Saturday, February 20, 2021

Live Not by Lies of the U.S. Clean Energy Initiatives

I'm going to make this post simple. Without intending to offend, I am writing it like those "For Dummies" books that you see in the book store.

This post is designed for those who know little about Clean Energy Initiatives and the United Nations' desire to control the amount of carbon dioxide gases in the air by shutting down oil, gas, and coal exploration, production, and transmission. 

Ask anyone in Texas about energy this week, and you'll probably get an earful. The Texas power grid failed, and Governor Greg Abbott blames green energy.  Governor Abbot is correct in blaming the Clean Energy Initiatives for the problems in his state this past week. 

The most abundant, affordable, reliable energy sources are natural gas, oil, and coal. Any society that loses access to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy will never rise out of poverty, or in the United States case, will quickly fall back into poverty.

Green Energy advocates are killing the United States - literally. Green energy advocates tell us that wind, solar, and electric energy must take over for oil, gas, and coal energy in the United States because "using oil, gas, and coal energy is releasing too much carbon dioxide into the air and making the world's temperature increase!" 

Advocates, like President Joe Biden, say "clean energy will save the planet." 

That is both absurd and deceptive. 

More CO₂ is needed in our atmosphere, not less. Adding more CO₂ to the atmosphere enhances plant growth around the world, making more food available for everyone, helping the world's poor more than others, lifting nations from poverty into prosperity. 

Don't take my word for it. Thousands of scientists, meteorologists, physicists, and other professionally-degreed climate experts deny there is a problem with global warming and say the United States will move into third-world status if we lose our ability to use the abundant, affordable, and reliable oil, gas, and coal resources we have in our nation's land. They say that the earth gets warmer and cooler during natural cycles that superimpose on one other.  Warming and cooling periods on this planet happen in varying quantities naturally, and "anthropogenic" (man-made) production of CO₂ is helpful, not detrimental.   

Crazy, is it not, how scientists disagree over the climate change issue? lt is a little like how they disagree over the Covid-19 issue. 

Those scientists who deny "global warming" include the American-born Austrian physicist Fred Singer (1924-2020). Dr. Singer is the author or editor of several books including Global Effects of Environmental Pollution (1970), The Ocean in Human Affairs (1989), Global Climate Change (1989), The Greenhouse Debate Continued (1992), and Hot Talk, Cold Science (1997). He also co-authored Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years (2007) with Dennis Avery, and Climate Change Reconsidered (2009) with Craig Idso.

Before his death in 2020 at the age of 96,  Dr. Singer taught that the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, from 350 ppm (parts per million) in 1950 to 414 ppm in 2021, was a natural and welcomed event. He held that any increase in atmospheric CO₂ through the burning of fossil fuels was healthy for the environment because of increased plant production (photosynthesis). With increased plant production, the world's food supply greatly increases, and the ability to use abundant, affordable, and reliable fossil fuels lifts nations out of poverty into prosperity.

Relying on Green Energy takes a prosperous nation into poverty, said Dr. Singer.  Therefore, nobody should ever apologize - ever - for advocating for MORE exploration, production, and transmission of oil, gas, and coal energy in the United States. 

China, of course, which wishes to dominate the world, is building hundreds and hundreds of coal-fired energy plants. The United States through Clean Energy Initiatives is getting to the place where states can't even keep the power on at residential homes. 

I listen to Green Energy advocates. I read what they write. I listen to them talk. The more I hear from them, the more absurd I realize they are in their thinking. For example, James Hansen is the father of the theory of "Global Warming." I have listened to James Hansen's TED Talk on why he speaks out about "climate change." Dr. James Hansen said in his talk - I kid you not - that the increased heat energy on the earth due to climate change over the past  (.04 watts per metric square)  is "equivalent to exploding 400,000 Hiroshima bombs on earth per day, every day, for the last 70 years." 

Dr. Hansen, our church ministers to the Marshall Island people, an ethnic group who had 67 atomic bombs dropped on them in the Pacific by the United States government. That's right, 67 atomic bombs were exploded in the Marshall Islands from 1946-1951. We've been to the Marshall Islands. We've seen the awful and permanent damage from exploding 67 atomic bombs. Your allegation that Global Warming has released the equivalent energy of 10,220,000,000 atomic bombs on planet earth since 1950 tells me that you need to get out of your Ivory Tower and start walking around the real world. 

Computer models may predict, but Nature produces. If what a scientist is predicting in a laboratory isn't observed in the field, then the scientist has made a modeling error.

The Global Warming computer model is a farcical scientific predictive error.


The MAJOR Problem with Clean Energy Initiatives 


From the 1800s until 1950, the International Meteorological Organization served as a forum for exchanging weather data and climate research. The IMO was NON-GOVERNMENTAL, meaning scientists collaborated, often disagreed, but persuaded the world and nation's governments about any climate issues by their research and convincing argumentation.

On March 23, 1950, the United Nations established the World Meteorological Organization. The WMO is GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED. That means governments financially penalize businesses and cooperations that refused to abide by  WMO energy mandates, while financially rewarding (tax-incentives) those who do. The United States Environmental Protection Agency works with the WMO to enforce penalties and give incentives for world-wide Clean Energy Initiatives. 

The WMO is very similar to the World Health Organization (WHO), another entity of the United Nations. Dr. Fauci is the official for the United States who dictates government-mandated medical policy in conjunction with the World Health Organization.  Dr. Fauci is the highest-paid government official in the US federal government

What does it say when your nation's Chief Medical Officer is paid more than your Chief Executive Officer (the President of the United States)? It says that a WORLD ORGANIZATION is deemed more important than an individual nation. 

The United Nations also operates the World Trade Organization (WTO). 

HEALTH. ENERGY. TRADE.

All controlled by a one-WORLD-government initiative. 

As we have seen throughout 2020 and Covid-19, any scientist who disagrees with the official proclamations of the World Health Organization (WHO) is censured and silenced. Any scientist who disagrees with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is censured and silenced. Any person who disagrees with the World Trade Organization (WTO) is censured and silenced.

Here is the major problem with any WORLD-mandated health, energy, or trade proposal:

"Any WORLD initiative on health, energy, or trade requires a one-WORLD government to enforce it."

The advocates of a one-world government desire a "re-distribution" of wealth, forcing the end of capitalism and the rise of socialism, uniform conformity from the masses to the government elites, and the complete end of "harmful nationalism."


Nationalism Will Never Go Away Because God Won't Let It

The Bible is quite clear that the Creator made the earth and the universe. Mankind, the Creator's highest creation, is charged by God with stewardship over the earth. 

Biblical stewardship of the earth is the opposite of secular environmentalism. The broader environmental movement is either pantheistic, agnostic, atheistic, naturalistic, or sometimes spiritualistic, but never built on a worldview that there is a God who created the earth, and He rules over the people who are charged to care for it.

All secular environmentalists make no distinction between the Creator and the creation. Mother Earth 
is god, and when environmentalism worships the creation, we wind up with stewards in rebellion to their true Master.

For example, the Bible teaches that God established the nations and their boundaries:

"From one man God created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries." (Acts 17:26).
When the Messiah returns for the coronation of His eternal Kingdom on this earth, the nations will bow to Him:
"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name." (Psalm 86:9)
"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Revelation 15:4)
The attempt at a one-world government is predominately led by the communist Peoples' Republic of
China
. In a foreign policy initiative called "One Belt, One Road," Chinese communist leaders wish to rule the entire world by 2049, the hundredth anniversary of Mao Zedong declaring the new Marxist state (October 1, 1949). 

Ask yourself why communist China is so heavily involved in World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

HEALTH. ENERGY. TRADE.

China hid Covid-19 from the world. China rapidly went to work to protect its people from Covid-19, but allowed international planes to leave China to other countries. Domestic flights IN China came to a halt. It seems there was little concern for the "world." 

China is also pouring trillions of dollars into oil, gas, and coal energy, while the rest of the world is diverting from fossil fuels. 

Finally, China wants to determine favorable trade status for itself and will refuse any trade agreement that doesn't benefit China. Ask former-President Trump. He knows a deal when he sees one, and the U.S. - China trade agreements over the last few decades only benefited China, and Trump sought to put America first.

China is doing all those things that keep China prosperous while advocating other nations do all those things to keep those nations in poverty, and in the case of the United States, move us from prosperity to poverty ("Houston, we have a problem").  China advocates all the governmental-policies of the WMO, the WHO, and the WTO for "other nations," but does just the opposite themselves. 

Amazing. 

And to make matters even worse, inside communist China, any believer in a God who is above the state is being kidnapped, imprisoned, and re-programmed, and if the prisoner doesn't come to an understanding that the communist state government of China is theri god, then they are executed.

This week, President Biden excused the genocide of Muslims in China by calling the capture, imprisonment, and execution of Uyghurs "a Chinese cultural norm." In China, even Christian foreigners are being asked "to leave" and have recently been told, "don't ever come back."

China is attempting to control the world. And they are using health crises, energy crises, and trade crises to get it done - all through the WHO, the WMO, and the WTO. 

How It All Ends

I am a positive person by nature. I also believe in the Bible. God's on His throne, and the nations will one day all bow to Him. 

Tiananmen Square, 1989
In 1989, forty years after the founding of the Peoples' Republic of China, government dissidents in Tiananmen square attempted to stop the government's increasing encroachment into individual liberties. The Tiananmen Square demonstration was put down by government soldiers who massacred the protestors, and it is now illegal to discuss the protest from 1989 in China. 

But the Chinese people are not done. Over 300 million Chinese people are Christians who understand the principles of freedom, liberty, and proper governance.  

Either the Chinese people will overthrow the communist government internally, or soon the world will be at war with the communists of China who are using the WHO, the WMO, and the WTO to advance their agenda of a one-world government. 

The attempt at world-governance by one government leader will come to an end. 

It's only a matter of how and when.

What you can do as a United States citizen is to keep yourself informed on the bigger issues, stop believing everything you hear from the WMO, the WHO, and the WTO, and help others to become informed. 

Dr. Calvin Beisner, Cornwall Alliance
When it comes to the false claims of global warming, sign up to receive emails and information from the Cornwall Alliance. These 70 scholars - scientists, policy-makers, and theologians - will help you understand the issues.

Peruse their website for some excellent information and articles, and don't forget to sign up for their newsletter. 

Dr. Calvin Beisner was our guest in Enid, Oklahoma, last night. Dr. Beisner is the founder and head of the Cornwall Alliance, and he makes a compelling argument for why every citizen of the United States should understand that the political agenda behind so-called "Clean Energy Initiatives" is far more damaging than imaginable.

SUMMARY

More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the elixir of human life. Less government intrusion on the ground is existential to human life. 


83 comments:

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

Three times when Judy was reading your post, she said loudly: “Wow, this is great!”

Wade Burleson said...

Rex, tell your lovely wife I said "Hello and Thanks!" :)

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

I will.

Your warnings about China, reminds me of my uncle warning that Japan was going to attack us.

I hope you have more success than he did.

Christiane said...

Wade, I found this:
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/texas-governor-greg-abbott-blames-power-grid-operator-for-winter-storm-disaster/#x

Christiane said...

I think people are getting their news from different sources, so there is a variation in what people are hearing. It's always a good idea to check more than one source of information about important matters. I've learnt this the hard way.

Wade Burleson said...

Of course, Christiane. Check all sources. And be very, very wary of any source who censors disagreement.

RB Kuter said...

Whew-eee! Wade, I do believe you have opened up a hornet's nest! Sure glad you're retiring next year to do this sort of reporting/sharing insights on a full-time basis.

I am thankful for your boldness and obedience always in seeking to go where you believe the voice of God's Spirit leads.

Wade Burleson said...

RB,

"Sure glad you're retiring next year to do this sort of reporting/sharing insights on a full-time basis."

Chuckle.

Yep. Just wait.

RB Kuter said...

"Nationalism Will Never Go Away Because God Won't Let It"

This statement is debatable.

The "nations", in the sense of the "peoples" of the world, will certainly not disappear because it is the infrastructure of God's created order of humanity. However, the "nations" in the sense of the delineation of the national sovereignty of institutionalized governments apparently will go away as displayed in the Bible.

My take on Biblical prophecy is that the globalization of the world's order into "one power" is inevitable and portrays the setting of the stage for the entry of the leader of that global government.

As you say, I believe, the odor of the current movement to diminish national governments and move toward a global order has the scent of fire and brimstone to it. How consistent it will be to facilitate the entry of the Anti-Christ.

Can't wait for the stream of responses to follow this great post by Wade.

Paul D said...

@Wade

Ok – well, I respect you. You are better educated than me and smarter than me. However, this post….I don’t know even know what to say.

Let’s start with your 1st link to support your statement: “Governor Abbot is correct in blaming the Clean Energy Initiatives for the problems in his state this past week.”

And I quote from your link:
“Ignoring that experts and officials agreed that a disruption in energy powered by fossil fuels was the biggest culprit behind Texas' outages,”

“….wind power, had gone offline as of Tuesday. But that made up only about a third of the lost power on the state’s grid. Nearly double that capacity had been lost from thermal energy sources like gas and coal.”

” politicians typically try to blame other things during crises “to keep their brand clean.”…”

I will continue because your post certainly deserves it.

In future link reviews…”buy my book!”, “donate now!”, and “Trump FOREVER! ads”

And all anchored with the proposition that if Red China is doing it, so should we! (even though Red China is embarrassed that they are doing it)

Hard to believe really.

Thanks
Paul

Wade Burleson said...

Paul D.

Thanks for the comment. The link was to show Govern Abbot blaming Green Energy. The article "refutes" the Governor, while I support what the Governor said.

Also, if you judge a book by who likes it - without reading it - you could miss out on a great deal of great content!

Thanks for your compliments too!

Always love an agreeable disagreeing commentor! :)

And you qualify.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

I thought if anyone took up for Biden, it’d be you. When your link took me to
CBS News, which Trump named “Fake News”, I knew I was right. Judy and I got tired of listening to Biden’s adviser, Jerry Burstein.

He said doing too much was worst that doing too little. He proved his statement by saying, “If you overfill a glass, it spills out.” Duh

CHRISTIANE, worse than the weather in Texas, is what’s going on at its border with Mexico. Be sure to listen to Fox News to get the truth.

Paul D said...

Thanks Wade – love you.

@Wade

Responding to your second proposition - :”Green Energy advocates are killing the United States - literally”.

And I quote from your link:

“The seemingly healthy young boy was pronounced dead Tuesday from what the family suspects was hypothermia, an apparent consequence of the catastrophic power outages.”

And from your first link we learned:

“officials agreed that a disruption in energy powered by fossil fuels was the biggest culprit behind Texas' outages”

And all of this happening in an oil and gas rich Republican controlled state.

Thanks
Paul

Wade Burleson said...

Paul D,

Two things: "officials agreed that a disruption in energy powered by fossil fuels was the biggest culprit behind Texas' outages” - the officials, according to Governor Abbott, are wrong. Oil - gas - coal - are being reduced in Texas in favor of wind energy and solar energy due to government TAX INCENTIVES for "Green Energy" and tax penalties for oil - gas - coal.

And China is INCREASING coal-fired energy plants by 300. I'm saying China is doing it RIGHT, and America has been hoodwinked.

:)

Paul D said...

@ Wade,
I understand. But I happen to agree that we need to move away from fossil fuels, and for a lot of really good reasons that maybe China doesn't really care so much about.

Onto the third proposition:
“"clean energy will save the planet."
That is both absurd and deceptive.
More CO₂ is needed in our atmosphere, not less.”

Supported by a link to the Heartland Institute, who…:

worked with the tobacco company Philip Morris to attempt to discredit the health risks of secondhand smoke and to lobby against smoking bans… and says that policies to fight it would be damaging to the economy.

Lovely

Thanks
Paul

Paul D said...

Honestly, I could go on, but it goes downhill from here. So...I'll stop and listen. And when I say I'll listen, I mean I'll consider, but you already know I'm extremely skeptical of the "conservative" line.

thanks
Paul

Paul D said...

well, I lied. After reading more on Heartland Institute's donor list. You can distance yourself from them with a follow up post on how eating more hamburgers can increase the health of America. I didn't see any big ag related donors to Heartland Institute, which seems odd.


thanks
Paul

Christiane said...

Good Lord's Day to you all and thanks for the advice which is offered kindly.

My own thoughts about respecting 'sources' are that I look for some signs of good will and some absence of malevolence at best;
but I am not blind to the ways in which 'spin' does it's thing to prop up certain agendas.

What I KNOW to disrespect for certain: any 'source' of information that willingly and knowingly tells untruths that can AND DOES lead to violence against innocent people.
One example would be the Alex Jones case of reporting that the Sandy Hook massacre of small children in Connecticut was a staged 'hoax' with 'actors';
whereupon some of the parents of slain children were harassed and threatened as a result. When Alex Jones was sued by a parent, he admitted he KNEW his reporting was a lie.

What was in that to disrespect? That a man willingly told a lie without being able to control how much evil would result from that lie. And that the people he injured were the suffering parents who were grieving AS WELL AS those 'true-believers' who bought into Jone's 'theory' and ASSUMED Jones was a good and trusted 'source', and these 'true believers' acted out against the innocent parents of the slain children.

'Sources' - after a while, we can find out using common sense and our God-given discernment about some who are malevolent. But we do have a civic duty to make effort to investigate for ourselves, to find out about credibility, especially these days, yes. It is our human nature to, in the end, SOMETIMES come to know the truth as a community in this way in a democracy:

"you can fool some of the people some of the time;
you can fool some of the people ALL of the time;
But you CANNOT fool ALL of the people ALL of the time." (author ?, maybe Truman?)

Are we responsible for what we knowingly do and say, that there will be consequences?
I believe we are. We don't always get it right. Only God can judge with complete justice and fairness, as only God sees the human heart.

And those we disagree with?
They are far, far more important to us, as human persons, than any disagreements we may have with them. When we forget this, we allow the 'dividers' to open the door to evil.

Chris said...

Concerning article about CCP and AI:

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/chinas-ai-surveillance-spreads-and-christians-brace-for-terror/?&utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email

Rex Ray said...

Chris,
Your link is as SCARY as Wade’s!

Wade,

I passed out your post in church today; also, what my brother wrote.

February 18, 2005
Dear Neita,
Rex called yesterday to tell of Bud’s passing. I was surprised and saddened. It seemed only a short time ago we shook hands at New Zion.
He had leaned forward and said with that twinkle in his eye and pleasant smile, “Hez, it’s good to see you here again with your brother.” And he had continued, “You know, Rex has never told me anything about you that I didn’t like.”
That was the kind of man he was. He went out of his way to make you feel good. He was never one to say, “Look at me!” He planted the good seed and had the wisdom and patience to let it bloom.
Yes, Bud gave us the world’s greatest sermon, the Good Example. The devil has never been able to defeat the power in a Christian’s Good Example.
He was a man that had discovered the peace that is found in Jesus. He was at peace with himself. He knew who he was, what his job was, where he came from, where he was going, and how to get there.
Bud was our community’s role model before I knew the word existed. Unlike today’s role models, that last fifteen minutes, his continued for eighty-seven years. Thank you Jesus.
I remember Bud as being tall with his red hair combed back, and his freckled face wore an easy smile. He had the build of an athlete and in the world of work; he always gave more than his share. When God needed a man, Bud was always there.
At church or in the field, his wife was usually by his side. In her quiet competent way, she seemed to have a double portion of God’s grace. She shared his faith and kept the home fires burning. Their lives became an affirmation of God’s love.
Bud knew the lost world needed a smile more than a frown; needed an example of love; needed to see the glory of Heaven more than the fires of Hell.
Our Christian faith tells us, we will all pass through the valley where grows the tree of life and Jesus will say, “Walk with me” and we shall walk along that river that flows by the throne of God.
And in saying goodbye, may God bless you, Bud, as you have blessed us that called you friend.
Hez Ray

Christiane said...

REX RAY,

your brother Hez's letter is very moving to read, thanks for sharing it here

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

Thanks.

Paul wrote: “…then shall I know even as also, I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12 KJ)

I believe my brother, Hez and Bud have had almost a year together in heaven. Bud’s wife, Neita, is there also.

Neita may have told how flabbergasted she was one Sunday when she took her first grade SS class outside. She asked our nephew, John Rinker, what he thought about the lesson.

Relatives had been discussing our Uncle’s book on China.

John replied: “The birds and flowers; the birds and flowers; THEY’RE KILLING ALL THE CHRISTIANS IN CHINA, AND NOBODY CARES.

RB Kuter said...

Christiane wrote: "What I KNOW to disrespect for certain: any 'source' of information that willingly and knowingly tells untruths that can AND DOES lead to violence against innocent people."

It is a challenge to one's object assessment to discern which are such sources.

It could accurately be said that most mainstream media sources fall within this test for being "willingly and knowingly telling untruths that can AND DOES lead to violence against innocent people." They do it for their own self-serving purposes. One telling indication of their lack of genuine journalism is that they all report the exact same events using identical terms used to twist the truth of what's happening by their all being consistent and in harmony with one another. Listen to terms and top reports on one channel and you will see all the rest using identical terms and reports like it was just handed to them by their politburo chiefs.

It looks exactly like the media in totalitarian communist regimes. It is effective as displayed in the masses of people that buy into it without questioning what should be obvious methods used by all propaganda machines.

Consider the very inflammatory hype originating from the networks and leftist social media to incite riots in cities, supporting mass caravans of immigrants to move against the American border at the expense of those innocent children and unsuspecting travelers being abused and used as mules, raped, murdered and abandoned. Consider their united approach to ignoring any mention of the value of life for those yet to be delivered babies slaughtered every year and portraying all those in support for "life of the infants" as begin grotesque, ignorant people bent on depriving women of their rights.

They use inflammatory reports based upon the distortion of reality in order to incite opponents of the hated Administration with reports that were totally false and meant to incite violent riots while reporting them as being peaceful demonstrations even as police were targeted and injured, entire communities burnt to the ground and local residents injured and made jobless and homeless, etc.

Given that they have the dominant control over all media, the only accountability is those who can assess their propaganda for what it is: "untruths that can AND DOES lead to violence against innocent people."

Lee Enochs said...

Dear Pastor Wade. This is a very insightful post. While it is important that Christians care about God's creation and the environment, it is important to understand that there are other underlying presuppositions that drive the current advocacy of secular environmentalism in Western society today: Statism, the ideological viewpoint that argues that that the state should have centralized control of the economic and social affairs of a given society, and Globalism, the idea that economic and foreign policy should be formed on a global basis and that national sovereignty should not be a consideration in determining the economic and political affairs of a given society are both major factors driving current environmental affairs of western nations. I have concerns that this push for climate change is just a ploy by statists and globalists to force America to give up its individual sovereignty.


Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter, thank you for reading my comment and responding.

I think that for me the difference in dis-respecting a person who tells an untruth is whether or not the person knowingly does it realizing that the result will lead to some kind of malevolent ending. I think we all speak sometimes and the outcomes may be disastrous, but we did not INTEND for that to happen, and it is the 'intent' that makes all the difference to me.

But you are right about how media groups attempt to control the narrative. And it's good to know something about that media source. These days the country is much divided and it has been known for some time that the two divided groups have their own particular 'bubbles' of sources . . . so much so, that for one group, it is believed that the 2020 election was a fraud, and that the pandemic was also a fraud created to get Trump out of office; and in the OTHER group, it is believed the opposite, that the election was legitimate, and that the pandemic is real and has killed half a million Americans and counting.

In the end, people believe what they want to believe right up until the point when what is real cannot be denied;
but there are some ways to sort out what is 'propaganda' from what is 'news', and that is something we need to all pay attention to these days, you bet.

RB Kuter said...

"I think that for me the difference in dis-respecting a person who tells an untruth is whether or not the person knowingly does it realizing that the result will lead to some kind of malevolent ending."

Lying with the motive to serve a person's self-interest is sinful and without excuse, whether a person has a conscience that results in their have a sense of guilt and conviction or not.

Christiane said...

Supposing a large group of people TRUSTED someone to tell them the truth, and they believed what they were told;
and they repeated it to others . . . thinking that 'the lie' was not a lie.

In such a case as this, I would think that in the end, the real guilt would belong to the manipulator who sold his followers the 'lie' as a kind of 'alternate truth'. But I would also think that after the person had lied many times and been 'exposed' as a liar, that those followers must be very vulnerable people who can be manipulated into accepting a lie as 'the truth' when no court of law will affirm the 'lie' because of lack of real evidence.

It's the ones who KNOW it's a lie that I think are more at fault, if they are knowingly participating in spreading the lie among vulnerable people.

CM said...

Once again both Wade and the Texas governor are completely wrong in solely blaming Green Energy for the Texas electrical problems. But that is par for the course for both of them.

Windmills account for almost a quarter of all energy production in the state, but that energy comes in the middle of the summer. In winter, most of Texas’ roughly 10,700 windmills are down for maintenance or are idled. While it is possible to “winterize” the windmills for use in the winter, that action comes at a significant cost. The windmills' lubricants are optimized for use in the heat since that is the most prevalent weather in Texas.

There is 3 – 5 GW that they can generate, and they’re doing it. The fact that they can’t be called upon to make extra is akin to blaming a car rental service for having limited availability of the model you desire; they are limited by circumstances and a finite fleet. At other times they might have your car, but for the moment it’s unavailable.

Natural gas generates most of the electricity in Texas, but that part of the infrastructure was impacted by the cold. Natural gas, which started in a bit of a bind from having low on-site resources and restrictions on getting replenishment, has faced the problem of pipelines icing up. In others, the control mechanisms for some will freeze.

Natural gas is the primary electrical supply source for the state, particularly in the winter. While the initial problem faced by natural gas was the same as coal – limited on-site supply, resupply issues – and they were thus equally to blame for not being ready to ramp up production as wind energy, over subsequent days their responsibility has grown.

The fact that Texas isn’t more dependent on just one option (like coal or natural gas), and that we’re dealing with the problem with rolling blackouts rather than widespread outages across most of the state, is due to the fact the production means are diversified. Having more options allows for economic and physical benefits and that extra 5 GW from wind, while not enough to cover the need, is still appreciated right now.

Then of course, there is the fact that Texas has an independent energy grid which has both its benefits (And it times like these drawbacks).

CM said...

Of course, what is not mentioned is photovoltaics(PV)(aka Solar Power).

Some of you have heard of Moore's Law when comes to transistor count in computer chips (the number of transistors doubles every 18 months or so). Well for photovoltaics there is something called Swanson's Law:

The price of solar photovoltaic modules tends to drop 20 percent for every doubling of cumulative shipped volume. At present rates, costs go down 75% about every 10 years.I n 1977 prices for crystalline silicon cells were about $77 per watt, average spot prices in August 2018 were as low as $0.13 per watt or nearly 600 times less than forty years ago.

As a result, PV have reached grid parity in many part of the world and in the US.

CM said...

Wade loves to bring up the coal-fired plants China is building but conveniently ignores the 4th Generation nuclear power plants China is also building and the nearly 200 GW in PV capacity that China has added in the past 5 years.

Looks to me China is developing a diversified electrical power production system. Something BOTH the anti-Green Energy people like Wade, Rex, and KB, and the anti-fossil fuel types like the Squad. You both are wrong and are really 2 sides of the same ignorant coin.

Rex Ray said...

CM,

Thanks. I feel honored to be listed with Wade, and RB Kuter.

Paul D said...

my bad - I apologize for my previous comment. Running my mouth too much. I woke up this morning and felt pretty guilty about it. So, I ask forgiveness of anyone who saw it.

thanks
Paul

Christiane said...

There is something 'worse' out there for sure in my opinion. It will (and already has) affected not just the evangelical faith community but also the whole Church and apparently it is on the increase to divide people, this:

I'm hearing that over 20% of white evangelicals have bought into the teachings of QAnon.
And those teachings are extreme even in these strange days. Sadly, people are saying that when a family member joins with the QAnon beliefs, the family member becomes isolated from the rest of his/her family and will no longer respond to reason, so for that alone, we know there is a problem on the increase for Christian people.

What is it about QAnon that attracts white evangelicals at such a high percentage?
The bizarre beliefs are not rational and cannot be proven, but demand 'allegiance' to the source of information who is supposed to be all-knowing about 'the truth',
and some of the 'remedies' suggested by QAnon members are violent ones that break the law and endanger others.

How did this happen? What can be done to recover people from that QAnon cult?
Why are good people who know better giving themselves over to malevolent forces willingly? Having once affirmed their own beliefs in Christ the Lord, what needs do some Christian people have these days that this converstion to QAnon can happen to them ???

Would appreciate any insights from others here, and thank you.

Wade Burleson said...

Paul,

I always appreciate you and Christiane. We may not always agree, but we always have the Spirit of Christ. Thank you.

And, thank you, Christiane, for being a friend.

Rex, I'm honored to be mentioned with you! :)

Christiane said...

Hello WADE,

thank you for your prayers when my husband passed away, that support will never be forgotten;
and thank you also for your prayers for my sister-in-law recovering from Covid, as she is now at home and on the mend . . . slowly, but surely.

You may 'retire' from the ministry, but it will always be a part of 'who you really are'. May God keep you sheltered from all evil is my prayer for you.

RB Kuter said...

"I'm hearing that over 20% of white evangelicals have bought into the teachings of QAnon."

Christiane, read that statement and mull it over a bit and see if you don't have a twinge of concern about it being rumor and nothing more than efforts to create division, disturbance, continued anger, distrust, and prejudice within our nation. Talk about sources for our nation's problems!

"20% white evangelicals", really? How racist is that? How anti-Christ is that to categorize "evangelicals", which are really those who are extreme advocates for the Gospel in its purest form, as being associated with some fascist, anarchists that follow the extreme right path in contrast to "BLM" and "Antifa" who are anarchists on the leftist Marxist path? And using some number out of the air like, "20%"! Why not "50%"? 75%? 99%??! Sounds like the same people who came up with that number are the same who have been reporting COVID cases for the past year!

Nobody I know or have heard of care anything about "QAnon" and if they heard it probably would think it was another gender-fluid advocate group or something. I don't know. Sure seems like non-sensical propositions for converation and, as I mentioned, not productive.

Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter,
I hope you are right. I hope I'm wrong.

RB Kuter said...

Christiane, on whether 20% of "white" "evangelicals" are anarchists that participate in some splinter right-wing group referred to as "QAnon" or not, who would know. Maybe there are 20% of Catholic militant radicals that are activists in the Ku Klux Klan. Yeah, I think I heard someone say that. Must make it true and something that we should use as discrimination against Catholics and shut down all of the media outlets to any and all Catholics!

See where such nonsense rumor-mongering goes? Seems impossible but we know its true. You and I must keep a sense of wise discernment about such tripe and guard against its propagation.

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,

wouldn't you be upset if you read something like this from what is supposed to be a reputable site? I can't vouch for the content, no; but I had thought the site was respected. (?)

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/february/white-evangelicals-qanon-election-conspiracy-trump-aei.html

RB Kuter said...

Thank you for sharing that, Christiane. However, I am a skeptic and admittedly cynical. In the past, I even dispute "Barnum" surveys reporting the number of "church members" who are divorced. Polls and surveys are so susceptible to being manipulated and seldom are done with total objectivity. The population samples, questions used, and formulating conclusions leave so much to be tweaked and geared in a manner that distorts reality for the purpose of serving the surveyors' agenda that it makes them worthless in my opinion.

For instance, in the case of the Barnum survey, how many of those members were in difficult marital situations and tried coming to church in pursuit of a remedy and then got a divorce anyway, etc.? How many surveyed were even active "members"? Where did they get their sample?

Is "Christianity Today" a credible source? Again, even "Christian" mainstream media is slanted toward the "left" or toward the "right" as radically as the secular media to acquire data that will support their ideological slant. You know this. If "Christianity Today" was the source of a survey of "white evangelicals" I would be as skeptical as if it were CNN.

Would you like to see a survey showing the results on those radical, militant, Catholics I mentioned saying that 20% of Catholics, or Jews, were active members of the Ku Klux Klan? Just get some "skinhead" organization to do the survey and I guarantee that they can manipulate it to achieve whatever objective they are pushing and come up with some results that reflect their purpose.

Sorry to argue the point. If you accept such propositions as being genuine, and perhaps you personally know some "white evangelicals" who are actively involved in "QAnon", then perhaps you will choose to continue to spread it as being a reality, for whatever reason you may have.

Personally, I don't know of ANY "white evangelical QAnon advocates, unless of course, our friend Rex Ray is one of those "QAnon" storm troopers! As I think about it, I can see Rex Ray wearing a khaki uniform with a Swastika on his sleeve and goose-step marching through his house shouting, "Hail Fuehrer Trump"!!

There, I've let the cat out of the bag! Rex Ray will probably be banned from Twitter now! Sorry RR, ol' buddy!

Gerry Milligan said...

Wade, you called this blog one "for dummies." You said that co2 is necessary for life, which it is up to a point, but you did not explain what too high a level of co2 does to a person. And, as a retired educator, there is a truism when it comes to the True-False question: "If any part is false, all of that question is false." So: "Governor Abbot is correct in blaming the Clean Energy Initiatives for the problems in his state this past week." This, for me, negates all of this blog.

Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter,
'left' and 'right' don't so much matter to me as 'humane'

you have to stand way back and a long way off in order to get 'the wider perspective' on what has happened to people in our country, just to 'see' it with some degree of distance so that the labels fade and you can't hear the voices what they 'say' and so that you CAN WATCH WHAT THEY DO.

I expect that alone may be one key to trying to figure out this whole mess.

I think there will be a Jan 6th Commission to investigate 'what happened' in detail and also something else:
WHY when people at the Capitol called for help from the National Guard, it was profoundly DELAYED, although the nation could see on television how the riot was proceeding with all the violence shown;
so maybe we will begin to figure out WHO 'slowed down' the response to help the victims of the Capitol insurrection by delaying giving the word for the Guard to give help.

We will 'sort out' what we know and one thing we all SAW was that for hours, no help was sent although the people under attack begged for help.

We will all know the truth someday, if we concentrate on what people DID and DID NOT DO and there are non-partisan inquiries into what actually happened. We will know someday. Soon, I hope, but such an inquiry will have to be deliberative and trust-worthy so that politics does not skew the 'results' to 'one side' or the other, but in the end just points to the truth wherever it leads. I believe this is possible.

We've had other 'incidents' of homegrown terrorism (Oklahoma City massacre), but this is different: our Capitol, the legislature, was attacked in full view of the nation, and for HOURS after people under attack called for help, none came. We need the truth of why this happened and we will find out.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

I believe you’d want to remove the last comment which is 22 on your 2-12-21 Post.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

You may like this story.

My brother, Hez, is probably the only person to make a Citizen’s arrest on a Judge in a court of law.

The background started with the law: “If you’re stopped by police, you can be arrested for an unpaid traffic ticket.”

Hez got a speeding ticket while driving my car. He didn’t pay because he thought the owner of the car would. (Duh, I didn’t know he got a ticket.)

He was teaching at Richardson High School in Dallas, when a policeman followed him to their parking lot because he thought his truck was on fire because it was smoking so bad.

Upon checking his driver’s license, he was arrested.

Years later, Hez’s son, got a speeding ticket, and was to pay on a certain date. Hez told him that he would pay the ticket so he could travel to another city and work on a good job.

Hez was told he couldn’t pay because his son had to. A month later, Hez and his son went to pay. The Judge was a woman and said the fine was $100.

Hez asked if his son had been stopped in the other city, would he have been arrested? When she said, “yes”, he told her what was wrong with that law. Before his son could write a check, she told him to make it for $200.

Hez told her she couldn’t punish his son because she was angry with him. That made her so angry, she started swearing.

“It’s against the law to swear in a courtroom. I’m placing you under Citizen’s Arrest!” She left the courtroom. After a while she came back. (She had left wearing a business suit, but came back with a robe on.) She said, “Make that check for $100, I’m sorry I used profanity, this court is adjourned.”

Rex Ray said...

A guy bought a car, but couldn’t get the radio to work. He took it back and a technician explained it was voice-activated.

Technician said “Nelson”, to the radio.
Radio replied, “Ricky or Willie?”
“Willie.”
‘On The Road Again’ came from the speakers.
Then he said, ‘Ray Charles’, and ‘Georgie on My Mind’ replaced Willie Nelson.

The guy drove away happy, but a woman ran a red light and almost hit him. “Stupid woman!”

Radio replied, “Hillary or Pelosi?”

Rex Ray said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Command_Authority#:~:text=Authorization%20of%20a%20nuclear%20or,any%20reason%20at%20any%20time.

“Only the president can direct the use of nuclear weapons by U.S. armed forces, through plans like OPLAN 8010-12. The president has unilateral authority as commander-in-chief to order that nuclear weapons be used for any reason at any time.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-biden-rescind-sole-nuclear-capabilities

“About three dozen House Democrats have signed a letter asking President Biden to renounce his sole authority to launch nuclear weapons, according to reports.”

I’m with Democrats on this good thinking.

RB Kuter said...

To say, "'left' and 'right' don't so much matter to me as 'humane'" and then follow one side as opposed to the other without exception is a bit hypocritical and undermines the credibility of subsequent propositions as being "objective".

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,
I suppose my comment on 'labels' wasn't very clear, but in the end, as a follower of Our Lord, I've come to understand something, this:
that 'the one side' and 'the other side' may NOT be so important to Him in so far as the people involved in the different groups,
that maybe the PEOPLE themselves were more to Him than their beliefs and circumstances and their many failings . . . so much more to Him than we can imagine.
I wrote something on Dr. Olson's blog about this recently, and I'll share it with you, and I hope it explains a little better what I was thinking:




"Yes, I see. In my own tradition there is also much controversy about that 'wider perspective' of Pope Francis who seems to envision something that is making 'more traditional' 'conservative' Catholics a bit uneasy. And yet, there is precedence in the faith for someone shaking things up and finding themselves in the company of, well, let's just say, people whose backgrounds are not 'acceptable' to those who see themselves as righteous before God and mankind. It's that 'precedent' that haunts the whole Church. It precedes our human-formed 'traditions' and still plows up our fallow ground to new use in the Kingdom of Our Lord, that there seems purpose in 'inclusion' of outcasts and seeming 'low lifes' that somehow threatens those of us who are not 'comfortable' with that inclusion, as we cannot understand with our human minds that 'the divine image' in these outcasts had meaning and was recognized by Our Lord Himself Who reached out to them to the consternation of the established people of His time on Earth. He saw something in these outcasts, something BASIC to all humankind and to the image of God in which these people were formed. His response to these 'sinners' was not one of 'exclusion', as He saw the persons more in need of healing than of damnation. . . . .

So when we say 'the faithful interpretation of scripture', we get uneasy when we come to those parts of sacred Scripture in which Our Lord spoke and acted in the very Person of God and taught something of humility in how He included in His Presence those outcasts and scorned sinners, but in a way not to affirm their afflictions, but to acknowledge instead that they were loved by God even in their broken condition, and were in need of healing and compassion, not scorn and derision. I have expected for some time that when our internal pharisee meets the external outcasts of this world, God is watching to see if we have learned something from the example of the humble Christ as He was with sinners when He was among us. At some point, we begin to see in our encounter with 'those other sinners' that maybe it was ourselves who were 'the lost' in our all-consuming sin of pride, and that it is a good day when we look in the biblical mirror that Our Lord holds up for us to see ourselves who would follow His example if only we had the humility and the grace to do it."

I hope this helps as my writing is not always clear and I accept responsibility for that fault. In any case, I appreciate your response to let me know how you felt. That honesty is important to me.

Christiane said...

REX RAY, good morning!

I loved that story about your brother Hez and the Judge! That took courage, or something 'else' (haven't decided which exactly, but am impressed nevertheless)!

Your family is a legend in its own time. That story fits right in with the rest of 'em and I loved it.

Tom said...

Hello,

Why is it that the narrative in our head is listened to more than the narrative that swirls around us.

The narrative that I am hearing is that the Christian people are suffering because of their righteousness, but the scriptures are telling us that we, too, are delusional in their understanding and lack the ability to recognise the sin that is causing our present dilemma of uncomfortable existence.

It is our belief systems that frames the narrative in our heads and any system that denies the sovereignty of God or limits the fulfilment of His word, is sinful. The question that comes to my mind is the lack of our ability to recognise our sins when we are faced with adversity because of our sins.

We try and confirm our belief systems from the historical history of our past and frame God's prophetic words to fit, whether honestly or falsely into the "known" historic record.

Question: - When did Israel begin to search for the way to Mt Zion? Is this in any way tied into Jesus teaching on the Mount of Olives where He gave an indication of when Israel will be redeemed?

Has the misunderstandings of the Church with respect to God's promises to Abraham and his descendants wrongly framed our respective countries Middle Eastern policies to our detriment and that these sins of iniquities are now being visited upon our respective countries?

I would suggest that our iniquities against God are being and will be visited upon us, but that many at present cannot see the linkages that confirm this point of view.

What I am hearing being repeated is the same dilemma that faced Jerusalem before it was invaded by Babylon. Sadly, our respective countries are being consumed by the locusts from within who are driving our countries towards the "religion(s)" that were worshipped in Babylon back then.

Can we honestly hear the narrative swirling around us at this present time?

I for one do not belief that we can, as I am hearing the cries of "We have God's temple within us. We have God's temple within us, and God would not allow anything bad happen to us," as we perceive that we are His "Saints."

It did not stop the consequences of Jerusalem's sins back then and it certainly will not stop the visitation of our iniquities upon us today.

Shalom

Christiane said...

Hello Tom, my own definition of 'us' includes the whole human race ever since the very moment of the Incarnation. Are we not ALL sinners upon whom God has looked?


"Yea, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own transgressions,
and not to judge my brother,
for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen."

(St. Ephrem)




Rex Ray said...

Wade,

“The Ingraham Angle” TV show five times a week by Laura Ingraham is an up-to-date news of what’s going on in the world. Today, she said:

On December 20, 2020 the National Review told of Chinese drones spying on America to obtained Law Enforcement Data, and Infrastructure.

There are 350,000 Chinese in American colleges.

In 2018, there were 200 million surveillance cameras in China, and now there are 560 million.

She believes America should not honor China by participating in the World Olympics at Beijing, China.

Wade, she agrees with you that China wants the world.

Christiane said...

Now, now, the QAnon people are wrong about the Chinese lining up on the Canadian border to invade the USA. It's a conspiracy theory. Another one.

'Be afraid. Be very very afraid' shout the hate-mongers and boy howdy do we see a sharp uptick in the abuse of our Asian American countrymen and women.

How do rumors get started? And why are we so eager to buy into them? Is it our human nature?

And when fearmongers start their thing, they can no longer control the outcome,
and there is ALWAYS an 'outcome', sometimes violent.

Example: when we are told the monsters are coming to our town . . .
https://youtu.be/oPOoEQ2vx7w

RB Kuter said...

Christiane wrote: "His response to these 'sinners' was not one of 'exclusion', as He saw the persons more in need of healing than of damnation."

The "offer" for salvation does not "exclude" but salvation is VERY exclusive.

Sometimes I wonder, Christiane, if you are aware that a slim minority of all humanity will enter The Kingdom of God. Jesus was indeed kind and totally open to ALL sinners as being accepted as followers, but few chose to submit to His Lordship over their lives which is the key to being accepted as His followers.

This is the basic theme and message of those horrid "evangelicals" to which you often refer. They are compassionate and loving to ALL people, as much or more than the Pope. The difference is that they are desperate to convey the message that is more important than any other, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." which, unfortunately, is seldom mentioned. Unfortunately, that message is buried by most others with their desire to make people feel good and seldom mentioned. Seems the cruelest of all behaviors from those positioning themselves as being "religious" leaders.

RB Kuter said...

"How do rumors get started? And why are we so eager to buy into them? Is it our human nature?"

Seems to be the human nature of many to continually propagate the rumors.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

I’m ‘picking’ on you because you seem to care more than most. 😊
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Winter_Games

“The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the leadership of Governor Walter J. Hickel…In 1970 in Yellowknife, Canada, 500 athletes, trainers and officials came together for the first Arctic Winter Games. The participants came from the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska. Since then, the Games have been held…in different places and with ever more participants from more and more places within the Arctic region.”

Now for Paul Harvey’s Rest of the Story:

My brother, Hez, was the Athletic Director of Fairbanks, Alaska at the time. Governor Hickel sent him to Yellowknife to explain why Fairbanks could not help because they didn’t have the money.

Hez found out only adults could participate. He told them Alaska would not help unless kids were included. He told them people would give money to help kids but not adults. They agreed with him.

Hickel was angry but Hez got a ‘campaign’ going and raised the money.

Denton, Texas 1978: a young man asked an older man (Hez Ray) if a house was for rent.
“No, it’s for sale. Where’re you from?
“No one has heard of my town, Yellow Knife, Canada.”
“I spent two weeks there. “How come you’re so far from home?

“I was on a high school hockey team that won a gold medal in the first Arctic Winter Games in 1970. They gave us a four-year scholarship and now I’m working on a PHD. I almost didn’t get to play as there was a fuss if I was eligible or not. They left it up to the man that organized the games. If it hadn’t been for him, I’d be working in the gold mines now.”

“You didn’t go to the Yellow Knife High School, but they ‘picked you up’ from an Indian village because you were a good player.

“How’d you know that?”
“I’m the man that let you play.”

Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter,
here is a small sample of my Church's 'lenten' readings calling us to 'repentance':

"58:2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.

58:3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.

58:4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.

58:5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

58:6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

58:7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

58:8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

58:9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

58:10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.

58:11 The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.

58:12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in."

(from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 58)

'Repentance' by the account of the prophet Isaiah asks for us to remove the pointing of the finger and this prophecy finds affirmation in Our Lord's parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in the Temple when it was the one who asked for 'mercy' who went away with God's blessing, and not the one who saw himself as 'righteous'

It's a hard learning, Mr. Kuter. I know this myself.

Christiane said...

REX RAY,

your stories are a blessing for those of us on a long and difficult journey.

am always grateful when you share them with us

Christiane said...

“If you love Me, keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show Myself to them.”

(John 14:15-21)


https://youtu.be/HI5Y9l2NHIo

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

THANKS.

Many years ago, I sent this story to our missionary cousin, Mark Ray who was in Australia. Another missionary there read it, and wrote:

“Your twin brother, Hez Ray, was my 9th grade PE teacher. He was a great guy and I loved him to death. I was in a new place and a new school. I could not have had a better teacher than Hez. I have often thought about him. When you see him, tell him he made a difference not just in this young man’s life but many of that time in Fairbanks.”

After Hez met Jesus March 17, 2020, the Fairbanks school he taught in, put his name in their Hall of Fame.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

What do you think?

U.S. has not made 'final decision' on participating in Olympics in China | Reuters

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House has not made a final decision on whether the United States will take part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, President Joe Biden’s spokeswoman said on Thursday, even as some Republicans call for a boycott.

Republicans who have called either for a boycott or for the Olympics to be moved out of Beijing have cited a U.S. designation made under former President Donald Trump that the Chinese government was perpetrating genocide against Uighur Muslims in its Xinjiang region.
Speaking to reporters about U.S. participation in the Beijing Olympics, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “There hasn’t been a final decision made on that and, of course, we would look for guidance from the U.S. Olympic Committee.”

Psaki on Feb. 3 had signaled that the United States had no plans to boycott the Beijing Olympics, saying at the time: “We’re not currently talking about changing our posture or our plans as it relates to the Beijing Olympics.”
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said it had no comment on Psaki’s latest remarks, instead referring to a statement it issued on Feb. 3 opposing boycotts.
The USOPC’s earlier statement said, “We believe the more effective course of action is for the governments of the world and China to engage directly on human rights and geopolitical issues.”

Human rights groups have urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take the Olympics out of China because of its treatment of Uighur Muslims along with other human rights concerns. China denies human rights abuses.

The last U.S. Olympic boycott came in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter refused to send American athletes to the Moscow Olympics amid Cold War tensions surrounding the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, seen as a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, on Thursday became the latest politician in her party to call for a boycott. Haley wrote on Twitter: “The United States should not glorify a country that is committing genocide against its own people and threatening the world.”

Wade Burleson said...

I do not believe Biden will "boycott" the Olympics. I do believe Trump would have "boycotted" the 2022Olympics.

I believe we should.

The Chinese government is perpetrating genocide against Uighur Muslims in its Xinjiang region.

It is genocide, and we should not support it with our athletes, dollars, or presence.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

Well said!

Paul D said...

@Rex Ray and @Wade

Amen! our dollars and athletes should not support racism! Neither at home nor abroad.

The alternative is inconceivable, that we would point the finger at a communist dictatorship but give the good 'ol boys at home in our free republic a pass.

thanks
Paul

Paul D said...

log. speck. eye.

thanks
Paul

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

The loss of electricity in Texas is not near as bad as what’s going on at the Texas-Mexico border. Thanks to Biden reversing what Trump had accomplished, untold thousands are crossing. Pictures of some wearing T-shirts: “Please Biden, let us come in”.

Recently, eleven were killed in a car-truck wreck. They get that many in a car by removing the back seat.

Have you seen Biden talking to the news? When he forgot what he wanted to say, he took paper from his pocket and read from it.

The Capital is starting to look like a prison with coil-razor wire around it. Not to mention the hundreds of National Guard still keeping watch.

To know what’s going on we watch Fox that broadcast Tucker Carlson, Hannity, and Outnumbered.

Christiane said...

REX RAY, do you know why there is stronger protection now for the nation's Capitol?

I hope our country is able to focus on the uptick in attacks on our own citizens who are Asian in appearance, as it is getting very ugly and dangerous.

I hope our nation is able to come to terms with what happened on Jan.6th concerning domestic terrorism, as the 'drum' is that the terrorists are still planning more attacks 'unless they get their way'. I think our Capitol's police have endured enough without having necessary protection against domestic terrorists, as the nation has witnessed on live television on Jan 6th.

I hope the good people of Texas survive their circumstances, and in some way are able to 'winterize' up to need at some standard better than they were handed by their 'leaders' and a private enterprise that was free of the regulations that might have protected the state from disaster.

For information, these days, I encourage people to watch the House and Senate hearings that are broadcast live. Director Wray's interview yesterday was helpful, but today's hearing will also help to clarify reasons our legislators and the Vice President did not receive timely help after calling for aid during the attacks on Jan 6th, resulting in the deaths of at least five people and injuries to many on duty who tried to protect the Capitol from attack.

We won't be 'going back' to not being vigilant against domestic terrorism after what has happened, no. Insurrection is not the same thing as some 'little demonstration'; not where, following certain tweets, the attackers begin yelling 'hang Mike Pence'.
Such people are not 'patriots' and what they were trying to do was full on insurrection against the Constitution of the United States. Time for accountability under our system of laws for ALL who, with intent, attacked our country's Capitol when our legislators were in session doing their Constitutional duty.

RB Kuter said...

Paul D., I wonder whether you would have said that we should not take a stance against apartheid in South Africa when it was functioning because we had issues at home? I wonder if you would say that we should lift all sanctions against North Korea because we have social problems at home? Perhaps we should not have got involved in WW II because we had our own version of apartheid in the US until the 1970s or so.

"Log?" "Eye?", I don't think that applies here. Should a preacher be completely sinless before preaching against sin?

I wonder to who you refer as "good ol' boys" an who it is specifically that you attribute "racism".

Your logic of not using U.S. influence to address the oppression of the world until the U.S. is completely free of it is not rational nor do I believe that God holds to that logic when it comes to our personal response to the bullying, abuse, or injustice we encounter day to day.

RB Kuter said...

On the other hand, Paul D.; wait a minute. I'm reconsidering.

Has anyone else noticed how it's all "good" news since the entry of our new Administration? Do you see the hype on how many COVID cases we get each day? Do you see ANYTHING negative on the Administration as we saw continually in the past? Any opposition or complaints about promises to have a return to "normal" by specified dates? My, how things have changed overnight!

Has anyone noticed the blacklisting of right-wing persons from social media networks? Did you notice that Amazon is banning books determined by their own censoring as containing its version of "hate speech"? Attack on "Dr. Suess" for his having some bad reference to Chinese decades ago or pictures showing Africans dressed in grass skirts, etc. in his first books?

Is there any doubt that the US has a propaganda machine serving its politburo and totalitarian regime equal to that of any communist nation in the world? Does anyone seriously think we do not have censorship machines equal to that of "1984"? Are we so blind as to not recognize that we are being manipulated by a "mind-altering" force bent on achieving its unopposed objectives?

This doesn't even begin to address sabotage of the electoral system. Noticed yesterday there was still enough right-wing support in our Georgia legislature to pass bills requiring that voters identify themselves before being allowed to vote. Can you believe there is even any reason that a government should have to pass such bills? Surprised they could muster enough support. It was in spite of the leftist faction literally screaming that this was "voter suppression"!

Georgia is in the minority states taking measures to protect the integrity of the electoral system which inhibits the control of totalitarian power. The elimination of the electoral option as a means to have a system of accountability of politicians pretty well instills the ability of one party to maintain perpetual power.

I'm reconsidering my response to Paul D about our not being justified to withdraw from Olympics in China due to our own sins. Seems we are adapting China's ideology and tactics and conceding to their methods. Maybe we should simply go to the Olympics and have our athletes goose-step march following a red flag with hammer and cycle on it and just join in with the crowd.

See you there, comrade!

Paul D said...

@RB Kuter

responding to: "Your logic of not using U.S. influence to address the oppression of the world until the U.S. is completely free of it is not rational..."

I agree - that would not be rational nor following Biblical principles. Of course, on the the other, if we were to fight racism at home AND abroad, as I said, I would say that is both rational and Biblical.

As for who the good 'ol boys are and who is racist. I suppose that would be me 4 or 5 years ago. And most of my family, friends and coworkers. And most churches around here (not mine, thankfully).

Once the level of hate became too high to ignore, I didn't. After I rode my bike through a Trump rally crowd and then through Greenwood in Tulsa with my wife and kids and saw with my own eyes - I changed my mind.

thanks
Paul

Paul D said...

@RB Kuter

"Seems we are adapting China's ideology and tactics and conceding to their methods."

It wasn't the new administration that declassified the U.S. policy in dealing with China. I'm not sure if that is technically considered sabotage or treason - either way, unsettling.

thanks
Paul

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

It’s not “Texas leaders” causing us harm at the border; it’s the President of the United States.

It’s almost funny the way you twist facts. You said, “…deaths of at least five people and injuries to many on duty who tried to protect the Capitol from attack.”

Only one protector of the Capital died, a policeman who suffered from high blood pressure. He died of a heart attack after texting his wife.

One of the four dead protesters was Ashli Babbitt who had served in the Air and reserves. She was unarmed but shot in her throat by a policeman.

A few days afterwards, the link below tells of a policeman that was at the Capital that day committed suicide.

Howard Liebengood: Off-duty US Capitol police officer dies | wusa9.com

Christiane said...

Hello REX RAY,

yes, I understand how the focus of the sources you named want to re-direct the nation's attention away from the Senate's examination of WHY for over three hours, after a cry for help, the national guard were denied permission to assist the Capitol police who were under attack from the terrorists. I do understand 'why', although I anticipate even more information will be forth-coming as to the reasons for the delay, none of them acceptable because it wasn't just the deaths, there were many Capitol police who were badly injured protecting our nation's law-makers including our Vice President from harm.

I don't compare people coming to our borders asking for help to people of our own nation being involved in a bloody insurrection against our own government, no. I cannot because I am one of those strange hybrids as an American:
a daughter who maternally descends from Thomas Gray, an 'Ancient Planter' who was one of earliest of colonists;
and I am also the daughter of an immigrant father who spoke no English when he was brought here at aged five by his parents, my Memere and Pepere of blessed memory. No, I don't follow your logic this time, as my own roots are telling me 'who I am' as an American and that coming here from another country is NOT the same as being some kind of a 'domestic terrorist' who wants to destroy our nation.

My great-grandfather's name was Joseph Gray Ausbon whose mother was a daughter of Joseph Iredell Gray, directly descended from Thomas Gray of Jamestown who arrived in 1608 from England. Here is some info on my ancestor:
http://www.johnjonesjr.com/gray_page_3/gray.html

So I see things 'differently', you bet.

REX RAY, even though your governor says it's now 'legal' to 'stand down' from protecting yourselves from the virus; my advice is for both you and Judy to self-protect responsibly until you can get vaccinated. It's the right thing to do.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

Can you tell me why? when we discuss something it reminds me of “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” 😊

Christiane said...

Hey there REX RAY,

sorry for any confusion . . .

do you want to know 'why' to take the vaccine? the answer is 'because', of course :)

do you want to know 'why' the people in authority denied permission for the national guard to rescue the Capitol from insurrection for a three hour period of time, you won't find your answer on 'Fox News', no;

you might find it at the actual Senate hearings where the people involved are being questioned by both our Republican and our Democratic senators. Today's hearing is very revealing but leads to more questions and the need to bring in those directly responsible for the three hour delay in sending help. After they are questioned we might find out the 'why'?

The 'why' to follow my advice on self-protection until you get vaccinated? well, how can you continue to tell us all those good stories if you kick the bucket from covid-19?
So just to humor me, try to stick around for a while. Please. :)

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

I didn’t know ‘authority’ denied permission for the national guard to help for three hours. Do you know why?

Judy took the first virus shot, and is waiting for her second. I turned it down, and believe my 39 vitamins and six raw eggs a day will keep me healthy. Of course, in one week, I’ll turn 89. (Old enough to know better; huh?)

My pastor has agreed if he conducts my funeral, there’ll be a sign: “Ha, ha, I’m in heaven and you’re not.” (No joke.)

Christiane said...

REX RAY,

you will do as you please, but there is another 'sign' being displayed in the Northeast, this:

'Get vaccinated at earliest opportunity.
No one wants to be known as the last person in America to die of Covid-19.'

Harsh words, yes. But for a good reason to alert people to the danger of the virus that has already harvested over half a million American souls.

But I'm for people figuring things out for themselves and making their own decisions.
I wish I could support your decision, but this time, I see things differently. So you are on the prayer list along with some other good people I care about... I'm glad Judy got vaccinated and I hope she follows up with the second shot. So important this is.

Christiane said...

REX RAY,

about the over three hour delay in sending in the national guard once the mob had breached to perimeters and broken windows and entered the Capitol,
that is still under investigation. I don't think you saw the testimony yesterday by General Walker but here is some of it from c-span:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?509313-1/senate-rules-homeland-security-committees-hearing-us-capitol-attack-day-2&live=

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne: Sorry, your advice does not by default make it "the right thing to do". What happened to "my body, my choice"?

Steven Stark said...

The Earth is heating up quickly - “quickly” being the dangerous word there. More CO2 in the atmosphere will not help plants if they are burning up in the sun. Anyone who grows things knows how important temperature is. And despite heat building up in the atmosphere, the sun isn’t necessarily more powerful, so simply moving North with crop-growing can’t go on forever.

Wade is posting ideas from the Heartland Institute - they are a libertarian group that exists to “refute” many scientific consensus positions - like the dangers of second-hand smoke. They have tried to muddy the waters on the dangers of smoking for years. And they do the same with climate change.

They are cozy with ALEC - which many companies have severed ties with, in part because, as Google CEO Eric Schmidt said, “(They are) just literally lying about climate change.”

Any reader can hopefully see that Wade is misrepresenting James Hansen’s position. Obviously Hansen is not talking about atomic bombs themselves - he’s talking about the buildup of extra energy (heat) in the Earth’s atmosphere and using the energy of atomic bombs as an example. To reference the devastation of actual atomic bombs is to carelessly cause misunderstanding.

Below is a partial list of the myriad of scientific organizations that endorse the idea that human-caused climate change is a danger to our planet. I would trust them more than Wade and the Heartland Institute, who both choose political positions and then misrepresent evidence to support those positions. And this is very, very dangerous.



These are just a few groups that accept the scientific consensus on the dangers of man-made climate change.

American Academy of Pediatrics
American Anthropological Association
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association of State Climatologists (AASC)
American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians
American Astronomical Society
American Chemical Society
American College of Preventive Medicine
American Fisheries Society
American Geophysical Union
American Institute of Biological Sciences
American Institute of Physics
American Meteorological Society
American Physical Society
American Public Health Association
American Quaternary Association
American Society for Microbiology
American Society of Agronomy
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Plant Biologists

Scott Shaver said...

Steve:

That's quite a list of hogwash pushers. Pediatricians?😂

Steven Stark said...

Scott - I doubt you actually believe that virtually every scientist in the world (except the handful Wade can find) is pushing hogwash. While the pursuit of knowledge is always imperfect, scientists from multiple disciplines have independently confirmed with high certainty that climate change is man-made and dangerous.

If you don't like pediatricians, focus on the physicists, climatologists, etc. Of course.

Wade and The Heartland Institute are not reliable sources. They pick a politically driven position and then cherry-pick information until it fits their agenda. Almost like theologians! :)

Scott Shaver said...

Hey Steve:

For my purposes I will take Burleson's "cherry-picking" any day over the pantheism and tree-hugging to which you obviously subscribe.