As I put fingers to keyboard (August 2020) it is very evident that America is in very deep trouble. Our chickens have come home to roost. While debates rage about the exact nature and extend of the sins, unredressed wrongs, bad policies, corruption, inequality, racism and xenophobia and such that landed us in such dire straits, and how to address or remedy them, I for one am convinced that neither a left or right wing sociopolitical revolution will have a good outcome. Nor will scraping everything up to and including the Constitution and starting over “from scratch” (The French Committee of Public Safety dictatorship tried their hand at radically reinventing France's social, economic & political order including introducing a secular Republican calendar and dechristianizing France. These extreme reforms paved the way for the Reign of Terror). And, mind you, I am a democratic socialist. I’ve been one since 1986. But I also know how often revolutions meant to liberate “the people” – especially those that took place in the last century – wound up suppressing dissent and even eliminating dissenters (and other “undesirables”) by often cruel, inhuman means. And in light of human nature as reflected in history, it is difficult to imagine that any revolution-spawned modern day government, no matter how benign its intentions, will be able to resist relying on sophisticated surveillance, cyber warfare and AI technologies to “manage” its people and fend off its enemies (Real or imagined/contrived). Apparently, I am in good company when it comes to questioning the wisdom of trying to create a more just, fair and equitable social & political order through revolution: Andrew Sullivan: You Say You Want A Revolution? https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/andrew-sullivan-you-say-you-want-a-revolution.html youtu.be/LuFns9R0Ed4 http://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/glubb.pdf - The Fate of Empires & the Search for Survival by Sir John Glubb Now, having most likely ruffled the feathers of my revolution seeking brethren, I will do the same for many evangelicals and other fellow believers. It was almost a given in the southern (Protestant dominated) Bible Belt world I grew up in that those folks who are genuinely redeemed (born again) not only seek to obey God’s commandments and grow in holiness, but as faithful disciples of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), would also tend to be politically conservative. Well, I was genuinely born again at age 11 in a Southern Baptist church in central Louisiana and commenced learning how-to walk-in obedience to God’s commands and to otherwise please him thereafter. However, what I was taught was at times contradictory. Rather than reinforce the Torah-based moral precepts which Yeshua the Messiah preached and lived, what came across actually encouraged sinful conduct by introducing a species of liberty that negated the very law that Yeshua had said was binding on all who were in covenant with God or grafted into it (Keep in mind that Baptist churches are essentially autonomous entities and what one teaches or emphasizes may differ from what others teach). This confusing mess got me off track so often it was pathetic. Gradually over time my own independent study in Biblical history, archaeology and church history revealed just how utterly Americanized the Gospel was that my well-meaning Baptist pastor and Sunday school teachers had been promulgating (This held true of many other clerics and theologians I sat under after stepping away from the Baptist camp). This evolution in awareness led me into the realm of spirit filled worship in 1977, to becoming a Roman Catholic in 1980, to formally embracing democratic socialism in 1986, and to becoming a lay monk in an evangelical monastic lay order in 2015 as well as in a Celtic Christian monastic order around the same time. Now that I would have come to be leftist in any area of life is nearly miraculous, considering I grew up in a dyed in the grey wool Southern world steeped in mainly Christian fundamentalist beliefs, practices and traditions. But leftist I wound up, mainly because I could not stomach the disconnect between the words and deeds of many religious & politically conservative Southerners and the pronouncements and values of the Jewish rabbi (and Messiah) they claimed to follow and emulate. One of the things I grew up hearing was that socialism in any form was anathema and surely contrary to anything remotely consistent with the “American Way” or scriptures. Even as early as age eight or so, I realized that the "shared purse" (socialism) which characterized early communities of believers was viewed by most Christians in my orbit as an anomaly or else a case of “a survival measure of last resort” on the part of marginalized and persecuted followers of Yeshua/Jesus (in the Roman Empire) As I soon discovered, in many instances this aversion to socialism on the part of both believers (and non-believers as well) was the result of faulty reasoning. The fact is many people especially back during the Cold War years bought into the view that socialism meant totalitarian communism. Nothing could be further from the truth. My path to democratic socialism began with Biblical admonitions to share, perform acts of charity, care for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised (including orphans, widows and prisoners), and even sacrifice for the common good. Then there was Yesuha’s example: during his 3 years of ministry he lived a threadbare peripatetic existence and was totally reliant on God to meet his needs. He was also quick to make Torah based denunciations of greed, crass materialism and selfishness. During high school I read Dr. Albert Einstein’s article titled “Why Socialism?” which originally appeared in the 1949 issue of the Monthly Review. I was especially impressed by the cogent observations and reasoning reflected in these portions of this particular article: “Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.” “Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an “army of unemployed” almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers’ goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before. This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future car. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.” Nota bene: Prof. Einstein also said (in “Why Socialism?”): “I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked that only a supra-national organization would offer protection from that danger.” The UN had been in existence for four years in 1949. If he meant the UN could offer protection from wars, this has not been the case in many, many instances. If he envisioned or favored a democratic world government, I can’t help but have serious concerns that such a body would eventually fall into the hands of corrupt individuals and influences and, in the face of (say) a global economic meltdown, would likely wind up devolving into a totalitarian regime that would control people using repressive police state tactics and measures. What I have observed down through the years is that believers who are eclectic in the sense they take a traditionally leftist stance on some issues, centrist or moderate on some, and conservative on others – particularly when their criteria or yardstick for making determinations is predicated on what accords with biblical (Torah) values -- exist in a sort of no man's land in which (s)he is viewed with suspicion (if not contempt) by "true believers" on both ends of the political spectrum. This is something I have encountered myself especially whenever I hung out with politically and religiously ultra-conservative people. But even so we could argue vigorously yet remain cordial and civil towards each other. There were of course those believers I crossed paths with who felt they had unearthed, inherited, been shown or otherwise figured out certain “irrefutable truths” (I am not referring to the fundamentals of the Christian faith), one of them being that socialism in any form cannot and will not work or is antithetical to Jewish and Christian traditions & beliefs, or both. Those who based such convictions or beliefs on a denominational stance or their spin on scriptures could be argued with on the basis of logical fallacies or fallacious reasoning, but if their premises or such could not be falsified (were untestable or otherwise could not be empirically evaluated), then the charitable and reasonable thing was (and is) to “agree to disagree”. As one who has worked for more than thirty years with various physicians and scientists and spent time at both the lab bench and white board, I have come to appreciate that truth, not only in science but in most other areas of life, is arrived at gradually in the form of what famed astronomer Edwin Hubble characterized as “successive approximations”. In keeping with this, I accept that none of us has truth all wrapped up in any realm, secular or sacred, but instead possess a mix of beliefs, facts and insights that vary in terms of the degree they approach what is “indisputably true” (in the absolute or final sense). For believers this does not mean abandoning core moral commandments or the essentials of the faith (reflected in the Didache and the Apostles’ Creed as well as other early Church creeds & documents). It does mean modifying or jettisoning specious or faulty humanmade traditions and interpretations concerning things like origins, the role of Torah in the life of believers, justice and equality, political governance and eschatology. This perspective has helped me avoid becoming so polarized (politically or otherwise) as to stop listening to worthy contrary opinions. And even when a particular belief, conviction, or what-have-you turns out to have little or no merit, I do not turn my back on the speaker, writer or such and head for the proverbial exit (Unless the speaker, writer or such consistently doles out material that is so intellectually and/or morally bankrupt as to lead to behavior that results in unconscionable conduct, cruelty, or other forms of harm). So, which is it to be, America: recovery, revolution or resignation (to decline & fall)? Perhaps I should add one other option: reform that is neither extreme left or right in nature. © August 2020 by Dr. Anthony G. Payne. All rights reserved. https://youtu.be/lDu6SQjiZ-I https://youtu.be/reNSHjQqF9Q ________________________________________________________________________________________ Supplemental & complementary articles and videos: David Brooks: America is facing five epic crises all at once - The Salt Lake Tribune https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2020/06/26/david-brooks-america-is/ COVID-19 crisis tells world what Indigenous Peoples have been saying for thousands of years | National Observer: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/03/24/news/covid-19-crisis-tells-world-what-indigenous-peoples-have-been-saying-thousands-years Record Number of U.S. Citizens Are Miserable and Think The Country Is Spiraling Out Of Control: https://brobible.com/culture/article/u-s-citizens-are-miserable/ The Decline of the American World: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/06/america-image-power-trump/613228/ Why is America so messed up? (2013, 2017) by Dr. Anthony G. Payne: https://summerclouds.weebly.com/summer-clouds-blog/why-is-america-so-messed-up BET founder Robert Johnson says black people are laughing at white people tearing down statues to fight racism: https://www.theblaze.com/news/bet-founder-laughing-white-people What begins with the Confederate flag ends where? (July 2015) by Dr. Anthony G. Payne https://biotheorist.wordpress.com/2015/07/02/what-begins-with-the-confederate-battle-flag-ends-where/ The link between George Orwell, George Floyd and the Jews (Anybody who believes that the goal of the protesters has been to raise consciousness about the unfair treatment of blacks is missing the point and the bigger picture): https://www.jpost.com/opinion/the-link-between-george-orwell-george-floyd-and-the-jews-opinion-632825 What Research Tells Us About the Psychology of Racism | Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evidence-based-living/202006/what-research-tells-us-about-the-psychology-racism White Woman Asks A Black Man About Racism, Receives The Cold Truth: https://www.boredpanda.com/45-years-old-white-woman-living-south-spoke-about-racism-black-man/ From Burning Crosses to Burning Cross Burners: https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/from-burning-crosses-to-burning-cross-burners/338993/ Harvard University's free online Implicit Racism Test: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/agg/blindspot/indexrk.htm Gangster in the White House": Noam Chomsky says Trump is undeniably "the worst criminal in history": https://www.salon.com/2020/06/23/gangster-in-the-white-house-noam-chomsky-says-trump-is-undeniably-the-worst-criminal-in-history_partner/ Prof. Dr. Noam Chomsky on the Michael Brooks Show | June 2020 Are we off to see Der Fuhrer? (March 2018)by Dr. Anthony G. Payne https://biotheorist.wordpress.com/2018/03/28/are-we-off-to-see-der-fuhrer/ Mein Fuhrer, I can walk! (July 2013) by Dr. Anthony G. Payne https://biotheorist.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/mein-fuhrer-i-can-walk/ The Dark Charisma of Donald Trump (May 2016) by Dr. Anthony G. Payne https://biotheorist.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/the-dark-charisma-of-donald-trump/ American Fascism: It Has Happened Here by Sarah Churchwell: https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/06/22/american-fascism-it-has-happened-here/ Calling Trump an Antichrist: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionprof/2020/06/calling-trump-an-antichrist.html Are we fast approaching the end of the age (aka “the last days”)? (May 2020) by Dr. Anthony G. Payne: https://biotheorist.wordpress.com/2020/05/08/are-we-fast-approaching-the-end-of-the-age/ Opinion: Should we call Donald Trump “antichrist”? https://www.abc.net.au/religion/stephen-long-should-we-call-trump-antichrist/12335450 Nothing Can Be Worth This - Dr. James Emery White, Christianity.com Blogs: https://www.christianity.com/blogs/dr-james-emery-white/nothing-can-be-worth-this.html Andrew Sullivan: You Say You Want A Revolution? https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/andrew-sullivan-you-say-you-want-a-revolution.html ttps://www.skeptic.com/science-salon/daniel-chirot-you-say-you-want-revolution-radical-idealism-tragic-consequences/?mc_cid=286b1ee36f&mc_eid=f08ad1faa0 Daniel Chirot — You Say You Want a Revolution? Radical Idealism and its Tragic Consequences RESOURCES (INCLUDING FREE E-BOOKS) Sinclair Lewis
Full Text of The Federalist Papers: https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (New Translation): http://seinfeld.co/library/meditations.pdf |
More about Summer Cloud
Summer Cloud is an American Indian (Tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) who, though reared in the Southern Baptist faith tradition, realized early on that many of the so-called sacred dogmas, creeds and beliefs he had been taught were at serious variance with the findings of historical researchers, Biblical scholars, Biblical archeologists, physical anthropologists, geologists and more. As you might expect, a boy who openly argued for modifying or throwing out beliefs and claims that had been invalidated was not especially popular among his conservative Protestant peers much less the leaders of the Southern Baptist church he attended. In time his critical thinking mindset propelled him on a quest for an expression of faith that both incorporated and reflected the findings of science and scholarship. In 1980 he became a Roman Catholic (Charismatic) and in 2015 he became a lay monk in the transdemoninational Knights of Prayer Monastic Order (Full monk in 2017) as well as a monk in several other religious communities & monastic organizations which are part of the New Monasticism movement. In 2017 he took the name "Brother Anthony of the Resurrection". He characterizes his faith development stage today as "messianic Nazarene" (Covenanted & learning how to live and apply the Torah as Yeshua the Messiah, James the Just and the Apostle Paul intended). Dr. Payne has been a Mensan since 1985. Categories
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