I have avoided using the term Obama Derangement Syndrome, except in a couple of Facebook posts. I have avoided using the term because I have previously regarded it as a pejorative term. Sadly, Marco Rubio has finally convinced me that the term is real. Frankly, I have previously, and privately, considered the term to be an accurate description of conservative silliness, but the madness has now made its way into the establishment side of the Republican Party. Why do I say so? Well, this actually started within the last couple of months, when establishment Republicans began to claim that the rise of Trump in the polls was the result of Obama’s presidency. Lest you think I am making this up, personages as different as Bill O’Reilly and Peggy Noonan have made that claim, and there have been several others.
But, I now clearly believe in Obama Derangement Syndrome, and it has been Marco Rubio (among others) that have convinced me. As you know, the last two Trump meetings have seen increasing attempts by demonstrators to disrupt his political meetings, regardless of what violence they incite. Yes, it is clear that they are inciting violence. Trump is no angel, however, it was not that long ago that the Republicans all, in unity, claimed that protesters were wrong for disrupting political meetings. But, now they are going squishy on this as they see how Trump is about to win the nomination. But, today, Senator Marco Rubio has displayed the full marks of Obama Derangement Syndrome.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Saturday that “There’s no doubt” President Obama has helped stoke the caustic rhetoric and violence displayed at recent political rallies held by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump. – Washington Post
Having said that, he backed off from that within the last hour and has backtracked on some of that. But, what his statement reveals is that loss of reality that has been getting called Obama Derangement Syndrome by some folks. And, it is that loss of reality that troubles me. Trump is clearly a creature of the Republican Party. For them to claim that he is the responsibility of the Democrats, rather than of their years of opposition and insistence that President Obama was this secret Manchurian candidate shows how they have lost all sight of reality. Trump is the result of all their conspiracy theories. Trump is the result of the Tea Party and their insistence that President Obama is a Muslim, or a foreigner, or a secret destroyer of this country. Worse, Trump is the result of conservative Evangelicals having lost the culture wars and having been absorbed by the non-logical side of conservatism.
The prior argument has been that being anti-abortion trumps (pun intended) any other issue. But, both Catholic and Orthodox bishops have said that being pro-life is much more than just being anti-abortion. In some ways, I am convinced that Trump has been indeed raised of God. But, if he were to have been raised of God, it will have been in order to see whether anti-abortion Christians will realize that there are other pro-life issues other than being anti-abortion. I am thinking that God may finally be logically challenging the idea that the number of abortions trumps (pun intended) any other pro-life consideration. Trump makes it clear that no other pro-life consideration will be part of his candidacy. Do you believe in marriage? God has permitted a multiply married candidate Trump. Do you believe that a Christian would be a better person to be in charge? Well, Trump does not claim that. Do you believe in respect for others. Ha, ha, ha, ha, right, you have Trump. I could continue. There is even doubt as to whether Trump is really anti-abortion. Welcome to your dream, or worst nightmare. Yet, at least 40% of Evangelical Christians, in various states, support Trump.
As for my part, in this election, should Trump be nominated, I can honestly say that I could not be a good Christian and vote for the Republican party. Some of you will argue that I can, therefore, also not vote for a party that is officially pro-abortion. But, that is illogical. Total numbers does not equate to moral standing. We live in a world in which we often must choose the lesser of two evils. Should you wish, I can give you several Martin Luther quotes that point to that. Some of you may claim that I then have no choice but to vote third party or to refuse to vote. What silliness! Choosing the lesser of two evils means just that, choosing. To vote some hypothetical third party is to not make the intellectual effort to discern the lesser of two evils. It is rather the choice to not make a choice. That simply leads to a casuistic approach to life that exonerates one from choosing life.
I respect those who will choose to vote Republican should Trump be nominated. Choosing the lesser of two evils is choosing an evil, one above another. But, I will neither tolerate nor respect those that continue to charge those who vote anything but Republican with being some type of heretic or apostate. That is simply an expression of Obama Derangement Syndrome. And, that ends up being an approval of everything that Trump says. At a minimum, you need a much more nuanced position.
If you are a priest or bishop, then you, most of all, need to stop any teaching or preaching which charges any of those who oppose the Republicans are somehow heretics, sinners, or apostates. Frankly, the high likelihood is that if Trump is nominated then you will be wrong.
I didn’t know that anyone was “teaching or preaching which charges any of those who oppose the Republicans are somehow heretics, sinners, or apostates.” Good Grief. http://www.gallup.com/poll/170249/split-abortion-pro-choice-pro-life.aspx
Sadly, there are those teaching precisely that a Christian cannot vote Democratic. See
http://lastresistance.com/to-christians-who-vote-democrat-abortion/
I could keep going, but you get the idea.
That is outrageous. It makes me sad.
And this is why I no longer belong to an organized religion.