GOD AND THE REPUBLICANS

Last year, in a post entitled “God’s Disclaimer,” I wrote:

This is not a happy story.  On March 18, 2015, a pregnant woman went alone to a residence in Longmont, Colorado in response to an ad on Craig’s List offering to sell baby clothes.  She was lured into the house where she was strangled and her unborn daughter was cut from her womb with a knife.

The following week, a Colorado State Legislator, Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt (R – Colorado Springs), who is also an on-line televangelist, mentioned the incident on his broadcast.  He said:  “This is the curse of God for the sin of not protecting our innocent children in the womb.”

It was reported in today’s (3-28-15) Denver Post, that the House Republican caucus met and released a statement saying that “the comments that were made [by Klingenschmitt] do not reflect our caucus – and we soundly reject them.”

Please note, too, that the comments made by Rep. Klingenschmitt express his own personal opinion and most definitely not that of God.

In a comment to that post, I wrote:

I aHope Signm pretty sure that, come the next election, Mr. Klingenschmitt may be referred to as a former legislator. I don’t see how anyone could win in Colorado Springs if his beliefs – and especially his public statements – are not endorsed by either God or the Republican caucus.

Well, yesterday the Colorado Republican Party held its primary election, and Mr. Klingenschmitt was challenged by former Rep. Bob Gardner.  Gardner received 68% of the votes, while Klingenschmitt received only 32%.  A minister like Klingenschmitt should know that one does not mess with both the Republican caucus and God.

It is hoped that the election results will help him to acquire the virtue of humility.  With that  he might meditate on God’s love, which does not curse innocent women and children – or anyone else for that matter.  Let us pray for him and with him.

ADDENDUM

For anyone who cares, here is a brief update on Mr. Klingenschmitt.  After the primary election, on June 30, 2016, he posted on his YouTube channel a two part interview he conducted with Kendal Unruh, a longtime Religious Right activist who is now leading a “Free the Delegates” effort aimed at changing the rules at the upcoming Republican National Convention in hopes of preventing Donald Trump from receiving the nomination.  I have no desire to watch those interviews all the way through, but would simply mention that Ms. Unruh stated:  “We’re not destroying the party.  We’re actually saving the party. … Trust God for the outcome of this.  I believe that God put me in this position to be here for such a time as this.”  Anyone who is interested can watch the interview by clicking here and here.

Apparently Mr. Klingenschmitt has not yet had enough of God and the Republicans.

7 thoughts on “GOD AND THE REPUBLICANS

  1. On July 9, 2016, I added an addendum to this post. It is interesting (perhaps) that Herr Klingenschmitt has not abandoned his dealings with God and the Republicans.

  2. Update: We have now given up on “offering (medical) minds an alternative to their usual perceptions and ways and means” and are right at square one, which is always the best place to be: Things are what they are. Diagnosis is aggressive osteosarcoma, further treatment has been declined, and we are embarking in our RV on our next adventure this Friday. Positivity, acceptance, and hope are all high. Whatever comes next will be met with acceptance and equanimity. I find myself once again in awe of this strong, solid,awesome and truly noble person. We’re going to go have some fun now. Thanks for the good thoughts and energy Louis, it’s much appreciated. Keep it up, OK? Thanks.

  3. I’ll pray for him, anyway. With him? That’s problematic for many of the reasons already discussed in your earlier post. I can acknowledge that the best of humanity is present in each and every human being and only the personal consciousness or unconsciousness of the individual is involved in the perpetration of follies like Mr. Klingenschmitt’s sleep-mutterings.

    As far as the Republican caucus goes, being political herd animals is part of their definition, and disowning a member of the herd is reflex when that member threatens the status quo, in this case by calling attention to that part of the herd which prefers to not have their constituency’s prejudices blatted so loudly as this guy did.

    God still waits patiently to fulfill him. It’s just that all the other stuff in there needs to be let go of to make room for that.

    Nice follow up, Louis. You called it a year ago. Don’t you wish clarity was a bit more quickly forthcoming than it usually is? Sometimes I do.

    • By praying with him, I meant that the rest of us could also use a little more humility and understanding of the ways the divine works in our world.

      And, yes, if we can have instant karma, then clarity should not take as long as it usually does.

      • Humility and understanding of the ways the divine works in our world is always a challenge for me. Like Lu-Tze in Terry Pratchett’s “Thief of Time”:

        “But people talk about you as if you were as high as the abbot!”
        “Oh, dear me, no,” said Lu-Tze. “I’m nothing like as holy. Never really got a grip on the whole cosmic harmony thing.”
        ‘But you’ve done all those incredible things!”
        “Oh, I didn’t say I’m not good at what I do,” said Lu-Tze, ambling away with his broom over his shoulder. “Just not holy.”

        Which is to say I have a better grip on humility and understanding of the ways the divine works in my life than how it works in the world humanity has created for itself. And being “holy” is not necessarily part of that, depending on the perspective of the beholder.

        For me, humility is about remembering that the divine is in charge, not me, and I am on its river in my little boat, going where it would have me go regardless of whether or not I want to go there.

        Instant karma is present in every moment, and moving with it with as much grace as I can and allowing myself the times when I am graceless to come and go are part of it.

        I have no doubt that the karmic returns for every person’s life are present and active constantly, creating their perspective and their individual experience in the world. Of course all that means nothing, because the divine is moving as it will, and not according to how any individual attempts to will it to move according to their own perspective.

        Lobsang, in the above quote from “Thief of Time,” is the apprentice having the conversation with Lu-Tze. He says, “But you’ve done all those incredible things!” as if an “incredible” life is rare – special and separate from the lives of most people. That’s why he’s an apprentice.

        Apprentices are part of the divine order, there’s no doubt about that. The thing is, it’s our job as apprentices to learn. We need to be willing to give up our arguments about what we think truth is, and give up our desire to convince others that our truth is the only truth, and give up believing that the perspective we have on board really does see things as they are, really.

        All people have “incredible” lives. We have incredible experiences, meet incredible people, and do at least a few incredible things in our lives. Lobsang is learning that, and in the process he learns who and what he is really, and when he finally gets it he steps into his own incredible life. We all go through the same process.

        At that juncture living a mere “credible” life according to our own small perspective and partial understanding, playing by the local rules rather than moving with the divine river of the universe, becomes ridiculous.

        At that point we begin to seek the larger experience, and do our best to remember it and move with it. Those are the Buddha’s years after his “awakening”, and they are ours as well.

        Doing my best to remember it and move with it in clarity, sometimes with grace and sometimes without, in what has now become an incredibly challenging and full experience.

        Which actually it all has always been.

        Bit of a ramble here, now that I re-read it. I’ve become a bit unmoored of late and have been drifting on the currents between the archipelagos of the divine cosmos, conveyed there to revisit the touchstones of my own life experience. It’s a great trip.

        • Another quotation from Thief of Time is: “Things are not what they seem. They are what they are.” Credible or incredible are secondary.

          While I am in the mood for quotes, let me pull this one from A Course in Miracles: “I am alone in nothing. Everything I think or say or do teaches all the universe. A Son of God cannot think or speak or act in vain. He cannot be alone in anything. It is therefore in my power to change every mind along with mine, for mine is the power of God.” Since we all think, we are all teachers and masters and apprentices, depending on the circumstances and the credible or incredible nature of the thought.

          • Well said. Things are indeed what they are. Here of late we have found ourselves in the practice of not necessarily changing minds so much as offering minds an alternative to their usual perceptions and ways and means. Thanks, Louis – good thoughts.

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