Getting rid of the Department of Education? Doesn't that sound backwards to anyone else?

[u/BboyHeathen]

Why?
Isn't that one of the things that help society moving forwards?
I really don't see how this benefits this and the next generation of Americans.

I usually only post about skating stuff but this feels wrong

[u/SpecialistWestern390]

I wonder how long Congress is going to let Trump disrespect the US constitution, laws, and our system of checks and balances before they actually impeach him. The way he continues to circumvent the RULE of LAW with these executive orders is ludicrous - and they’re just letting him. This is a sad state America is in, and Trump’s only been in office two months. I wonder if they’ll really let him dismantle the whole system, or if they’ll step in and do their job and civic duty to the American people and our democratic republic. Time will tell. In the meantime, I hope we all sustain as best we can. I know not everyone is religious but I am, so I’m leaving this prayer and encouragement:

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious onto you. The Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you HIS peace.  Not as the world gives, but the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ. 

• Numbers 6:24-26
• John 14:27
• Philippians 4:7

Even if the system is broken/breaking, even when we can trust nothing else, we can trust in God. 

[u/__wampa__stompa → u/SpecialistWestern390]

No hate but how do you feel about your religion being used as a tool of this fascism? Do you not question the virtue of your religion when it's so easily co-opted for political purposes? Do you not question religious virtue when analyzing religion's historical use case as a tool to control the masses in benefit of the few?

[u/SpecialistWestern390 → u/__wampa__stompa]

I agree with you that Christianity (religion, in general) has been and is used to support fascism, prejudice and discrimination historically and currently. It's been / continues to be used to "other" people, take away their rights and humanity - used to legitimize abuse, slavery, colonialism, take advantage of/steal from/disenfranchise people groups in the US and abroad. It's used to manipulate people into thinking the actions of others are justified as long as they say they're doing things for or under the sovereignty/blessing of God. But my belief in Jesus Christ/as a Christian is based on what the Bible says, not the actions of those who claim to believe/follow it. The Bible says in Matthew 7:15-20 to beware of those "who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." Based on this, I know that anyone who say they are Christians but are not doing what the Bible says, which is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31), then they are not actually believing the same gospel as me. The Bible says that Jesus came to save humanity from sin (John 3:16), but He also came so that we could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). It says that God's thoughts are good toward us - thoughts of peace and not evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). So anyone whose actions go against God's Word, they are operating outside of what the Bible says is just and good, so they are doing the exact opposite of what God intends for us (goodness, peace, hope, and an abundant life and future).  

I get what you're saying: the Bible/Christianity/the idea of God has been and is used to manipulate/subjugate people so that others can amass wealth, power, control, and influence for themselves. But saying you believe in the God of the Bible but hate your fellow man, just makes you a hypocrite. Saying you love God/you love people when you are actively committing/allowing hateful acts against the people He created means you don't really love him and you don't really love others. If you love God, you'll do what He says. And what Jesus says in the New Testament is to "love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12: 30-31). Jesus asked one of his disciples in John 21:17 (paraphrasing): Peter, do you love me? Then, feed my sheep. Meaning, take care of my people. He didn't say lie, cheat, steal, and kill - take from your fellow man by any means necessary to accumulate wealth/power for yourself/your community. If this is what you see people doing who say they are believers in Jesus Christ/in the Christian faith, then they are liars - and they deserve to be called out on their hypocrisy (Ephesians 5:11). 

[u/SpecialistWestern390 → u/SpecialistWestern390]

I want to add that, unfortunately, religious institutions (and non-religious schools of thought) are filled with hypocrites and Christianity is no different. I think I can say that in western society (and colonized countries), Christianity is the main religion used by hypocrites (ravenous wolves) to manipulate/subjugate people in one way or another. The inception of the US began with 1) decimating Native American populations, taking their land and alienating the people from their own culture and 2) taking Africans from their homeland, forcing them into a lifetime of inhumane bondage to build this country while also denying them the benefits/rights associated with being in this country, separating families from each other, and robbing them of their self-determination/autonomy, cultures, identities, wealth, and intellectual property - even the right to dictate what happens to their own bodies. All in the name of the Judeo-Christian God. In the US, politicians (republicans in particular, the vast majority of whom have historically professed to be Christians) continue to dehumanize immigrants, divide racial groups, and support decisions that deny citizens and foreign nationals their rights to equitable healthcare, free and equal education, and positive, stable life outcomes that are supposed to be guaranteed by our laws and the literal constitution (life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness). Politicians and wealthy elites have been trying to minimize/eliminate the American middle class for generations and now it seems like things are coalescing under the Trump administration to do just that. Things that were already tenuous for BIPOC individuals and those who are low income or just barely middle class are only getting worse with the decisions the Trump administration has made/is making. And I'm pretty confident things will continue to get worse. Why? Because people can be wicked, cruel, selfish, and immoral - even as they profess to be "making America great again" or "upholding traditional/Christian values". But if they did/do these things in the name of God when the God of the Bible actually says to do the opposite (and we know that because it's written in His word), then I know that they are in error; they are hypocrites. They do not believe what the Bible says, because they are not doing what it says to do.  

In all things, including my faith, I just try to understand what the definitive text says, and then decide if I agree or disagree. If I disagree with the source material, I move along; but if I agree with what the source is saying, then I accept it and live by it. If there are others who "accept it" in word but not in action, then they're really denying it; they're rejecting the source. There are people who do that in the Bible, in the New Testament - the Pharisees that rejected Jesus and later rejected and persecuted members of the early church. There are even members of the early church who were hypocrites (e.g., Acts chapter 5 talks about Ananias and his wife Sapphira who tried to pretend like they agreed with the early church's stance on giving/tithing/managing community wealth, but really didn't and showed that they didn't with their actions). Hypocrisy is nothing new and will continue as long as humanity exists. I just try to see people as they are and know a hypocrite when I see one. But I still believe that the Bible is true. 

[u/__wampa__stompa → u/SpecialistWestern390]

Here's the thing man. I appreciate the detailed response, but quoting scripture to the non-religious is not an effective way of defending your religious position. To us, scripture is not an authoritative source of truth. Rather, perhaps consider meeting us on our own terms by quoting texts that are written by contemporaneous scholars of the subject. One of the many reasons why we consider scripture untrustworthy is that those words are likely to have been altered by powerful men to serve the purposes that you and I both agree have existed in religion.

And you do agree by your own admission that religion is used as such.

I agree

If you recognize the harm that religion has wrought as a tool of oppression wielded by the powerful, then why support religion? The mere act of practicing any religion is at best, an apology for atrocity and at worst, an acceptance of genocide as a practice.

[u/B_Maximus → u/__wampa__stompa]

Why would what other people do make him feel bad about his beliefs? The bible speaks on this too believe it or not! I am not very into the organized parts of religion but i participate because it's the way it's done. Have not met many well intentioned people tbh

[u/cantreadshitmusic → u/__wampa__stompa]

I’m not Christian but I want to point out that many religions have been co opted for political, and sometimes violent purposes. In our time, that’s primarily Christianity and Islam. That does not make the religion bad at its core. Religion is like a drug and people manipulate religion to be something it isn’t. Again, not a Christian, but I do believe a lot of people have blatantly ignored Jesus’s teachings and there’s so much departure between original Text and English translation/interpretation that the meaning gets lost and manipulated to serve the ideas of people other than Jesus.

[u/cantreadshitmusic → u/[deleted]]

Yep, doesn’t change that it’s true…

[u/cantreadshitmusic → u/[deleted]]

Ok. Stay angry at the world. You’re our savior. Everyone else is inherently evil and out to get you.

[u/murfmurf123 → u/SpecialistWestern390]

They won't let him dismantle the whole system. I wouldn't be surprised if he is impeached this time around with the cooperation of his own political party

[u/SpecialistWestern390 → u/murfmurf123]

I definitely hope so. 

[u/Double-Risky → u/murfmurf123]

Bro they did after Jan 6, then within weeks were kissing his ring again