FB says it is not an editorial group, yet they edit. FB says it is not responsible and has no liability for people’s posts, yet they take responsibility without any liability by deleting, suppressing, banning, censoring, putting up warnings, and limiting the reach/spread and comments of certain posts. FB says certain people, thoughts, ideas, words, and specific phrases are unacceptable and not allowed in our society as determined by their own unknown, unaccountable censors and mathematical algorithms, but other people, thoughts, ideas, words and phrases are acceptable and promoted by these oligarch, tyrannical, tech titans.
Perhaps these Goliaths are pure as the driven snow in their motives and actions – or maybe they are not. Why did T (twit) leave up a post calling for the VP to be hurt? Why are illegal activities including the sale and harming of precious children tolerated on these platforms while Bible verses, godly ideas, ethics, morality, and political opinions that do not call for harm to anyone at anytime or anywhere banned? Why can leaders of other countries call for the elimination of Israel and the death of all her people on their platforms without constraint? These are critical questions that demand an answer. Who decides what is allowed or not, what is right or wrong, and what is truth or a lie? Who is the true arbiter? Who today thinks and acts as if they are the arbiter for our society?
How can liberty, free speech, independence, and peace be preserved, protected and safeguarded in our nation? It will not be on or through these Goliath sites. Shut downs of certain people as well as billion dollar corporations and multiple mom and pop small businesses on A, G, T, and F show clearly that the ‘thought police’ are serious about suppression of truth, prevention of equal and fair trade, and the limiting and elimination of the exchange of ideas. They seem to want to “adjust” what is ‘right’ in their minds and ours including reality.
The removal and revision of actual historical facts, documentation, and evidences has been clearly seen over the past year in the anarchist movements to destroy monuments, buildings, cities, people, and ideas. George Santayana is quoted to have said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” When we do not learn from our past including the mistakes, we will be destined to revisit the same issues and problems again and again. Why is it that some leaders are speaking of and promising a “dark” winter and “dark” times ahead? Must we leave the enlightenment of truth and knowledge including learning the lessons of our past to go back into the dark ages of the past? Why, when there is so much knowledge and information available, do we see a limitation of information and repetitive articles of only one viewpoint? Why are current events on the news not current?
There is a serious movement in our nation by some to “deprogram” and “reprogram” those who do not think like “they” think some should. This is serious. Communist China has almost complete censorship of its society including the ability to cut off one’s ability to buy food and travel. They send citizens to thought reprograming camps. There is censorship of and the elimination of churches throughout the country as Christians are terrorized and tortured by the powers that be. There is even evidence that China is harvesting organs from live political dissidents and prisoners. Is that where we are going?
Reports on the news this day are calling some U S Senators terrorists for their opposing political opinions. Businesses are being called upon by Forbes to never hire anyone with certain ideas or thoughts. Media companies are cancelling people and businesses in political vendettas. The blame game continues. When party “a” in power says we need to get back to work in our economy, it is atrocious, but once party “b” comes to power, it is suddenly a great idea to get the economy back to work. Really?
What is happening in our United States? Over a million Americans have given so much for our freedoms up to and including their last drops of blood. Have we taken these freedoms for granted too long? Perhaps we haven’t held it dear enough and that is why it is almost extinguished and extinct. Abraham Lincoln said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Are we destroying ourselves from within today? If freedom in America is not defended and protected, it will be lost.
I know many that read this post will be just like a child warned by a parent or authority figure in a crystal store to only “look and not touch.” Many who read my words will not touch this post with a ten foot pole much less a comment, ‘like’ or any other such expression of feeling for fear of retaliation or being singled out and cancelled out. That’s sad. So many are living in fear today and have no faith. They have believed the rampant fomenting of fear through the media reports from the pandemic to the political and cultural unrest.
I’d like to encourage you to look to the Lord for answers. Read the Word of God. Learn His will for your life. He wrote the book on us. His Word is of peace, reconciliation, love, freedom, and a bright and wonderful eternal future. Cast all your anxieties upon God. Seek your rest in the salvation freely offered through Jesus Christ. Give yourself fully and completely into his service and care. God loves and cares for you and is the only true and real and complete answer to all the ills in our lives and in this world. Don’t live in fear. Live in faith.
Put on the full armor of the Lord like it says in Ephesians 6:10-18. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
For those that want in this earthly life and in this country freedom, peace, and a real “united” states in America again, I have this to offer. Spread the “gospel of peace.” Stand up for truth. Speak clearly what is right. Do right and be ethical in your businesses and personal dealings. Conduct yourself as the Lord would want. Be honest. Be faithful. Be better not bitter. Be holy as the Lord is holy. Love your family. Raise your children to know and love the Lord. If we don’t raise our children to be godly, then they will be ungodly. That’s just how it is. We will be either a godly or an ungodly people. We cannot be both. Love your neighbors as yourself. Pray for your enemies. Show kindness and courtesy to all. I don’t like to say it, but be patient. I know it is hard to be patient. I want things fixed now and before now would have been better in my mind. In fact, why did America have to go down this road? I think it is because we, as a nation, have rejected the Redeemer to make our own rules and self-righteousness. This is idolatry, and God won’t stand for it.
To those who are Christians, remember that Christians will be hated and persecuted. No surprise here. Jesus, the holy, sinless Son of God, was hated, reviled, rejected, and relegated to death on a cross. All Christ’s followers should not be surprised that they may be persecuted. Don’t fear. Don’t give up. God was willing to save even Sodom and Gomorrah if only 10 righteous were found in its midst. Don’t back down. Be peaceful not pugnacious. Never run away, for your Father in Heaven is Sovereign and we are in His army. Walk in the Light. Live confidently in your faith. Supplant every fear with faith. Have joy in the Lord. Pray without ceasing. Let the Spirit work in you and through you for His will and way. Always move forward in the power of His might and not your own.
Remember that the ‘world’ will not understand or ‘get’ you. God still uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. (I Cor. 1:27) Do what you are called by God to do, and then — be still and KNOW that GOD is GOD. God’s got all this. May God bless our nation and you in His will. RRH 1/12/2021
One morning in late December of 2017 I sat at the kitchen table looking at the leaves blowing around by the power of the wind. This poem came to me then. I often find that life can be unexpected and unpredictable, but I know there is a Source of constancy and stability when all around me seems chaotic. I hope you know it too.
Robin’s Roses Photograph by Robin House