Good Morning Everybody! It's almost 6AM... Time to Arise for some of you? I awoke about 3:30, again...Once I get up, visit the bathroom, I pull out my reader to check the time...and, since, I have it in my hand, I normally read a little...or a lot...
This morning, after starting yesterday, I was reading a little of a new fiction novel and am finding it drawing me into the story, plus getting me away from so many different non-fiction books... Keeping my thoughts straight is important these days... But, I find the more I am listening, the more I'm finding clarity... Thank you, Lord...
Then I opened up my new eb00k of the Bible and found Acts 13. Actually, I had highlighted a portion, and knew I would be using it in some way, but just didn't know when or how...but I took the time to go back to the chapter beginning and read again, the Words...
1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed toCyprus. 5 And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant. 6 And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus; 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. 9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, 10 and said,
O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou song of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
For Many of us who have been watching, wondering, waiting, to see if there will ever be any accountability for our former president, I find I've become somewhat impatient, although as we know that, often, God does indeed force us to wait for His time... I was led to use this scripture that I'd marked about a week ago... In fact, I think it was close to the day I was also awakened about 3 and was led to write out all the questions that I had in relation to the Political Seduction of the Church book, which I've talked about. The urgency seemed to be placed on me so I had written a request to have Dr. Brown visit here to answer my many questions... It was removed from the AskDr.Brown Facebook page, I later discovered. So, I thought, well, maybe an acknowledgment or a response would be sent...I haven't received it. However, I did see a list on that page related to what I thought was perhaps a plan of action...of concerns for the future...
Ok, I had to ask... What About Accountability? Brown had used the issue often in his book... Now I wonder, was that, too, a rhetorical philosophical question" So...full disclosure here, LOL, I went this morning, after receiving the nudge I needed to use the above scripture (I think it is a rebuke, if I'm reading it right) since I was hoping, somehow, more Evangelical Christians would be openly willing to discuss what has and is happening...
Check out those earlier actions at the bottom. It includes the comment I made to a post there... I just looked and not only was there no response to my comment, I also saw that there was, as far as I could tell, no responses back to any who commented. Are there rules about how to ask Dr. Brown a question, I'm wondering... Was it the requester/commenter's job to search him out? Yeah...I'm disappointed, to say the least...
In any event, I woke this morning with a single thought. There really is NO relationship between our relationship with our God...and the government. Yes, we have a role to play, but that does not require any type of total merge or suppression or, worse, as we are seeing now, a possessive attempt to claim that God is over the government, so we Christians should rule all of the government, because...well...just because.....! NOT!
"Render unto Caesar" is the beginning of a phrase attributed to Jesus in the synoptic gospels, which reads in full, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" (Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ).[Matthew 22:21]
This phrase has become a widely quoted summary of the relationship between Christianity, secular government, and society. The original message, coming in response to a question of whether it was lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar, gives rise to multiple possible interpretations about the circumstances under which it is desirable for Christians to submit to earthly authority.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Render_unto_Caesar
Response to a Facebook posting
Wow! After reading your book, I was surprised to see that Accountability was not among priorities on your list. It seems to me that, if we are ever going to be able to trust what the church has done/allowed, that we, Christians who were never trumpers, as you call them, want to know more about accountability. I've been embarrassed to allow myself to be known as a Christian, seeing what Trump did daily, without any apparent discipline from his supposed religious leaders... You ask What Now? at every appropriate part in the book, yet you now have no interest in accountability? Do you really think that God's followers deserve not to know the truth of what the church has done and provide some justification for all that was "overlooked" in the actions of Trump?
It's kinda like the rich people who have just been caught taking money from the poor to build an athletic facility which was just announced and under investigation (embezzled/stole from funds designated to help the poor of Mississippi...). One email from the instigating party who sought the money from political leaders showed in the investigation that he had even asked to have assurance that nobody would ever know! Geesh!
Well...that ship sailed long ago for the church/Trump merger... Jesus may forgive, if and when some type of awareness of the crimes committed to the people is even acknowledged, but Americans--all Americans have no reason to forgive when the violence has been directed to non-Christians or anybody that Trump decided to condemn and acted out by the leader and followers of the republican party. There is NO longer a way to know that who are Christians...by our love... Just My Personal Opinion, Of Course...
List of Questions for possible Interview, requested
First, I have just 3 yes or no questions, perhaps from God, to ask...
1. Have you considered that the millions of prayers, including mine, that were made during the most recent election, were answered by the overwhelming election of Joe Biden?
2. Do you believe that the church's (or republicans) avid support of guns, especially military style guns which are used to kill children, is valid?
3. Do you support the church's continued use and rules of the Old Testament, rather than Words of Love from Jesus?
4. There was one thing that bothered me in your book. It was the use of "Left" for those who politically vote as democrats. To me, it seemed that even now, you have a definite bias against the "wrong," party, in your eyes. Have you considered that you are finding it hard to actually "critique" what the republican party has become?
5. I notice that you are a well-read man who does this research efficiently and effectively for books that you are writing. Do you ever use any books or references from other than church-related writers?
6. The reason I ask is that, as a book reviewer for over 20 years, I have found that there are many writers who identify problems within society and do the same kind of research for writing their novels... Staci Stallings, for instance, is a Christian fiction novel... Have you read any of her books? Have you read any legal fiction books talking about how guns are used to kill the innocent?
7. Perhaps I have an advantage over you in that regard...whether through their books, or through meeting today's fiction writers, or by having the time and will to watch multiple media news, as opposed to church-supported platforms, else, seriously, I have to ask... Do you understand just how much the use of pro-life as an unforgiving platform for republicans is? Take, for instance, the next election where republicans are taking the actual sex act as the point at which a decision for medical care of any kind can be questioned, legally liable, and places a doctor under investigation for doing this best to medically support women, for any type of procedure related to gynecological issues? If you have to stop to consider the magnitude of that question, then you know, I hope, that politicians should never be involved with any issue related to health care! This is not, or, perhaps, no longer, a anti-abortion issue. Republicans/Church has made it more! Can you explain to all of us how and why the Church has a right to interfere in our health concerns?
8. Taking it a step further, how do you and the church deal with those married couples who have children and cannot afford to have another child. Obviously, since it is clear that in America, many, many people cannot even afford to buy contraceptive pills (if the church even allowed them!) And know that they could not afford to pay for food for a continuing family growth. Yet the republican party who supports Pro-Life, will NOT support social financial support efforts (and indeed refused to even consider programs during the present session!)
9. Or, consider young teens, recently caught and on the news, who at the age of 10 and 14, had to go out of state, and become spectacles on the news because of the church's decisions, and have the entire world know that they were raped by relatives... One woman running for congress actually said that it was a "perfect" example where the 14 year old should be required to have the child! First, what is the church teaching about incest? Second, do you really believe that children should be abused, first, then carry a child to term? And, No, Dr. Brown, these are not just a few that should be considered differently. The fact is, that many girls are raped--check the statistics...
10. Consider the phrase "in the world, not of the world". Do you really think that is even possible in these days of high-volume communication? When you talk about the low number of non-religious democrats, have you even considered that it is because boys and girls, and thus men and women are much better informed than ever? And do you consider that reading the Bible without any major education, they have easily find the contradictions within that book? My favorite, related to this subject is when King David's daughter was raped by David's son. The King did nothing. A brother, seeing that his father would not act in any way, murdered the brother who raped her. First, let me tell you, I first learned of this through reading a novel. Consider then, when a writer researches the Bible, and shares its truth, what are women to think about Christianity--unless somebody teaches them... Disclaimer: I believe the Bible is God-Inspired, not literal. And with the Holy Spirit, I will be led to understand as I read... But what of those who have little, if any exposure to more than a Sunday school class where they color in pictures of Jesus...or some, not even that... Frankly, Dr. Brown, the church, in my opinion has insulated itself far too much in this world...because the church is NOT going out into the world and telling people of Jesus...as was instructed. Forgive my longer than, perhaps, "explanatory" question...
11. Consider then the older people who are at almost poverty level. Does the church seek out and help them? Certainly, with the constant scare from the republican party to eliminate social security and health care, we are always on edge wondering about how to survive... If the church is not taking care of those in need now, why would we expect to have it ever do so? (Plus the fact that the republicans constantly refer to social security as if it was not our own money that is in that fund!)
12. One of the concerns that I've written on before as a book reviewer, is human trafficking. One book in particular was nonfiction...using a similar title as you... about the seduction of teenagers by criminals. Tell me, what has the church done for (1) teaching children about using the internet or phones (2) talking about chatting or sharing pictures, or (3) that men will LIE and pretend to be somebody they are not? In my opinion, while republicans are out there talking critical race theory, with lies I might add, and banning books, which could help them in today's world, and, yes, I can refer you to many I have read, and refusing to acknowledge history as it truly was... Note that I use the church since I'm assuming that, since they want Christians to be republicans, than all that the republican party is doing these days, is also from the church...
13. When Ron DeSantis says, "Don't Say Gay," he's speaking for the church, right? Because that's what has happened... I am old enough to remember that many gays were beaten, bullied, and even murdered... I have a very hard time, since there have been gays even as far back as the days of Socrates and more, that they have been forced to hide from society, just as republicans now are trying to do. Dr. Brown, either you accept the Constitution and live in America...and that means, that all are considered equal, or you are going to try to convince the entire nation that Christianity is the religion of love...because we aren't buying what you are selling. What I know is that people who have those feelings know that they are different. They have been cruelly treated in the past, until the point that they had to speak out if they wanted to live. I have a cousin who got married when first allowed. I asked if she was in church and to be married there. She said yes. So obviously there are pastors who feel the same as I do...Who are we to judge who is loving who? Either way, you cannot legislate christianity... Claim what you want about the foundation of America, the constitution says we are all equal...
14. So let's talk about the founding of America. Although you briefly talk about it, I am in daily contact with Black and Indigenous Americans. In fact, I have helped both financially when I felt led to do so... America is built on the blood and pain and inhuman treatment of these people. You cannot hide the truth. If the church continues to try to ignore the truth, while trying to sell that the Bible tells me so... The republican party...and the church...will never again succeed. Trump ensured that will not happen. As your book keeps asking... Now what?
15. Finally, although I could go on for more... I want to lump "today's world" into one big question... Where was the church when movies and television became more and more explicit. I have at least 60 years of noticing the changes allowed. That means to me that, if the church was really soooo concerned, that we should never have reached this point. I have the fortunate opportunity to have my great niece helping me in my older years to drive me to doctor, etc. We have talked considerably about what her generation has to "deal" with... Drugs, drinking and more are all in even grade schools and middle schools. Tell me, where are the parents who have children where they are being "seduced" by all those out there doing it? In church, and perhaps, as surely is the case for some, also drinking, doing drugs, etc.
Finally, a more philosophical question... Considering the parable of the Talents, have church leaders ever considered that, assuming God creates all of us, He might have expected us, His followers, to become exactly what we are. Specifically, scientists, researchers, doctors, nurses and others in the medical field. Have they been given talents that have been used to better mankind and have greatly advanced knowledge of these areas based upon God-given talents; while, at the same time, the church, hiding in the Bible's Old Testament, especially, for instance, preachers, priests, lay speakers, teachers of religion, et.al., have done nothing with their God-given talents and not used them to increase what they give to all of us... by not using their talents to explore how the Bible has affected today's worlds as improved by scientists, et.al., and, in essence has been given no further "talents" since they did nothing with the Bible except to keep it safe, never to be adjusted for all that has been changed due to God's wonderful gifts to His people? It's been a long time period of significant change in the world...Yet, Christians speak only of what was said based upon the world at that time, as provided in the Bible?
Consider this, the Jewish faith has not changed from the Old Testament. Yet, you, having seen and read the New Testament, have made a personal change to another religion... Can you not see a parallel whereas people of today seeing the world as it is--with the church not speaking out against...whatever they think is wrong with America, for example, yet actually use those words to create what has occurred during the apparent evolution of the christian church from apparently about the time of Nixon or earlier... (I mention time of Nixon because of a new book I just learned about...)
I've always been a WHY person... I want to know why... I consider myself a Doubting Thomas...and pursue religious issues in a doubting manner... So far, I have not been satisfied. I am a person of Faith in God... But, Churches? Especially even more after reading your book, I KNOW why people are stating in polls that they are "Non-Religious..." and it has nothing to do with political party, in my opinion...
Please forgive the errors or any confusion; neither of these have been edited for actual publishing, but wanted to show the original work at about 4AM.
Well, time to feed my babies...cats and kittens, that is... Take care today!
God Bless,
Gabbie
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