5210

So it’s the double benefit of keeping Trump unhinged (and hoping he incriminates himself further in doing so) while allowing Democrats to further strategize and possibly get some lower court wins on some of the stuff they’re trying to get access to. It was smart to push the vote through right before the holiday recess, as that’s at least the next two weeks Trump will be stewing while he waits to see what’s next.

5211

Current composition of DC Court of Appeals is one each from Bushes, 3 from Clinton, 4 from Obama & 2 per Trump. Chief Judge Merrick Garland.

5212

It’s like disagreeing with Bill Belichick on football X’s and O’s. You may not like the guy, you may not trust him, but second-guessing his decisions is usually foolish.

5213

We need to keep in mind that the system was designed without political parties in mind.

The founding fathers designed Congress to be a competitor to the executive branch, not an accomplice. They have Congress the power to decide this stuff for itself.

The reason it’s all breaking down, is because Republicans in Congress believe that it’s their job to enable Trump, rather than check his power.

5214

I get that. But this administration has pointed out myriad problems with the system, be they assumptions, understandings, gentleman’s agreements, or simple inability to see into the future. On the one hand, there are more pressing concerns (when aren’t there?) but seems like all these things have helped enable this president and those Republicans to run wild.

I don’t know how we fix it, and once the immediate need has passed, no one will care anymore.

5215
5216

I mean, good on them and all, but this is what put CT off of Trump? Not the fact that he cheated on all of this three wives, paid hush money to porn stars, and stole from charities? Those things were ok? Insulted and mocked veterans? CT is ok with that? I won’t even mention the sexual assaults, because I doubt CT cares about that. But putting the screws to the president of Ukraine, that’s too immoral for them?

5217

Were they?

5218

I don’t read CT (obviously), but from the linked article:

The typical CT approach is to stay above the fray and allow Christians with different political convictions to make their arguments in the public square, to encourage all to pursue justice according to their convictions and treat their political opposition as charitably as possible.

and

We have reserved judgment on Mr. Trump for years now. Some have criticized us for our reserve. But when it comes to condemning the behavior of another, patient charity must come first. So we have done our best to give evangelical Trump supporters their due, to try to understand their point of view, to see the prudential nature of so many political decisions they have made regarding Mr. Trump.

5219

If Trumpists are totally cool ignoring and even thumbing their noses at the Pope, I have a feeling Christianity Today isn’t going to make a dent.

5220

Well, lots of Baptists and evangelicals think that the pope is literally working for Satan.

5221

You might find this to be relevant in this context concerning the procedures from Noah Feldman https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1207795034902474752

5222

Article seems to be down, also not listed on their articles page. It does show up in various search engines, but basically 404’s on link.

I wonder if they caved under pressure or if this is just a technical issue.

5223

Still there, though prone to 404 errors. It also remains as the top item on their home page.

And wow… it is very strongly worded, and written by their Editor in Chief.

5224

Thanks @Oghier, got it this time, although the image is missing. Maybe their servers are getting hammered with more traffic then they’re used to.

5225

Has Franklin Graham condemned them to eternal damnation yet?

5226

Likely so! It could also be something simpler – there was a typo in the subheader (a ? where an apostrophe belonged), and I notice that error is now fixed.

5227

As a Christian it is heartening to see an article like that.

5228

Definitely not.

From even before the election:

And therefore it is completely consistent that Trump is an idolater in many other ways. He has given no evidence of humility or dependence on others, let alone on God his Maker and Judge. He wantonly celebrates strongmen and takes every opportunity to humiliate and demean the vulnerable. He shows no curiosity or capacity to learn. He is, in short, the very embodiment of what the Bible calls a fool

And taking aim at Trump supporters:

Enthusiasm for a candidate like Trump gives our neighbors ample reason to doubt that we believe Jesus is Lord. They see that some of us are so self-interested, and so self-protective, that we will ally ourselves with someone who violates all that is sacred to us—in hope, almost certainly a vain hope given his mendacity and record of betrayal, that his rule will save us.

That too:

The revelations of the past week of his vile and crude boasting about sexual conquest—indeed, sexual assault—might have been shocking, but they should have surprised no one… Indeed, there is hardly any public person in America today who has more exemplified the “earthly nature” (“flesh” in the King James and the literal Greek) that Paul urges the Colossians to shed: “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed

Well, they’re not wrong.

5229

Christianity Today is not a conservative Evangelical magazine. It tries to be broadly ecumenical, but it tends to encapsulate the views of liberal mainline Protestantism.