Wednesday, November 04, 2020

The Worst Kind of Slavery Is the Fear of Death

"Jesus died that He might...free those who all their lives have been 
held in slavery by their fear of death." Hebrews 2:14-15.

2020 has brought to the surface of our culture the greatest kind of slavery mankind faces.

It is the fear of dying. 

It used to be that Americans shared a common consensus about Divine things. We uniformly believed in a personal God who created the universe. We believed that this Creator gave life to us and that after we died, each of us would return to our Creator where we would give an account for our lives. 

Belief in God and the afterlife was something held in common by all Americans. 

But no longer is there any consensus. 

Americans find nothing odd about being at a dinner where table guests are just as likely to be atheists or agnostics as they are believers in God. Some might claim belief in eastern mystic gods or New Age principles that exalt man as god. But for sure, there is no common consensus about God.

There's an old saying that goes like this:
"In essential things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity."
If there is no unity in culture over the essentials of the faith, then there is essential disunity in culture over the fear of dying. 

America is in national enslavement to the fear of death. THIS life becomes all-encompassing to Americans, with little or no thought of the next life. Enslavement to the fear of death is felt in the heart of individuals but noticed in the practices of our culture.

For example,  "the fear of death" means...

1. You worship youthfulness or looking young.
2. You obsess over technology to conquer time and speed through tasks.
3. You have anxiety over your personal health.
4. You blame other people for your health or lack of it.
5. You esteem men and women in white coats (science or medicine). 
6. You fear growing old and dying. 
7. You seek escapism from having to contemplate the reality of dying.

But when Jesus frees you from the fear of death things begin to change.

1. You embrace and esteem old age and the wisdom of life's experiences that come with it.
2. You are able to "unplug" from technology and engage with others, being present with them.
3. You are not anxious about your health or impending death but you enjoy today's small moments of life. 
4. You take ownership of your health and refuse to blame others if it fails.
5. You respect science and medicine, but they don't rule over you because you take ownership of the way you live and die and science and medicine serve you and not the other way around.
6. You have no fear of growing old or dying.
7. You contemplate and meditate daily on your mortality and the eternality of your existence.

Remember this truth when it comes to surrendering your life to Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior:
It is difficult to fear death if you are a Christian.  However,  it is difficult not to worship health if you fear death. 
Since America as a whole seems enslaved to the fear of death, then national health to live this life without dying becomes our national god. 

As Austrian philosopher  Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn wrote in the 1970s:
"It is difficult to enforce general health without large-scale state intervention and it is equally difficult to imagine increased state intervention without a loss of liberties."                   (Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Menace of the Herd or Procrustes at Large. Kindle Edition).

God gives us life, liberty, and the ability to pursue happiness.  We will return to Him to give an account of how we lived this life.  If you don't believe in God, then you can't believe that other people have inalienable rights, and so you can expect they do what you demand to help keep you alive. 

America needs a revival of faith in God before the worship of science destroys the lives we are living through our enslavement to the fear of dying.

53 comments:

Christiane said...

The Peace of Christ shelters us from hopelessness and fearfulness. May we all be sheltered in His care, so that we will become unafraid to reach out to those who need Him and who ask from us His kindness.

https://youtu.be/lIdfulZ1c5c

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

I think your Post Title might be ‘The Worst Kind of Slavery Is Not Being a Christian’. Because Christians don’t fear death.

My brother, Hez, wrote a book “The Big Dipper a Dream is Born”.

Page 2 has: “Our daughter, Diane, contracted cancer while serving as a part time missionary in Korea…one night, she asked me to lean over. She whispered so softly I could barely hear: “Dad, I’m not afraid to die. I know Jesus…

Dad, when you write your book about the Big Dipper, and I know you will, be sure you give it a heart! Dad, give it your heart!”

“Diane, I can do better than that, girl, God willing, I will give it your heart!” (Hez met Jesus March 17, 2020.)

Today, the youngest of Hez’s four daughters, Melody (lives in Seattle) visited his headstone a mile from our house that she had someone in Bonham to make. This Thursday, a group of us will gather there where she’ll place some of Hez’s ashes. Next, she’ll place some ashes on Diane’s grave in Colorado, and some at the Big Dipper in Alaska.

Wade Burleson said...

Rex,

Your alternate title is excellent! I agree.

Christiane, 'the Peace of Christ shelters us from hopelessness and fearfulness."

Amen!

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

I appreciate your link because I found the song “Sing me back home before I die” by Merle Haggard.

Warning: It’s a ‘tear jerker’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT2Up25j5-Y

Rex Ray said...

P.S.

If you haven’t guessed, the prisoner was walking to the electric-chair.

Christiane said...

Hey REX RAY,
Whoah! Maybe I should have posted something more cheerful. I'm glad you found the song you liked, though. Stay safe!

Rex Ray said...
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Rex Ray said...

Yesterday, there were 20 that watched my brothers’ daughter, place a container with his ashes at his headstone. Many stories were told.

I told of me rejecting his calling, “Come back, come back!” over and over when we were 15.

I was attempting to swim to an object a long way from the bank. I’d never listened if his calls had come from the bank, but he was following me.

I went back when he got choked and I realized he was going to drown. (I know now, I’d drown because it was too far.)

Would we have listened to God if Jesus had stayed in heaven?

Christiane said...

REX RAY, your comment redirects us to what is most important.

Lissa Roberson said...

This post is especially pertinent to our COVID pandemic. We live in a climate of fear and panic over contracting the virus -- why? Fear of death. What is the media keeping on the proverbial front page? The body count. What did Joe Biden keep at the forefront of his message? The "millions" (oops) more that will die under Pres. Trump's leadership if re-elected. Fear of Death has gripped the U.S. in 2020 to a degree previously unseen.

At least during wartime we accepted that our soldiers were facing the risk of death while defending our country, and we didn't fall into a debilitative paralysis as a nation. Workers continued working their jobs, families continued to have children, holidays continued to be celebrated, churches continued to assemble, business continued to function and employ their workers.

To "trust the science" today is to place our trust in "experts" whose expertise is becoming more and more tainted by the affairs of man (read: political agendas). By contrast, God Almighty knows every detail about this Coronavirus, and He reveals bits and pieces to our "experts" at the time of His choosing. Science alone makes for a poor god.

Paul D said...

@Lissa -
it sounds like you have an irrational fear of science, news, Joe Biden, and "experts". It's ok - God is in control, not political agendas.

The Christian conservative has been held slavery to a conspiracy theory narrative for far too long. If that's not obvious today, then I give up - there is no saving anyone from foolish theories.

thanks
Paul

Christiane said...

I'm proud of my family who are medical doctors and nurse practitioners and nurses. They are good people who have worked hard to get an education and needed training and many of them are people of faith.
My brother has been a practicing pediatrician for over forty years now. My sister-in-law serves beside him as a pediatric nurse-practitioner. Their children include a son who is a Navy doctor whose wife is an oncologist; my niece who is a Navy Nurse, a leutenant commander who is highly skilled in critical care; her older sister who is a nurse practitioner specializing in pediatric neurology at a university medical system. Then there is Kim, my cousin, who is a child psychiatrist in Massachusetts.

I mention my family because they are real people, who are not over-proud. Even Wade's wife is a health specialist in nursing, with a doctorate, and I know WADE must be very proud of her.

My point is that medical science is a 'service' which is 'professional' because it requires a level of education and training that takes years of hard work and commitment, and it has an ethical standard, and is also licensed to practice medicine. They know their profession and they know its limits, and many are people of great faith.

Why I felt the need to speak FOR them now, I'm not certain. And I know that there are some who break faith with the profession, sure, but they are human beings whose accomplishments are needed and ought to be recognized as valuable and also appreciated. Believe me, from knowing my own family who are medical people, they know they are not God. They stand at the grave of their parents/grandparents like anyone else.

The pandemic is a reality. Many many people realized it would be unsafe to stand in long lines on the day of our national election of our president, so they 'sheltered' and mailed their ballots in; or like me, hearing that the postal service had been tampered with, chose to deposit their ballots in drop-boxes by voting centers. I am glad their voices are being counted. The taking of precautions is not something to mock or belittle when you are conscious of what medical people on the front lines are going through in emergency rooms and in isolation wards. They are much at risk for infection. They need our prayers, and not to be objects of ridicule or scorn. A former presidential adviser has called (hyperbole?) for the beheading of a famous specialist as a 'warning' for those who don't 'get in line'. So when I heard that, I thought it might be good to speak for them what are too busy helping others to worry about defending their own honor. People sometimes go too far in their frustration with any reality that is 'inconvenient'. But the physicians are not the problem, no. Our Lord is called the Great Physician. And St. Luke, by profession, was a doctor. And the Church organized the first hospitals.

We need to think what is the real problem and address it without all the hyperbole, denial, and anger. Our front-line people all need our prayers and support now. Thanks for listening.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

You said, “Many people realized it would be unsafe to stand in long lines on the day of our national election of our president, so they 'sheltered' and mailed their ballots in; or like me, hearing that the postal service had been tampered with, chose to deposit their ballots in drop-boxes by voting centers. I am glad their voices are being counted.”

Yes, there are people that counted your vote. But do you know they are honest? To make sure they’re honest, there are pole watchers. They are composed of Democrats and Republicans. In major Democratic cities, the law was broken by keeping the pole watchers so far away, they couldn’t do their job. In on place they covered windows with cardboard to prevent pole watchers from seeing.

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54837926

This link has conflicting statements:

1.On Wednesday, there were chaotic scenes when poll watchers claimed they were being blocked from the counting hall as windows were covered.

2.The City of Detroit's principal attorney, Lawrence Garcia, said in a statement: "Some - but not all - windows were covered, because poll workers seated just inside those windows expressed concerns about people outside the center photographing and filming them and their work."

Christiane, who do you believe, the pole watchers, or Detroit’s attorney?

Lissa Roberson said...

Hello, Paul D -

One of the drawbacks of a cyber-dialogue is the inability to visit person-to-person. If you and I had that opportunity, you would realize that I'm not a hyper-conspiracy Conservative that fears science and liberal politicians. I'm a Bible-believing Christian that sees valuable contributions each political party can offer to our great nation.

What has saddened me throughout this "epic pandemic" is witnessing what I can only call a stranglehold of fear that has altered life as we previously lived it. "Follow the Science" sounded good, but on a given day, "Science" said that wearing masks was effective protection, only to have science later contradict its own message, declaring masks ineffective in protecting against Coronavirus. We cannot trust Science as our faith guide when science is changing and evolving. Again, in this case, more about the disease is being understood over time, while simultaneously the disease itself is evolving.

Fear of the unknown is almost as strong as fear of dying. That being said, there's a lot that is unknown about the Coronavirus, which feeds right into the pandemic of fear. I believe the Evil one is having a heyday by exploiting human fear, and it is he that is holding us captive.

Praise be to God, who has not given us (who belong to Christ) a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, of power, and a sound mind. We must keep our wits about us, grant grace to those whose opinions differ from our own, and pray for the Lord to bring good out of this calamity. May we always be ready to give an answer to those who ask us to explain the hope that is within us, and may we do it with gentleness and respect.

Grace and peace, my brother.

Christiane said...
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Christiane said...

from a different points of view, comes some things to think about:


"" to save one life is to save the world entire "
(The Talmud)
it is explained, this:
"Why was man created alone? Is it not true that the creator could have created the whole of humanity? But man was created alone to teach you that whoever kills one life kills the world entire, and whoever saves one life saves the world entire.
—paraphrased from the Talmud "




AND THIS:
" 'Matthew 4:5-7 describes how taking an unnecessary risk is tempting God and putting God to the test:

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test..Choosing to test God - to send angels to protect him and those he could be infecting - is wrong.

Like driving on Interstate 81 at 120 miles per hour and expecting God to protect you. Or giving a child a loaded gun. Or trying to pick up the biting end of a rattlesnake. Or driving drunk or stoned. Or not wearing a mask in the midst of one of the most dangerous pandemics in history. These irresponsible actions are not what God expects of us and are certainly not ordained by God under some magic cover of protection.

God gave us the intellect, tools and capability to solve this problem while protecting ourselves and others' "





AND THIS:
"... the people who were put in the camps then were Communists. Who cared about them? We knew it, it was printed in the newspapers. Who raised their voice, maybe the Confessing Church? We thought: Communists, those opponents of religion, those enemies of Christians—"should I be my brother's keeper?"

Then they got rid of the sick, the so-called incurables. I remember a conversation I had with a person who claimed to be a Christian. He said: Perhaps it's right, these incurably sick people just cost the state money, they are just a burden to themselves and to others. Isn't it best for all concerned if they are taken out of the middle [of society]? Only then did the church as such take note.

Then we started talking, until our voices were again silenced in public."
(Martin Niemoller)

Christiane said...

Hey REX RAY,

what I know is that way before the voting, it was loudly said that the only way Trump could be defeated would be if there was cheating;

Trump, himself, spoke against the vote by mail which is something many have done legally (including himself), and also demanded that vote counts STOP the night of Tuesday's election so that the rest of the votes would not be counted

and THEN, I know that people wanted to avoid a crowded long wait in line and chose the option of 'mail-in voting' but the next thing that happened is that the USPostal Service was 'slowed down' and this was publicized to discourage people from using the mail-in voting system.

So when I hear 'rumors' about trouble at the polls, I'm not shocked or suprised. And I'm also not impressed with the rumors, no.

REX RAY, I trust our democratic system of voting. It's not perfect, but the states have worked very hard to see that everyone's voice is heard (vote is counted). Not worried about Detroit or Philly. And not upset about any conspiracy theories. IF TRUMP HAS ISSUES about the election, he should go to court and present any evidence he has of wrong-doing or fraud and THEN, accept the judgment of the court as 'the rule of law'. He deserves this chance if he is worried. But we are a people that WANTS our votes counted and I am not one to hide away and not partake of my right and responsibility to vote my conscience; AND to support our citizens' rights to use the democratic system of voting for the President every four years. AND I think ALL votes that are legitimate should be counted, no matter who wins. It's the right thing to do.

Paul D said...

@Lissa -
keep saying it like a mantra - "I'm not a hyper-conspiracy Conservative that fears science and liberal politicians."

You cannot say science or pandemic without putting them in quotes, as if even the words are illegitimate.

The "stranglehold of fear that has altered life as we previously lived it" is the conspiracy theory narrative. Somehow conservatism Christianity has bought into it even though it has nothing to do with Christian faith.

It's really quite impressive to see someone compare wearing masks with loving Jesus, as if a wearing a mask = fear of death and lack of faith. That is bananas.

thanks
Paul

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54837926


If you read near the end of the link above, you’ll see a picture of windows covered and:

“On Wednesday, there were chaotic scenes when poll watchers claimed they were being blocked from the counting hall as windows were covered.

The City of Detroit's principal attorney, Lawrence Garcia, said in a statement: "Some - but not all - windows were covered, because poll workers seated just inside those windows expressed concerns about people outside the center photographing and filming them and their work."

I’m wondering why you didn’t answer my question: “Who do you believe, the poll watchers, or Detroit’s attorney?”

Did you even look at the link or did you think it was a “conspiracy theory”?

Christiane said...

REX RAY,

if there are valid concerns about wrong-doing, what I think is that people ought to take those concerns to the courts, present the evidence, and get a verdict that is based on the evidence and the law.

As a matter of fact, if someone is really worried about malfeasance, they have a MORAL OBLIGATION to report what they know as 'fact' to the authorities.

I leave the matter in the hands of those best to examine the evidence and conduct a thorough inquiry and resolve the concern in a court of law.

Very important that it should be done properly as this country depends on the rule of law so that we can have a democratic system giving fair justice to all involved. What's needed are the FACTS, the EVIDENCE, the WITNESS reports: the courts are prepared to handle this kind of matter, REX RAY. It's our way in this country.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

I’m beginning to think you’d make a politician by not answering questions, but talking around them.

What if poll watchers were prevented in seeing how your voted was counted and it was switched to Trump? Only the Lord would know. :)

Rex Ray said...

I’m wrong.

The guilty person would know, and anyone he might have bragged to, and those might have…

Christiane said...

Good Morning, REX RAY

I'm sure your concern is real and you deserve to find out an answer to 'what happened there' but I don't understand who these 'poll watchers' are and if they were appointed to supervise and oversee the work being done. I've 'heard' that they were people who came right up to the glass windows and were yelling at the workers just inside the glass, so that is something a little different from a legitimate 'poll watcher'.

Your concerns need to be investigated. Any evidence of wrong-doing needs to be presented. I'm not trying to 'avoid answering your question' because I don't know enough to judge what happened as there are varying reports but I do believe that if there is a case to be made with evidence, it ought to be presented to the courts. I'm for the truth coming out, sure. Hearsay isn't enough for me to come to a conclusion on what was going on there. I know you are concerned, and I am concerned that you are upset by this. Be patient, it will be sorted out. We will know more in time.

Rex Ray said...

Asking prayer for my 90-year-old brother-in-law, Joe Deupree. He’s in the hospital with high fever and is septic.

In 2005, Wade will remember him as being one of four ejected from their church because they ‘fought’ against selling the church and moving it 30 miles where their pastor wanted it. One of the four was a widow whose husband had given 30 acres of land to build their church many years before.

The pastor told the church he couldn’t tell why they were ejected because it was too embarrassing. The church was not moved and within a year the pastor was fired, and Joe was chosen “Citizen of the Year”.

Christiane said...

REX RAY, I will keep vigil prayer for your brother-in-law tonight. I'm sorry to hear of his suffering.

Christiane said...

REX RAY, I will keep vigil prayer for your brother-in-law tonight. I'm sorry to hear of his suffering.

Christiane said...

REX RAY, I will keep vigil prayer for your brother-in-law tonight. I'm sorry to hear of his suffering.

Christiane said...

REX RAY, I will keep vigil prayer for your brother-in-law tonight. I'm sorry to hear of his suffering.

Christiane said...

REX RAY: a vigil prayer for your brother-in-law who suffers in hospital now:


"O Lord Almighty,
Healer of our souls and bodies,
You Who put down and raise up,
Who chastise and heal also;
visit our brother Joe Deupree, who is sick
and in Your great mercy, cure him.
for You are the Physician of our souls and bodies,
and to You do we send up Glory:
to Father, and to Son, and to Holy Spirit,
both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."

Christiane said...

For REX RAY and for his brother-in-law Joe who is in hospital very ill, this:


From an Orthodox vigil prayer for all in need of Christ’s merciful healing:

“Only the Word of God takes us out of the night.
Light comes only from God. Light always is from God,
for there is no darkness in God.”

Christ, in Thy great mercy, hear us.
From the ages to the ages
Amen.

Christiane said...

For REX RAY and for his brother-in-law Joe who is in hospital very ill, this:


From an Orthodox vigil prayer for all in need of Christ’s merciful healing:

“Only the Word of God takes us out of the night.
Light comes only from God. Light always is from God,
for there is no darkness in God.”

Christ, in Thy great mercy, hear us.
From the ages to the ages
Amen.

Christiane said...

For REX RAY and for his brother-in-law Joe who is in hospital very ill, this:


From an Orthodox vigil prayer for all in need of Christ’s merciful healing:

“Only the Word of God takes us out of the night.
Light comes only from God. Light always is from God,
for there is no darkness in God.”

Christ, in Thy great mercy, hear us.
From the ages to the ages
Amen.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

I knew if anyone said a prayer for Joe Deupree, it’d be you. Thanks so much. It was so touching, I made a copy for our church members.

Christiane said...

For REX RAY and for his brother-in-law Joe,
a vigil prayer for the night:

"Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because You love mankind, pity Your creation. Your only-begotten Son taught us that not even the smallest sparrow falls to the ground without Your knowledge. We pray to You for Your servant Joe Deupree, for the healing of body and soul. Calm him with confidence in the fullness of Your love. To You belongs all our praise and worship, to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages."
Amen.

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Rex Ray said...

AFTER THIS YEAR, WILL AMERICA EVER TRUST ITS VOTEING SYSTEM AGAIN?

EXAMPLES:

Allowing votes to be counted after election day makes it possible to know how many votes are needed to win. Philadelphia found 23,000 votes for Biden and zero for Trump.

Pennsylvania used computer software that had a ‘glitch’ that reversed votes. More states had the same software.

Our laws state poll watchers must oversee people who count votes sent by mail, but many places made them stay so far away, they couldn’t see.

Lissa Roberson said...

Hey Rex Ray,

Wade hosted Dinesh D'Souza at Emmanuel Enid last night. DineshD gave an amazing presentation about the way forward for our nation in light of this amazingly corrupt presidential election. You ought to go onto YouTube and watch it; it's eye-opening and encouraging.

Thinking of your brother in-law, too. ~Lissa

CM said...

Dinesh D'Souza?

Of course I fully expect no one here will read my post, assuming Wade actually approves it. Which of course, if he doesn't it old proves my point about Wade.

I guess Wade is OK with having an adulterer and a convicted criminal sullying the pulpit.

In 2014, D'Souza pleaded guilty in federal court to one felony charge of using a "straw donor" to make an illegal campaign contribution to a 2012 United States Senate campaign. He was sentenced to eight months in a halfway house near his home in San Diego, five years' probation, and a $30,000 fine.

Yes he was pardoned by Trump (gee I wonder why?).

Let us not forget his tweet about Rosa Parks shall we?

https://twitter.com/DineshDSouza/status/820381140112412673

Or how about this gem:

The End of Racism, D'Souza offered conflicting takes on the living standards of slaves in America in the span of a single page. He began by conceding they "did live miserably," but soon argued that some combination of "religious and ethical sensibilities of masters" plus slave owners' self-interest meant "the American slave was treated like property, which is to say, pretty well."

https://books.google.com/books?id=QNV3XwST4WIC&lpg=PP1&dq=dinesh%20d%27souza%20end%20of%20racism&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q=%22pretty%20well%22&f=false

There are many other of his tweets and statements that reveal the true character of the man.


CM said...

Rex Ray,

You are so mistaken. Shall I point out that it was the GOP state representatives in PA and other states that did not allow the mail-in votes to be counted until Election Day? Most of the mail-in ballots were by people who wanted to mitigate their risks for COVID, and were clearly not Trump supporters. Why? Because Trump supporters are much more likely to dismiss the virus and its risks. Another thing is that the same people who ran the elections and counted the ballots are the same ones who have to process the mail-in ballots.

Shall we not forget the USPS delaying and all the screw-ups by Trump's Postmaster General DeJoy in states like PA anothers? It is almost as if Trump and his people (like the GOP state reps in PA) deliberately screwed things up so they can claim fraud and sow discontent into the race. Giving Trump fanboys like yourself your false narrative and meme.

Here is another fact: The counties with the hightest COVID rates per capita voted overwhelmingly for Trump:

https://apnews.com/article/counties-worst-virus-surges-voted-trump-d671a483534024b5486715da6edb6ebf

Tell me Rex, if you think it was vast conspiracy of Democrats across several states to get Biden elected, why didn't they do that for the Senate and House seats in those areas, to ensure a friendly Congress for Biden?

Ever think that maybe a lot of people hated Trump but still voted for the Republican down-ballot? Something called split ticket voting? Ever hear of that?

Christiane said...

REX RAY,

how is your brother-in-law doing? I will continue prayers for him.


My dear Lissa,
thank you for the tip about a 'you tube' video with D'Souza. I saw the 'short' piece at the tail end of a time of questioning, but I wondered if there was a longer link that showed more of the complete talk.


I do believe people are entitled to KNOW answers to their concerns. I do think it is important to find out the truth if there was extensive wrong-doing. What I am hearing is that there was not systemic corruption in the voting or in the counting process. But I am open to having peoples' concerns and questions responded to in a way that helps them to process what actually did happen. Peoples' concerns are serious business in a democracy. Not so in a country where folks feel threatened to speak up. No one wants for our citizens to be silenced, no. Goodness, that we should hear everyone's voice was what the election was all about. Let any needed inquiries take place. Let evidence be brought into courts of law. I would say each state should handle these concerns as each state is responsible for the election in that state.

No one should be silenced. People NEED to express their concerns and be helped by those who can properly respond to those concerns, yes. It's our way in this country.

Christiane said...

the long view . . . time out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsQw2UPHdS0&list=RDwsQw2UPHdS0&index=1



Paul D said...

what??!! Hard to believe that conspiracy theories are being rolled out. Who would have ever thought.

It is, however, very disappointing to see Christian conservatives buy into this stuff en masse. It is most certainly the most harmful threat to our country.

"history will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."
MLK


thanks
Paul

Paul D said...

one more comment.
I did watch half of the Dinesh talk on voter fraud. I also watched his whole talk on Christianity. He is a very engaging speaker.

I love his message regarding Christianity. It's just so sad to see the credibility of that message be linked to his political theories, where he proposes Breitbart as credible news (seriously?), and brings up wild theories with notes like - "I don't know for sure, I just want it noted - I'm sure people are looking into it". It is irresponsible to link this to a Christian message.

The very first comment he made expressed confusion at Biden being an "odd" candidate. That is a very odd statement considering that Biden ran against a reality TV star who has the evangelical vote but can't pronounce two Corinthians.

My second note was in regards to "massive" Trump rallies. Ummmm. Is that the same kind of statement as "largest inauguration crowd ever"?

thanks
Paul

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

Brother in-law, Joe Deupree, is home from the hospital. Kinsmen will be with him night and day. He is blind in one eye and can hardly see out of the other. His wife died years ago.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Christiane said...

REX RAY, glad to hear he is home surrounded by his caring family. May Our Lord come near and bring them peace and strength. May God's angels watch over them. Thanks for letting me know.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

‘Mail-in-ballots’ is an easy-fast-good way to vote. Right? (Trump did it.)
I believe it’s BAD because things can go wrong.

Remember my cousin, Claude Hicks? At one time he sorted mail by zip codes in a Post Office. One day, they had a meeting and were scolded for not being as fast as a new employee.

Claude watched the new guy and reported the new guy divided letters equally in the zip code boxes without looking at the zip codes.

Did some ‘vote counters’ put all the votes in one box?

Mail-in-ballots allows dead people to vote just like ‘landslide Johnson’.

Comparing ‘mail-in-ballots’ to traffic lights: If some error turned all the lights green, what would happen?

Before the final decision of who will be our President, some lawyers are going to make a lot of money.

Victorious said...

Before the final decision of who will be our President, some lawyers are going to make a lot of money.

Didn't the electoral vote determine the next president? Wasn't that the "final decision" according to the constitution?

Rex Ray said...

Victorious,

If it’s proven a crime has been done to win, it’s not over until the ‘Fat Lady Sings’.

Rex Ray said...

Victorious,

If I was a lawyer for Trump and wanted to prove ‘voter fraud’, I’d look into the link below and find out in Philadelphia how they found 43,000 votes for Biden and zero for Trump.

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=sfysX4ujHIGJtgWi-rOgBw&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAX60Kwcdz29lK1ITmtzY2XBwv4z-sxyLJ&q=Philadelphia+found+23%2C000+votes+for+Biden+and+zero+for+Trump.&oq=Philadelphia+found+23%2C000+votes+for+Biden+and+zero+for+Trump.&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQDFCzhQFYs4UBYKHPAWgAcAB4AIABvASIAbwEkgEDNS0xmAEAoAECoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjLv6uW1fzsAhWBhK0KHSL9DHQQ4dUDCAw

The link below tells of Trump vowing for the Supreme Court to get involved.

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2020/11/pennsylvania-2020-election-live-blog-updates-donald-trump-joe-biden/

Christiane said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMiaJe6ykfw