Tomorrow (Wednesday) the RFK Jr. hearings happen. If he’s confirmed, we can welcome back polio. (Don’t call him “RFK” – his father must be turning in his grave. He’s “Jr.”)
Reach out to friends in purple or red states and urge them to contact their Senators about Cabinet nominees. Some GOP Senators might be swayed if enough people speak out. There are hints that some are becoming dismayed by our new President’s actions.
If your Senators are Democrats – still, let them know your views. They need to hear how much their constituents care: An significant number of elected Democrats are caving already and voting to pass some horrible bills (e.g. Laken Riley). If you don’t have your Congress people on speed dial, just google their names. (Contact their Washington office, not their local office.)
Make a separate phone call (or email) each time you contact your Congresspeople. Each constituent opinion is noted individually and tallied. Our Senators want to be re-elected, so your opinion matters.
Soon we’ll be calling to speak out against Kash Patel.
And if you don’t receive Indivisible’s emails, pls. sign up. They are a real powerhouse - and they suggest bite-size actions we can take each week.
I totally misjudged Trump’s intellect. I had dismissed him as a pampered ill-mannered jerk who got through college on the Richy-Rich track. But no, the man who knew nothing about Project 2025 mere weeks ago has managed to read and absorb the entirety of its 900 pages and has crafted so many undemocratic and/or unconstitutional exec orders in sync with the Project he’d never heard of that it boggles my inferior brain to understand how he was able to accomplish
Charlie, I'm glad you noted the MAGAnut response to Bishop Budde's request to Trump to show mercy to illegals and the transgendered who are living in fear. It was not a political act. It was a religious act in a nation that has the free expression of religion guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.
I recently joined an Episcopal parish and the pastor this am made that perfectly clear. Bishop Budde was preaching and speaking truth to power. The church has a long history of Christian leaders speaking truth to power, and some of them paid for it with their lives. He cited the Archbishop of Constantinople, John Chysostom, who was exiled [isn't that what one Republican House Member called for in the case of Budde?] Others, of course, include MLK and Archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar Romero. [Great film on that here: https://youtu.be/HDUwjD_hM6I?si=G_9E2vDUy1F6XUGf.].
I had a back and forth with my conservative friend who kept insisting it wasn't appropriate for her to criticize him in front of a national audience, even though it was in the Cathedral she leads, the event is for clergy, and the president is an invited guest. He said in Judaism the worst thing you can do to another person is humiliate him. [The Palestinians would like a word, yes?]
The Pastor said Jesus teachers that each person, of high standing or low, normal or different, has the dignity of being a child of God. Trump dehumanizes the illegals and the transgendered and strips them of their dignity. That violates Jesus' teaching. And she called him on it.
Trump opened the door when he claimed in his speech that God saved him so he could make America great again/again and that he is a Christian. He's not cause he's not following Jesus' teachings. He and his followers are Christianists. Like Islamists, they use religion for power. It's an ideology.
As a lapsed Catholic, the Anglicans really appeal to me.
Well, and it's interesting that a man thinks that the worst thing you can do to someone is humiliate them. Domestic abuse victims would like a word, too.
Holli, it’s just like the Catholic Church - the Mass, the vestments, the saints, all the same. But no Pope, priests can be married, women can be priests and sexual minorities are welcome, including their marriage ceremonies. Communion is at the altar, like the old days.
Apparently, 2O% of Episcopalians are ex-Catholics. One of my favorite priests who was expelled from his order for his feminist theology in the early 9Os be became an Episcopalian priest, Matthew Fox two years later.
There are two things I like about this church. One is the community it provides. The other is the emphasis on Jesus’ teachings and not church orthodoxy.
My BIG THING I studied in undergrad was the Protestant Reformation, and I think that the Elizabethan settlement was brilliant. Give people the comforting traditional imagery and "Mass feeling" with a more modern Protestant doctrine.
I mean, Henry had his reasons for breaking with the Church that were...um...selfish at best, but I think out of all the Protestant reform churches, things worked out the best with the Anglicans. After they killed each other for about fifty years, of course.
My gay bestie -- who is actually more Catholic than I am -- got married in the Anglican church. The Man and I were raised Catholic and are considering going to Anglican churches when we get the bug. I get it more often than he does, but that's because I study "church" for fun, lol.
LOL, yes! As a retired history teacher, I completely understand. After US History, my favorite is British history.
When I first heard the Budde story and the recriminations it engendered in the GOP, it felt to me like the religious leaders who spoke truth to power in the 2Oth-century - Gandhi, MLK, the Berrigan Brothers, and El Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero who was assasinated by the military - and that it might catch on. I felt that more strongly after the sermon at Sunday’s Mass.
Only religious leaders can stand up to Trump. He’s compromised politicians and the media, and will do so to the military. Now that a majority of the electorate have been infected, religious institutions are all that’s left. This, of course does NOT include the Catholic Church, as the NYC Archbishop gave the obsequious Invocation at the Inauguration.
If my sense is correct, this would be a good time for you and the Man to make the move . . .
The Catholic Church in this country just keeps going further down the toilet the longer they associate themselves with these right wing evangelicals over abortion. Why is that the only issue that matters? Especially to a clergy full of celibate men (maybe that has something to do with it). It's sick.
I also think it might have something to do with the Church being a non-entity in most European countries outside of Italy and Spain these days. They've aligned themselves with extremely socially conservative societies to keep the Church "growing."
Last day for the 50% off today, Sunday 27th. Link in "Some Sunday Notes" - orange/red box to double-click. Placed just under photo of CS and "To the Contrary Broadcast, just like the newsletter [...]"
Regarding the Bishop and her plea for mercy for "trans kids":
Remember: studies have repeatedly shown that children with gender dysphoria or who are gender nonconforming (which I sure was in the late 50s and early 60s) will outgrow it during adolescence and most will find they are gay (that's me) or lesbian.
But no, good progressives who have been made credulous and zealous by trans activists and who profess to love the so-called LGBTQ+ community don't care or won't believe that they support transing away the gay. Instead, they get to gush over those cool and brave "trans kids" and use them like puppets to perpetuate the madness and lies of gender identity ideology.
Who is going to tell virtuous trans allies like Rachel Maddow that that lad who is so interested in lady things will probably grow up to be a cross-dressing fetishist of the kind known as an autogynephile? Nah, he's just another darling "trans kid" in their eyes.
Those teen girls who claim they're boys and demand "T" and "top surgery" aren't trans at all. This is how Irish therapist and gender critical activist Stella O'Malley explains the trans kid phenomenon:
"I spoke to [the UK's] GB News earlier today about todays report in The Telegraph that reveals an astonishing 50-fold increase in children in England experiencing gender dysphoria over the past decade. In 2011, there were just 200 cases, but by 2021, that number had risen to 10,000. From my perspective this surge cannot be ignored and raises serious concerns."
"I believe this rise is largely driven by social contagion, the influence of social media, and the politicisation of trans identities. Vulnerable children—many of whom are dealing with autism or mental health issues—may be drawn to the idea of adopting a new identity as a way to cope with feelings of distress or not fitting in. For teenage girls in particular, this pattern appears to echo how body hatred has historically manifested in other ways, such as anorexia, bulimia, and self-harm."
When I was a kid in the 1950s, not that long after the war. people said NEVER FORGET. sadly, today's America has no functioning memory beyond the last few days.
Regarding Hegseth’s confirmation …. the clock started ticking on “no drinking” Friday night. Anyone of us who has had their life impacted by an Alcoholic can tell you that someone who has a drinking problem who simply declares they are “not going to drink” without also admitting they have a drinking problem and getting help has about a 70% chance for a relapse. With the high-stress job he’s taking on I’m certain the chances are even higher. I give him 30 days, 90 days max, before there is an incident. 🍹😱 I do have faith that there are plenty of good people at the Pentagon who are paying attention.(I posted the same over on Kinzinger’s Substack. Keep watching everyone)
How dare the Bishop of Washington DC preach the teachings of Jesus in her sermon at the National Cathedral!!! If these snowflakes and their CombOver Dear Leader don’t want to hear the words of Jesus Christ in church, they shouldn’t be in church to begin with. Kudos to Bishop Budde for speaking truth to power.
Imagine how freaked they would be if she read Matthew 25: 41-46. If they were really believers, Verse 46 should have them shaking. "“Then they will go away to eternal punishment."
Take Action!
Tomorrow (Wednesday) the RFK Jr. hearings happen. If he’s confirmed, we can welcome back polio. (Don’t call him “RFK” – his father must be turning in his grave. He’s “Jr.”)
Reach out to friends in purple or red states and urge them to contact their Senators about Cabinet nominees. Some GOP Senators might be swayed if enough people speak out. There are hints that some are becoming dismayed by our new President’s actions.
If your Senators are Democrats – still, let them know your views. They need to hear how much their constituents care: An significant number of elected Democrats are caving already and voting to pass some horrible bills (e.g. Laken Riley). If you don’t have your Congress people on speed dial, just google their names. (Contact their Washington office, not their local office.)
Make a separate phone call (or email) each time you contact your Congresspeople. Each constituent opinion is noted individually and tallied. Our Senators want to be re-elected, so your opinion matters.
Soon we’ll be calling to speak out against Kash Patel.
And if you don’t receive Indivisible’s emails, pls. sign up. They are a real powerhouse - and they suggest bite-size actions we can take each week.
Since the Supreme Court made the great and powerful oz immune from basically everything he does why do we need any inspectors general? *shrug
Great read! I laughed out loud a few times. More dark days are ahead. We'll all need to laugh once in a while in order to not lose our minds.
LOL The ol' COGR is going to look into a sermon Jesus himself would approve of. Rich.
I totally misjudged Trump’s intellect. I had dismissed him as a pampered ill-mannered jerk who got through college on the Richy-Rich track. But no, the man who knew nothing about Project 2025 mere weeks ago has managed to read and absorb the entirety of its 900 pages and has crafted so many undemocratic and/or unconstitutional exec orders in sync with the Project he’d never heard of that it boggles my inferior brain to understand how he was able to accomplish
I was already over his shit the first 2 hours.
If Jesus returned today the GOP would deport him.
Charlie, I'm glad you noted the MAGAnut response to Bishop Budde's request to Trump to show mercy to illegals and the transgendered who are living in fear. It was not a political act. It was a religious act in a nation that has the free expression of religion guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.
I recently joined an Episcopal parish and the pastor this am made that perfectly clear. Bishop Budde was preaching and speaking truth to power. The church has a long history of Christian leaders speaking truth to power, and some of them paid for it with their lives. He cited the Archbishop of Constantinople, John Chysostom, who was exiled [isn't that what one Republican House Member called for in the case of Budde?] Others, of course, include MLK and Archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar Romero. [Great film on that here: https://youtu.be/HDUwjD_hM6I?si=G_9E2vDUy1F6XUGf.].
I had a back and forth with my conservative friend who kept insisting it wasn't appropriate for her to criticize him in front of a national audience, even though it was in the Cathedral she leads, the event is for clergy, and the president is an invited guest. He said in Judaism the worst thing you can do to another person is humiliate him. [The Palestinians would like a word, yes?]
The Pastor said Jesus teachers that each person, of high standing or low, normal or different, has the dignity of being a child of God. Trump dehumanizes the illegals and the transgendered and strips them of their dignity. That violates Jesus' teaching. And she called him on it.
Trump opened the door when he claimed in his speech that God saved him so he could make America great again/again and that he is a Christian. He's not cause he's not following Jesus' teachings. He and his followers are Christianists. Like Islamists, they use religion for power. It's an ideology.
And that is the truth that must be spoken.
As a lapsed Catholic, the Anglicans really appeal to me.
Well, and it's interesting that a man thinks that the worst thing you can do to someone is humiliate them. Domestic abuse victims would like a word, too.
Holli, it’s just like the Catholic Church - the Mass, the vestments, the saints, all the same. But no Pope, priests can be married, women can be priests and sexual minorities are welcome, including their marriage ceremonies. Communion is at the altar, like the old days.
Apparently, 2O% of Episcopalians are ex-Catholics. One of my favorite priests who was expelled from his order for his feminist theology in the early 9Os be became an Episcopalian priest, Matthew Fox two years later.
There are two things I like about this church. One is the community it provides. The other is the emphasis on Jesus’ teachings and not church orthodoxy.
My BIG THING I studied in undergrad was the Protestant Reformation, and I think that the Elizabethan settlement was brilliant. Give people the comforting traditional imagery and "Mass feeling" with a more modern Protestant doctrine.
I mean, Henry had his reasons for breaking with the Church that were...um...selfish at best, but I think out of all the Protestant reform churches, things worked out the best with the Anglicans. After they killed each other for about fifty years, of course.
My gay bestie -- who is actually more Catholic than I am -- got married in the Anglican church. The Man and I were raised Catholic and are considering going to Anglican churches when we get the bug. I get it more often than he does, but that's because I study "church" for fun, lol.
LOL, yes! As a retired history teacher, I completely understand. After US History, my favorite is British history.
When I first heard the Budde story and the recriminations it engendered in the GOP, it felt to me like the religious leaders who spoke truth to power in the 2Oth-century - Gandhi, MLK, the Berrigan Brothers, and El Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero who was assasinated by the military - and that it might catch on. I felt that more strongly after the sermon at Sunday’s Mass.
Only religious leaders can stand up to Trump. He’s compromised politicians and the media, and will do so to the military. Now that a majority of the electorate have been infected, religious institutions are all that’s left. This, of course does NOT include the Catholic Church, as the NYC Archbishop gave the obsequious Invocation at the Inauguration.
If my sense is correct, this would be a good time for you and the Man to make the move . . .
The Catholic Church in this country just keeps going further down the toilet the longer they associate themselves with these right wing evangelicals over abortion. Why is that the only issue that matters? Especially to a clergy full of celibate men (maybe that has something to do with it). It's sick.
I also think it might have something to do with the Church being a non-entity in most European countries outside of Italy and Spain these days. They've aligned themselves with extremely socially conservative societies to keep the Church "growing."
Actually, there’s a split in the US Catholic Church. Did you know Pope Francis said this after being asked about Trump’s pledges of deportations?
“If true, this will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill” for the problem, Francis said. “This won’t do! This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved” [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/pope-francis-calls-trumps-plans-of-mass-deportation-of-immigrants-a-disgrace].
What was humiliating about being asked to treat people mercifully? About being reminded that people live in fear?
Good question. I’ll send it on to my friend.
How do we get the 50% off annual subscription? There is nothing on the site to access. Please help!
Thank you. For some reason the orange/red box was muted gray on my screen and I was unable to access. Thank you for trying to help!
Last day for the 50% off today, Sunday 27th. Link in "Some Sunday Notes" - orange/red box to double-click. Placed just under photo of CS and "To the Contrary Broadcast, just like the newsletter [...]"
Regarding the Bishop and her plea for mercy for "trans kids":
Remember: studies have repeatedly shown that children with gender dysphoria or who are gender nonconforming (which I sure was in the late 50s and early 60s) will outgrow it during adolescence and most will find they are gay (that's me) or lesbian.
But no, good progressives who have been made credulous and zealous by trans activists and who profess to love the so-called LGBTQ+ community don't care or won't believe that they support transing away the gay. Instead, they get to gush over those cool and brave "trans kids" and use them like puppets to perpetuate the madness and lies of gender identity ideology.
Who is going to tell virtuous trans allies like Rachel Maddow that that lad who is so interested in lady things will probably grow up to be a cross-dressing fetishist of the kind known as an autogynephile? Nah, he's just another darling "trans kid" in their eyes.
Those teen girls who claim they're boys and demand "T" and "top surgery" aren't trans at all. This is how Irish therapist and gender critical activist Stella O'Malley explains the trans kid phenomenon:
"I spoke to [the UK's] GB News earlier today about todays report in The Telegraph that reveals an astonishing 50-fold increase in children in England experiencing gender dysphoria over the past decade. In 2011, there were just 200 cases, but by 2021, that number had risen to 10,000. From my perspective this surge cannot be ignored and raises serious concerns."
"I believe this rise is largely driven by social contagion, the influence of social media, and the politicisation of trans identities. Vulnerable children—many of whom are dealing with autism or mental health issues—may be drawn to the idea of adopting a new identity as a way to cope with feelings of distress or not fitting in. For teenage girls in particular, this pattern appears to echo how body hatred has historically manifested in other ways, such as anorexia, bulimia, and self-harm."
https://stellaomalley.substack.com/p/gender-dysphoria-in-kids-soars-50?utm_campaign=reaction&utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack&utm_content=post
Nothing you say here negates the bishop's call for mercy. She was talking about compassion, not policy.
Hi, Charlie, you're on MSNBC now. :-) And yeah, Pete couldn't hack it at Walmart.
He better do his boozing and sexual assault in private.
The muskrat has screwed the pooch - obvious as fuck that the co-president of our country did the Nazi salute and is as dangerous as a guy named Hitler
When I was a kid in the 1950s, not that long after the war. people said NEVER FORGET. sadly, today's America has no functioning memory beyond the last few days.
You may appreciate this essay from John Sundman on the turbulent priest.
https://open.substack.com/pub/johnsundman/p/will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent?r=7wxj3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Regarding Hegseth’s confirmation …. the clock started ticking on “no drinking” Friday night. Anyone of us who has had their life impacted by an Alcoholic can tell you that someone who has a drinking problem who simply declares they are “not going to drink” without also admitting they have a drinking problem and getting help has about a 70% chance for a relapse. With the high-stress job he’s taking on I’m certain the chances are even higher. I give him 30 days, 90 days max, before there is an incident. 🍹😱 I do have faith that there are plenty of good people at the Pentagon who are paying attention.(I posted the same over on Kinzinger’s Substack. Keep watching everyone)
I also believe that he can't stop drinking. I'm hoping he gets soused and there are witnesses.
How dare the Bishop of Washington DC preach the teachings of Jesus in her sermon at the National Cathedral!!! If these snowflakes and their CombOver Dear Leader don’t want to hear the words of Jesus Christ in church, they shouldn’t be in church to begin with. Kudos to Bishop Budde for speaking truth to power.
Imagine how freaked they would be if she read Matthew 25: 41-46. If they were really believers, Verse 46 should have them shaking. "“Then they will go away to eternal punishment."
It appears there is no effective Heimlich maneuver for this choking on the banality of evil.