, but picking up the pieces afterwards has been exceedingly difficult for me and I'm not entirely sure why. I guess part of it is I never thought in concrete terms what all had transpired. I went through hell, and I'm one of only a few people who know what it's like to be incarcerated in a mental hospital for four months. I know what it's like to basically lose everything. It still hurts when I think about it.

Now, now that years have passed and I'm supposed to be better, I'm thinking about the catastrophe that befell me in a different light. I'm looking for the collateral beauty in it all. It's hard. I don't think you see- it's not just A LITTLE hard. It's very hard. I'm beginning to see it though. I'm a deeper person because of what happened. And I understand mental illness in a way that few can. I know it first hand. But let's get back to the deeper part. I know what pain is in a way few can relate to. So when I meet someone who is going through hell themselves, I'll be able to connect. I've been there, done that. I know what that's like. And you know what? When you have been through the worst, it gives you a deeper appreciation for everything. Life is precious. We don't have time to waste. It's time to "get busy living or get busy dying" as "The Shawshank Redemption" said. I think I understand that better now than I've ever understood it. It's God's honest truth. I don't think I can forget it. We can't let the worst of life ruin us. There's too much at stake. Got to get back on that horse and ride it. Life was meant to be lived, not just observed. I'm just starting to see how important it is to move on. Hopefully you all will forgive me for taking my time while I've been on the mat, but getting up after this fall has been as hard as hell. However, I think it's time to get off the mat...

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

I want to start this off with a movie quote that seems... inappropriate, but I will explain why I'm using it:

"I hope so, for your sake. The emperor is not as forgiving as I am."

This quote, from "Return of the Jedi," strikes a theme I want to hit on. Jesus and God the Father are two distinctly different people. Jesus is the forgiving one. He died on a cross so that grace could be received by humanity. That grace is necessary because God is not that much like Jesus. God is... distinctly different. God longs for justice. If you offend him directly, don't ASSUME that having Jesus as your defense attorney will save you. Nowhere in scripture does Jesus say or even imply that faith in him will save you even if you offend God. You need to take this seriously. The subject of "The fear of the Lord" is constant throughout the Bible. Proverbs talks about it. Jesus talked about it. It's ubiquitous in the Bible. See http://www.feargod.net/verses.php Fearing God is the OPPOSITE of a works-based religion, and the basis of true humility. If you fear God, you will do what he says no matter what- and you will simply be pleased to be a servant or a slave to God without earning any honor for said obedience. That is what it means to fear the Lord. To fear God is to not want to do anything that might bring God's ire. God is not someone you want to offend.

This is such a serious subject that I don't know how to emphasize it strongly enough. Jesus said you shouldn't fear man, but fear God alone: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." There is no game here. You can't score points with God through repentance. God doesn't want the sort of relationship that vacillates between disobedience and forgiveness. God is not into playing games like that. If he thinks you don't really fear him because you prayed a prayer or some other such nonsense, this post should shock you back to reality. God isn't messing around when it comes to justice. He'll send someone to hell for cursing someone out- surely you should be wary of being complacent with such a being!

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that God doesn't love people or that we must live our entire lives walking on eggshells. Just... it's important to realize how serious it is if we offend our maker and not demonstrate TRUE repentance. TRUE repentance requires that you go back to the person you hurt and make amends. You can't take this sort of thing lightly. If you offend your maker, you must take that thing to God and do EVERYTHING you can to make it right. You can't skip steps because they are awkward or uncomfortable. And you don't want to be repeating sins over and over- this sort of "game playing" where you think you can sin and repent later is not one your maker thinks highly of. Repentance is about deep, inward change. If you need help to change, then pray the change you need in. See a therapist if you need to. Join a twelve-step group. Do what you must to end the cycle. If you don't, don't expect mercy from your maker in the end...

My Struggle to Call God 'Daddy'

I believe it is the heart of God to have an intimate relationship with me, and with everyone that is willing to pay the price for it. This term "Daddy" would signify that I have a profoundly intimate relationship with God. For me, though, there was a time when I used that term and it was normal. I was able to walk in that and be comfortable with it. Unfortunately, a spirit was allowed into my midst that mimicked the voice of God and deceived me, leading to all kinds of trouble. How this happened, I have thoughts on, but I prefer to keep those private. Nevertheless, now- now that I'm through that season and am healing from all the damage that happened to me in the fallout from my decisions related to following said spirit, I'm revisiting what I call God.

See, I think you can learn something about a person's relationship with God by what they call 'God'. The term 'God' is very formal. Me calling God 'God' is a little like my best friend calling me "Mr. Zlatnik". It's rather formal and distant. No one close to me calls me "Mr. Zlatnik." No, that is what my first name is for- Sean. If I had a wife, she probably wouldn't even call me "Sean." She'd call me "honey" or "dear" or some other term of endearment. So what you call someone says a lot about your relationship with that person. What I call God matters, and the fact I don't want to call him "Daddy" is more of an issue than you might think. It signifies how wounded and betrayed I feel by God. How do I get over that? I've prayed about it, speaking forgiveness over God- which sounds weird, but I think if people are honest, we all have reasons to be angry at God, and mine are more than "I didn't get a great job." or "I didn't get the wife I wanted." God allowing a spirit to speak to me and deceive me into thinking that spirit was him hurts lots and lots. I don't even know where to begin with that. I believe God has a purpose for the things I did- and I believe I even know what that purpose is. However, that really doesn't solve the sense of betrayal for me. It doesn't! I wish that it did.

So here I am. I'm struggling to come to terms with this "betrayal," for lack of a better word. I'm also struggling with the idea that I DO want to be able to have adventures by hearing God's voice and obeying. At this point, I don't know how that could be possible. I don't know how to have that kind of relationship with God without being crazy. It's sad and frustrating for me- the kind of relationship I want with God is to follow God anywhere, but at the same time every time I've tried to do that it has done significant damage to my relationships, to my finances and basically is like me being at war with myself, attempting to destroy all I hold dear with my own two hands. So I don't know how to have that kind of relationship and be sane at the same time. I wish I knew. I want to have good adventures with God. I want to minister to people deeply. And most of all, I want to call God "Daddy" again without it hurting when I say it. I don't know how to do these things. I wish I did...