Donald Trump - A Christian Role Model?

                       Caricature accessed from:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/22868475614/

Is Donald Trump a Christian Role Model?

Cliff Eastham

The never-ending allegiance of Donald Trump supporters continues to amaze me. I believe he was right during the primary campaign, when he told his supporters that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight and not lose any voters. That, is disturbing, to the nth degree. The man appears to be incompetent on various levels.

            The real problem is that I see so many Christians, including pastors, and well-known evangelists supporting him. A simple question, why?  Is it a Republican thing? A conservative thing? An abortion thing? A gun thing? Have you ever seen him on television at a Donald Trump Rally? He works his followers up into a frenzy and encourages them when they chant “Lock her up!!!” Of course, that is after he talks about “Crooked Hillary” in so many demeaning ways it becomes nauseating.

            If you haven’t seen one, watch one, and only one. Believe me, if you have seen one Donald Trump Rally, you have seen every one of them. Seriously. This article is not a cry of desperation from the Clinton campaign. It is one of genuine concern for this country. I am voting for Clinton, and after everything that has been exposed about Trump, I honestly am stunned that born-again Christians are seriously planning on voting for him.  

            Now for his hangers-on, the miscreants. America’s Mayor (really?), Rudi Giuliani, Chris “BridgeGate” Christie, Newt Gingrich, and Steve Bannon, of the infamous Breitbart website. He has brought his influence with the Alt Right movement with him. Trump is supported by the KKK, which should give everyone pause.

            Trump has been prodded by Giuliani and Gingrich, among others, to attack Hillary on her husband’s dalliances. If that isn’t all three pots calling the wife of a kettle black, I don’t know what is. Trump, Giuliani, and Gingrich have all been married thrice, so they probably are not the best suited to launch a preemptive strike on that front.  I am a Christian – not a Republican (we really do exist, contrary to far-right beliefs). If it is an abortion thingy with you, know that Trump has flip flopped on that as well. Also, realize that a president does not have the authority to do anything about abortion. That is a Supreme Court thing, and since the Republicans denied Obama’s constitutional right to nominate a judge for the Bench, they are deadlocked on every issue they will rule on. In the spirit of full disclosure, they couldn’t stop him from nominating, they just refused to hold confirmation hearings.

Nobody really knows Trump’s stance on anything. He is like the Wizard of Oz. He has the answer to all of America’s problems. He and he alone! All he says is that it will be great, he is the only one that can do it, believe me! That doesn’t sound like a presidential candidate, it sounds like a cult leader. Please don’t drink the kool aid. Why is he so afraid to release his income tax returns for public perusal? Every other presidential candidate since Richard Nixon and has done it, in an effort to show voters they believe in transparency.

            I can tell you why I believe he is not releasing his taxes. Not now, not ever. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney had not released his taxes as of January 18, 2012. Trump called into Fox News (as he now uses them for his source of free advertisement – nod and a wink to Sean Hannity), to the “On the Record” show with Greta van Susteren. She asked him if he thought Romney should have released his taxes. He told her that historically people release them on April 1. She asked what he would say if Romney called for advice about it. He said, “I think he may have to. I think he a step went too far. I think that April 1st or April 2nd was OK. But now I think in light of the fact that he started discussing some of the things, namely the rate or approximately the rate, I think it [would] probably be better off just to release them now.”

            Apparently he has changed his tune since then, in light of the political beatdown Romney received in November 2012. Trump saw Romney winning until his taxes were released, then the air went out of the tires. Look at his advice then. Since Romney had already affirmed his tax rate, he should release it all. Since someone dropped Trump’s 1995 return off at the door of the New York Times, as though it was a baby nobody cared for anymore. The returns showed that Trump with all of his maneuverability and “genius” of the tax code, he found a loophole big enough to drive over 900 million bucks through. Imagine that, a business savant, the King of Debt, who brags about using other people’s money (OPM), lost close to a Billion with a B, dollars in one year. What could he have on his current taxes that would be worse, or more humiliating than losing that kind of money from casinos, with the economy under Bill Clinton flowing decently. The guy or girl working as a teller at Fred’s Bank making $30,000 per year may be offended by that. No taxes for 18 years, sets your mind to wondering, eh?

            He claims he is in the throes of an audit (I wonder why), and can’t let them go until it is over. Nobody has seen any evidence that he is even under an audit now. Nixon gave his tax returns up while he was being audited. 

Rare Bird - Book Review

Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love

Anna Whiston-Donaldson

ISBN: 978-1-60142-519-5

RELEASE: Sep 9, 2014

LENGTH: 224 Pages

PUBLISHER: Convergent

               Anna Whiston-Donaldson masterfully tells of the gut-wrenching struggle of attempting to deal with all of the pain, sorrow, anguish, and even jealousy which comes with the death of a child in her book Rare Bird. The book opened some wounds of mine that have been repressed for decades. In my case the roles are reversed. I was a boy of 12 who had just lost his Mom at age 44. I became jealous and even envious of other kids who had a mother still living. Why them, and not me? It would have been good to have had this book back in 1963.

                Whiston-Donaldson pulls back the veil of her tears and gives glimpses of raw emotion in the life of a woman who had been dipped in tragedy. She allowed her son and daughter to play in the rain one evening, and her son (Jack), never came home. As one might expect this book will put you in the passenger seat on a journey filled with expectation, and joy which is met by disbelief, grief, and sadness to the nth. It is difficult to read at times, especially if you have experienced familial death at a young age. The story is written almost flawlessly as one would expect from a teacher-turned-blogger. It is a true emotional assault that she lets the reader share in her pain. The story of an average couple with a son and a daughter and how their world is torn upside down by the effects of one deluge of rain. You will sense the pain through her mind’s eye.

                As her son Jack’s favorite verse in the Bible says, “Nothing is impossible with God” (Mat 19:26). Her faith in God and the support of her family and friends made it an easier path to walk. I thought it was a fantastic read. I give it 5 stars.

 I received a free review copy of this book from Blogging for Books  for my honest review.





Losing Your Faith, Finding Your Soul

Book Review

ISBN

  9780307731203

Categories

   Religion

Hardback

Pages

   272

Losing Your Faith, Finding Your Soul

by David Robert Anderson

     After finishing this book and reading other reviews prior to writing mine, I can see that this book is somewhat polarizing. It is apparently controversial at least. The author David Robert Anderson is an Episcopal minister in Connecticut who holds degrees from the University of Chicago and Yale Divinity School. This is not his first foray into the writing forest. He also wrote Breakfast Epiphanies. He is a very good writer with a proclivity for inserting an illustration at a proper juncture in the book.

     Now, to the substance of the book. As an ordained minister I find it difficult to recommend this book to someone who is in a spiritual crisis and needs sage advice. It appears he has written the book for either backsliders or people who are on that slippery slope to apostasy. On page nine he writes, “This is a book for people whose faith has failed them. It’s for people who used to believe. People who pretend to believe, who are still teaching their kids to believe, still going to church.” Anderson has broken this book down into six sections, called passages.

1.       The Good-bye Gate

2.       Stand Apart

3.       Deep Dive

4.       Arrival Time: Now

5.       Unconditional Surrender

6.       Habits of the Heart.

     The subject matter and the keywords he throws around are all welcomed by most theologians and evangelical protestant ministers. The problem is that he puts too much emphasis on “self”. As he tells the writer in the first passage to, “…leave the old conventional world behind…You need a powerful new self.” (p. 44). In the passage entitled, Stand Apart, he tells the reader to forget Heaven and Hell (for now).

     In his effort to give directions for those teetering on the edge of spiritual suicide he lays out these six passages which are wonderfully written and bolstered with illustrations, but I believe scriptural advice is hiding. I like the book as a read, again it was written nearly flawlessly, however it is tinkering with eternity, so I don’t think mainline fundamentalist Christians are going to embrace it and refer it to those in spiritual need.

     After all is said and done, I give the book four stars.

I received this book from Blogging for Books, for my honest review.

The Greatest Comeback - Pat Buchanan has a Winner!

              

The Greatest Comeback: How Richard Nixon 
Rose from Defeat to Create the New Majority

by Patrick J. Buchanan

Hardcover

Pages: 392

ISBN: 978-0-553-41863-7

Publisher: Crown Forum (July 8, 2014)

                                                 

               Pat Buchanan reveals a side of President Nixon that most people know nothing of. It is truly an inside look at the goings on of a political mastermind working his magic over a torn and fragmented Republican Party leading up to the 1968 presidential election. Buchanan was with Nixon from 1966 while preparing for the campaign of 1968 until his resignation in 1974. He has included in the book several memos he submitted to Nixon with Nixon’s notes on them. The Watergate fiasco is mentioned barely in passing, as this book chronicled his comeback to the political stage, and is not meant to be a biography.

                Nixon’s narrow defeat to JFK in 1960 and his failed California gubernatorial race in 1962 are used as a launching pad to illustrate the resurrection of a ‘dead’ politician to the presidency. The Greatest Comeback is loaded with insider campaign strategies, Nixon’s feelings about African-Americans, and the civil unrest and riots of that time period. If you are a Nixon fan this is a must read. If you are one of his detractors I highly recommend that you read this book. After his political obituary was written about in ’62, Nixon pulled himself up and ran some remarkable strategies. The result was he becoming the first man since Zachary Taylor, 120 years earlier, to win the presidency with the opposition controlling both houses of Congress.

                I don’t know how Buchanan could have done any better. It is a 5-star book to me.

-          Clifton Eastham  August 29, 2014.

      ** I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review, however the opinions and analysis are mine alone.

Book Review - Walls: Why Everybody's Stuck (and Nobody Has To Be)

                                   

Book Review

Walls: Why Everybody’s Stuck  

(And Nobody Has To Be)

by Ryan Rush

ISBN: 978-1-4143-3736-4

Hardcover

Length: 256 Pages

2011

Published by: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

            Author Ryan Rush opens this book up with the simple question, “Do you ever have the feeling you are missing out on something important?” (5) He mentions that we are blocked from enjoying all of God’s blessings because we have somehow allowed a wall to be built around us. This wall does not have to keep us from all God has for us forever. Rush writes that we can have a Faith Breakthrough, which is the act of overcoming whatever is holding us back from tearing down the wall around us, by trusting in God and intentionally pursue Him.

            A wall, Rush writes, “Is an unhealthy mind-set that keeps you from living life as God intends” (22). He instructs the reader to define and actually give a name to the wall that is restricting their completeness. God has made promises to each and every one of us and there is at least one available which corresponds to the wall we are knocking heads with. As Christians we are tied-in to all of God’s resources and are equipped to handle anything the enemy can set in front of us. Rush encourages readers to share their breakthroughs with others. Not only will it make you feel better and give you a sense of purpose for sharing it, it will bless those people that you share it with as well.

            It is important to declare your independence from your wall. “You can’t live on both sides of the wall any more than you can put old wine in new wineskins” (200). Rush also stresses the importance of bringing your newly acquired skills at breaking through walls inside your home, to be able to raise a family of wall breakers.

            There are more strengths in this book than there are weaknesses. The first strength I noticed are the many Bible references Rush uses to fortify his position and prove the point he is makin

g. This book comes from a genuine place. By that I mean that Rush has dealt with walls of his own starting with the birth of his daughter Lily (4). Positive affirmations abound in this book which cannot help but inspire the reader to address changes in his or her life. Another strength is that Rush invites the reader to report his or her breakthrough to his website: www.faithbreakthroughs.com.

            The aforementioned positive affirmations are clearly a strength, but they may also be viewed in a negative light as they sometimes seem shallow and lack substance. It appears to me that very good, albeit thin information is divulged from the author, although something more concrete seems to be missing. Some of the problems, called walls, are sometimes so deep and complex that perhaps a mental health professional should be retained. Although Rush does say that the walls, even the ones with the same name are different from person to person, he neglects to list specifics on how a breakthrough could be made. In essence I am saying that many good ideas are offered up in Walls, however I believe it lacks substance and clarity when it comes to finding a way to a breakthrough.

            I find Walls a good read, and a good starting point. I feel that the missing components, for example, more instruction on conquering the wall in a more focused manner would make it an excellent book. That being said, I believe the strengths of the book compensate adequately for the weaknesses of it.

4 stars out of 5

- Cliff Eastham

The Conviction to Lead by Albert Mohler

Book Review

Book Review of

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters

by Albert Mohler

Print Length: 222 Pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers, Bloomington, MN (2012)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-7642-1004-4

Author of the book Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which is clearly a true form of leadership. He gets to the crux of the purpose of the book in the very first sentence, “Let me warn you right up front – my goal is to change the way you think about leadership.”[1] There have been many books written about leadership, however this is the first that I have read which came from a Christian perspective. Being a leader is not simply being a figure-head of a group of people. A leader who deserves a following is one who is not only prepared but who also possesses a deep conviction to be a leader.

            As could be expected, Mohler sits on the right side of the aisle as a conservative republican, having enlisted into Ronald Reagan’s 1976 campaign as a volunteer.[2] Mohler states that plenty of leaders are able and willing, but lack the important trait of conviction. He also points out in the book that being highly intelligent, which is always a favorable characteristic, does not equate to good or effective leadership. Mohler claims that an effective leader needs to possess convictional intelligence. He advises that a leader will receive that proportionately as he studies God’s Word, prays and reads other books as well.[3]

           

            An effective leader is also one that understands worldviews. We must make fundamental moral judgments every day, therefore we cannot rethink our basic understanding of the world each day. The basic fabric of our morality is, or must be rooted in us. In explaining how effective leadership works Mohler writes, “You aim at the heart and the head of your followers, confident that if they share the worldview and embrace it with conviction, the right actions will follow naturally.”[4]

            Every leader needs to have the passion to be an effective leader. Passion is not a trait that can be summoned at a moment’s notice. Either you possess it or you don’t. According to the author passion comes from conviction.[5] Passion can also be contagious, a good leader’s passion will drip down to the followers. When this happens, passion spreads as if it were an infectious disease throughout the organization.[6]

            Leaders must be teachers if they are to be ascribed to the effective list. Jesus was a fabulous teacher! He taught using illustrations and allegories, bringing meaning to the subject at hand. He taught the disciples and then the disciples made other disciples, and much like an organization employing a network marketing model, growth becomes exponential. According to Mohler, “Leaders teach and teachers lead.”[7]

            Leadership cannot be fruitful if it is not credible. Credibility is something that must be earned, it does not come when you accept a position. Even though credibility can be won, unfortunately bad decisions can cause it to be lost. If it is lost, it is very difficult to regain.

            Mohler states that the book was written, “With the concern that far too much of what passes for leadership today is mere management. Without convictions you might be able to manage, but you cannot really lead.”[8] Passion will be a by-product of Conviction. If we are not committed to a certain belief to the point of conviction we will not be passionate about the subject and our leadership will suffer.

            Leaders are thinkers. On the face that does not seem to be a prolific statement. It sounds like fluff, filler or fodder for the word count, but it is much deeper than that. Mohler claims that most people do not like to think. By thinking, he is speaking of thinking in a concerted, critical and careful way. The leader must be completely committed to the truth.  Again, that sounds simplistic, but to lead effectively, he or she must be a disciple of Christ. Christ made the comment, “…I am the way, the truth and the life…”[9]

           
           We communicate with people every day in one form of interaction or another. This does not mean we are skilled at communication. Effective leaders must be. Mohler says that there are three hallmarks of powerful communication. The first is clarity. It is essential to good communication not to let your message become tangled and ill-conceived. Some leaders attempt to “speak over” their hearers. In other words, they speak to the crowd in the most prodigious manner they can find in a thesaurus, until their entire oration becomes jumbled.

            The second hallmark of powerful communication is consistency. An effective leader with always be speaking in the same manner; not one way today and another style tomorrow. That is because he is consistent. Inconsistency reveals a lack of conviction, and a lack of conviction makes the leadership a non sequitur.

            The third and final hallmark of powerful communication is courage. The trait of courage is needed because if your message has any conviction whatsoever, it is certain to be a point of opposition for someone. Courage to face opposition and criticism, and to defend your own arguments are essential to effective leadership. Mohler writes that if you lack courage and are offended easily, you should probably steer clear of leadership roles.

            In this day when weak leadership and poor management are the rule and not the exception, I believe Mohler has done an excellent job of getting his message out in a way that may be accepted. Church and Ministry leadership have been hurt drastically in the last couple of decades due to unwise financial management and immoral decisions made by evangelists and pastors. The time has come for effective leadership which may be held accountable in all areas.

            Leaders must make decisions which will be deemed unpopular by some. According to Mohler, “Leaders have to bear the burden of right decisions that hurt.”[10]

CONCLUSION

            At a time when many look at organized religion as fraudulent and non-Biblical, Dr. Mohler has written a book that motivates the reader to do more. As Mohler states, leadership is not for everyone. Someone has to follow, but they should be picky as to whom they do follow. He wrote more about the character and requirements of a leader than he did describing what the leader should do.

            Any leader who is worthy of the title wants his organization to succeed, both now and even after he has gone. He has worked hard at growing the organization and has usually had to sacrifice to accomplish some of his goals. For a leader to pretend that he doesn’t care one way or another about his legacy, is disingenuous. Rupert Murdoch, who owns many media companies and is one of the world’s wealthiest people claims to be in that league. “I’m not looking for a legacy.”[11]

Mohler’s closing remark is all about legacy. “Your legacy is all that remains when you are gone. Do you have any idea what that legacy will be? Answering that question honestly is part of what it means to have the conviction to lead.”[12]

 I enjoyed reading this title and I give it 4 stars out of 5.

- Cliff Eastham

---

1.    Albert Mohler, The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2012), 15.

2.       Ibid., 16.

3.       Ibid., 36.

4.       Mohler, The Conviction to Lead, 48.

5.       Ibid., 52.

6.       Ibid., 55.

7.       Ibid., 72.

8.       Mohler, The Conviction to Lead, 26.

9.       The Holy Bible, King James Version. John 14:6.

10.    Mohler, The Conviction to Lead, 195.

11.    Mohler, The Conviction to Lead, 207-8.

12.    Ibid., 213.

Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty: To Hate or Not to Hate, That is the Abomination

To hate or not to hate, that is the abomination.

The recent uproar over the “hiatus” imposed on family patriarch, Phil Robertson deserves at least a mention on everyone’s blog. Here is mine.

At the beginning let me say that I have never seen an episode of Duck Dynasty. Let me also say that I am not now, nor have ever been a member of the homosexual community. That, at the least qualifies mine as an unbiased opinion.

I would think from what I have read, and what I understand about the show, that Ducky Dynasty without him would be akin to Honey Boo Boo without the Honey, Pawn Stars without the Old Man, Survivor without Jeff Probst, Lizard Lick without Bobby, or American Pickers without one or the other. You get my drift?

It is important to note that this administrative action by A&E Network got its legs from a question answered by Mr. Robertson, 67 during an interview by GQ magazine. He didn’t call a press conference and begin bashing gays or blacks or anything.

Robertson was asked what he thought was sinful. His reply,

 "Start with homosexuality 

and morph out from there. 

Bestiality, sleeping around 

with this woman 

and that woman 

and that woman 

and those men."

In a statement bent on distancing the network from the opinionated reality star, A&E said, 

"We are extremely disappointed 

to have read Phil Robertson's comments 

in GQ, which are based on 

his own personal beliefs 

and are not reflected 

in the series Duck Dynasty." 

That should have sufficed to circumvent the certain onslaught of those who would proclaim wounds and torment at the hands...er vocal chords of Robertson. But no!

In point of act, most television shows have a visible disclosure after all shows, which conveys that the remarks made by those on the show do not necessarily reflect the feelings of the network and or its holdings.

Robertson also mentioned that he never witnessed slaves bad-mouthing Caucasians when he was picking cotton with them.

The Constitution of the United States has something to weigh in with on the subject:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  

- First Amendment to the Constitution

Funny thing, freedom of speech. It sounds great in theory but apparently is worthless in reality. A&E just robbed Mr. Robertson of the protection of 3/5 of the First Amendment. He was stating his religious views, as well as exercising them. He was expressing free speech, to the press.

Former Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal quickly rose to the defense of Robertson. Politically I don’t care for either of the two which further distances me from any modicum of bias here.

Let us get right to the heart of the matter. It isn’t about homosexuals, blacks, beasts or religion. It is all about money. That is correct sir, the filthy lucre.  This is not a run-of-the-mill reality show here, in its fourth season premiere in August drew 12 million viewers to become the No. 1 nonfiction series telecast in cable history.

As an aside, A&E is owned by Disney-ABC Television and Hearst Corporation. Disney's empire has been a staunch supporter of the gay community, even hosting 'Gay Days' at Walt Disney World.

I see it as nothing more than a pre-emptive strike aimed at the homosexual community and the sponsors of Duck Dynasty, to stave off a boycott. What they didn't anticipate was the outpouring of support for God and the lovers of free speech and the Constitution. As long as they preclude Robertson from filming with the rest of the family, they will see diminishing returns. On another front, homosexuality is alive and well on mainstream TV. It is no more frowned upon that having red hair or being over 40. 

You may be a homosexual, have a relative or close friends who are homosexual. Good on ya! I mean that. That is your choice and I applaud you for making it. Because I don't carry a sandwich sign around deploring gays and or lesbians, does not mean I condone it or accept it. I live with it peacefully. It is a personal decision and those who make it are are forced to deal with it in the end. Alone. 

Back to the issue at hand. Should Robertson be muted or fired? Of course not. A&E needs to wise up quickly. Duck Dynasty, the people not the show, have already made it, and they will continue to make it with or without the network. 

I must say it or bust. Satan is alive and doing well. He continues to walk to and fro in the earth seeking whom he may destroy.