All posts by Dr. Charlie Self

Positive Politics, Part 1

July 18th, 2017 |

Dear Democrats,
We need you as an inclusive, principled party, ready to debate and pass laws that benefit all Americans. Alas, your radical wing is obsessed with Trump and mandates that can never be funded.

You desperately need to recover the best of FDR-Truman-Kennedy-Humphrey if you are going to welcome many back in the fold.

Here are some tips:
Stop hating moderate to conservative Jews and Christians for their views on marriage and morality. If you welcome even more conservative Muslims, why exclude other principled religious adherents?

Demonstrate fiscal responsibility and bring a budget that leads toward less debt.
Agitation, protest and resistance are easy compared with governing. Clean out the corruption at the city and state level. Stop the class envy and offer economic policies that foster private-public partnerships. Be leaders of racial reconciliation, not the catalysts of more animosity.

Simplify the tax code, with special concern for those who are struggling. Hyper-progressive tax laws hurt the economy. Welcome pro-life social moderates back. End the campaign finance hypocrisy. You love “dark” money just as much as your opponents.

Welcome immigrants and create pathways to citizenship with reasonable security and the end of registering non-citizens.

Friends, we need civil debate and proximate justice.

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Wisdom for This Moment in History, Part 2

July 4th, 2017 |

Privilege. A reality. Will we use it for humble service or self-aggrandizement?
Lord, help me use every gift, opportunity and resource to honor you and promote others.

We cannot be “anything we want to be.”
But we can, by God’s grace, fulfill everything the Lord’s designed for us.

Theology is art and science, poetry and prose, ecstasy and ethics, affirmation and action.

Dear conservatives and progressives:
Make a friend different than yourself. Enlightenment will follow. Friendship and common goals can help us transcend our prejudices. May I continue shedding stereotypes and learn deep listening and mutual love.

When we ask someone in greeting, “How ya doin’?” Let’s listen for their answer.

Classism, racism, sexism…lose their power through friendship and shared vision.

Shalom is possible when a vision of flourishing overtakes hatred.

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Wisdom for This Moment in History, Part 1

June 27th, 2017 |

Even when it is not “well with my soul” it is still well with the Lord, who perseveres in his love and pursues us with holy determination.
Today, let’s release every internal barrier to flourishing: anger and nostalgia, regret and pride, rebellion and ignorance…and choose forgiveness and hope, humility and learning, pursuit of the Triune Lord and the good of others.
Transformation comes responsive decision at a time.

In a world quick to label everything a “…phobe” I confess a “phobe” I must wrestle with:
“Cogitophobe.”
Translated: fear of (real) thinking. This affliction is spreading as some try and silence all dissent that departs from their narratives. How about befriending people of diverse beliefs and cultures? Then any vestiges of our phobias will transform into mutual respect, genuine debate and, perhaps, principled ways of helping all flourish.

Dear anarchist, please share what your “there” looks like.
Dear traditionalist, please share how all people are included in your vision of “there.”
To all friends of conscience, let’s articulate a just and loving, safe and sustainable future.
It is hard work aiming for principled compromise and proximate justice.
Much easier to alienate, marginalize, yell epithets and delegitimize concerns of “enemies.”
Will you join me in a new era of civil dialogue?

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Working toward Peace as We Live with Our Differences

June 19th, 2017 |

Critical thinking is not a critical spirit.
Evaluating ideas is not judging people. Please, let’s grow up and think as adults. Agree or disagree with ideas and policies instead of lapsing into labeling and libeling.

To all defenders and haters of Presidents Obama and Trump:
I challenge you to make friends that differ and really evaluate what is said and done.
I was not a fan of the previous President and have serious concerns about our current leadership. I am praying, learning and above all working for genuine peace, justice and reconciliation.

I affirm for all others the rights I desire for myself. This includes self-critique, efforts to reform institutions I serve and the necessity of evaluating other applications of various faiths and philosophies.

Let’s stop trying to silence our philosophical opponents and have dialogue.
I challenge every public college administration to stop capitulating to political correctness and let all (peaceful) sides of issues be heard.

I challenge conservatives to confront historical and institutional injustice as well as individual iniquity.

I challenge progressives to assess honestly the issues of economics and liberty of conscience and stop defending perpetrators of evil as victims.

To all women and men of conscience I offer the hope that while we debate our deepest differences we can go and do good for the world together.

Shalom.

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First Thoughts on the Trump Era

June 13th, 2017 |

My first directly political comments this year:
Dear Congress, I am praying for you tonight. Please do your job and pass legislation.
Republicans, reach across the aisle with principled compromise and proximate justice.
Democrats, please do not let hatred for President Trump keep you from your stewardship. Stop posturing and start serving. It is possible that:
Healthcare can be refined without millions losing coverage.
Our military can be strengthened without the poor marginalized.
Our veterans deserve better.
The EPA can protect our lands without overreaching militancy.
All aspects of government can improve efficiency.

You do not need to wait for all your cues from the White House or the media. Show some courage and make some friends across the aisle.

Lord, bless all public servants with an unselfish disposition and a vision for the common good that yields fruitful work and public trust.
Amen.

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