I should’ve never dived head first,
into this cesspool of greed and deception.
I should’ve probed the water first.
I haven’t been able to change —
not even one, of those MAGA ideologies.
I used to be content in my own space —
writing my “freedom of religion” rhymes.
But when I was affronted by those injustices,
I was obliged to protest with political poetry.
Trying to turn the tide,
in the evil hearts of men —
but the waves keep crashing in.
Oh, how my eyes burn from the smoke —
when will the fascists learn — there’s fallout,
when you can’t defend your fellowman?
By: ElRoyPoet © 2021
If your mind is already made up, your emotions will defend your position to the point that others will accuse you of being stubborn or a lunatic, because you are perceived to be set in your ways.
The human brain resists change because once it has figured out how to process information into a narrative that makes sense, it considers the matter solved. The brain optimizes its processes by not revisiting solved problems to focus on new challenges — forming habits and mannerisms that allow us to complete routine tasks more efficiently with less conscious thought.
The brain sets up patterns and routines to conserve mental energy, and promote efficiency and adaptability, ultimately reducing cognitive load and decision fatigue, decreasing stress, and improving clarity. These automatic behaviors improve productivity, save time, provide structure, and stability in our lives.
After the efficient brain has figured something out, it doesn’t need to reanalyze it ever again; it is no longer a question but an answer. The brain does not have to revisit a previously answered question because it considers the case closed and categorizes it as an answer rather than a question. Answers cannot revert to questions; otherwise, the mind would become confused.
Introspectively, this scientific evidence implicates Christians when they backslide into “Christian nationalist” tendencies. When they claim that “Jesus is the Answer for the world, today,” does that mean they have already made a decision for Christ? Or are they still trying to make up their minds as to whether Jesus is the answer to their question of faith, or do they face lingering uncertainty due to the persistence of idolatry?
The adherence to “prosperity religion” reinforces a distorted view of Christianity that centers on material gain and personal success. This narrow focus on prosperity can act as an idol itself, diverting attention and dedication away from the broader teachings of Christ, such as compassion, unity, and social justice.
Scientific evidence suggests that individuals with Christian nationalist tendencies tend to resist new information and struggle to critically evaluate their beliefs. This resistance to change extends beyond religious spheres and has implications for society, leading to divisions and an inability to address complex issues effectively.
In order to combat this narrow-mindedness and promote a more balanced approach, Christians must maintain an open mind and engage in ongoing self-reflection. They should be willing to re-examine their beliefs in light of new information and different perspectives, avoiding the pitfalls of dogmatism.
Christians should actively seek out and listen to the voices of those with contrasting opinions on social, political, and theological issues. By actively seeking out and listening to a range of viewpoints, they can foster empathy, understanding, and cooperation, which in turn helps to bridge divides.
In conclusion, professing Christians must be cautious of falling into the trap of Christian nationalism because it will inhibit personal growth and promote a narrow and intolerant worldview. By maintaining an open mind and critically examining their beliefs Christians can better navigate the complexities of faith, share the gospel and respond to the challenges facing society in a more inclusive and compassionate manner.
“But what if I told you that our neural wiring determines whether we have the ability to change our minds? What if I told you that science suggests conservatives, who are extremely likely to be voting for Trump this election, generally have more rigid cognitive systems, which means they are less adaptable, and therefore, less likely to adopt a new framework or perspective when their approach fails?
A seminal study by social psychologist David Amodio and colleagues at New York University suggests that the typical conservative is not likely to be convinced by something as simple as a logically persuasive argument. For some conservatives, it’s like asking them to change the color of their eyes. A progressive worldview cannot pierce their psyche because being dogmatic is programmed into the fabric of that worldview. It is not just that they are “stubborn”; their brains are actually wired to resist things that are new and different. So, you could say they lack “free will” when it comes to their voting decision. When we speak of free will in a modern sense, we are talking about the personal agency that enables one to override ingrained biases and consider alternative perspectives.” Excerpt from Why Trump supporters’ brains prevent them from changing their minds: neuroscientist
On January 27, 1838, Abraham Lincoln addressed the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois: “At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up among us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” Christian McWhirter, Historian at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has said that Lincoln’s main subject in this speech, which is generally considered to be Lincoln’s first great speech, was ‘The Perpetuation of our Political Institutions’: “By that, he meant he was concerned about a recent rise in extra-legal, mob violence in America. […] Lincoln believed America’s young democratic institutions were fragile […] and advised his audience that their political concerns could only be properly addressed through the law. Although mob action may seem expedient, it ultimately damages the rule of law, and with it the Constitution, and with that democracy itself. Thus, the reference to national “suicide.” Excerpts from Lyceum Address
“We must choose to live in this world and to project our own meaning and value onto it in order to make sense of it. This means that people are free and burdened by it, since with freedom there is a terrible, even debilitating, responsibility to live and act authentically. Every human is free, but freedom itself is relative; one must embrace limits, moderation, ‘calculated risk’; absolutes are anti-human. ‘I choose freedom. For even if justice is not realized, freedom maintains the power of protest against injustice and keeps communication open.’” (Is this is what happens when polarization takes hold of society?) “If you are thoroughly committed to an idea, are you compelled to kill for it? What price for justice? What price for freedom? Absolutism, and the impossible idealism it inspires, is a dangerous path forward.” Excerpts from How Camus and Sartre split up over the question of how to be free
Commentary: If you let MAGA Republicans have the upper hand, we will all become bondmen, and democracy will fail. So we have no choice but to ensure that freedom prevails. Don’t believe Trump’s lies about having it both ways. You can’t support liberal democracy and sell your liberal capitalist soul to autocracy. It’s a trick to weaken your conviction, destabilize your firm foundation, and make you overconfident that you won’t be affected by the slippery slope leading to autocracy. Supporting autocracy undermines democracy—why is that so hard to understand?
Communists, socialists, fascists, and Marxists embrace each other because they don’t feel threatened by one another. They give each other space to maintain their deception of “honor among thieves”.
The only way to save humanity is for truth and democracy to triumph over deception and autocracy. “Injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere,” and it’s coming to a theater near you. Just because I’m not opposed to the inevitable final confrontation between “good versus evil,” it doesn’t mean I won’t acknowledge that the world will burn if WW3 escalates into a nuclear showdown. But that’s the choice freemen must make, because that’s what we’ve enlisted for.
“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” By: Benjamin Franklin
“The exercise of freedom will always create rebels, because that’s the origin of revolutions. We can’t have a sedentary society, just like we can’t have a perfect union. If you don’t want conflict in your family, church and state, you want fascism, and if that’s what you want, you don’t want democracy.” By: A. Freeman
“Though liberty is established by law, we must be vigilant, for liberty to enslave us is always present under that same liberty. Our Constitution speaks of the ‘general welfare of the people’. Under that phrase all sorts of excesses can be employed by [authoritarian] tyrants—to make us bondsmen.” By: Marcus Tullius Cicero
“If the right can’t tone it down, can you blame the left for toning them out? In other words, the left is over-correcting and creating a problem for the right, to prevent the return of a much greater problem—fascism.” By: A. Freeman
Jesus came to earth to separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32). He did not come to bring peace, but a sword. He came to turn a man against his father, against his brother, a woman against her mother, against her sister, because no one can stand in the way of the worship of God. These are the consequences of his intervention. (Matthew 10:32–42). However, when Donald Trump became president, he also turned everyone against everybody else, and divided the country in order to conquer the minds of the Christian nationalists. Like other cult leaders before him, he became a fake savior for the Christian nationalists who were seeking an idol to worship (Exodus 32:1–9). So the real question is, who do you claim as your savior — Jesus who died for your sins, or a cult leader who deceives you into forfeiting your liberty for his sins? (Joshua 24:14–28). By the way, if you choose a populist leader or another fascist authoritarian, you are stuck with him forever because once you relinquish your freedom, you will never be able to vote him out, even if you change your mind later (Matthew 25:31–46)
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12
“God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:4–5
“To the working man religion is true, because he needs hope in order to endure his lot in life; to the scholar, false because he’s arrogant; and to the authoritarian useful, so that he can control the poor man and shame the academic.” By: B. Bondsman
“The safest road to hell is the gradual one — the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” By: C. S. Lewis
Freeman Poet 