Category Archives: presidential politics; moral values

Pre-Election Insights and Prayers

November 7th, 2016 | Dr. Charlie Self

Regardless of the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election, our national experiment in virtue-based liberty is in a fragile and fraying state, with unprecedented private and public anger. Thoughtful women and men are distressed that the major parties offer two such deeply flawed candidates. Journalistic bias and agitation propaganda have replaced careful research and measured writing. Lost in all of the presidential chaos are the important local and state elections that immediately affect citizens where they live.

I offer these prayers and reflections as a cri de coeur – a cry of the heart – for divine mercy and decisive repentance and renewal in all of us. Underneath the public scandals focused on money, sex and power are deep moral and spiritual ambivalence, with various elites perverting ethical values for their own ideological agendas.

There are three insights and three prayers I invite all to consider and confess as we prepare the election and the aftermath.

Insight One: We are dehumanizing and disintegrating human identity and wholeness. When we ignore biological gender, separate sexual intimacy from marriage and fostering the next generation and reduce identity to current erotic impulses, we are not progressing past religious restrictions. We are actually regressing into primordial impulses that ruin health, oppress non-conforming people and hinder productive life. When we separate “personal morality” from “public policy”, arguing that one can be messed up in private and still lead effectively, we are destroying the foundations of the common good and true liberty. Everyone should bring their whole self to their work, and allow their values to inform their actions and policies. I am not advocating religious tests or totalitarian uniformity of adult relationships. I am asserting that healthy people make better leaders.

Our prayer: “O God, Creator of heaven and earth and fashioner of humankind, forgive our pride and rebellion. Forgive our attempts to improve on your design and destiny. Help us rediscover the dignity, equality and uniqueness of each person and desire for all others the responsibilities and rights we affirm for ourselves. By your grace, empower us for work that expresses neighborly love, creates value and helps generations yet unborn to flourish. Help us to realize that your moral precepts are for our good and any restrictions of our behaviors are for our protection and ultimate fulfillment. Amen.”

Insight Two: We are so ideologically polarized that we are often missing creative solutions for seemingly intractable problems. Economic growth and opportunity include private investments and wise public policies. Rapprochement with Islam and the West must engage both the historic mistakes of colonialism and the rapacious history of Islamic empires and jihadist movements. Peace in the Middle East will never come until Muslim leaders can say the words, “Israel in the national state of the Jewish people.” We can balance the budget and pay off our national debt in a generation, if we will stop seeing wise stewardship as “starving children” and insist on best practices for all that manage the public trust. Urban transformation requires mobilizing servant-leaders from all fields and includes personal transformation and systemic change. Will we roll up our sleeves and serve, or merely keep accusing others?

Our prayer: “O Lord, forgive our arrogance, thinking we could solve every problem with human engineering. You invite us to cry out for wisdom and you promise to bestow it generously, if we come with humility. The signs of divine wisdom include peace, justice, courage and love, fostering harmony and generating hope. Lord, we need the ‘wisdom to do justice’ that Solomon requested as we navigate so many difficult issues, most of which we have generated though our varied intentions and actions. Help us seek you, listen deeply to one another and discover new ways to help people and communities flourish. Amen.”

Insight Three: We need a fresh vision of what personal, local, and national flourishing look like, especially in a global world where we are blessed and informed by so many cultures. This is not wholesale abandonment of the first principles of America’s Declaration and Constitution. In fact, a reaffirmation of the deepest values that informed our founders will help us define citizenship, national identity and liberty in a rapidly changing world. We must reaffirm the virtues of personal responsibility, healthy families, hard work, civil and religious affiliation and local civic engagement. We will not always agree on every definition and policy, but shared vision helps us forge a preferred future.

Our prayer: “Gracious and loving God, you remind us that without vision we will lose restraint and without a sense of purpose, we often compromise our principles. Forgive us, merciful Lord, for all the competing fantasies, the dystopian and utopian visions that do not align with your kind and loving desires for us. Forgive our focus on momentary pleasures at the expense of the coming generations. Transform our shortsighted lusts into loving service. Help us strive for excellence without perfectionism, and principled living with true toleration for other perspectives. How we need your help as we find new common ground for the common good. Amen.”

Our presidents, governors and majors are not messiahs. The finest laws fail without personal and community virtue. The best of our human nature is often corrupted by the worst of our fallen state. All of these insights and prayers are mere words without a thorough spiritual awakening rooted in the good news of Jesus Christ. When confessing Christians repent of compromise and begin compassionate service for their neighbors, such integrity overflows and blesses those that do not have the same religious commitment. When the common good is understood, alliances are formed and people of conscience find ways to work together. Even while we (with civility) argue about our differences (and they do make a difference!), we can act sacrificially for our neighborhood and nation.

May God grant us courage, love and wisdom in these days. Today’s discipline is tomorrow’s destiny, for by divine design, our decisions matter.

Deflection is the Refuge of the Fearful

February 8th, 2012 | Dr. Charlie Self

My fellow-thinkers, it is time to grow up. Dorothy Sayers, friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, said that Christianity is a “religion for adult minds.” As we confront unprecedented economic and social issues, we must not be captivated by the bumper stickers and sound bites of either the extreme communitarian Left or the individualism that can ensnare the libertarian Right. It is possible to promote free markets and show compassion to the poor. It is possible to defend civil liberties and uphold traditional marriage. We can agitate with civility, debate with a view to concrete answers and forge coalitions to improve our world.

One of the tactics of my opponents – whether political or theological – is deflection. Instead of addressing an assertion directly, they deflect the conversation. For example, when I say, “Obama has failed to confront the deficit in a meaningful manner” my adversaries reply, “Well the problems come from the Bush administration.” At first this sounds plausible because our current crises are not all Obama’s making. We have tried to be a warfare and welfare statue for over 50 years and our trajectory is unsustainable. But notice the subversive point here: my counterpart refused to face Obama’s failures or even debate solutions, preferring the refuge of blame. Deflection is the tactic of the “pro-choice” radicals as well. Instead of squarely saying that abortions kill a pre-born human being, we are assailed by “right to choose” language that never confronts the most fundamental issue. There are a few honest radicals like Peter Singer that want to redefine human identity and restrict procreation to the intelligensia, but these darker thoughts do not play well on the news. When I debate the existence of God and/or moral absolutes, my sparring partners often counter with, “Look at all the evils of religion…” or, “I can be good without God.” Both of these assertions have some merit, but they miss the point. By never debating the issue at hand, we fail to refine our thinking or forge creative ways forward on any issues.

Minority activists reflexively reject peers that are conservative or voices calling for more personal initiative and responsibility because they are concerned that these are codes for racism and the refusal to deal with “structural” issues. Again, there is some truth in these fears – we are less than a lifetime removed from an era when millions could not vote or have access to education and work opportunities. We still have a long way to go. Too many corporations redline entire neighborhoods. At the same time, community activists find it hard to inflame angry mobs with chants of self-determination, marital fidelity and deeper values. The way forward is not ignoring our ignominious history or the current systemic issues. These must be addressed. But the future also rests on moral responsibility, spiritual renewal and racial reconciliation – all values affirmed by the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

American and British leftists have characterized cvonservativism as the “refuge of the dim.” Some conservatives call liberalism a “mental disorder.” In both cases deflection rules as the actual ideas and policies are lost in the polemics. Leaving aside the extremes of Hitler and Stalin, there is room for real debate that includes historical evidence, economic observations and political theory. I strenuously diverge from Thomas Friedman on almost every issue, but his ideas deserve debate, not just castigation. I admire the late Willian Buckley; however, his eloquent thoughts are open to fresh evaluation. I love our Founder’s vision and values – and we have amended the Constitution to affirm its ideals more inclusively.

The Obama administration needs to stop lying about our real economic condition, as they doctor statistics in an election year. The Republicans need to qualify their paeans to Ronald Reagan, roll up their sleeves and partner with moderate Democrats to get things done. We are in crisis. We need to stand with Israel against Iran and others dedicated to her destruction – no more deflection from those who deny Israel’s legitimacy. We need to reduce the deficit and balance a budget – and everyone will feel some pain. No more “starving the children” deflections from the Left and “weakening our defense” deflections from the Right. Hard, principled and prudential decisions are necessary.

Unborn children deserve to live and be welcomed into the arms of loving people. The elderly deserve respect, not warehousing. Marriage is one man and one woman. Other adult arrangements may be made, but they are not marriage. Catholic health care providers must not be forced to dispense contraceptives, abortificents or perform abortions. Some San Francisco leaders saw the light and pulled back from their ban on male circumcision, realizing that multiple religious communities cherish this sign of God’s covenant. What is frightening is that they contemplated any ban at all. Private enterprise needs encouragement and all businesses need to play by the same ethical standards. We can create wealth and care for the world. Muslims are welcome in the USA, but parallel legal systems are not. Government is present to protect the natural liberties and rights of humankind, not bestow them. We must affirm for all others the rights we desire for ourselves.

The final form of deflection from real issues is the ad hominem attack. It is easier to caricature and stereotype opponents instead of applying critical thinking standards to important policies. Labeling Israel as an “apartheid” nation is the refuge of racist, small-minded folks unwilling to face the failure of the two generations of Palestinian leadership. A new Palestinian state as a good neighbor to Israel is welcome as long as Israel’s existence is not in doubt. Castigating climate change skeptics as extremists and fools and refusing to debate the issuers is easier than confronting scientific evidence that is complex. Conversely, calling all global warming adherents communists keeps the other side from objective evaluation of human impact on the environment. Questioning the sanity of religious adherents (Richard Dawkins) avoids confronting the paucity of most arguments against the possibility of a Creator. Maybe we should use the word “demonize” instead of deflection to describe this process. Villification spares the accuser the pain of correcting assertions and refining arguments.

Let’s argue the issues and create pathways that are as inclusive as possible. Let’s stop deflecting and choose to think deeply and act decisively.

Kyrie Eleison

January 29th, 2012 | Dr. Charlie Self

Today I paused and considered the state of our nation, the political discourse and my recent essays. While I remain deeply concerned about our country’s future and profoundly troubled by the current administration, I think a moment of introspection is due – for me, for the churches of our land, and for every thoughtful person that possesses some reverence for God and respect for others. In the midst of passionate polemics, we can forget our own personal proclivities for good and evil. In the middle of debating economic policies, we can be ignorant of needs across the street and around the world that we can help solve.

For years I have been calling – along with thousands of others – for a moral and spiritual awakening that compels consecration among believers, conversion of many and transformation of economic, moral and social spheres of our world. We need to be aroused from our selfish stupors and embraced by Divine love and holiness. Such conversion is not for our own ecstatic delight alone; authentic awakening compels service to those that cannot return the favor. Consecration to God also stimulates creativity and cooperation that can engender new wealth.

Where do we start? New mass meetings? Viral sermons and prayer times? Another 3, 7 or 12-step book? All of these may help. But there is a ancient prayer that we can offer that may be the spark for the millions of brush fires we need.

The prayer I speak of is the Kyrie Eleison prayer used by all streams global Christianity. Rooted in the texts of Old and New Testament, the prayer means, “Lord, have mercy.” The Orthodox tradition adds the famous, “Jesus Prayer” – “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy (on me).” These ancient words of humility and dependence are needed in our hour of nattonal and personal crises.

Yes, we must debate, vote and work. Yes, we must allow for civil discourse and not impose any religious tests for citizenship, public office or neighborliness. I am not speaking of a movement that imposes prayer – I am calling on all people of faith to pray these words from the depths of hearts hungry for change. We must not make this prayer privately engaging and publicly irrelevant. “Lord, have mercy…” needs to offered for all women and men, whether we agree with their personal choices or political ideas. “Kyrie Eleison” applies to churchgoers enslaved to food and pornography as well as all who struggle with all addictions.

“Kyrie Eleison” means I will pray for our President’s well-being and that God will help him change where needed as well as persevere where good is promoted. “Lord have mercy” begins with my own soul and reverberates to a world starving for moral leadership. Here are some Kyrie Eleison prayers to get us started in a new direction of civility and hope:

“Lord, have mercy on me for my myopic vision and self-centered living. Help me wake up every day with the desire to honor you and bring good to others. Help me see all my activity as service and keep me from merely advancing my agendas.”

“Lord, have mercy on your church. Let every community, every parish experience gracious renewal as your love and holiness are the focus rather than consumer needs and personal preferences. Kyrie Eleison – renew us in this day. We deserve wrath – please remember mercy.”

“Lord, have mercy on our nation. You love all humankind and will bless all who call on your Name in truth. Help us appreciate your work in our history while repenting of our arrogance. We are only as exceptional as our reverence for you and our integrity in life. Forgive our prejudice toward “the other.” We forget that each person we see is made in your image and an object of your affection. Forgive our wanton disregard for life, from conception to coronation, from forgetting the poor and vulnerable to treating the aged and challenged as burdens.”

“Kyrie Eleison for our current administrations in our cities, counties, states and in Washington, D.C. Help all in places of power to be servants not masters, stewards of a trust and not despots of select interests. Help all in service to debate well and forge solutions that move us forward. Keep them alert to the dangers of radical ideologies that hold so many captive. Let your love, holiness and mercy move them in pursuit of equity and opportunity, always sustaining faith in the Almighty and in their neighbor.”

Many more prayers can be offered. What would happen if millions of us cried out every day, “Lord have mercy.”? Perhaps we would forgive from our hearts and be less angry. Perhaps the glory of God and good of others would restrain our egos. Perhaps we would sit down with rivals and ask the question, “What is the best way forward regardless of who is funding our campaigns?”

One thing is certain: if we walk in this disposition, we will contribute more than we take from our world and make at least one person’s day brighter. Perhaps that is where the awakening begins.

Disney Comes to Presidential Politics

January 27th, 2012 | Dr. Charlie Self

The Disney brand is amazing. From amusement parks to films, from media products to toys, a colorful world of fantasy awaits the consumer. For entertainment and family vacations, no one can rival Disney’s influence. There is a place for escapist fun and millions of people enjoy what Disney creates.

Today’s political rhetoric rivals Disney. The fantasy worlds and outright fabrication of history and reality are stunning. We are facing the greatest crises in our history and all the American people are hearing are platitudes. Yes, there are a few practical policies buried within the sound bites; however, they are hard to decipher as the propaganda of image and word gush out over the airwaves and web.

Republican candidates need to stop lashing out at each other and debate the practical pathways to repairing the diplomatic, economic and policy disasters of the past three years. Let the press expose all the dirt – the candidates need to refine their solutions and explain to the American people the real road to a better future.

I wish Barak Obama was simply clueless or out of his depth. We could then elect someone else and remember a failed Presidency led by a Chicago political hack. What we are facing is the first President in our history who is contemptuous of our Constitution, disdainful of our heritage and determined to rule by fiat. Every honest measurement demonstrates the utter failure of his policies, from ballooning deficits (with no plan to change the trajectory), Un(der)employment growing, Islamofascism on the rise, family values under direct assault and an utter inability to carry on civil, rigorous debate. His favorite totalitarian phrase lately is “Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” Such language ends debate, stifles creativity and dooms us to paralysis.

Obama has created an alternate universe in his inner circles, with billionaires benefiting from terrible decisions (Keystone Pipeline cancellation). We have a burgeoning federal workforce and hundreds of union groups exempt from Obamacare, while small and medium business owners struggle to survive. Obama and the Keynesian socialists surrounding him despise private business (except for select Eco-groovy, organic progressives who will employ the undocumented). They hate the military and are gleefully touting a “peace dividend” as our troops come home from Iraq. There is no real “money” saved – just a slightly smaller deficit to corral. New agencies for ethics and environmental concerns sound good to some victims, but we have enough regulation. Obama’s view of life is a government that bestows material well-being and political rights. He forgets that the US Constitution exists to protect the rights of the people and the states, while restricting the reach of the federal government.

Obama is not corrupt (he is faithful to his wife and family – a very good thing), clueless or just incompetent. Presidents of both parties have met these standards (Anyone celebrating Buchanan or Harding?). Obama wants to remake America – and the world – according to his globalist, post-American and anti-free-enterprise ideology. He really believes he is smarter that most and that he and his associates know what is best for the “the people.” The fact that his election strategists keep on playing the class, race and envy cards is evidence of the paucity of substance at the heart of this Administration. Professors are placed in front of cameras and declare that anytime a Republican touts family values or hard work that they are homophobes and racists. Spin doctors ignore the sources of the Obama family’s income and the extreme attempts to hide all childhood and young adult records, including published articles.

Republicans are not exempt from weaving fantasies in place of facts. The policies of both Bush Presidents did not arrest the spending patterns of a generation. We simply cannot sustain a warfare and welfare state at the same time. The fact that anyone listens to Newt Gingrich or Oliver North after their records of corruption is startling. Ron Paul’s popularity is directly connected to the deep dissatisfaction of diverse groups with the current crop of candidates. Romney needs to tell the world, “I am rich. Here are my records.” Gingrich needs to withdrawal and go back to a think tank and send ideas to the next President. Santorum is a solid citizen, but not without flaws. He must atone for some of his Senate pork, clearly affirm civil rights for all Americans while defending traditional marriage, strengthen his support for real borders and e-verify and communicate more compassion for those contemplating abortion (without compromising an admirable pro-life position).

The best thing that could happen would be the insertion of Mitch Daniels or Tom Pawlenty into the mix. Their combination of character and competence would be refreshing and confront the vacuousness of the current regime. At least they have led states toward a better future and not wasted their energies weaving mythological worlds.

One Question for Our Next President

January 12th, 2012 | Dr. Charlie Self

The interminable Presidential campaign continues, with some anointing Romney as the only one able to beat Obama (sounds like the brief flurry of Pro-McCain media until after his nomination in 2008)and Democrats knowing they have nowhere else to go. Our President refuses to set direction, craft workable solutions and negotiate with Congress, preferring a totalitarian populism and endless campaigning for office. Obama’s pseudo-outrage and class/racial warfare are transparent to all, unless one’s Republican antibodies make objectivity impossible.

My preferred candidates are not in the race, either from personal conviction to retain their integrity and sanity or media cabals (Left and Right differ little here) that declare them second- or third-tier and therefore unelectable. The flame out of Herman Cain, regardless of any indiscretions (notice how they are no longer news?)is proof that anyone ready to initiate change will be excoriated and marginalized. Currently, I think Senator Santorum represents the best combination of character, competency and clear thinking. He must decide to stay the course and not let media momentum anoint a winner before the votes are counted.

The Obama nightmare is a potential challenge from Hillary Clinton. This will not happen unless Obama’s poll numbers tank further and the Republicans unite around a candidate able to articulate views that reveal the paucity of Obama’s ideas and policies. The real threat for Republicans is a Clinton run that will galvanize independents and those who pine for the 1990s, scandals and all. After all, the budget was closer to balanced and the economy was roaring and people even left the welfare roles (thanks to a Republican Congress). Of course, Hillary’s radical nationalized health care initiative has been forgotten, along with her socialist background and even her current ambivalence in foreign policy. Watch for the Obama team to offer her the Vice-Presidency (keep your friends close…and enemies closer).

There is one fundamental question the candidates must answer in order to give voters a real choice. This question is not about any specific issue. This query gets to the soul of our decision in 2012. It even transcends some of the traditional differences between Democrats and Republicans. Here is the one question that matters:

“What is your vision of a healthy United States of America in the 21st century?”

The ancient proverb states, “Without a vision, the people perish [cast off restraint; waste away, go adrift…].”

Right now, there is no dream or vision that infuses most Americans with hope. The Balkanization of the last 40 years and current Democratic tactics of race and victimhood, as well as transparent attempts to swell voter rolls will illegal residents (refusing to ask for identification and delaying extradition for thousands) are yielding a factious environment that keeps our nation from grasping core values and concrete direction.

“What is your vision of a healthy United States of America in the 21st Century?”

The answer to this will determine whether or not our experiment in liberty and opportunity continues or we become one more civilizational tragedy in the historical record, beset by internal strife, economic overthrow and the imperial designs of global rivals.

Does your vision, sir, ma’am, include the rule of law and secure borders? Please just answer the question without endless qualifications!

Do you believe only citizens should vote?

Do you believe in a balance of local, state and federal government and will you begin to reverse the federal usurpation of power over that last 80 years?

Do you believe that marriage is one man and one woman?

Do you believe life is precious and that all people, from children in the womb, to the disabled, poor, and aged, deserve protection and care?

Do you believe we should honor our commitments to protect Israel’s right to exist as the only true democracy in the Middle East?

Do you believe we should have one legal system that holds all citizens accountable, regardless of race or religion?

Does your vision include defending the lives of Americans and our allies from unrighteous persecution for political and religious beliefs?

Does your vision of the future include protection of reasonable property rights, with redress for citizens overwhelmed by government agencies?

Does your vision include a nimble military that can respond to threats while not being an occupying power?

Does your vision include resisting totalitarianism of all kinds and reaffirming the great principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, with proper regard to the Founders’ principles and intents?

Does your vision include a balanced budget, real financial accountability and one legal/moral standard that embraces private and public workers?

Does your vision include sound environmental policy that preserves and renews our parks and resources, while judiciously opening the door to wealth creation?

Does your vision include energy independence?

Mr President, Mr. Governor/Senator/Congressman, does your vision include personal honesty, administrative transparency and a willingness to let your history be known?

There is only one question that matters…but this one question creates all the others that form a cohesive and comprehensive platform of authentic hope and change. We can do so much better that the current haphazard policies and ideological soundbites.

If we do not address the deficit, establish our borders, respond to terrorism and reaffirm moral principles, the American Experiment is over – and this may be the agenda of some who presently pull the marionette stings for the current regime.

There is one more reality: A healthy USA requires a healthy populace that is hopeful, hospitable and responsible. We must have moral and spiritual renewal in each of our hearts, in our families, in our local communities. We must decide to live in reverence for God and respect for others (including our deepest differences) if there is any hope for our nation.

Maybe the one question is not for the candidates…maybe it is for us. Can we see past our personal crises and wants to the good of others and our posterity? Decision time is here – and it starts in each of us.