The President Panders to His Alt-right Base

Last updated on: August 16, 2017 at 8:09 am By Christy Thomas

Let us speak the truth: our POTUS supports the alt-right and the most racist elements of US society. The article below summarizes my thoughts on the situation more than adequately.Donald Trump ran on a racist platform and dare not lose this part of his base electorate. Our national tragedy with him as the president continues to unfold. Trump’s Big Charlottesville Violence Statement Fail It has almost become a cliche now and punchline on Twitter: every time President Donald Trump gives... Read more

To save a world: Al Gore and global warming

Last updated on: August 9, 2017 at 1:35 pm By Christy Thomas

But no matter what we do to slow the process–and we need to do all possible–we may have to assume the earth is undergoing a move toward warmer temperatures. It was a religious revival, with Al Gore taking the role the prophet/high priest. Gore’s sincere passion for moving to renewable energy sources for the sake of the planet informs every moment of the documentary, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. Gore’s deep disdain for President Trump, along with his deep admiration... Read more

Has God cursed my family for generations?

Last updated on: August 9, 2017 at 12:53 pm By Christy Thomas

But it is a curse, and thus ordained by God. Or is it part of a troubling family pattern, one you can change? Dear Thoughtful Pastor: My great-grandmother, my grandmother and my mother all lost a child in childbirth. I lost my first daughter when my grandmother took her from me and put her up for adoption. I later learned that this daughter lost three children, with one of them dying. I am wondering if you think there is such... Read more

Are there any adults in the room?

Last updated on: August 1, 2017 at 11:27 am By Christy Thomas

The child has taken over. Right now, it appears the only adult in the room is the new Chief of Staff. I wonder how long he will last. Unless you have buried your head in the sand and intentionally clogged your eyes and ears, you know that the POTUS has brought on John F. Kelly as his new Chief of Staff. Kelly, a Marine and former Commanding General, has been part of Trump’s Cabinet as the Homeland Security Director. His bio paints... Read more

When Is It Time to Die? The Charlie Gard Situation

Last updated on: July 24, 2017 at 2:51 pm By Christy Thomas

Charlie Gard's parents have decided to give up the fight. I ache for them in every cell in my body. Read more

What the UMC can learn from the GOP health care debacle

Last updated on: July 18, 2017 at 3:56 pm By Christy Thomas

The GOP just doesn’t care about health care and the well-being of millions. And the so-called “orthodox” portion of the UMC doesn’t care about anything but getting their way. As for what is Jesus-like about that, I am unable to say. It’s over now. The Senate Republicans, hopelessly divided, can no longer dream of passing their version of a health care (or death care as many term it) bill. They have two options before them. The first is to reach... Read more

Musings on Texas Bathroom Bills: The Universal Need to Urinate and Defecate

Last updated on: July 21, 2017 at 11:17 am By Christy Thomas

May those who think they are doing good and being “biblical” by supporting these unimaginably cruel Texas Bathroom Bills take the time to reconsider and repent in the name of our shared humanity. Dear Thoughtful Pastor: The Texas Legislature is considering regulating who uses what restroom. Lawyers and law enforcement say this is a non-issue because any threat to safety—such as assault and voyeurism—is already illegal. Teachers say the only privacy at risk is the transgender child’s whose already marginalized identity... Read more

Putin, Russia, U.S. Sanctions, Adoptions, and Trump

Last updated on: July 17, 2017 at 6:52 am By Christy Thomas

Russia’s main hope for economic survival is the release from US sanctions. “Adoptions” is code for “lift the sanctions.” We recently took a Baltic Sea cruise that included several days in St. Petersburg, Russia. In between the glittering highlights of that fascinating city, we caught the glimpses of what life is like for people who live in Russia. Several were astoundingly open with us about their lives and about how they feel about Putin and about Trump. Here’s a summary:... Read more

Never again, Auschwicz: Do Not Be Fooled–It Could Happen Here

Last updated on: July 12, 2017 at 9:35 am By Christy Thomas

Do not ever think that we, too, couldn’t have our Auschwitz. All it takes is one unaccountable, autocratic, loyalty-demanding leader. Never Again, Auschwitz I stood in the place that had once been a Jewish theater in Amsterdam. Bad enough as all Jews were by then excluded from regular stage activities and work. But when the Nazis showed up, they turned the Jewish haven at the time into a registration spot for deportation. I started weeping. I could not stop the... Read more

Holy relics, skepticism and the power of shared liturgy

Last updated on: July 6, 2017 at 1:44 pm By Christy Thomas

I am a hearty skeptic of such things as Holy Relics. I dismiss them as superstitious, as ways to make money off the ignorant and uninformed, as the acts of charlatans trying to squeeze even more money out of the desperately poor. Maybe I am wrong about their purpose. Our recent cruise of northern Europe and the Baltic Sea ports was not supposed to be a religious pilgrimage. Nonetheless, my husband and I are the moths to the flame when... Read more