What is pulling America Apart?

[Laodicean60]

I'm not from USA, so this is an outsider's opinion

• Tribalism
• Demonising of the opposition
• Sensationalism
• Fearmongering
• 24x7 News media
• Partisan media channels/outlets
• Opinion shows (entertainers) pretending to be journalists
• Misinformation on the internet
• Inability for people to decipher truth from lies
• Increasing lack of grace and integrity from politicians
• Politicians and certain media and personalities looking to erode peoples' confidence in elections, justice system, school system, science, DOJ, FBI, CIA etc

When people are paranoid about the system and have lost all trust, all you are left with is fear, anger and violence.

I agree with all

I'm not from USA, so this is an outsider's opinion

• Tribalism
• Demonising of the opposition
• Sensationalism
• Fearmongering
• 24x7 News media
• Partisan media channels/outlets
• Opinion shows (entertainers) pretending to be journalists
• Misinformation on the internet
• Inability for people to decipher truth from lies
• Increasing lack of grace and integrity from politicians
• Politicians and certain media and personalities looking to erode peoples' confidence in elections, justice system, school system, science, DOJ, FBI, CIA etc

When people are paranoid about the system and have lost all trust, all you are left with is fear, anger and violence.

Add some people in religion me included. Last month I had a heart attack because of dark energy (some would call the devil), fear for the future, things going on in the world, divisiveness in my country and the list went on for about 8 months.
I know some are going to get butt hurt (please forgive me, I don't mean you) but doing some reflection over the last 30 years trying to figure out how we came to this point is that "we lost our loving feelin' (Topgun) I feel that most of us have forgotten the Greatest Commandment of loving God and neighbors because God knows how much we love ourselves. We have become arrogant. judgmental, sin-conscious, hypocritical, and too much spirituality.

Like with the gay issue, Christians don't bake a cake for a gay wedding because it's against their religion. Then CBN celebrates it. Jesus would have! Only the Pharisees wouldn't have. The media and politicians take full advantage of it! Then we say don't force that stuff on us. Christians started forcing nonbelievers to turn or burn seems hypocritical.
Hell, Gays are starting their own churches because they don't feel welcomed in ours. It wouldn't be like this if we loved them sincerely.
We are too sin-conscious, we love looking into everyone else's backyards (you know the speck). If we genuinely loved we'd be blinded to it. I knew a dude at work who would vote because a politician didn't speak out against the gay issue (2016). That is how wrapped up in sin he was. I didn't go to church after I had almost a case of beer the night before. I was afraid of the judgment because I was judgmental. I remembered the conversations with my brothers about others.
We think Darth Vadar is in space but the devil's system is alive and well on Earth killing, stealing, and destroying people and families. Do you think we would have an epidemic drug problem in America? But these people have no hope because of the media and just about all the bullet points above. Where is the so-called light from the Christian organization? Maybe they're worried about their tax status.

Abortion: Christians protest in front of clinics and make the ones going in there feel guilty and claim victory when it's outlawed. I understand about life but ultimately it should be their choice and let God deal with them. We should be loving them when they go in there. My grip on it is that I don't want to pay for other young people's irresponsibility. They offer birth control at the health office. I'd be the first to cut a check for a criminal act. I have my own daughters I have to worry about.

I'm not perfect cause I've already acted a fool in CC but after 60+ years of paradigm or programming, I'll pray to undo this crap. Be Blessed

 

[evoeth]

I stopped myself from posting this opinion in another thread because I'm curious about what Americans in America think is pulling America apart.

I am 1000% convinced that the left and the right do NOT agree on what that is. As I'm outside of it, I have my own opinions on both groups. But from SPECIFICALLY where you sit, what do you think is causing the slow melting of America's standing.


My thoughts?

Right
Mass migration
DQSH/LGBTQ issues
CRT
Economic crisis (which isn't actually an ECONOMIC crisis...it's a distribution of wealth crisis as the rich get richer and the middle and poor get left behind....still)

Left
Greed/Corporate exploitation
Racism
The removal of rights for certain classes of people
Republican degradation of national institutions.



But really, what do you guys think.

https://aztownhall.org/resources/Documents/Bridging Divides to Build Community/Stuck in the Middle - The Extremes Pulling America Apart Summary.pdf
That's a link to a boring pdf that indicates that it is the extremism that's tearing America apart. Seems boring and, frankly, the "Extreme left" in America? I'm curious who that would include....

Trump just called the left "vermin" and the "threat from within". He is the single biggest catalyst for evil this country has seen in a long time.

 

[rambot]

Trump just called the left "vermin" and the "threat from within". He is the single biggest catalyst for evil this country has seen in a long time.

View attachment 339174

Any reasonable and honest person should have figured out what a terrible leader Trump would be for America.

The fact he used Veterans day to post this is such a disgrace but he's already made his feelings of dead and injured vets very clear.

And yet they still love him. I cannot imagine.
1. Biden saying those things about vets
2. The rights reaction to Biden saying that would, rightfully, eviscerated him.

But

He's got them around his tiny little finger

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Scripture Says Yahweh, not man, decides who Yahweh will put in leadership - Kings, Princes, Rulers, Leaders - all Yahweh's Choice/ Determination/ Doing according to All Scripture.

That does not mean we should be apathetic as if we have no role to play.

 

[Laodicean60]

Trump just called the left "vermin" and the "threat from within". He is the single biggest catalyst for evil this country has seen in a long time.

View attachment 339174

Trump did what he said he was going to do. But I agree with stevil bullet points. Trump could have done something about the fake news. He just whined about it. He could have gotten with Congress and encouraged them to create a law on truthful reporting and if it is opinion state it as opinion. I don't think its a good idea to go after the people (radical left& right) because they are being manipulated by higher powers to be. Yes, we need to look into the Davos types, WEF, Soros, and anyone who is manipulating the Americans and people in my government.

 

[Margaret3110]

When growing up we only had one TV in the house so we boomers didn't have the lifestyle of the rich and famous like it is today.

... Today I shake my head when my kids have to have the latest cell phones or want to stay in debt every 5 years for a newer car or get the latest HD TV and have a TV in every room.
Agreed today is more complex and yes wealth was shipped to China. I don't buy into the blame game because it's ultimately it's our spending habits and investment choices. I went through the same struggles I see my kids going through with their kids. Peace

I'm not into blame, but the economic system and job market are definitely different today than they used to be. Also, while there are millennials who live as you describe, a lot of us don't. A lot of us are scraping by with 20 year old cars, praying they just keep running because there's absolutely no way we could afford a new one or even a decent used one at this point. The prices on cars are outrageous. A lot of us are renting and have no idea if we'll ever own a home. Or we're still living with our parents. A lot of us have old, cheap phones with cracked screens that we will keep using until they become obsolete. We are putting basic groceries and gas on our credit cards because our income hasn't kept up with inflation.

I don't even have a television, much less one in every room. If that's how the millennials you know are living, that's a different world than what I'm familiar with.

 

[stevil]

Add some people in religion me included. Last month I had a heart attack because of dark energy (some would call the devil), fear for the future, things going on in the world, divisiveness in my country and the list went on for about 8 months.
I know some are going to get butt hurt (please forgive me, I don't mean you) but doing some reflection over the last 30 years trying to figure out how we came to this point is that "we lost our loving feelin' (Topgun) I feel that most of us have forgotten the Greatest Commandment of loving God and neighbors because God knows how much we love ourselves. We have become arrogant. judgmental, sin-conscious, hypocritical, and too much spirituality.

Hey, I thought I'd just say, that I really liked your post. It seems very seldom on this site that a Christian is posting introspectively rather than in fight mode. I know that there are some good Christians out there.

My wife has sometimes suggested to me to send our kids to a Christian school. She is not Christian, but she, for some reason feels a need to have an organisation teach our kids a moral code.
I'm almost anti-religion, so I try very hard to convince my wife not to send our kids to any religious school. I tell her that Christians in general are not less likely to commit crimes or to be into drugs etc. I tell her, however that Christians are more likely to hate gays, to attack them, to be judgmental and perhaps full of guilt.
If you are looking at putting people off the Christian religion and Christian organisations, pointing to their hate on gays is a really easy thing to do.

I'm sure though, that there are many Christians that don't bother gays, and would gladly bake them a cake, make them a wedding website, rent out a bed and breakfast to them. So you can't paint all Christians with the same broad brush stroke. But why are so many hating on gays?
I wonder if some preachers in church get up on the podium and spend ages talking about the sin of being gay? and hence spread the hatred to their congregation. I don't really know what goes on inside a church, I've never been to a service. But I feel if a preacher must say that gay is a sin, I feel they ought to have the awareness and the obligation to also tell people that gays are people too, just people, looking for companionship and love and family. Nothing to be scared of, nothing to hate, nothing to get offended by or aggressive at. Just people, looking to love. I feel that preacher ought to realise that some of the congregation will hear his words and thing that they ought to shun, ridicule or be mean to the "evil", "sinning" gays. So that preacher ought to have the obligation to teach his congregation to love, not to hate.


Now, I'm not a biblical scholar, I haven't read the bible, although I have heard about parts of it. But if the god is all powerful, surely the god doesn't need his human congregation to fight gays. Surely the all powerful god can deal with gays however the god sees fit. So what should Christians do then, if they aren't to be god's warriors? Perhaps they are to look at themselves, look for self improvement, seek to be the best they can be, and be compassionate, friendly, caring and helpful to others, even to sinners, even to non believers.
If Christianity put all their focus into themselves and not into attacking others, then I'd definatly not be anti-religion.
If god wants to judge people, then surely gods wants to give them some rope, give them choices and let them prove who they are. But if some Christians seek to take away people's choices, seek to force people to live a "Christian" life, then isn't that fighting against having people make free choices?

Quite frankly I can't fathom why an all powerful god would be concerned about the sexual activities of consenting and loving couples. But having some Christians actively trying to stop gay people from getting married, perhaps even wanting gay relationships to be outlawed, or even going around telling gays that they are sinners, or refusing to sell them cakes etc. It paints Christianity as being a religion of hate and bigotry, certainly not one of love.

I think, perhaps the emphasis against gays is because having some fight or common enemy can unite people can strengthen that groups unity and perhaps that is why some church leaders go down this path. Thy miss out of gays being in their group but they feel since it is a minority that they are better off because perhaps they gain more than what they lose???
Some politicians look to sensationalise things and to instill fear in their base, so as to light a fire under them and get them donating and voting. Some media look to sensationalise things to get people scared not to watch, they want people tuning in so that ratings go up and advertisers them pay top dollar.
And so we end up with lots of wedge issues, lots of fear and anger, lines are drawn and enemies and allies are marked.
It doesn't have to be this way.

 

[ForHimbyHim]

As an outsider looking in, I would agree with the posts that speak about the rise of individualism that says your personal opinion on any matter or person is very valuable, say it as it is, don't mind who hears you, is part of the problem. This fire is began in the classroom with what seems like a progressive, individualistic education.

This seems to be great for the individual in their own space, especially if it is pushed by algorithms, however, the reality of life is that even in one house there are differences of opinions. Husbands and wives may hold similar beliefs, but the way they understand them, the angle that they perceive that same issue is different.

Some issues are non issues but they seem to blow up. The rest of the world fell into different spectrums on the covid jab, however, I felt Americans took it to town, it was surreal to watch. I chose a side and I won't say which and why I chose it, but even on the side I was on, I was like wow, these people are really going crazy about this.

I feel that non-essentials are made politically essential. If you're A, you have to agree with and have strong opinions on these subjects, you can't be different or else you are evil. If you're B the same thing.

These fissures and the screen have allowed people to be ruthless and horrid toward those different to a sickening degree.

I see this scripture "1You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, 4traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God " on display.

 

[Larniavc]

Scripture Says Yahweh, not man, decides who Yahweh will put in leadership

Then how come the fact that he and people he gives his support to have lost elections and court cases almost every single time post 2016 (which was again a loss in any sane country- the electoral college has really done a number on democracy in America; it's the only way the GOP every wins)?

Could God drop a bigger hint that Trump is not fit for leadership?

 

[stevil]

A few million/hundred million/ honest and reasonable persons may realize that Trump may be the only choice?
Doesn't matter. Scripture Says Yahweh, not man, decides who Yahweh will put in leadership - Kings, Princes, Rulers, Leaders - all Yahweh's Choice/ Determination/ Doing according to All Scripture.

Except that in democratic countries it is the people that get to vote. The people choose their leader, not Yahweh.

 

[stevil]

Trump did what he said he was going to do. But I agree with stevil bullet points. Trump could have done something about the fake news. He just whined about it.

You can label me a Trump hater if you want. But I find with D Trump, seldom does this man act with grace. When given the choice, he tends to choose disgrace over grace. And perhaps that's why people either love him or hate him. Seldom does he say boring mundane things, typically when he speaks then 1/2 of the country says. "Yeah, finally someone said it", and the other half say "What a douche, what a horrible man, what he says is dangerous and hateful and spiteful"

 

[rambot]

A few million/hundred million/ honest and reasonable persons may realize that Trump may be the only choice?
Doesn't matter. Scripture Says Yahweh, not man, decides who Yahweh will put in leadership - Kings, Princes, Rulers, Leaders - all Yahweh's Choice/ Determination/ Doing according to All Scripture.

Did.....did you see the tweet? I mean, that's cool to you?

 

[Laodicean60]

Hey, I thought I'd just say, that I really liked your post. It seems very seldom on this site that a Christian is posting introspectively rather than in fight mode. I know that there are some good Christians out there.

My wife has sometimes suggested to me to send our kids to a Christian school. She is not Christian, but she, for some reason feels a need to have an organisation teach our kids a moral code.
I'm almost anti-religion, so I try very hard to convince my wife not to send our kids to any religious school. I tell her that Christians in general are not less likely to commit crimes or to be into drugs etc. I tell her, however that Christians are more likely to hate gays, to attack them, to be judgmental and perhaps full of guilt.
If you are looking at putting people off the Christian religion and Christian organisations, pointing to their hate on gays is a really easy thing to do.

I'm sure though, that there are many Christians that don't bother gays, and would gladly bake them a cake, make them a wedding website, rent out a bed and breakfast to them. So you can't paint all Christians with the same broad brush stroke. But why are so many hating on gays?
I wonder if some preachers in church get up on the podium and spend ages talking about the sin of being gay? and hence spread the hatred to their congregation. I don't really know what goes on inside a church, I've never been to a service. But I feel if a preacher must say that gay is a sin, I feel they ought to have the awareness and the obligation to also tell people that gays are people too, just people, looking for companionship and love and family. Nothing to be scared of, nothing to hate, nothing to get offended by or aggressive at. Just people, looking to love. I feel that preacher ought to realise that some of the congregation will hear his words and thing that they ought to shun, ridicule or be mean to the "evil", "sinning" gays. So that preacher ought to have the obligation to teach his congregation to love, not to hate.


Now, I'm not a biblical scholar, I haven't read the bible, although I have heard about parts of it. But if the god is all powerful, surely the god doesn't need his human congregation to fight gays. Surely the all powerful god can deal with gays however the god sees fit. So what should Christians do then, if they aren't to be god's warriors? Perhaps they are to look at themselves, look for self improvement, seek to be the best they can be, and be compassionate, friendly, caring and helpful to others, even to sinners, even to non believers.
If Christianity put all their focus into themselves and not into attacking others, then I'd definatly not be anti-religion.
If god wants to judge people, then surely gods wants to give them some rope, give them choices and let them prove who they are. But if some Christians seek to take away people's choices, seek to force people to live a "Christian" life, then isn't that fighting against having people make free choices?

Quite frankly I can't fathom why an all powerful god would be concerned about the sexual activities of consenting and loving couples. But having some Christians actively trying to stop gay people from getting married, perhaps even wanting gay relationships to be outlawed, or even going around telling gays that they are sinners, or refusing to sell them cakes etc. It paints Christianity as being a religion of hate and bigotry, certainly not one of love.

I think, perhaps the emphasis against gays is because having some fight or common enemy can unite people can strengthen that groups unity and perhaps that is why some church leaders go down this path. Thy miss out of gays being in their group but they feel since it is a minority that they are better off because perhaps they gain more than what they lose???
Some politicians look to sensationalise things and to instill fear in their base, so as to light a fire under them and get them donating and voting. Some media look to sensationalise things to get people scared not to watch, they want people tuning in so that ratings go up and advertisers them pay top dollar.
And so we end up with lots of wedge issues, lots of fear and anger, lines are drawn and enemies and allies are marked.
It doesn't have to be this way.

Can someone teach this old dummy how to quote sentences?

I think a Christian school would be better than the indoctrination of the government schools. In America, the government schools are taking kids away from parents over transgenderism which I think is a mental illness. It goes against science which I believe. I'm not sure what goes on in a Christian school either but I do know what the public school does.
Don't get me wrong, I don't condone any sin but I feel the sin of homosexuality is there because of pro-creation. You and I both know what a blessing it is to have children from our own loins. As grandparents, we look for my kids in my grandkid's features in them, and my wife and I giggle.
30 years ago I was told we need to do God's work, we'll hows that working out for us. Be blessed

 

[stevil]

I think a Christian school would be better than the indoctrination of the government schools. In America, the government schools are taking kids away from parents over transgenderism which I think is a mental illness. It goes against science which I believe. I'm not sure what goes on in a Christian school either but I do know what the public school does.

This is just yet another wedge issue.
My workmate's daughter transitioned into a son. It's none of my business, I'm not going to judge.
If I met his son, I'd be respectul, use masculine pronouns, no skin off my nose. I find it easy to be nice, to be respectful.
Oh, BTW, his son went to a Catholic Girl's school. I don't blame the school.

Don't get me wrong, I don't condone any sin but I feel the sin of homosexuality is there because of pro-creation. You and I both know what a blessing it is to have children from our own loins. As grandparents, we look for my kids in my grandkid's features in them, and my wife and I giggle.
30 years ago I was told we need to do God's work, we'll hows that working out for us. Be blessed

In my view people don't have to have children. A marriage without children is no less than a marriage with children.
It's not my place to judge.

 

[Laodicean60]

I'm not into blame, but the economic system and job market are definitely different today than they used to be. Also, while there are millennials who live as you describe, a lot of us don't. A lot of us are scraping by with 20 year old cars, praying they just keep running because there's absolutely no way we could afford a new one or even a decent used one at this point. The prices on cars are outrageous. A lot of us are renting and have no idea if we'll ever own a home. Or we're still living with our parents. A lot of us have old, cheap phones with cracked screens that we will keep using until they become obsolete. We are putting basic groceries and gas on our credit cards because our income hasn't kept up with inflation.

I don't even have a television, much less one in every room. If that's how the millennials you know are living, that's a different world than what I'm familiar with.

I'll pray for you and I feel you. I did forget the part about jobs because I was a job hopper. I'd work and save then party, Jobs were plentiful. As mentioned in another thread I agree it was the post-WW2 system that my father created. This idea of shipping jobs to China never set well with me in my 30s. Especially when I watched my in-laws getting laid off from textile because of it. This desire to convert China into a democracy wasn't going to work. Be Blessed

 

[Laodicean60]

This is just yet another wedge issue.
My workmate's daughter transitioned into a son. It's none of my business, I'm not going to judge.
If I met his son, I'd be respectul, use masculine pronouns, no skin off my nose. I find it easy to be nice, to be respectful.
Oh, BTW, his son went to a Catholic Girl's school. I don't blame the school.

In my view people don't have to have children. A marriage without children is no less than a marriage with children.
It's not my place to judge.

I'd love them also but I think they should do it when they're at 18 and not on my dime. Peace

 

[YorkieGal]

Half of the problems would be solved if people would get a job and stop worrying about everyone else.

Social media has been the decline of society.

Older people used to garden, knit, volunteer etc now they like to be social media police and think we're all entitled to their constant opinions.

Younger people think they're supposed to do nothing all day but fantasize how to be a YouTuber and resent middle aged people for having the house they benefit from while they watch videos online and smoke/vape cannabis.

Politics is an armchair hobby by people with no life, no understanding of how politics does and has always worked and who politicians are. It's like it's replaced stamp collecting but with more vitriol for people who had no outlet for being picked on in high school 20+ years ago.

It's so tiring reading threads by lay people who fight each other and actually think their opinion matters to anyone but themselves.

People talk about being divisive and then draw lines with one another and align with their favorite politician like being a sycophant does anything but get likes on your favorite social media/fake life.

We used to be a proper country where no one even knew who voted for who, or cared, because we were together to watch fireworks, sing the anthem, eat chicken at the BBQ and talk about the next episode of our favorite TV show.

In short, people need to get a life, get a hobby, get some friends and stop worshipping false idols.

 

[stevil]

I'd love them also but I think they should do it when they're at 18 and not on my dime. Peace

Perhaps it ought to be a decision for the parents, the child/young adult and the medical advisors. Perhaps it is right for you and me and the politicians not to have a say in this decision.

 

[stevil]

and has legally protected evil corporations, toxic pollutants, and so on.

If you vote Democrat they will like put some regulations in place to stop those evil corporations polluting the environment and exploiting nature. They also put protections in for workers to stop them being exploited too.

 

[RDKirk]

If you vote Democrat they will like put some regulations in place to stop those evil corporations polluting the environment and exploiting nature. They also put protections in for workers to stop them being exploited too.

Do you seriously believe that? Every Democrat in Congress, every single one, voted to repeal the Glass–Steagall Act, which led to the crisis of the early 2000s. Democrats were right there with Republicans voting for the globalization of labor, and were just as jubilant to see industry shipped to China. The Democratic Party pulled away from workers and handed them to the Republicans 20 years ago.

Democrats aren't going to change the relationship of government to corporations...that's their source of wealth as well.