I ruffled feathers recently (as I knew I would) with a reply I made to a woman’s comment over at Jeff Childers’ Coffee & Covid newsletter. In the context of comments about how it appears some elderly folks are “ecstatic” to get their 4th, 5th or 37th booster (or whatever number it is), this 62-year-old woman offered an explanation.
She proffered that older people like her parents (“a wonderful generation”) have bought into the madness because, well, they were taught to be “obedient.” Obedient to doctors, government officials, etc., she said. She went to say that she, too, had been raised the same way, though she changed somewhere in her 30’s and 40’s. My comment/response:
“I'm 64 and raised by two parents who stressed the importance of 𝒏𝒐𝒕 simply obeying. Only One was infallible. Everybody else?
They raised us to be respectful, but not obedient just because...That is the creed of slaves.”
Oh, boy. She didn’t like that. “I guess I’m from a family of slaves. Thanks for your kind insight.”
To which I replied, “Well, as my mother used to say, ‘If the shoe fits…’”
To be fair, I think this woman meant her description to convey that her parents were “good” people (“a wonderful generation”). I’m sure they were, but is obedience always a marker of that? Is it always good? Does a blindly obedient nation make for a free one? I say no, and in fact, blind obedience can bring destruction both personally and to a nation. Both history and current events prove this.
To clarify my comment about being raised to not obey just because, I must add that neither did my parents raise us to disobey just because. In other words, within a moral framework and that which was lawful, they taught us when to obey — and more importantly, when not to. They taught us when and how to discern and afford trust and when not to, when to question. Full disclosure: When it came to those in government and their declarations, including law enforcement, we learned to assume the worst until proven otherwise — regardless of the wonderful outcomes they promised or their “authority” to make demands.
To illustrate: One of my older brothers worked part time at a gas station. I think I was about 12; he was about 18. He called one night at the end of his shift to say that he’d be late. The owner discovered money missing and the police were there. My brother speaks to my mother. She says one word — his name with a big ol’ question mark on the end of it. Enough to put the fear of God in you.
Now she knew (and I knew) that my brother wouldn’t take a nickel that wasn’t his — none of us would — or we’d have to deal with her. I can assure you my brother had more fear over her reaction if he turned out to be a thief than being questioned by the police.
My brother finally comes home, and by then, everybody in the house knew what had happened. My mother grilled him. I remember him being very—let’s say, uncomfortable — under her questioning. What happened??? He relayed what the police did, the questions they asked, etc. He said that he suspected that it was a co-worker and he explained why — timing, opportunity, attitude, etc. Satisfied with what he told her, my mother relaxed, secure in the knowledge that this had nothing to do with her son.
Then the phone rang.
It’s the police. They have more questions for my brother. Oh, really? We’d like your son to come into the station for more questioning…Uh, oh.
At this point, I’m standing on my brother’s right, the two of us just outside the entrance to the kitchen. Our mother is on the phone with her back to us, but we can hear her clearly. She’s the one asking questions! I’m paraphrasing, but the exchange went something like this:
My mother: “He (my brother) told you ‘this’, right? He told you ‘that’, yes? He told you “X, Y, and Z”? He cooperated and answered all of your questions? So what has changed in the last 30 minutes or so since you last spoke to him? What else do you need to know?”
I don’t know what the policeman said to that last question, but my mother simply replied with the following:
My mother: “He cooperated and answered all your questions. He told you he did not steal the money. So. He’s not going anywhere.”
More blah, blah, blah from the police, to which my mother listened politely, adding something about them continuing their investigation, including getting more information from my brother’s co-worker and the owner. More blah, blah, blah and then my mother, quietly, firmly, and slowly said the words I will remember forever:
“What is it about ‘He’s not going anywhere,’ don’t you understand?”
Boom. My head snapped to look at my brother — up and to the left so fast I think I can still feel it. Holy crap. Did Mom just tell the police to pound sand? (Current vernacular) Why, yes she did. And they did, evidently, because we never heard from them again. In fact, we found out that it was my brother’s co-worker. It even made the local paper…
Fast forward to today, and of course, any free person in these free united States (Insert tongue-in-cheek emoji here) who dares to speak to “law enforcement” that way? Why, surely we could count on the arrival of the SWAT team who’d break the door down and probably take us away. That said, my point is this: My mother had courage. She stood her ground and she stood it in front of her children. She knew her rights — and ours — and she defended them. Politely. Firmly. Unequivocally. She discerned and then righteously disobeyed. Huge lesson. We saw many such examples over the years.
So, how did we get to the point where it seems people take pride in simply obeying?
“Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God”
Ascribed to both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, Franklin suggested these words for the Great Seal of the United States. Unfortunately, we got “E Pluribus Unum” and an eagle. That’s nice. Nice, but it sure lacks the zing and moral imperative of “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God,.” doesn’t it? Was this not the entire reason for the American war for independence?1 Did it not form the basis for the Declaration of Independence itself? Would these words not serve as an ongoing reminder of that — and of the historical and moral basis for resisting tyranny?
Obedience As Enabler of the “COV!D” Crime
Where have the “responsible” people gone? The keepers of liberty? Where are they? Including those in “authority” who know and act on the limits of it vs. what we’ve got today?? It seems exceeding legitimate authority is the rule of the day. Unfortunately, not only does the majority, it seems, not question “authority.” They prefer to ridicule those who do.
The federal administrative state, along with law-and-oath-breaking governors, mayors, town and city councilors, law enforcement, and “public health” directors issued unlawful edicts in early 2020 and beyond to the silent acquiescence and cooperation of the State legislatures. Bad enough, but what role did the almost virtual obedience to these unlawful directives by “Americans” play in this global crime? I’d say a central one.
From what I have seen over my life — most egregiously after the attacks of Sep 11 — the people of this country prefer obedience, credulity. The official story of that event has those in “authority” failing to such an extent it beggars belief. Yet who suffered as a result of these documented failures? The “authorities” who expected us to believe their absurd story? No. Not them. All of them got off “scot-free.” The ones who suffered were precisely those not in authority who did not fail. Yet non-resistance, credulity, and obedience followed — and woe to anyone who questioned or pointed out the destruction of Constitutionally-protected freedoms. Why, we needs to be safe, doncha know?
Golly gee, we sure know how to show the rest of the world how freedom is done, don’t “we”?
Less than 20 years later, we have those in “authority” once again taking a wrecking ball to the Constitution, repudiating it and freedom itself. This time over the chance of getting a respiratory infection. What is to be made of a country—founded on resistance to tyranny—whose majority complied with such eye-watering dictatorial, freedom-crushing acts by its “authorities?” We expect compliance in totalitarian regimes, yes — the ones so many take great pleasure in ridiculing, but in “the shining city on a hill”?
All of those in any public position such as Anthony Fauci, Deborah Birx, Robert Redfield, President Trump, all the governors, mayors, city and town councilors, state and local police — all of them took an oath to the Constitution. Was it a joke to them? Do they even know what it says? Do they care? Do the majority of people in this country know or care? Seems that last question answers itself.
It seems, too, that Leary’s assessment applies…For what else explains the conduct of this country’s people with their demonstrated preference for “safety” except docility? Or purposeful education away from the ideals of liberty? What explains the maddening lack of defiance in the face of tyranny? What explains the widespread obedience? Instead of resisting, the majority relinquished their freedom with barely a whimper. They’re entitled entitled to do that, but worse — they demanded that others do so, as well. Including the Church to its everlasting shame.
Those of us pointing out the unlawfulness and simple indecency of this were met with more than a dash of sarcasm, insult, and sanctimony. As the tyranny progressed and the demand became one of a forced medical intervention in the form of an experimental injection, some of our fellow “Americans” wished for those who declined this needle the loss of their job and worse — their lives. Nice, huh? We sure take being courageous and loyal to liberty seriously, don’t we??
No…Romans 13:1-5 Doesn’t Say That
Unfortunately, I have evolved to the point of just rolling my eyes at any reference to this chapter and verse of the Bible as the basis for blind obedience. Pastor Dan Fisher in his book, “Unlimited Submission? How Romans 13:1-5 has been incorrectly used to silence Christians and the Church”, expounds on the evolution toward this “Obey and pray” approach to government tyranny and malfeasance.
Citing multiple examples of Biblical and other heroes defying government edicts, Pastor Fisher lays out through eight highly-referenced chapters his thesis that not only does Romans 13:1-5 not advocate “unlimited submission”, “we, the people” are duty bound to resist government when it acts outside of its strictly limited role.
Pastor Fisher ends Chapter Eight with the last line of Samuel West’s election sermon, “Discourse VI”, preached to the Massachusetts Legislature on May 29, 1776:
“…Reason and revelation, we see, do both teach us that our obedience to rulers is not unlimited, but that resistance is not only allowable, but an indispensable duty in the case of intolerable tyranny and oppression.”
Resistance…“an indispensable duty.” How much have the people of this country allowed to slide over the decades? More and more encroachment. More and more malfeasance and failure. More and more destruction of liberty and Constitutional protections to get us to the point where in 2020 elected and unelected bureaucrats forbid every single aspect of human life — work, school, commerce, religious attendance, access to a doctor’s care, physical activity, normal human interaction. All of this constitutes a crime — a crime against humanity — and the one place on Earth where one might expect resistance, the world saw it cave in abject obedience. And saw its “law enforcement” enforce these unlawful edicts. That’s just really special.
Duty Abdicated
Included in the comment of the woman whose feathers I ruffled, she also stated that she was glad that her (obedient) parents had passed so they did not have to witness what has happened to the country. Both of my parents have passed away, too, and I’m happy that my WWII and Korean War veteran father didn’t have to witness what his countrymen did with the freedom he was told he fought for. I can only imagine what my mother would have said to “orders” to “shelter in place” to “flatten the curve.” While some of what I’m sure she’d have said I can’t write here, I do know one word she’d use for sure:
“Pfffff…”
I heartily recommend reading, https://reformedbooksonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/myers-rebellion-to-tyrants-is-obedience-to-god-and-the-declaration-of-independence.pdf In contrast to those who submit (pardon the pun) to the modern interpretation of Romans 13:1-5, this document shows that in contrast to today, obedience to God vs. men imbued the minds and writings of those comes to us via Acts 5:27-29 — “We must obey God rather than men.” (ESV)
Wow. You are on fire with that one. It should be required reading for every damn person. People have been conveniently blind because it is easier to get on the bus than to walk a path nobody else around them is following. Just like the Poles in Warsaw or Dutch in Amsterdam, it is much easier to surrender to a few thousand Nazis with guns and give up the Jews (because that is all they wanted, right?) than for 100K to people band together with clubs and all work together to defeat the problem. It takes courage to stand up. Your Mom was amazing. And fierce. I so love that. The apple didn't fall far from that tree. Nicely said.
Covid ratified the motion. Most people can't think. Of all of our relatives, no thinking people there at all. It's so bad that if the multiply jabbed suffer death or really life altering stuff like blood clots, for instance, connections likely will not be made. However, if it does get out into to the mainstream media, as it might be doing, then there's a chance for change. Otherwise, forget it.