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Friday, December 15, 2017

Jesus Was A Middle Eastern Refugee

“Christmas is, first and foremost, a subversive story about the radical inversion of power. Christ doesn’t enter the world as hero; he was born among those the Roman Empire oppressed and despised. The incarnation is God’s promise that the “last shall be first,” made real in flesh.
That’s the reason Herod, Rome’s provincial lackey, attempts to kill Jesus: The child threatens the unjust power structure upon which Herod sits. Herod does what any petty despot would — he tries to get rid of the threat to his throne....”
https://sojo.net/articles/donald-trump-wont-celebrate-christmas-heres-why

....at this point, Joseph, Mary and Jesus flee to Egypt. They become refugees. 
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4460400

NFL Controversy: The Bottom Line For Some Of Trump’s Core Supporters

....”More than anything, what seemed to upset the people I spoke with was the National Football League players who have knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
"Shame on them," Del Signore, the catering company owner, said. "These clowns are out there, making millions of dollars a year, and they're using some stupid excuse that they want equality — so I'll kneel against the flag and the national anthem?"
"You're not a fan of equality?" I asked.
"For people who deserve it and earn it," he said. "All my ancestors, Italian, 100 percent Italian, the Irish, Germans, Polish, whatever — they all came over here, settled in places like this, they worked hard and they earned the success that they got. Some people don't want to do that. They just want it handed to them."
"Like NFL players?" I said.
"Well," Del Signore responded, "I hate to say what the majority of them are...." He stopped himself short of what I thought he was about to say.

Pam Schilling and her husband, however, did not restrain themselves. "The thing that irritates me to no end is this NFL s---," Schilling told me in her living room. "We do not watch no NFL now."
Schilling looked at her husband, Dave McCabe, who's 67 and a retired high school basketball coach. She nodded at me. "Tell him," she said to McCabe, "what you said the NFL is...."
McCabe looked momentarily wary. He laughed a little. "I don't remember saying that," he said unconvincingly.
Schilling was having none of it. The NFL? "N---ers for life," Schilling said.”

http://theweek.com/articles/739277/where-trumps-support-endures

Note: Not all people who think that NFL players’ kneeling is inappropriate are bigots. But, those who are having a such a visceral reaction against such probably are. And such entrenched racial bigotry is what’s manifesting in police brutality against blacks. If you don’t happen to know people like this, then you are either very fortunate or quite naive.

Let us remember what Ronald Reagan said: “We must never remain silent in the face of bigotry. We must condemn those who seek to divide us. In all quarters and at all times, we must teach tolerance and denounce racism, anti-Semitism and all ethnic or religious bigotry wherever they exist as unacceptable evils. We have no place for haters in America -- none, whatsoever.”
https://www.reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/speeches/1984/102684a.htm

In the following picture, there are some NFL players not holding their hand over their heart during the national anthem. They disturb me - not the ones kneeling. In neither case do I condemn them. 
http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/2f/e9/49ersanthem-getty-ftr-101617jpg_14xfqhi6x9hjt18jhbsajfu7zo.jpg?t=632077895&w=960&quality=70