In the Garden of Good and Evil

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.” Edmund Burke.

“The silence of good people is more dangerous than the brutality of bad people.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” Nelson Mandela.

Fear is a great motivator in preventing good people from calling out evil for what it is. The fear of being labeled as intolerant, hateful or bigoted is often enough to silence debate. Failure to expose evil in our society has allowed it to grow and flourish. As evil grows, it overwhelms common sense and reason while it extinguishes accepted societal norms and institutes destructive ideologies. Hiding one’s head in the sand or ignoring danger does not protect one from that danger; it will simply render you defenseless. The courage to overcome evil exists in every fiber of every person. Motivation for self-preservation is one of the strongest drives of the human condition. We need only to recognize that allowing evil to prevail will lead to our personal and societal destruction.

In a few short years, leftist ideology has become mainstream, particularly in academia, mainstream media, and the Democrat party. Young people, subjected to indoctrination in our public school system, embrace socialism, even though few understand its’ shortcomings. In socialism the State is paramount. The State becomes the religion and citizens depend on the government to provide for all. Hard work and ambition are discouraged and all are equal. Socialism has failed miserably wherever it has been instituted. The quality of life suffers, production of goods wanes and only the ruling elite benefit. Ronald Reagan said it best, “Government is not the solution to the problem, it is the problem.”

Leftism peddles lie after lie, inundating the populace with empty promises. Leftism promotes egalitarianism and government control of political and economic life. Leftism is radical, anti-capitalism and espouses the use of radical means to reach their goals. Anarchists, Marxists, communists, and socialists all belong to and support leftism. Equity is the calling card of the left. Equity purports to create equal outcomes at the cost of equal opportunity. Tolerance is a tool that dupes the masses into supporting this ideology that breeds inequality. Equity uses our differences to divide us, promoting a new form of racism. The left accuses their enemies of the same tactics they employ, allowing them to deflect blame when their policies backfire.

A house divided cannot stand and the purveyors of leftism understand tactics to divide will allow them to conquer. Leftists also understand that their strategy will not survive a united front of opposition. Recognizing the schemes of the left will allow good to triumph over the evil that is leftism;

Abortion provides a tool to divide and create animosity toward traditional norms. All can agree that every woman should have autonomy over her body. The left falsely accuses their opponents of creating legislation restricting a woman’s right to reproductive health care. Less than 1% of all pregnancies in the US are due to rape or incest and few states have laws that prohibit abortion in those instances. Where our disagreements lie is the right of a pre-born child to have a say in the matter. A woman’s choice does not take into consideration that pre-born human being. Minimize the value of life and all of society loses.

The elimination of sovereign borders by refusing to enforce immigration law creates confusion and overwhelms the immigration system. The tactic to discredit a border wall using the “We must be welcoming, after all, we are a nation of immigrants” rings hollow. Nations without borders are no longer nations.

District Attorneys refuse to enforce laws, encouraging criminals to commit criminal acts without consequence and releasing criminals into their communities to re-offend is the first step on a path to anarchy.

Disregarding accepted societal norms while celebrating deviant sexual behavior. Encouraging children to experiment with alternate lifestyles and gender change, often without parental consent, allows the State to have a greater role in the upbringing of our children, while minimizing parental roles. Drag queen story hour while traditional speakers are prohibited is absolutely insane, but it does create even more division.

The left foments division and strife. America stands at a crossroads, on the verge of falling, not by an invading army, but from within. I for one, will not stand idly by. Will you?

Forgiveness

 

We need to heal wounds, not emphasize past wrongs

If one holds a grudge, emphasis is on a negative emotion. When one looks past a personal slight and can offer forgiveness to the person who did you wrong, it will often lead to a positive outcome for both parties. Dwelling on past insults or offences can lead one on a path of distrust, suspicion and cynicism. These emotions will do nothing but fester within the person that perceives the wrongdoing. Our society is evolving and not in a good way. Diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives are heading our nation in the wrong direction. These “values” emphasize our differences rather that work to unite us within our similarities. Subjugating us by the color of our skin is simply a return the days of segregation and furthers the goals of racism.

We are all children of God. We share a common Father. Does that not make us all brothers and sisters? Are we not simply the human race regardless of how we look? Pull away the skin and we are all the same. This movement, rooted in Marxist ideology looks to divide us in order to create an upheaval meant to lead to a reinventing of our society. In other words, a fundamental transformation of this nation. This embrace of diversity, inclusion and equity pit those perceived to be oppressed against those perceived to be the oppressors. In other words, pitting us against each other. This divisive ideology rejects forgiveness and reinforces the ideas of retribution, retaliation and revenge. How this can be a positive for society eludes me. Whether or not you are Christian, as a society, we should be able to agree that in order to live in harmony with one another we need to learn to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Diversity is defined as, a set of conscious practices that involve: Understanding and appreciating interdependence of humanity, cultures and the natural environment. Practicing mutual respect for qualities and experiences different than our own. Understanding that diversity includes not only ways of being, but also ways of knowing. Building alliances across differences so that we can work together to eradicate all forms of discrimination. Excerpted from Queensborough Community College/CUNY. Sounds like this is a good path to unite, until you read the sentence that I omitted. Recognizing that personal, cultural and institutionalized discrimination creates and sustains privileges for some while creating and sustaining disadvantages for others. This is what the purveyors of this divisiveness concentrate on. You are privileged because of your skin color and if you are a person of a certain color, you should be personally affronted by the fact that you are being held down by the “Man”.

We all have experienced different cultures. We have often not practiced mutual respect for the qualities of those differences. We need to build alliances to eliminate racism and inequality. We need to understand those differences and treat each other with respect and dignity. That is how a civil society thrives. How a civil society dies is when we hold grudges and vilify others for past grievances, real or perceived. As we continue to acquiesce to this divisive ideology and incorporate it into acceptable society, we are witnessing, firsthand, the death throes of our society and nation. And most of us sit back and say nothing. When you are old, you can tell your grandchildren how this nation was once free.

Inclusion is referred to how diversity is leveraged to create a fair, equitable, healthy and high performing organization or community where all individuals are respected, feel engaged and motivated and their contributions toward meeting organizational or societal goals are valued. Excerpted from Austin Community College research guide. Sounds great. Again, everyone contributes, everyone is respected, and everyone’s contributions are valued. But, that word equity instead of equality stands out. Why has equity replaced equality? Why is equity of outcome more valued than equality of opportunity? These words seem so similar, yet their meanings are far different.

Equity refers to fairness and justice and is distinguished from equality: Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. The process is ongoing, requiring us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures. Excerpted from the National Association of Colleges and Employers. President Barack Obama said in 2014, at the College opportunity Summit, “The premise that we’re all created equal is the opening line in our American story. And we don’t promise equal outcomes; we’ve strived to deliver equal opportunity – the idea that success does not depend on being born into wealth or privilege, it depends on effort and merit. You can be born into nothing and work your way into something extraordinary. There was not much common ground with our former President and I, but this speech was extraordinary and right on point.

If we fail to recognize the evil that exists is this wonderfully sounding ideology and continue to mainstream these ideas, our nation will definitely be fundamentally transformed into something few of us would want. The opportunity to push back and defend your liberties and freedom and prevent this divisive ideology from infecting all aspects of our lives is waning. Want to reminisce about the good old days when freedom reigned in American in your old age, or do you wish to maintain this shining light of freedom on the hill? What are you going to do about it, remain silent or push back? The choice is yours. Make a difference or stand by idly as we fall.

Equitable Outcomes

 The left continues to obfuscate the term equity as if, somehow, it is the equivalent of equality. It is not. One of the ever tolerant left’s first attempts at artificially attaining equitable outcomes was the social engineering program, “Affirmative Action”. This program refers to a set of policies and practices that set quotas giving partiality to gender, race, sexuality, creed or nationalities that were alleged to be discriminated against. In other words, these policies gave preference in hiring, college entrance and promotions to any and all minority groups with the goal of bridging past and present inequalities in employment and pay, access to education, promoting diversity, and rectifying perceived past biases. Because of these perceived injustices, minorities were to be given priority in order to level the playing field. This policy’s intent was not to just level the playing field, but actually ended up promoting the exact opposite by denying others opportunity because of the color of their skin or gender. Reverse discrimination is the actual effect upon society when a policy is intended to achieve an equitable outcome.

Equality equals fairness. When one merits or earns a position, promotion or scholarship, the best qualified person rises to the top. This enables all society to benefit by having the best qualified persons in positions that require a particular skill. One wouldn’t accept any surgeon to perform a critical medical procedure. One would look for the best surgeon with the best outcomes. One wouldn’t engage with an attorney that was less competent than another to litigate a significant case. One wouldn’t want a plumber to install a toilet if he/she completed inferior work. When we look for someone to represent us, complete tasks for us or watch our children we look for the most proficient, trustworthy and capable person possible. In nature, the strongest survive to mate and propagate their species. Those that are weak fail to reproduce, allowing the best chance at survival for the species. With the “woke” left the gene pool is deliberately diluted, allowing those that are not always the best and brightest to ascend to the highest levels and most important positions in society without actually having earned their status.

Now comes the Equality Act, Bill HR-5, legislation to amend the Civil Rights Act to include LGBTQ and transgendered persons. This will codify a legal path for persons that identify as a sex other than their biological gender at birth, to participate in women’s sports, choose the restroom of their choosing and make a mockery of the biological differences between the genders. The term “(including sexual orientation and gender identity), is the phrase that ties this wayward legislation together. Included in the Bill; “(2) GENDER IDENTITY. The term ‘gender identity’ means the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual’s designated sex at birth. “(B) a perception or belief, even if inaccurate, concerning the race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or national origin, respectively, of the individual.” Up is down and right is wrong. If the authors of this Bill and those that support it, actually took a step back and realized what they are doing, perhaps their eyes would be opened to the absurdity of it. Now don’t get me wrong. The LGTBQ community and those who identify as transgender should be covered by the Civil Rights Act and protected from any and all discrimination. But there are limits to the authority granted the Federal Government to compel others to relinquish their Constitutional rights in order to elevate others.

Equitable results from a law that uplifts one portion of society at the expense of many others. Let’s level the playing field. We have entered into Orwellian territory as it now appears that “all people are equal, but some people are just more equal than others.” Now that enough ballots were counted to put the democrats in control of both chambers of Congress and the White House, they continue with reckless abandon on a leftward trajectory. Radical legislation like HR Bill 5, and many more even more radical, will be passed to the benefit of the “grievance” factions of the democrat party. Stand by for thrills because you aint seen nothing yet! If the Senate eliminates the filibuster, it won’t matter if Republicans take back the House and Senate in 2022. It will be too late to overturn these new laws, especially if the Supreme Court and Federal Courts are packed with democrat appointees. The left has finally gotten what they wanted. Now we all will get what we deserve.

Sins of the Father

    Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned — for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.  And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.  For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.  Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                                               Romans 5:12-21

Adam’s fall from grace, or what is also known as “original sin”, led all of humankind to be separated from God by our sinful nature. To reconcile His children, God sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for all of our sins and to redeem us from our just punishment. In His great mercy, He took our place and He bore the full penalty for our sins. Total and unconditional grace for those who fall so far short of the expectations of our Creator. We could not make ourselves right with God. Only He could endure the punishment meant for us. He did not require sacrifice, He sacrificed Himself for us. Every past, present and future sin, forgiven and every sinner redeemed at His expense.

Fast forward to the present and the past sins of our more recent forefather’s cause many of us to be stigmatized and reviled. Today’s “woke” society refuses to allow any clemency for past transgressors, their descendants and those with whom they disagree. Accusations of racism ring through our society and revenge must be legislated with reparations for those who never experienced slavery, paid for by those who never owned slaves. In a few short years, accepted societal norms have been swept away and replaced by aberrant behavior, in the name of tolerance, diversity and acceptance.

Equality is intertwined with the concept of equity. Equity is far from equality and is contrary to equal justice under the law. From Miriam-Webster, “Equity is often related to justice or proportional fairness. Equality differs from equity in that it relates more to sameness or equal distribution. In society, equal treatment does not always produce an equitable result.” The key words here are proportional fairness. For equity to be achieved, it is required that provisions are made proportionally to the strength of the assertions at issue. In other words, if you are one of the protected classes or “oppressed”, the scale is to tilt in your favor. Fairness and impartiality are thrown out of the window in an effort to level the playing field. You are granted special dispensation equal to what the level of the prevailing and ever evolving “woke” perception merits.

In an utter reversal of fortune, “whiteness” is the new target of racial bias. The new boogie man is the white supremacist, Qanon and right-wing domestic terrorists, or what is commonly known as conservatives. After all, someone must pay for any real or perceived unfairness in our “white patriarchal” society. The fact that those who have long complained of racial injustice now cast their prejudice upon those with a skin color other than theirs, is utterly contemptible. Committing another sin does not correct the first offense. I guess trampling on other’s human rights is the great aphrodisiac.

“In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed. That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:34-35

American history is being erased or revised, according to the new values assigned by the woke education establishment. This is necessary to push the narrative that our nation is utterly and unredeemably flawed, that our nation’s wealth and status were ill-gotten and undeserved, and that it must be fundamentally transformed. Understanding the triumphs and pratfalls experienced during the rise of our nation must be silenced and be replaced with a morally and factually bankrupt interpretation that pushes the left’s narrative that the United States is an evil empire that can no longer stand.

If this great nation can no longer realize that we all have common ground and must stand firm together to attain goals that facilitate improvement of the common good, we will no longer have a nation. If all we can do is point fingers at one another and fail to unite for the common good, we are doomed to failure. If we can no longer forgive as our Father forgave us, we will be treated as we deserve to be treated, with utter contempt and abandonment.