Eric Buitenhuis

Thank you for this. We've been looking around for how we can address this issue in our congregation, and it looks like you have a well-considered program with a novel approach. I'm looking forward to learning more.

Those comments from the President were entirely unacceptable, and I agree whole heartedly with Rep. Love's assessment.

However, we need to be a little more precise with our language. First, you seem to be setting up a false dichotomy between equality and elitism. Equality of what? People? Nations?  If President Trump made these comments about the nations being bad (I'll opt for nicer language), talking about people leaving Haiti and other nations in droves to come to the US, then the value assessment of the nation they are leaving seems to have already been made by those leaving. That is, I would make the case that the people leaving those countries would agree (albeit I'd hope in a less crude way). Could you clarify what you mean by equality? Equality of what?

Second, you also imply that "gain" is unjust. Proverbs is full of blessings that come with wise actions, wealth being one of them. Those who gain wealth justly, I would say, have demonstrated good money management and responsibility. Power is merely the ability to do work, and I want power in the hands of righteous people. Both money and power in the hands of wise people is not a bad thing, and it is unjust to call them unjust.

I guess my thought is, it is possible to detest what President Trump did AND to disagree with Marxist notions social justice.