johanpdx
LightNews LightNews
banner
johanpdx.bsky.social
johanpdx
@johanpdx.bsky.social
470 followers 260 following 77 posts
Johan Maurer. Quaker minister, retired denominational administrator, freelance translator (Russian - English). Born in Norway, educated in the USA and Canada. Weekly blog posts at https://blog.canyoubelieve.me.
Posts Replies Media Videos
johanpdx.bsky.social
Now that I'm a dual citizen, it's fair to ask why I went to all this trouble.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/11/dual...
Dual citizen—at least
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
November 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Kevin Camp: "But wouldn't it be wonderful if we ended up on the same page, eventually."
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/11/coul...
Could we end up on the same page?
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
November 14, 2025 at 1:35 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
It may seem trivial to point to the manipulative exaggeration that makes up much of the Internet. But might we become so cynical that we give up on unmasking manipulation even when it's conducted by our chief executive? And ... by "our own side" as well?
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/11/insa...
Insane clickbait? Game over!!! (some thoughts on manipulative exaggeration; partly a repost)
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
November 7, 2025 at 1:24 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
In God's economy, no act of kindness goes to waste.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/10/hope...
Hope is not just for eternity
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
October 30, 2025 at 9:28 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
No Kings Day in Klamath Falls; speedy demolition of the East Wing; Julia Steinberg on what made Stanford's conservatives so attractive; Becky Ankeny on the Beatitudes' prophetic content.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/10/octo...
October shorts
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
October 24, 2025 at 7:21 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Wendy Goldman: 'Folks, there's a playbook here. And when we study history and then when we live through these tumultuous contemporary times, we hear echoes of that history.'
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/10/the-...
"The cult of personality and its consequences"
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
October 17, 2025 at 7:35 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
This commemorative voyage and its safe arrival in New York City today are bright spots in the day's news. The history of Norwegian migration is important to me, at least in part because I'm part of that history.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/10/the-...
The <i>Restauration</i> arrived today
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
October 9, 2025 at 11:47 PM
johanpdx.bsky.social
www.micahbales.com/simple-praye... 'For us, as the church of Jesus Christ, the greatest danger right now is that we fail to see clearly that this government is weaponizing our own Christian tradition against the people... When they mock immigrants and use children as pawns, that’s not the gospel.'
A Simple Prayer for Dark Times
When the Department of Defense prays Jesus' words over military montages, that's blasphemy. We choose Christ's kingdom of peace over violence.
www.micahbales.com
October 6, 2025 at 8:40 PM
johanpdx.bsky.social
If 80% of those 36 million evangelicals voted for the current president, that means 20% of them did _not_. That's 7.2 million evangelical Protestants who dissented one way or another from the majority choice.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/10/a-ne...
The Bible, MAGA, and a new mission field
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
October 3, 2025 at 5:03 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
The Psalmist: "Praise God with clashing cymbals." Amos: "Away with the noise of your songs."
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/09/prai...
Praise and prophecy
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
September 26, 2025 at 8:02 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
It can be a very seductive comfort to see our political opponents, some of whom are themselves past masters at political insult and able to hide behind the impunity of high office, get a taste of their own medicine.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/09/tele...
Television, censorship, and first principles
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
September 19, 2025 at 7:45 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
A novel by Vigdis Hjorth, and a poem by Rolf Jacobsen.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/09/is-g...
"Is grief my default setting?"
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
September 12, 2025 at 8:22 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
In our era of gleeful cruelty and mutual trolling, how do you handle honest rage and distress without getting frozen into an "enemy" mentality?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/09/firs...
First principles 3.0?
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
September 5, 2025 at 7:25 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Ash is not simply reporting on what Christianity looks like to some of her Generation Z contemporaries. She's also wrestling with Christianity's own primitive and sometimes compelling strangeness, and its multifaceted persistence.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/08/fier...
Fiercely inspirational
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
August 28, 2025 at 9:44 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
​I'm a long-time Red Cross platelet donor. If the American Red Cross cooperates with DHS regs prohibiting help to undocumented immigrants, I'll have to rethink our relationship.
Please reassure me!
wapo.st/3Jy4ptv
DHS moves to bar aid groups from serving undocumented immigrants
Disaster-aid groups said the new contracts would make it harder for nonprofits to help the most vulnerable Americans in the aftermath of a disaster.
wapo.st
August 27, 2025 at 6:10 PM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Defend the homeland ... with gold flash and Mustang GTs.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/08/more...
More occupation shorts
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
August 22, 2025 at 4:30 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Two recent articles refer to Robert Pape's book _Bombing to Win_. One is on Gaza, one is on Hiroshima.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/08/the-...
"The moral case for harming civilians is always dubious..."
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
August 15, 2025 at 4:31 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
It could have been worse.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/08/prot...
"Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace"
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
August 8, 2025 at 7:34 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Do you prioritize rescue or structural change? How do you decide? How can we support each other?
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/07/the-...
The whole Jericho Road
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
August 1, 2025 at 7:50 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
“Just remember, you can smell that [inaudible] $30,000 bonus.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Immigration agents told a teenage US citizen: ‘You’ve got no rights.’ He secretly recorded his brutal arrest
Video from Kenny Laynez-Ambrosio, 18, puts fresh scrutiny on the harsh tactics used to reach the Trump administration’s ambitious enforcement targets
www.theguardian.com
July 25, 2025 at 10:21 PM
johanpdx.bsky.social
These diverse families helped build my spiritual home.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/07/rola...
Roland Penrose: Among other things, he was a Quaker...
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
July 25, 2025 at 7:02 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Setting aside our reactionary morality for the moment....
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/07/the-...
<i>The Atheist's Companion</i> on "sterile" Quakers
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
July 18, 2025 at 8:05 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Two impressions and a question.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/07/nord...
Nordic Yearly Meeting reflections
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
July 11, 2025 at 7:16 AM
johanpdx.bsky.social
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/07/a-hi...
A historic Quaker gathering in Stavanger
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
July 3, 2025 at 10:48 PM
johanpdx.bsky.social
Most news headlines these days don't give us much joy, but I found last Monday's Rubin Observatory presentation and press conference very inspiring.
blog.canyoubelieve.me/2025/06/a-tr...
A truly stellar news conference
Political and cultural observations in light of Quaker discipleship.
blog.canyoubelieve.me
June 26, 2025 at 7:41 AM