TWH –After a high-profile campaign that lasted far longer than many Americans might have preferred, Donald J. Trump won the U.S. presidential election yesterday. While Pagans and polytheists held widely divergent views about who they wanted in the White House, it is now time to consider what a Trump presidency means to members of minority religious groups.
![[Wikimedia Commons]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Trump_%26_Clinton.jpg)
[Wikimedia Commons]
Orlando, running in Michigan’s ninth district, was not successful. In a statement released on his Facebook page, he wrote, “While I did not win a seat in the house I do not consider the campaign a total loss. We were able to reach more people this election, and show them that the Libertarian Party has so much to offer those that love freedom and that are tired of the big overreaching federal government.”
Schulz, on the other hand, was victorious in her second attempt to join the Burnville, Minnesota city council. She said, “I am so thankful to the residents of Burnsville for supporting me, donating to my campaign, putting one of my signs in their yard, and for voting for me. The trust they have placed in me is deeply humbling and I’ll work hard to be worthy of it. I’ve made a commitment to serve all residents in as open, honest, and transparent way as I’ve run my campaign.”
She also noted, “Not once during the race did any of my opponents or their supporters attempt to use my faith in an appeal to bigotry. This was attempted in my last run for office, but residents here firmly rejected bigotry as a campaign tactic. I encourage those who feel called to public service and happen to be Pagan to run for office. Run, be open and honest, and trust your neighbors. If you aren’t elected the first time, run again.”
* * *
Now, we move to the national election. Below a number of Pagans and polytheists share their views on the results. The statements are a collection of early thoughts from a variety of people who fall under — or near — the Pagan umbrella about the future under a Trump presidency. Some of these passages express strong emotion.
Christine Hoff Kraemer
The election of Donald Trump lets us know that the recently-won rights of women and racial, sexual, and religious minorities are extremely fragile. Based on polls I saw last night, some voters cast their ballots for Trump even while claiming that his treatment of women and minorities bothered them. Even more frightening is the thought that many voted for Trump because of his racism and misogyny, rather than despite them.
This election comes at a time when we need decisive government action to address climate change. If the United States continues to exploit our last remaining fossil fuels instead of aggressively pursuing clean energy and protecting our air and water, the economic and environmental impact of climate change will be much more damaging. Americans have apparently elected Trump in the hope that, despite his callous disregard for working-class people in his business dealings, his administration will recreate traditional working-class jobs. But pollution, food crisis, and the failure to create jobs in important new energy industries will cause enormous suffering among the very people who have rallied around him. This is a dark day for us, and especially for our grandchildren, who will wonder what madness caused the United States to elect a leader so obviously intent on . . . abusing the powers of the presidency.
Yet, looking at history, our ancestors all survived conditions that are now difficult for most Americans to imagine: epidemics, wars, and disasters that destroyed the very fabric of societies. We can survive Trump and a Republican Congress. But to cope with climate change, there is no more time for internet polemic, no time to fight among ourselves, no time for business as usual. Gather your loved ones and neighbors to make shelter: the first drops of rain are falling; the coming storm is here.
Jose Adastra
I’m mostly feeling nauseated. It’s hard to really think clearly through all the fear and worry. When I’m not feeling scared I’ve felt pretty upset. Puerto Rico was thrown into poverty by those seeking to profit from the natural resources on the island, and those wishing to use it as a tax haven.
Understanding why we came from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts is difficult enough. It was difficult to transition but my family figured it out. We made our new home and we adjusted. But now the country that took my birthplace (by force) as a territory and that has effectively stifled trade and installed business legislation that allows people to benefit from the poverty of Puerto Ricans has just finished electing a President that has expressed aggressive policies for deporting immigrants, and that has displayed on various occasions that his respect for women and people of color is completely lacking.
I love Puerto Rico, but we left because the economy was completely destabilized and there were more opportunities in the states. But now after watching my birthplace be taken advantage of and ripped apart by corporate interests for years, I fear that we will be completely abandoned to our current chaotic state. Although I have made my home in Massachusetts now, it is concerning that someone might try to make me leave this home. I must be feeling what a lot of displaced immigrants are feeling right now. America wages wars and claims territory, and then people are displaced. To displace a group of people and then not feel responsible for providing them with homes and a solid support system is completely backwards. We as a country have been displacing people for an absurd amount of time.
We just so happened to, as a country, elect a misogynist, white supremacist, anti-immigrant President. It must feel like a slight to everyone who has already had to start their lives over again. The threat of being deported and having to do it all over again when you have already reestablished your home is unacceptable, and inhumane. While I am optimistic, and enthusiastic about establishing grass root movements to counteract the hate, it is worrisome that there is so much of that hate to counteract.
Lisa Roling
I am truly concerned about the immediate and long-term ramifications of this election. How many people will die as a result of repealing the ACA? How many women will lose their already-limited access to safe abortions, will lose their voice in standing up to sexual violence, will lose the battle for equal pay? How many gay and lesbian couples will see their marriage licenses dissolved and see their rights to their non-biological children threatened? How many religious minorities will face intimidation, deportation, and be forced underground for their (our) own safety?
I’ve been told that I am overreacting, that my fear is unfounded, that change is slow and this President-elect will not be able to pull off the promises for which he was elected. That this is simply a rebuke of the status quo in politics, not a rebuke of the values that I depend on for living freely and safely. Goddess, let that be the case. Let me wake in four years and look back to see you having mangled, beheaded, and devoured us today as an act of destruction that opens the door of creation. And let us be better for it.
![[Pixabay]](https://wildhunt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/american-flag-795303_1920-500x375.jpg)
[Pixabay]
I served as an election worker yesterday. It was a long day (6:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.), one in which we were surrounded by voters, ballots, and voting apparatus, yet not permitted to speak of the election at all. […] Some voters spoke to us clerks sotto voce about their anxieties and fear for the future. I’m sure they weren’t feeling that way any more than I was. I’ve seen the sun’s annual return for more than seven decades now, and never, never since the first election in which I was eligible to vote –- voters had to be 21 back then –- have I sensed among the people I encounter, and within myself, such anxiety about the election and beyond.
For the first time in the many elections I’ve worked, we had men –- no women did this — coming in expressing distrust of the voting process, certain that their vote wouldn’t be counted. This is offensive to the elections office and all the many workers who strive to conduct the polls with integrity.
I live in a rarefied environment where the voter turnout tends to 80-90%. My fellow Mariners voted nearly 78% for Clinton, but we weren’t worried about Marin; we were worried about the country. We were worried about the future. I worry about what kind of world we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. I can only hope they have the ingenuity to meet the challenges of climate change, social disruption, cynical disengagement.
To the question of what the results might mean for us as American citizens, or as Pagans, I can only say dread. I fear for the reversal of the many programs and policies implemented over the last fifty years. I fear for the health and well-being of all kinds of minorities: ethnic, sexual, religious. I fear for women. We have a few generations of women who have never not known reproductive choice, whereas in my young womanhood safe, legal abortions did not exist. Acceptance of single parenthood didn’t exist. I am appalled at the level of misogyny surrounding this entire election season.
I fear for the health of our planet. I fear the day when we might have no government regulations on toxic emissions. I fear losing clean water. I fear reductions in spending and quality education for all. An educated public benefits everyone.
I sympathize with today’s young parents who try to teach their children kindness and good social skills when they see so-called leaders regularly bully, intimidate, and humiliate other people. I fear that the dystopian society that the incoming President describes in his speeches only serves to further alienate young people. It feeds disengagement and mistrust among a cynical citizenry.
I have an investment in this country that’s given me a comparatively lavish life, an education, health. My ancestors and yours died so that we could enjoy such luxuries. This is our home, one that should show hospitality to others. Our bounty is to be shared.
I am not normally a pessimistic person, but this election gives me pause. If this country manages to survive the incoming administration, if it hasn’t caused irreparable damage to environment, economy, human rights, international relations, then I console myself with two certainties: a lot of these fearful conservative older white men are, and will be, dying off. (So might I.) The other is that those younger citizens who follow will be more colorful and diverse. Minority populations will increase and our country will have no single majority, rather a rainbow of diversity. They are our hope.
Dr. Bones
A massively corrupt technocrat ran for the highest office in the country. According to leaked emails, her team decided to “puff up” the most repulsive enemy combatant they could find, a mulligan of a competitor so vile America would have no choice but to elect her to save themselves.
They focus-grouped almost every issue, had paid internet shills call people anti-woman if they dared not toe the line, and exposed every bit of material they could proving their opponent was a rapey, racist misogynist. He didn’t deny it. And he won.
The United States is a nation of barbarians, a warlike people full of gun-toting madmen high on meth and college intelligentsia that prefer airborne robots do their killing for them. The fatal flaw was the Democrats could never admit they were just as war hungry and greedy as the Republicans, that they were cut from the same stock. They tried to pretend Obama didn’t bomb Libya, didn’t fund Nazis in the Ukraine, even tried to deny that the US created Daesh. They broke the con-man’s only rule: never believe your own bullshit.
The United States will be ruled by the Republicans for the next four years and liberals of all stripes will be forced to confront the grim reality that they have no idea what country they live in. They sold their soul and a movement that was openly socialist to a neo-liberal devil and they came up empty handed. They were worse than stupid and deserve to be punished, and I won’t shed a single tear for them.
There are silver linings here: we can now freely admit a revolution cannot depend on someone’s gender alone, we have seen that the United States is still a gleefully racist country that has no problem backing killer cops, we have learned the “lesser of two evils” doesn’t mean jack when the greater evil can at least admit to being evil, and we have learned that real change is not going to come out of a ballot box.
You want to keep people safe? Start forming solidarity networks. You want to keep emboldened racists from getting froggy? Buy a gun. You want to radically change the structure of the country you live in? Get organized, start conspiring, and make insurrection great again.
Kenya Coviak
To my fellow Americans, I say to you this: I am deeply disappointed in you. But I believe in the goodness of the human soul and heart and it will prevail. I will hold space for all of us, and ask you to do the same and keep us safe as we move forward in the vision of alchemizing the next four years. We are the children of the revolutionaries, always have been, and surviving is what revolutionaries do best.
Be the revolution you want to see. Be the love you want to receive. Be safe, be good to each other, and blessed be. [Coviak published a full editorial at PBN]
Rapid Cabot Freeman
Right now I am so grateful to my god the lord Woden, to all my Pagan & Heathen brothers and sisters at American Pagans For Trump, and all the honest, hardworking Americans that voted for this good and courageous man, Donald J. Trump, who will protect this country I love by making sure no one comes here that doesn’t show good will and an honest desire to be a contributing citizen that respects our laws and customs.
Mr. Trump will put America first by making sure any trade deal we enter into is fair and protects the American worker and American jobs. He will the protect Second Amendment and thus every American citizen’s inborn right to protect themselves & their families. For the first time in awhile I feel very optimistic [about] the future our country will offer to my godson Zakk & all young Americans like him. The first 100 days of Mr. Trump’s good works, I believe, will bear fruit that silences any naysayers. As a proud son of an American combat vet[eran], I hope he passes a law protecting the American flag from being stomped upon and burned because this disrespect to those that serve/served our country I personally find . . . to be revolting and unacceptable.
![Replica Oval Office [Wikimedia]](https://wildhunt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1024px-Bush_Library_Oval_Office_Replica-500x319.jpg)
Replica Oval Office [Wikimedia]
What we saw last night is that for nearly half of voting Americans, character doesn’t matter. Bigotry and misogyny don’t matter. Even basic human decency doesn’t matter. All that matters is self-interest, and rage.
Many progressives helped to do this to themselves, promulgating right-wing lies about Hillary with glee. And they are left with exactly the ashes in their mouths that Nader voters tasted in 2000.
The most qualified person running was defeated by a human dumpster fire, and now all the things we thought we had secured in the name of progress are on the chopping block. Way to go, America.
Star Foster
Between Sanders and Trump, the American people have made it pretty clear they are sick of both major parties and politics as usual. I was hoping it was a Lincoln election, but Giuliani had it right: this is Andrew Jackson all over again.
Also, tonight was a pretty clear sign that our democracy works, because the nation exercised its right to elect someone that no one in establishment wanted.
The role of media in this election is fascinating, but they didn’t just get it wrong, they were crafting the narrative rather than reporting the reality. Very embarrassing election for mainstream journalism.
Unlike in 2000, the third party impact probably didn’t swing the election to either candidate. Stein was statistically unimportant. Johnson drew votes pretty equally from both sides, and theoretically should have hurt Trump more than Clinton. McMullin’s major impact was in traditionally-conservative Utah.
I spent the Saturday before election with Pagans all voting for Clinton, Johnson, or Stein, in that order of popularity. I think it is safe to say that most folks in the greater Pagan community are unhappy with the election results, and that vote-shaming of third party supporters already seems to be taking place. I expect the already pronounced emphasis on liberal politics in modern Paganism to become stronger in the next four years, and it will be interesting to see if the theological/worldview schism in Paganism deepens in the next four years if moderates and conservatives no longer feel welcome under the big umbrella.
Byron Ballard
Some people are afraid and shocked at this outcome. Others are relieved, feeling they — at last! — have some agency in their lives. Everyone is on edge because these are challenging times. But here’s the truth: all of us are stronger than we know, and this is an opportunity to break down all the imposed barriers and build the world we want and need. That will take courage and hard work and resilience.
A political savior is not coming, and we can’t wait around for that. For a decade I’ve been writing about Tower Time and the fall of patriarchy’s toxic systems. It is writ large today; our longing and fear and need. These are the times we were made for. We’re rolling up our sleeves and creating a new way to be. Per ardua ad terra.
Elena Rose
I am so scared, and so angry, and so sad. This election was a referendum on the people I love, on whether or not we deserve to live and exist as human beings, and I have been watching those percentages of our neighbors pile up, and it is hard not to succumb to that collapsing feeling that lets me know it will be people I love with our backs first against the wall. There is no unlearning this, un-confirming this thing I already knew, about this place I live.
I am at a loss, friends. One way or another, we will make it through. One way or another, we will be looking after each other.
Those of you they won’t come for first: I hope you’re ready to watch out for those of us at the top of the list.
* * *
The conversations will continue as the government transitions, and the election day fog lifts. This 2016 election may continue to bring controversy and even stories yet unwritten. Media channels, such as NPR, are now reporting that Clinton lost the election, but won the popular vote; she would be the fifth candidate in U.S. history to lose in this fashion.
As in this case, the Electoral College results can vary widely from the popular vote, because most states award all electoral votes to the winning candidate. While electors are pledged to vote for a particular candidate, so-called “faithless electors” have occasionally abstained or voted for someone else entirely. However, they typically act alone, impacting only one election in 1836.
The electors will cast their votes Dec. 19, and the ballots will then be counted January 6, making the 2016 election results official. The new president takes the oath of office Jan 20.
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Wow, I cannot believe fellow Heathens are alright trump, since he uses religion has a bashing point. How long before he looks at other non-christian faiths as dangerous?
Agreed. Anyone who looks more than half a second at Pence and the Christian theocratic policies he enacts can’t seriously believe Trump will do anything less than drop us in with the rest of his opponents.
Remember what happened to his black supporter? That’s the future for Heathens who support Trump.
You mean to quote him “my African-American over there” Nothing like a little possessiveness
Partisanship and/or bigotry will get people to overlook almost anything.
I disciplined myself to listen to all 15:12 of Trump’s victory speech and it quite lacked any of the religious dog-whistle language of the Christian Right. He did make one religious statement: The first of a long line of thank-you;s was to his parents “looking down on [him].” It was a conventional piety but not a divisive one. He started off by urging national unity and included “all religions…all beliefs” but that could be taken as political boilerplate; we know where the proof of the pudding is found.He vigorously stoked Islamophobia in his campaign, and we do not know yet if it is a deep part of his makeup, something that will manifest itself in new country-of-origin immigration rules, or a stand he cynically took because it would draw more votes than it would repel; the man is capable of any of these. It was notably in the context of terrorist threats, not framed as a theological argument; make of that what one will.On balance I would say Pagans must be alert to any infringement of our religious rights, even by implication, and to any Christian dominionist dog-whistle notes that may come our way. But isn’t this the life of a Pagan in the good ol’ USA? We need imho to be more alert to this coming from the government that we would if Clinton had won the absurd algebra of the Electoral College, but less than we had to with George W. Bush. My $0.02.
I couldn’t listen to one more word from that cursed Orange Boob. No matter how gracious his speech may have been, he’s just gonna gild the oval office and strut around. He’s gonna put the super-conservative theocrat Pence in charge of the government.
That of course is a possibility, but the speech showed an ambition to begin an infrastructure/stimulus program on a scale no Democrat would have dared propose. He is imho clearly playing to his self-perceived strength, building large things with other people’s money.I agree that it will be very interesting to see what Pence’s assignment is in the new world order.
Trump said as much this summer, that Pence was going to have a “unique role” as veep.
the orange man and his drones are dangerous. and for those who do not believe in supernatural energies, they are missing a show when his people strut about wearing their entities. scary.
I said in the comments of a post on this site back in March, perhaps Hillary just isn’t that likable.
Don’t take that as an endorsement of Trump. My pick was None Of The Above.
She’s very well liked while she’s IN office, it’s when she’s RUNNING for office that people hate her. Her approval ratings as Sec of State were astonishing.
Pardon, but I can’t help but wonder about those polls.
Given the history stretching back to the 90s, the polls might have been tilted just a little in her favor.
Like to point out that Hilary won the popular vote; it’s the Electoral Collage that voted for her and they do NOT follow the will of the people.
I suspect that if None Of The Above had been printed on the ballot, the outcome would have been very different for both parties. It’s not really a choice unless you can walk away, is it?
Either/or is very seldom a good choice. Bonewits called it dualism.
But maybe that’s just my personal bias.
She had a fucking 62% approval rating. That would take a LOT of tilt. Go fuck yourself. But do your damn research first.
OK, found the anger.
69% peak, 65% when she left office.
Given what just happened, I do think we should question the polls.
I will say this, I agree this was not so much a Trump win as it was a Clinton loss.
Glad to see at least one other Pagan for Trump, makes me feel better about this community.
I have never heard so much hand wringing and fluttering hands as I have from Liberals post this election.
I’m not particularly interested in a protracted debate on the subject – but keep this in mind: Trump is the VERY first GOP nominee post Reagan who is NOT a Bible-Thumper – which is part of the reason he won. With that said, yes – Pence is a Christianist of the worst sort and needs to be “watched”, although the VP slot is not particularly influential.
As for so-called “Islamophobia” – we need some right now. Islam is another form of Abrahamic Monotheism and is even worse that the other 2 forms thereof. The “Obamanation” we have in the WH right now is so Politically Correct that he won’t even call a Moslem terrorist a Moslem terrorist. I’m *DONE* with PC, this country needs to get back to reality. That’s all I have to say on the subject.
Just hope his bible-thumping VP does not have much control
Me too – and I don’t think he will. I could be wrong, but the VP seldom has much to do with policy.
Typically, yes. My concern is trump has zero policy experience and he may lean on Pence.
I hear ya. We’ll just have to wait and see!
I think Trump will just gild the Oval Office and strut around like the petty tyrant he is. His plan all along was for his Veep to actually do the work of governing — and Pence, who mandated that aborted fetus be given funerals, is no friend to Pagans.
Except that Trump has explicitly said that Pence WILL have a lot to do with policy.
No connection to policy, really? It appears that VP Dick Cheney was highly influential on George W’s policies toward Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. In the spirit of being non-PC, you need to educate yourself.
That was somewhat atypical. In that instance, the guy in the main office had the intellect of a horse patty.
Trump apparently promised John Kaschich control over domestic and foreign policy if he accepted to become his running mate. He didn’t, Pence did. Make of that what you will.
That scares me
Yep, same here. I’m sure that, in the end, it won’t be the alt-right revolution internet pranksters wished for but the complete overtaking of the country by the traditional religious right.
This scares me more than than Trump.
Trump is an Isis recruiter’s wet dream. They do all of their best business in western countries where Muslims are pushed to the margins socially, economically and politically. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in this country today have the same aspirations as any past immigrant group: get a good job, get the kids into a good college, secure their own little plot of suburbia If Trump follows through on even half of his anti-Muslim program and we end up with a generation of young men who see no future here (and have no personal roots elsewhere), how’s that going to work out for us?
As for Islam being worse than other Abrahamic religions, I’ve lived and worked among thousands of Muslims in my corner of the Chicago area for better than a decade, and I can tell you that none of them ever gave me shit about my beliefs. Come to think of it, neither did any of the Jews I ever met, including Orthodox rabbis. To default to the label “Moslem terrorist” is to legitimize the idea that terrorism is a normal and inevitable consequence of the religion. We don’t refer to Cliven Bundy’s group as “Christian terrorists” or “Mormom terorists” even though he has acknowledged religious inspiration for his actions. We don’t seem to like it when the media uses terms like “occult murderer” or “Pagan pedophile.”
wow, pagans for the orange man! I am amazed! but then they are patriarchal folks in their tradition. May the all mother be merciful to those who rape and abuse her women. and may the women grow teeth, wield swords and learn to shoot to put the pussy grabbers in their place. racism in pagans, wow.
So acting like everyone else.
Mostly claiming to be scared or fearful for their safety, claiming 50% of the voters are racist misogynistic hate mongers bent on exterminating them and/or whatever cause they believed in, that elected Hitler, and then spewing sound bites taken out of context meant to induce fear.
While others generally try to explain why they thought the guy was the lesser evil or actually supported more of his platform.
Like others, I feel that this is a dark time for our country. Pence is a far right theocrat and if you think that human bag of filth won’t put the bulk of the work on his vp’s bigoted, homophobic, big coal loving shoulders, you’re fooling yourselves. Hate and apathy won the battle and we have to decide how to move forward from here. What will this administration mean for the efforts to stop the DAPL and protect the environment? What will it mean for keeping the hard one civil rights, not to mention furthering those rights to protect more people who are in danger just for being? I do not recognise Trump as my president and I won’t unify with anyone that is willing to handwave mysoginy, racism, islamiphobia, homophobia and transphobia. Btw, for those who point out how he’ll “help” the economy, how is a man who’s filed bankruptcy multiple times and failed in business again anf again going to handle to economy of an entire country? I’m so angry and disgusted by this happening.
Trump Wins Presidency; Pagans React [Badly]
As most of us, I have fear of the uncertainty flowing throughout the country. Not only for the obvious vile being that Trump has always been (election or not) but, for the pure blatant hatred that has already come of it. There have been some outrageously terrible, hateful comments and acts happening. Not only to innocent strangers or from media driven stories but, instances that have hit VERY close to home. For those who truly support Trump with the hopes of some much needed positive change, I applaud you and sincerely hope to be proven wrong. I’ve taken notice of Trump throughout many years over different aspects, before reality TV came to the election and I honestly, just don’t see any good in this man or any good to come from him. For those who are supporting Trump and using our newest leader as a role model for an excuse to act in such a despicable manner as to purposely hurt and degrade fellow human beings, you are beyond shameful. There are no words to express fully how completely appalling it is that this came so easily to peoples’ ability. I’m beyond shocked. We as Pagans need to look to each other for kindness and support in these stressful trying times. React with understanding, reaching for the positive, rather than the habitual negative that has so obviously gone out of hand. Let’s support each other in humanity, all genders, all cultures, all that makes us unique. Like everyone else, I want my grandchildren growing up in an open-minded, forward thinking positive world. It is possible and we can make that happen.
One friend in LA is wearing black every day till the inauguration. I intend to turn my back to Trump wherever I encounter his image or speech.
How did this happen?
In the last year I have seen more hatred, bigotry, violence, and intolerance for others beliefs from the left, pagans included, than I have ever seen from the right. And that’s from the mainstream left compared to the ultra-right. It’s normal.
We talk about love and acceptance and tolerance for other people beliefs, but that only applies if you agree with us. Unless you’re Muslim. Move to a Muslim country and let people know you are gay or a witch. You won’t live long. Women are property in many of these countries. But that’s okay because we are accepting and tolerant of others religious beliefs.
Unless you’re Christian. A Christian couple refuses to bake a cake because of their religious beliefs and they receive death threats and ended up losing their business. They deserve it though, right? Because they are so intolerant of others beliefs.
When millions of Christians vote against Clinton because of the way the left treats them, let’s ignore their concerns and just call them sexist, racists, misogynistic, bigoted homophobes.
Millions of people are concerned about jobs. For some reason being able to provide a home for their family and feed their kids is important to them. One of Trumps main platforms was bringing jobs back to the US. Clintons main platform was bashing Trump and his supporters.
When these people vote for Trump because they feel he is more likely to bring economic growth than Clinton lets ignore their concerns and just call them sexist, racists, misogynistic, bigoted homophobes.
Trump has been a household name for over 30 years. He has received awards for the things he has done for minorities and had a reputation for hiring women in power positions. Suddenly, when he runs for President as a Republican, he is a racist and a sexist. He was surrounded by beautiful women for decades but it wasn’t until Clinton realized he had a chance to win that he was suddenly accused of sexual assault. When millions of people use their common sense and wonder about that, lets just call them sexist, racists, misogynistic, bigoted homophobes.
Let’s ignore all of Clinton’s scandals and all of the questionable ethics issues. If someone has a problem with her let’s just call them sexist, racists, misogynistic, bigoted homophobes.
When people are cursed, spit on, threatened, and actually beaten for supporting Trump let’s just ignore it. They probably deserve it because they are obviously sexist, racists, misogynistic, bigoted homophobes who are intolerant of our beliefs. When these things push others into supporting Trump? Well they were obviously closet sexist, racists, misogynistic, bigoted homophobes.
How did this happen? I could go on and on. Pull your head out of the sand and look in the mirror. You helped. Your intolerance for anyone who isn’t part of “the team”, your bigotry for those who think differently than you, being willing to overlook any wrongdoing as long as it was “our team” doing it pushed millions into voting for him.
So, we have an egotistical dick who makes fun of people and throws temper tantrums as a President. Congrats pagans! Well done. I hope we survive it.
This needed to be said.
People may not agree, but it needed to be said.
If you’re looking for contrition for demanding that Christian bakers follow the same non-discrimination laws binding on all businesses, don’t hold your breath. Those were almost entirely incidents staged for culture war value by business owners who never let their conscience interfere with money in any other matter of their professed beliefs – ie adultery. Most of them received free legal representation by Christian culture war groups and they also received hundreds of thousands of dollars in sympathy donations on crowdfunding sites. In the one incident trotted out by Rod Dreher all the time involving an Indiana pizzeria, the owners made $1 million to sit home and not bake pizzas for a week. A solid minority of Trump supporters are bigots and homophobes. Many more are people with legitimate grievances that were not being addressed by the main political parties. So are many of us. They chose to gamble on a man who has all the makings of a disastrous president on every level. Nobody forced them to make that choice.
I have very little sympathy for Christians and I’m not looking for contrition I’m just pointing out facts. The left, in general, is tolerant and accepting of most religious beliefs except Christianity. It’s no surprise that most of them are going to vote as conservative as possible. Yes, some of Trumps supporters are sexist, racist, misogynistic, bigoted and/or homophobes. So are some of Clinton’s supporters. I’m not sure of your point with that last sentence. Many of the people who voted for Trump were pushed right by the hatred and intolerance of the left, but I neither said nor implied that anyone forced them to make the choice they made.
“He has received awards for the things he has done for minorities and had a reputation for hiring women in power positions.”
Really? Do you have proof? Can you show us some sources?
I’m going to have limited internet access this weekend but I’ll do some digging next week. There was one that Al Sharpton had something to do with and another in the late ’80’s that Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali also received. The first woman to be in charge of building a skyscraper was the one he hired to build the Trump Tower. She wrote an article around the first of the year saying basically that he was a SOB to work for but that he hired the person he thought was best for a job and didn’t care what gender they were. Finding anything good about him is difficult and verifying it is even harder.
I have Christian friends whose fears match those I and others here have expressed. I found it very difficult at first to find any sympathy for them. I found it in giving them the following argument.
At the core of Christianity is the belief that theirs is both the one and only true faith, and that they are called to bring everyone else to it. I say to them, without any better rebuttal than angry muttering, that this belief and their historic pursuit of its consequences has made Christianity eminently untrustworthy in any secular, pluralistic context. I show them the evidence of actual harm done, coupled with the anticipated and perceived harm they are potentially capable of. I say “Yes, some non-Christians are as ready to play the persecution card as some of your fellow believers do, so where is your self-honesty over the hypocrisy?”
Some of us have experienced actual persecution. Many of us have not, but behind the rational and valid fear that it could happen is the same motivation felt by Christians in some places.
I don’t mean to get into a diatribe about warring religions (well, I started one, but please bear with me). I do mean to ask the we step back and consider what is happening, and whether we are motivated to find a remedy for it.
This is beyond a war of religions. This is a war of emotions. It is the most vicious of cycles. I believe we — and like-minded Christians I know — are called to make the effort to break that cycle.