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Evangelicals and Fundamentalists have lost their way
Editor: Approximately 82% of Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians voted for republicans in a losing cause in this year's mid-term elections. This voting rate has been consistent in recent elections.
Their short agenda consists of right-to-life (anti-abortion), homophobia against same sex marriage and LGBTQ+ people's rights. Since Republicans support this agenda the Evangelicals and Fundamentalists embrace the Republican Party and ignore all else.
What are the "all else?"
Trump and the Republican party:
1. Eliminated USAID that provided needed food and medicine to poor countries that will result in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths including children and infants.
2. Started an illegal and immoral war with Iran where between 1,701 and 3,636 Iranian civilians--including at least 214 to 376 children--have been killed during the conflict.
3. Because of the war, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz resulting in economic chaos around the world, including in the United States.
4. Instituted brutal, gestapo style, masked ICE agents to arrest darker complexioned people, sometimes brutally, without warrant and with six killed.
5. Gave large tax breaks to wealthy individuals and corporations while reducing social programs to the general population.
6. Tries to demolish the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) with nothing planned to take its place.
7. Calls climate change a hoax in opposition to the scientific evidence and reduces clean energy programs to favor the fossil fuel industry, resulting in more pollution and respiratory problems.
8. Without due process of law, and acting as judge, jury, and executioner, at least 243 "drug runners" have been killed in the United States military’s anti-drug maritime campaign which spans both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
9. Instituted tariffs in a punitive way to get other countries to conform to the whims of Donald Trump. The American public will bear the cost.
10) Threatens to annihilate Iran to end the war. Genocide!
11) Have obtained vast wealth through corruption.
The list could continue.
Evangelicals and Fundamentalists believe they have higher moral values than anyone else, and secular people are bereft of morality. The sanctimony reeks as bad as the hypocrisy.
It seems that Evangelicals and Fundamentalists have lost their way. I suggest they re-read First Corinthians Chapter 13 to get them back on the right road.
David Keranen
Bakersfield, CA
Election reflections
Editor: Some thoughts on the recent midterm elections: The obvious one is that of the widespread repudiation of Donald Trump and his enabling sycophants in the dwindling MAGA movement. The majority of Americans realized that the populist appeal of his incompetent, bigoted, vulgar, simple/symbol-minded “governing” has failed to support democracy as clearly outlined in the Constitution.
The election results clearly show that the majority of our citizens value Diversity in our national demographics. The new Congress will be much more diverse in race, religious and ethnic background, and gender. For example, Native American women bring a rich cultural heritage of leadership that cherishes respect for community and a reverence for Mother Earth that is absolutely critical for human survival in this late-stage era of capitalism.
Six newly elected legislative members are either pastors or seminarians in mainstream Christian churches. Their election shows that the values of the Democratic Party strongly favor the true Christian values of love, non-violence, respect for all people and kindness, not the hateful, divisive chaotic rhetoric used by the POTUS and his MAGA acolytes.
Lastly, the citizens of the United States have sent a strong reassuring message to the many fragile democracies of the world that the collective voice of the people to guide their destiny is the bedrock principle of a vibrant, functioning democracy. America is rejecting the authoritarian influence of the current administration. The new Congress and State Houses will govern according the principles set forth in the Constitution. This will be a welcome relief from the self-centered, divisive rule of the last decade.
Mike Irish
Houghton MI
CO2 Levels in Our Atmosphere
Edior: For most of our Earth's history, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere have ranged between 180 and 280 parts per million.
When CO2 levels where around 280 parts per million, the corresponding Earth temperature could sustain life. When CO2 levels where around 180 parts per million were times of ice ages.
For the first time in the history of Earth, CO2 reached 300 ppm in 1950. Today CO2 levels have reached 425 PPM. A 42% increase in just 75 years! An unheard-of rate of change to a level our world has never experienced.
Carbon Dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere acts like a blanket, holding heat in and preventing it from being released back into space. The more the CO2, the thicker the blanket. The thicker the blanket, the warmer our world gets.
And just like being under a blanket, it takes a while to warm up. Earth has just gotten under the blanket and temperatures have just started to rise.
It is very clear: as the species that is killing our planet, we must be the ones to save it. Please take action today. Our World Needs You.
Ron Sadler
Houghton