This is a powerful and articulate expression of what many of us are feeling as we search for effective ways to respond. This is your hardest hitting and most poignant essay yet. I am proud to be among your readers. You are an inspiration for me.
You're an inspiration to me. We're all doing our thing to get that pendulum swinging to the side of fair and free elections and a Democracy we can once again take for granted. The speakers at the school board meeting - good and absolutely off-the-wall - really helped me gain clarity as to what's at stake in our public schools and why it matters. I encourage people to click on your Jeffrey's Substack for excellent, quick reads. I always feel smarter after reading them. Thanks, Jeffrey.
The main reason I am dismayed (an admitted understatement) is the US Supreme Court's overturning of so many district court Temporary Restraining Orders. Not all of them, but many. And they are doing so on what is known as the shadow docket, where there is none or very little explanation of the legal reasoning. It is hard to remain optimistic. One reason to be optimistic is the opportunity to flip the Congress in the 2026 midterms. However, Trump is laying the groundwork to have ICE and the military stationed at all Democrat-leaning election precincts in urban areas under the guise of "fair" elections. The margins are so close and already skewed toward Republicans, it only takes a small percentage of voters being intimidated to swing an election in purple states.
David, you are 100% spot on in everything you said. I hang onto the motto: "Truth is stranger than fiction". Meaning the most bizarre thing can happen that will cause the Trump house of cards falling down with the thud of a 100-ft wave. We have the Epstein files, we have his age. The Nat'l guards might end up taking down one of their own, causing Congress to take a deep breath. Trump is running the country without the safety net of an ethical Supreme Court. Something is bound to happen that will swing the pendulum. A FOX News host might crack. Rogan already is. We just need something to happen soon. There are some really smart people on our side. Something will change this dangerous course.
As much an inspiration as you are to Ph.D. Orenstein, the balance of nature has me on the other side. Your thoughts are whimsical to those who don’t see through the distorted lenses with which you observe life. I recommend you ask your optician about the benefits of cataract surgery. Of course getting rid of the floaters is much more difficult. For I perceive you see through a mirror darkly.
I hope you know that the Nirvana you seek will come to pass. The world will at last embrace the one who will fix everything to your liking. But then it’s too late to stop what seemed like such a great deal… when tribulation rules.
Thank you for your service to our nation. I see that you're a veteran. I wouldn't have made it through basic training, like my friend Jack, a transgender military man, did. He served so honorably for folks like you and me. I have so many questions for you. Would you mind if I asked you some via email and used your EXACT words / answers for a stand-alone blog? My first question would be for you to clarify what you mean by: "The world will at last embrace the one who will fix everything to your liking." The word "fix" is one I see through a different lens than yours.
Sorry for the late reply… fixing storm damage, dealing with an unfriendly insurance company and other odd jobs have greatly reduced my normal habit of replying sooner rather than later to a Q&A.
All that, to say this, my responses to just about everything is based on my Biblical worldview. I am a Christian. I am an adherent to the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40; Deuteronomy 6:5), and therefore the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
When approaching actions and items that include lifestyles or behaviors that are antithetical to all the commands I have been asked to teach, I find it sad for those who support what I deem to be lifestyles (based on Biblical theology) that affect their eternity.
The “one” who will “fix” things temporally is the god of this age (Ephesians 6:10-13). When you mention Jack, a transgendered man, who served so honorably for you and me, I have a different take on it. I too served 20 years as both an enlisted and as an officer in the Army’s Field Artillery branch from 1972 - 1992.
My service on one hand was honorable, as was my lifestyle. One does not cancel the other, but it brings up my duty to God and His Commission to me, to ensure my lifestyle does not betray my ambassadorship for Jesus Christ (2Corinthians 5:20).
if you truly love someone, you want what is best for them. You don’t tell them what they want to hear so you can maintain a relationship, or so they don’t hate you. No, you tell them the truth. Jack’s lifestyle is a red flag that reveals his destiny, spending an eternity in hell, all despite his good works. It is incumbent upon the ones who love him to tell him the truth, so long as they no the truth and not a lie (Deuteronomy 4:13; Romans 3:23; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Good works do not save you or guarantee a place in heaven. And your lifestyle can be a proof of the absence of the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-11) in your life.
We can wait for the devil to fix the things we don’t like, and live as a slave to sin, or we can rely solely on the grace of God to save us, so we can live as a slave to righteousness. You will be a slave to one or the other, it is a matter of choice (John 3:16).
Bottom line, we are lost in our sins already. Our lifestyle betrays which kingdom we belong to. Good works are good, and they may help to fix things temporarily, but they are not a fix for eternity.
Don’t get me wrong, we who are slaves to righteousness have a moral obligation and mandate to do good works (Ephesians 2:10; James 1:21-29; 2:10, 14-26).
I hope this answers your questions about my response. I wish you well, and if you would like to talk more, send me a private message and we can share contact info.
You wrote a very honest comment and it's appreciated. There was no hate, which gives ALL an opportunity to bridge a divide. I can't answer this with the justice it deserves, so would you mind if I turn it over to biblical scholars? I'd like to use it for a future blog. This was well-written and any reply to it, would be treated with the same respect. I thank you for the opportunity.
This is a powerful and articulate expression of what many of us are feeling as we search for effective ways to respond. This is your hardest hitting and most poignant essay yet. I am proud to be among your readers. You are an inspiration for me.
You're an inspiration to me. We're all doing our thing to get that pendulum swinging to the side of fair and free elections and a Democracy we can once again take for granted. The speakers at the school board meeting - good and absolutely off-the-wall - really helped me gain clarity as to what's at stake in our public schools and why it matters. I encourage people to click on your Jeffrey's Substack for excellent, quick reads. I always feel smarter after reading them. Thanks, Jeffrey.
Thank you for this response to a person (and, unfortunately, there are many) that does not realize the serious of what is going on in country.
The main reason I am dismayed (an admitted understatement) is the US Supreme Court's overturning of so many district court Temporary Restraining Orders. Not all of them, but many. And they are doing so on what is known as the shadow docket, where there is none or very little explanation of the legal reasoning. It is hard to remain optimistic. One reason to be optimistic is the opportunity to flip the Congress in the 2026 midterms. However, Trump is laying the groundwork to have ICE and the military stationed at all Democrat-leaning election precincts in urban areas under the guise of "fair" elections. The margins are so close and already skewed toward Republicans, it only takes a small percentage of voters being intimidated to swing an election in purple states.
David, you are 100% spot on in everything you said. I hang onto the motto: "Truth is stranger than fiction". Meaning the most bizarre thing can happen that will cause the Trump house of cards falling down with the thud of a 100-ft wave. We have the Epstein files, we have his age. The Nat'l guards might end up taking down one of their own, causing Congress to take a deep breath. Trump is running the country without the safety net of an ethical Supreme Court. Something is bound to happen that will swing the pendulum. A FOX News host might crack. Rogan already is. We just need something to happen soon. There are some really smart people on our side. Something will change this dangerous course.
As much an inspiration as you are to Ph.D. Orenstein, the balance of nature has me on the other side. Your thoughts are whimsical to those who don’t see through the distorted lenses with which you observe life. I recommend you ask your optician about the benefits of cataract surgery. Of course getting rid of the floaters is much more difficult. For I perceive you see through a mirror darkly.
I hope you know that the Nirvana you seek will come to pass. The world will at last embrace the one who will fix everything to your liking. But then it’s too late to stop what seemed like such a great deal… when tribulation rules.
Thank you for your service to our nation. I see that you're a veteran. I wouldn't have made it through basic training, like my friend Jack, a transgender military man, did. He served so honorably for folks like you and me. I have so many questions for you. Would you mind if I asked you some via email and used your EXACT words / answers for a stand-alone blog? My first question would be for you to clarify what you mean by: "The world will at last embrace the one who will fix everything to your liking." The word "fix" is one I see through a different lens than yours.
Dear Bubbie,
Sorry for the late reply… fixing storm damage, dealing with an unfriendly insurance company and other odd jobs have greatly reduced my normal habit of replying sooner rather than later to a Q&A.
All that, to say this, my responses to just about everything is based on my Biblical worldview. I am a Christian. I am an adherent to the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40; Deuteronomy 6:5), and therefore the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
When approaching actions and items that include lifestyles or behaviors that are antithetical to all the commands I have been asked to teach, I find it sad for those who support what I deem to be lifestyles (based on Biblical theology) that affect their eternity.
The “one” who will “fix” things temporally is the god of this age (Ephesians 6:10-13). When you mention Jack, a transgendered man, who served so honorably for you and me, I have a different take on it. I too served 20 years as both an enlisted and as an officer in the Army’s Field Artillery branch from 1972 - 1992.
My service on one hand was honorable, as was my lifestyle. One does not cancel the other, but it brings up my duty to God and His Commission to me, to ensure my lifestyle does not betray my ambassadorship for Jesus Christ (2Corinthians 5:20).
if you truly love someone, you want what is best for them. You don’t tell them what they want to hear so you can maintain a relationship, or so they don’t hate you. No, you tell them the truth. Jack’s lifestyle is a red flag that reveals his destiny, spending an eternity in hell, all despite his good works. It is incumbent upon the ones who love him to tell him the truth, so long as they no the truth and not a lie (Deuteronomy 4:13; Romans 3:23; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Good works do not save you or guarantee a place in heaven. And your lifestyle can be a proof of the absence of the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-11) in your life.
We can wait for the devil to fix the things we don’t like, and live as a slave to sin, or we can rely solely on the grace of God to save us, so we can live as a slave to righteousness. You will be a slave to one or the other, it is a matter of choice (John 3:16).
Bottom line, we are lost in our sins already. Our lifestyle betrays which kingdom we belong to. Good works are good, and they may help to fix things temporarily, but they are not a fix for eternity.
Don’t get me wrong, we who are slaves to righteousness have a moral obligation and mandate to do good works (Ephesians 2:10; James 1:21-29; 2:10, 14-26).
I hope this answers your questions about my response. I wish you well, and if you would like to talk more, send me a private message and we can share contact info.
You wrote a very honest comment and it's appreciated. There was no hate, which gives ALL an opportunity to bridge a divide. I can't answer this with the justice it deserves, so would you mind if I turn it over to biblical scholars? I'd like to use it for a future blog. This was well-written and any reply to it, would be treated with the same respect. I thank you for the opportunity.
I do not mind. Have a great long weekend.