In Plain Sight

 Woke policies DEI (Diversity, equity, and inclusion) and ESG (Environmental, social, and governance) are driving our society, economy, and nation over a cliff.

On June 21^st, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the federal workforce. The last sentence in the third paragraph states, “A growing body of evidence demonstrates that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplaces yield higher-performing organizations.” There were no citations to any study that confirmed this claim, and for good reason. Current studies simply “suggest” that companies that implement DEI policies have increased productivity. Additionally, these “studies” originate from the usual liberal think tanks and woke universities. As with many of the talking points of the Democrat party, there is no real conclusive data to confirm their claims, only empty rhetoric. This divisive policy, not unlike Critical Race Theory, intends to segregate federal employees and candidates by race, gender, and sexual orientation. This executive orders’ intent is to reinstate affirmative action and discriminate against the scariest boogeyman of the left, the straight, white male, or what is commonly referred to as “white privilege.”

Section 2.a. states, “The term “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, who have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life.” If anyone in the United States, other than convicted criminals serving their sentences, have been denied a “full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social and civic life” please raise your hands. Here, in the land of opportunity, no one, yes no one is denied the opportunity to fully participate in society, should one have the drive and ambition to succeed. For the President of the United States to infer that certain “classes” of people cannot succeed, with the false presumption that their path is blocked by “systemic bias,” is disrespectful and disingenuous. Even Barack Obama stated that it did not matter where you began or what you look like, anyone can find success with hard work and determination. Unfortunately, President Biden and his cohorts in the Democrat party believe that “systematically disadvantaged persons,” or persons of color, are inherently inferior and require the government’s assistance just to survive. This executive order is a lie that panders a false narrative and as with most of the Democrat agenda, strives to achieve results that benefit the Democrat party and their benefactors, not the people they purport to represent.

ESG is another insidious attack on the fabric of Western society. These policies force companies to adhere to rules that place emphasis on making investments based upon a set of goals relating to climate, not strategically investing in profitable business, and meeting constantly changing social requirements in hiring and HR practices, which are all monitored and enforced by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This makes it difficult, if not impossible to maintain their fiduciary responsibilities to their clients and shareholders. These actions, which detract from the success of the businesses, will lead to less effective and profitable investments, hiring and retaining inferior and potentially ineffective staff, based on a set of standards that reflect diversity, not merit, and hiring of additional staff to ensure that these standards are met as they will be audited regularly by the Federal government. Our economy is being forced to evolve into a government-regulated business model at the cost of a free market, profit-driven, successful model. If you think this sounds like socialism, you would be correct. Businesses that are deemed insufficient to these rules or fail to properly submit to the authorities, even if the "offense" is a statement deemed "inappropriate" by the SEC, may be fined. These fines can be levied in the $millions. Banks are held to the same standards, and non-compliant businesses will be denied loans. Try to run a business without a line of credit. Not going to happen. Our once thriving economy based upon a “meritocracy” is ceasing to exist.

This apparent underclass which is disproportionally affected by everything ranging from HIV to menthol cigarettes, is the perpetually cited victim of the Democrats in their class warfare strategy. When President Lyndon B. Johnson initiated the “war on poverty,” even he could not have foreseen the unintended consequences that have actually disproportionally affected the African-American community. Like the drug pusher giving free heroin to potential users, the welfare state induced generations to abandon the traditional nuclear family and depend upon government programs. Even President Franklin Roosevelt said that government assistance could become like a narcotic. Sixty years later FDR has been proven prophetic. Now Democrats promote the lunacy of driving the economy from the bottom up and the middle out. This is nothing but socialism in a poorly designed disguise. Initiating their insane monetary policies has led to government overreach and soaring inflation. Is that really a fair tradeoff for ending the mean tweets and “unpresidential” behavior? Who really is the threat to democracy?

The wokeness that is overtaking sanity in our nation is primarily driven by the Democrat party, a complicit media, and the leftists hungry to fundamentally transform this great nation. The headlong rush to affirm preferred pronouns and boys wanting to be girls is in direct correlation with the left’s desire to tear down civil society. Edicts arising from executive actions, bureaucratic regulations promulgated by entrenched bureaucrats, and governmental enforcement of “wokeness” are hindering our economy at home and damaging the US brand worldwide. We have met the enemy and it is us. China need not bury us economically or militarily. We are doing it to ourselves and far too few of us are lifting a finger to show disapproval. Russia will not need to launch a single missile to defeat us. Patience is the key as they laugh at the lunacy that is destroying the greatest country in the history of the world from within. And we are too “busy” with our own problems to confront this enemy within. Surely someone else will get involved and fight back. If we fail to confront this insanity, then it’s on us. How will you explain to future generations why we failed to defeat or even expose the evil, happening in plain sight, that ultimately destroyed this great experiment called America?

 

Darkness Exposed

 

 Bring Light to the Shadows

Evil flourishes in the dark. But, today, evil thrives in plain sight. The evil one is quite adept at convincing humankind that what is evil is good and what is wrong as right. To overcome evil, one must first recognize it as evil. Acquiescing to or ignoring the evil that is overcoming the world will only allow it to grow and fester, ultimately destroying civil society. Tolerating and accepting what we know is truly wrong just oils the slippery slope that the evil one uses to encourage the weak and unbelieving. Yielding to what is obviously wrong and deeming it as right allows evil to grow unimpeded. Use what God has written upon our hearts to test the new things that are of this world and see through the veil of lies. The evil in this world cannot withstand the light if we are bold enough to shine God’s light upon it. Evil will be defeated if good people cast that light and stand up for the Gospel. Far too many of God’s churches proclaim a “generic” evil that must be resisted, calling out the usual suspects, such as the seven deadly sins, etc., but fail to cite specific examples that so permeate western society. By far the most dangerous and insidious lie being perpetrated is the lefts’ headlong rush to redefine human sexuality.

Humans are sexual beings. Human sexuality is a gift that God intended to be shared within the confines of marriage. Man’s law may redefine marriage, but Scripture is quite clear that one man and one woman form a team to procreate and raise their children. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Hebrews 3:4. Jesus said, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:4-6. Although man has decreed otherwise, God, the creator of all that was, is and will come to be, makes it clear that marriage is a sacred bond between one man and one woman, a sacramental covenant before the King of Kings. In marriage, each parent brings disparate and unique skills to bear in their children’s development. Parents are to instill in their children faith, morals, and values.

In the Old Testament, Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities overcome with unrestrained sexual depravity and were ultimately destroyed by God. They abandoned their God and replaced Him with the worship of their bodies and the pleasure afforded by their unbridled sexuality. Is it so different today? Tinder and other “hook-up” sites for anonymous unrestricted sex acts may be tame compared to those cities God judged as unredeemable. Fatherless families dominate the African-American community as 69% of all births are out of wedlock. How is that working out as fatherless children commit more and more crime? More and more couples are rejecting marriage, choosing to remain single, cohabitate, have and raise children, opting to disengage with God in their relationship. Half of all first marriages in the US end in divorce after an average of 8 years. Second or more marriages divorce at an even higher rate.

It has become commonplace to define oneself based upon a chosen sexual identity. What was once gay or lesbian morphs into LGTBQ+? No longer is there simply male or female, there are now a plethora of genders to choose from, including “non-binary, which is no gender at all. The transgenderism movement accuses God of error, “misgendering” the person choosing to disregard their assigned sex at birth. Current medical science can only change a person’s gender outwardly and cannot recreate a functioning member of the opposite sex. Once procedures are undertaken to alter the gender, that person will no longer be fully functional as either sex, unable to birth or father a child. Additionally, many persons who undergo hormone drugs or sex reassignment surgery will likely not be able to fully experience sexual intercourse and will often be unable to achieve a climax. Children who take puberty-blocking drugs or undergo sex reassignment surgery are also forty times more likely to attempt suicide. Transgender activists are targeting children with propaganda endeavoring to legitimize this depraved sexual conduct. Indoctrinating young children to accept this behavior as normal while distorting reality, by claiming that there are more than two genders, is evil incarnate.

Transvestites, crossdressers or what are now known as “Drag queens” (You see, that verbiage is much more palatable to the masses), are being mainstreamed as normal and acceptable. Drag queen story hour and other “performances” elicit sexual arousal for those mentally ill individuals. Is it not readily apparent that the performances are directed at children and not adults? How convenient it is for pedophiles to be welcomed into our schools and public libraries. School administrations that allow these degenerates to interact with children should never again be allowed into positions of authority in our educational system. If teaching staff would be found to be engaging in this type of behavior, they would be arrested, terminated from their jobs and after conviction, become registered sex offenders. Our society is losing its’ collective mind. If one wants to engage in the fantasy of transgenderism that is their problem. Don’t expect others to approve of their fantasies and especially expect resistance when they try to teach children to believe their behavior is normal. Any sane person cannot believe that the current societal trajectory of “anything goes” sexuality is reasonable.

Recognizing evil in our midst is just the first step in exposing it. As Christians, we are called to embrace what is good and to resist evil. Resist evil, not fight evil. That is not what God has called us to do. Fighting evil is a conflict reserved for God. It is up to God to separate the weeds from the wheat. Our house must be in order. We must speak the truth but do so gently and with love. We must preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. God wants all of his children to be saved. Those overcome by the evil one are loved by their Father in heaven. We are to shine the light of truth on their error and let God do the judging. We are to plant those seeds and God will water them and cause them to grow. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. anything less makes our actions just as evil, maybe more so, than those unduly influenced by the evil one. Pay heed to Scripture and light the path for those lost. That is our calling. Jesus said “Be careful, then, that the light within you is not darkness. So if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining on you.” Luke 11:35,36

Pray unceasingly for our leaders and for those who have been led away by the father of lies. God wants all of His children to come to know Him and to be saved. Let’s not be a stumbling block. 

Complicit

 

Careful what you wish for

Complicit definition; Acquiescing to or enabling a criminal or wrongful action. The standard line that the Palestinian people are separate from Hamas is inherently false. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative elections, when Palestinians overwhelmingly voted for their stated platform to eradicate the Jews from the earth. Since then, through bickering and internal conflicts and skirmishes with Israel has led Hamas to control the entire Gaza strip. As Barack Obama succinctly stated, elections have consequences. Sometimes when you get what you wish for, you get what you deserve. So, the Palestinian people have no one to blame but themselves. Palestine is Hamas. Hamas is Palestine. When you prefer that a terrorist organization lead your government and utilize schools, playgrounds, and Mosques to stage their weapons of terror, you are complicit in the heinous acts they commit.

The horrific acts committed by Hamas in their surprise attack of Israel in October of 2023, fall directly into the laps of those who not only allowed, but cheered on this terrorist organization’s rise to power. Israel has suffered from constant terror attacks against their nation and citizens for decades. Hamas’ stated objective is to eradicate all Jews from the face of the earth and reclaim Israel territory as their own, or better known as “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free.” There was never any intent for a two-state solution. To Hamas, Jews are to be eradicated, by any means necessary until none remain. Hamas makes Hitler, Stalin and Mao look pale in comparison. The Palestinian people have long supported terrorist attacks on the United States and around the world. Who can forget them dancing in the streets for joy after the attacks of 9-11 that killed almost 3000 innocents? Actions have consequences and Palestinians have faced limited consequences for supporting acts of terror by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. A full accounting is long overdue!

Civilian deaths or casualties are simply a fact of warfare. Even with all of the technological advances in weaponry, innocent lives will be lost. But, when you revel in the killing of innocent Israelis, the chickens will come home to roost. Israel was given the promised land by God and in 1948 Israel formally announced that it had created a Jewish state. Palestinians rejected the declaration and this led to a war with Israel and the eventual eviction of Palestinians from Israel. Rather than integrate into another country, the Palestine Liberation Organization, a terrorist organization led by the notorious Yasar Arafat, was formed in 1964 and committed atrocities against Israel and Jews worldwide. Their attempts to force Israel to cede land for a Palestinian nation and pro-Palestinian propaganda did have an effect. In 1993, the Oslo Accords established a peace process that was intended to lead to a two-State solution. The PLO was granted autonomy in the Gaza strip. This has only given the Islamic terrorists a strategic base to launch attacks against Israel on a regular basis.

Billions and billions of dollars have been allocated to the Palestinian Authority, yet little is actually used to the betterment of the Palestinian people. The vast majority of the money goes to Hamas and other terrorist organizations to aid in their jihad against Israel. Money for infrastructure has been used to build a network of sophisticated tunnels that are used to further terrorism. This is on the Palestinian people. This is not the fault of Israel or the world. Give them what they want, they will get what they deserve. Hamas and other hate filled terrorist organizations and regimes must be eradicated. Their simple goal is to kill anyone who does not believe as they do. They are merely animals with their only instinct to hate and kill. There is no two-State solution. There is no negotiation that can placate their extreme hatred. There is no place for them in civilized society. You reap what you sow and if it ends in your destruction, so be it!

As Christians, we are called to love our neighbor, so how can we reconcile the call for the destruction of these terrorist networks? We are also not called to be simply led to the slaughter. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, he called on us to turn the other cheek. In His day, a slap on the cheek was considered an insult, not a physical assault. We are granted the ability to defend ourselves, even if it means taking a life. We are also called to resist and fight evil and Hamas and their ilk are the epitome of evil. Israel and the world are fighting a battle that pits good against evil. Even so, continue to pray that your enemies can resist the evil one and renounce their wicked plans.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12