“The Best of Times, the Worst of Times” (Title taken from Charles Dickens, opening sentence of “The Tale of Two Cities”)

I have hesitated to say very much about the state of our nation and communities, thinking, hoping and praying that a new President might turn things around for our nation.  After the debacle of the 2016-2020 years under one of the worst presidents every to sit in office, I had hoped that our nation might begin to heal itself from its deep divisions and wounds.  Unfortunately, this has not been the case.  The latest Supreme Court ruling 5-4 allowing the draconian limits on abortion rights to stand (6 weeks fetal heartbeat defined as beginning of human life) shows the deep divides among our nation.  We are harking back to a patriarchal dominant society, in which white and black men define the rights of women and their bodies, as well as all other free citizens no matter what the color of their skin.

Using the cover of Christianity (this is not Christian) and using the brutal tactic of ‘might makes right’, we have witnessed one of the most dramatic erosions of human rights ever witnessed in our nation!  More than Jim Crow racism, the rights of women, particularly those poor and disenfranchised have been so trampled, the Constitution of this Republic is nigh torn asunder.  When vigilantes are allowed to enforce law without the protection of the courts, we have thrown out the rule of law and trampled underfoot the rights of the oppressed, the poor and the downtrodden.  With a wink and a nod, in the middle of the night, the Supreme Court says nothing and demolishes 50 years of law precedent, overturning Roe v Wade.  What started in Texas comes to an end in Texas.  This Supreme Court ruling destroys the rights of countless millions of women across our land. ‘Draconian’ is the only word which sums up this Texas law and the oppressive silence of the highest court of the land.

It was not always so.  In 1972 there was a consensus that abortion of a human fetus was legal up to the age of viability (23-24 weeks), but it should be limited in its scope.  In other words, a child is a precious gift from God, but if the child is not desired, or is the result of rape or incest, the pregnancy could be legally terminated in a safe medical procedure done by licensed physicians in a licensed surgical clinic setting.  The legal right to an abortion was affirmed by the Supreme Court in a 7-2 decision known as Roe v Wade, 1972.

This consensus has now evaporated.  Well meaning, often fervent religious persons have now made the termination of the life of a non-viable fetus to be the equivalent of murder, even though up to 40% of pregnancies never come to term, but spontaneously abort.  Shall we then accuse God of being guilty of murder, too?  Making the right of the child being formed in the body to be equivalent to the life of the mother bearing the child is something no society in the history of the world has ever done before.  This is well meaning, but a perverse interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, using scriptures from Jeremiah and the psalms of David to show how God knew these prophets in their mother’s womb.  The fact that God chose these two individuals to come to birth, but God allowing many other babies not to come to birth is a wresting of the scripture to say something which it was never intended to say.  God through the Holy Scriptures affirms that both Jeremiah and David were chosen by God to be servants of God in the world, even when they were conceived.   Is this true of everyone who is conceived?  If this were true, then no miscarriages would ever occur.  There would never be any fetal deaths, no malformed babies and everyone would be a prophet of God from their earliest days.

It is telling that the laws governing women’s bodies are written mostly by men, and passed into law mostly by men.  What is at stake to cause men to be so determined to control women’s bodies and their behavior?  Why do the men who pass draconian laws feel it necessary to preserve the fetus life but disregard the rights of the mother?  What right does a man or an ordinary citizen have to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her own body?

I use this one example of the current legal and moral debate to show the divisions in our society and our inability to reach consensus on even the most basic of human rights.  I could just as easily have discussed the current efforts in predominantly Republican states (as Texas and Georgia) to limit the access to voting, which is another fundamental right guaranteed in our Constitution.  If Republicans cannot win the hearts of the people to secure their vote, they will simply make it impossible for persons of color, who are not white to not be able to vote.  The shock which occurred in Georgia in electing two Democratic senators, one of whom is black, was too much for the white Republicans of Georgia to take.  So, governors and politicians roll back the right to vote for non-white citizens so the whites can be kept in power, apparently for perpetuity.

It this what the founders of our democracy intended? Originally only white men with property could vote.  This right was extended to black men who were free men, then later to women of all races, and mixed race.  Now, presumably every citizen 18 years of age and older is given the right to vote in any election.  Why would anyone wish to prevent this basic fundamental human right in our democracy?  Is the right to vote being restricted so those currently in office can cling to power and cannot allow democracy to function as it is intended to do?  So it would seem.  This is a second fundamental human right which is being eroded away, the right to vote in a free and fair election. 

Which is more fundamental, the right of a women to choose when she conceives and bears children, or the right of a citizen to vote in a free and fair election?  What is going on in our nation when these basic human rights are being taken away?  Are we not going down the road to fascism, when a few in power make all the rules for those who have no power?  It has happened before.  Remember Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany, Stalin in Russia, and Mao Tse Tung in China.  In the past most persons in western democracies could recognize the difference between dictators and elected presidents.  Have we forgotten everything we use to know with clarity?

We pretend as a nation of democracy, to represent the democratic ideals of this world, as a “light to the nations.”  We have believed in a manifest destiny.  Though we have failed miserably to build democratic societies first in Vietnam, then Iraq and now Afghanistan, we say the words.  How much treasure of human lives and taxpayer dollars have been spent defending our democratic way of life? Yet we have not secured even one democratic nation.  We have also failed to secure the basic human rights for our own citizens, women and men.  We restrict the right to vote, we pass laws regulating the behavior and rights of women.  We cannot find a way for the illegal aliens (12 million or more) to be given a path toward citizenship, even though many work and pay into our system of Social Security, but derive no benefits.  We claim to be the harbinger of democracy for the world, but do not do for our own citizens and non- citizens what we propose to do for others.  Are we not in fact deceiving our own selves?

Jesus says, “First take the log out of your own eye, than you will see more clearly when you try to take the speck out of your brothers eye.”  This seems appropriate advice for us all, particularly those who in their self-righteous zeal to do God’s will do in fact crucify and destroy the very persons they pretend to help.  Is this not hypocrisy?  Are those making draconian laws and laws to limit voting rights not in fact proving they are hypocrites of the values for human rights they say they are defending?

Why don’t these white men tell us the truth?  The truth is white men like to be in power and they do not wish to share this same privilege nor the wealth which goes with it with anyone else who is not part of their same tribe.  The talk and gibberish we hear today about “securing free and fair elections” and “protecting the rights of the unborn” are nothing more than code words which say, “I have the power and since I have the power, I will tell you what you are going to do.”  Mitch McConnell said it most clearly, “those who have the power make the rules.”  The highest Republican Senator at least told us the truth.

What then shall be done about these matters?  The simplistic says, “Let us pray.”  I have a simple faith; I do believe God answers prayer and so I pray for better days ahead.  The more sophisticated says let’s organize and protest.  Others become terrorists and take up arms, knives and guns.  It is legal to organize and protest, but not to take up weapons, unless you are a white man who can now carry your weapon openly in case you need to shoot someone who misbehaves.  So, Christians find it necessary to carry their guns, even though Jesus said, “Those who take up the sword will die by the sword.”  We apparently have learned nothing in over two thousand years.  Peter cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear, and Jesus restored it as before.  And Peter fled.

I am a Christian and a white man.  I do not agree with persons making laws on abortion so restrictive a woman cannot exercise her right to manage her own body.  I feel the restrictive voting laws being enacted in many states are simply the means to keep those who have power in power.  I would welcome anyone who would like to prove that I am wrong.  I vote neither Republican nor Democrat.  I vote in every election, but only for those persons I feel are worthy to hold a particular office.  I exercise my right to choose my representatives for our democracy.  I would like to see that every citizen who can legally vote has an unfettered right to do so.

It has been shown that those who give the most money to politicians gain access to that politician’s ear.  Is this good for our democracy?  No, but a few people spend a lot of money trying to control our elections.  Do I need to name their names?

My personal feeling is we can do better than this.  Has the covid-19 infection made us all angry and unbalanced?  Have we forgotten how to have reasonable conversations with one another without having to scream to be heard?  Have things like Facebook, Twitter and similar unmasked the worst which is within us?  Is there any news organization which is not owned by someone with a political agenda?  Where are our journalists who pursued only the truth?

I raise this questions in the hope we can do better.  I fear we are in danger of losing what democracy we still have.  The influence of a president and his cronies can linger long and pollute our democracy for a very long time.  How can we rid ourselves of this pollution?

I do feel the words of Jesus are instructive: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  In my childhood, my grandmother called this “the golden rule.”  It is still golden to me.

“Lord Jesus Christ, hear our prayers and save us from ourselves, from our own dark tendencies.  Save us from becoming like those who hate us.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.” 

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.  Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so.”

Bill Wilson, servant of God by God’s grace and mercies.  Let all of God’s children say, “Amen!” 

“Amen!” We praise you and give you glory and praise, our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ!

“Amen!”