#faith and politics

[markwilliams54]

Evangelicalism’s Dangerous Pursuit of Power

The evangelical movement in America has become inextricably linked with political activism, but at what cost? In DECEIVED! The Poisoned Fruit of Evangelicalism, Dr. Mark Williams explores how this shift from spiritual focus to political power has eroded the moral foundation of the Church.

Dr. William’s book paints a stark picture of how many evangelicals, driven by the desire to advance causes like pro-life advocacy and religious freedom, have abandoned the core teachings of Jesus. These causes, while seemingly noble, have been co-opted by political agendas that prioritize legislative victories over the genuine spiritual welfare of individuals. This manipulation of faith for political gain is at the heart of DECEIVED!

The author demonstrates how evangelical leaders have become deeply entrenched in the political sphere, often supporting candidates whose personal lives and policies contradict Christian values. Dr. Williams asks a critical question: how can believers, in good conscience, align themselves with politicians whose behavior is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus? Is the promise of political power worth sacrificing our spiritual integrity?

DECEIVED! exposes the reality that many well-meaning Christians have been misled into believing that their political activism is a form of service to God. However, Dr. Williams explains that these actions often lead us further from the message of Christ. Instead of focusing on compassion, forgiveness, and love—the very heart of the Gospel—Christians are distracted by the pursuit of power.

The book is not just an indictment of modern evangelicalism but also a call to return to the essence of Christian faith. Dr. Williams encourages readers to reassess their priorities and reflect on whether their political engagement is truly reflective of Jesus’ teachings. Is it possible to fight for moral causes without compromising one’s faith?

In answering these questions, Dr. Williams provides a compelling argument for a return to spiritual integrity. DECEIVED! encourages Christians to resist the temptation of power and refocus on what really matters: following Jesus’ example of love, service, and humility. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about the direction of evangelicalism and its impact on both faith and politics.

DECEIVED! is now available for purchase on Amazon and at https://deceived.drmarkwill.com. To preview chapters from this transformative book and enjoy Dr. Mark Williams' inspiring music, download his app using the QR code below. Buy the book through the app to get a $5 discount on the retail price of DECEIVED! The Poisoned Fruit of Evangelicalism. https://stagingclientswebsites.com/wp3/

[compassionmattersmost]

A Prayer for America

A Heartfelt Prayer for Our Nation: Embracing Unity and Compassion In this pivotal moment of transition, we are called to gather our hearts and minds, reflecting on our shared values as Americans. This prayer serves as a beacon of hope and a reminder of the strength we possess when we come together, transcending our differences. May the light of righteousness, loving-kindness, compassion, truth,…

[dkcdude]

Vote with Your Heart for Your Heart

Introduction As you may have noticed, Election Day in the United States is in just a couple of days. But fear not, this will not be a political post. As hard as it is to believe, there won’t even be any political ads anywhere in this article. Believe me when I say that I understand how easy it is to feel overwhelmed by the weight of our choices in this election. The debates, the ads, the news…

[locustheologicus]

We Catholics are taught by our Church that we should vote. This is a civil responsibility and one that our Church considers an important expression of faithful citizenship. Pope Francis expressed consern about the state of democracy especially with low voter turnout and populist temptations to vote unreflectively.

More recently, Pope Francis recognized the difficulty with the American election but still called on us all to be involved and to form our conscience for this election.

Recognizing these social concerns and the important upcoming elections that have the potential to move us closer to authoritarianism or the democratic process, the church is asking all of us to be involved and vote. The Jesuit magazine, "America" offers the following six suggestions for conflicted voters.

Prepare a personal scorecard: Where do the candidates stand on pro-life, anti-poverty, immigration, foreign policy and religious freedom issues? ...the process can help clarify a Catholic voter’s thinking before stepping into the booth.

Split your ticket:  A split ticket sends a clear message: We want both sides to address problems in a bipartisan manner, not with extreme proposals.

Assess each candidate’s character and leadership skills: A candidate who is willing to lead, reach across the aisle, strongly consider opposing views and respect the rule of law in decision-making can be vital in achieving the common good—an important Catholic principle.

Remember that you do not have to support the candidate you vote for on every issue: There are many ways to exercise your rights as a citizen in the public square besides voting, such as attending rallies, writing letters or participating in coalition or community groups.

Talk to fellow Catholics: It is worth talking to family, friends and acquaintances about the election through a Catholic lens. Even if you disagree or even argue with someone, this provides another guidepost for your decision process.

And finally, vote, even if it is a difficult decision: For some Catholic voters, neither major candidate is satisfactory, and you must “hold your nose” to vote for one of them—or at least say a prayer before doing so.

These are great points for all Catholics to ponder as we prepare for election day. Regarding the fifth bullet point, talking to fellow Catholics, I advise us all to take seriously the idea of promoting cordial diologues based on an ethic of mutual respect for one another. In the past I have promoted the "Civilize It" Campaign from the USCCB, a campaign to get American voters to participate in the electoral process with the dignity that flows from our Catholic values. The Jesuit social ction thinktank, The Ignatian Solidarity Network, offers Catholics a different opportunity. This campaign is more follows Ignatian spirituality and is more friendly towards sociel media engagement. It has Catholics take the pledge below and then widely promote their political enagement.

[trendynewsnow]

A Cinematic Journey Through the Vatican's Papal Election

A Cinematic Escape Amidst Political Turmoil In the face of the chaotic unknown and the overwhelming dread that often accompanies it, people find solace in various forms. Some escape into a bottle of wine, while others reach for comforting snacks. A few choose to channel their stress into healthier outlets, such as brisk walking or indulging in sound bath meditation. For me, however, the ultimate…

[biblepreacher]

War & Politics: Conquer Evil with Good

We are continuing our series answering the questions of "war & politics". In this post we talk about how to conquer evil with good, which is a crucial point in my framework. For this reason, this post is larger and deeper in scope than the others.

One of the most compelling axioms of our time is the saying “when good men do nothing, evil prevails.” When we look around and see what is being done to babies, how our children are being mutilated, and our society is becoming cruel, desperate, and corrupt, I think we yearn from the deepest recesses of our soul for justice. We look for answers that tell us what we can do about the evils we see…

[watchmakermori]

manifesting the worst tory election result in history tomorrow. like to charge reblog to cast and reply to send the tories to a shadow dimension for 3000 years

[rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world]

Attention Christians - THIS is what Jesus would do. Put his body on the line, speak truth to power, and demand justice for the starving and oppressed. 🙌

Thank you, @christiansforafreepalestine, for being an example of true decency and faith in action.

“Our scriptures say ‘woe to you, who eat while others go hungry!” they called out to senate staff.

Saying “Congress won’t eat until Gaza eats,” over 60 Christians from across the U.S. are nonviolently blockading the Senate Cafeteria to pressure the Senate and their staffers to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, restore aid to UNRWA, and end military funding to Israel. #CFPAction

[hussyknee]

Trying to explain what the fuck just happened in Lankan politics today.

The leftist party has won 159 seats out of 218 in the Parliamentary elections. The single biggest landslide win since we broke from the British and achieved universal franchise in 1948.

Any party achieving a super majority in the executive and legislative is, objectively speaking, bad. It disables checks and balances, which is a catastrophic thing for any democracy, and the only two other times it's happened for us has irrevocably eroded the fabric of civic rights and democratic freedom. Also, the reason the NPP won the North and East is that the colonized, genocided and subjugated people there have no faith in electoralism anymore. The way this government has engaged minority issues has been utterly abysmal and now they've been rewarded for it.

On the other hand:

The winners. Are all. Grassroots. Candidates.¹

We have voted out every single career criminal that's been barnacled into the Lankan political arena since before I've been alive. The fascist party has only three seats.² The other fascists didn't win a single seat. The neoliberal legacy party won none. There are only forty people in Parliament that represent any sort of dynastic political legacy. After 76 solid years of nothing but political dynasties.

This is barely five years after the Rajapaksas swept in and absolutely glutted the Parliament with their family members and cronies end to end.

This is the illegitimate interim government we had for most of the last 18 months. We literally, physically, chased the Rajapaksas out of the country and this fucking demon set up a puppet government just so he could finally sit in that goddamn chair and be the despot he'd always dreamed of in exchange for letting them all come back. He's now gone. His entire circle is gone.

THEY ARE ALL FUCKING GONE.

In US terms, just imagine that, five years from now, when Trump's GOP has control of everything, the entire GOP and the worst of the Dems are all purged from Congress and Senate, the Green Party in control of all three branches of government under a pro-union left-wing President and an unmarried female LGBT rights activist Vice President, and the Dems reduced to barely 20% of the House.

This is my anthropology professor. She joined politics from the small nascent leftist coalition to help keep the government accountable. She's now the Prime Minister and the most popular Parliamentary candidate in the nation's history. (Edit: She was knocked off first place by a dude in the final result. Boo.)

(On the other hand— the woman who helped make me a radical anarchist and literally helped write a book on political dissent and resistance...now is the state. Uh.)

But there are so many women in Parliament! We had the lowest female representation in a South Asian Parliament and some of them were from the list of seats reserved for parties rather than elected ones. Most were either anti-feminist conservative embarrassments, widows and daughters of elite politicians and neoliberal shills. It's still only an increase of a few percentage points (Edit: from the previous 5% to 10% in the final result!) but now we have elected academics, feminist advocates, activists! There Is a representative for Malaiyaha Tamils in the Central Province for the first time in history and it's a young woman! (Edit: now it's two female Malaiyaha MPS!!) This is the plantation community that still live in conditions closest to the slavery the British forced upon them two hundred years ago!

I'm like. Completely mindfucked. To be very very clear, the NPP coalition formed around the nucleus of the JVP that used to be communist but haven't been in 30 years, they're now just social democrats who are left of places like the US and UK, whose "left" is now center-right. They're only threatening to the Western mainstream media for some reason who can't stop bleating about how we have a "Marxist" government now. In reality, the actual chances for radical reform are still quite low, and the opportunity for further erosion is quite high with a super majority government regardless of affiliation.

On the other hand:

What the fuck.

Sometimes living through historical events is really damn amazing.

---

¹ Well, nearly. There are a few career politicians and a nepo baby but they aren't so bad either.

² Goddamn it, Baby Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka's answer to JD Vance have wormed their way in using the list of Constitutionally reserved party seats for non-elected members. FUCK the National List.

[universoulreiki]

There is an increasing polarity in the political world and how many feel we should address the problems facing us. The temptation to separate people and parties into "Good guys" and "Bad guys" is strong. Archangel Sandalphon delivers an in-depth look at how to best shape our choices and alignments, policy by policy and candidate by candidate. We're encouraged to turn away from fear-based political actions and towards heart-centered ones.

Channeled by Daniel Zafer-Joyce on 12-6-22 at Castle Rock State Park, Los Gatos, CA

If you would like to schedule your own private channeling for guidance you can do so at this link:

https://bit.ly/41ufEGA

If you would like to contact Daniel directly with questions you can use the contact link at universoulreiki.com

Follow on Instagram at @Universoul_Reiki for early glimpses of upcoming messages.

Music: Ambient Nature Music | Nature by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/

Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Creative Commons CC BY 3.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

[markwilliams54]

Evangelicalism’s Political Trap The Loss of Spiritual Integrity

In recent decades, evangelicalism has become almost synonymous with political activism in the United States. From vocal opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights to the staunch defense of religious freedoms, evangelicals have emerged as a major political force. However, Dr. Mark William's provocative and incisive book DECEIVED! The Poisoned Fruit of Evangelicalism raises a critical question: has the evangelical movement’s entanglement with political power compromised its spiritual integrity?

Dr. Williams opens his book with a bold claim—that the modern evangelical movement, once driven by a sincere desire to live according to Christ's teachings, has been hijacked by political ambition. In his view, evangelicalism has shifted from being a faith-driven movement concerned with sharing the love of Christ to a politically motivated machine, obsessed with legislative victories and cultural dominance. This dangerous shift, according to DECEIVED! has not only eroded the credibility of the Church but has also distanced it from its core spiritual mission.

One of the most compelling arguments in Dr. William's book is his examination of how evangelical leaders have allowed themselves to become pawns in the political arena. Historically, the evangelical movement was built on the foundation of spreading the Gospel and living a life that embodied Christ's values—love, compassion, humility, and service. But over time, evangelical leaders have aligned themselves with political figures and movements that promise power and influence, even if those leaders or policies contradict the very teachings of Jesus.

Dr. Williams points to issues like abortion, religious liberty, and LGBTQ+ rights, which have become rallying cries for evangelical political activism. While these issues are undeniably significant and worthy of thoughtful discourse, DECEIVED! argues that they have been exploited by politicians who use them to manipulate and galvanize the evangelical base. By focusing so heavily on these hot-button issues, evangelical leaders distract their followers from deeper questions of faith, spiritual growth, and the true mission of the Church.

According to Dr. Williams, this intense focus on political victories has led to a dangerous compromise. Many evangelical Christians now find themselves supporting political candidates who, far from embodying Christian virtues, are morally bankrupt or whose policies may cause harm to the very people Jesus calls his followers to serve—the marginalized, the poor, and the oppressed. The result is a Church that has forsaken its moral compass in favor of political power, leading to a crisis of credibility and spiritual decay.

The book points to the increasing trend of evangelical leaders endorsing political candidates who promise to protect these values, even when these candidates’ personal lives and policies are in direct opposition to the teachings of Christ. Dr. Williams provides several examples of how evangelical leaders have overlooked glaring moral failings, scandals, and unethical behavior in politicians because they prioritize political victories over spiritual principles. By doing so, he argues, these leaders have effectively sold out the values they claim to defend in exchange for power.

Perhaps most disturbingly, Dr. Williams argues that this manipulation has led many evangelical Christians to believe that political activism is a form of spiritual service. The evangelical movement has increasingly equated legislative victories with the advancement of God's kingdom on earth, blurring the line between faith and politics. This conflation, according to DECEIVED! is dangerous because it shifts the focus from spreading the Gospel to winning political battles, creating a culture of fear, anger, and division rather than one of love, compassion, and grace.

Dr. Williams doesn't stop at critiquing the current state of evangelicalism; he also offers a path forward. He calls on Christians to return to the core teachings of Jesus and to reject the political strategies that have led them astray. He urges readers to re-evaluate their priorities, to focus less on political victories and more on living out their faith in a way that reflects the love, humility, and grace of Christ.

DECEIVED! The Poisoned Fruit of Evangelicalism is a wake-up call for Christians who have become disillusioned with the political direction of the evangelical movement. It is a powerful reminder that the Church’s mission is spiritual, not political, and that Christians must remain vigilant against the ways in which their faith can be co-opted for political gain. By returning to the teachings of Jesus and prioritizing love, compassion, and humility over political power, evangelical Christians can reclaim their faith and restore the Church's credibility in a world that desperately needs its message.

DECEIVED! The Poisoned Fruit of Evangelicalism. is now available on Amazon and at https://deceived.drmarkwill.com. Use the QR code below to download the Dr. Mark Williams app and preview chapters from this book, plus enjoy his inspiring music recordings. When you buy the book through the app, you'll get a $5 discount on DECEIVED! The Poisoned Fruit of Evangelicalism. https://stagingclientswebsites.com/wp3/

[a-boat-on-the-sea]

Jesus was a brown-skinned, Middle Eastern man, who spent his early childhood as a refugee. He spent his life telling people to give all their belongings to the poor. If he knocked on the door of many Republicans, they would get one of their guns and shoot him in the face.

[locustheologicus]

What reason can there be to vote for Trump?

I have made it clear that I am obviously voting for Harris. Yet I must confess that It boggles my mind why anyone at this point is supporting candidate Trump. I am sincerely asking this question in the hope of sparking a conversation on what is it we stand for. I have recognized candidate Trump as a failed businessman with a successful flare for self-marketing who has bamboozled many of us into thinking that he is an image of success. The article above shows that actual economist see candidate Harris as have a better economic platform for our nation.

While each of us has different views on the particulars of various economic policies, we believe that, overall, Harris’ economic agenda will improve our nation’s health, investment, sustainability, resilience, employment opportunities, and fairness and be vastly superior to the counterproductive economic agenda of Donald Trump.

As far as I can tell he is simply a narcissist who lives on personal adulation and power. What has he actually done that merits any national consideration? How is it that this is a close race?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be voting for Harris but not because of issues. I will vote for her because I consider Trump a threat to America, our political system and core values. Because of all this I have also committed, with this election, to vote straight democrat. My reason for this is because overall the Republicans have allowed Trump’s candidacy to undermine our political system and they must be held responsible for this.

Having said this I will say that I am looking to see what Candidate Harris does stand for and see what issues I do agree with. One of the criticisms on Candidate Harris is that people don’t know what she stands for. Perhaps because of the toxic political environment we find ourselves in we have witnessed more defensive character bashing than actual issue discussion. With Trump it isn’t easy to find concrete issues outside of mass deportations, a tariffs based economy and support for IVF’s.

As for Harris, this unpacks some of the issues that she stands for.

Faithful Citizenship raises the following two principles that are an overarching lens for my evaluation on socio-economic issues.

The dignity of the human person is the foundation for a moral vision of society, [therefore] we seek to prevent and remedy any aspects of an “economy of exclusion,” which “does not hesitate to exploit, discard, and even kill human beings,” and to work instead toward an “economy of communion” rooted in ethical concern.

We must “place at the center of all political, social and economic activity the human person, who enjoys the highest dignity, and respect for the common good… While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable, and most in need deserve special concern, which the Church describes as the preferential option for the poor. Laws and policies must prioritize those who struggle to make ends meet and must preserve the social safety net and promote decent jobs, affordable housing, and childcare.

With these Catholic social values in mind I raise the following policies from Candidate Harris that I support because of them.

Economics:

First-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries.

Secure new authority for the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate and penalize companies that unfairly exploit consumers.

Increase a tax deduction for new small businesses to $50,000, up from $5,000.

Help minority entrepreneurs and others by providing 1 million fully forgivable loans.

Strengthen the manufacturing sector by creating a new “America Forward” tax credit. It would be targeted at investment and job creation in key strategic industries

Taxes:

Expansión of the child tax credit to as much as $3,600, up from $2,000, and call for it to be made permanent.

Add a new child tax credit of up to $6,000 for middle-class and lower-income families

Restore the American Rescue Plan’s enhancement of the earned income tax credit, known as the EITC.

End federal income tax on tips

Raise the corporate tax rate to 28%, up from the current 21% rate set by Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Raise the long-term capital gains rate to 28%, up from the current 20% rate, for those earning more than $1 million.

Supporting the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax proposal, which seeks to ensure that those worth more than $100 million pay a federal income tax rate of at least 25% on their income.

Housing:

Provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homebuyers. The down-payment support would apply to working families who have paid rent on time for two years, with more generous support for first-time homebuyers. The plan would also provide a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.

Building of 3 million new housing units. To spur construction, she would provide a first-ever tax incentive for builders who build starter homes sold to first-time buyers.

Lower rent costs in the US by blocking landlords from using algorithm-driven price-setting tools to set rents and discouraging wealthy investors from buying up properties and marking up rents in bulk by removing tax benefits for investors who buy large numbers of single-family rental homes.

Health Care:

Builds on the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce prescription drug costs. Including the expansion of the current $35 monthly cap on out-of-pocket costs for insulin and the upcoming $2,000 annual limit on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs generally to all Americans.

Accelerate the speed of Medicare’s drug price negotiations so that the costs of more medications come down faster.

establish a Medicare at Home program, which would provide home health aides to enrollees who cannot independently handle activities of daily living.

Reduce the number of “ambulance deserts” by increasing funding and technical support for emergency medical technicians and first responders

Immigration:

Crackdown on asylum claims meant to continue reducing crossings at the US-Mexico border. Harris has said that she would maintain Biden’s crackdown on asylum claims – and potentially go further.

Continue overseeing diplomatic efforts in Central America.

Pull together the Partnership for Central America, which has acted as a liaison between companies and the US government. Her team and the partnership are closely coordinating on initiatives that have led to job creation in the region.

Climate Change:

Work to Reduce climate pollution by 2035 – a requirement of the Paris climate agreement.

Continue supporting the policies of the Green New Deal in considering sustainable infrastructure and opportunities.

This is not an exhaustive list but these are a list of her domestic policies that very much concern me as I consider the future of our nation.

In the spirit of voting your conscience I hope that all Catholic Americans reflect on the values of their faith and consider how they will vote their conscience.

[serpentface]

Faiza performing the Kagnoma Odo (pretty literally 'lion dance'), a weapons dance and one of the more important ritual duties of Odonii priestesses. A relatively new addition to this traditional dance involves the musket as the primary weapon, which is fired mid-twirl into the ground at the climax of the dance. Faiza is experiencing an 'oh fuck' moment because her shot is more than ideally diagonal, but she’s being so cool with it.

This is a wholly ceremonial performance at the onset of the pilgrimage, performed in full regalia and lion skin (of the small, semi-domesticated strain) but no armor. It’s also distinctly a display of political allegiance between the powerful and beloved Odonii priesthood (and its loyal military) with the increasingly reviled and destabilized imperial family, with Faiza prominently wearing a bracelet of the royal serpent, which was gifted (along with the musket) by the usoma Stavis Amanti himself (Usoma is the Wardi word for king, which has been retained in the context of emperors).

The Kagnoma Odo is the ultimate demonstration of the Odonii as an embodiment of the Lion Face of God and living vessel of military might and sovereignty, demonstrating her fitness and proficiency with weapons and as a spiritual unifier for soldiers. It is accompanied by drumming and occurs in stages, running through the three keymost weapons used in war- the spear, the sword, and the musket. The musket is of the most significance, given the weapon has developed a particular esteem as the ultimate embodiment of might and superiority. Assistants (almost always other priestesses, occasionally high ranking soldiers) load and prime the musket to be fired at the climax of the dance, where it is shot into the ground as the priestess leaps out of range of the shot. The firing signals the end of the dance and the rite itself.

While not the utmost exemplar of trigger discipline, only fully inducted and senior (and therefore very thoroughly trained) Odonii are permitted to perform the dance, and injuries during actual performances are quite rare (though are known to occur during training, more than a few Odonii have burns and wounds on their feet).

The most important renditions of this dance are performed upon declarations of war and before battles (in this case, generally done in full armor along with the lion pelt). It is also done during some trainings (while a dance, it is carefully choreographed to include naturalistic maneuvers of the weapons involved and helps soldiers limber up and learn to move their weapons). It is regarded as an impressive and motivating sight and a morale booster, and, seen at a distance, potentially intimidating to enemies.

A special variant of this dance is performed as means of fully incarnating the Odomache, which is done in full nudity with the body covered in the blood of the freshly sacrificed lion and cloaked in its raw pelt (the lion has become the corpse of Odomache in the moment of death, as part of its recreation of God's sacrifice). Her public, full nude appearance once (and only once) in this act is what allows the Lion Face of God to incarnate within her. Those in attendance see the spiritually vulnerable, naked human body obscured with the sanctified and deified blood and cloaked in the sanctified and deified skin. It is a merger of the contradictions of mortality and divinity, the boundaries between the two indistinct in flickering firelight and the flash of musketfire. She is witnessed by her people, dangling in between humanity and divinity and leading them in dance, and and is thus transformed.

[biblepreacher]

War & Politics: Can Christians Serve in Political or Military Vocations?

Having argued that Jesus is Lord, which gives him alone the right to order his Kingdom, and that there is one authority over all to which we must answer, which means there aren’t different standards for “secular” and “religious” spheres, and having argued that God has both reserved vengeance for himself, now it’s time to ask the question that has divided how Christians engage with questions of…

[emilianadarling]

The Pennsylvania Senate race is still too close to call.

While it's unlikely to affect the presidential race, I hope Americans are aware that the NBC decision desk (pictured above) and New York Times decision desk have not yet called the Pennsylvania Senate race between McCormick (R) and Casey (D), deeming it still too close to call. The AP called the race for McCormick on Wednesday November 7, citing a 30,000 vote margin between the candidates with an estimated 91,000 votes remaining to count -- the rationale being that there were not enough potential votes left in areas favouring Casey to make a difference.

Since then:

The number of estimated votes left to count has been updated by PA from 91,000 to at least 100,000 per a Thursday announcement from the PA Secretary of State, including provisional, military, overseas, and some Election Day votes;

McCormick has filed multiple lawsuits in an attempt to prevent or limit continue counting of provisional ballots, some of which have now by Friday been withdrawn or dismissed;

Efforts from a group called "PA Fair Elections" to challenge 4,000 mail-in ballots (mostly from overseas or military voters) have now all been withdrawn or dismissed. A number of these challenges had previously been flagged both by the media and by individual voters. (Screenshots of these challenge emails being circulated on tumblr alongside accusations of 'cheating' -- in the end these challenges were made in bad faith, but technically made and ultimately dismissed through legal means.)

This DOES NOT MEAN that the Pennsylvania Senate seat is in any way guaranteed to flip once all the remaining votes are counted. The race is extremely close -- enough so that the AP is confident standing by its call.

What it DOES mean is that the votes have not yet finished being counted, and that it is not yet truly known who will have the most votes in the end. Although McCormick has already declared victory, Casey (in my view very reasonably and wisely) has not yet conceded and is calling for all votes to be counted.

By Pennsylvania law, a recount must occur if the race is within 0.5%. It's looking likely that this will occur. While recounts rarely change the outcome unless results are truly within the main of a handful of votes, they are an important tool for ensuring confidence in the final results.

I know that people are grieving and demoralized right now, but these tight margin races are CRITICAL for determining how large the margin of victory will be for Democrats to flip the Senate in future elections. (Assuming future electing aren't subverted or dismantled somehow by a second Trump administration, but we have to hold out hope for institutional residence here.) The outcome of this and other right Senate and House races may have enormous consequences in a few years, and it would be agonizing to look back and realize that the window of opportunity to ensure a fair outcome had been squandered.

So -- what can Americans do?

Send a note to Bob Casey and his team via his campaign website in support of his efforts to ensure all votes are counted (particularly given the legal challenges from the Republican candidate and Republican-aligned groups) and decision to wait to concede until all votes are counted. The man is getting dragged in Conservative media in particular for 'refusing to concede'; add your voice to the people validating that decision as both reasonable and moral.

Keep an eye on this race as the counting (and potential recounting) proceeds, including any further legal challenges attempting to prevent or limit the counting of all ballots. Regardless of the outcome, all eligible votes MUST BE COUNTED. To do otherwise would be both subversion if democracy and an stoicism legal precedent for future elections.

Watch for other legal challenges, particularly in battleground states or right races, seeking to disqualify or prevent the counting of ballots. Look for credible sources, especially local ones. Make noise about them with cited sources if you think there is a risk they may be missed. Notify groups like Democracy Docket or the American Civil Liberties Union if you have concerns. Shared truth and shared confidence in the legitimacy of election results -- including that all eligible votes are counted -- is essential for democracy to function.

Push back on claims that the election results are fully known or finalized. With multiple House races still undecided and a few razor-thin margin Senate races with ballots remaining to be counted, those kind of statements are simply not true. And state-level race are inherently more likely to not make it onto people's radar than the presidential race if candidates try to make it so certain ballots aren't counted or contesting the results if a tight race flips.

There is only a very small window post-election to ensure things like outstanding legal challenges over whether certain ballots can be included in the count are resolved. Please stay alert and do not let that window close without doing all you can to ensure every eligible ballot is counted -- particularly in those tight, tight down-ballot races. 🙏

Note: This post should be accurate as of the end of day on Friday, November 9. Once the results of the PA Senate race are known and truly final, I will update this pay with the results.

UPDATE: As of November 22, Bob Casey (D) has now officially conceded the Pennsylvania Senate race to Dave McCormick (R).

:(