from Acts of the Apostles Chap. 27, by Jim Padgett‘Political’: A Poem by Warren Bonham The Society October 4, 2024 Culture, Poetry 13 Comments . Political The culture tells us every day that we can’t be political, so Christians nod and meekly pray, but if we’re analytical, when governments stray into what is truly theological, then we should tell them they must shut their mouths if they are logical. We gave an inch, they took their mile and now take more voraciously. We give more ground, then weakly smile and say we’re acting graciously. Our government affirmatively is an evil entity that murders kids, while those who live don’t know their true identity. We are, but we should not be shocked it pushes ideology of leftist lies while God is mocked, dismissed as mere mythology. We’re free to live “our truth” we’re taught, with no concern for piety, and reap the harvest chaos brought which fractured our society. The government is jealous of the fervor and sincerity of those who worship God above so it has the temerity to modify God’s holy word with lies that will eventually infect the church so Truth gets blurred and rot grows exponentially. It’s now or never for us to be loving yet be critical, acknowledging that if we do, we’ll all be called political. So, like those in the Book of Acts, we must speak out courageously then as the government contracts, God’s Truth will grow contagiously. . . Warren Bonham is a private equity investor who lives in Southlake, Texas. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 13 Responses Cynthia Erlandson October 4, 2024 This is very a lively bit of serious (and true) content, which you have magically placed into a somewhat humorous form, by means of your strings of fun rhymes and a rollicking rhythm. I can’t identify a particular sketch — though I feel one ringing in my head — but I have the sense that this may be patterned after a particular musical comedy act?? (Someone here will probably name it, and then I’ll wonder why I couldn’t think of it.) Anyway, this is truly enjoyable. Thanks, Warren. Reply Warren Bonham October 5, 2024 I’m glad you enjoyed the form and content. I hadn’t consciously been thinking about Gilbert and Sullivan when I wrote this one but I was frequently exposed to their work when I was a kid so they probably should get some indirect credit. Reply T.M. October 4, 2024 “I am the very model of a modern major general…” Reply Warren Bonham October 5, 2024 Thanks for making the Gilbert & Sullivan connection. Reply Cynthia Erlandson October 5, 2024 That’s what I was trying to think of! Reply Joseph S. Salemi October 4, 2024 The phrase “politique d’abord” (coined by the great Charles Maurras) is relevant here. It means “Politics first,” or “Politics above all else.” It is a fatal weakness of many otherwise conservative religionists to approach the world as missionaries and preachers rather than political fighters. They are fixated on their catechisms, their scriptures, and their sectarian certainties rather on how to win battles and kill the enemy. The latest manifestation of this insanity comes from those anti-abortion partisans who have now decided not to support Donald Trump in the coming election, because his position on abortion does not quite exactly match that of their own simon-pure and absolute opposition. Michael Matt of The Remnant is a flagrant example of this kind of moralistic nit-picking. Trump gave the anti-abortion movement its prime victory — the overturning of Roe vs. Wade and the throwing of the abortion question back to the individual states. That is precisely where it belongs in accord with American constitutional tradition. By staying home on election day, or voting for some quixotic third-party candidate instead of Trump, these religionists are only proving how utterly asinine and unrealistic they are. Politique d’abord. Our primary job is to get Trump back into the White House, not to pat ourselves on the back for our moral virtue. Reply Warren Bonham October 5, 2024 If I only voted for someone with whom I agreed on every issue, I don’t think I could even vote for myself. Great point. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson October 5, 2024 Amen! Reply Warren Bonham October 6, 2024 I’m glad as always to be on the same side of any issue as you are. Reply Margaret Coats October 5, 2024 Warren, despite its seemingly light tone (deriving from the song-like rhythm), this is a densely historical poem on relations of church and state in America. It suggests a relatively recent development of the state into an evil and godless entity. Since your first evidence is that the government “murders kids,” you draw the line (at least the line where evil becomes evident) at legalization followed by increasing support for abortion. This is an evil different in kind than political corruption, which has been around ever since governments became centers of power. It naturally sets state in opposition to church, for as you say, the state is jealous of the fervor and sincerity of Christian citizens. I could say, “religious citizens,” because most sincere and fervent religion opposes abortion. I could cite orthodox Judaism, traditional Islam, and even Buddhism, in which parents besmirch the noble eightfold path by the killing of “water children,” for which they must make reparation if they are to progress toward nirvana. But “the church,” as you say, becomes target of the state over this issue and related ones, in which the state obscures truth itself. Joseph Salemi rightly sees the “now or never” call as the need to re-elect Trump, whose actions helped bring down Roe v. Wade, the state’s abortion bastion. Reagan, who declared himself pro-life, could not do as much, though he helped prepare the way by appointing Scalia to the Supreme Court. Scalia was most influential in bringing back logical, historical, and truthful approaches to interpretation of the Constitution. I have found more here than you explicitly wrote into your poem, but as I said, its words figure forth a dense backdrop. It is an invitation to think about how we got to this point of hostility between church and state, such that government and culture stridently want Christians not to be “political.” You also draw out the implications of acceding to this demand. Among little things in your well-written verse, let me admire the ten pairs of perfect triple rhymes. For many of them, in the iambic meter, you could have used simple /ee/ rather than /ERity/ and /AShusly/ and /ENchully/. It shows careful design and skill to have used the more artful method. Reply Warren Bonham October 6, 2024 Your poems and commentary always expose the limits of my knowledge. “Religious citizens” would have been much more fitting. I have a lot to learn about other faiths. I am completely unfamiliar with the eightfold path, but it sounds very well aligned with core Christian beliefs meaning that Buddhists may end up on the hot seat as well. Reply Russel Winick October 8, 2024 Warren, in my view this is an outstanding poem in every way – message, meter, rhyme – you’ve put it all here. Very impressive! Reply Warren Bonham October 10, 2024 Thanks very much for the read and for the supportive comments! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Cynthia Erlandson October 4, 2024 This is very a lively bit of serious (and true) content, which you have magically placed into a somewhat humorous form, by means of your strings of fun rhymes and a rollicking rhythm. I can’t identify a particular sketch — though I feel one ringing in my head — but I have the sense that this may be patterned after a particular musical comedy act?? (Someone here will probably name it, and then I’ll wonder why I couldn’t think of it.) Anyway, this is truly enjoyable. Thanks, Warren. Reply
Warren Bonham October 5, 2024 I’m glad you enjoyed the form and content. I hadn’t consciously been thinking about Gilbert and Sullivan when I wrote this one but I was frequently exposed to their work when I was a kid so they probably should get some indirect credit. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi October 4, 2024 The phrase “politique d’abord” (coined by the great Charles Maurras) is relevant here. It means “Politics first,” or “Politics above all else.” It is a fatal weakness of many otherwise conservative religionists to approach the world as missionaries and preachers rather than political fighters. They are fixated on their catechisms, their scriptures, and their sectarian certainties rather on how to win battles and kill the enemy. The latest manifestation of this insanity comes from those anti-abortion partisans who have now decided not to support Donald Trump in the coming election, because his position on abortion does not quite exactly match that of their own simon-pure and absolute opposition. Michael Matt of The Remnant is a flagrant example of this kind of moralistic nit-picking. Trump gave the anti-abortion movement its prime victory — the overturning of Roe vs. Wade and the throwing of the abortion question back to the individual states. That is precisely where it belongs in accord with American constitutional tradition. By staying home on election day, or voting for some quixotic third-party candidate instead of Trump, these religionists are only proving how utterly asinine and unrealistic they are. Politique d’abord. Our primary job is to get Trump back into the White House, not to pat ourselves on the back for our moral virtue. Reply
Warren Bonham October 5, 2024 If I only voted for someone with whom I agreed on every issue, I don’t think I could even vote for myself. Great point. Reply
Warren Bonham October 6, 2024 I’m glad as always to be on the same side of any issue as you are. Reply
Margaret Coats October 5, 2024 Warren, despite its seemingly light tone (deriving from the song-like rhythm), this is a densely historical poem on relations of church and state in America. It suggests a relatively recent development of the state into an evil and godless entity. Since your first evidence is that the government “murders kids,” you draw the line (at least the line where evil becomes evident) at legalization followed by increasing support for abortion. This is an evil different in kind than political corruption, which has been around ever since governments became centers of power. It naturally sets state in opposition to church, for as you say, the state is jealous of the fervor and sincerity of Christian citizens. I could say, “religious citizens,” because most sincere and fervent religion opposes abortion. I could cite orthodox Judaism, traditional Islam, and even Buddhism, in which parents besmirch the noble eightfold path by the killing of “water children,” for which they must make reparation if they are to progress toward nirvana. But “the church,” as you say, becomes target of the state over this issue and related ones, in which the state obscures truth itself. Joseph Salemi rightly sees the “now or never” call as the need to re-elect Trump, whose actions helped bring down Roe v. Wade, the state’s abortion bastion. Reagan, who declared himself pro-life, could not do as much, though he helped prepare the way by appointing Scalia to the Supreme Court. Scalia was most influential in bringing back logical, historical, and truthful approaches to interpretation of the Constitution. I have found more here than you explicitly wrote into your poem, but as I said, its words figure forth a dense backdrop. It is an invitation to think about how we got to this point of hostility between church and state, such that government and culture stridently want Christians not to be “political.” You also draw out the implications of acceding to this demand. Among little things in your well-written verse, let me admire the ten pairs of perfect triple rhymes. For many of them, in the iambic meter, you could have used simple /ee/ rather than /ERity/ and /AShusly/ and /ENchully/. It shows careful design and skill to have used the more artful method. Reply
Warren Bonham October 6, 2024 Your poems and commentary always expose the limits of my knowledge. “Religious citizens” would have been much more fitting. I have a lot to learn about other faiths. I am completely unfamiliar with the eightfold path, but it sounds very well aligned with core Christian beliefs meaning that Buddhists may end up on the hot seat as well. Reply
Russel Winick October 8, 2024 Warren, in my view this is an outstanding poem in every way – message, meter, rhyme – you’ve put it all here. Very impressive! Reply