17 Comments
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Jon Spangler's avatar

My dear Charlotte - You ask 20 superb questions and have nailed another great post here. I intend to share it widely.

Your approach is very similar to that of the the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC., when she delivered the inaugural Robert N. N Bellah Lecture on Wednesday, April 9, in Berkeley, CA.

Thank you for your witness and your prophetic, loving voice.

Jon in Alameda, CA

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Kasuma's avatar

Those are EXCELLENT questions. 💕

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Amazon Anne's avatar

He is a disgusting human being. I am soooo glad I'm retired from State Department. This administration is going to destroy it like they destroyed USAID. Our diplomatic capabilities may never recover. Horrific.

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Jon Spangler's avatar

I'm so sorry you are seeing this happen...

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Tara Johnson's avatar

"If he wishes to have this conversation, then let's actually have it." Precisely the point!!❤️

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Carey Ragels's avatar

I might add a 21st question - What does Christ teach on hypocrisy and hypocrites? Does the State Department support Christ’s teachings on hypocrisy and hypocrites?

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Chryssanthi Ventouratos's avatar

I am agnostic now, even though I grew up Greek Orthodox. The main reason is that I can not abide the hatred coming out of the pulpit anymore. It started when I was a teenager ( I am 58 now) with the dogmatic interpretation of what it means to be female ( I am cis-female), divorce, abortion, etc., then LGBTQ rights and most recently the whole Christian Nationalist sentiment.

However, sometimes, the faith that I held in my heart as a child wishes that there is a God and all these self-declared devout Christians get to meet Them.

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Dotty Hopkins's avatar

Or maybe they wouldn't but the other them instead? The one with horns.

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Richard's avatar

Absolutely essential contrast of the policy to its stated purpose.

Whited sepulchres.

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Sharon C Storm's avatar

Your Christianity and mine are in agreement, but I don’t believe the State Department is in line with us. I don’t think any of them have read Matthew 25.

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Dotty Hopkins's avatar

Nothing beyond the Old Testament from what their actions indicate.

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Janet Howe's avatar

Amen.

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Karen Sandler's avatar

Bravo, Charlotte. I'm saving this to refer to later.

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Jessica Griffith's avatar

Jewish my whole life and yet I can answer these.

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Dotty Hopkins's avatar

Whew, I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of that communique.

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Paul Beddoe's avatar

Good stuff, as usual, Charlotte. One stylistic (?) question for you. Is there a reason you generally write about “Christ” when you write about your faith, rather than “Jesus”? (Fellow mainline Protestant here, fwiw.)

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Nancy's avatar

Great questions, Charlotte. Wish you could count on a reply.

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