Senator Van Hollen and Secretary Rubio

Senator Van Hollen recently spoke before a committee where he confronted Secretary Rubio and said that he regretted having voted for him for Secretary of State. His comments were insulting, but, at the same time, they reveal the underlying problem that serves as the source for the tension that exists in our society today.

The problem is the way in which you define truth.

If you see yourself as the gauge by which all things are measured, then truth is whatever it is you want to believe in that moment. Should someone disagree with you, they’re not speaking the “truth,” so they can then be logically labeled a “liar.”

If they’re a “liar,” then they’re not merely mistaken, they’re immoral. If that person is a politician, they’re not a leader, they’re a tyrant. And those that support a tyrant aren’t voters, they’re Nazis.

This is the source of all the tension that exists in our society today. It’s not about USAID or Illegal Immigration or the Oval Office. Those are topics, but the tension is the way in which you define truth.

If you are you own bottom line, then you can dismiss the evidence that conclusively proves you to be wrong simply by declaring it to be irrelevant. Not because it’s anything less than conclusive, but simply because it makes you feel uncomfortable.

You have that power because you’ve authorized yourself to replace principles with preferences and reduced every incontrovertible fact to a situation where someone is forcing their beliefs on you.

You don’t want people to be fair, you want people to be quiet. You have to talk over your opponent because you don’t want the audience to hear what you can’t dispute. The great thing about the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is that it can be verified. Your corrupted version can only be allowed.

In this clip, Senator Van Hollen begins by declaring himself a victim. He’s disappointed and feels betrayed. By positioning yourself as someone who’s wounded, you’re able to get people to feel sorry for you which helps distract from the fact that you’re never going to get people to agree with you.

When Secretary Rubio referenced gang members being deported to El Salvador, Van Hollen did his best to talk over the Secretary insisting that what was being said was “unsubstantiated.” This goes back to the way in which you define truth. If you’re determined to force the world to function according to the way you feel as opposed to what is real, you will refer to anything you don’t want to hear as a lie, or, in this case, “unsubstantiated.”

Same sex marriage, Socialism, Abortion, Illegal Immigration…

These are not controversial issues. The “controversy” is embedded in the way you define you define truth.

To read more about the legal bottom lines that characterize the deportation of Albrego Garcia, click here.

My Imaginary Conversation with Oprah

Oprah has been quoted as having said that her view of God was changed after hearing her pastor refer to God as “jealous.” This is an imaginary conversation between Oprah and myself where I suggest that “jealousy,” when processed from a perspective that accommodates the Hebrew language, isn’t a reason to doubt the Character of God, rather it’s another reason to appreciate the Love of God.

Bruce: Oprah! How are you doing? Man, it’s a treat to be talking with you.

Oprah: Bruce, I’m doing great! What’s on your mind?

Bruce: I wanted to ask you about something I saw on the internet where you were apparently put off a little bit by your pastor referring to God as a “jealous” God. Here’s what I heard:

Years ago I went faithfully, 8 o’clock service, 12 o’clock service. I was a tither. I was making 227 dollars a week, and I tithed 22 dollars and 70 cents every week. But after Jim Jones led the mass suicide in Guyana, I started to feel differently. The church I went to had a really charismatic pastor—you had to show up early to get a seat—and I remember sitting there one Sunday while he was preaching about how “the Lord thy God is a jealous God, the Lord thy God will punish you for your sins.” I looked around and thought, “Why would God be jealous? What does that even mean?” And I’m looking at the people in the church, and everybody’s up, shouting. And I started wondering how many of these people—including myself—would be led to do whatever this preacher said. That’s when I started exploring taking God out of the box, out of the pew. And eventually I got to where I was able to see God in other people and in all things—in graciousness and kindness and generosity and the spirit of things1. Read more

Why Can’t I Share My Opinion?

On occasion, I’ll see a question posted in Quora and I’ll feel compelled to respond, just because the comments and responses are often devoid of any real attempt to push back against what amounts to a bogus conclusion.

Here’s an example…


Why can’t I share my opinion as a Christian about your sin when it is what I believe?

That was the question. Here’s one of the answers that got a number of positive “upvotes…”

No one is stopping you. Now lets talk about your sin. Yup we can do that.

Your problem is that you believe as a Christian you get to lecture other people and no one can respond in kind. Sorry it doesn’t work that way.

I would add sin is a religious concept, I don’t believe in religious concepts and I sure as heck am not required to follow your faiths views.


My response…

This, right here…

“I would add sin is a religious concept, I don’t believe in religious concepts and I sure as heck am not required to follow your faiths views.”

And what makes you think that I need to dismiss every historical reference to Christ, God, Providence, and the Supreme Judge of the Universe just because you want to be your own bottom line and you’re offended by the prospect of being accountable to something greater than yourself?

Anytime you hear someone say, “You can’t force your beliefs on me…” you’re hearing someone who wants to pretend that the world is nothing more than a collection of personal preferences and truth is whatever it is you want to believe.

Is the tomb empty?

If it isn’t, than it doesn’t matter. But if it is…

Then nothing else matters.

All your whinin’ about Christians being hypocrites – they didn’t die for your sins.

And stop looking at distortions of Christianity and labeling them expressions of Christ when you know that they’re not.

And drop that garbage about all religions being the same. They’re not. Every religion gives you the ability to earn your “salvation,” however you want to define it. Christianity says you’re a spiritual corpse and the only thing you contribute to your salvation is the sin that makes it necessary.

And stop thinking you’re making your point by being vulgar or sarcastic. Look, however the Resurrection resonates with you, you need to remember that when you sneer at it, you’re not just rolling your eyes at the church down the street or some posts you saw on social media. You’re spitting on the single greatest act of compassion in human history – God loving you so much that they actually invented a word to capture the physical, emotional, and psychological agony of the cross – excruciating (literally “of the cross”).

That’s what He did for you.

If you want to believe yourself to be a lucky accident just so you make up your own rules and insist that you’re a victim of a totalitarian system anytime someone points to the Bible or the Declaration of Independence or the motto on the back of our currency – that’s your baggage.

You’re not looking for the Truth, you’re looking for an excuse. And remember this: Anytime you say something stupid like, “What’s true for you isn’t true for me,” if that’s the case, according to your own logic, I can call you a liar and not be wrong.

Bottom line: In your mind, truth is what you want to believe, no one can force their beliefs on you, and you don’t want people to be fair, you want them to be quiet.

But…

That’s not the way the universe works, that’s not the testimony of history, and you don’t have a point, you have a problem.

Pack. Don’t Predict.

Why Did Jesus Walk On Water?Did He Say That?

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said. (Matt 14:25-29)

Take a minute and try to think of all the reasons why Peter might’ve hesitated in leaving the boat.

  • Did Jesus just tell me it was OK to leave the boat?
  • Did He actually say that, or am I just hearing what I want Him to say?
  • Do I want to walk on the water because I want to please Him, or am I being prideful?
  • Is He aware that there’s a storm happening right now?

There are always reasons to doubt and that’s why, regardless of the decision you’re getting ready to make, to some extent, you’re going to have to trust in Him.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb 11:6)

And while decisions are pretty easy to make, other decisions represent life altering consequences. But regardless of what’s at stake, the principle is always the same: If you’re going to walk on water, you’ve got to trust in Him.

You’re Never Going to Know

Some want to be able to take an inventory of their motives and ensure their intentions are pure…

The heart is deceitful above all thing and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jer 17:9 [see also Ps 51:5])

Some don’t want to move forward without being able to know all of what’s getting ready to happen…

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life…Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 7:27, 34)

Some want to be able to have complete confidence in discerning God’s direction for their lives…

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:21-25)

Neither your intellect nor your intentions are immune to the influence of sin. That’s why faith is so important because it’s only His Voice and His Strength that’s going to prove be both dependable and accurate.

You have God’s “Word” that He will guide your thoughts and your actions…

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. (Ps 143:8)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5-6)

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (Rom 8:6)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:1-2)

Pack, Don’t Predict

Imagine you’re getting ready to go to the beach for a long weekend. You’re going to pack based on the amount of time you’re going to be there and the things you plan to do.

If you try to anticipate everything that might happen, not only do you wind up with an outrageous amount of luggage, but there’s a chance you may never leave your house because of your inability to predict all that may occur while you’re gone.

God asks us to pack (Prov 11:14). He never asks us to predict.

He’s always willing to give us direction (Jas 1:5), but He rarely gives us a full description of all that we can expect. He didn’t tell Abraham where he was headed, He didn’t tell Moses how the Red Sea was going to part, He didn’t tell Gideon how he was going to defeat the Midianites, and He didn’t tell Joseph that this son would be born in a stable.

He just told them to pack.

You Always Have a Reason

As long as you’re a part of the human race, you will have both the capacity and the inclination to doubt. You’re never going to be able to remove every question mark. As certain as you may be, or as obvious as the situation may appear, there will always be something to justify a reason to stop, wait, hesitate, or doubt.

Even a burning bush wasn’t enough to convince Moses that he would succeed (Ex 4:13). Paul had seen Christ alive, but was still able to feel completely overwhelmed by circumstance that appeared hopeless (2 For 1:8-10).

And Peter had heard Jesus say it was alright to step out of the boat. But the moment he was able to take a logical inventory of his surroundings, he found all kinds of reasons to second guess his decision.

You will always have a reason to doubt, but, more importantly, you will always, have a reason to trust in Him.

It’s wise to confirm God’s Direction in your life (1 Jn 4:1). But if you’re ever going to walk on water – if you’re going to be obedient and realize God’s Purpose for whatever lies on the other side the decision you need to make – that first step is going to require some faith.

Too often we get distracted by the default uncertainty that accompanies our attempts to answer the question “How do I know?”

Perhaps the question you need to be asking yourself is, “Why do I doubt?”

Pack.

Don’t Predict.

Saturday, August 23rd

Muscular Christianity Workout

  • Date: Saturday, August 23rd
  • Time: 7:00 am- 8:00 am
  • Place: C Building, Thompsons Station Church |2604 Thompson’s Station Road East | Thompson’s Station, Tennessee 37179

No charge, no commitment!

This is a workout featuring military grade calisthenics as they’re typically at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Headed up by a nine year veteran of the USMC and a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, this is a great workout that will last for about 45 minutes and conclude with a short Bible study taken from the “Muscular Christianity: 90 Day Workout Plan.”

Text Bruce Gust at 615.618.2059 to confirm your seat!

See you then!

Click here for more information about the “Muscular Christianity” Bible Study being offered at TSC!

Jesus Was a Liberal…?

There was a question posed on Quora that asked, “Jesus is coming back and He hates what liberals are doing. Do you think liberals will be able to stand against Jesus?”

Most of the responses insisted that Christ was a Liberal and anyone who disagrees with the Liberal platform opposes Christ and the gospel.

Here’s my response…

Here’s the problem…

Truth.

You want to believe that unless a Christian is giving money or giving in, they’re either a hypocrite or cruel and hateful.

That’s not how it works.

Any virtue deployed in the absence of Truth is nothing more than a vice disguised as a courtesy. Charity is a subsidy, diversity is contamination, justice is favoritism, and love is pure selfishness.

That’s a hard pill to swallow for someone who’s been conditioned to see themselves as their own absolute, especially if they like to perceive themselves as sophisticated and compassionate.

And you can do that when you are the gauge by which all things are measured. There are no Principles, only Preferences, which is why anytime you try to push back against their narrative they feel completely justified in saying, “You can’t force your beliefs on me.”

Jesus was very vocal in talking about how you are to take care of the orphans and widows (Jas 1:27). He talks about when you feed the hungry and give the thirsty something to drink, you’re doing that as unto Him (Matt 25:35–40).

But He also talks about the wise and the foolish builders (Matt 7:24–27), as well as the importance of hard work (Matt 25: 14–30). He also talks about shooting yourself in the foot and then trying to blame your pain on the person or principle that told you not to pull the trigger to begin with (Gal 6:7).

Liberals applaud people who drive on the wrong side of the road because of the way it allows them to ignore the flow of traffic themselves. Any notion of being accountable to Someone greater than themselves is demonized as legalistic and narrow minded. Their image of Christ is Someone Who smiles at what put Him on the cross and what puts people in hell.

Again, that’s not the way it works (Matt 7:23; Rom 6:23).

The question isn’t whether or not God loves you. Rather, it’s whether or not you love God (Jn 14:21). And just like there’s a difference between loving your enemy and enabling them, there’s also a distinction between Christian charity and destructive subsidies.

And what is that difference?

Truth (Prov 1:7; 2 Thess 2:10–12).

How Do You Know?

If you were asked, “How do you know that Jesus really did die and come back to life?” how would you respond, if you couldn’t point to the Bible as a Resource?

It’s Current

We wouldn’t still be talking about the Resurrection today unless it really happened.

Simon Ben Kosiba is one of a handful of “counterfeit” Jewish Messiahs that were revered as fulfillments of Old Testament prophecy, but we don’t hear about them today because…

…they’re dead.

It works.

You live your life according to biblical principles, you benefit. If you opt to ignore those same principles, you have to deal with the consequences.

Some may respond by saying, “Well, it works for you…” While that’s not always the case, more often than not, that response comes from a mindset that wants to reduce the world to a collection of personal preferences in order to justify maintaining themselves as their own bottom line.

If you’re not sinning, then you’re not lying, you’re not stealing, and you’re loving your neighbor as yourself. You’re on a much better path than if you were doing things differently and that applies to everyone.

It makes sense.

Every “religion” empowers the individual with the ability to facilitate their own salvation. After a while, that starts to sound a little suspicious in that the focus is more on you and what you’re capable of despite the obvious limitations of the human condition.  As a Christian, the only thing you contribute to your salvation is the sin that makes it necessary. That makes more sense in that the emphasis is now more on God – Who He is and what He’s capable of rather than on the individual and what they’re obviously not able to do.

For further reading, check out COEXIST.

Chapters and Verses

I’m thinking there is a war being fought on two fronts.

  • there’s the battle that’s happening in the secular marketplace where godless agendas are being disguised as either scientific sounding conclusions or emotionally distraught appeals
  • …then there’s the tension that exists in the church where you’ve got some believers advocating a faith that is either withdrawn or corrupted as a response to the philosophical demons knocking on the front door of both our nation and our homes

Some of what’s out there is easy to spot. Bogus narratives that border on outrageous are obvious. And then there’s the dynamic that becomes suspect when all you hear is a negative spin on that individual or that idea that deviates from the headline being featured in today’s news. After a while it becomes easy to dismiss what is obviously a biased perspective based more on personal baggage than it is objective analysis.

But it becomes really convoluted when you start hearing things from behind the pulpit that sound biblically credible according to certain passages of Scripture, yet lack substance when held up to the whole of God’s Word.

I’m being told by some Christian commentators that God doesn’t care about Politics, that I need to repent of my support of systemic racism and to stay off of social media. Couple that with the incessant criticism of Conservative Politics and everything it supposedly represents and it can get confusing.

Chapter and Verse

Truth is like a bird; it cannot fly on one wing. Yet we are forever trying to take off with one wing flapping furiously and the other tucked neatly out of sight. Many of the doctrinal divisions among the churches are the result of a blind and stubborn insistence that truth has but one wing. Each side holds tenaciously to one text, refusing grimly to acknowledge the validity of the other.

A.W. Tozer

“Chapter and verse!” is a line that’s used from time to time when somebody want to challenge the biblical validity of a point that’s being made. But as the conversation becomes more populated with videos and blogs and channels and talk shows, you can’t allow yourself to be content with a mere “chapter and verse…” Now, you’ve got to vet things with “chapters and verses.”

And I don’t mean just searching the Bible for as many verses as you can find that support your preferred take on a particular issue. I mean, “digging” to find all of what God has to say about a situation because it’s not uncommon to find that more than one verse applies. And unless you’re taking that kind of approach, something’s going to get left out and your convictions, however passionate, will be similar to a bird attempting to fly on one wing (see side bar).

Potentially Unhealthy Distraction

For example, to say that God doesn’t care about politics is a reasonable position to take given the priority that God places on a person’s eternal health.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt 10:28)

This is good, and pleases God our Savior,4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:3-4)

 And then when you look at the way the angel responded to Joshua in chapter five:

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

It’s obvious that our focus should be on our relationship to God through Christ and to pay too much attention to other matters such as politics is to engage in a potentially unhealthy distraction.

But that’s not all the Bible has to say about rulers or politics in general.

But That’s Not All…

First of all, when you look at Joshua 5:13-14, the sturdy soldier that Joshua was questioning was not referring to the cause he was championing when he gave his answer. Rather, he was telling Joshua he was neither a member of the garrison of Jericho, nor was he a part of the Israeli army – he was the commander of God’s Army. The Agenda that he had, however, was very much in line with the Israeli army, not because the Israelites were deserving or capable of a military victory, but because they were advancing the Truth and, this case, the Justice of God.

It’s not so much that the God was on the side of the Israelites, although the dramatic wins that characterized the Campaign of the Promised Land might suggest that. The fact of the matter was the Israelites were on God’s side and that’s what made all the difference (Ps 44:3).

That’s the “thing” that qualifies virtually any discipline, topic, event or candidate as an entity that merits God’s Interest and Attention. To suggest that the only time He involves Himself is when the subject matter pertains to the issue of Salvation exclusively is to ignore the way in which God is revealed in Scripture.

God works through human institutions and authorities to accomplish His Purposes. You see that in the way He hardened Pharaoh’s heart to facilitate the Exodus. He used King Cyrus to give the Israelites the legislative green light they needed in order to begin rebuilding Jerusalem. He used Quirinius to institute a census that would bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, He used taxes to illustrate how we are to allocate our sense of duty and responsibility.

The Old Testament devotes four books to chronicle the actions of all the kings of Israel,1 we’re commanded to pray for kings and those in positions of authority that we might live peaceful and godly lives, He stresses the importance of godly leadership by highlighting how citizens beneath the tyrannical boot of a wicked ruler  are miserable. He commends godly leadership, He despises evil rulers, He hates dishonest scales and He encourages political involvement.

Furthermore, “…there are 642 verses that refer to law, laws and lawlessness. There are 211 verses that refer to judgment, judges, and judging, and 561 verses that speak about justice. There are 195 verses that talk about courts, 301 verses that talk about ruling and rulers, and 100 verses that speak of governing and government. And, finally, in case you still think that God doesn’t care about politics, law and government, remember what the Old Testament prophet Isaiah said about the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6).”2

God cares about Politics.

Too often, well meaning believers unwittingly side with an evil campaign convinced that the questions which would otherwise reveal insufficient answers are irrelevant if not cruel. As a result, Truth is replaced with accuracy and the shortfall is allowed to metastasize right up to the point when the curtain is finally drawn but by then it’s too late.

A Comprehensive Application of God’s Word

And the reason He cares about Politics is the same reason He cares about anything else and that is because He is working in and through every nuance of the human experience. No one is on the bench. Everyone of us is on the field and we all operate in the context of His Sovereignty and, as believers, we’re all expected to be making a difference and not just an appearance.

That’s why we pray, that’s why we vote and that’s why we pay attention to what’s going on so when it’s time to act we can do so based on convictions that aren’t just informed, but they’ve been vetted using a comprehensive application of God’s Word…

…not just a “chapter and a verse.”

Noble Sounding Phrases

The enemy rarely packages his plans in the context of something that’s obviously sinister. Bogus and even wicked agendas are frequently delivered in the context of noble sounding phrases designed to make a lie appear to be a victimized and helpless underdog. Too often, well meaning believers unwittingly side with an evil campaign convinced that the questions which would otherwise reveal insufficient answers are irrelevant if not cruel. As a result, Truth is replaced with accuracy and the shortfall is allowed to metastasize right up to the point when the curtain is finally drawn but by then it’s too late.

The fact of the matter is if those believers who insist that we need to withdraw from volatile issues such as politics and cultural hot buttons were alive in 1776, the Declaration of Independence would never have been written. And if those who believe that politics and matters of state need to be completely divorced from one another had constituted the bulk of those who fought for independence, not only would the Revolutionary War not have occurred, but the philosophical framework that supports our approach to government would’ve looked more like the failed French Revolution that was based on humanism as opposed to the successful war for independence that was based on a Divine Absolute.

We engage, we stay informed and we converse. We don’t let the inaccurate narratives go unchallenged, we see through the misleading headlines and we stand by the Absolutes as expressed in Scripture as liberating and beneficial and not cruel and antiquated.

This is all not only possible but genuinely inspiring when done in a way that’s bold and enthusiastic and based on, not just those portions of Scripture that appeal to our potentially biased preferences…

…but expressed in a way that’s based on Scripture as a whole resulting in a platform that is both True and Inviting.

It’s not just a “chapter and a verse.”

It’s “chapters and verses.”

1. First and Second Kings, First and Second Chronicles. Also, the book of Ezra and Nehemiah include substantial content that reveal the political climate of the time.
2. “First Person: Does God Care Abo0ut Politics”, David Shelley, Baptist Press, August 30, 2010, https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-does-god-care-about-politics/, accessed December 27, 2020

Atheism

atheistBeing an Atheist is often promoted by its adherents as an enlightened and liberating approach to life in that it’s unhindered by “ancient texts” and the restrictions that those religious paradigms attach to their followers. But strip away liturgy and dogma and religion is whatever a person uses to answer four basic questions:

• How did life begin? (Origin)
• How am I supposed to be behave (Morality)
• What’s the point of my existence? (Meaning)
• Is there life after death? (Destiny)

How you answer those questions is captured in your religious convictions. From that standpoint, the atheist is just as “religious” as they’re Christian counterpart, the only difference is that they choose to answer those questions according to a completely humanistic paradigm, which in some ways requires more faith than the faith deployed by a born again believer.

Here’s the thing: Hiding beneath the atheist’s indignant refusal to accept anything other than what can be proven or understood, is a desperate attempt to make a world based on mathematical absurdities, philosophical dead ends and indefinite moral boundaries sound fulfilling. When you dismiss God from the equation, all that you have left to explain and legitimize your existence is both temporary and relative. You are a lucky accident hoping that the next level of success and gratification translates to a lasting confidence that you matter and your life has meaning.

The problem is, regardless of how noble or stimulating your experiences may be, if everything is relative, than you yourself are relative and everything is inconclusive. In short, you don’t have a foundation, only an imaginary paradigm rooted in a self absorbed mindset that has no chance of being validated because of the way it attempts to make itself its own philosophical bottom line. And not only is it an epic fail from a logical standpoint, the end result of a resolve to establish one’s self as their own god is an empty and altogether pointless existence compared to the Compassion and Intentional Design represented by the Message of the Gospel and the Power of God.

Let’s take a look…

The Meaning of Life

As far as the “meaning of life” is concerned, according to the atheist, one’s purpose and significance is derived from the pleasant things in their life.

David Niose is an attorney who has served as president of two Washington-based humanist advocacy groups, the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America. He is author of Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans and Fighting Back the Right: Reclaiming America from the Attack on Reason. In an article written for Psychology Today, he elaborates on how both the godly and the godless can find rich meaning in their lives. He says:

Having rejected myth and ancient texts as authorities for defining life’s purpose, nonbelievers get meaning and joy from family, friends, loved ones, nature, art and music, and their work.

But life isn’t always pleasant. Julian Baggini takes note of this in an article entitled, “Yes, Life Without God Can be Bleak. Atheism is About Facing up to That.” It’s part of a series of articles featured in The Guardian designed to, “…redraw the battle lines in the God wars and establish a new heathen manifesto.” He says:

Given how the atheist stereotype has been one of the dark, brooding existentialist gripped by the angst of a purposeless universe, this is understandable. But frankly, I think we’ve massively overcompensated, and in doing so we’ve blurred an important distinction. Atheists should point out that life without God can be meaningful, moral and happy. But that’s “can” not “is” or even “should usually be.”  And that means it can just as easily be meaningless, nihilistic and miserable.

So, whether it’s joy or despair, for the atheist, purpose and significance is derived from however you choose to respond to the circumstances you either manufacture or those that simply happen.

The problem, though, is that there is no point. Pleasure and joy in and of themselves are sensations and not destinations. First of all, deriving your sense of purpose from the amount of pleasure you experience in whatever areas you engage requires an ever increasing degree of stimulation to keep you convinced that you have value. Secondly, even if you want to say that you’re getting pleasure from being philanthropic and giving sacrificially, you can’t posit your definition of what constitutes a noble purpose as something that means anything because if there is no such thing as an Absolute, then there is no Standard by which you can measure your life to prove that you have any real merit. And however you want to insist that “society” or “civilized people” will appreciate your contribution, the fact is you have value only for as long as you’re surrounded by people who agree with your philosophical manifesto.

On the other hand…

You were created by a loving God with a Purpose that resonates as both meaningful and eternal. You don’t concern yourself with “positive thinking,” instead you engage in “profound thinking.” With that approach, you’re not simply being selective in what you want to think about, instead you focus on the One Who your circumstances answer to knowing that “all things work together for the good of those who love Him. (Rom 8:28)”

Morals

As a Christian, you base your morals on the Absolutes as they’re communicated in Scripture. An atheist, on the other hand, believes that ethics and morals flow from a natural desire to thrive both as individuals and in the context of community. In his essay, “Ethics Without God,” Frank Zindler, former President and current Board Member of American Atheists, explains the difference between “enlightened self-interest” and “un-enlightened self-interest.”

The principle of “enlightened self-interest” is an excellent first approximation to an ethical principle which is both consistent with what we know of human nature and is relevant to the problems of life in a complex society. Let us examine this principle. First we must distinguish between “enlightened” and “unenlightened” self-interest. Let’s take an extreme example for illustration. Suppose you lived a totally selfish life of immediate gratification of every desire. Suppose that whenever someone else had something you wanted, you took it for yourself. It wouldn’t be long at all before everyone would be up in arms against you, and you would have to spend all your waking hours fending off reprisals. Depending upon how outrageous your activity had been, you might very well lose your life in an orgy of neighborly revenge. The life of total but unenlightened self-interest might be exciting and pleasant as long as it lasts – but it is not likely to last long. The person who practices “enlightened” self-interest, by contrast, is the person whose behavioral strategy simultaneously maximizes both the intensity and duration of personal gratification. An enlightened strategy will be one which, when practiced over a long span of time, will generate ever greater amounts and varieties of pleasures and satisfactions.

He goes on to reinforce the idea that our personal approach to ethics will inevitably be driven by our natural regard for a healthy community:

Because we have the nervous systems of social animals, we are generally happier in the company of our fellow creatures than alone. Because we are emotionally suggestible, as we practice enlightened self-interest we usually will be wise to choose behaviors which will make others happy and willing to cooperate and accept us – for their happiness will reflect back upon us and intensify our own happiness. On the other hand, actions which harm others and make them unhappy – even if they do not trigger overt retaliation which decreases our happiness – will create an emotional milieu which, because of our suggestibility, will make us less happy.

In short, the person who does not believe in God sees morality as an enlightened application of those behaviors that are most beneficial to himself and his neighbors.

Creation

Typically, atheists tend to believe in Evolution as being the driving force behind the initiation of the universe and humanity.

In a speech entitled, “Evolution and Atheism: Best friends Forever,” given by Jerry Coyne at FFRF‘s 39th annual convention in Pittsburgh on October 8th, 2017, he said this:

Here’s my thesis for the evening: The fact of evolution is not only inherently atheistic, it is inherently anti-theistic. It goes against the notion that there is a god. Accepting evolution and science tends to promote the acceptance of atheism. Now, it doesn’t always, of course. There are many religious people who accept evolution. I would say they’re guilty of cognitive dissonance, or at least of some kind of watery deism. The path from going to an evolutionary biologist to an atheist is pretty straightforward. You write a book on evolution with the indubitable facts showing that it has to be true, as true as the existence of gravity or neutrons, and then you realize that half of America is not going to buy it no matter what you say. Their minds cannot be changed; their eyes are blinkered.

Mutations are random, and where there is order, it can be explained by an organism’s need to adapt to it’s environment. In other words, according to the atheist, God is completely unnecessary, as far as being able to explain the origin of the universe and the precise organization that characterizes both organisms and the inorganic material found in nature. While there are many brilliant minds, both throughout history and in today’s scientific community who disagree, according to some atheists, the science that backs up the claim that life is the result of evolution is conclusive and isn’t questioned by any rationale human being.

Life After Death

While most religions advocate the idea of life after death, the atheist does not. In their spiritual universe, once you take your last breath, you simply cease to exist. The well known physicist, Stephen Hawking, captures that notion in a 2011 interview he did with The Guardian.

“I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail,” he told the Guardian. “There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”
What’s So Great About Christianity?

John Polkinghorne was professor of mathematical physics at the University of Cambridge from 1968 to 1979. He is among those who looked at the same data as Jerry Coyne and came to the exact opposite conclusion.

In addition, here’s a partial list of leading scientists who were believers: Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Brahe, Descrates, Bolye, Newton, Leibiz, Gassendi, Pascal, Mersenne, Cuvier, Harvey, Dalton, Faraday, Herschel, Joule, Lyell, Lavoisier, Priestley, Levin, Ohm, Ampere, Steno, Pasteur, Maxwell, Palnck, Mendel. A good number of these scientists were clergymen. Gassendi and Mersenne were priests. So was Georges Lemaitre, the Belgian astronomer who first proposed the “Big Bang” theory of the universe. Mendel, whose discovery of the principles of heredity would provide vital support for the theory of evolution, spent his entire life as a monk in an Augustinian monastery.

Where would science be without these men? Some were Protestant and some were Catholic, but all saw their scientific vocation in distinctively Christian terms.

1 John Polkinghorne himself resigned his chair to study for the priesthood, becoming an ordained Anglican priest in 1982. He served as the president of Queens’ College, Cambridge, from 1988 until 1996.

You Have Nothing to Start With, So…

Part of what makes the mindset of the atheist so nonsensical is the way in which they assume the existence of the laws and materials necessary to create life. Unless you can explain the origin of the intangibles that govern the manner in which the physical world operates, you’re not explaining how all of these things came to be anymore than describing traffic patterns explains the origin of an automobile.

In Mathematics you have what is called the Null Set. It’s a symbol that represents a value that doesn’t exist. For example, Let A = {x : 9 < x < 10, x is a natural number}. There is no natural number that exists between 9 and 10. 

To satisfactorily explain the origin of the universe, your starting point must be the cosmological equivalent to the Null Set as far as having neither matter nor math. In other words, you have neither raw materials nor ordered systems within which these assumed materials can interact with one another. You have nothing to start with. So, you can’t have a “Big Bang,” because you have no Laws of Physics that would dictate an explosion nor do you have any materials that could combine in a way that could potentially combust. And however someone might want to steer clear of a Divine Personality (as opposed to a stoic machine) lurking behind the invention of all that’s necessary to “create,” this same “force” must also be capable of creating beauty, love, peace and joy – things that exist outside the realm of material things.

It’s here where the futility of an atheist’s viewpoint becomes obvious. When the material precision of the created order coupled with the intangible realities of the human experience are fully appreciated, the mathematical impossibilities are so extensive, what is thrust upon the public as enlightened sophistication is revealed as a self absorbed desperation on the part of the atheist to declare himself as his own absolute.

The fact is, you have any one of a number of brilliant and accomplished minds who believe that God, not Random Selection, is the impetus behind the universe and all of life as we know it (see sidebar). So, for Jerry Coyne and those who think like him to insist that Evolution is a foregone conclusion, they’re either oblivious or indifferent to any platform save their own.

You Are Your Own Bottom Line

While all religions agree that humanity is flawed, only Christianity posits the idea that man can’t make things right on his own. So, whether a person defines themselves as a Muslim or an atheist, both are subscribing to a “religion” that positions man as his own spiritual remedy and with that choice comes a morality that’s used to advance a person’s spiritual status in the eyes of their chosen deity.

With Islam, you’re abiding by the morals outline in the  Q’uaran to please Allah. As a Buddhist, your morals are aligned with whatever best achieves Nirvana. As an atheist, your morals are crafted in a manner that best satisfy whatever requirements you have prescribed for yourself.

Those religions that direct the attention of their followers to either a supernatural personality or a heightened sense of well being generally require some kind of discipline or self-denial in that you are answering to someone or something other than yourself. An atheist, on the other hand, answers only to himself. That doesn’t mean they are, by default, depraved. What it does mean is that theirs is the only signature required on the hypothetical document that outlines what is wrong versus what is right. And though they may insist that their morals are configured so as to benefit society, it is still their definition of what is beneficial that dictates their moral code. In other words, as an atheist you are your own bottom line. And however that perspective is cloaked in noble sounding verbiage, it is still a scenario where the Absolute of God is replaced with the absolute of one’s self.

What’s the Point?

From the perspective of an atheist, you live however you choose. There is no transcendent moral standard that everyone is obligated to conform to. Any “good” that one does is purely subjective and whatever “unenlightened self-interest” you may be guilty of, the repercussions, while they may be unfortunate, are not errors that you are to be held accountable for by some eternal scorekeeper. Thomas Jefferson held that the notion of an eternal source of accountability provided an effective motivation to do good and avoid evil.

A firm believer in man’s free will, he [Thomas Jefferson] thought that good works were the way to salvation and that rewards and punishments for actions on earth were “an important incentive” for people to act ethically.2

But then again, what is “good” if there is no Absolute basis for it? And for that matter, what is “evil?” If the only absolute the atheist is willing to acknowledge is the absolute of themselves, then everything about their existence is conditioned according to what they’re willing to observe, experience and accept. Not only are they their own moral bottom line, but they themselves become the standard by which the entire universe is measured. Moreover, if their argument is to have any validity, then every member of the human race needs to be able to discriminate however their perspective dictates as well. So, the end result is a never ending tension between the way in which one person defines something as morally substantive and another individual can look at the same thing and dismiss it as either inconsequential or even sinister.

In short, there is no “meaning,” only the extent to which one’s appetites can be momentarily gratified. And even then, if the only object is to punctuate the tedium of one’s existence with as many temporary stimulations as possible, at what juncture does it become unavoidable to ask, “What’s the point?

Conclusion

There’s really no such thing as an atheist.  If “god” is whatever you use to answer the philosophical questions that require a response from every human being as far as one’s origin, life after death, right versus wrong and what’s the point of a person’s existence, then the atheist is simply declaring “god” to be the one that stares back at them in the mirror every morning.

Now…

• the individual can claim themselves to be a product of Natural Selection and therefore owes God no acknowledgement for their birth or existence
• the individual can define their own morality and completely ignore God’s commands
• the individual can view life as nothing more than a dash between two dates and deny there’s a Divine Purpose to be lived out and enjoyed
• the individual can deny any accountability to a Higher Power other than themselves and death is now nothing more than a last gasp with no reward or chastisement to consider afterwards

But it’s not a liberation, it’s an incarceration. The atheist has fastened a philosophical ball and chain to their ankle by insisting that anything which can’t be fit on the dinner plate of the human intellect simply doesn’t belong on the table. A person may think that they don’t need God, but in the absence of God all they have is themselves. Not only is that a poor substitute… …it’s a poison that restricts a man to fulfillments that can’t last, accomplishments that can be undone and a death that can only be mourned.

For further reading…

Christianity – It Cannot be Believed by a Thinking Person
G-R-A-V-I-T-Y

1. “What’s So Great About Christianity”, Dinesh D’Souza, Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois, 2007, p99
2. “Jefferson’s Religious Beliefs”, monticello.org, https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jeffersons-religious-beliefs, accessed December 31, 2020

Racism: Absolutely Not

I) Trinity Missionary Baptist Church

When I was stationed in HI, I was a member of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church which was right outside the gates of Pearl Harbor. I was the only white person in the congregation. I played drums as part of their music ministry and it was an extraordinary experience!

There was never even the slightest hint of racial tension. It wasn’t about ethnicity, it was all about God’s grace. Yes, it was a little awkward when I first walked in. I was a guest of the organ player and when I determined to join that first morning, no one was especially sure what I was doing. But the first Wednesday night rehearsal that all changed when it became apparent that I could groove.

We made an album, we were nominated for an award that had us in tuxedos and evening gowns. We played all over the island and sometimes our Sunday morning worship services went beyond three hours. It was an amazing experience. And not just from the standpoint of the sweet, sanctified funk that we created. I had never eaten ribs before and I still remember the sound of a kettle of black eyed peas being poured into a serving bowl…

Nasty!

Autographed copy of "My Life With Dr. Martin Luther King" I received from Correta Scott King

Signed copy of “My Life With Dr. Martin Luther King” Coretta Scott King was kind enough to autograph for me.

But can you see why I’m not just baffled but even frustrated how the flame of “race” is constantly being fanned by people who seem to thrive on division? They make these outrageous statements, they assert these realities that intentionally ignore the fact that racism exists primarily in the minds of those who can benefit by it – either by the acquisition of votes and power or the proliferation of the idea it’s not necessary to take responsibility for one’s actions.

Are there individuals out there that disgrace themselves by attempting to elevate themselves at the expense of another based solely on the pigmentation of their skin?

Sure.

Pride and ignorance are sicknesses that some make no attempt to remedy with the healing medicine of common sense and Truth.

But to cite injustice and bigotry as the primary reason why many minorities are poor and, in some cases, lawless requires an intentional dismissal of those statistics that reveal poor choices being made due to absence of character.

Choosing to drop out of High School, choosing to get pregnant out of wedlock, in some cases, even choosing to remain unemployed because of the government subsidies that can be obtained by remaining jobless, are choices and not situations that are forced upon you.

What is Racism?

Racism is defined as “the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.” In up until the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the term “Racism” described the discrimination and the persecution represented by Jim Crowe laws, the KKK, segregation and the myriad of ways in which black people were excluded and prevented from being able to engage those opportunities that were otherwise available to everyone else. It wasn’t just unfair, in some instances, it was violent to the point of being lethal.

Today Racism is much different. In addition to things like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Affirmative Action which, taken together, make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or sex, being racist is considered by most to be a dishonorable and an offensive mindset.

Still, there are some very vocal types who insist that racism is still very much alive and well in the form of job discrimination, housing discrimination, racial profiling, police brutality, the school to prison pipeline, the practice of “stop and frisk” as well as harsher prison sentences.

On the surface, some of these observations appear credible. But upon closer inspection, it’s evident that there are other factors that play a substantial role in producing the environments and the circumstances that some minorities lament as being solely the result of a system that is intent on persecuting and limiting the African American community.

Let’s take a look…

II) How Can You Argue That Racism is not a Driving Factor in Income Inequality?

How can you argue that racism is not a driving factor in income inequality?  That was the question posed to Ben Shapiro in a recent round table discussion. He responded by saying, “Because it has nothing to do with race and everything to do with culture.” His response made the other two featured speakers laugh, as though what he was suggesting was ludicrous to the point of being comical (click here to view the video).

The thing is, it’s not just income inequality that drives the race issue. The underlying mantra of those who insist that the US is still a racist country is that if you’re black, you’re:

…and all this because of an prejudiced system that is resolved to oppress you simply because of your ethnicity.

III) A Deeply Racist Country

The first question on the table is: “Is poverty a result of racism?” Is it the pigmentation of one’s skin and the way in which some will unjustly attach a series of character flaws to a person’s ethnicity – is that what produces the community of minorities who struggle to generate enough revenue to put food on the table?

According to an article by Chris Arnade, America is still a deeply racist country. He says:

We tell the stories of success and say: see anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, further denigrating those who can’t escape poverty. It plays into the false and pernicious narrative that poverty is somehow a fault of desire, a fault of intelligence, a fault of skills. No, poverty is not a failing of the residents of Hunts Point who are just as decent and talented as anyone else. Rather it is a failing of our broader society.

In another article, he compares a New York City prostitute named Takeesha and a Wall Street trader named “Mr. One-Glove.”

Takeesha was raped by a family member at 11, and pimped by another family member at the age of 13. She ran away and is now supporting herself and her drug habit by charging men $50.00 a pop for having sex with her. At the time of the article, she was serving in time for prison for possession.

Meanwhile, Mr One Glove, who, while he is not guilty of anything illegal, his practices are often unethical. Yet, because of the world he lives in, with the right lawyer, he won’t go to jail. If anything, he’ll profit all the more. Arnade goes on to say that we have built two separate societies: One is characterized by privilege and opportunity, the other is impoverished and doomed to a lifetime of limited options.

And because most of these poverty-stricken neighborhoods are predominantly black, the conclusion is that Racism is the cause of poverty and the “have’s” and the “have-not’s” are divided according to ethnicity and nothing more.

But while Arnade articulates an eloquent summary of what many feel to be a brand of racism that mirrors the sixties – but in a more sinister and subtle way – there are others in the black community who feel very differently.

IV) If All Whites Were to Move to Canada and Europe

Robert Woodson is the founder and president of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise. He says, “I tell people, what is your solution? If all whites tomorrow were to move to Canada and Europe, tell me how it would affect the black on black crime rate, how would it it affect the out-of-wedlock births, how would it affect the spread of AIDS? How would it affect those issues?”

“What I’m saying to Black America, we must stop victimization. We must stop complaining about what white folks have done to us in the past. We must go into ourselves, as Dr. King said, and find indelible ink — our own emancipation proclamation.”

CNN’s Don Lemon offered some commentary that inspired all kinds of negative reaction on social media when he claimed that the black community needed to clean up their act and that much of what they claimed to be a result of racial prejudice was, in fact, a collection of financial and social burdens of their own making.

Morgan Freeman added to Lemon’s perspective in an interview with Mike Wallace. At one point he says that he doesn’t want a “Black History Month” – that Black History is American History. When Wallace responds by asking, “How are we going to get rid of Racism?”, Freeman answers by saying, “Quit talking about it.” He goes on to say that he’s going to stop calling Wallace a “white man” and he expects Wallace to quit calling him a “black man.”

The idea being that we stop emphasizing the differences in order to better appreciate the commonalities.

V) What Happens at a Traffic Light

But what are the commonalities? From a positive point of view, we’re all human beings and bear the Fingerprint of our Creator. With that comes dignity, value and a capacity to do extraordinary things.

“…it’s your responsibility”

We’re responsible for our actions in:

We’re all also responsible for our actions. Think about this: When a motorist approaches a traffic light, they’re obligated to stop if it’s red. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a man or woman driving the car, nor is their ethnic background relevant. In that moment, the only thing that matters is the fact that they’re responsible for stopping their car.

Should they choose to not stop, the laws of physics do not delineate according to gender, income or race. Don Lemmon’s commentary focused on five issues, one of them being the number of unwed mothers in the black community.

Should you conceive a child as an unwed mother, you are:

  • more likely to grow up in a single-parent household
  • experience unstable living arrangements
  • live in poverty, and have socio-emotional problems

As these children reach adolescence, they are more likely to:

  • have low educational attainment
  • engage in sex at a younger age
  • have a birth outside of marriage themselves

As young adults, children born outside of marriage are more likely to:

  • be idle (neither in school nor employed)
  • have lower occupational status and income
  • have more troubled marriages and more divorces than those born to married parents

The above statistics are not true for just one particular people group. Rather, they’re true for everyone. Just like the aforementioned traffic light, should you choose to disregard the boundaries that constitute moral behavior, the repercussions that ensue are not partial to any one ethnicity.

Regardless if you’re black or white, the unwed mother is obligated to travel a road fraught with financial difficulties and professional hardships. And what’s tragic is that she also places her child on a fatherless path that provides fertile soil for all kinds of rebellious behavior.

In 2013, 72% of all black babies were born to unwed mothers. In speaking with a source who has over 25 years experience in law enforcement, he reinforced the above numbers by adding the fact that the child born to an unwed mother is typically raised by the grandmother until they’re old enough to attend school. By that point, they’re coming home to a situation that’s unsupervised and, in the absence of a strong father figure, they’re enticed by the sinister characters in their neighborhood that have the money and the car – all of which were obtained in the context of vice.

These are the individuals that are revered as role models. Meanwhile, their hormones inspire them to seek out intimate encounters with the opposite sex and, in the absence of an individual who’s either willing, or at least capable, of teaching them the advantages of moral behavior, the cycle perpetuates itself.

Recognize that the decisions being made in the context of the above scenarios are not a result of a “system,” nor is it a situation where one is being forced to engage in a collection of activities that are neither wise nor moral. Rather, it’s a matter of the will.

In 2013, 72% of the African American couples who engaged in an illicit sexual encounter chose to do so knowing full well they were running a red light.

VI) You Need Money to Pay the Bills

Imagine the situation confronting a young, unwed mother with a newborn. Whatever aspirations they may have had for furthering their education are now superseded by the need to get a job in order to support her child. Her marketable skills are typical of her age group which translates to a minimum wage paying position. Even the most basic of living conditions often require more than what can be paid for with that kind of an hourly salary. It’s about then that the choice to run that red light nine months ago begins to resonate as the life altering choice that it truly was.

Consider the world as it looks to one of the 41% of black students that dropped out of High School according to a 2012-2013 report.

Without a High School diploma, their options are extremely limited. Speeding through that particular red light might’ve looked liberating at first, but now confronted with having to purchase your own toilet paper, the reality of your financial future is revealed as limited at best.

It’s these kinds of dilemmas that drive people to apply for government assistance. But it’s not because of their skin color that they’re having to contend with a minuscule bank account, again, it’s because of the choices they’ve made.

And bear in mind, these individuals are not necessarily lazy or corrupt. One third of those who are being assisted by the government are employed as can be see by the diagram to the right. But when you look at the jobs that are listed, you can understand why there’s still a shortfall in that they’re employed in the context of a minimum wage paying positions – few of which were ever intended to be full time careers.

Some want to argue that those who employ minimum wage workers should increase their wages.

Perhaps.

But if it can be determined that the skillset being brought to the table by these employees is an extension of the consequences precipitated by the red lights they chose to disregard, then it’s no longer an injustice on the part of the system that needs to be addressed, as much as it’s the lack of morals and wisdom on the part of the individuals who are now insisting it’s the government’s job to alter the marketplace.

VII) Poverty = Crime

Charging a person with having a deficiency in their moral character is a bold accusation. It’s easier and far less confrontational to assert that poverty represents a natural segue into a life of crime. Hence the need for more education, government programs and a greater awareness of how Racism and Capitalism represent the principal forces that cause our nation’s prison population to swell.

In some ways, it’s easy to imagine how a person’s moral resolve may falter in the face of starvation and destitution. But when you pop the hood on the true financial status of those who are receiving government aid, while their situation might appear meager, it’s not necessarily what you would imagine.

In a National Review article, Dennis Prager writes:

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey for 2005…among all poor households: Over 99 percent have a refrigerator, television, and stove or oven. Eighty-one percent have a microwave; 75 percent have air conditioning; 67 percent have a second TV; 64 percent have a clothes washer; 38 percent have a personal computer. As for homelessness, one-half of 1 percent living under the poverty line have lost their homes and live in shelters. Seventy-five percent of the poor have a car or truck. Only 10 percent live in mobile homes or trailers, half live in detached single-family houses or townhouses, and 40 percent live in apartments. Forty-two percent of all poor households own their home, the average of which is a three-bedroom house with one and a half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio. According to a recent Census Bureau report, 80.9 percent of households below the poverty level have cell phones. When the Left talks about the poor, they don’t mention these statistics, because what matters to the Left is inequality, not poverty.

The fact that you have a microwave and a personal computer doesn’t mean that you’re comfortable or content. But it does diminish, if not completely eradicate the idea, that the crime being committed in the projects is driven by an empty stomach or the need for shelter.

VIII) Why Do This?

If it’s not the basic necessities of life that inspire a young person to adopt the mindset of a criminal, then what?

According to a source that serves on the local police force, should you take the time to listen to a police scanner, the majority of calls that come in are black on black and black on white episodes.

Why?

Black people constitute 14.3% of the total population based on 2014 statistics. Yet, despite they’re being the minority in terms of the American citizenry, they represent the largest percentage of those who are incarcerated (37% black inmates, 32% white and 22% Hispanic).

According to a local black police officer, who also served with distinction in the Armed Forces, the problem is not financial. Again, it’s symptomatic of a fatherless community. Regardless of how some want to dismiss that as a contributing factor, let alone a principal cause, consider the fact that 70% of long term prison inmates grew up in broken homes.

However you want to uncoil the rope that represents the mindset of the troubled minority, in the vast majority of cases it’s the emotional and psychological void left by an absentee father that drives their rebellious appetites.

IX) What About Takeesha?

Remember Takeesha? She was the woman earlier referred to in the article by Chris Arnade. According to Arnade, she represents the flawed foundation upon which our system is based. It’s a result of bigotry and a system of capitalism overseen by prejudiced Caucasians that restrict her existence to a life of prostitution, incarceration and drug abuse.

But what about the family member who sexually assaulted her when she was 11?

What about the other family member that forced her into a life of prostitution?

Why is it that the most obvious and powerful emotional influences aren’t being held accountable?

Capitol Hill is not going to raise or rescue Takessha.

It can’t.

It’s not a program or a fund that protects and nurtures minors, let alone prodigal adults. It’s the parents’ role to raise their children in a way where they can take responsibility for themselves and go on to not just survive, but to thrive. Should that paradigm not be in place, what then?

Can the government help?

Maybe.

But if that assistance translates to merely subsidizing the mindset that maintains a status of immunity when it comes to taking responsibility for your actions, then you’re no longer talking about “assistance,” you’re simply financing a perspective that insists others should do for them what they need to do for themselves. That’s not an absence of compassion. That’s compassion extended in the company of wisdom.

Norway is often held up as an example by those who want to fault our nation for being less than attentive to the plight of those who are unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. But unlike the US where you can conceivably stay on some sort of government assistance indefinitely, Norway gives you boundaries. To receive unemployment benefits, you have to register as an unemployed citizen and you are expected to be actively looking for work. Depending on your previous position, the length of time you can receive unemployment is a year. After that, you’re on your own. There may be some extenuating circumstances that will allow for a longer period of time, but the premise upon which you’re able to receive aid is that your scenario is a temporary one and you’re going to get back in the job market.

X) Does Racism Exist?

Does Racism exist?

Yes.

There are moral cowards out there that use ethnic slurs and jump at every opportunity to elevate themselves over another based on nothing other than their ethnicity.

Does Racism exist to the point where you can say that it constitutes a legitimate barrier between you as a minority and what you’re capable of?

Absolutely not.

  • We have a black President, who won both the electoral and popular vote in 2008 and 2012.
  • We have a black Attorney General (Loretta E. Lynch).
  • 74% of the basketball players in the NBA are black.
  • In 2014, the NFL consisted of 64% black athletes.
  • In 2015, the pop music charts were dominated by artists of color.
  • In January of 2015, the 114th Congress was reported as the most diverse congress in history with 20% being non-white.
  • Dr. Ben Carson is a celebrated neurosurgeon and he’s black.
  • You have African Americans in the police force (25%), there are black professors (5%) and black CEO’s (1%).

You have black professionals scattered throughout the marketplace.

Why are there not more?

Could it have anything to do with the 41% that drop out of High School? How about the percentage of unwed mothers who are compelled to forgo higher education in order to raise their baby? Does that not limit the number of minorities who would otherwise be in a position to work in a professional role?

According to NAACP.org, based on 2001 statistics, it’s conceivable that today, one of every three black males will be incarcerated. Does that not make a difference, as far as diversity in the workplace?

Of course it does.

But wait.

XI) Is the Judicial System Flawed?

The same source that elaborates on the current trends of the arrest rate for black males also insists that blacks are unfairly treated in the courtroom – that their sentences are often far more severe then their white counterparts. Again, the implication is that the social and economic shortcomings that exist in the black community are a result of a prejudiced infrastructure that is determined to persecute minorities.

But in speaking with a local judge, he made it clear that things in the courtroom are now always as they appear on the surface. “Possession” is viewed differently depending on the drug – recreational drugs versus narcotics. The same thing can be said for dealing. Repeat offenders and those who are frequently appearing before the bench can receive sentences that appear overly harsh without being privy to the defendant’s history.

Is it possible that the judge in question is being especially severe?

Possibly.

But generally speaking, you’ll find that same judge to be hard on everyone and not just minorities. Of course the fact that you’re having to appear in court at all raises some questions. You wouldn’t be concerned about the disposition of the bench if hadn’t been arrested to begin with. Perhaps your concerns would be laid to rest if you resolved to stay out of trouble.

While that sounds like an obvious solution, the response from those who insist that the black race is often targeted by abusive and racist police is that blacks are frequently arrested for no real reason and when they are arrested, it’s not uncommon for the police to assault them physically.

But here again, in order to assure a truly accurate analysis of the situation, you need to hear from those who are tasked with responding to the calls coming from the dispatcher on the police radio. In speaking with a law enforcement professional with over two decades of service to his credit, he pointed out that those in the squad car are responding to the description given by the victim and not a description they would concoct on their own.

When the assailant is described as a black male, approximately 200 pounds and 5’9″, that’s who they’re going to be looking for. It’s not bigotry that determines who’s being questioned, it’s the physical characteristics of the accused that defines the nature of the search.

Imagine a squad car pulling into an area close to the scene of the crime. A man is seen that fits the description given by the victim. The officers approach the man with the mindset that this could be the individual they’re looking for, if for no other reason than his appearance matches the description of the suspect.

Should that individual be belligerent in the way he responds to the officers’ questions, he’s not taking a stand against Racism, rather he’s making the job of the police officers that much more difficult. The police aren’t there to prosecute a racist agenda, they’re attempting to solve a crime. Should your actions or your attitude qualify you as someone who merits further questioning, prepare to be treated as a suspect.

That’s not Racism, that’s common sense.

Are the police guilty of missteps?

Certainly.

But is that the prevailing tone of the entire system?

Before you answer that, make a point of asking a black police officer for their input. You’re going to find a perspective that doesn’t reinforce the venom spewed by the activists bent on charging law enforcement with abusive tactics.

Not even close.

XII) Riots in the Streets

Michael Brown, Jr. was a 6’4″, 292 pound, 18 year old that was stopped by Police Officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014 after Brown had robbed a nearby convenience store in Ferguson, MO. An altercation ensued where Brown reached into the police car, assaulted Officer Wilson and attempted to wrestle control of Wilson’s firearm away from him. The gun went off resulting in Brown being wounded in the hand, at which point he ran from the scene.

Wilson chased after Brown, who at this point is guilty of robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Brown stopped running and started towards Officer Wilson. Wilson, who at this point, having no reason to suspect that Brown has had a change of heart, as far as his resolve to assault an officer of the law, proceeds to shoot Brown. Brown continues moving towards Wilson and when he seemingly reaches for something that could very well be a weapon, Officer Wilson fires the shot that would end Brown’s life.

The uproar that ensued was significant. Here again was yet another instance where a white police officer supposedly killed a black suspect for no real reason.

Police Brutality.

White Supremacy.

The Ugly Specter of Racism.

It would take three weeks for the verdict that would determine whether or not Officer Wilson acted appropriately would be determined. Meanwhile, those who were determined to exploit any question as to whether or not Officer Wilson acted outside the line of duty seized every opportunity to make the death of Michael Brown a purely racial issue.

In speaking with an officer who was a part of the investigation, he was able to shed some light on the verdict that supposedly took three weeks to arrive at. In truth, it took three hours and twenty minutes. Witnesses that had come forward with testimony that called into question Officer Wilson’s conduct were revealed as unreliable and inconsistent (see page 44 of official Department of Justice report).

Forensics corroborated Wilson’s testimony and after a detailed and full investigation, Wilson was completely exonerated. It took three weeks to release the verdict, however, because until the additional riot control gear that had been ordered was available for the Ferguson Police Force, the decision makers felt it prudent to wait until they were sufficiently equipped to stand up to the mob that was poised to riot should the verdict not be to their satisfaction.

What’s interesting is that the “mob” that was lingering in the streets weren’t even residents of Ferguson. Rather, they had been bused in by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for the sole purpose of creating a spectacle. And it was a spectacle thanks to other public personalities such as Attorney General Eric Holder who joined the chorus by characterizing the events in Ferguson that, according to Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, maliciously threw law enforcement officers under the bus in the name of political expediency.

Is this Racism?

According to Sheriff David Clarke, absolutely not! Rather, it’s a campaign to maintain the illusion that racism exists on a grandiose scale to the point where it can solicit votes, money and power. flag

XIII) Answer These Questions

There’s a video out that shows a young, black man walking on the American flag as part of a demonstration, insisting that the flag is the “new swastika.” He goes on, in the context of a string of foul superlatives, to denounce America as a racist enterprise.

His tirade is ludicrous on several levels.

First of all, if you’ve ever had the opportunity to visit Auschwitz, you would know for certain that to compare the US with Nazi Germany is as outrageous as it is nonsensical. But as you watch this young man taking selfies as he belligerently steps on the Stars and Stripes, you can’t help but notice that he’s not alone. There are others that condone and endorse his rhetoric and his actions as expressions of a persecuted  ethnic group that is justified in condemning the United States, even to the point of walking on the same symbol that was raised over the rubble of 9/11 and hoisted at the peak of Mt Suribachi at the expense of the lives of several Marines.

Yet another video shows a young, black thug knocking out a white, homeless woman. It was filmed by one of his associates and posted on youtube as though the entire episode was entertaining and even justified due to the way racism is often circulated as the social cancer that drives destitute young minorities to acts of violence. After all, racism causes poverty and poverty causes crime.

Well… thug

Let’s start with the guy walking on the flag. Answer the following questions:

  • What was your Grade Point Average in High School?
  • Did you have to ask off from work in order to be able to be demonstrate today?
  • When was the last time you did any kind of volunteer work?
  • How did you score on your SAT / ACT?
  • What sort of scholarship programs do you qualify for?
  • What are your professional goals?
  • Have you ever served in the military?

What are you doing in terms of a diligent work ethic, a professional disposition and a selfless determination to realize your dreams?

God put you on this planet to make a difference and not just an appearance. What have you done with what He’s given you (Ex 35:30; Eph 2:10)? Who are you working to become and how are you leveraging the opportunities that are yours by default?

If your platform has any credibility, then these question will be easily responded to with transcripts, referrals and recommendations that validate the individual cussing and walking across the flag as a responsible person who has indeed been shortchanged.

But, on the other hand…

If the majority of your time has been spent turning in lackluster performances as a student and as an employee. If it’s evident that your focus is more on what you can get by complaining than what you can earn by achieving – then it’s not the system that need to be corrected, rather, it’s your perspective on yourself and the world around you that needs to be adjusted.

As Ivy White, a black wife, mother of four and a recent graduate of the Georgia State University Law School said as part of her address at her own graduation ceremony, “The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.”

Bottom line: If your desecration of the American flag and your denouncement of the nation it represents as a racist country is to have any credibility, then you have to be prepared to match Ivy’s resolve, the work ethic of Ben Carson and the character of David Clarke with comparable virtues of your own. Otherwise, you’re simply hoping that a volatile sounding complaint will mask the lack of accomplishments and character traits that should be present on the resume as an adult who’s truly interested in succeeding.

XIV) Doing the Math

An article in US News and World Report said that…

Business owners also say that some job applicants want to get paid under the table, so they can continue to collect jobless benefits.”

A recent story by CNN Money highlighted a manufacturing firm in Wisconsin that has started to lock out job applicants it suspects of showing up just so they can say they looked for work—a requirement for anybody receiving jobless benefits.

Another business owner, in Illinois, said in the same story that her company needs to hire 45 to 50 new salespeople, but struggles with workers who quit after getting free training, or who try to get fired after a few months of work so they can re-qualify for unemployment insurance. The company has now hired a specialist to help weed out phonies and identify worthwhile applicants.

If 41% of your demographic are dropping out of High School, if 72% are getting pregnant out of wedlock and if it’s evident that some who are unemployed are manipulating the system in order to continue receiving benefits without having to work, how can it be concluded that the sole reason why minorities are, in many cases, poor is because of Racism?

As has been mentioned before, according to the NAACP, 1 in 3 black males will see prison time before the end of their life. Couple that statistic with the fact that 70% of all criminals come from broken homes and the perspective of the police officers cited in this article and you have a compelling reason for why the incarceration rate is what it is  – and it’s not so much about bigotry as much as it is the conspicuous absence of engaged fathers.

When you consider the phrase, “war on minorities,” it’s often coupled with the “war on drugs.” Many insist that the arrest rate is disproportionate despite the usage being the same between whites and blacks. But when you take a closer look at the statistics that pertain to drug usage, the numbers can be misleading if they’re not processed correctly.

According to a 2012 research project done by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the percentage of whites using drugs compared to the percentage of blacks using drugs look roughly the same (9.2 for whites, 11.3 for blacks). But upon closer inspection, you realize that when you calculate the real difference, the gap between the two figures is far more dramatic. To calculate the difference, you don’t merely subtract 9.2 from 11.3. You begin by figuring out what percentage of 9.2 is 2.1 (the difference between the two figures). So, 2.1 divided by 9.2 times 100 equals 22.8 or 23%.

Another way to look at is if I’ve got an item that’s usually sold for $5.00 and it’s on sale for $4.00, that’s a 25% difference.

Do you see where all of this is going?

An article by attorney Roger Clegg brings this to light in his article published in the National Review. He elaborates on the statistical realities and concludes by saying that, “…the case has not been convincingly made that the war has been motivated and implanted with an eye on race.” His comment serves as an appropriate commentary on the way poverty and crime are often identified as the byproducts of Racism and a system that persecutes minorities. The topic of Racism, as far as the way that it’s championed by the liberal press and some of the more vocal activists, insists that the choice to quit High School, to be a teenage, unwed mother and to break the law are not choices as much as they are obligatory reactions to an infrastructure that’s determined to suppress any and every opportunity to succeed.

But when you look at the statistics – when you consider the impartial and limiting realities of the financial and social mathematics brought on by the choices made by the same individuals that insist it’s Racism and not their own decision making that’s responsible for their situation – the response from any rational human being with an eye to see and an ear to listen is…

…absolutely not.

Another voice that’s worth including in the conversation is that of Larry Elder, an attorney, a prolific writer and host of his own radio show on 790 KABC in Los Angeles.

He was recently interviewed on the Dave Rubin Show and expounds on several statistics that reinforce that “math” that you see above. Take a look:

Social Injustice – The Breakdown of the Family

  • Democrat Party gets 95% of Black Vote because many blacks are convinced that the number one issue facing America today is social injustice
  • Number one issue facing America today is the breakdown of the family. (Barack Obama)
  • A kid without a dad is 5 times more likely to be poor and commit crimes, 9 times more likely to drop out of school and 20 times more likely to end up in jail
  • 75% of black males are raised without fathers
  • In 1890, according to census reports, a black child was more likely to be born into an intact family than they would be today. Even during slavery, the chance of a child being born into a home where the biological father and mother were married is greater than it is in the 21st century.
  • In the sixties, Welfare was extended to women who could demonstrate that there was no man in the house. In 1965, 25% of babies born to the black community were born to unwed mothers. Today, that same statistic is 75%. And that damage is not limited to the black community. In 1965, 5% of babies born to the white community were born to a single parent household. Today, it’s 25%. Bottom line: Because of welfare and the government subsidies extended towards females as part of the “war on poverty,” we’ve provided an avenue in which men can abandon their responsibilities and sense of moral duty while simultaneously encouraged women to “marry” the government.
  • Both the Brookings Institution (Liberal Think Tank) and the Heritage Foundation (Conservative Think Tank) both agree that there’s an obvious correlation between the breakdown of the family and every other problem that is traditionally associated with racism (crime, prison sentences, bad schools, increase in Welfare spending)

larryPolice Brutality

  • In 2015, 965 people were shot and killed by policemen. 4% were while cops shooting unarmed blacks
  • In Chicago in 2011, 21 people were shot and killed by cops. In 2015, there were 7
  • In Chicago which is divided up evenly as 33% black, 33% white and 33% Hispanic, 70% of the homicides were black on black. 40 per month, 500 last year and 75% of them are unsolved.
  • Half the homicides in this country are commited by black people (bear in mind, they occupy 13% of the total population). There was a total of 14,000 murders last year. Half of them were committed by black people, 96% of them were black on black.
  • University of Washington did a recent study and discovered that police are more reluctant to pull the trigger when confronted with a black person than a white person. That means that under certain circumstances, a white person is more likely to be shot than a white person.
  • The last 30-40 years, the percentage of blacks who have been killed by cops has decreased by 75%, while the percentage of whites has flat lined.
  • Most of the fatalities in recent months / years (Erik Garner [New York City], Tamir Rice [Cleveland, OH], Michael Brown [Ferguson, MO]) involved the suspect resisting arrest

Violence in Baltimore (Freddy Gray case)

  • City of Baltimore is 45% black
  • City Council – 100% Democrat, the majority is black. The mayor is black, the Attorney General is black, the #1 and #2 Policemen in charge are both black

Education

  • Because of Affirmative Action, a black student with a comparable GPA and SAT score is more likely to get into a college than a white person. If you’re going to argue that college provides the most direct route to the middle class, black have a better chance to succeed than whites.
  • The poorer you are, the more accessible grants and students loans are.

Miscellaneous

  • the #1 cause of death among young white men is car accidents. The #1 cause of death among young black men is homicides – committed by other black men.
  • Rush Limbaugh is never accused of being racist for criticizing Hillary Clinton, but if a black conservative criticizes a black liberal, he is referred to as a racist if not worse
  • blacks typically differ from liberal Democrat schools of thought when it comes to privatizing Social Security, education vouchers, abortion, same sex marriage, etc. The only thing that ties them to the Democrat party is the notion of racism and social injustice.
  • The Democrat party has not won the white vote since 1964. The more successful liberals are in convincing black people that they are victims and Democrat candidates are going to “fix it,” the better chance Democrats have of getting elected.

XV) All of These Men Were White

Louis Farrakhan believes that all white people should die.

Jane Elliot says, “If you graduated from High School and you weren’t a racist, you weren’t listening and you should’ve gotten a “F” in Social Studies…We are conditioned to the myth of white supremacy from the moment of our birth, in fact, even before birth.”

Emory Professor of Philosophy, George Yancy, published an editorial in the New York Times on Christmas Eve 2015 where he asked all of white America to “open yourself up; to speak to, to admit to, the racist poison that is inside of you.”

Regardless of how some might want to argue that the Civil War was fought over economic tensions or states’ rights, given the way in which certain states seceded once Abraham Lincoln was elected, it’s obvious that it was the slavery issue that fueled most of what caused the South and the North to clash.

America on Racism…

The Declaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…(The Declaration of Independence)

Abraham Lincoln Fundamental to Lincoln’s argument was his conviction that slavery must be dealt with as a moral wrong. It violated the statement in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal, and it ran counter to the intentions of the Founding Fathers. The “real issue” in his contest with Douglas, Lincoln insisted, was the issue of right and wrong, and he charged that his opponent was trying to uphold a wrong. (history.org)

Theodore Roosevelt …the only wise and honorable and Christian thing to do is to treat each black man and each white man strictly on his merits as a man, giving him no more and no less than he shows himself worthy to have. (wikiquote.com) Branch Rickey Some day I’m going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn’t let that [Jackie] Robinson fellow play ball, I don’t think saying ‘because of the color of his skin’ would be a good enough answer. (azquotes.com)
John F. Kennedy In a campaign very much like this one, one hundred years ago, when the issues were the same [Abraham Lincoln] wrote to a friend, ‘I know there is a God, and I know He hates injustice. I see the storm coming and I know His hand is in it. But if He has a place and a part for me, I believe that I am ready.’ Now, one hundred years later, when the issue is still freedom or slavery, we know there is a God and we know He hates injustice. We see the storm coming, and we know His hand is in it. But if He has a place and a part for me, I believe that we are ready. (Speech of Senator John F. Kennedy, Memorial Auditorium, NY | September 28, 1960)

It boiled down to how a human being was to be defined; whether by the color of their skin or by the fact that God had created all men equal. This was the same premise upon which the Declaration of Independence was crafted, it was the winning platform that Abraham Lincoln so eloquently articulated that ultimately earned him the Oval Office, it was what compelled Theodore Roosevelt to invite Booker T. Washington to the White House, it’s what inspired Branch Rickey to draft Jackie Robinson and it was the philosophical foundation that moved Kennedy to propose the Civil Rights Bill that would be signed into law by Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

All of these men were white.

And as a quick aside, while we’re talking about the Civil War, let’s not forget that there was a Union Army and not just a Confederacy. It’s not uncommon for activists to point to the Civil War and highlight the way in which the South so aggressively championed the institution of slavery, resulting in one more log on the fire of white supremacy and the KKK etc.

But the Union casualty list is right around 360,000. That’s over a quarter of a million people, most of which were Caucasian, that gave their lives in order to ensure that there could be a Rainbow Coalition, an NAACP and an Ebony Magazine.

Every one of these men recognized the same thing that all Americans must realize when it comes to the way we interact with one another.

Racism is wrong.

We are not rated any differently in the eyes of God.

We’re all in desperate need of grace and we all bear the Fingerprint of our Redeemer in terms of having been created to make a difference. That is our mandate, that is our birthright and that is our responsibility.

But to assert Racism not as an issue, but as a strategy in order to prevent certain questions from being asked in terms of High School dropout rate, teenage pregnancy, criminal behavior – these are manifestations of a fatherless constituency along with a collective refusal to take personal responsibility for the choices that are being made.

This is not the sigh of the segregated. Rather, it is the indignation of the irresponsible.

XVI) In Conclusion

Activists need to stop cloaking their agenda using carefully Christian-esque sounding verbiage. To insinuate that something is flawed in your relationship with Christ unless you’re willing to support the platform of those who at least tacitly approve of any kind of violence done in the name of racism is a gross mishandling of God’s Word. In the absence of a specific chapter and verse, you’re doing nothing other than covering a crop of weeds with some godly sounding mulch. Not only does it not work, but you risk categorizing yourself as someone who’s using the Bible to advance your own agenda rather than God’s and that’s never wise (Acts 9:13-16; 2 Cor 2:17).

Dr. Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, Rosa Parks, Vivian Malone Jones – these people are heroes in that they stood up to injustice by honoring the law and demonstrating character that was beyond reproach. There’s was a struggle that was nothing short of substantial given the prejudice and the violence that was directed towards them for no reason other than their ethnicity. They responded with a resolved grace and in so doing revealed their platform as both substantial and credible.

Is that the tenor of today?

Are opportunities fewer?

Are the voices we’re hearing the articulate and biblically based appeals for equality that resonated in the sixties, or are we hearing shots fired and demands being made by people who, in many cases, are revealed as being victims of their own decision-making more so than a prejudiced system?

There is such a thing as “righteous indignation,” but there’s nothing “righteous” about your indignation when your platform is revealed as an intentional effort to disregard those areas where personal responsibility is cast aside.

The greater the indignation, the more intense the violence, the louder the rhetoric – it becomes clear: This is a problem that emanates from a deficiency in role models which translates to a lack of character, ambition, respect and success.

Is it tragic?

Yes.

Is it racism?

Absolutely not!