Monday, September 28, 2020

WARNING: Explicit Post on WAP and Judgement

Cardi B, the Rap artist who sings WAP
I'm embarrassed to write this post. I freely admit that I'm out of touch with current culture. However, young people might benefit from my understanding of the eternal truth that God will not allow the mocking of His character and standards for long.

A day of reckoning is coming for the United States.

The word God is an abbreviation of the name "good." God's actual name in Hebrew is four-letters, YHWH, and it is pronounced (without vowels) like the sound you make when you breathe. 

Every time you see the name LORD (all capitals in English) in your Bible, it is the English translation of the Hebrew name YHWH. 

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD." (Psalm 150:6)

God is good. But to mock the LORD is the opposite of praising the LORD. Sin mocks the Creator, and a people who celebrate sin and mock the LORD will face a harsh and severe judgement. 

God is the author of the breath of your life, and when you take your last breath, you will return to the One who made you and gives you purpose.  God created us to reflect His good nature. 

We are to live humble, disciplined lives as we look out for the interests of other people and restrain ourselves from selfish ambitions, keeping our power, gifts, and strengths channeled for His glory and the good of others. We are called to respect other people and their property (e.g. "don't envy people or steal their property"), to abstain from sexual immorality (e.g. "sexual union with multiple partners is an outward sign of idol worship and of a disunion from the One true God"), and to constantly remember that this life is but a blink compared to eternity, and one day there comes a reckoning with YHWH on how you spent the time in which He gave you breath.

To rebel against God's commandments is the definition of sin. Rebellion is man's way of mocking the Creator.

If you want to know why America is unraveling at the seams, look no further than today's #1 song in the USA. Released August 7, 2020, by Rap Artist (?) Cardi B, WAP stands for "Wet Ass Pussy."  Since it's release, it is approaching 100,000,000 views on YouTube, and it has set the world record for the most number of download streams. 

Here are the words. WARNING: Do not read if you are offended by vulgarity, sexual immorality, profanity, racial epithets, and general godlessness (source LyricFind).

_________________

I said, certified freak
Seven days a week
Wet ass pussy
Make that pull-out game weak, wooYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, you fucking with some wet ass pussy
Bring a bucket and a mop for this wet ass pussy
Give me everything you got for this wet ass pussy

Beat it up, nigga, catch a charge
Extra-large and extra hard
Put this pussy right in your face
Swipe your nose like a credit card
Hop on top, I wanna ride
I do a kegel while it's inside
Spit in my mouth, look in my eyes
This pussy is wet, come take a dive
Tie me up like I'm surprised
Let's role play, I wear a disguise
I want you to park that big Mack truck
Right in this little garage
Make it cream, make me scream
Out in public, make a scene
I don't cook, I don't clean
But let me tell you how I got this ring (ayy, ayy)

Gobble me, swallow me, drip down inside of me
Quick jump out 'fore you let it get inside of me
I tell him where to put it, never tell him where I'm 'bout to be
I run down on him 'fore I have a nigga running me
Talk your shit, bite your lip
Ask for a car while you ride that dick (while you ride that dick)
You really ain't never gotta fuck him for a thang
He already made his mind up 'fore he came
Now get your boots and your coat
For this wet ass pussy
He bought a phone just for pictures
Of this wet ass pussy
Pay my tuition just to kiss me
On this wet ass pussy
Now make it rain if you wanna
See some wet ass pussy

Look, I need a hard hitter, I need a deep stroker
I need a Henny drinker, I need a weed smoker
Not a garden snake, I need a king cobra
With a hook in it, hope it lean over
He got some money, then that's where I'm headed
Pussy A1, just like his credit
He got a beard, well, I'm tryna wet it
I let him taste it, now he diabetic
I don't wanna spit, I wanna gulp
I wanna gag, I wanna choke
I want you to touch that little dangly dang
That swang in the back of my throat
My head game is fire, punani Dasani
It's going in dry and it's coming out soggy
I ride on that thang like the cops is behind me
I spit on his mic and now he tryna sign me, woo

Your honor, I'm a freak bitch, handcuffs, leashes
Switch my wig, make him feel like he cheating
Put him on his knees, give him something to believe in
Never lost a fight, but I'm looking for a beating
In the food chain, I'm the one that eat ya
If he ate my ass, he's a bottom feeder
Big D stand for big demeanor
I could make you bust before I ever meet ya
If it don't hang, then he can't bang
You can't hurt my feelings, but I like pain
If he fuck me and ask, "Whose is it?"
When I ride the dick, I'ma spell my name
Ah

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, you fucking with some wet ass pussy
Bring a bucket and a mop for this wet ass pussy
Give me everything you got for this wet ass pussy
Now from the top, make it drop
That's some wet ass pussy
Now get a bucket and a mop
That's some wet ass pussy
I'm talking WAP, WAP, WAP
That's some wet ass pussy
Macaroni in a pot
That's some wet ass pussy, uh

(There's some whores in this house)
(There's some whores in this house)
_________________

It doesn't take long to understand why there is rioting in the streets, looting of shops, and a general meltdown of society when America's #1 song is WAP.  Even more startling is how "critics" praise WAP. I quote from Wikipedia.
"The song WAP received critical acclaim and was praised for its sex-positive messages."

The sex-positive movement is a social and philosophical movement that seeks to change cultural attitudes and norms around sexuality, promoting the recognition of sexuality (in the countless forms of expression) as a natural and healthy part of the human experience and emphasizing the importance of personal sovereignty, safer sex practices, and consensual sex (free from violence or coercion). It covers every aspect of sexual identity including gender expression, orientation, relationship to the body (body-positivity, nudity, choice), relationship-style choice, and reproductive rights. Sex-positivity is "an attitude towards human sexuality that regards all consensual sexual activities as fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, encouraging sexual pleasure and experimentation. The sex-positive movement also advocates for comprehensive sex education and safe sex as part of its campaign. The movement generally makes no moral distinctions among types of sexual activities, regarding these choices as matters of personal preference."

I am speechless.

In my next post, I will tell you the true story of a man hanged on Friday, August 15, 1873, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for his crimes in Oklahoma. His name was John Childers. He lived his life in full rebellion against the Creator, and his crimes were well-known to the 5,000 who came to witness his public execution.

The trap door flipped open and John's body fell, his hooded face tilted to the side as the rope snapped his neck. At that precise moment, a lightning bolt from a lone dark cloud over Fort Smith struck the gallows, accompanied by an enormous clap of thunder. The wood of the gallows, set on fire from heaven above,  showered the people with thousands of sparks. Screams filled the courtyard. 

When the crowd's roar finally grew quiet, and as John's body quivered in the final throes of life, an ashen-faced, trembling black woman cried loudly, "John Childers' soul has gone to hell!"

If that woman speaks the truth,  and a day of judgment for Cardi B and America does not come, soon, then God will need to apologize to John Childers.

49 comments:

RB Kuter said...

Are you serious? THIS is America's "#1" song? I suppose that is a genre of "rap music", right?

That might be another credible source of evidence for assessing the decadence of American society, in particular, that segment of society that is attracted to this genre of music, which, I am guessing, would be the younger, student group. Surely, the fact that this sort of language is even allowed to be published and played in public is an indication of how low we have become, and how society in its entirety, not just the segment that listens to this genre of music, has lowered itself to this level of decadence by allowing it to be legal.

I still contend that the legal practice of mass slaughtering of innocent children is the BEST indicator of how ultra-decadent, Godless, and deplorable this society has become. That practice is associated with ALL segments of this society as it either supports it or remains silent in not opposing it.

Even professing "Christians" seek to facilitate its continuation by the means of justifying its practice by citing the extremely low number of incidents when it might be used to address a mother's life-threatening condition. The absurdity for justifying abortion for any reason is enhanced by the extremely convenient methods available to ALL people through a myriad number of methods of birth control. Yet those who are sexually active do not have the common sense of keeping instruments of protection readily available and in use when they know they are going to need it.

The indifference of those without the wherewithal to prevent pregnancy along with those seeking to enable them by justifying their irresponsible behavior through the provision of killing the resulting, unwanted, child, are complicit in the murderous acts. In doing so, they contribute to the increased practice of casually murdering, through the most extreme and horrific methods, the most vulnerable and innocent of human beings.

The fact that many who identify themselves as being "God-fearing", or "Christian" are actively defending and supporting the continuing act of abortion portrays just how far into the abyss we have fallen. That could be compared to Jewish priests accommodating a herd of swine within the Temple compound!

Although there must be as many signs and public displays of our society's Godless condition that are "in your face" defiant, rebellious acts in the face of God as there must have been in Sodom and Gomorrah, I see none that come close to the level of the despicable act of supporting, either through active support or indifferent complacency, toward abortion. God will judge us as a society for it, and probably we are already witnessing His judgment in action.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,
Did you comprehend what RN Kuter said, “That segment of society that is attracted to this genre of music, which, I am guessing, would be the younger, student group.”

Do you still think the ‘old people’ should let the young run the country?

Wade,

Don’t look at the link below, if you don’t want to see ‘history’ that makes your post look like a Sunday School class.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus

Christiane said...

sometimes, St. Paul's words to the Philippians (chapter 4) come down to us from the millennia from another troubled time; containing transcendent advice to us that bears gravitas because,
in his day, St. Paul stood martyr for his witness to Christ.




"6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."


If judgment is called down on us, I would think the better reason might be that we have in our own country harbored the sin of pride to the extreme and inhumane point of 'justifying' the taking of infants from their mothers' arms; and then, in a court of law, justifying the poor treatment of those children. That present policy is NOT who we are as Americans.

I think Our Lord is with those children and He hears their cries and their tears are holy to Him. When we dry their tears and return them to their mothers' arms, then we, as a nation, will begin to see healing in our troubled land. God desires 'mercy'. We need to remember that if we would honor Him.

Christiane said...

Hello REX RAY,
no,
I'm not reading Wade's posted lyrics, OR your link.
I've worked for many years in the inner city schools and I know of the suffering that many of the children carried with them, and white children also brought their pain to school and sometimes acted out for lack of having any other way to voice that pain.

I wish I could understand many things, and I have tried;
but so many KNEW ahead of time what they supported openly as 'the anointed one'
and they knew from his own words which were on tape and on film,
and the children were watching their parents approval of this person, so we in the Church have got a 'witness' problem before our children now. This has consequences, yes.

I guess I'll stay with St. Paul's advice today. And hope for better times to come.

We lose our witness as 'Church' to Christ before our children, we may lose our children to the consequences of hypocrisy. Did we not know this? Did we know realize?

We need to be the Church again, not as the finger-pointing entity that stands in 'judgement' over those in pain and bondage;
but as a witness to Our Lord Whose very Presence was one of healing and recovery. That is where the Church's strength lies: not is following some foul-mouthed golden calf.

I am among those who have been guilty of the sin of pride. I do not have any answers, but I can also sing a broken Hallelujah, and a very out of tune 'Amazing Grace', and point to Christ, the ONLY One who can offer shelter in this storm to our young people.

In the Church's open support of that foul-mouthed 'golden calf'? No, good people. The kids have found no peace or safe-harbor there.
But we kind of already knew that, didn't we? God have mercy on us all.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

“I'm not reading Wade's posted lyrics, or your link.”

OK, keep your head burred in the sand, but when a “title wave” comes, you won’t see it.

My father told me when I was growing up that Romans at one time were so corrupt that men had a symbol they wore that verified the size of you know what.

“I hear no evil, I see no evil…”

Is that what Jesus meant when he said “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Christiane said...

REX RAY

my old friend, did you read what I posted?

I have LIVED to see the pain of children from that broken world who come to school with so much baggage to be so young that I think I know from experience how much there is out there of evil. . . . here is a poem that might help you to understand:


"We pray for children
(Ina J. Hughs)

We pray for children
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes.

And we pray, for those
who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for children
who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
Who sleep with the cat and bury goldfish,
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money,
Who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink,
Who slurp their soup.

And we pray for those
who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.

We pray for children
who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed,
and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at
and whose smiles can make us cry.

And we pray for those
whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being.

We pray for children
who want to be carried
and for those who must,
for those we never give up on
and for those who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother…
and for those who will grab the hand of anybody
kind enough to offer it.
We pray for children. Amen"




REX RAY, believe me, I wish I didn't know the horrors out there. When I worked, there were many sleepless nights of worry for those children, MY students. There is a lot of silent PAIN behind all that 'acting out', and this poem also counts as having great meaning for me:


""And I saw the river over which every soul must pass
to reach the kingdom of heaven
and the name of that river was suffering:

and I saw a boat which carries souls across the river
and the name of that boat was love."

(St. John of the Cross)


My own advice from my experience to people who worry is to Go Towards The Light -

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

“Who sleep with the cat and bury goldfish”

Reminds me of my niece crying to their mother their goldfish had died.
Her mother told her it had gone to Fish Heaven.
She cried louder, saying, “No mama, daddy put it down the commode.”

By the way, my link is ancient statues.

Bob Cleveland said...

I have said many times that this is a good time to be old. One reason is that we don't have to live with a lot of what society is going to produce. I hasten to add that's not because we don't care ... but rather what we will avoid having to face.

There is also the thought that we are free to live as we should. Plus at my age, I do not care what others think of what I do; I care solely about that God thinks. As a retiree with Social Security, a good retirement plan and a God who loves me, I am not worried about others sniping at me. There is also the Scriptural fact that we are not told to change or influence anything or anyone here. We are told how to act and some things we should say and do, and God clearly states He will bring about the increase He wants.

It's a good time to be old.

Curious Thinker said...

There was been plenty of songs and rap that have had suggestive, lewd, crude and misogynistic lyrics over the years in the hip hop industry and in different genres of music over the decades. I don't see how this is related to lootings but I see the problem rooted many of things including the sexualized society where sex sells, hyper-sexual behavior is seen as liberating and freedom, women and girls are often exploited as sexual objects in the media and pop culture. Plus the entertainment industry likes to have a shock value mindset, be controversial. I don't see this problem being solved anytime as long as this type of music attracts the large younger generation. I also like to point out that not all rap music is like this, I remember the time of old school rap music when I was growing up that didn't have vulgar, lewd and curse words in their lyrics unlike today, which at times enjoyed although I'm not a die hard rap fan. But I agree with most of the article. God Bless.

Christiane said...

Thanks, REX RAY

I didn't think you would post any 'bad' links after all, but I didn't want to encourage the practice either, LOL. You Baptists make terrible 'shock-jocks', no disrespect intended.:)

I loved your story about your niece. Your stories are always the best.

I remember a particularly sad funeral our children held for a hamster who died. We had taken the poor little thing to a vet who gave him fluids, but later that weekend, the hamster went on home to his Creator.
He was given a proper pet funeral. Very sad, my children were. (I cried too)

a favorite from Job, chapter 12 , this:

"7But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. 8Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.9 Which of all these does not know that the Hand of the LORD has done this? 10 The life of every living thing is in His Hand, as well as the breath of all mankind."

What these ancient Scriptures tell us is that which our little ones already know instinctively.

Rex Ray said...

Bob,
Have you heard tips on how to fall asleep in a living room chair?

BE OLD
SIT IN A CHAIR

Brannon said...

https://www.faipublishing.org/articles/yom-kippur

I literally just read this article prior to coming to see if you had a new article posted. They truly go hand in hand.

What fascinated me most of the FAI article is how Jonah used YHWH’s own description of Himself from Exodus 34:6-7 and misquotes the end in Jonah 4:2.

“But as Jonah is reciting this well known passage, he mis-quotes it. Perhaps this is our best clue to understand Jonah’s rage: instead of repeating Exodus 34:7 exactly, when Jonah should have said, “who will by no means clear the guilty,” he instead says, “relenting from disaster.”

I still have hope for America, YHWH may relent from disaster.

Muff Potter said...

Even as a left-leaning liberal, I am appalled at what passes as art and entertainment nowadays.

RB Kuter said...

"I'm not reading Wade's posted lyrics, OR your link.
I've worked for many years in the inner city schools and I know of the suffering that many of the children carried with them,"
I think Christiane is correctly pointing out that the young generation is the product of the world/society in which they were programmed. I appreciate her compassion for the misery in which those young people live as a consequence of their behavior no matter what influenced them to be that way.

Whether that is the point being made or not, I believe it to be true that people tend to be the product of their environment. We all bear the imprint of the environment in which we were raised. When we think about that we realize that Sodom and Gomorrah probably did not become the sin havens which brought about their demise under the judgement of God in one generation. I suspect that those societies regressed through numerous generations to fall to the level that resulted in their being vaporized in judgment due to their extreme depravity.

Apparently God does not redeem an unrepentant sinner due to their having been brought up in a society/family/community whose influence directed them to rebel against God. He holds them accountable for their choices, whether influenced by Godly or demonic forces.

Christiane said...

Hello Muff Potter,

actually, I've been thinking about the Cardi B scene and how it reflects very strongly on the kind of misogyny that demotes women from human persons made in the image of God into caricatures of sex objects,
and how that seems to me more a reflection of a perverted strain of paternalistic 'keep them in their place' values rather than the values of modern women who have deeply mourned the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg who fought for women's rights through the nation's courts.

Also, that the Cardi B/ Meghan Thee Stallion scene is showing two black women also reflects to me the old horrific objectivity of women's sexuality as found in slavery, where women were 'bred' and many times, their children were 'sold away', and I think about how deeply scarred the black community was in those times of slavery and of how far they have come to want to end the oppression. In all truth, I think a black woman like Senator Kamala Harris is much more a representative of a left-leaning liberal than the likes of a Cardi B or a Meghan Thee Stallion, as those two represent 'objectified' sex objects redolent of misogyny and the time of slavery for black women.
Even now, the scars of that time still show in how hard a black woman must try to succeed to get ahead in our American culture with education and training and employment, which is one reason I mourned the death of that young black woman who was shot to death who had been a trained paramedic, a death which 'mattered' in that this young woman had tried very hard to make a life that was positive and on the 'front lines' in that world where it had to be ten times harder to get that far along than if she were white or male.
With respect, I say her name: BREONNA TAYLOR
Breonna Taylor was a 26 year old EMT when she was shot in her own home. She was not guilty of any crime nor were any drugs found in her home. Her boyfriend thought that the police were burglars breaking in. May Breonna rest in peace and may her memory be a blessing.
Her life mattered, yes, especially in this time of covid virus.

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,
those children I taught, the ones who acted out in class . . . the truth is they were more 'wounded' than programmed;
and 'wounded' souls don't always make the best decisions, and all children struggle with decision-making in their immaturity.

I think that one reason God asks us to leave judging others to Him, is because only He knows the human heart and only He can measure how much pain a wounded soul has endured and how it is that their pain sought expression unwisely, but far more like a cry for help.

My students were 'taught', 're-directed', treated with patience and kindness AND FIRMNESS, and at no time did I 'excuse' 'bad behavior' but instead I asked the child to step into the hallway and I spoke to him or her as I would have wanted a teacher to speak to my own if they were in trouble. I think they needed that, many being 'fosters' or being in the care of grandmothers in the absence of their parents. Yes, I would say that rather than 'programmed', those students had been 'wounded', some carried more than their share of pain for their time on this Earth. Their school records were full of it, and before the first month of school was over, I had read every single record of every student I taught. So, God help me, I knew.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

You said to me: “I didn't think you would post any 'bad' links after all.”

That makes me feel guilty, because obviously you haven’t seen my link of ancient statues.

On Mon Sept 28, 12:15 PM, I told Wade, “Don’t look at the link below, if you don’t want to see ‘history’ that makes your post look like a Sunday School class.”

CHRISTIANE, our world has always been evil. Jesus said, “…The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT)

My link shows ancient statues that are terrible nude pictures of men.

RB Kuter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RB Kuter said...

Rex Ray, I was delayed in viewing your "Phallus" link because I had reached my limit on the rhetoric of the sewer world after viewing some of the lyrics of the song Wade posted. Can you believe that? As I mentioned earlier, it's not the offensive content of the song and the depraved mind of whoever came up with it that is as depressing to me as it is about our society in general that tolerates that sort of thing being publicized or copyrighted or "legal" in any sense of the world. It's no more offensive than Flint's "Hustler" publication some decades ago, but his magazine was kept on the fringes due to it's being attractive to only a minute segment of our society. Wade says that this song is "#1" in some genre of popular songs indicating that it is widely considered as worthy of celebration by a large segment of society.

The "Phallus" link you posted certainly points to a different perspective in regards to what may be offensive in one society could be positive in another. The images of "maleness" certainly are very popular and evident in Asian culture, and probably others as it represents virility, strength, and power. We saw it in markets all over the southeast Asia countries where we lived. Shop owners would very often have such images on the tables where they sold merchandise with the idea that there was spiritual, mystical, connotations associated with that image that would enhance their business. Some of the volunteers that came to work with us were shocked when they say that image carved from wood openly displayed alongside of merchandise the volunteer was considering to purchase. Pretty comical.

By the way, another icon used by the Asian entrepreneurs was a "Hello Kitty" figure. You may have seen them. This was a small image of a kitty in a sitting position with one paw raised and making a "waving" motion. It looked like the "Hello Kitty" images you see on all sorts of merchandise these days but it's origins are not really "contemporary".

Seems the legend that leads to this image being seen as bringing "luck" and "good fortune" to the shop keeper displaying it is derived from an old Asian fable. A traveler was walking to a distant destination when he encountered a terrific storm. He took refuge under a huge tree. It was dark and the storm brought a lot of wind, rain and lightning.

As he sat cowering under the tree, a lightning bolt lit up the area around him and revealed a cat sitting in front of a gate of a monastery, or temple area, in front of him that had not been visible in the dark. This cat at the gate was facing him with its paw raised and making the motion of waving as to direct the man to come forward to where the cat was sitting.

The man was intrigued by this sight and got up and made his way toward the cat and when he had walked enough distance to put space between where he had been sitting and where he now stood, a terrific lightning bolt struck the exact spot where he had been sitting! He then made his way to the safe, secure confines of the temple the cat had invited him into.

I probably got part of that story wrong, but the basic message is what was told to me by more than one shop owner who displayed this "waving" kitty in their shop or on tables displaying their merchandise in the markets. It's very popular as is the "phallus" image and similarly, intended to invoke whatever spiritual, mystical, blessing might come from the invisible realm that saved the ancient traveler in the storm.

Rex Ray said...

KB Kuter,

“a terrific lightning bolt struck the exact spot where he had been sitting!”

Reminded me of my Dad MAKING his assistant get out of his fox-hole and eat breakfast. (He had fussed at my Dad that he wanted to sleep.)

Several German 88 shells hit around them but no one was injured. Dad’s assistant’s Bible was blown to pieces. (The Bible was under his pillow.)

RB Kuter said...

Rex Ray, that reminds me of one of my brother's experiences when he was a Marine "grunt" leader of a machine gun squad in Viet Nam.

It was at the end of an extended patrol lasting several days around the perimeter of some remote base they had established in the Da Nang area. His squad was sitting around in a circle in the evening eating some C rations and my brother got up for a nature's call, leaving his "k-bar" knife in its sheath lying on the ground right where he had been sitting.

As he made his way some respectable distance from his "seating area",an mortar round exploded right in the midst of the place they had been resting introducing an ambush. They fought off the enemy. My brother showed me the k-bar knife in its sheath that he had brought home. The sheath was shredded from mortar shrapnel.

He was wounded twice and received two purple hearts. One was a gunshot wound and he went into the hospital for that one. The other was a shrapnel would in the leg he got during a "fire fight". He was not going to report that one since it was a "flesh wound" and he did not feel it appropriate for it to get him any kind of recognition given all the carnage he witnessed his buddies going through, but his commanding officer saw him running between the machine gun posts as the skirmished raged and my brother had to give directions to the gunners.

When he ran by the officer, the officer saw his blood-drenched trousers and after things had settled down insisted he see a medic and then gave him another Purple Heart whether he wanted it or not.

Mom and Dad received the Purple Heart in the mail from where my brother had mailed it to them without any note. They were terrified not knowing how badly he had been wounded, but fortunately they got an official commendation from the Marine Corps the next day explaining that he was okay.

My brother honestly didn't think he was going to make it home. He had two, 3-man, M-60 machine gun teams under his command in his squad. On one occasion, when they were on patrol, they got hit by an ambush. He posted his two teams strategically to counter the attack. One of the M-60s of one team got jammed and they were shut down. My brother ran and dove behind cover next to the gunner and was working to un-jam the gun.

While by brother was struggling to get the machine gun functional again, the gunner by his side took a round in his heart and died instantly. This was "Travis Knight", who was my brother's very best friend. My nephew now carries the name, "Travis" in honor of my brother's fallen friend.

RB Kuter said...

YAHOO!! DEBATE NIGHT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!! CAN'T WAIT! HOPE YOUR CANDIDATE WINS!

Rex Ray said...

RB Kuter,

I’m glad your brother’s best friend’s name is ‘carried on’. Your story brought tears to my eyes. He should have had more medals than Purple Hearts.

Our father, Dave, was in World War I. He was turned down for World War II by the head guy in Washington because of his age. He appealed to his friend, Sam Rayburn (speaker of the House). Rayburn told him, “Go back tomorrow, and if he doesn’t accept you, we’ll give him the Axe.”

His discharge papers stated: “David Ray was one of nine Chaplains in the U.S. Army who was awarded a Cluster to the Bronze Star for Heroic Action.”

Dave wanted to go to Viet Nam. He left his car at our house and took a bus to a town near President LBJ’s ranch. After staying in a hotel, thee days and asking how he could see LBJ, the Secret Service told him: “Listen old man, if you don’t go home, we’re putting you in jail.”

Rex Ray said...

RB Kuter,

Have you heard the latest on the DEBATE? Both debaters were asked to have their ears ‘inspected’ (for a listening device) before the debate. Trump said, “Sure thing.” Biden said, “No way.”

The debate is for one hour. Biden wants a break after 30 minutes.

RB Kuter said...

Rex Ray, the valor and devotion of so many men and women to the preservation of our American way of life and the beauty of its liberties and freedoms should be inspirational to all citizens. It should be the foremost image in the minds and hearts whenever they see the flag and hear the national anthem and cause them to reverently honor those who have put their most valuable possession, their life, on the line for the nation and all future generations. If anyone should "kneel" in the face of the flag or playing of the national anthem it should be in an expression of humble gratitude, loyalty and honor to these and to what the nation represents.

Dave was a typical Ray-Man, obviously. He would be so proud of you today as you are of him. He would want no acclaim or celebrity even though he deserves it all. Sounds like he simply did what he thought was expected of him by God.

The DEBATE!!! CAN'T WAIT!! This is so much better than THE CIRCUS!!! I suppose this serves as a great alternative to the BARNUM AND BAILEY TRAVELING CIRCUS of yesteryear! Stealth ear buds, strategically planned interludes, all sorts of plans of attack and counter-attack, no audience to interfere, moderators with their own agendas for "pay back" and self-promotion, elaborate fantasies and tales and conspiracy allegations that surpass any that were ever dreamed up by the most famous fiction writers, an audience clutching their assault weapons and molotov cocktails, and an entire press corps waiting to broadcast and print editions reporting the results that were written 10 days ago!

Can it EVER get better than this? ONLY IN AMERICA!!!

Victorious said...

Does anyone remember the Promise Keepers and the rallies in 1995-1996 that gathered nearly 300,000 men to hear Bill McCarney's perception of what the male should be. IIRC he promoted a book entitled "The Masculine Journey" by Robert Hicks. There is much info about this group and the book, but here is "AN OPEN LETTER TO BILL McCARTNEY From Pastor Bill Randles" with expressing concern about some issues being promoted at these rallies. One in particular is quite disgusting imo:

I would like to know why, Mr. McCartney, when you had 50,000 turned on, pumped up, spiritually hungry men, of all the books you could have chosen to offer for spiritual growth you chose "The Masculine Journey" by Robert Hicks? It is my understanding that 50,000 of these books were distributed at Boulder in 1993. The book actually has the P.K. imprimatur on it. Do you honestly subscribe to Hick's concept of the Phallic Male? Doesn't it bother you that Hicks quotes New Age authors Sam Keen and Robert Bly without any warning? Hicks sets off his chapter entitled "The Phallic Male" with a quote from Keen's New Age bestseller "Fire in the Belly". The quote is "The loins are the place of judgment" (p. 47).

Are you trying yet to implement Hick's statement on page 51? "We are called to worship God as phallic kinds of guys, not as some sort of androgynous, neutered non-males, or the feminized males so popular in many feminist enlightened churches. We are told by God to worship Him in accordance to what we are - phallic men."

This is growth for men? When did the apostles even remotely encourage anything like this? I could give you countless other examples of this kind out of Hicks book but I don't need to.


That open letter by Pastor Bill Randles can be found here: http://www.banner.org.uk/pk/billmc.html but as I said a search will provide much more information about both the Promise Keepers group as well as the book The Masculine Journey.

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,

you wrote, this:
"So as happens in so many of our conversations, we may misinterpret the intent of each other's comments when in reality are thinking along similar lines."

wisdom


The worst of it is that when we incorporate 'labeling', we miss so much more of the person in reality. I look at how Our Lord taught in the parables and I often note how He tried to break people away from the prejudices they held against someone who was one of 'the others'.

The 'labels'? They can so easily become 'targets' and 'that which to hide behind'.
But then I remember a story from a community where I lived in the North. There was a lake community with a club house and a property-owners' association. One of my first acquantainces was a Jewish couple who lived on the upper lake, and I was introduced to the wife as 'Froggy' and also told that her house was called 'Toad Hall'. It took me some time to get to know her and why she had chosen this rather strange 'identity' in the community, and then I realized that she was 'in control' of her 'identity':
she created a 'front' for people to target and laugh at and make fun of, and they did in that environment, and she remained untouched behind the image she had created and controlled, as a private person few people came to know in friendship. It seems a strange way to 'protect' oneself, but that was her way, and being Jewish in THAT community, she re-created her own image for her core protection and she held the upper hand in her own thinking which was strangely 'creative', I suppose.

For most of us, 'labels' are a natural way to quickly size-up and categorize; but as Our Lord taught us it may be the 'Samaritan' among us, the 'other' that gets it right and we cannot see or understand because we never looked below the 'label' at the person or how they really lived their life and reached out to their 'neighbor'.

I think we have 'weaponized' labels to the point where we cannot see the suffering beneath.
So I can agree with you on your point, yes. Our limitations in how we interpret 'the other' are profound at times.

That is why this has meaning for me:
""“The future of the church is in cages with children. The future of the church is profiled and choked and left dead on the street. The future of the church is hiding under a desk and in a nightclub bathroom as bullets fly. The future of the church is with a Black, transgender woman mocked and shot in the heart. The future of the church is in the belly of a whale stuffed with plastic garbage and lying lifeless like the body of a dead migrant child washed up on the shores of the Rio Grande. If the church is not in these places of crucifixion, the church is not with Jesus, and if the church is not with Jesus, we are lost and have no future”" (Author: Heidi Neumark)

It has meaning in this sense:
" “If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.” St. John Chrysostom.

I think WADE understands some of this, yes, because he has taken on the ministry of recovery for many who were in great need of Christ, and that service, in my own faith, is what we call 'a Christian work of mercy'.

Thanks for your comments, Mr. Kuter.

RB Kuter said...

Gee, Victorious, and I always thought the "Promise Keeper" movement was a pretty cool thing. Should have known there was something demonic about it with all its talk about "Godly men" and "stepping up to the plate and be a responsible husband" and "Jesus was never a wimp and following Him is not being a wimp!".

Kind of like Bill Cosby, huh? Or Pee Wee from "Pee Wee's Playhouse" acclaim. Shoot, seems that all my heroes get shot down.

Rex Ray said...

RB Kuter,

Who won the debate? An angry Trump, or a cool Biden?

Did you notice the moderator asked Trump to reply to his question first; this gave Biden time to read his notes. Biden would look straight ahead and start replying, and at times would end up looking down at his notes.

(Wonder who wrote his notes; him or his speech-writers?)

The moderator asked Trump why he only paid $750 income tax in 2016 and 2017. He stated that as a fact, when he should have said ‘alleged’ $750. I believe it’s like Trump told him: “Am I debating Biden or am I debating you?”

I believe it’d been a better debate without the moderator. Let them take turns asking questions, and let them know their mike would be turned off while the other one answers.

And, NO NOTES ALLOWED. America wants to know what’s in their brains.

wayworn wanderer said...

I'm so old, I remember when "The Fish Cheer" was controversial.

Christiane said...

I am hopeful of Americans realizing that 'empathy' is the greater strength needed now.
In that place where all empathy has died and there is only 'self', alone, without connection to honor or to humankind, it is easy to become something other than humane.
We Americans NEED to return the asylum babies to their mothers' arms, for Christ's sake. Or what have we become?


Walt Whitman 1819-1892

from 'Song of Myself: 37'

"You laggards there on guard! look to your arms!
In at the conquer'd doors they crowd! I am possess'd!
Embody all presences outlaw'd or suffering,
See myself in prison shaped like another man,
And feel the dull unintermitted pain....."

RB Kuter said...

Christiane; Okay, you got me to scratching my head in puzzlement on this comment,

"We Americans NEED to return the asylum babies to their mothers' arms, for Christ's sake. Or what have we become?"

Did I miss some comment earlier that would have clued me in as to the intended thought represented by this comment? Would love to understand.

The Blog bites better than the Bullet. said...

What a useless form of Christianity, to judge folks outside the faith while promoting an abusive man as president, even going so far as to claim on Twitter he's "growing in grace."

How can you possibly expect younger generations to respect your perspective when you rail against immorality outside the church, all the while showing arrogant amorality about unrepentant and ongoing abuse? As long as someone makes lip-service to being pro-life, you promote them, no matter how much harm they cause our next generations emotionally or spiritually.

No matter how many mobs your Christian president incites against private citizens, no matter how many death threats your fellow citizens endure for speaking their mind, you're just upset that a bunch of pop culture folks promote immorality on par with the evangelical president's known perversions.

We are done here. Such perverse, amoral folly deserves nothing but disdain.

Christiane said...

Actions of great cruelty against innocent children and their mothers are contrary to Christian mandates of caring for the needy and protecting the weak: The Royal Law of Christ.

In being cruel to these innocents, people might say, 'we were just following orders';
but in the great international court at Nuremburg, this argument was not accepted, nor has the civilized world found this argument morally sustainable.

What are we asked to do for refugees? Is it to punish them with intense cruelty?
Not according the the Words of Christ,
and when Our Lord has spoken, there ARE NO 'IN OTHER WORDS':
‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers,
YOU DID IT TO ME.

'So our Christian leaders in this country, I think they should stop playing church at the
White House centered around the raging angry Trump
and instead, they should 'seek the Babe lying in a cage somewhere along our southern
border — and set Him free.'


Refugee (by Malcolm Guite):

We think of Him as safe beneath the steeple,

Or cosy in a crib beside the font,

But He is with a million displaced people

On the long road of weariness and want.

For even as we sing our final carol

His family is up and on that road,

Fleeing the wrath of someone else’s quarrel,

Glancing behind and shouldering their load.

Whilst Herod rages still from his dark tower

Christ clings to Mary, fingers tightly curled,

The lambs are slaughtered by the men of power,

And death squads spread their curse across the world.

But every Herod dies, and comes alone

To stand before the Lamb upon the throne."


Mr. Kuter, that is why I wrote that comment: that there are consequences to the soul of our country if we treat asylum seekers and their infants with that level of inhumane cruelty. For some reason the lie seems to have been distributed among conservative people that Obama created the 'parent-separation' policy. He didn't.
It was the brain-child of Trump's aide Steven Miller.

Now we come to a time of crisis, when our voting system is under attack and threatened to be by-passed with an end-run to a conservative Supreme Court to replace the voters of our nation,
and it looks as though if someone VERY ANGRY doesn't get 'his way', we can now 'foresee' the results of all his rhetoric on how he will instruct his base to act,
and this does not portend well for our nation. As much as the 'right' hates 'democracy', we do have this document that begins 'We, the people'. Until that is revoked, I think our people will want their votes counted properly and for an honest election to take place without intimidation OR violence. What do you think?













RB Kuter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter, I appreciate your honest question.

My answer is that I have ALWAYS been pro-life in the Catholic sense, but like many of my faith, I know that the 'answer' to stopping abortions will not be a 'political' one.

I have explained this before. It seems to me that 'pro-life' in some faith communities involves a VERY different evaluation of what that term means, as such communities are very prone to keeping the 'death sentence' as 'punishment/deterrent'.

And it also seems to me, and I say this very honestly having seen way too much happen to too many people, that there is enormous contempt for women in this world and the 'political' solutions proposed to 'control/end' abortion appear to me to be more an operative of 'power' and 'control' than any effective social or religious interventions geared towards 'welcoming' new life.

In short, I don't believe in the political 'solution', no. I think it is offered by politicians seeking power and control and many of these politicians do not concern themselves with the health of women or children:

case-in-point: In my home state was a governor who got elected running on a 'pro-life' platform. Nothing new there; BUT THEN, once in office he began to do some strange stuff for one so devoted to the sanctity of life. He decided to defund the largest pediatric hospital in the state which housed the most advanced NICU center (where my own sister-in-law had worked as a nurse/supervisor at one time). Thing is, he was also 'on the take' as was his wife, both actively seeking 'favors' for favors at the same time.

So he got the power he wanted, and went to destroy the funding for very important needs for preemies that NICU offered to save their lives. . . . so the people of the state 'got it' what he was and eventually kicked him out of office.
(to be continued)

Christiane said...

(continued)

No, I don't trust a 'political solution'. It doesn't care for the 'born' and it also springs from many who still advocate for death sentences and the destroyed medical care for the poor, many who for the first time were able to access decent medical care under Obamacare. My own brother, a staunch Republic, will not vote any more for a party that has gone 'off the rails' the way trumpism has taken it, and he is supporting Biden. He is a pediatrician.

I see the way ahead that WILL HELP as one that offers 'social' interventions: paid leave for new parents (fathers also) as a national policy, good medical care programs that cover also the poor and of course also the children of the poor . . . . if you want to see what I am talking about, look at what the Scandinavian countries offer their citizens in the way of 'welcoming' new life and YES, it costs money from taxes.

A part of the attraction to a quickie political solution is simply that it is seen as not costing anything, except maybe for punishments and jail terms as 'consequences';
but certainly no 'socialism' as it termed because 'taxes will go up'. Well, we are already paying taxes for the rich apparently, so that argument also goes out the window with me.

Something there is about misogyny that has led to horrific situations for women who need to earn, and therefore contributed to the increase in the amounts of those seeking abortions because they feel they have no other way out:
and that 'something' is that there is ALSO a tremendous anger leveled towards women by misogynists who might consider abortion; and I find this to be a dreadful case of placing vulnerable women between a rock and a hard place by a male-dominated society that has done all it can to discourage the social and national policies of 'welcoming new life' that might have offered a hand to these drowning women. The degree of contempt and hatred?

You see it all around you when fingers are pointed at 'women' as the ones to have contempt for, when so often they are the victims of their own degradation. Just look at that Cardi B persona in the blog Wade wrote and try to imagine what on earth that women has been put through for her to degrade herself so completely, knowing that she now is some kind of 'role model' for young black girls.

More victims than sinners, these girls? Some. Actually many.
I remember a twelve-year old sweet child coming back to see us teachers with her baby newborn, a 'child' of twelve we had taught the previous year who was a bit low-functioning intellectually, but a good girl that someone had taken advantage of or forced, but we had cared for her as our student and later, we all sat silent together after her visit, each of us lost in our own thoughts of pity for a young girl we had so recently cared for.

No. I don't see politics as the 'easy way out' of a problem that requires a much more complicated and intensive investment in social, religious, educational, and financial support than it has the heart to summon forth. It's a power game, this trumpism thing. It is nothing at all like the honorable conservative Republican Party of my father's time, no way.

Thanks for listening. Okay we me if you don't agree, but I have been honest in any case.
So feel free to disagree and no hard feelings as I am not like that.

ีuplay365 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
RB Kuter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,
your words tell me how deeply you grieve the victims of abortion, so I am understanding this, and I no words against your grief.

If you would like to discuss some portion of what I wrote, I am open to that, but I will respect your decision.

I remain convinced that the tragedy of abortion is the result of many layers of neglect for the fate of those who struggle with overwhelming problems, and who sometimes make terrible decisions. There will be no 'quick political fixes' and I think you know that at heart. The problems are calling from us far more than many are willing to contribute in the way of solution to needs, but I think if we want to 'welcome new life' as an American nation, we have a very long way to go.

In the meantime, we do what is possible to help those who are troubled, and it starts with LISTENING and seeing into their distress and pain, not to disagree, or feel that what is said must be taken personally;
but to respect that the reason for that pain comes from a very human need to see salvation from the most tragic effects of despair in the lives of vulnerable people.

Christiane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christiane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

It is so true what you said, “In being cruel to these innocents, people might say, 'we were just following orders'; but in the great international court at Nuremburg, this argument was not accepted, nor has the civilized world found this argument morally sustainable.”

Many years ago, our father took my brother and me to the Nuremburg Trials. A person was not tried by a judge and jury, but a panel of four judges. We put on head-phones and pushed a button to hear in English. We were not there very long. The prosecution had already rested, and we heard only the defense pleading that the man was only following orders. The verdict of the judges was death

RB Kuter said...

Rex Ray, are you kidding me??!! YOU were at the Nuremburg Trials!!?? Sometimes I begin to think that I have you figured out and pretty much know most of the historic experiences you have had, then you throw in another one like this.

I wonder if you were in the bunker with Adolf prior to his escaping to Argentina with his madam? No, you were probably busy on the Enola Gay on the way to Hiroshima at the time!

Astounding, but you have proven that we can believe your stories. Still, shocked.

Rex Ray said...

RB Kuter,

Google states:

“For her show of loyalty, Hitler agreed to marry Braun. The couple wed on April 29, 1945. The following day, on April 30, 1945, they committed suicide. Jul 14, 2020.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theories_about_Adolf_Hitler%27s_death

“Most of these theories hold that Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, survived and escaped from Berlin. While these theories have received some exposure in popular culture, these viewpoints are regarded by historians and scientific experts as disproven fringe theories…the desire to invent legends and fairy tales...is greater than the love of truth". In 1947, 51 percent of Americans polled thought that Hitler was still alive.

Jawbone fragments and two dental bridges found in May 1945. The items were shown to Hitler's dentist Hugo Blaschke, his assistant Käthe Heusermann, and longtime dental technician Fritz Echtmann, who confirmed the dental remains were Hitler's and Braun's.

The left piece of the parietal bones had gunshot damage.”

RB, our father took my brother and me to see the bunker where Hitler and his wife died. He told us they both had poison to take, but after Hitler saw his wife suffering so much, he shot himself.

Rex Ray said...

RB Kuter,

You wrote to me in jest: “you were probably busy on the Enola Gay on the way to Hiroshima at the time!”

I saw a movie of the destruction that took place in Hiroshima. I felt strange because I was an American seeing the movie shown by a Japanese church in Hiroshima that we were helping to enlarge.

(It took eleven days for my reply to answer your question if I was in Hitler’s bunker. I long for the good old days.)

Rex Ray said...

Google states:

“Nagasaki was not a primary target. As the B-29 bomber headed to its initial target of Kokura on the morning of August 9 1945, thick haze and smoke forced it to switch at the last minute to Nagasaki, a second target.”

Southern Baptists had their headquarters in Kokura, so their buildings were not destroyed.

Ufa88kh said...

I think this is one of the most significant information for me.
And i’m glad reading your article.
But should remark on some general things, the web site style is perfect,
wordpress Casino Online
ufa88kh.blogspot Casino Online
youtube Casino Online
Football Online

Ufa88kh said...

Thank You for sharing your article, This is an interesting & informative blog. It is very useful for the promoter like me.
wordpress
blogspot
youtube
áž…ាក់áž”ាáž›់