Confirmation Bias

 

When one refuses to listen….

The cancel culture embraced by the left are indicative of a much greater societal disease.
“Settled” science, Trump derangement syndrome, capitalism=evil, socialism=compassion, pro-Palestine-antisemitism, and men can be women requires the intentional rejection of rational thought. Lack of constructive discourse leads to the siloization of opinion and the villainization of those opposing viewpoints. We are losing the ability to comprehend the varied nuances of the issues confronting our society. When the free exchange of ideas is deliberately terminated and dissenting views ignored, society will be forever divided without the promise of compromise and without common ground.

“All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort -- a sustained effort -- to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings.”

Believe it or not, this quote is attributed to our former “Divider in Chief,” Barack Obama. The man responsible for setting back race relations decades. Had he instead practiced what he preached, he could have been a great uniter of this nation. Instead, he focused on exploiting our differences, dividing Americans by skin color, sexual orientation, and economic class. Apparently, he learned much from fellow Chicagoan Saul Alinsky and his “Rules for Radicals.” The results of his efforts would make Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and Satan proud.

“Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.” John Adams.

The left refuses to listen to opposing viewpoints, shouting down those in which they disagree. Democrats refuse to find that common ground and reach a consensus that facilitates a better life for the Americans they are expected to represent. Without common ground, no agreement can be achieved. Without common goals, problems have no solutions. Without effective debate that listens to all sides, nothing can be accomplished. If one fails to listen and consider alternate avenues of thought, we, and especially government, will continue to fail to discover the remedies this nation requires.

“There are forces all around you who wish to exploit division, rob you of your freedom, and tell you what to think. But young folks can rekindle the weary spirit of a slumbering nation.” Wynton Marsalis.

There is a revival occurring with the young people of this nation. Despite the incessant leftist drumbeat of the legacy media and the Marxist indoctrination of academia, young people are awakening. The search to fill the emptiness in their hearts is being filled with many of them returning to Christ. Churches are filling and young people are engaged. This is the path to save this nation and re-reconcile with the God of creation. Former democrats are realizing that their party is no longer the party of John F. Kennedy but better resembles those worshipping at the altar of Baal. Hope is not lost, but we must be ever vigilant. The November mid-terms will be the tipping point. Will we return to be that “shining city on a hill” or will we sit back and let evil overcome?

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. Abraham Lincoln.

Democrats continue to disregard the will of the people, pervert the Constitution with lawsuits before leftist judges appointed by democrat Presidents, and pursue policies that Americans reject. Democrats must be rejected at the ballot box. We have a choice to continue to regress as a nation or reembrace the Judeo-Christian values that made the United States the greatest nation on earth. The choice is yours.

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity, to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul. Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity, from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness, from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil, whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.” Proverbs 2:6-15

 

 

 

Deceitful

 

The left seeks to destroy.

Once upon a time in this great experiment known as the United States, a more perfect union was formed. Thirteen States declared their independence from England, fought, won the Revolutionary War, and achieved their independence from England. Free at last from the bonds of monarchy, the founding fathers formed a new nation, with a new form of government, by, for, and of the people, a Constitutional Republic. Citizens would vote to elect their representatives in Congress, a President, and Vice-President. Each State also organized to govern each State’s affairs. Federal government was limited, but Federal statutes did take precedence over State and local laws.

This balancing act worked well until 1861, when a group of southern states decided that they were no longer bound by federal law. And so, the Civil War began, not exclusively about slavery, but begun by seditionists that wished to secede from the Union. A bloody war ensued, sometimes pitting brother against brother, completely unnecessary if all sides had adhered to the rule of law. Today, we have our own group of seditionists, also known as the democrat party. When a party is in the minority, they were intended to act as the loyal opposition. Today democrats have instead become a party of neo-confederates, attacking the rule of law.

Democrat run cities and states now proclaim their intention to ignore Federal law. Democrat leaders in those jurisdictions declare that Federal law enforcement can and will be subject to arrest by local law enforcement. Yes, they are actually threatening an armed stand-off, cop vs. cop. Will the first shots fired be tantamount to the first shots fired by confederate troops at Fort Sumter? It is indeed unfortunate that democrats, in their zeal to regain power, have thrown caution to the wind. Six democrat members of Congress, former military or intelligence officers, produced a video exhorting armed forces members to question authority in a misguided effort to undermine the commander in chief. This is nothing short of treason and those democrats should be prosecuted severely.

We are reaching a tipping point in the political discourse in this nation. It is one thing when criminals violate the laws but is another thing entirely when our elected leaders do the same, believing their positions of authority will shield them from accountability. Crime is rampant in many democrat run cities. When criminals are arrested, soft on crime District Attorneys often refuse to prosecute, releasing them to reoffend. Under the guise of the perceived racial disparity in prison population, democrat run cities are reluctant to incarcerate persons of color. Even though persons of color remain a minority population, they commit a majority of crimes.

Actions of the democrat leadership threaten the very foundations of this great nation. Outright lies to hinder the administration from conducting the people’s business to ingratiate themselves with their radical left base is unconscionable. As more of the democrat party’s corruption is uncovered, perhaps those who have long supported democrats will take a long hard look to see if the current crop of democrats represents their values. There is good reason that democrats fight so hard against streamlining government and rooting out corruption. They most benefit from the ill-begotten gains that a lack of accountability and oversight renders.

“Do not participate in the things these people do.  For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.  Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” Ephesians 5:7-11

We must do our best to expose the evil that is overcoming this world. Democrat leaders are resolved to align with the left. The left is antithetical to God’s will. The left is opposed to our very way of life. The left wages war against our God and His people. Our leaders need to return to God. The only way to compel those in power to amend the error of their ways is to expose them to the light of day. Those that refuse to change must be voted out of office or they will continue in their evil ways. We are to shine the light of God to be a light to the world. The evil from the left will thrive if left to hide in the dark.

No longer can we stand by idly. No longer can we be quiet Christians. No longer can we wait for someone else to speak out. No longer can we go along to get along. If you wait for pastors to preach it from the pulpit, you may wait forever. The very souls of those influenced by the evil one are at risk. We must call out those who are content to gain wealth and power from their denial of God. If they are not called out, they will continue to travel the wide path to their destruction, and our nation will follow in their wake. The time is now.

Community

 

Hatred thrives in on-line solitude.

Human beings need community. Civilization developed to nurture that personal connection. Prolonged solitude turns the soul inward, toward selfishness. Without discussion and debate, we villainize those with values different than our own. Our faith is what drives our very being. Our God created us with an emptiness that can only be filled with an intimate relationship with Him. Corporate worship and Bible study offers us the opportunity to grow together in the Spirit. “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:19-20

The lack of face-to-face interactions, instead relying upon the anonymity of device-to-device communication, has afforded users to avoid social interaction. Hiding behind a screen allows one to denounce and attack opposing viewpoints, without actual consequence, and enables animosity to fester. News feeds, X posts, and other social media are tailored by algorithms to each user’s preferences, presenting information that supports the user’s opinions, further isolating them from differing opinions. It has become effortless to foster hate by hiding facts that prevent one from learning both sides of issues. In fact, by filtering out competing news, the full truth is silenced while one side of the argument is amplified.

Incessant rhetoric from the left has increasingly raised the temperature in our political discourse. Democrat party leaders pour gasoline on the fire of division with comments likening their political rivals to Hitler, tyrants, and accuse them of opposition to any other “oppressed” class. Political leaders that stoke division and promote hate must be rejected at the ballot box if they fail to return to God. The constant drumbeat that villainizes those with Christian and conservative values has created tribal warfare as an acceptable response to settle disagreements. There are those who have become so radicalized by hateful leftist ideology that contemplating and/or committing violence has become a viable option.

Charlie Kirk literally accepted Jesus’ call to the Great Commission, to make disciples of the world. He engaged in debate with those who hated him because of his faith and political opinion. Through his platform, Turning Point USA, he literally entered the lion’s den of leftism to respectfully preach the Gospel and truly listen to those who disagreed, while doing his best to reach out with a sincere love of his neighbor.  Charlie was able to plant seeds of faith throughout the universities in which he preached. As democrat leaders mischaracterized, no, willfully lied about Charlie and his views and speech, people believed those lies. And those lies inspired a weak-minded individual to end Charlie’s debate forever with a bullet. We cannot let an assassin’s bullet silence and end the work that Charlie engaged in as he obediently preached the Gospel with the love of Jesus in his heart.

If we fail to engage those who have been unduly influenced by the evil advocated by leftist ideology, they will be lost forever. As Christians it is our duty spread the love of Jesus by preaching the Gospel, unashamedly. “And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.  He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.  Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

We have God’s handbook to assist us in performing His will. The Bible contains all the ammunition necessary to speak His Truth. Read it daily. Learn it. Pray on it. Study it with other believers. We can no longer be meek and quiet. We can no longer stand by and let evil overtake our brothers and sisters. No matter how lost our brothers and sisters may become, God loves them unconditionally, just as he loves each of us. There is nothing we can do to make God love us any more. There is nothing that we can do to make God love us any less. We have a duty to proclaim God’s love to the world so that none are lost to the evil one. Plant the seeds that just may encourage them to return to community of faith. Be bold and courageous, armed with the Holy Spirit that dwells within all of us.

“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. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:11-12, 18