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SadieJay's avatar

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.

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SheThinksLiberty's avatar

Thank you, SadieJay! My mother really was something...That moment? When my mother said that? Etched forever. Compare that with what we've got today. SMDH.

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daverkb's avatar

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.

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SheThinksLiberty's avatar

I think it is getting out more and more -- and who's doing it? The majority? No. It's always not the majority that drives change in the beginning. They follow; they play catch up.

It's always a minority, so we who are a part of that minority must do what we can in our way to support those pushing for what is right and true.

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Stan's avatar

Great commentary and an excellent observation. Unfortunately, human beings are very prone to obedience in the negative form that you mention, because unfortunately, the vast majority of human beings would rather die than have to think for themselves, and thus face the consequence of thinking for themselves - to actually make a decision for themselves. The “nice woman“ that you had the exchange with who thought that her parents brought her up and her entire generation up to be obedient has a powerful ring of truth to it. What she fails to understand, what she fails to grasp, is that that sort of obedience is absolutely dependent on a society that is structured in such a way that those people who are our “superiors“ in whatever area or field, that are acting in a moral, just way with integrity . That has probably never been the case throughout history, and it certainly is not the case now in our era.

You are also correct in pointing out that the only one we must be obedient to is to God himself. Everyone else we have to be skeptical. Being skeptical requires us to make decisions, that is to think for ourselves and act accordingly , and that brings me back to the unfortunate observation, that the overwhelming percentage of humanity in any era, at any time would rather die than have to do that.

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SadieJay's avatar

Yes, and it is NOT just America. But, we do have the wisdom of the founding fathers who knew tyranny when they saw it and gave us the framework to resist. Mankind, no matter how much oppressed, seems to prefer blind obedience to critical thought. We are all we have. All of us are coming out of the closet and finding each other. The tattered remnants of freedom can be assembled with some work, but it certainly resembles nothing in the past. So many more people to be ignorant and blind than free and bold.

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Stan's avatar

Correct Sadie. We in America have a much better history of pushing back against blind conformity. I see the willingness to do that, to follow authority more unhesitatingly among my numerous family members in Europe and in Canada. We need to re-instill that in our young - to push back properly against unjust authority.

In there lies the rub doesn’t it? The difficulty now is that you have to define what is “just“ versus what is “unjust“ authority, and for that you need a moral code. This is why the termites of our society have spent so much effort and energy in destroying anything that’s smacks of a moral code , and of course, a moral code for Americans has been Bible based. That’s why our enemies, our domestic enemies, which are the worst kind, have attacked that relentlessly. Unfortunately, because we have lived so well for so long, especially since let’s say the past 80 years - since even people born in 1940, who are now 82, have never really experienced bad times, or hard times, so it’s easy for a society like that to go to hell, and our society has been going to hell for actually a bit longer than that. Unfortunately, for all of us, those consequences, those bills are going to come due very soon now, or using another analogy. The chickens are going to come home to roost. When that happens, it is going to be very, very ugly . And it is now unavoidable.

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SheThinksLiberty's avatar

Call it God's justice, call it karma, call it "what goes around, comes around," unfortunately, what you've described is "coming around" in this country -- and the vast, vast majority will have no idea what hit 'em.

I also agree that a greater and steadier voice must be reactivated toward what is just and what is unjust. Of course, that's a mine field, too, that must be navigated very carefully. We've had whack jobs through the ages murder and torture in God's name, too. That said, I think making the call that closing down the entire country in very facet in the name of "slowing the spread" of a "virus" is an easy call in terms of "just" and "unjust" -- or just plain evil and stupid.

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Stan's avatar

Correct. I believe it is important, to be aware of the distinction between God and religion!

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Grammy's avatar

Thank you for making this point! After being born again 40 years ago, I thought I was 'free' because I rejected the unscriptural traditions of my prior religion. Oddly enough, it was the events surrounding covid19 and seeking of God regarding them that opened my eyes to the fact that although I had changed 'religions,' I was still not actually following Jesus' teachings. It was a far more truthful version of the Gospel, but still misleading in many ways when compared to the Scriptures instead of another religion.

I'm not downing my born-again experience, just pointing out that its important to seek God above any church teaching and search the scriptures ourselves to make certain we're learning the right things (I was not.) Any church can be a man-pleasing organization using bible verses out of context no matter how many members, what affiliation or the mount of honor given to it by men.

I'm not anti-church, (the Bible commands us to assemble) but I'm more aware of what I believe and have made numerous adjustments to my thinking with many more to come. Thanks, globalists! :)

Jesus, as always, said it best:

New International Version

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

New Living Translation

For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

English Standard Version

You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Berean Standard Bible

You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”

Berean Literal Bible

Having neglected the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."

King James Bible

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

New King James Version

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men— the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

New American Standard Bible

Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

NASB 1995

“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

NASB 1977

“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

Legacy Standard Bible

Leaving the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

Amplified Bible

You disregard and neglect the commandment of God, and cling [faithfully] to the tradition of men.”

Christian Standard Bible

Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.”

American Standard Version

Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English

“You forsake the commandments of God and you keep the traditions of the sons of men: washings of cups and pots and many such things like these.”

Contemporary English Version

You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught.

Douay-Rheims Bible

For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these.

English Revised Version

Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation

"You abandon the commandments of God to follow human traditions."

Good News Translation

"You put aside God's command and obey human teachings."

International Standard Version

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition."

Literal Standard Version

for having put away the command of God, you hold the tradition of men, immersions of pots and cups; and many other such like things you do.”

Majority Standard Bible

You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other similar things you do.”

New American Bible

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

NET Bible

Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition."

New Revised Standard Version

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”

New Heart English Bible

"Having left the commandment of God, you hold tightly to human tradition."

Webster's Bible Translation

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Weymouth New Testament

"You neglect God's Commandment: you hold fast to men's traditions."

World English Bible

“For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.”

Young's Literal Translation

for, having put away the command of God, ye hold the tradition of men, baptisms of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do.'

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Stan's avatar

I’d like to share one more observation that I made years ago, and I think it’s very germane to not just my original post but to your response. I came to realize that Abraham Lincoln was never a member of an organized church; never openly associated with any established “religion“. This caused some in his era to think that he was an atheist. Yet, Lincoln had a Bible on his nightstand, and he read it all the time. As far as I’m concerned, no human being in the history of the human race, who actually had real power, much less legitimately obtained real power like Lincoln had, did so much actual’good’ by following the inspired word of God from the source, the Bible .

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Stan's avatar

A very well written, and nuanced response. Thank you for sharing.!

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Rhymes With "Brass Seagull"'s avatar

Very well-said overall.

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Art Hutchinson's avatar

"Obey," is one of those words (like Hope, Change, and Faith) that we've been deliberately conditioned to accept with no object. (Obey who? Hope in what? Change to what? Faith in what?) Interestingly, it has some bizarre-satanic roots in memes by one particular artist (Shepherd Fairey; go look him up) who grounded his first meme in 20th century pop culture simulacra (professional wrestling) in 1989.

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SheThinksLiberty's avatar

Yes, exactly. Similar to "obedience". Always a "good"? As we've seen, not so much.

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Kathleen Devanney. A human.'s avatar

Nice!

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Rebel2Tyrants's avatar

AMEN!

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LuAnne's avatar

Wow. I'm so incredibly impressed with how you can take a few sentences from a person you don't know, twist it, and then create a long, windy, congratulatory, and virtuous commentary about yourself!

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SheThinksLiberty's avatar

Your comment inspired me to think long and hard about "obedience", LuAnne. You said it yourself -- that in your 30s and 40s you reevaluated what your parents taught you about it. I think this whole country needs to think long and hard about obedience.

As I tried to convey, obedience has gotten us all into the "fine mess" and unquestioned obedience to authority at all times is 𝒏𝒐𝒕 a virtue.

I'd describe what I wrote about my mother as deep respect for her -- her courage, her virtue, her willingness to defend and defy. If you read that as "congratulations", they all belong to her.

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LuAnne's avatar

Oh, you should run over to today's C&C! A woman, a 30 yr nurse from CA, expressed her fear of losing her job. She's afraid to stand up because she has a family to feed. Great material for your next self-congratulatory piece!

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LuAnne's avatar

Just like you, I also have deep respect for my mother but I don't need to make huge assumptions about other people I know nothing about to make that point.

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