DECEMBER 12, 2021 BY SHADOWWARRIOR

A NEW CHRISTMAS CAROL

An homage to our heroes

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all seemed okay.

Many creatures were stirring and most in dismay.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

But one space left open, for he was not there.

The children were restless as they lay in their beds.

All were reviewing sad dreams in their heads.

Mom in her PJs, alone in her room,

Not knowing the future, seemed covered with gloom.

When out on the lawn there arose such a noise,

Kids leaped to their feet, let loose of their poise.

Away to the window, peered through the closed blinds,

Pulled down the string, what was blowing their minds?

The light from the street shown dimly at first,

Gave glow to the objects, and fearing the worst.

When what to their wondering eyes should appear,

But a host of all peoples, and sleds pulled by deer.

With a ton of strong voices, they all sang in cheer,

She knew in a moment she had nothing to fear.

Mom knew in a flash that they came from all parts,

From T2T warriors, to firemen, nurses, and cops.

More swift than a race car, all declared with no doubt,

They belted and shouted, these names they called out.

Now Facts, now Truth, now Goodness, now Reason,

On Liberty, on Hope, on Justice, on Freedom.

To the top of the porch, to the top of the roof,

Now hear us all people, you need no more proof.

From voices now past, to echos still heard,

We glean from our past, moving forward we’ve learned.

Be brave and courageous, be strong and be proud.

We’ve come bearing gifts, so said all in the crowd.

And then in a twinkling, she threw open the door,

And wave upon wave, they placed gifts on her floor.

Each guest was arrayed in colors so bold,

Most from each service, or so she was told.

The gifts were so splendid, each serving a need,

Not one was more special, each useful indeed.

We know of your sadness and grievous loss,

But know we are with you no matter the cost.

Dressed in each service, some blue and some white,

With caps and ribbons, and medals quite bright.

They each told their story, their fight and their might.

No message was given considered quite trite.

All who had come offered words and good cheer.

She felt such great comfort, she had nothing to fear.

One special soldier she knew by his name,

Brought forward a sock, she then knew why he came.

A brother in arms, a friend to the end,

He brought forth the gift, a heart needs to mend.

To the mantle he marched, with purpose so clear,

The lost soldier’s sock was hung in the hole left there.

Then stepping back slowly, he saluted with honor,

Showing dignity and pride, his eyes starring yonder.

As slowly brought up, his arm to salute,

Moved down just as slowly, the point was not moot.

Tears flowed down his cheeks as he swung back around,

Moving again forward, his eyes had now found.

Mom and her children now hugging together,

Moving now forward, said he’d remember forever.

He told of their father, a husband beloved,

His unswerving duty to the country and family he loved.

He spoke of their father’s most fervent belief,

If the worst were to happen, to not live in grief.

He spoke his desire that they would move on,

Buoyed by the thought that he’s really not gone.

He knelt on one knee, and spoke from his heart,

Your father and husband will never depart.

Then touching each of their hearts with his hand,

He said he is with you, viewing you from a heavenly land.

He lives in your memory, your thoughts, your prayers.

He’ll always look down, ’cause you know that he cares.

So the stocking, said he, is hung every year,

To remember his love is always so near.

We’ve many more homes to visit this night.

Others are hurting, take to them Christmas bright.

As they all moved away from the home that fine night,

A new joy was found in a family all right.

A Father’s and Husband’s voice could be heard,

In each of their hearts where it now firmly stood.

Christmas is not just for joy and good cheer,

But also a time to remember each year,

That loved ones now parted, no longer to see,

Are still with us ever, and so shall it be.

Author, OneShadowWarrior

From Our House to Yours,

MERRY CHRISTMAS

What is it about being considered to be on the RIGHT in politics these days? It seems to be one of those incendiary words that absolutely sets those on the “left” ablaze. Agitators, provocateurs and instigators seem to use the word RIGHT to foment, spur and demagogue those who lean in a direction opposite to theirs. Those on the RIGHT refer to those who rile against them, and are opposed to them, as occupying space on the “left” of the political spectrum. So where did this “left” and RIGHT begin to define and occupy our political narrative.

In the more recent past, we can trace the beginning of this division back to the physical seating arrangements of politicians during the French Revolution in 1789 (history.com). Those who were liberal, progressive or revolutionary gravitated to occupy the left seats in their assemblies, while those who were conservative and nationalistic, many being of nobility and religious leaders, gravitated to the RIGHT seats in the same assemblies (dictionary.com).

This may seem to be a strange topic for our blog, but we simply got to thinking about how being to the RIGHT may not be such an abnormal place to be found, especially in our modern, western world today. Consider some of the many applications of being on, or in, or with the RIGHT today.

Service members salute with their RIGHT hand and arm. When swearing in a court of law, the RIGHT hand is raised to affirm your testimony. In your pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States, one’s RIGHT hand is placed over the heart. Consider the analogy of escalators. Usually, they are on the RIGHT when going up, and the ones on the “left” are going down. We don’t know about you, but when our life on earth is done, we would prefer to be on the escalator going up, rather than the one going down. In an airport, moving walkways on the RIGHT will take you to your destination, while those on the “left” will bring you back to your starting point. How about this quirky one. Ever hear the term “RIGHTy tighty, lefty loosie”? A round spigot knob is turned to the RIGHT to secure the flow of liquid, to “conserve” the resource.

In the United States, we drive on the RIGHT side of roadways. Traffic circles work by turning to the RIGHT to get on them, and again to the RIGHT to exit them. On waterways and in airways, you give way to the RIGHT with on-coming traffic. Consider the fact that in our Nation we read to the RIGHT in a book to its conclusion, and to the RIGHT on each book opening and on each line. How about the fact that analogue clock hands move to the RIGHT in a clockwise direction. We are assured that on any issue discussed, you would acknowledge that there is a RIGHT way to consider the issue, and a wrong way, and that you would prefer to consider the issue the RIGHT way. There is usually always a RIGHT course of action, a RIGHT way to go, and a RIGHT process to follow. Wouldn’t we always prefer to take the RIGHT way, or the RIGHT course, or even select the RIGHT treatment for our ailment. How about the fact that our Nation’s flag is to always appear to the RIGHT hand of the speaker, clergy, and to the RIGHT hand of any other flag. Do you realize the United States flag is always flown on the RIGHT front bumper of the President’s limo?

Let’s for a moment delve into the religious area concerning the use of the word RIGHT. As believers, we would want to be as righteous as possible. Guess what, that word begins with the word RIGHT! We also know that Jesus spoke of the day of judgement when the sheep will be separated from the goats, and the sheep are moved to the RIGHT hand of Jesus (Matthew 25: 31-46). He called the ones on His RIGHT blessed and are given life eternal. Following the resurrection of Jesus from death, He was seated at the RIGHT hand of the Father (Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55; Romans 8:34). The Apostle Paul talked about accepting others by giving them the RIGHT hand of fellowship. When you shake someone’s hand, what hand to you use? We bet it is with your RIGHT hand.

We want to declare in our blog today that being in the RIGHT is a pretty good place to be. Those on the RIGHT are adamant about maintaining our Nation’s FREEDOM and LIBERTY. If you are not on the RIGHT, we hope you will consider the comments above and re-evaluate your position in life. We really do believe that There Is Justification For Being on the RIGHT. Which way do you lean?

What you see above is the neolithic henge monument on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England called Stone Henge. Was it built to tell the changing of the seasons, was it a burial site, was it used for worship, or did it have a celestial observatory function predicting eclipses or having other religious, mystical or spiritual connections? The answer is, we don’t really know. Only speculation based on some excavation and hypotheses. About all that many can agree upon is that it was constructed, maybe in phases, from about 3100 BC to 1600 BC, and that the stones weigh around 25 tons each (wikipedia.org). Stone Henge is probably the most famous STANDING STONE, but “There are tens of thousands of standing stones found throughout the world, with concentrations in the British Isles, France, the lberian Peninsula, and Korea.” (study.com.) You actually may have erected a few yourself throughout your life. “Huh”, you may utter. You may have done so without really knowing it. “Okay”, you say, “But how and when did these things occur?”

Did you ever go on a hike and get to a junction in the path? Maybe there were several paths going out in different directions, so, to identify which path you came on, you placed a stone on the path you were on so you could recognize it on your way back. In today’s modern age, some nice park ranger has erected a sign telling you which way to go in order to get there, or in order to get back. In the old German fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel left a bread crumb trail so they could find their way home. In today’s modern era, police detectives often look for “breadcrumbs” that may have been left behind by a perpetrator, like finger or footprints.

We want to explore the Biblical use of the term STANDING STONES as not only do we have the reason for their construction, but we can also then make application to our lives today. “The Hebrew word translated “standing stones” is massebah and means “to set up.” The Israelites followed ancient customs by setting up standing stones as a reminder of God’s covenant and supernatural acts on their behalf. The story of the stone was passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition.” (thattheworldmayknow.com; Ray Vander Laan) “Jacob set up stone pillars at Bethel in order to remember his powerful dream, in which God reaffirmed his covenant with him (Genesis 28:18-21, 35:14-15). Moses built twelve standing stones at the foot of Mount Sinai after receiving the Ten Commandments and other laws (Exodus 24:2-4). The Israelites erected standing stones to remember their miraculous crossing of the Jordan River (Joshua 4:2-3, 8-9). Joshua built a standing stone when the covenant was renewed at Shechem (Joshua 24:27). In the New Testament, Peter builds on standing stone imagery when he describes believers as ‘living stones’ (1 Peter 2:5). Peter probably wanted his readers to think of themselves as living standing stones-people who live out their faith so boldly that others take notice. As living stones, Christians should proudly tell about the difference that God has made in their lives.” (thattheworldmayknow.com.) We should also mention other instances of the establishments of STANDING STONES. Jacob and Laban set one up to represent their covenant, they called it garsahadutha (Genesis 31:43-55). Samuel set one up between Mizpah and Shen and named it Ebenezer (I Samuel 7:11). Absalom set one up and gave it his name (II Samuel 18:18). The establishment of these stones not only recorded an immediate act, but they also served as a future reminder. “Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the sons of Israel, ‘When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying; Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:19-24.)

We now want to ask again, “Where Are Your STANDING STONES?” For the most part, most of us are probably pretty private people, not wanting to share much about ourselves that reveals any depth, not just of your heart, what makes you you, but your history and what major events or forks in the road of life have you traversed, some with ease, but we bet a few were pretty monumental and had a significant impact upon the direction of your life. Those events are hard-wired into your memory, and you will never forget them. Have you told your children and grandchildren about those events? If they do not know, they cannot pass on those monumental events of your life, those STANDING STONES, that have a significant bearing upon the course of your prodigy.

Those would be personal STANDING STONES, but what about ones that are more communal in nature. Let’s consider a few of them. Some of those events occurred before we were born but yet they are STANDING STONES, nevertheless. Consider those that may be tactile in nature, ones that can be seen and even touched. The Greeks, Romans, and those in the Rennaissance were prolific in erecting STANDING STONES. In our Nation, there are many STANDING STONES erected on or near the National Mall in Washington D.C. Many tell of the history of our Nation, some depicting our heritage as a Nation, and some reminding us of the sacrifice made by many to establish and defend our Nation’s FREEDOM and LIBERTY. Other forms of STANDING STONES are made available for viewing, like “The Declaration of Independence”. In today’s modern world we only have to search our browsers to see not only this document, but also the Constitution and Bill of Rights. These, too, are STANDING STONES. In September of next year, another form of STANDING STONES will be commemorated. It is named, “A Hero’s Journey”, sculpted by Sabin Howard, the artist and sculpture. Across the Potomac River there are other forms of STANDING STONES. They are found at the Arlington National Cemetery, where many of our Nation’s honored dead are buried, those who sacrificed to the point of death to secure and maintain our FREEDOM and LIBERTY. We suspect the vast majority of our Nation’s citizens have seen neither, so it is difficult for many to teach their children about the bravery and sacrifice that made and sustains our great Nation. This is a great shame that many cannot avail themselves of these STANDING STONES.

There are other forms of STANDING STONES. They often mark events, both tragic and monumental. Consider World Wars I and II, and the Korean and Vietnam “Wars”. Do you remember the assignation of our President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Martin Luther King, or the Space Shuttle Challenger’s explosion in 1986, and when Columbia broke apart on re-entry in 2003, or the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, or did these events occur prior to your lived experience. These events marked forks in the road for our Nation.

Consider other forms of STANDING STONES, like our Nation’s Flag and what it represents with its stars and stripes. Or how about our National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or our Nation’s Pledge of Allegiance? These are also forms of STANDING STONES. Still other forms of STANDING STONES exist, like Easter, Hanukkah, and Christmas, marking events of religious and spiritual significance.

So, we ask again, “Where Are Your STANDING STONES?” There are plenty of them out there in our Nation. Are you taking advantage of any of them to teach to your children and to your children’s children, or to your friends and neighbors? Where we come from and what we have done, as a Nation or as an individual, has a significant impact upon those who follow us in life. Do we tell the stories or sing the songs of our STANDING STONES history? Do we walk by STANDING STONES and explain their significance to any who will listen? Do we even remember ourselves where they are and what they mean? Would those, who have gone on before us in this Nation we call home, find it appalling and disgraceful of our ignorance, resistance, or failure to be reminded of the STANDING STONES set up for our benefit, for our learning and teaching. We hope not. But it’s up to you. “Where Are Your STANDING STONES?“

A terrible thing happened late this last week. Our Nation continued its long slide into tyranny and oppression. Our Nation was founded on Biblical principles, whether you believe it or not, it is true. Those principles come directly from the fact that we are all made “in the image” of our Creator. He is just, righteous, faithful, and merciful. Without His love for His creation, us, we would be lost and without hope. He was the one who sent His Son, Jesus, to teach us the way back to Him. Jesus was the one who made our redemption, our reclamation possible. As the perfect sacrifice, He did what no one else could do, make atonement for our sins, to bridge the gap between our imperfection and God’s perfection. This is what gives us hope at the end of our earthly life as we look forward to an immortal existence, free from our trials and tribulations, from our sins and mistakes, from our pains and worries. What happened this last week is that our National leaders seemed to have forgotten many of the things that our Nation was founded upon. We were blessed with a great Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our Founding Fathers based much of what we hold as unchanging principles upon laws and processes developed and molded throughout centuries, including ideas from England, The Magna Carta, and even the Roman government. Some of the basis of our laws come from examples not only from Bible History, but from Hammurabi Babylon Codes. “This is crazy, but the lesser known Code of Ur-Nammu (c. 2100-2050 BCE) predates Hammurabi’s Code (1754 BCE). From Mesopotamia, Ur-Nammu’s codes were written in Sumerian and are the oldest known written laws.” (healinglaw.com; Theodoric Von America.) The point we are trying to make is that our Founding Father’s were not simply “shooting from the hip” in hopes of hitting upon some form of government that might work, that might be better than anything devised before. They were not trying to “pin the tail on the donkey” blindfolded. Much of what we enjoy in our Nation today, or at least once enjoyed, was based on the knowledge of antiquities, in-depth research, by scholars of their day, learned men who were far from the perceived neophytes that some in our society would have us believe. And yet, this last week we saw supposed Representatives fall so far from the pedestal of National normalcy so as to leave us nearly speechless.

Where has mercy gone in our Nation? While our National leaders are sailing a rudderless boat over the falls of National destruction, they seem intent upon swatting away little nagging flies of triviality obscuring their view of massive reality. Moral Relativism is seemingly swinging The Overton Window (read our blog on November 19, 2023) toward our National demise. Where there is no absolute truth, anything and everything is possible and allowed. The morality of our Nation is based upon the founding principles we discussed earlier. If we fail to adhere to these principles, we will fail to remain the Nation under which we were initially established. So, what happened late last week that portends the potential demise of our great Republic.

Within the halls of our Nation’s capital, over two-thirds of our elected Representatives decided to set aside a basic principle that has stood unchallenged since the founding of our Nation. That principle is that an accused person is considered innocent until proven guilty. That guilt is to be determined in a court of law, not through any other form, like an ethics investigation, media bias, political persuasion, or ideological bent. At FREEDOMGOFORTH.COM, we do not claim the innocence or guilt of any individual, regardless of their political affiliation, without the full and unbiased disclosure of all the facts, presented in the proper forum. Should those apparent facts paint a corrupt picture, we will still not condemn any individual apart from due process. In our Nation, all citizens are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. That is why on TV news, when a crime has been committed and the individual apprehended, that person is always given the benefit of the doubt by the stating of the “alleged” crime. Even if eyewitnesses proclaim the individual’s crime, the proof of guilt must be shown by the prosecutor in a court of law. Only following conviction in a court of law can the perpetrator be found guilty of the alleged crime and be accountable to the consequences.

Our Nation’s House of Representatives chose to disregard that any individual is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In doing so, they have in fact become like a kangaroo court, making unilateral decisions outside of the rule of law. They have become a “rule of law” in and of themselves, setting themselves above the established principles of our Nation. Not only that, but by the removal of the individual from the House, they have disenfranchised those that placed that individual in the House as their Representative. If anyone is authorized to remove that individual, it would be those citizens who were able to vote for that Representative in their district, or of course, if a court of law ruled to convict the individual of said crimes and of processes established, and then and only then, if the removal was required. In our Nation, even convicted felons can serve in Congress. In fact, “The House of Representative has an internal rule that any member who is convicted of an offense that could result in two or more years’ imprisonment cannot vote or participate in committee activities. However, the privileges of such member can be restored if he or she is reelected to Congress. The Senate does not have a similar rule. Both the Democratic and Republican parties can censure their own members in the House and Senate, including removing them from committees, as they see fit.” (voanews.com; March 21, 2023.) Expulsion from Congress is like “taking the nuclear option”. Few have ever been expelled, more from the Senate than from the House. Here is where we will return to how the title to this blog, CASTING THE FIRST STONE, becomes relevant.

The pictures at the beginning of our blog review the Bible text from John 8:1-11. Several observations stand out in the reading of this text. First, do you wonder what Jesus wrote in the dirt? We doubt it was his mother’s recipe for unleavened bread. Maybe he wrote various infractions of Moses’ law that were not being followed according to the written text. Maybe he wrote things like adultery, false witness testimony, failure to do good to all, honoring your mother and father, keeping the Sabath or any of the 10 commandments. Maybe it was something seemingly innocuous like lying. The reality is that any transgression of the Creator’s law is a sin which separates an individual from Him. Secondly, note that all those waiting to cast stones left starting from the oldest to the youngest. Most of us who are older understand how often we have failed to live up to not only our standards, but to those of our Creator. Those who are younger maybe rely on ignorance to seemingly inoculate them from “miss-steps” and “minor” infractions they feel are insignificant and believed to be overlooked by God. We are all flawed humans and “. . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23.) There is not one Representative in Congress who has not sinned in one way or another, but it often is so much easier to point out the flaws in another before admitting to our own. What has happened to our Nation when our leaders prefer to “sacrifice” another, rather than to offer mercy? It was Jesus who told the hypocritical leaders of His day, the Pharisees, the religious rulers, when He said to them, recorded for us in Matthew 9:13, “Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6:6.)

FREEDOM and LIBERTY in our Nation demands holding fast to our founding principles in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. To circumnavigate or short-circuit our Nation’s true morality, allowing its dilution with Moral Relativism, leads us down a dark path toward secularism, Communism, Marxism, and totalitarianism. Stand firm with our Nation’s founding principles. Let your Representatives know of your displeasure with their cowardly actions which only helps to put our Nation in moral jeopardy.

The wise man Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797) once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” We suspect Burke was a reader of the Scriptures, for this is recorded for our benefit in Proverbs 24: 10-12, “If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, ‘See, we did not know this’, Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?” The writer Jesse Campbell, on January 9, 2017, put it this way, “It’s always easier to do nothing in a difficult time, but it’s not what we were created for. God looks for people who will take the initiative, speak truth in hard places, say the last painful 2% that needs to be said, and cut off tragedy at the pass.” (explorethebible.lifeway.com.)

If you are not aware of KRISTALLNACHT (German, meaning “Crystal Night), or as we have come to regard it as “The Night of Broken Glass”, then let us simply state it was the beginning of the killing of around six million Jews, or over 60% of all Jews (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). The event itself began “On November 9-10, 1938, [when] Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms [organized massacre] against the Jewish population in Germany and recently incorporated territories.” (encyclopedia.ushmm.org.) Why was this allowed to occur? “Fire fighters and police stood by, instructed only to intervene if neighboring ‘Aryan’ property were endangered.” “Large numbers of ordinary people, including women, were involved in looting and plundering, picking up goods thrown out onto the street and benefiting from the expropriation of Jewish property. Both young and old turned out to humiliate Jews with whole classes of schoolchildren brought by their teachers to see sites of smoldering synagogues and join the jeering crowds. While some were egged on by peer group pressure, many young people believed the Nazi view that the ‘Jews are our misfortune’ and that it was ‘time to put them in their place’.” Another reason for so few standing up to protest this atrocity was “. . . the obvious point about state-ordained terror and fear. If violence is initiated from above, in a state where active political opposition has been crushed, it is extremely difficult to engage in effective resistance.” “After years of repression, most dissenters were cowed into sullen silence.” “But there is also a more complex point to be made, about longer-term compliance with a prevailing climate of hostility toward those officially disparaged as the ‘other’.” “Others compromised less willingly, performing new roles in public and muttering disagreements privately, but fearful of being denounced if they stepped too far out of line.” “This creeping compliance in effect amounted to complicity.” “Put simply: the Nazi leadership had introduced a hostile environment and initiated practical measures, whether through legislation or violence, to establish an ethnically defined ‘people’s community.’ By being largely compliant, for whatever reasons, those who were not excluded had helped to create an even more hostile environment – one in which it was possible to carry out terror in broad daylight without significant unrest or intervention on behalf of the persecuted.” (time.com; November 9, 2018; Mary Fulbrook.) Does any of this sound familiar? If you are a conservative, believing the unchanging founding principles of our Nation, then this is currently a part of your lived experience.

The amount of anti-Israel protests world-wide, and the hostility expressed in these protests, truly baffle us. How much of this is being promulgated by social media, especially the questionable TikTok, with its connections to the CCP. Do those current government leaders in control of our political arena have the right, and do we allow them the power, to determine what limits can be dictated to our FREEDOM and LIBERTY? Be aware of the dangers of the current government’s push to establish the new “Digital Discrimination” rule which was part of the recent $1.2 Billion dollar “Infrastructure Bill.” The government has no right to legislate social outcomes. Are our schools and leaning institutions teaching accurate history in the hopes of not repeating the errs of past generations, or are they leaning in to teaching divisive, ideological propaganda?

How much is your FREEDOM and LIBERTY worth to you? How about to your family? How about to those who follow you in life, like your kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and those beyond them? If you knew for certain that your FREEDOM and LIBERTY were on the verge of being vastly reduced, or even eventually eliminated, would you respond to our questions differently today? Protect the defenseless. Uphold the righteous. Hold fast to God-given morality. Stand firm in the truth. And boldly proclaim the Will of our Creator.

“SECULARISM”: “. . . is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion.” “Secularism is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened to a similar position seeking to remove or to minimize the role of religion in any public sphere.” (wikipedia.org.)

“DISSOLUTION”: “(b₁) Decay, Disintegration”; “(b₂) Death”; “(c) Termination or destruction by breaking down, disrupting, or dispersing.”; “(d) The dissolving of an assembly or organization.” (merriam-webster.com.)

“CHRISTENDOM”: “The term ‘Christendom’ largely refers to the worldwide adherents of the Christian faith, with religious practices and beliefs drawn from the teachings of the Bible, primarily the New Testament.” (christianity.com.)

“THE OVERTON WINDOW”: As described in the picture above, it represents the range of acceptable ideas. This can include the acceptable beliefs not only in the broad range of politics, but in the more specific areas of finance, gun rights, abortion, global warming, wars and conflicts, homelessness, immigration, drugs and addiction, and yes, even in religion and matters of spirituality.

We are assured that no two people agree 100% on everything, even in mature relationships, for we are all individuals with our own brains, experiences, environments, and traditions that form our belief structures. We are different, one from another. So goes the saying, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” “THE OVERTON WINDOW” of what is commonly accepted as “normal” and acceptable, is influenced by a wide variety of forces. Some forces are overt and easily seen, and some are covert, hidden from view and recognition. Over time, these forces can, and often do, move “THE OVERTON WINDOW”. The purpose of our blog today is to show how SECULARISM is leading to the DISSOLUTION OF CHRISTENDOM. More specifically how the rise of SECULARISM is eating away at the heart of CHRISTENDOM, reducing its influence upon our society and the world at large. THE OVERTON WINDOW is shifting away from CHRISTENDOM and moving to the more “normal”, acceptable SECULARISM. Like it or not, those who have claimed to be in the column of CHRISTENDOM have assisted in the shifting of THE OVERTON WINDOW toward SECULARISM. How is this possible?

A few facts need to be shown. Church attendance is down. Attendance at religious services hit its peak in the early 1950’s with nearly 50% of all Americans attending some form of religious services. “In the four years before the pandemic, 2016 through 2019, an average of 34% of U.S. adults said they had attended church, synagogue, mosque or temple in the past seven days. From 2020 to the present, the average has been 30%, including a 31% reading in a May 1-24 survey. The recent church attendance levels are about 10 percentage points lower than what Gallup measured in 2012 and most prior years.” (news.gallup.com; June 26, 2023; Jeffrey M. Jones.) We contend that if synagogue, mosque or temple attendees were to be excluded from this survey (we don’t have the crosstabs), the percentages for church attendance by Christians would be lower. However, we will claim that there is beginning a resurgence within the Christian faith due in part to the unprecedented lockdowns during the pandemic, and the attack on the Christian faith from the current government and its controlling institutions, in the areas of FREEDOM of speech, and LIBERTY in the right to protest. In the first century Christian churches, their influence spread under persecution. We must trust and hope the same is true now and pray that this resurgence is not too late.

So, what have Christians done, or not done, in assisting the rise in SECULARISM. For too long Christians have bought hook, line, and sinker, the belief that our Constitution states that there is to be a “separation of church and state.” However, a close reading of the First Amendment to our Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment OF religion . . .”, not “FROM religion” (“OF” is capitalized by us for emphasis). One had better not post the Ten Commandments, or any Bible verse for that matter, in a school today or you will likely be sued. We doubt many public schools today say the pledge of allegiance at the start of classes, because it has within its prose, “. . . one Nation under GOD . . .”, speaking about a deity that is contrary to the ever-evolving national narrative, the apparent moving of THE OVERTON WINDOW. President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law the phrase “under God” to our National pledge on June 14, 1954. The addition was seen as a way to show moral superiority of U.S. capitalism over atheistic Soviet Communism. However, it was even within our Nation’s own religious community where objections to even a National pledge first surfaced. The Jehovah’s Witness won a Supreme Court case in the early 1940’s stating that forcing them to say the pledge was a violation of their First Amendment rights. (history.com; June 22, 2022; Becky Little). Christians have allowed lawfare, legal challenges brought by atheistic individuals, organizations, or even Christian groups, in courts sympathetic to their ideology, to chip away at the founding principles of our Nation. Too often Christians have believed the false narrative of this “separation of church and state” and have failed to stand firm in these founding principles of our Nation and have been content to stand on the sidelines and watch the erosion of what our Founding Fathers, and generations after them, sacrificed and fought for. Christians too often have been divided among themselves, believing another Christian sect was worse than unbelievers, when in fact, they should have joined arms and fought against those forces and powers, often unseen, that are the real enemy to faith and ultimately salvation, not just individually, but also collectively as a Nation, or to world-wide nations more broadly. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12.)

Christians have shown timidity and weakness in showing pride that western culture and virtue is based upon Christianity. CHRISTENDOM has allowed moves away from God, the Gospel and family, have become casual in procedure and function, and have allowed drift to occur away from theological bedrocks. Where will Christians draw the “red line”? Evolution of Christian theology has watered down Scriptural foundational principles. As society becomes more “tolerant” of aberrant philosophies, so has CHRISTENDOM. Modernity has moved “THE OVERTON WINDOW”. “Modernity, the self-definition of a generation about its own technological innovation, governance, and socioeconomics. To participate in modernity was to conceive of one’s society as engaging in organizational and knowledge advances that make one’s immediate predecessors appear antiquated or, at least, surpassed.” (britannica.com; Updated October 25, 2023; Sharon L. Snyder.)

Where is your “red line”? Last week we witnessed our current government leaders welcoming to our shores an adversarial nation, the Chinese Communist Party, who in May of 2019 declared a
“People’s War” against our Nation (presentdangerchina.org; August 17, 2022). Did it bother you that the California governor thought it more important to clean up the streets of San Fransico days before China’s visit, shunning the filth and crime residents there had to endure for years without assistance? Were you concerned there were hundreds of Chinese flags dwarfing the few U.S. flags along the route taken by the Chinese motorcade? Are you concerned that the current government administration and President did not confront China about the bioweapon, COVID-19, that China released upon our Nation and the world, killing millions, destroying our burgeoning economy, and bloating our national debt? Were you troubled to learn that the Chinese spy balloon, allowed to fly unimpeded over our Nation for days, was not addressed by our leaders? Were you stunned to learn that our current government leaders did not address the reckless Chinese military maneuvers that threatened the safety of our aircraft and ships in international airspaces and waters? Are you surprised to learn that our current government leaders did not address the Chinese bringing online an average of two new coal-fired energy plants every week, while all of our plants are being forced to close for “global warming”? (abc.net.au/news; March 2, 2023.) Are you concerned that our current government leaders failed to address China’s provocative encircling of Taiwan, often invading their territorial boundaries? Are you worried that the CCP provides the vast majority of our drugs and their ingredients, not to mention poisoning and killing our citizens with their fentanyl? Is our current government concerned about being so reliant upon batteries and their materials from China, and where do old batteries go to die? Is our current government concerned that old wind turbine blades are sent to landfills, both processes not being so “green” after all? But never fear, there is talk that the Chinese may “loan” us a couple more Panda Bears to replace the ones they recalled. We should feel embarrassed! China is treating the United States of America like a spoiled little child, believing a stuffed animal will mute our whimpering and crying. How pathetic is our current government. We are allowing the CCP to invade our institutions, stealing our Intellectual Property, and watching our current government leaders and President, influenced by bribes requiring their inaction, to Kowtow to the greatest threat our Nation faces, the CCP. THE OVERTON WINDOW is being moved subjugating our National and personal FREEDOM and LIBERTY as our current government shows weakness and fear. The atheistic nation of China is cleaning our proverbial clock, while we sit back and watch the destruction of our Nation and its people. We are losing the war for our Nation’s morality and virtue as THE OVERTON WINDOW shifts to what some may feel to be more “normal” or acceptable, but in reality, it is shifting to our damnation.

Yesterday, November 11, 2023, was a day our Nation has set aside every year to honor those who have served our Nation in our Armed Forces, both living and dead. “In 2022, 16,200,322 adults in the US were veterans.” The number retired from service is down by nearly 10 million since 1990 (usafacts.org/topics/veterans). Armed Forces Day honors those currently serving in the U. S. military. “The share of the U.S. population with military experience has declined, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In 1980, about 18% of U.S. adults were veterans but that share fell to 6% in 2022.” (pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023; November 8, 2023; Katherine Schaeffer). “Only 1 percent of our population today will ever wear the uniform of this nation . . .” (defense.gov; June 29, 2018; Lisa Ferdinando). HOW DO YOU SERVE YOUR NATION?

News flash. Going to work for the average American is NOT serving our Nation. You are serving your employer in his pursuit of wealth and power. Working in the Peace Corps serves other nations, not our Nation. Working in Habitat For Humanity only helps serve those who will live in those homes. Working as a police officer or fireman only serves the community in which they are employed. Working in a care facility or driving for Meals on Wheels only serves those with whom they come in contact. Being a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist only serves those who are sick or injured. Being a Congress member only serves those in your state. Even having been President of the United States does not make that person a veteran, for even as Commander in Chief, he does not wear the uniform of a military member. Do you see the difference as to what it takes to truly serve our Nation? You must serve the entirety of our Nation, all citizens equally, in order to be truly serving our Nation. HOW DO YOU SERVE YOUR NATION?

News bulletin. Protesting a particular issue, either locally or nationally, is not serving your Nation. Going on strike does not serve your Nation. Going on a vacation, staying in bed, or even writing a blog or posting a podcast does not serve your Nation. All of these things are self-serving. Certain parts of our Nation may be impacted by these actions, but they will not serve all citizens of our Nation equally. There is only one way to serve the entirety of our Nation’s citizens. Serving in the Armed Forces is the only way to serve all of our Nation’s citizens equally. In doing so, you protect each citizen from harm from forces outside our border. Soon, those serving our Nation in the Armed Forces may have to do so even within our Nation’s borders, necessitated by the influx of illegal aliens across our southern border, most of whom our current government leaders have no idea who they are, or where they are, or what their intentions may be.

It’s truly sad that the vast majority of our Nation’s citizens have little connection to what it takes to actually serve all of our citizens equally in our Nation. Those who do serve in this capacity do not become rich, for the pay is too often far below the value of service they provide. Their training is rigorous and extensive using the latest equipment and technology. They learn teamwork, self-sacrifice, honor and duty. They often eschew family and friend connections in order to accomplish their assigned tasks, often under duress. They learn to respect authority, to properly exercise initiative and respect traditions. They are willing to sacrifice themselves for each other and for the citizens of our Nation to insure the continuation of our personal and National FREEDOM and LIBERTY.

Veteran’s Day is not just another holiday for government workers, although, as it was this year, a day off for them is given even if the 11th doesn’t fall on a weekday. The observance has become more of another opportunity to sell products by retailers, spend time at personal pursuits, and sleep in . . . while those in the Armed Forces stand watch over your safety and security. Oh, sure, maybe we pay homage to them in some gatherings, but that ends with polite applause, and the whole thing is done within a single minute. That’s not much recognition for months and years of tireless service to protect you and your loved ones, and for our Nation as a whole. Why is this? It’s because so few in our Nation truly understand and appreciate those who make sacrifices for our welfare. It is because so few of them have ever truly served the citizens of our Nation equally. In our schools and colleges, we often gloss over the wars and conflicts that have shaped the FREEDOM and LIBERTY in our Nation, and in doing so, we have missed the opportunity, the responsibility, to help students understand how fortunate they are to have been served by so few individuals. Can we not be more respectful of their sacrifices? Can we not spend more than a minute in recognition of their service? No wonder why our Nation is so divided, and confusion runs amok in our universities where national loyalty is swept under the rug of political correctness. We should all be ashamed.

The road to reclaim our pride in service will be a long one, taking more than a generation or two. Speak to your children and grandchildren about veterans. Teach the stories of sacrifice. Our National FREEDOM and LIBEERTY is dependent upon you.

We’ve probably all heard the expression, “BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS”. Usually, we have heard it when someone parties hard into the wee hours of the morning, then has to get up to go to work early that same morning. It is certainly one swift way to deplete one’s energy and mental acuity. Lately we fear, there are those within our great Nation who are pressed into a position, not of their choosing but by necessity, to work at more than one job to make ends meet. Even many of those who have retired from a life of work, have found themselves having to go back into the marketplace in order to have enough money to buy the basics of life. For a majority of our Nation’s citizens, the rising costs of food, energy, and housing, along with everything else that pulls at our purse strings, makes it necessary for multiple members of the same family to work, or for a single individual to seek multiple sources of income, or for a retired person to reenter the marketplace. Inflation, out-pacing investment returns or wage increases, has eaten away at the core of our Nation’s citizens ability to make ends meet. This festering rot of financial pressure will eventually bankrupt many or our Nation’s most vulnerable.

The phrase, “BURING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS”, originated as an idiom translated from French in 1611. “It can be found in Randal Cotgrave’s Dictionary. Initially, the idiom meant that one was dissipating one’s wealth. This means that you were causing your money to disappear. This is because candles were expensive and burning them cost money. If you were burning the candle at both ends, you were being wasteful. You would also have to hold the candle horizontally, which leads to the wax dripping off and being wasted.” (theidioms.com; June 15, 2022.) It is along this line, of wasting one’s money, that we focus our blog today. More specifically, we will center our discussion around not what you as an individual may do by “BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS”, but rather how that may be done to you by another entity.

Let us first recognize that even though 40% of our Nation’s citizens may not have to pay any taxes to the IRS by the middle of April, all of us, regardless of our income, pay taxes, we just simply often do not recognize when we do. When you buy gas for your car, you are paying a tax. When you by food, part of the cost of your item helps to cover the tax cost the business you frequent is required to pay. When you pay your rent or mortgage, part of what you fork over is used to pay the landlord’s or mortgagee’s taxes. There is no free ride for the average American. So, let us for a brief moment consider how our Nation’s government is using our tax dollars. Have you ever considered that our current government is “BURING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS”? Let us explain how that happens.

Do you remember our Nation’s embarrassing retreat from Afghanistan in 2021? Do you remember all the war equipment we left behind? Refer back to our blog on September 5, 2021, titled, “Billions Bungled Badly”. We listed nearly everything that was left behind, and what it cost us, money are tax dollars were spent to make those weapons of war. What do you suppose happened to all those weapons and equipment of war? Would you believe some of it has been used against our Nation since then? If you think that is impossible, then you are delusional. We already know most if not all of it made its way into the hands of terrorists, because the Taliban took control of all of it, and in doing so, was able to sell some of it to other terrorist organizations to fund their ideology (foreignpolicy.com; July 5, 2023; Lynne O’Donnell). The writer of the article goes on to state, “U.S. assault weapons have reportedly been used in recent attacks by non-state groups in Kashmir, bitterly divided between India and Pakistan, and in Israel’s Gaza Strip.” We are sure most of you are very aware of Israel’s current war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Here is where our Nation is “BURNING THE CANDLE ON BOTH ENDS”. Our tax dollars help to fund Israel’s defense. Concurrently, our tax dollars are now being used against the Israelis because of our BUNGLED retreat from Afghanistan. Our weapons of war are fighting on both sides, against each other, over a border that does not belong to our Nation! How asinine is this? Our tax dollars at work, funding both sides of this war! Who makes out in such a convoluted scheme as this? Our Nation’s own military complex, those corporations and business who manufacture our weapons of war. While a majority of our Nation’s citizens are “BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS”, just trying to make ends meet, those who profit off of making weapons of war are becoming richer and richer.

The truly sad part of this scenario is that while the CANDLE is BURNING AT BOTH ENDS, the “wax” in the middle is being depleted. In this analogy, do you know what the “wax” of the candle actually represents? It represents your tax dollars! We have in effect provided both sides of a war with our weapons. Likewise, at our southern border, our current government has encouraged, and funded, illegal aliens crossing into our Nation. Mark our words, soon our Nation will be spending our tax dollars to counter the terrorism our Nation invited in. “BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS”, our tax dollars working against each other once again. Our Nation is over 33 TRILLION DOLLARS in debt! Soon, our Nation will be spending more money to simply pay the interest on this growing debt than upon what our Nation pays for its own defense! How stupid we are! When we say our FREEDOM and LIBERTY are at risk, we are not “whistling dixie”. If you relish watching the destruction of our Nation, morally and financially, then continue voting for those who currently have the levers of power within the halls of our Congress, and in our White House. If you want our Nation to stop “BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS”, then get out and vote for those who want to see morality and fiscal responsibility return to our Nation’s Capital. Volunteer to work at election departments, run for the school board, run for city or county offices, call your House Representatives and Senators, support those who share your values and a desire to bring common sense and rational thinking back into proper focus. Don’t be a couch potato, thinking that you are safe from the cataclysmic trajectory we are on . . . . because you are not!

No, we didn’t get our fingers shifted to the wrong keys on our keyboard, and this is not another new word. You have undoubtedly heard this proverb before, but just didn’t recognize it in one of its original forms. This phrase is presented in its ancient Greek form, “PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF.” (Wiktionry.org.) You will recognize this saying in more colloquial terms like, “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”, or “the pot calling the kettle black.” Jesus was in his hometown and when in the synagogue there some questioned His declaration of Isaiah’s prophecy being fulfilled in Him (Luke 4:16-27). Perceiving what they were thinking, Jesus made reference to this proverb of the day, “PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF.” Like Elijah and Elisha, Jesus could not do his work among his hometown folks. They wanted to see him not only heal himself, as though he must be sick to make such claims about His mission on earth, but to do healings that had been done in other areas. They wanted to see proof, but they were also declaring that “Charity begins at home.” (gotquestions.org.) We want to put maybe a slightly unusual spin on this last phrase, “Charity begins at home.” Let’s phrase it this way, “Love begins in you.”

If you’re a Biblical scholar, or even a novice at the Holy Scriptures, we are sure you would recognize the statement made by Jesus in Matthew 7:3-5, where He says, “And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (biblehub.com.) We are sure all of us at one time or another saw flaws in others, while failing to recognize our own flaws, often much larger than the ones we were criticizing in others. Before we start criticizing others, maybe we need to be a little more introspective.

We like to believe that the vast majority of citizens within our Nation feel as though our Nation needs to be healed. Unfortunately, many look outward to others who need to be healed, forgetting that we ourselves need to be healed. Do you have any flaws that you need to tend to? That’s a rhetorical question, for if you claim you are perfect, then you are either the second perfect person to have ever walked on this earth, or you are delusional, and we would surmise the latter. All of us need “fixing”, and unfortunately some of the things broken in us will always leave imperfections and scars. There is only one way to fix in each one of us what is broken, and it is not done by our own strength or power. We believe the following scriptural text will provide some insight into how our healing can take place.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to those in and around the Ephesus area had this to say: “. . . while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.“ (Ephesians 1:16-18, bold print added for emphasis.) It is hard to limit to a couple verses the expanse of Paul’s message in this book of Ephesians. But we believe what we have quoted above will help us focus on our part of seeing to the healing of our flaws. Understand that Paul was writing to an area of the world where Jews and Gentiles were believing together as Christians. The latter half of the book talks about unity and service, but without understanding the first half of the book if Ephesians, the latter can never be realized.

So, how can this healing happen? It starts by allowing God to give you the Spirit to open the eyes of your heart to recognize what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. When we have humbled ourselves to His grace and mercy, and when we view the world with the same attitudes Christ had (Philippians 2:5), then are we healed, then are we able to appreciate the FREEDOM and LIBERTY granted to us by our Creator. Do we heal ourselves? No. But we do need to access the source of the power to fix our flaws, and to then be able to help others seek healing as well. If you are upset, even mad and angered, at those within our government who seem to not care for our personal welfare, pray that they will seek God and the Spirit, and be given eyes in their hearts to see what the Lord has done for them, to be healed. If you want to heal our Nation, we must first allow the Lord to heal us.

What are you willing to sacrifice for something you consider to be the most important thing? Would you sacrifice your morals to insure wealth or health for your lifetime? Would you sacrifice anything for your own personal benefit? Would it be easier for you to sacrifice the right or possessions of another, to ensure that you could support or cement your status or ideology? The above short video clip comes from the 2001 DreamWorks Animation comedy film, Shrek. “Some of you may die. But it’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.” The caption describes situations where people seem to not care whether another lives or dies. Pretty bad, huh? Sadly, do you realize this happens way too often to both individuals and nations, usually as we are oblivious to its occurrence. We are often manipulated through deception, subterfuge, misdirection, and lies, often cloaked in secrecy. You may sometimes believe, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” This is far from the truth. Ignorance is not bliss. Knowledge is power. When the peons have knowledge, the elites are fearful and will do everything within their power to reverse the course of events that could compromise their wealth and power. Along the way, they do not care who they may hurt. Their moral core is rotten, evil.

How is this possible that such subterfuge could be perpetrated against us, for we are a knowledgeable people, well educated, upstanding and productive people, connected in social media, with telephonic expertise, and nearly always abreast of situational events through visual and audio media? The simple answer . . . we are too trusting upon those who feed us their ideology through all forms of sight and sound. We dare not, we cannot, we must not question those who we perceive to be our authorities, for to think that any would betray our trust is unthinkable . . . or is it? Are we that gullible? Are we too easily manipulated? Too trustworthy? Have you never been betrayed? Has anyone ever lied to you? Have you ever questioned anything of significance? In a way, we should all be like scientists, who are provided a theorem, then they set about to prove or disprove it. We test it, to verify its validity. Unfortunately, most of us are too busy, too distracted by daily tasks and events to spend time questioning those who present themselves to be wiser, more knowledgeable, those who claim to have our best interests at heart. Once again, unfortunately, more often than we know, their interest in our welfare is far from their concern. We will show a few scenarios to prove our theorem.

Some might consider us to be “conspiracy theorists“. Maybe, over time, much of what we may summarize to be underlying, causal forces or actions may be found to be false. But let us remember that documents now having been released give differing causal actions to not only the attack on Peral Harbor in 1941, the assassination of President JFK in 1963, and the Pentagon Papers, finally released unredacted after 50 years, revealing the misjudgments made during the Vietnam War. Too many things are held in confidence, protected by secrecy or withheld from view by critical redactions. What may often seem to be accepted “history”, is too often found to be woefully inaccurate. You may have heard the saying that “History is written by the victors”. What we have learned over time is that sometimes liars, cheaters, scammers, manipulators, dictators, or ill-intended persons driving their favorable outcomes usually “Write the FIRST DRAFT of history.” This initial writing of “history” is intended to stand for decades. Two or three generations later, when the final “history” is revealed, those initially directly impacted have long passed out of current consciousness. Do not be surprised when the driving force of any world-changing action is found within the statement, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Let’s now look at just three of our “conspiracy theories.”

First, not all conspiracies require advance planning. Sometimes it is just a matter of taking advantage of an unplanned event. One should ask, “How do you take down a nation?” Consider Saul Alinsky’s eight steps to topple a Democracy and convert it to a Socialistic, Communistic society. Number 1: Control healthcare. We got “Obama Care”, remember? Number 2: Make people dependent upon you by creating a poor class of people. Number 3: Increase debt to an unsustainable level. Number 4: Gun control removes the ability to defend from the government. Number 5: Take control of food, housing, and income. Number 6: Control what people read and listen to through education. Number 7: Remove the belief in God. Finally, Number 8: Divide the people by class warfare. (vaassarbushmill.com; February 24, 2021; Vassar. Also mesquitelocalnews.com; September 16, 2016; Esther Goodday.) Wow! How is our Nation doing? Let’s take a look at reactions to what happened to Rodney King and George Floyd. In the first case, rioting cost over $1 billion, and in the second case, rioting cost up to $2 billion. Many leaders in the current government during these events stood by idly watching the destruction, and in fact some were supporting it. There were other cases we could mention, but these two alone not only reflected the great destruction upon thousands of our Nation’s businesses, but the toll it took on race relations is incalculable. A phrase you may be familiar with is this; in order to win, one must “Divide and conquer.” Tradition attributes the origin of this motto to Phillip II of Macedon and means “Divide and Rule.” (wikipedia.org.) Do you remember what Rahm Emanuel, the former President Obama advisor, once said during the 2008 financial crisis? He said, “Never allow a crisis to go to waste.” Current flash-mob thievery, under the guise of “what belongs to the rich should be mine”, just further inflames racism. The current financial crisis only makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. So, let’s add to all of this the constant push to restrict gun ownership, and the efforts to take parents out of the educational process of our own kids, and the increasing satanic influences in society, and the federal attacks on the religious communities, and the constantly increasing National debt that may now become insurmountable. Considering Alinsky’s methods in relationship to what’s happening in our Nation, how is our Nation doing now?

Let’s consider the second on our list of three “conspiracies.” Do you now believe that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) acted alone in perpetrating the COVID-19 pandemic upon the world? Would you be surprised to learn that there were those within our own Nation who secretly communicated with those within the Chinese government in a plan to release this virus upon the world? It was the plan to undermine the previous President’s policies which would have led him to an overwhelming election victory in 2020. Had he won, our Nation’s administrative state would have been dismantled, draining wealth and power from the reigning elite oligarchs. Since he failed in victory, the Chinese government was released from scrutiny allowing them to operate freely within our Nation, all thanks to “investments” made to the opposing political party elites and candidate. The CCP was willing to “Sacrifice” their own citizens to achieve their dictator’s political agenda. They have already proved this in their genocide of the Muslim Uyghurs.

Finally on our short list of three “conspiracies” will be the more recent events in the Middle East. Is anyone even a bit surprised that this “new” war broke out? Consider factors that led to this conflict. Muslims desire the destruction of the Israelis, and that conflict has gone on for centuries. That is a Biblical discussion to be had at another time. Events of late have accelerated the conflict. Our previous President had established The Abraham Accords, creating relationships between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. The Accords were nearing expansion to include potentially Saudi Arabia. This was a bridge too far for Palestinians, especially Hamas, the terrorist organization in control of the Gaza strip. Hamas does not want peace. They do not want a two-state solution, they want the total annihilation of the Jews. They knew the U.S. (the strongest ally of Israel) was weak and indecisive after watching our shameless retreat from Afghanistan, and our floundering defense of Ukraine. So, Hamas struck Israel in a massive precoordinated attack. Now here is where the “conspiracy” comes into play. Israel’s intelligence is supposed to be second to none, yet it found itself flatfooted when multiple breeches of Israel’s border were made, supposedly without warning. Why? How could this happen? Think this through for a minute. Sometimes it’s necessary to “sacrifice” a few for a perceived greater good. Iran funds and trains the Hamas terrorists. Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, and Israel will be first on the list for extermination by Iranian nukes. Israel needs a reason to preemptively go after Iran to destroy is nuclear capabilities. Allowing Hamas the time to commit atrocities in Israel gives ample reason for Israel to eliminate Hamas, and one can assume the aggressive nature of this action will undoubtedly draw other Muslim “nations”, including Iran, into the fray. This war is not simply about stopping the Hamas threat for a month or two, but it is about completely annihilating them. Acts of barbarism by Hamas lends justification for their annihilation by Israel. If other Muslim nations enter the war, only better to give justification for their destruction as well.

Are any of these “conspiracy theories” true? Only time will tell, and only after commissions have been formed, final documents written, and full disclosure occurs decades down the road. Our FREEDOM and LIBERTY in our Nation is always in jeopardy. Nothing can be taken for granted. There are always currents under the surface of activities that we do not see and cannot recognize. You need to realize that you are simply a pawn in a game of chess, and that makes you expendable, sacrificial. Trust in your own reasoning coupled with judicious research. Do not believe everything you are told, regardless of the source. Governments lie and contrive for their own gain, not for yours. “Some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice YOUR GOVERNMENT is willing to make.”