Sunday, October 24, 2021

Pergamum - Satan's Throne - Government as God

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” Mark Twain


We have a generation of blissful young Americans ignorant of history and theology. This is one of the reasons they wrongly believe that any opposition of older folks' to government mandates and the removal of personal liberties is purely political. 

Nothing is further from the truth. My principled opposition to the intrusion of government into individual and personal medical choices is based on my knowledge of ancient history and biblical theology. 

Pergamum Where Satan Lives

Jesus, a few years after His ascension, sent a message to His followers who lived in Pergamum (Pergamon, Turkey), a message recorded in the book of Revelation.
"I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in Me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witnesswho was put to death in your citywhere Satan lives." (Revelation 2:13). 

Jesus makes four statements in his message about the city of Pergamum and the Christians who lived there:

1. Satan had his throne in Pergamum during the first century A.D.
2. The Christians in Pergamum were faithful to Jesus Christ.
3. Antipas, a Christian living Pergamum, stayed faithful even when dying a martyr's death.
4. Satan lived in Pergamum during these difficult days.

Jesus' statements are not from a conspiracist; they come from the Creator of the world.  The only way you'll understand the impact of Jesus' words is to know the history of Pergamum, and thus, to understand the meaning of Satan's throne, who Antipas was, and why Antipas lost his life as a Christian martyr in Pergamum. 

The Throne of Satan

The throne of Satan in Pergamum was a literal throne that figuratively represented the seat of Satan's influence in the ancient world.

The throne of Satan, excavated in Pergamum in 1878 AD, now sits in the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin, Germany. 

This throne was the Temple of Zeus Soter (Savior) in Pergamum, and it was the center of Emperor worship during the days of Jesus.

What is Emperor worship?  

It is the belief that the state or the head of state (e.g., Emperor, King, President, Dictator, etc.) should be obeyed, revered, and even worshiped. 

At the Temple of Zeus Soter in Pergamum, the people express their allegiance to the Emperor, believing that the state was their source of prosperity, security, and safety. 

Ancient Pergamum and the Throne of Satan
Near the "throne of Satan" in Pergamum was the asclepeion or "the healing center" for the people. The peoples' worship of Asclepius, the god of medicine, was as crucial as their state worship.  Citizens flocked to Pergamum to express their obedience to the state and receive an opportunity to be healed of their diseases at the Asclepieia.

Here's how it worked.

After the sick and diseased visited the Temple of Zeus Soter and expressed their trust in the Emperor, they moved to the healing center to receive their treatment. 

Ritual purifications would be followed by offerings to Asclepius according to one's income.

The supplicant would then spend the night in the asclepeion. A particular type of non-venomous snake was often used in the Asclepius' healing rituals. These snakes— the Aesculapian snakes — slithered around freely on the floor in the dormitories while the sick and injured slept. 

Today, the Aesculapian snake is often represented in medical logos, including the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization

The people of Pergamum were not stupid. They had a massive library in the city, second only to the great library in Alexandria, Egypt. They were wealthy, educated, and at peace. The "throne of Satan" was where the people expressed their belief that their security, prosperity, and safety were due to the Emperor and the state. 

Photo of Satan's throne before removal to Berlin
There was a physician in Pergamum, however, who believed differently. His name was Antipas. He spread his belief that Jesus alone is the Savior of the world and that everyone's trust should be placed in Him for their security, prosperity, and safety. Antipas practiced medicine, but he believed one's trust should be in God, not the state or even the medical treatment at the Aesculapian. 

The cult of Aesculapians, who formed the members of the medical establishment, accused Antipas of disloyalty to Caesar. Upon being asked to deny Jesus and express his belief in the state's power to heal and protect the people, Antipas refused. The medical establishment condemned Antipas to death, believing him to be a danger to the state. 

State officials placed Antipas alive inside a hollow brass container shaped in the form of the bull. They filled the brass bull with water and set it over a blazing fire, boiling Antipas to death. 

The beliefs held by the Pergamum people have as much popularity today as they did in Jesus' day. Citizens depend on the state. The state demands obedience from citizens, especially in communist states like China or the Soviet Union. The founders of these collective states, Mao and Lenin respectively, were each elevated to godlike status by citizens, similar to the veneration of ancient emperors by the citizens of the Roman Empire

More and more Americans are expressing their trust in, and dependence upon, the government. In pseudo-intellectualism, American citizens ridicule the ancients for their belief in the "gods," but these same American citizens adhere to similar beliefs. Acquiescence to forced injections by government mandate is similar to the ancient worship of the Emperor and Asclepius. In our day, anyone who expressed a belief that the state or state health departments do not know best is persecuted. In some cases in the Chinese and Russian collectivist states, dissidents are treated like Antipas in Pergamum. 

In Marx and Satan, a short book by Richard Wurmbrand, the author shows how Lenin's Tomb expresses a denial of the existence of God and encourages faith in the state, just like at Pergamum. Wurmbrand writes: 

"Architect Stjusev, who built Lenin’s tomb, took the Pergamos altar as the project prototype. This was in 1924. It’s a known fact that Stjusev received all the needed information from Frederic Paulsen – an acknowledged authority in archaeology." (Richard Wurmbrand, Marx and Satan).

 

Lenin's Tomb in Red Square, Moscow, an intentional replica of the Throne of Satan, Pergamum. 

Billy Graham once called communism "The religion of the devil."

He's correct. The throne of Satan - or the seat of Satan - is figuratively any city, state, or country where citizens believe the government is the source of their security, safety, and prosperity.

My principled opposition to forced therapeutic shots for Covid-19 is based on the history of Pergamum, the faithful witness of Antipas, as he sought to remind people that only Jesus Christ is Savior and Protector of this world.

I'm not against medicine or vaccines, and any rational person who says I am is lying to advance their agenda.

I am against any medication that the government mandates all its citizens to take. I'm against it because I will never let the government become God in my life, and I will warn people of the dangers of allowing the government to believe they are God.

If you don't think a powerful state will one day put people to death for failure to comply with their mandates, you need to study history. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Do as you please in making personal medical decisions. Take any shot or medicine that you desire for the benefit of yourself and your family. However, trust the faithful Savior and not the totalitarian state. Place your faith in the protection of God and not the provision of the government.

Please respect that some of us have a principled opposition to government-mandated forced injections because we know a great deal about Antipas and Pergamum.

Jesus has risen from the dead. He is Savior and Lord, the King of kings.

Lenin remains in his tomb. Satan's throne loses in the end. Never trust the state. Never give an inch. Do as you please, but respect those who resist the throne of Satan for the good of the world.





122 comments:

Ruth said...

I have just one question for you, and would appreciate an answer. No explanations needed.

Are you against mandated vaccines for children as currently required before they enter school?

Yes or no.

Anon.E.Moose said...

Along the same lines, Putin's Cathedral to the Armed Forces, "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/20/orthodox-cathedral-of-the-armed-force-russian-national-identity-military-disneyland".

Putin gets the importance of a belief system -- but has replaced belief in God with belief in the secular. Said a religious scholar (quoting from the article above), "This is not really an Orthodox cathedral, it’s a cathedral of our new post-Soviet civil religion".

Wade Burleson said...

Ruth,

Yes.

Wade Burleson said...

Ruth,

Parents are able to make the best decision, and many parents say "No!" to mandatory vaccines, and they should be respected, honored, and obeyed. Parents are the authority of their children, not the government. Contrary to political memes, it takes a mom and dad to raise their child well, not a village.

Wade Burleson said...

Anon E Moose,

You, sir, get. Everyone serves a religion. The question is "which religion."

Christiane said...

Hello WADE and RUTH,

I found this site which offers a lot of 'pro' and 'con' discussions over state-mandated vaccination requirements prior to public school attendance. I cannot vouch for the site's authenticity, reliability, or validity, and the site may not be 'updated' to someone's present need for information;
but it IS an example of how the subject is discussed from different points of view:


https://vaccines.procon.org/state-by-state-vaccinations-required-for-public-school-kindergarten/

Debbie Kaufman said...

With all love and respect Wade: “When the Christian faith is politicized, churches become repositories not of grace but of grievances, places where tribal identities are reinforced, where fears are nurtured, and where aggression and nastiness are sacralized.”
@Peter_Wehner
HT: Boz Tchividjian

As for requiring vaccinations for school children, I disagree. I believe that many of the diseases that were life threatening have been eradicated due to mass vaccines. I remember taking a sugar cube when I was in grade school. I was vaccinated and my children were. This is a life threatening disease and in the same category as TB, polio, measles etc. which is gone due to people getting mass vaccines.

I don't understand your line of thinking at all. I also don't get it becoming part of sermons or the church period. I think you are wrong and this is the first time I have ever said or thought this in 30 years of our friendship. I think it's doing more damage than harm and contributing to the survival of the fittest line of thinking more than love each other. Helping each other. Just some thoughts.

Wade Burleson said...

Debbie,

As you know, nothing but respect!

I appreciate that you believe I am "wrong." I could be. I don't believe I am.

Acquiescing to personal liberty on health matters is the proverbial "canary in the mine." You lose the liberty of personal choice on what you wish to inject in your body, it's only a matter of time before you lose the personal liberty on what you believe in your mind.

Blessings!

RB Kuter said...

I think this video testimony between Christian civil servant and celebrity politician affirms premises of this post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN_ZyiNiJr4

RB Kuter said...

It is frustrating to attempt to dialogue rationally with people who compare government mandates for "diseases" like polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, etc. with government mandates to taking unorthodox chemically based vaccines said to protect from intentionally engineered hyper flu-virus.

That argument meant to shame people into submitting to the government's forced implementation of their remedy for something in which their own actions continually contradict their stated position (i.e., deploying hundreds of thousands of un-vetted, infected immigrants throughout the nation)does not hold water. Why would anyone consider the government's policies for forced mitigation/vaccination to be even lose to credible and trustworthy to be injected into one's veins, much less that of our children and grandchildren whose risk of having serious COVID effects are virtually non-existent?

Societies have become indifferent to attempts of central governments to maintain control of their populace by using fear tactics based upon the premise of a continuing pandemic. Even the politicians of the aforementioned central governments are having difficulty maintaining their premises of the horrid pandemic being reported as being a genuine threat, i.e., President shaking hands with crowd at townhall meeting without wearing a mask.

How can so many take the claims of the established pharma/political structure seriously? Granted, people continue to die from COVID. That is a reality and has been since the monster was released from the test tubes of CDC, Wuhan, and others. The joke are those whose absurd propositions for dealing with it make them appear as buffoons.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

After reading your Post three times, I agree with you. At first, I didn’t because I never knew anything about the Throne of Satan and believed he didn’t have a throne but like the Holy Spirit, he is worldwide.

This is how I relate some on how Antipas was boiled to death.

I visited my parents on the farm. They had a very large bathtub, but didn’t have a hot water heater. The bathtub would be filled halfway with cold water, then boiling water from the gas stove would be added.

My Dad like to take hot baths. I was taking a bath, and he kept adding boiling water. I told him it was hot enough, but he’d put his tough hand in and say, “That’s not hot”, and add more boiling water.

It reached the point to where I said, “Ok, but only on the condition as soon as I get out, you get in.
“Sure”.
When I got out, he said, “Why are you all red?”

“You’re fixing to find out!”

“IT’S HOT!”

He had his feet in but his bottom wouldn’t touch as he held on to the sides of the tub.

I was pushing down on his shoulders as hard as I could, but couldn’t budge him even though I was 42 years old.

Lissa Roberson said...

Wade, you've presented a very eye-opening, fascinating piece of biblical history. Wow! The letter to the church at Pergamum also has modern-day and end-times application. I frequently muse on whether or not American Christians will have the strength of conviction to "defy" the government when they are made to choose between worshipping the State over the Savior.

I have a question about the seal of the AMA. I'd always understood it to have come from the Old Testament (Numbers 21) where Aaron held up the bronze serpent on the staff for the Israelites to look upon and be spared from death.

Is it possible that it originated there but then adopted the pagan meaning over time? We are certainly witnessing re-definition (the rainbow) and cancellation of symbols (sports team logos) these days.

Scott Shaver said...

Listening to Debbie Kaufman, one would assume that the local church is NOT the only earthly institution God promised to bless with His abiding presence. I think whatever she is eaten up with has robbed her of rational thought.

Ruth said...

Wade: As you probably already know, I could not disagree with you more regarding mandated vaccinations.

Vaccines work because the overwhelming majority of a population gets them, excepting those who have good medical reason to not take them such as allergies to specific ingredients etc. Vaccine mandates have existed in this country since its beginning; George Washington, after previously forbidding it due to fear of losing soldiers when they were needed (even though he had his wife inoculated), ordered recruits to be inoculated for smallpox before their service so he would not have to deal with them becoming ill during his campaigns. I hardly think you would say that he was “making government into God”.

I don’t know anyone who is in favor of vaccine mandates that is worshiping government, or encouraging government to think of itself as God. I certainly do not. Our government exists to promote the security, safety, and prosperity of the citizenry. Of course they are not the source! They are, however, one of the means God uses to provide these things.

What I do know is that public health regulations have been around since the first days of man, and were mandated by God at that time. Unless you want to take the position that only God can authorize public health regulations, I don’t see how you can claim they are an infringement on liberty. God Himself made the local government (the priests) the authority on who could stay in the community and who had to isolate and treat themselves until the priest declared them “clean”, much like our health departments do now. Jesus never advocated for resistance against public health regulations issued by the government (Jewish or Roman) in power. In fact, He instructed those healed to follow the standard public guidelines on proving their fitness to rejoin society. Our personal liberty does not grant us the freedom to ignore regulations on public health hazards.

Jesus never promised us physical security. He never promised us physical safety. He never promised us physical prosperity. His promise to us was everlasting life with God if we believe in Him for our salvation. And there is nothing in that which says a person with faith should refuse to obey necessary public health regulations which are, after all, issued by the government which He placed in power.

Can you say that you truthfully think any human authority in my life will ever be able to tell me what to believe? I don’t see how you can after reading even a few of my comments. I promise you, I am far from alone here; there are multitudes of us who support mandatory health measures and vaccines but will never accept being told what we must believe.

Let me end this with my wish for you: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

In short, Ruth, Debbie Kaufman and myself believe that:

1) Covid is real and is serious.

2) Various Covid vaccines were developed that are very effective in reducing cases.

3) The government has legitimate authority in health mandates.

4) Being vaccinated is the best way an individual can love their neighbour when it comes to the Covid pandemic

We don't believe that the vaccines are part of some conspiracy of dark forces to destroy our freedoms. We don't believe that the vaccines themselves were designed to be harmful or are the mark of the beast. We do not believe that mandatory vaccinations are against the Word of God. We do believe that Christian leaders who are propagating doubt about vaccinations are misleading people.

RB Kuter said...

"Our government exists to promote the security, safety, and prosperity of the citizenry."

And yet:
-It continually invites thousands of illegal aliens to enter through our southern border and deploying them throughout the United States knowing that many are infected with COVID. There are no steps to quarantine them or test them prior to putting them on planes and buses to be released into the populace. If this is not the intentional spreading of the virus it is on a scale of negligence, ignorance, and incompetence that would justify all politicians complicit in the action being impeached or even prosecuted for criminal negligence and domestic terrorism.

-It intentionally participated in the engineering of Gain of Function research to create super-flu virus on a scale beyond that of the "1918 flu" virus even financing the work being done by Wuhan Institute and CDC. Then it took "ZERO" action to investigate the loss of vials of the "GOF" experimental virus that "went mission" from the CDC in 2017 and has not pursued the enforcement of third party monitoring and enforcement of security measures being taken over that, and other, research centers that would prevent similar occurrences. True, this began during former Administrations but the current one takes no action to pursue investigation as to why and how it occurred and where those stolen ("missing") vials of GOF viruses went.

-It has not pursued and promoted the "treatment" for early-on infections of the virus using medications proven to be effective in minimizing the symptoms and preventing the hospitalization and death of hundreds of thousands of people choosing rather to practice the un-conventional strategy of sending sick people home without treatment until they are so far gone they cannot be helped. Using preventive/early-on treatments would be much less expensive than the creation and distribution of vaccines with much less risk of side-effects.

-It deliberately manipulates the data collection methods to exaggerate the actual extent of the sickness to increase the panic and justify the exorbitant measures taken and control allocated to the government into the private lives of its citizens. The distortion of data has been of such a level that we never, nor will ever, have close to an accurate assessment of just how much, or how little, the impact of the virus has occurred.

-It's strategy for mitigating and taking counter-measures to fight the virus has been based upon those in the "scientific immunologists/epidemiologists" who have been/are complicit in the engineering and ultimately release of GOF viruses into the public sector. The same has been proven to be deceitful and even perjure themselves before Congressional hearings regarding their involvement and financing of such research even at the Chinese Wuhan Institute. Yet these same "experts" are given the most elevated posts in determining the government's response to the devastation caused by the involvement of their advisor/health system directors.

Talk about putting foxes in the hen house!

Please do not insult our intelligence by proposing that this regime's priority is saving lives and putting aside its political/power-control agenda for the sake of the general health and well-being of its society.

Wade Burleson said...

Neil,

Comment on the post.

Do you believe Jesus was a conspiracist?

Wade Burleson said...

Lissa,

The "seal" of the AMA is definitely from the Old Testament, BUT like all truth, Satan subverts it. The PAGAN GREEKS took the serpent on the pole and began to worship the serpent.

Just like people take medicine and government and substitute it for trust in God.

I have zero problem with people taking ANY medicine or ANY government funds.

I have a huge problem when government mandates medicine and money.

Christiane said...

For the first time, I experienced witnessing the 'fruit' of the incivility and hatred of our time last week, and I thought about sharing what I saw, and changed my mind (what good would it do?);

but then after reading some of the comments here, it occurred that maybe others are 'seeing' and 'hearing' the same kind of thing going on and maybe what I saw wasn't an 'isolated event'.

Went to my bank's main offices on business and parked in front of the bank and got out of the car, but I didn't get very far, no. There was something that stopped me cold (I froze) and silently watched a man whose car had been temporarily blocked by a delivery truck reacting by screaming, cursing and threatening the delivery driver with harm. The man was irate, with the whole 'image' going of ball-cap, full beard, and camo and was also pounding on the truck to 'move on'. I stood still and stared. I didn't say anything or move because I was so shocked and half-expected this individual to bring out a weapon but he did not, thank God. The driver of the truck was a foreign person in appearance, which was 'mentioned' in some of the curses and ranting by the individual. In short, it was a very ugly scene. There were police called by the employees of the bank because the man had come into the bank and was carrying on verbally in there also.

Wow! Okay, is this now what is passing as 'the norm' in my country? Or did this individual arrive at the bank already upset from his own personal burdens which overwhelmed and THEN, the brief frustration of being blocked in was a trigger point that set him off? (?)

But I remembered those images on television of the 'protestors/rioters/insurrectionists' (you choose your own word here) and there it was right in front of me, something out of the hell that is going on in our land now. . . .

Just mentioning this for me is a bit therapeutic because I was able to carry out my banking business after the police arrived, and I was able to get home, but I could not stop thinking about that man or what it was in him that inconvenience 'set off' and ignited . . . so much hate and pain there, beyond all 'reason' was his 'reaction' to something that was for him 'annoying' but he 'lost it' there for a while.

Consequences of the The Fall? Or a 'product' of our 'times'? Or just some man who felt 'empowered' to scream and curse and threaten in public, or do I see him as 'acting out' what he has come to see as an 'acceptable' response to his frustration?

? strange days, yes

Debbie Kaufman said...

I don't believe Jesus is a conspiracist and I do believe the Bible from front to back, I just disagree with your interpretation concerning this topic.

I do believe we are losing our humanity and compassion over this disease, which the church should be the first in compassion. Emmanuel being an exception or I would not still be there even though I disagree with this topic.

People are stepping on others out in public to get their agenda across. You can't even go to a grocery store without someone bringing up government conspiracies. Not just one day a week but many times and many times a day. It's like living in the Twilight Zone. Workers come home feeling battered and beaten, not from customers complaining about the usual things, but from having to hear these conspiracy theories multiple times a day. Day after day. Week after week. Many are quitting because it's just too much.

I believe some of the comments on this thread bear this out. The anger and aggressive behavior is more threatening than the vaccine or Covid. Churches are a part of this. No longer welcoming disagreement on this subject in particular.

Christiane said...

"I do believe we are losing our humanity and compassion over this disease, which the church should be the first in compassion. Emmanuel being an exception or I would not still be there even though I disagree with this topic."

Hello Debbie,

you are 'seeing' it, too, the anger and aggression?

Debbie, I'm glad you said that Emmanuel (Church) was an exception. That made me feel more hopeful.
I wish things were better now. It's like these 'hate' seeds have been sown by media for decades, and now we are seeing in our own lives some of the rotten fruit of all of the hate-speak out there. What was supposed to have been 'truth in love' turned out to be neither after all. I think even a small child could have told us that. :)

Debbie Kaufman said...

Yes Chrstiane: I am seeing it and that bothers me more than the actual debate? Argument? over this topic. I agree with what you have written here. And children are watching. So they feel it too and some will be the next generation mimicking what they see. Americans are very spoiled.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie,

You said, “I do believe the Bible from front to back.”

Not to make your day, but what do you think when (Matthew 9:18 NLT) states: “As Jesus was saying this, the leader of the synagogue knelt before him. “My daughter has just died…”

BUT

“Then a leader of the local synagogue…saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying…” (Mark 5:22-23 NLT)

“…leader of the local synagogue…pleaded with him…His only daughter…was dying…” (Luke 8:41-42 NLT)

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne, I have a hunch that you don’t get outside much if a scene like that is interpreted as a blanket indictment of the country. Stay indoors where it is safe and insulated.

Scott Shaver said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Scott Shaver said...

“A foreign person in appearance” you say Christianne? You do realize that if Wade or myself or any middle aged white guy posted those words we would be convicted in the media of racist attitudes?

Wade Burleson said...

Scott,

With respect, I would ask that you be kind with your words to Christianne and Debbie, and please don't be personal. There are strong feelings in all of us, but I respect those who disagree with me (and you) and the more I am vocal about the issues as I see them, the more important it is for me to never be personal in my words (or allow others to be on my website) with people whom I call friends that disagree with me.

I don't typically delete comments, but I deleted yours. I realize you may not believe what you wrote to be a personal attack, and I apologize in advance if I misread them.

Wade

Dave said...

RB Kuter,

“Please do not insult our intelligence by proposing that this regime's priority is saving lives and putting aside its political/power-control agenda for the sake of the general health and well-being of its society.”

Well said! You summarized the self-serving agenda, counter-intuitive logic and moral duplicity of the global power brokers and our administration very succinctly.

Wade Burleson said...

Ruth,

Thank you for the blessing.

I am ALL FOR vaccines. I have taken them all. I am not for (at this time) an mRNA vaccine. The safety studies required were bypassed (8 to 10 years) for the sake of a "national emergency." I do not mind traditional vaccines, but desire to see in the next two years if the mRNA vaccine reduces natural immunity in those who have received it by triggering an acquired immunity deficiency syndrome. I pray it does not, but I'm smart enough, well-read enough, and have obtained naturally induced diseased immunity (I've had Covid-19 and recovered - twice) and have no interest in taking the shot until the long-term studies (which are normal) have been completed.

Dave said...

Christianne,

“It's like these 'hate' seeds have been sown by media for decades, and now we are seeing in our own lives some of the rotten fruit of all of the hate-speak out there.”

Sad, but true. However, in my opinion, its not just ‘hate’ seeds …but more so intentionally fallacious ‘manipulation’ seeds. With rare exception, legacy media outlets have unapologetically displayed an militant leftist point of view, through which facts are ‘reinterpreted’ for …political gain.

Decades ago, I’d been a FOX news devotee …until I concluded that much of the content merely reflected a right-wing interpretation of events for …political gain.

Dave said...

Wade,

“I don't typically delete comments…”. “you may not believe what you wrote to be a personal attack, and I apologize in advance if I misread them”.

Your gracious online persona (in my eyes) continues to represent the epitome of thoughtful, humble, discourse that honors our Lord. I’ve doubtlessly dropped my guard (here, and in other forums) and allowed ‘this flesh’ to unduly reflect sentiment too often. I value the kindly Shepherd-like demeanor that you model, as I acknowledge my need for gentle reminders at times.

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

"I don't believe Jesus is a conspiracist and I do believe the Bible from front to back, I just disagree with your interpretation concerning this topic."

What Debbie said is what I would say.

Anyone remember: Hal Lindsay, Mike Warnke, Backmasking? Just three of many issues that Christians went crazy over in the past. Covid and Vaccine denial are just another false conspiracy and myth that has energised the church in the wrong direction.

Dave said...

Debbie,

“Churches are a part of this. No longer welcoming disagreement on this subject in particular.”

Yes, unfortunately I know you are correct concerning this. If for no other reason, the redeemed should be setting an example of thoughtful forbearance to the world, conceding that these are complex and sacred ‘matters of conscience’, (although far removed from ‘eating meat sacrificed to idols’) nonetheless, our convictions must remain our own …without efforts to divide, judge and compel others to ‘bear a yoke’ of our convictions.

Debbie Kaufman said...

Yes. He is the real deal.

RB Kuter said...

Christiane wrote: "For the first time, I experienced witnessing the 'fruit' of the incivility and hatred of our time last week, and I thought about sharing what I saw, and changed my mind (what good would it do?)"

In my opinion, (for what that's worth)I believe your account of that outbreak of anger on the streets is indeed indicative of an underlying sense of oppression, frustration, futility, and hopelessness that is plaguing our nation during these days. It seems that way to me as I observe people in general.

Some segments of the population seem frustrated in seeing the nation being sucked into a downward abyss of darkness where they are losing control to rectify things through the political system as they once felt they could do.

Some segments seem frustrated that they are gaining in the ability to get their own way at the expense of others yet there are those who continue to oppose the moral and ideological paths in which they are trying to push the nation to travel.

Some segments are simply mourning the demise of a nation that held to higher principles and ethics formerly (though of course never did so perfectly)and are in a state of grief about it.

Some segments, perhaps all, recognize that the division between segments in the country has become so acute and passion for the diverse purposes so high that it seems we would be at civil war except the opposition cannot be defined by geographical territories or defined central sources susceptible to attack militarily.

I believe the anger and violence you witnessed is being played out in other ways too. We see it in the tremendous increase of unchecked criminal activity where the violators are becoming more and more bold and lack a control of having any value of human life values. It is also being played out in suicides, mental-emotional break-downs, broken family relationships and abandonment of parental responsibilities. It is being played out in the disregard for the most basic human identities of biological gender with a movement of young people sensing that alternatives might provide some answer to their tormented, distressed souls.

In short, I believe it to be symptoms of a meltdown of society.

However, the trend will not continue eternally. It is a phase of transition moving us toward a stage arranged for a global hero of the world who promises to provide a remedy for the desperate times. He/She/They will gain the support of a preponderance of the populace through promises of forcing unity and extermination of opposition that will provide a false sense of peace and tranquility. Their support will be of such great magnitude so as to give unchallenged "global"(due to the falling of "national" sovereign states)control this "One of Promise" will have unchecked control.

Of course, the rule of this coming power will also not be an "eternal" situation as promised by the world-hero. His/Her/Their reign will be relatively short-lived though responsible for taking us through a time of destruction unparalleled before their sovereignty being totally demolished by the entry of the ultimate King.

At the accelerated rate in which things are going in these past few years, I cannot envision these subsequent phases being extended but instead having amazing brevity, perhaps within a generation.

I know, I know, sounds totally extraordinary, but that's how I personally assess the times in which we live and I am adjusting my perspective and response accordingly.

Wade Burleson said...

"Covid and Vaccine denial are just another false conspiracy."

Neil, please read what I write. My entire family has been vaccinated. I am vaccinated with every vaccination known to man - except Covid.

There is no Covid denial nor vaccine denial.

There is a denial that government is God and a resistance to MANDATORY vaccinations.

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,

thank you for sharing your own thoughts as I do think it is important not just to judge what we see on its surface,
but to at least wonder what is going on in someone's life that might bring them to where they 'act out' with extreme anger and incivility. For some people, anger issues may be 'normal behavior' for them where they have short fuses and their own culture permits outbursts, table-flipping, insults, etc. etc. . . . . but for most of us, this extreme behavior falls into the category of 'disturbing the peace', and we ARE shocked by it.

I HAD to come to terms with trying to understand 'acting out' behaviors when I was a classroom teacher, because my 'inner city' students did bring a lot of emotional baggage to school,
and I often gave them credit just for being able to get it together to come to school when their own lives at home were so sad and disfunctional. There were always 'signs' I could watch for and 'ways' I could 'defuse' situations and these processes took up a lot of my energies but were 'necessary' in the light of what some of my students were going through in their own lives.

As for some kind of cataclysmic 'Omega point' ending to all of conflicted human existence,
I do know that there will not be any 'limited' nuclear wars, as we won't 'survive' if/when this happens. Debbie said it right: "Americans are very spoiled."
It does seem that a large number of us are somewhat detached from the reality around us, and that does not bode well for moving forward in a good direction. But the sky isn't falling yet, and we still have a Constitution and a Court System (system of laws), and we still have functioning structures even though many are trying to undermine some of the most basic of these structures.

Mr. Kuter, I think we Americans are going to survive because we have it in our national DNA to struggle and build and work for better to come. That isn't going to change. Maybe that's why I love REX RAY's great stories so much: that American sense of humor is one way our people do get through hard times. :)

"“One secret of life is that the reason life works at all is that not everyone in your tribe is nuts on the same day." (Ann Lamott)

Mr. Kuter, thank you for responding. I value your insights and learn from them.

Debbie Kaufman said...

Oppression of what Kuter. I am sorry but that I am not buying. It's ridiculous to think that those who are angry in America are doing it out of oppression. I believe them to be the oppressors not the oppressed. Now if you would have said Haiti or countries where the Taliban reigns I could buy that. But not in America.

Debbie Kaufman said...

Rex: Sorry I just read your question to me as I just got home from work. Could you clarify? I am not understanding what your point is.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie Kaufman,

My point is that the Bible cannot be believed from cover to cover because there are many conflicting accounts. I believe all Scripture is from God, but untruth in the Bible is not Scripture.

Have you heard about the awful experiments that Fauci has done? Reminds me of the terrible experiments German doctors did.

Fauci under fire for 'puppy experiments that saw beagles locked in cage with hungry sandflies that would eat them ALIVE' (the-sun.com)

“The organization claims that as many as 44 beagle puppies were used as part of the cruel experiment in a Tunisia laboratory.

Some of the dogs allegedly had their vocal cords removed to muzzle their barking.

Our investigators show that Fauci’s NIH division shipped part of a $375,800 grant to a lab in Tunisia to drug beagles and lock their heads in mesh cages filled with hungry sandflies so that the insects could eat them alive, White Coat Waste told The Hill.

They also locked beagles alone in cages in the desert overnight for nine consecutive nights to use them as bait to attract infectious sand flies, they added.

The NIAID spent 1.68 million in taxpayer money on these experiments, according to documents obtained by the non-profit.”

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

Rex,

All you're doing is repeating yet another hit-job on Fauci. It's propaganda.

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

Wade,

The US government is not saying it is God. You're saying that.

God gave us government. Romans 13 and Titus 3. Mandatory vaccinations are a legitimate exercise of government power. Mandatory vaccinations are not bowing to the government as God.

Those who believe in covid vaccinations see your refusal as a desire to harm others. They see you as irresponsible and being a danger to society. This is not being salt or light to the world.

I call upon you again to obey God's word and accept government authority in this matter.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie,

On the subject of conflicting accounts, do we believe Moses in Deuteronomy, or God in Numbers? (All Scripture is from the Living Bible.)

“And the Lord was even angry with me because of them and said to me, ‘You shall not enter the Promise Land!” (Deuteronomy 1:37)

“But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and would not let me cross over…” (Deuteronomy 3:26)

“But he was angry with me because of you; he vowed that I could not go over the Jordan River…´ (Deuteronomy 4:21)


“But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe me and did not sanctify me in the eyes of the people of Israel, you shall not bring them into the land I have promised them!” (Numbers 20:12)

“Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron…The time has come for Aaron to die; for he shall not enter the land I have given the people of Israel, for the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah.” (Numbers 20:24)

“One day the Lord said to Moses, “Go up into the Mount Abarim and look across the river to the land I have given to the people of Israel. After you have seen it, you shall die, for you rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you did not glorify me before them by following my instructions to order water to come out of the rock…” (Numbers 27:12-14)

RB Kuter said...

"Mr. Kuter, I think we Americans are going to survive because we have it in our national DNA to struggle and build and work for better to come. That isn't going to change."

You may be correct, Christiane, and I hope you are. I believe the moral core of the United States has been altered in the past several decades in a manner that is unprecedented and which will result in a continued movement toward socialism, emphasis on the gratification of the individual at the expense of the "whole", and a distortion in the electoral process.

It will all be determined by the providence of God and according to where we are in His timetable. Given that He will not bless wickedness, a defiant and stiff-necked people, or a society bent on the extreme decadence in which we see, the only way I can imagine a "turn-around" is for it to begin in the souls of the society. That would likely require a significant revival to begin in the churches that impacted the world around them.

I believe the "DNA" of America in which you speak can, and apparently is, being perverted by those same forces bringing about the aforementioned wickedness that is being displayed. We have seen expressions of "patriotism" demonized so as to associate it with conservative political parties. We see former patriotic heroes and events demonized and distorted as being something other than for the selfless acts done to preserve the liberties of the whole. We see continued distortion of history and social sciences throughout the education system to alter the motives and intent of those who built and preserved the nation. We see efforts made to remove the symbols and visible presence formerly present to honor those historical heroes and statements that portrayed the high moral premises upon which the nation has stood.

These are all the same traits we have witnessed in the past used by those oppressive, dictatorial and Godless regimes to first strip away the former identity and ideologies of societies before establishing a new foundation for their own. Those societies that were erased must have had the same mindset which you express prior to their society and culture being unraveled and re-made in the loom of communism/Marxism, "we Americans are going to survive because we have it in our national DNA to struggle and build and work for better to come. That isn't going to change."

I certainly will pray with you for such to be the case. My love for that "USA" will never change and I will seek to proclaim the Gospel message to whomever will listen and to encourage my saint-brothers and sisters to do the same.

RB Kuter said...

"All you're doing is repeating yet another hit-job on Fauci. It's propaganda."

Neil, again you disappoint me. Surely one with the intelligence and awareness of events taking place around us watched and followed the Congressional hearings and the dramatic dialogue between Rand Paul and Fauci when Facuci adamantly denied his support of the GOF research at Wuhan only to be exposed as being misleading at best and perjurious at worse later. Fauci screamed his defense that he never sent money to Wuhan but it was later found that he in fact did through institutions and sources to which he could claim he was not directly contributing funds. It's like you giving offerings to a church that is preaching against homosexuality. You might say when accused of supporting "homophobia", "I NEVER gave money to support preachers who reject homosexuality!!!"

Fauci was director of is the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US government's National Institutes of Health (NIH). This body did give money to an organisation that collaborated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In May, Dr Fauci stated that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) "has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology".

Senator Rand Paul asked Dr Fauci if he wanted to retract that statement, saying: "As you are aware it is a crime to lie to Congress."

Fauci then attempted to "back up and punt" given that he had been caught like a fox in the hen house by trying to minimize his involvement in supporting "Gain of Function" mutation research to enhance the effects of viruses by saying,

"He does acknowledge that the work they carried out showed the viruses had "intrinsic properties" giving them the ability to infect humans.

But he adds: "We never introduced mutations into [the virus] spike to enhance growth in human cells."

Come on, Neil! Surely you did not have your head in the sand when all of this exciting and revealing action was taking place!! Yet your very disappointing response is to say,

""All you're doing is repeating yet another hit-job on Fauci. It's propaganda."

You can do better than that.

Debbie Kaufman said...

OK Rex. I understand your question now. I don't see them as conflicting accounts. Different writers observed different things. That is the beauty of the Bible. All the accounts are true, just different perspectives.

Wade Burleson said...

Neil Cameron,

Any government that declares to its people, "I am your protector, your provider, and your security" exhibits the spirit of anti-Christ.

Australia and Tasmania better wake up.

Ruth said...

Wade: You have lost me here. What you named are some of the basic functions of ANY government. I don’t know of any government in the world which does not exercise those functions.

Are you saying that all existing governments show “the spirit of anti-Christ”? If so, what is your preferred alternative? I would not be thrilled to live in a land without a government providing those basic functions; it would be anarchy.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie,

Here’s the situation Moses and Aaron were in.

Previously, God had Moses strike a rock to produce water, and it WORKED, but now God told him to speak to a rock to bring water. If it didn’t work, the people would think his brother and him were fools, so they decided to go with what had worked before.

Debbie you said, “Different writers observed different things”, but Moses wrote Numbers and Deuteronomy.

If Numbers was written first, (It’s located in the Bible first.) don’t you know Moses would have left his lies out of Deuteronomy, but God wouldn’t let him.

And that’s the beauty of the Bible.

I can see the reasoning of Moses, and I feel sorry for him because if it wasn’t for all the complaining of the people, he wouldn’t have gotten in trouble with God.

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

Wade, you said:

"Any government that declares to its people, "I am your protector, your provider, and your security" exhibits the spirit of anti-Christ. "

US Constitution says:

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States;"

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

RB Kuter,

I'm happy to disappoint you.

Wade Burleson said...

"We the People" are the government in the United States.

We should pay taxes. We should pay our debts. We should provide for the common defense. We should provide for the General Welfare of the United States.

1. Half of the citizens of the United States pay no tax. They RECEIVE money from the government.

2. We cannot pay our debts.

3. We open our borders and allow everyone to enter illegally.

4. It is against the General Welfare of the United States to mandate men can marry men, boys can call themselves girls, as well as any other law that contradicts the moral code of the Creator.

When THAT government then tells us they are your protector, provider, and the one to whom you look for your security, then there is the spirit of anti-Christ.

Jeremiah and Isaiah would agree.

RB Kuter said...

Just in case you, like myself, wondered why in the world "health care workers" refuse to get the vaccination in spite of it costing them their jobs, you might want to follow this link to see an article that explains why some do (Even if you don't like "The Epoch Times"):

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/health-care-workers-speak-out-on-why-they-would-rather-lose-their-jobs-than-take-a-covid-19-vaccine_4065164.html?utm_source=Morningbrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2021-10-26&mktids=4393bd947bd545e31711ca61f8cf4867&est=4JeucY4cB0QWR0KtMc0%2B2yc5XvY3vL3cQt%2BFXb3kV%2FFS9kjacobY0GGMDHeGBksu1ik%3D


RB Kuter said...

Neil wrote: "RB Kuter,I'm happy to disappoint you."

I don't know why, brother, but there's just something about you that makes me like you in spite of our differences. Maybe you remind me of my son.

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

"Anderson Cooper Confronted a Conspiracy Theorist Who Believed He Eats Babies"

https://youtu.be/dXu_zKYODkE?t=211

Ruth said...

RB Kuter: Your links to The Epoch Times are useless for people like me. They will not let me read any article without registering - and I NEVER register on websites which won't even let me see a sample of any of their content. It makes me believe they are hiding something that they don't want widely known. or are using the registration information for personal gain. If I can't find a similar article elsewhere, my personal view is that it is not worth reading.

Christiane said...

It is interesting to find out as much as possible about the media sites that feed into extremist politics; who 'owns' the media site, or what entities 'support' it financially; the foreign connections of the owners, their 'agendas', etc.

Much of this information IS 'hidden', you bet. But still, that alone gives us a 'red light' (or should) about 'sources'.

Extremism breeds violence. We have seen violence happening and we have heard extremist voices. People are being threatened and their families are being threatened.

I would want to know also where my information was sourced and what all the agendas were that are being 'promoted' and who is behind these agendas. Without knowing that, we become 'puppets' rather than citizens of a free nation with a free press.

Scott Shaver said...

Nobody provides for the “common defense like American citizens do. But our president WILL gift 80 billion in arms and aircraft to head-lopping juhadists.

RB Kuter said...

Ruth and Christiane,

I understand your frustrations and reservations about not being able to get on to "The Epoch Times" articles to which I refer.

But really, talk about "conspiracy theorists"! I frequently try to follow a multitude of articles and links only to be stopped by having to register or subscribe or jump through some other hoops. I certainly don't automatically assume that they are "hiding" something about themselves but rather using that as a marketing tactic to motivate people to subscribe to their publication.

As far as researching these dangerous and threatening sources like "The Epoch Times", I again don't see what it is that alarms you. They are openly and freely promote that they are sources who were persecuted by the Communist Chinese and continue to be targets for attack and hostility by that regime. They are admittedly VERY opposed to that government and its oppressive tactics continually used upon its citizenry.

Their experiences with Communists and socialism and the persecution of those practicing ideologies and religions (including Falun Gong, along with Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, etc.)that contradict those principles of atheistic oppression are surely included in "The Epoch Times" motive and reason for portraying a bias toward that regime and others in other countries, including the US, who follow the same tendencies of persecution.

So you are welcome to demonize those more "conservative" publications like "The Epoch Times" that portray positions counter to your leftist-elite agenda but please, at least try not to characterize them for being something they are not.

(Don't even get me started on your beloved MSNBC, CNN, New York Times, Harper Bizarre and whatever.)

Debbie Kaufman said...

Rex: I am sorry but I have no idea why you are going down this trail. What lies? The Bible is true and God inspired from cover to cover. I believe this. You do not? I don't have the time to discuss something that has nothing to do with this post. Sorry but my time is very limited.

Christiane said...

As for 'sources' of information, SINCE we know that these days there is so much dis-information being spread in the media,
that IF we wish to avoid that dis-information, we must be exceptionally vigilant about what we are reading, hearing, seeing; and about the ORIGIN of what it is that we are reading, hearing, seeing. We owe it to ourselves, to each other, and to our country to try to examine information carefully. It is the right thing to do under our present circumstances. We have to be smarter than the average scammer to sort out what is 'true' from the 'other stuff'. :)

I know it is not easy to verify what is presented as 'fact', but there ARE ways to determine at least what is 'opinion' from 'fact' as in this example of a presentation which also shows some other ways to examine and check 'information' from various sources:

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/documents/909_01.pdf

Ruth said...

RB Kuter: Regarding “your beloved MSNBC, CNN, New York Times, Harper Bizarre and whatever.”

I don’t particularly care for any of those news sites (I wasn’t even sure what Harper Bizarre was until I searched and found “Harper’s Bazaar” though. But why are you mentioning a fashion magazine?). But MSNBC allows you to read articles without registering, even with my adblocker functional; all I have to do is click “Continue without supporting” on the popup. CNN allows you to read articles without registering. The New York Times allows a certain number of free articles every month (don’t remember how many) and if you know someone who subscribes to it, they can gift you an article with no registration required to read it. I rarely visit those websites though; their news reporting does not impress me at all. Typically, I get most of my news from AP and local/regional news websites. AP has never required any registration at all for anything they publish on their website. Occasionally I will follow a link from the Google news page. Most of the time, I can find multiple sources for articles they list.

I do currently have a subscription to the Washington Post as they offered a very good deal. If you want to read an article there, let me know; I can gift up to 10 articles a month and you won’t have to register to read them. They also offer all COVID related articles free to everyone, and occasionally you will see other articles there with a subheader saying something like this article is free to everyone. I will say that I found their reporting on all the tax law changes to be stellar; they were the only website I found that actually had correct information on how each change impacted employers and workers. For example, when President Trump signed the legislation for COVID sick pay reimbursement to employers they had the facts correct; no one else did. I notice things like that since I do commercial accounting software tech support and have to keep up on changes in tax law. I don’t pay much attention to their opinion or analysis section articles as I am perfectly capable of forming my own opinion and analyzing the facts myself.

So yes, I find it very suspicious that a website supposedly devoted to free speech won’t even let me look at ONE article without registering. I find it hard to believe that they think completely blocking access to new prospective clients will tempt them to register; it sure won’t work that way with me.

And I am hardly classifiable as a “leftist-elite”. You would not see me here if I were. Christiane is not either in my opinion; she seems to be a very devoted believer who does her best to interact in peace with everyone around her. She is better than I am at that. So please don’t label us as something we are not.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie,

Yes, the Bible is true, but the Bible records people lying.

Wade,

Many years ago, I’d been chosen with others to be deacons. They had us kneeling in the front with our eyes shut, and people put their hands on our heads and prayed. Many prayed long prayers, but the shortest words that touched me most were:

“I love you”, and I recognized the voice of my twin brother.

I believe that’s what we’ll hear when we enter heaven.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie,
I’ll pick on Moses one more time. :)

Being with God 40 days made his face so radiant, he wore a veil so the people wouldn’t be afraid of him. (Exodus 34:29-33)

Debbie, do you think wearing a veil gave Moses some prestige?

If it didn’t, why did he continue to wear the veil after the radiance had faded as 2 Corinthians 3:12-13 Living Bible states?

“Since we know that this new glory will never go away, we can preach with great boldness, and not as Moses did, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelis could not see the glory fade away.”

Anon.E.Moose said...

Mr. Polmateer shared a video on a blog post two back that I think is appropriate to discussion of any of the last 3 posts from Pastor Burleson. (https://youtu.be/O1DgWYdukZU) For those who are nervous about linking to unidentified videos, it is the story of the Amish communities response to COVID.

The video begins by Sharyl Attkisson, the reporter, identifying the the Amish as a Christian group that emphasize the virtuous over the superficial……(I thought that was an interesting characterization). She then interviews a “Amish Mennonite” named Calvin Lapp (Lapp versus Laph/Laugh…..I listened multiple times and sometimes, my ears don’t work. My apologies to Calvin if I got his name wrong.) I tried to transcribe what I thought was important for those that don’t want to hit the link. My transcription is not the entire interview, and may be off a word here or there.

Calvin Lapp: “There are 3 things the Amish don’t like: They don’t like government - they won’t get involved in government-, they don’t like the public education system - they won’t send the children to education - they also don’t like the health system….they rip us off. Those are the 3 things that they are fighting all the time. Those are the 3 things that COVID are.”

Mr. Lapp then describes the Amish communion tradition: when the Amish take communion, they drink out of a communal cup shared amongst the entire community. If one person comes with coronavirus, the rest will get coronavirus. The first time they went back to church, everyone got the coronavirus. He states that they weren’t denying the virus, they were facing it “head on.”

Mr. Lapp goes on to say, “It is the worst thing to quit working than dying. But to shut down and to say that we can’t go to church, we can’t get together with family, we can’t see our old people in the hospital, we gotta quit working. It’s going completely against everything that we believe. You are completely changing our culture to act like they wanted us to act. the last year. And we are not going to do that.”

Apparently, Amish life was essentially back to normal by the middle of May 2020. People refused to go to the hospital rather than be isolated by hospitalization. By March 2021, the community was believed to have herd immunity with antibody levels estimated at 90%. Some outside the community don’t believe this statistic, as most Amish refused to get tested because testing made no difference — they did not want to get a positive test and then have the community shut down because of a high test rate.

Interestingly the Amish community had no more deaths than in places that “shut down tight.”

There are no numbers on COVID vaccination within the community, but the numbers are relatively clear the numbers are low. Mr. Lapp states (appropriately) “Why would you get the vaccine when everyone got COVID?”

My mantra through this thing has been "fear not and know that I am God." I believe the Amish truly lived that. Sweden also face it head on, and at this point has a dribbling death rate with a life and culture that are likely far more intact than the US.

Great find, Mr. Polmateer!

Anon.E.Moose said...

My church has shut down hard with the pandemic. It is now open, but not fully functioning, and I am having a hard time dealing with that. Because of the fear engendered by our government via the public health complex and the media propaganda machine, we are not functioning as the Body of Christ. Which is more important: my earthly body or my immortal soul? To look at my church's response, the answer would be my earthly body. There is a segment of the congregation that agrees with me, but when we try to discuss it, the fearful segment becomes very vocal as well. They are looking to the government to provide safety. Now, I am not advocating that we be irresponsible. "Fifteen days to flatten the curve" great.....but the power grab became greater, the goal posts were moved, and people didn't see or were unwilling to acknowledge the impact. I am not advocating being reckless....I drive the speed limit (sort of....) to church and stop at all the red signals....however, there is ample data that mitigation measures have had limited impact and yet, we to allow the authorities to dictate destruction of our culture.

This vaccine is being used to divide people further. The fact that there is no allowance for people with disease induced immunity is where the Public Health establishment lost me. Multiple studies have shown that disease induced immunity is as good as or better than vaccination. Why not allow that?

I write this so many times, but I see so many people dedicated to EVERYONE needing to be vaccinated. That is not true. If everyone was vaccinated, then there would be less disease but it would still percolate through the community. The vaccine has been proven to be leaky with declining immunity for some. With vaccination the rate of severe infection and death would drop but would not go away. The question of whether vaccination will select for more toxic variants is something that we don't know and need to keep watching. Again, the vaccines are not sterilizing, they are leaky, they will protect the vulnerable but they are not going to wipe out infection. Consider flu -- same process. The vaccine is anywhere from 40-60% effective in a given year. Despite vaccination, many people will still get the flu, but the thought is that it is less severe if people have been vaccinated.

Representative Diana Harshbarger introduced the Natural Immunity is Real Act in the House of Representatives. This bill requires Federal agencies to take into account naturally acquired immunity from previous COVID-19 infection when issuing any rules or regulations aimed at protecting from COVID-19. (https://harshbarger.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-diana-harshbarger-introduces-bill-require-federal-agencies). Her website points to a letter (https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021-09-28-CDC-COVID-19-Natural-Immunity.pdf) documenting multiple studies showing the power of natural immunity.

We are now requiring first responders and many other essential workers, some of which literally "ran into the fire" at the beginning of this pandemic to get the jab. Many of them have had the infection. The whole time, there are been an odd narrative: my wearing mask doesn't protect me, it protects you.....HOW does that work? The same thing has been presented for vaccines -- your failure to get vaccinated puts me at risk. No. If the vaccine was sterilizing it would but we know that vaccinated people can be carriers. It is my responsibility to get the vaccine if I am at high risk, but it is the high risk person's responsibility to take care of themselves and get the vaccine. People make poor choices all the time, but we do not demonize them the way I see people demonized for refusing to get the vaccine. How rapidly the former heroes become villains.

How insidious and complete the power grab feels....

Wade Burleson said...

Everyone,

Some SUPERB comments - all the way through. Thanks for the respectful dialogue.

Victorious said...

Rex Ray:
"I'll pick on Moses one more time."

I have a book "Alleged Discrepancies in the Bible" by John Haley. I haven't consulted it regarding the scriptures you mentioned, but since I've had it since 2004 IIRC, it has come in handy for examining certain scriptures that appear to be contradictory.

You can check it out here:

https://www.christianbook.com/alleged-discrepancies-of-the-bible-ebook/john-haley/9781603749510/pd/48861EB

Scott Shaver said...

Sorry Wade. No can do. You are certainly free to moderate your site as you see fit, but Kaufman’s vitriol will not go unchallenged by me in ANY platform we find ourselves bantering back and forth in. Same goes for Ben Cole.

Scott Shaver said...

You do not typically delete comments, I do not typically interact on blog sites that pick and choose who gets censored.

Scott Shaver said...

I understand Kaufman is one of your church members and understand your need to show partiality in public with this one. Do what you need to do.

RB Kuter said...

Ruth wrote; "So yes, I find it very suspicious that a website supposedly devoted to free speech won’t even let me look at ONE article without registering."

Ruth, I have been blocked more than once when trying to follow a link for "Washington Post" with it telling me that I had to subscribe. Wadda' ya call it when they try to hook you with a dramatic headliner only to be rejected for continuing your reading it unless you subscribe? No worries. I, like you, just move along and disregard their attempts to get me as another customer.

Point is, there is nothing sinister about publications that do that. It is a common marketing practice and it is beneath your intelligence and awareness to propose that one conspiring to cover its credentials because it requires folks to subscribe to read their publication.

I was being facetious when using "Harper's Bizarre", etc. I know you wouldn't go there and that you would have high standards for sources of input and information.

Wade Burleson said...

Scott,

I only ask that attacks not be personal. Argue the point, not the person.

RB Kuter said...

Okay, here is "news" (at least to me) that makes all other issues pale in comparison:

"Major League Baseball has struck a multi-year deal with FOX Bet, making the online platform MLB's fourth authorized gaming operator. ... MLB's three other authorized betting operators include FanDuel, DraftKings and MGM Resorts."

While watching The World Series I saw on the TV screen, "Pay $10 get $45" for Fox Bet. If the batter got a home run your bet pays $45!

Can you believe this?!

Now your kids see sanctioned gambling on sports games while watching the World Series AND last night we have a man kneeling as he proposes to ANOTHER MAN on the TV commercial during the early innings of The World Series!!

Pete Rose must be choking! They ran him out of the game for his entire career. Do they not think that this sets up all sorts of potential for the corruption of games and outcomes?

No matter who wins The Series, I will always suspect it has been a "set-up", just like the last election. No institution is above corruption these days.

What's next?

You probably ask, "Well, RB, if you don't like it so much, why are you watching it?"

Exactly. I'm asking myself the same question.

Ruth said...

Anon.E.Moose: I watched that video about the Amish Mennonite community, and I also found it interesting. However, I am not sure how familiar you are with that faith community so I thought I might give you some information that I happen to know.

I live fairly close to a large Mennonite community. Each community set its own standards of conduct; some are stricter than others, but their basic beliefs are held in common. One of those beliefs that most people are not aware of is the fact that they believe it is perfectly acceptable to lie to “English” for the good of the community. All those outside the community are considered “English”. And what they consider for the good of the community also includes the fact that they don’t want outsiders knowing how much governmental assistance they actually receive.

For instance, any Mennonite can claim a religious exemption from paying Social Security tax, whether they are self employed or work at a regular job. Most of them do that. In this area, almost all of the Mennonites who work outside the community work at factories or in the construction field. They have no issue with drawing unemployment when they are laid off – and since they don’t drive, it is typically pretty easy for them to turn down job offers which require any independent travel. They do pay income taxes if they earn enough money – and a very large percentage of them receive thousands of dollars in child tax credits and earned income credit when they file their tax returns. A large part of their “income” is from bartering, which they do not declare on tax returns. Many of them also receive SNAP benefits.

As far as medical care is concerned, most of them utilize county health nurses for basic care which is free. I know that because I have a friend who was a county health nurse in the area where the community is located. She said that most of them were also on Medicaid to pay for their doctor/hospital/prescription expenses. And the vast majority of the women who were of child bearing years also received WIC – the nutrition program which provides free food from grocery stores for mothers and small children.

I also know that our local Mennonites who worked outside the community received the COVID vaccines when they were offered by their employers. Those who used the county health nurse’s service also typically got the vaccine. No one talked about it but it happened. Their vaccination rate was probably at least the same as the general population rate – and quite possibly higher.

So it is entirely possible that Mr. Lapp was not being completely truthful in his interview. In his view, there is no sin in lying to the “English” for the good of the community. And they are the ones who decide what is the good of the community. It took me a few years to discover that, much to my dismay. I do still genuinely like most of them, though. The friends I have in their community were very secretive about telling me the information I have given you, as they were afraid that they would be punished for sharing it.

Debbie Kaufman said...

Scott: Mrs. Kaufman to you.

Christiane said...

Hello out there REX RAY,

I guess you have some concerns about the sacred Scriptures and have sometimes asked for the opinions of others about that which seems confusing or contra-dictory to you.

That you CARE says much good. But I would not worry because from the beginning of the time of the early Councils, when the canon (lists of books to be kept IN the sacred Scriptures as 'inspired') was being developed;
it was the goal of the whole Church to preserve what had been passed down from the Apostles and to deliver that treasure into the hands of future Christian people faithfully. The Apostles witnessed to Christ the Lord and eventually what they preached was 'written down' in 'testaments' to Him. And what they preached was Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and Risen from dead. In all the millennia, that has been 'The Story' the New Testament has told to us,
and among the larger Church community, it is acknowledged that within the New Testament, we are given all the written revelation we need so that the purposes of the grace of God to lead us to salvation can be fulfilled.

I may have another view of what that 'salvation' includes, perhaps. Something I wrote on another blog speaks to this:

"The Second Person of the Holy Trinity, God, whom we call 'Christ' is a Presence in the lives of ALL who live according to their consciences and strive to do what is good as they see it from the guidance of their God-given consciences. Those who 'love' know God, and He knows them; and this opens the door to following Christ for those who do not even know His Name, yet by the power of the Salvific Mysteries, Our Lord is connected to them through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Dr._______, I doubt this is an evangelical teaching, but it is one concept shared by many who call themselves 'Christian'. It is not 'inclusive', but would 'exclude' those who do not love, even if they say 'Lord, Lord'. It would most definitely include those who live according to their consciences and strive to do what is good as they see it from the guidance of their God-given consciences.

Even the demons 'believe', so better for someone to have an 'awareness' of the Guidance that prompts one to show loving-kindness and compassion for others, and gift of patience and yet even more patience for them what needs it ( living the faith is so much MORE than just saying 'credo' ). . . . .

maybe, for me, the connecting question is one of the nature of 'salvation' itself, as I connect it up with 'the fruit of the Holy Spirit'; with the nature of 'humility' before God and one another; and also with that existence towards which the very presence of grace in our lives is leading us.

The mother of Augustine once told him after he had embraced the faith, 'You are already leading an eternal life'."

Rex Ray said...

Victorious,

I checked Alleged Discrepancies, and it seems you’d have to have the book memorized because there’s no way to find the answer to a topic you want.

CHRISTIANE,

In 1994, I wrote a 20 page ‘book’. The cover has: “The Truth of Acts”, and “The Devil’s greatest victory was confusing his greatest defeat; Calvary”

I listed some people telling the truth and telling a lie;

1. Devil truth: “…your eyes will be open…knowing both good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) Lie: “You won’t die.” (Genesis 3:4)

2. Peter truth: “You are Christ.” Lie: “I do not know the man.” (Matthew 26:74)

3. Pharisee truth: “It is better for one man should die than the whole world perish.” (John 11:50) Lie: “He casted out devils through the prince of the devils.” (Acts 15:1)

Wade,

https://news.sky.com/story/woman-dies-after-alec-baldwin-fires-prop-firearm-on-film-set-12440839

On 10-21-21, Halyna Hutchins was killed while filming a movie. She was operating the camera that was filming the action. The scrip called for a gun to be fired at the camera. The gun was to fire a blank bullet.

Many people are wondering how she was killed by a gun that was supposed to be loaded with blanks.

Scott Shaver said...

Debbie, Dr Shaver to you in that case.

Scott Shaver said...

Wade. I am not arguing at all. I am stating personal opinion as do the very vocal persons you feel the need to intervene for in this case. You do you and I will do likewise.

Scott Shaver said...

Mrs Kaufman:

Perhaps you should “argue the point and not the person”’…LOL

Scott Shaver said...

Might as well be the Astros set up to win the series. I can live with that.

Rex Ray said...

I remember my father accomplishing his job as a chaplain in World War II while on the ‘front’ in an unusual manner.

His assistant, Jack, invited a soldier, Curly, to attend their worship services. Curly, a large cowboy from Arizona, told him church was for sissies.

“Sissies! Why our chaplain can wrestle you!”
“No preacher alive can do that!”
“I’ll tell him, and he’ll show you tomorrow.”
“Bring him on; if he wins, I’ll come to your services.”
That night, Dave heard Jack praying; asking God to help him wrestle Curly.

After a hard struggle, Dave was sitting on Curly who started swearing.

“Stop swearing! We started friendly, and we’re going to end friendly.”
A month later, Curly became a Christian.

RB Kuter said...

Scott, are you "betting" on the Astros on "FoxBet, MGM Resorts or Fan Duel"?

I can't get over that, along with the accompanied homosexual-promos agenda during the games.

Even though the Braves are playing,and I have been an adamant fan in the past, I do not find it difficult to walk away and turn off the TV this year. It is at least as bad as all of the WOKE stuff in NFL ("It takes us all!"/"End Racism" in the end zones)disparaging the flag/anthem, etc.

Those traditions have been hi-jacked by the anarchists so that the leagues are fearful of even broadcasting the Anthem any more. So goes things, huh?

Guess I can use the extra time to read by Bible and talk to my Father, maybe go tell someone about Jesus.

Scott Shaver said...

RB: I am not much of a gambler. Outside a neighborhood game of Texas Hold Em for dime antes and 10 dollar limits occasionally. Astros fan though.

Scott Shaver said...

RB: I do feel as if MLB should immediately apologize to Pete Rose and place him in the Hall of Fame with full honors.

RB Kuter said...

Scott, why do your messages repeatedly post themselves on this site? Is it a computer virus or something?

Christiane said...

On the news today, comes a report that the Biden admin. is considering this:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-administration-debates-paying-hundreds-of-millions-to-families-separated-at-the-border-report


In my opinion, no amount of MONIES can 'repair' the horrific harm done to families where children and infants were forcefully separated from their asylum-seeking parents at the border. That 'policy' was done to 'discourage' asylum seekers from coming here, but that policy did NOT deter them from coming.

My own thought is that those responsible for this policy (our whole nation fielded the administration that developed this policy and carried it out) were at worst guilty of something called 'radical evil',
the kind of evil that is meant to destroy the very souls of its victims, to take away their will to live because of the cruelty involved to the innocent among them, and to remove from the victims any hope for humane treatment to come in future.

That 'radical evil' is worse than what was done even in the dilemmas where 'choices' were given to a parent of 'which child do you want to keep?' or 'which of your children do you want to live, and which are you choosing to die' by other administrations of other countries under leadership that also fielded 'radical evil' as a weapon (an example is the 'choice' given to the Polish mother in the movie 'Sophie's Choice').

I expect some help will be given to those who suffered at the hands of that 'family separation policy', yes;
but it won't be enough to heal the deep and continuing wounds to the victims
OR TO THE NATION THAT ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN ON OUR WATCH. We are participants (some approving, some horrified) of an evil that was meant to kill the very souls and will to live of other human beings, and we can pay all the monies in the world to our victims, but we cannot 'erase' what was done. Only God in His great mercy can heal the wounds of such 'radical evil'. Only God can restore 'hope' to those who witnessed what their own government's policy did to helpless people who had 'no voice' and 'no one' to stop the horrific abuse of family separation.

Too late for many of us. The hatred directed towards asylum seekers runs deep and strong in those who 'supported' what was done, and the touch of 'radical evil' was effective enough in the supporters of such a regime to 'silence' them from speaking out for the sake of the innocents who suffered. Not enough money on the planet to heal this kind of evil. No.

But someone thought of 'compensation', and people 'reacted' as we see the 'sides' line up tribally. And we wait for the drama to play itself out politically, as all 'radical evil' will be able to thrive where there is support for inhumanity towards 'the others'.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne:

Until you have the experience of living near the border and being overrun by lawlessness and illegal aliens your words represent removed ignorance IMO.

Shall we send 20,000 to camp out on your lawn, mule drugs and wreak havoc in YOUR neighborhood. Giving money we don’t have to these people is the height of stupidity.

Scott Shaver said...

Operator error RB

RB Kuter said...

Scott, "Operator" needs a doctor.

RB Kuter said...

Christiane, your reasoning and rationale regarding the totally out of control approach being taken at our southern border (and that of many others in this country whose minds are whirring along the same lines as yours) is the perfect example of why I have no hope for this nation making a turn around toward a sane approach of governing.

Hopeless in the hands of a majority like that.

If, when, the problem does become a direct intrusion on your property, rights, conveniences, as mentioned by Scott, it would make no alteration in your approach to resolve the situation. Your segment would simply shift the blame upon Trump and continue on down the same path that created the crisis.

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter

What was done to those families was satanic in its evil. The 'goal' was to hurt them so profoundly that it would somehow frighten other families away from seeking asylum from situations more evil than we can imagine in our own lives. The 'plan' didn't work to DISCOURAGE people from coming; but it DID WORK to hurt these people profoundly in a way that was meant to take away all hope of being humanely treated.

Responsibility? Here is one issue that we can't load onto Trump alone, because in our country, he was duly elected to office according to law and our citizenry share in the shame of what was done,
in the same ways that slavery destroyed souls of both its victims and the ones who perpetrated that hell on the victims, and in the same ways that the treatment of American Indians (giving blankets contaminated with deadly diseases to unvaccinated American Indians) harmed not only the victims but ALSO the perpetrators, because people can't 'dance' with the devil and not pay the price in what they do to themselves and their own souls. Trump was and remains a cult figure as a leader of those who are able to 'justify' what happened to those families, but God heard their cries when no one else did, and God is the only one who can heal the deep wounds inflected not only on the parents and children, but also on the soul of a nation that 'owns' openly what was done as a 'national policy' of a lawful administration elected by our citizenry.

It's not about the money. No amount of money can un-do the kind of evil inflicted.

Mr. Kuter, are you familiar with the theological term 'radical evil'? I believe that those families were intentional the victims of that kind of evil. But they weren't the ONLY victims. Those of us who 'looked away', who said nothing, lost something of ourselves in the bargain with the devil. And it is unimaginable to me that anyone can 'justify' inflicting that depth of pain to another human soul can do this without somehow harming themselves in the process. Money reparations do nothing to heal at that level of destruction, no. Only God can heal such wounds in both the victims and within the souls of those who participated in inflicting the most severe kind of pain humans can endure on the helpless, the kind of pain that has no earthly end.

The phrase 'God have mercy on all of us together' has great meaning for me, Mr.
Kuter. But 'mercy' comes to us in ways we may not recognize and sometimes the grace that changes us is painful but necessary.

RB Kuter said...

Christiane, I'm not sure what you are smoking. Can you not see that former policies of applying restrictions, defined border boundaries, enlisting countries south of our border to restrict trafficking into the US through their countries, resulted in the flood of children herded across hundreds of miles and crowded on our border being reduced to a "trickle"? Do you not see the immediate elevation of the problem as soon as those measures were removed?

Can you not see that the promise of inviting all to come uninhibited into our country, using the promise of providing a standard of living hundreds of times above what they would have otherwise, results in hundreds of thousands of people (of all sorts of criminal motives and infected with COVID)results in their following that piper while dragging along babies and infants to join in and increase the chaos?

Who are you calling "evil"? Can you not properly assess the consequences as being the result of those who have intentionally orchestrated the catastrophe instead of taking measures to prevent it?

It's like building a giant furnace and throwing babies into it and then blaming others for not pouring enough water on it to dost the flames instead of recognizing the cause is upon those who feed the flame and throw in the babies!

Brother, sadly, the US of the past has gone with the wind.

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,

The 'evil'?

Mr. Kuter, the 'evil' I speak of is the former administration's act of separating children from their parents. Full stop.

Records were not kept. There still remain families to be re-united when investigations are completed.

I have no problem with laws which treat asylum seekers humanely, but the INTENTIONAL CRUELTY of taking infants from their mothers is beyond immoral, it is profoundly injurious to both mother and child and it was that intentional cruelty that WAS the policy of wanting to frighten away other asylum seekers.

The 'evil' is that it WAS openly intended to be cruel and inhumane. Our whole nation owns the shame of what was done, as the suffering caused cannot be 'healed' because of its intensity and brutality. Only the Good Lord can mend the harm done to the helpless and the innocents.




Rex Ray said...

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=AOaemvLFZLaAZTZODEIKhKk-Qn_lvTHSUg:1635539800723&q=how+many+immigrants+came+to+the+u.s.+in+2021&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiY5tnGvPDzAhWWmmoFHV6QC9gQ1QJ6BAgIEAE&biw=1212&bih=587&dpr=1.5

“In 1921 the number that crossed our border was 711,000,000. In July the number was 200,000.”

“Christiane, I'm not sure what you are smoking”

Hey China, did you hear what Christiane will let you do? You could start off with several million. Oh yes, be sure you have a lot of women carrying babies.

“All great nations fall when unable to protect their borders.”

Rex Ray said...

Tucker Carlson’s Show tonight:

“Biden talks to offer immigrant families that were separated during the Trump administration around $450,000 a person in compensation up to one million a family.”

One illegal (crossed the border) drunk man rear-ended a car that killed a 5-year-old girl. He said he had drunk six 32-ounce beers. Biden said he didn’t believe drunk driving was a felony.

Christiane said...

REX RAY,

Tucker Carlson's latest (starts Nov. 1st) documentary trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBLHDDtk46c


Fox News isn't even pretending anymore.

RB Kuter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

Mr Kuter,

Premils have been getting it wrong for decades. "88 reasons the rapture will be in 1988" and all the fluff that Hal Lindsay came up with.

Once you've decided that current events exactly fit a certain eschatological view, you're essentially giving a date to the return of Christ. Lindsay did that, as has many "Bible Prophecy" proponents. If you say that the return of Christ will be within the current lifetime, you're guilty of dating it, which the bible prohibits. False prophecies about the return of Christ go back more than 1000 years.

I'm Amil. Search "Kim Riddlebarger". So much easier. One day Jesus returns and that's it.

Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter,
I don't understand what you wrote in your last comment.

I shared what I thought was a very evil government policy that brought unbearable suffering to helpless people (many infants and children). I stand by what I shared because it HAPPENED to real people, and we all knew about it because it was actually bragged about, that it was 'done' to 'discourage' asylum seekers from coming to our country.

Inhumane treatment of any persons falls way below most Americans' standards of behavior. I still believe that is true. If I'm wrong, we may know by 2024 as long as our citizens are able to vote without intimidation and interference. We shall see. (?) Will we succumb to all the hatred and the fear-mongering? I hope not.





Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

Couldn’t get the sound to work on my speakers.

Neil,

A true fact about the return of Jesus; every day that passes is one day closer to his return.

RB Kuter said...

Neil, I am not proposing a date for the return of Christ. He will return. We are given many signs that portray indications of what phases we are living. You are correct in nobody knowing when. However, my personal view is that as the "signs" become more and more vivid in their intensity it is like turning the heat up on the stove. Soon the water will be boiling although you may not be able to say at what minute.

True too that the "signs" of events that take place prior to the Return have been unfolding since the early church age. I see that as intensifying. I have not lived in an age when the signs were more intense and vivid than today. I am certainly not saying that Christ will return before I or you die or even within the next hundred years. I do believe we are nearing that event. Of course we are, because time has passed since the prophetic description of the "end times" began.

By the way, in regard to your statement, "I'm Amil. Search "Kim Riddlebarger". So much easier.", "Easier" is not in God's vocabulary.

RB Kuter said...

I went ahead and deleted my posting of Revelation Chapter 18. Foolish of me. I could have easily just referred folks to that passage.

RB Kuter said...

Christiane, I seldom agree with you and your assessments and mine are usually the antithesis of yours but it still generates vibrant conversation.

My "last comment" was simply a posting of Revelation Chapter 18 which came to my mind in the midst of our discussion about what/who is evil and current events taking place. I deleted it because posting the passage was more of a self-reflection than something anyone else would be interested.

Fortunately, Neil DID get what I was trying to say, "That in my estimation the indicators at this point in society point to our living in a final segment of this current church age setting the stage for the return of King Jesus."

Neil doesn't agree that we can assess the phases of the unfolding of God's providential timetable but at least he understood the point I was attempting to make even though you did not.

My disagreement with you regarding the suffering of the children at the border is in how we attribute the wickedness of it to sources complicit in its occurrence.

That is where you confound me in whatever rationale you are using. The increase in the number of those suffering at the border has increased a thousand-fold since the applications of this current regime's policies which are to remove all restraints of the former Administration. This current regime basically removed all border restraints and attempts to have controlled entry of immigrants thereby inviting anyone and everyone living in standards below that of the United States to crowd in and overrun the border control.

You apparently recognize the elevation in suffering as a result of those policies but for some reason, there is a missing link that facilitates your logically associating the change in policies with the intensified suffering due to the increased masses of people at the border entries.

Then you somehow rationalize that those who have nothing to do with today's crisis are accountable for what this regime is implementing.

I don't get that. But it is consistent with "Christiane's" way of looking at things.

Scott Shaver said...

No, Fox is not “pretending”. No sense in pretending that we actually LIVE in the Nirvana you insist MUST happen. IMO.

Scott Shaver said...

Doctors ain’t much good these days.

RB Kuter said...

Sounds like someone doesn't even know what "Nirvana" is.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie,

You never replied about Moses continuing to wear his veil after the radiance (glory) fade away.

I’ll ask another question:

How did Paul know about it over a thousand years later as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:12-13?

CHRISTIANE,

Life on the farm is never dull. I may have told you about a floating dock I built 18 years ago. It’s on 28 barrels that’s on a 10-acre lake. We have a small paddle-boat that’s had the paddles replaced with two electric trolling motors.

Somehow it became untied and strong winds took it across the lake where it’s very sallow. (Lake is 40 feet deep in the middle.)

Today, Judy was going to wade across 20 feet of mud to get to it, but after many tries, I caught it with a rope and we pulled it out with a truck. Tomorrow, we’ll load in on the truck and take it back.

Christiane said...

Hey REX RAY,

I'm glad you saved Judy from getting all muddy trying to retrieve the paddle-boat!

My lake days are over now, but I've got a few lake stories to tell, one about my son falling through the ice one winter (he was fine). Long time ago. :)

I was thinking you were lucky to have Judy around to play Aunt Bee and look after you, but I think you both are very fortunate to have each other. When one needs help, the other one is there to help. That's how it's supposed to work. :)

Try to keep safe when you go to get that paddle-boat. Watch out for the ankle.
It sounds like a complicated job. May the Good Lord keep you both out of trouble.

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

RBK,

You said this:

"This current regime basically removed all border restraints and attempts to have controlled entry of immigrants thereby inviting anyone and everyone living in standards below that of the United States to crowd in and overrun the border control"

Okay, this is hyperbole. And it's also illogical.

If you're correct and Biden "Removed ALL border restrictions" then how is it possible that the border control be overrun? The Border control is part of the restrictions. If the restrictions have ALL been removed, then so has the border control.

So what you seem to be saying is that because just anyone can cross the border these days without being stopped, there is suffering and crowding at the border. Huh?


Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

I don’t know about your prayer to keep us out of trouble. You see, the boat was too wide to fit in the bed of the pick-up except for the ‘nose’, and we drug it across the high grass until we got to the 500-foot-long dam. There Judy held the back of the boat off the rough ground.

I got to thinking later that I’d hauled it many miles in that pick-up, but I’d turned it sideways. Instead of being in the bed of the truck, it was resting on the sides of the bed. (Judy wasn’t happy.)

Tonight, our church had a winner-roast and the Lord’s supper outside. When it was about over, I asked the pastor to say a few words.

“In Japan, we had a visiting preacher who told of preaching in an area where Christians were persecuted. The church was almost dark as a few candles were burning, and everyone had hoods over their faces. After the service he stayed at the only small exit door, and offered to shake hands but no one would shake his hand. So, he gave everyone a hug.

Afterwards, he talked with the pastor and asked why they were all women, and why wouldn’t they shake his hand.

“They’re from a leper colony and no one has touched them in many years.”
Then the visiting preacher started singing in the voice of an angel; “He touched me”

Christiane said...

That's a beautiful story about the visiting preacher, REX RAY.

Sorry to hear you all had trouble retrieving the paddle-boat. The prayers were so that you would both use common sense or be saved by those awesome RAY guardian angels. Then, it occurs that you did all this on a Sunday. :)

Glad your Church holds communion. Apparently not all Churches are doing this respectfully, but many still hold to the practice of the Lord's Supper.

If you want a good 'leper' story, here's a winner:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molokai:_The_Story_of_Father_Damien

There is a film about Molokai and Damien and lepers. I watch it every Lenten season.

RB Kuter said...

Neil, I stand corrected. "All" restrictions a the southern border were not removed.

As a matter of fact, things have stayed the same since this Regime took control. The number of illegal immigrants remains no more than before. No increase in those coming in from nations south of our border, Haiti, and other places. Stopping the construction of the "wall" has no impact. Those living along the border on the "US" side are not alarmed and really don't have hundreds more stragglers wondering up to their homes and peering in the windows. Border Control personnel are operating as sufficiently as was the case in the former Administration and only those few disgruntled ones are saying that things are out of control. Since the VP has assumed responsibility, everything has become so much better and those suffering children that Christiane constantly refers to are all but disappeared.

Those entering illegally and without being processed are not being transported throughout the nation any more than was previously the case. No increase in those entering who have not been tested for COVID. No increase in drug and sex trafficking since former policies enacted to control it were immediately removed by this Regime. Immigrants actually are better controlled when not being controlled.

Thank you, Neil, for pointing out all of these realities. I know I feel better. I understand why you continue to keep your head in the sand. Feels nice and cozy down here. It is quiet. I hear no disturbance. I see no disturbing violence and madness. I understand now why you and so many others choose this posture. I love the way things are going.

The shelves at Walmart are really not as empty as they looked yesterday. It really didn't cost me $50 to fill up my pick-up that previously cost me $35. I really wasn't told that they had no biscuits as "Bojangles" today because the worker who bakes them walked out because they aren't getting paid enough, only to go to another one paying $750 hiring bonus because they can't get anyone to work. Seems the employers can't compete with the Regime's payments.

Down here with my head in the sand alongside yours, it's as you say, things in our society are so much more improved since this Regime's entry. They didn't REALLY vandalize the "Gideon's Bible Organization's" booth at our county fair Saturday night, which, by the way, was the ONLY such vandalism to take place. Racism has diminished, gender identification confusion has all been resolved, and people have more money than ever before. That male student claiming to be transgender and wearing a dress to have access to the girl's restroom at school really was convicted last week of raping the girl student in that same restroom.

I am loving it down here in the sand with your, Neil! Bring on 2022!!

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

Your link was a great read about the movie of Father Damien. One of the casts in the movie was Kristoffer Kristofferson. It mentioned a love song he wrote: “Bobbie McGee”. I always liked that song even though it was sad about a guy that lost his girl; “I’d trade all my tomorrows for one yesterday…”

I heard the song long before I knew there was a Google. So, after I wrote the paragraph above, I asked Google for the lyrics.

HORRORS, Bobbie turned into Bobby!

It made me feel like I did a few months ago. I asked the doctor’s nurse what he recommend about my ankle. She told me and I yelled, “WHAT; A WHEELCHAIR?” (My hearing’s not the best) She said, “No; Homecare.”

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

CHRISTIANE,

“Then, it occurs that you did all this on a Sunday. :)”

Yes, but the ox was in the ditch!
I meant the boat was in the mud. :)

But then Judy is in bed now with an ice-pack on her head covering a knot the size of an egg. (She tripped in the bathroom.)

Good song; "Wichita Lineman"

My favorite singer died the year I was born; Jimmie Rodgers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbzc77Tz6PA

Speakers still on the blink.

Anti-satan said...

Well, go jab yourself and STFU.

Anti-satan said...

Satan isn't world-wide.
He walks. Dispatches & assigns demons to do his bidding.
Walks the earth to and fro (travels to get from A to B).
Therefore, he is stoppable, trackable, etc.
I believe his throne is currently in Greenland or Iceland though.

Unknown said...

Escuse me, are you aware that the Soviet Union does not exist?

Unknown said...

I completely agree with all you have spoken

Unknown said...

I completely agree with what you have said