NOTE: This is an older post I wrote 10 years ago this month and during Trump's first run for the presidency. I am now witnessing enough of the motivations I had suspected during his first presidency come to fruition in his second presidency, that I feel validated in those suspicions, unfortunately. Whether anyone I expressed those suspicions to before have reconsidered, now that we have a second look at Trump's self-proclaimed intentions,It is apparent that more have actually reaffirmed their support of Trump. I should know better by now. I have seen the very same thing happen on a much smaller scale, with church being the setting. My intention at this time is to reveal how my extreme, right-wing conservative political and fundamentalist Baptist history as a child, adult parent and as an aging adult has convinced me to embrace a more authentic position on all those former dogmatic positions. To those people I know, who have similar b...
Bunyon Oco Norris Painted by my Aunt Kassie, his 3rd daughter My grandfather’s name was Bunyon Oco (Bill) Norris. He is my mother’s father who influenced and directed the fundamental Baptist beliefs under which I was born and reared. “Papaw” as he was known to his grandchildren, was named after John Bunyon (1628-1688), author of the Christian allegorical classic, “Pilgrim’s Progress” as well as several other controversial Puritan Christian writings. Both of my grandparents left a profound influence on my life in very different ways, but my Papaw’s influence was the most penetrating because of his commanding, often invasive fundamental Baptist beliefs and his extreme conservative political positions. My family lived in the house my parents had built on 2 ½ acres of property Papaw had sold them. It was right next to he and “Mamaw,’s” house—the house he built with his own hands. My mother lived there with them from her early teen years until she married my dad at ...