Rev. Robert L. Montgomery
I believe in historical judgment as a real force. This often takes much longer than we would like. However, there exists in human beings a sense of right and wrong that ultimately brings about historical judgment on the affairs of humanity. As a religious person, I believe that God acts in history, but I assert here that non-religious people can also see historical judgments, sometimes better than religious people, and contribute to a better world. At this point, I believe historic judgment awaits Donald Trump and others influenced by him.
Trump won a very close race against Hillary Clinton in 2016. During the campaign, we heard words we had never heard before in a political campaign: “Lock her up.” He encouraged the crowd to join him in shouting these words. His words and behavior toward Clinton and other competitors in his own party, and later toward Joe Biden, who defeated him, introduced a degraded atmosphere into what has generally been a normal debate process among candidates.
Even worse than demeaning words, Trump and his MAGA allies used numerous lies during their campaign. Of course, the greatest damage Trump did was encouraging the attempted insurrectionist coup on January 6, 2021, which was the first time our country did not experience a peaceful transfer of power.
Notice:Donald Trump’s Growing Lies Lay the Groundwork for Autocracy
We can be grateful that the American democracy built by our founders, because it includes many freedoms, helps expose historical judgments as they occur. Freedoms of expression, press and assembly help to expose the failures and misdeeds of leaders and groups of influential people. Perhaps most importantly, this includes those in power who attempt to cover up their lies and misdeeds.
As a religious person, I am aware that religious groups, including my own, also experience historical judgments. These can be cleansing influences that religious groups can examine and debate, and then make changes. In short, historical judgment is about purifying a movement that can enable groups and individuals to improve their message, their lives, and their work. Thus, ordinary human nature, endowed with the sensitivity of good and evil, can make decisions that contribute to the improvement of human life for others and for itself. Freedom is necessary so that good forces can work to improve the lives of large numbers of people, especially those who lack wealth and power. The best ways to improve the life of the nation constitute the main subject of debate and voting in a democracy.
Christians do not agree among themselves on what is best for governments to undertake for the benefit of their people. Some Christians in the current period even favor autocratic rule because it believes it is best to benefit the people. The Bible does not present a single political system as best for people. The danger of the current phenomenon of “Christian nationalism” is that Christians may well support harmful autocracy and other harmful practices, as they have done in the past. At the same time, Christianity and other religious groups can support democratic principles, an important principle being the equality of all. This equality is neither externally observable nor provable, but constitutes the inherent equality of human dignity as God’s creatures.
Notice:The United States needs political candidates of good character to build a more perfect union
America has gone through many judgments, such as the Civil War, civil rights struggles, and post-Great Depression programs that helped save the nation from poverty and make America a land of opportunity. for its entire diverse population. American democracy continues to be innovative and creative, but also strong and prosperous. These advantages can be misused and require continuous improvement as the story progresses.
America today faces the challenge of whether we will be able, despite the various competing forces within our society and government, to improve our democracy and society for the benefit of the many in the future. , as well as helping those who are left behind. Because our nation is a leader among many nations, there are also questions about whether we can be a leader in creating a better world.
THE The Rev. Robert L. Montgomery, Ph.D., lives in Black Mountain.