Being Responsible With Any Inner ' Voice Of God'..Jan 20, 2020

This topic is very relavant due to the  present Senate trial on the impeachment of Present Donald Trump.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/01/trump-supreme-court-shortlister-william-pryor-god-juries.html


Here is another real life example of the kind of controlling religious notions on which President Trump has built his "Trump Is Always Right' following .

If an otherwise rational American juror sincerely believes that God has told him to vote a person ' innocent' ( No one has a right to deny this juror's inner experience in my view) and has told other jurors this, he is ethically obligated to recuse himself or be recused from his jury seat.

Because in our American democracy a juror is pledged to render his decision based 'only on the material facts presented in court' not on his inner spiritual experience which the other jurors have not had.

Mr Trump has tapped into the mindset of such religiously convicted people , including many judge appointees. They sincerely believe their view of God and God's Will( in their heart or their Holy Bible  interpretation) is to be made a civic public obligation, regardless of the best material facts available, on all other citizens. Their religious  view is considered to be the  'right' view for all, made into  government policy, destroying our most basic personal freedom, including those claimed in the Constitution.

 There has always been a strong  thread of this  religiously inspired control-seeking effort in America but it is only now openly encouraged and supported by the President, for personal empowerment, and the appointed and elected leaders surrounding him.

 I think it is historically clear that never has America faced this specific kind of danger and threat. It can change us from a nation of collectivly evolved laws to one of an imposed minority rule. And it can happen quickly.

This is not just another passing political phase leading to any 'more perfect union.' Only determined informed American citizens can correct this contrived situation by publicly expressing themselves non violently .

Other Notes:

This is  a complicated personal and collective  ethical issue. On reflection I  seriously altered the 2nd paragraph to include, ' has told the other jurors'. (that is the case in the article)

When a person uses his own irrational inner assurances to subvert or dismiss the sincere decision making of others he has done them wrong.

A 'God's voice' must be taken seriously but also questioned. I do suspect there are situations where one must make a judgment in spite of only the best physical rational evidence present.

One with a 'voice from God' is still obligated to take in the full weight of the physical evidence even if his judgment goes beyond that. He does not escape the tension. He never parades, 'God told me.'...for that is a very difficult and suffering conclusion to reach.

One can never, in good conscience, yield fully to any human  system that requires her to ignore her heart, the irrational.

 And one also always owes much to his  human peers who are conscientiously, often without any inner assurances, wrestling for the most ethical answers.