Hello! Gay progressive from Sioux City, IA. I write articles about Theology and Religious Studies. I have a B.A. in Theology. Not Christian or Jewish, but prefer Jewish Theology/practice. https://theologyinthebalance.substack.com
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Literally all you people have to do is stop bombarding us with stupid excuses and "critiques" done in bad faith, yet you people can't even do that. You just have to throw shit around all the time at everyone and expect us to listen to you when you give no thought to how you harm everyone around you.
@radiofreetom.bsky.social And yet again, we have the White Moderate making things more difficult for everyone. You are our stumbling block towards freedom, because you're more devoted to order than justice, paternalistically telling us you agree with our goals, but not the way we talk about them.
The fact y'all don't even realize that some of these terms were used in things like Liberation Theology, which has been controversial in the Catholic Church and caused the church to literally censor people like Leonardo Boff is WILD.
But I guess y'all are living up to your "former Republican" status. Republicans have done this same trick 5 million times before. And yet y'all still don't realize that this trick is what caused the Trump idiocy. Stop blaming the vulnerable for your mess! @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social
It's not exactly smart to fuel the anti-intellectualism of the right with more anti-intellectualism, especially in a time when Universities are being censored and controlled by the state. You're going to regret this @thebulwark.com , and Matt Bennett, whoever the hell you are.
@thebulwark.com Don't fool yourselves. You're not helping or harming Democrats, you're harming the vulnerable. Y'all didn't support Trump even though he was popular, but now you want us to turn back on truth to appease the majority? Take your demagoguery elsewhere. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJHN...
#bb27 Kelley and Mickey have literally the same problem: They bash other people, pretend like they're so innocent, and then when someone gives it to them back, they play the victim. It's gross, and I wish the edit showed just how hypocritical it is.
#bb27 That Veto comp was running fun! They need to make that a consistent comp every season, imo.
P.S. All the men in this faith group were Gen Z.
And while I'm sure JVL understands this, because he's mentioned it before, it is one of the biggest holes in the Bulwark's analysis, in my honest opinion. So I say this: The only way out of this mess is to not attack the academics working to get us out of this religious fundamentalism.
What we've found in reaction is that US Catholic priests are significantly more "conservative" than many other countries! And they are certainly more conservative than a lot of the laity. That's because these "conservative" Catholics are heavily influenced by Protestant Fundamentalism.
These ideas are finally getting torn to shreds in Theology and Religious Studies. Pope Francis had a whole study done about women in the Church to see if women should be able to become priests. He decided women can be deacons.
I think Sarah was almost on to the thing - religious conservatism is getting taken to an extreme. Not just in conservative Catholicism, but also in Protestant fundamentalism. My mother experienced the exact same phenomenon with her father, who was a Protestant Pastor: men control the family.
But during it, each man in the group took a turn and talked about what they wanted from the group. The idea that the man had to carry the family and be the authority figure and head of the house was pretty much the thing every single man there said. It wasn't as extreme as Kirk's ideas.
@sarahlongwell25.bsky.social @jvl.bsky.social Great video. But, y'all were so close to having it, and then you lost it! Anecdote time: I went to a Catholic University here in Iowa, and I was invited one day to the men's faith group. I felt so out of place in it... www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4-P...
Just so we're clear, I'm not arguing for any particular form of democracy over another, and voting is one way of being "part of" government in "some" way. Checks and balances and voting are there to limit the power of any one person over another. That is the essential component in democracy.
It is no coincidence that our current problems in the US comes after decades of erosion of checks and balances.
A smaller executive has less checks and balances on executive actions, which includes the military and enacting laws they decide to enact. So careful what you wish for.
And no, I DON'T believe there's any other way of looking at this. I'm not going to validate anybody's opinions when I think they are ridiculous. Democracy limits the power of any one person. That's essential. The diff. forms of democracy are one of the only ways of doing this.
@paulfuller.bsky.social Look, I just have to call this out for what it is. There's a reason I said "part of" instead of "in" and there's a reason I said "in some way". If you can't understand that, then you need to take a step back and learn to read more critically.
How you twisted what I said into "we can't have representative democracy" is literally WILD when I was arguing for representative democracy in the first place. And it was quite obvious; I didn't say everyone took part in government directly, I said everyone took part in gov in SOME way.
That's not what I said... currently, everyone IS in the government "in SOME way" because everyone votes. That's why I said "in SOME way". Your vote and your representation is you taking part in gov. And yes, this is a good thing, because then it means every person limits the power of any one person.
Yes, you're wrong on this.
What YT channel, if I might ask?
Unfortunately, we in Iowa had no way to do any vetos, because our governor is Republican, and all our Federal Senators are Reublican too! Republicans still have majority, just not supermajority. We have a long way to go. Hopefully y'all can also fight back against the GOP there in NC!
My name is Josh Turek. I'm a two-time Paralympic gold medalist. I'm a proud State Legislator from Council Bluffs who represents the reddest seat held by a Democrat in Iowa. And I'm the guy who's going to beat Joni Ernst. Repost this, give us a follow, and let’s win together.
Yeah, I think people don't tend to vote in off-year special elections like this. Which really sucks, because local elections are important. But yeah.
momsforiowa.info/en-us
Catelin Drey is not freaking MAGA. She's a progressive who leads the Moms for Iowa grassroots, which advocates for reproductive rights and gun safety. Just shut up when you don't know what you're talking about.
Thank you. I appreciate this very much.
Yeah, I agree. It's unfortunate, but I'm really hoping that the Trump backlash, the Joni Ernst backlash, and the decimating economy gets through to people.
That is what good Theology classes do, and that is how I was taught.
I tell my story of my experiences. That is what scripture is. That is what Theology is. I don't evangelize or manipulate people into believing my Theology. My work is meant to proclaim my experience, and give people the tools to figure out their own story.
I just want play devil's advocate: my belief in God wasn't forced on me. I *CHOSE* to believe, and I know many others who have chosen to believe to. I don't profess to speak on behalf of God, but I know in my heart my own experiences of God and how he accepts me. That is why I choose to believe.
@radiofreetom.bsky.social I'm the Iowan in District 1 that you've been interacting with. So, do you still think we should be taking advice from you after several Iowan districts, including mine, have been flipping? We're doing fine on our own, thank ya very much!
And yet y'all trying to say Dems need to appease the midwesterners more. Lol, no. We here in Iowa are being hurt by Trump's tarrifs and the Republicans that just yesterday controlled a supermajority of our Senate. We're going to fight back, and my district proves it.
bsky.app/profile/zach...
@laurarbelin.bsky.social might have more insight to this, idk. They write for the Bleeding Heartland website. They are doing some podcast/talk show tomorrow at 8 am CT, iirc.
Congrats to Catelin Drey on her victory tonight, breaking the supermajority in the Iowa state Senate. Iowans are ready for change.
I'm very proud of my district right now! Let's keep this Blue turn going! Already told all of my immediate family members about the win. I'm *excited*!
Yes please! Florida can take her, we don't want her! Lol
It really helps us Iowans. Republicans controlled 2/3rds of our State Senate. With the 4 Democratic wins, we've broken the supermajority, to Republicans no longer have 2/3rds. They still have majority, unfortunately, but this makes it just a tad bit harder for them to pass certain things.
Agreed!
I'm very proud of my district for voting her in! I hope this represents a turning point for Iowa.
No state is unmoveably red. If only the DNC would work with that reality.
Well, first of all, it wasn't a good look that the Republican nominee bashed Catelin for having had pink hair in the past, lmao. Iowa also has one of the worst economies in the US. In fact, our state doesn't use the money for anything to help us.
SNAP I think got reduced. And Rob Sand, our auditor, has been touring around Iowa talking about Iowa gov' corruption. So, idk, there's a lot of factors at play, I think.
In addition, we've had book bans, we've been a public spectacle with Joni Ernst's "we're all gonna die anyway" crap, Trump bashed Ann Seltzer, some of the cities around us have ICE, or rumors of ICE, harassing people.
Well, first of all, it wasn't a good look that the Republican nominee bashed Catelin for having had pink hair in the past, lmao. Iowa also has one of the worst economies in the US. In fact, our state doesn't use the money for anything to help us.
Considering I live in this district, I'm VERY happy about this! 🎉🎉🎉 Now, hopefully this signifies a turning point for Iowa. Please, dear God, let it be so. Y'all, I really do think Iowa is flippable.
I'm happy to say that I'm a part of this. I live in this district. :)
Yes, you SHOULD care, actually. About every single one of those genocides. I know I do! Like... what is with this whataboutism shit? Yes, of course those events were important and you should care. If you don't, then you have problems.
This doesn't even represent most libs, but ok. Also ironic coming from the person who called someone a nazi mutt just for being Jewish. Which, I shouldn't have to say... not all Jews support Israel, dumbass.
Dumb transphobe story time: I joined a women’s pool league at my neighborhood bar. I am not good at pool. Mediocre at the very best. But they needed more girls. A better way to describe it is that I was asked to join a women’s pool league.
Torch the business, jail the CEO, sanction the devs. “Safety training may degrade” what a crock of shit
The authors of this op-ed are attempting to frame anti-Palestinian racism as both non-existent and ultimately antisemitic. "APR is the latest evolution of anti-Zionism, rebranded in the language of civil rights and anti-racism," they write. Let's be clear: Palestinians in the US experience racism.
And God forbid it's Gender-inclusive! That's even worse!
I was even always hesitant to go to school with or talk about a "gender-sensitive" Bible because right-wing scholars like yourself have misrepresented what it means and scared people into thinking it's what it isn't.
The people wouldn't be so scared of all these "academic" terms if Republicans didn't bludgeon them with scare tactics and anti-intellectualism.
If we are to make it out of the choas, we cannot just decry the fascism, we MUST decry religious fundamentalism which was used by the Republican party for decades and created this problem. I wish people like @radiofreetom.bsky.social and @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social understood this, but they don't.
Dedicated to certain people. You know who you are. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nPk...
If you think that Piers Morgan is simply criticizing Dem language, then you have no clue what you're talking about. And yes, I think critiquing alleged Dem language in a way that places a burden on marginalized communities & academics is not only harmful, it's yet another form of both-sidesism.
Turns out some of the “we want small government” people kiiiinda wanted the government to be just one guy.
I actually discuss the Prosperity Gospel stuff quite a bit, because it's so entwined in the religious conservatism that drove Reagan, Heritage Foundation, and current Republicanism. Here's one of the posts where I point this out: bsky.app/profile/clse...
Any Democratic consultant who says "Democrats need to stop using these words" is really saying, "Democrats need to join Republicans in the ritual two minutes hate against higher education." And as a professor whose field is under unprecedented attack right now, that does not make me feel great!
Yep, it is an interesting strategy, isn't it? So why, then, would these two individuals I mentioned attack Dems for allegedly using academic language? Especially when what they are really attacking are the marginalized academics?
Voted in the Iowa Special Election today for a Democrat for Iowa's Congress. I've heard Dems have been overperforming, so hopefully this is a turning point for my state. But we'll see when the results come in.
My latest post on Substack: theologyinthebalance.substack.com/p/a-letter-t...
Nope, definitely not! I've NEVER understood the small government stuff. It makes no logical sense to be both democratic and "small government". They are antithetical. A democratic government is a government which everyone is a part of in some way!
Not only is his views biased, it's Theologically unsound and Scripturally unsound.
Reagan constantly used religious metaphors to defend the wealthy, to create a sense of American exceptionalism, to emphasize individual responsibility to the exclusion of social responsibility, using puritan language like "city upon a hill".
But, sure, let's just pretend like this "you have to work instead of getting free money" and the Prosperity Gospel have no relation whatsoever to Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party, let alone the "survival of the fittest" that says those who have wealth were fittest to get it. Ring any bells? 🤣
Ronald Reagan's bastardization of religion is the exact same as the Heritage Foundation and Trump's bastardization of religion. One leads to the other in its extreme form.
But, sure, let's just pretend like this "you have to work instead of getting free money" and the Prosperity Gospel have no relation whatsoever to Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party, let alone the "survival of the fittest" that says those who have wealth were fittest to get it. Ring any bells? 🤣
They are Ronald Reagan stans, and if y'all can't see how damaging Ronald Reagan was, or how he led to the current day party, then y'all are just lost, lmao.
I've been watching @thebulwark.com for the past year and a half. Sarah's a nice person, but she continues to defend the conservatism that helped boost the current Republican party. And they have hinted at critiques of the "woke left" and the very language created by the marginalized in academia.
Just to clarify, the moderate left are not the centrists. The centrists are the idiots like Piers Morgan who say both sides are evil.
So, like, even if there hadn't been two Supreme Court decisons in living memory directly holding that flag burning is protected under the First Amendment, *new criminal laws cannot be created by executive order.*
Meh. My posts here apply to a wider branch of people than those that I am targeting them at. Other people are already handling the bigger fish. I believe, personally, that the center cannot and moderate right cannot go unscathed if we are to truly make it out of this chaos in a better position.
@radiofreetom.bsky.social You responded to my more inflammatory post, but why are you too afraid to respond to this one? Maybe because it's true and you have no defense?
I'm not. I'm just not willing to completely ignore the center's relativising to build up their horrible platform in the middle of chaos. They need to be checked as much as the far-right.
Yeah, the flip-flopping is giving me whiplash, lmao. I'm so damn confused. Did she hate Brokeback Mountain because of Jake Gyllenhall maybe? Hell, I don't know. Whatever, I'm so done with 95% of these people. #bb27
Kelley saying Rachel isn’t a good role model to her children? I’ll leave this link here. #BB27 www.courthousenews.com/farm-accused...
Wow, so Mickey's just full-blown homophobic! Didn't she also say she voted Jimmy out for religious reasons? #bb27
kelley- i feel bad for rachel’s daughter. what a role model. #bb27
It the Politics Stupid!
So where did the womam-bashing doctrines come from you may ask? Well, obviously Roman society and politics. You think it's only coincidental that women get pushed aside right when Rome adopts Christianity and literally models Christianity after the Roman government's organization?
Before the Roman Empire, women were often leaders of Christian communities. Like, hello?! Religion doesn't use politics, politics uses and twists religion. You think the Christians of the first and second centuries had any power to harm anybody? Yeah, no.
The simple truth is this: Religion and philosophy have no power without politics. Religions also tend to critique politics. They grow out of the political oppression of groups of people. That's true for Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc.
Greek philosophy argued for an authoritarian state. Greek cities like Sparta forced its citizens to live a life exclusive to war, aka. yet more politics.
Or how about Philosophy? Greek Philosophy deemed women lesser than men. Greek Philosophy deemed homosexuals lesser. Philo, the *hellenized* Jewish philosopher, attributed Sodom's sins to homosexuality for the very first time. Roman philosophy restricted sexuality, family, and women.
Politics led to the Anglican Church separating from the Catholic Church. Politics led to the very abuses of the Catholic Church, the selling of indulgences, that created the Protestant Reformation, and politics were the reason Protestants escaped Europe and formed America.
Politics created Chinese Legalism that forced Christians and Jews out of China. Politics led to the mongolian empire. Politics led to Greece conquering israel and installing their political leaders. Politics led to Rome conquering Greece and murdering Christians before 380CE.
Politics transformed Rome into a Christian Empire, and then turned Christianity away from egalitarianism to a highly restrictive religion modeled after the Roman Empire.
Politics caused the crusades. Politics has deemed Jews, Muslims, Christians, Baha'i, etc. as villains. Politics creates religious extremism. Politics led to smashing peoples places of worship and forcing conversions to the dominating religion.
Guess what is also involved in every single one of these instances? Politics. Interesting, isn't it? How politics might be the root of all our problems. How politics can use ANY idea, ANY religion, even science, to harm people. They did it with psychology, eugenics & biology, economics, linguistics.
Especially when Catholics have been some of the most critical of the Catholic Church and how it interacts with government. But sure, let's just pretend like adherents are the exact same as Church leaders, because you're a braindead person who has no critical thinking skills.
But sure, let's harass the gay person who also gets harassed by religious conservatives. Because that will surely keep the gays on your side. Get the fuck out of here with this shit.
What's ironic with your idiotic take is you have the audacity to tell a person on your own damn side to keep "mythology" out of public policy, when I am saying the exact same thing to the Christian Nationalists. Even moreso is it ironic that Christians helped build separation of Church and State.