Hypocrisy

No exit strategy. Fight to victory

eejoseph

The slaughter of millions of humans in the pursuit of power, territory, and treasure might pass as necessary moves by any authority protecting its people’s future. The regional fights for values have seen the planet descend into the abyss of cultural priorities and, frankly, politico-religious garbage. We cannot make idols of military prowess, or make a moral standard of ethnic insularity superiority, or make the fear of resident foreigners a reason to unleash mass murder, destruction of property, uprooting of communities, and the imprisonment of entire populations, and think that such treachery escapes the eyes that do not sleep. Three months ago Forbes Breaking News was citing surveys that show half of the GOP were telling anyone who would listen that the US was doing too much for Ukraine. Their aversion to what they call endless wars. American wisdom in the area of war-making is supposed to include an exit strategy, aimed at ensuring no repeat of the conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. One assumes that the reluctance to put American boots on the ground in Syria and a host of hot spots is the offspring of that policy. In February 2023 Republicans are on air standing with President Biden on conducting support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. When a dog tells you he’s going to eat his vomit, do not cringe when he does. When a weather vane rotates in a dead calm something sinister and demonic is on tap, and reading “until Ukraine wins” as fuzzy exit strategy is right on the money.

Why else do people declare war and prosecute them if not to win? The GOP is a satanic beast, and this is not to say that Republicans are demoniacs. The idea that parties who lose elections are duly authorized to oppose the government and the winning party is as outhouse as Popeye and spinach. In the British empire and its colonies we have seen Her Majesty’s loyal opposition show themselves desolate of decency and nobility by their mindless attempts to overthrow the party in power by outrageous and nice-sounding slogans. No family, corporation, or civic entity can claim to be stable with even one member acting as avowed opposition. Forget the notion that opposition parties have as their priority offering sound advice and recommendations to the party in power. Forget the notion that any of household will tolerate a spouse or child acting as critics with a goal of ending the appropriate bonds and functions of any stakeholder.

Devilish deals

It is diabolic operational priority to slander, oppose, and destroy. A professor who advocates burning of books is a fool on an errand. The Christian who champions law and order, from any source, is like the ox who does not know his owner, is like the ass who does not know his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” (Isaiah 1:3) No-one needs to be actually possessed by an evil spirit (a fallen angel) or the leader of the fallen angels himself to be found slandering, committing murder, stealing, or destroying. In one of the truly eye-opening predictions about demonic influence we find a people in the latter days who are clearly being influenced, but not identified as demoniac. Their activities include:

  • Speaking lies in hypocrisy
  • having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (read “messed-up conscience“)
  • Forbidding to marry (ethnic discrimination and tribalism)
  • commanding to abstain from meats (dietary nonsense)

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;” “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

Flip flop, hawk-dove

Every day eyes are being opened to view the follies of human heroes, people putting their lives on the line for inconsiderate theories and policies. There will always be poor people, naive and gullible people. Exactly how childish the conservative aligned people are will appear again when the GOP starts pushing for an exit strategy from support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and for the United States to withdraw from the Asia-Pacific arena to let China have its draconian way.

You, Canadian Taliban, do not allow a woman!

eejoseph

I have never believed that women are somehow inferior or inadequate (lacking the capacity) to lead. My God, you Euro-American Taliban, I have a mother who knew sonething about Bible power. She could read it. She understood it. She taught me to read it. I have not gotten past “If any person (tis, τις) desires the office of bishop…” being treated as “if one of the boys wants to be a bishop…”, or how mothers can excel at home in nurturing and training both boys and girls to follow the Saviour. Paul’s message to Timothy about the quest for bishop’s office is a great eyeopener but it takes a less than thoughtful apostle or prophet to put up road blocks to the usefulness of women in church.

Focus on the function of the word

The Bible was not written for men. Forget that junk. Its message for the human race in every era never settles for the theory that males are the only heroes of faith. Take another look, please. Dare we say that God wants to equip only men (males) for every good work? Who does God want to to teach, reprove, correct and train in righteousness? Who does he want to be adequate (artios, άρτιος, fit for the time)? Males? Not a chance, Taliban.

People are people to God

Anthropology eludes the elitists in religious circles. They believe, without evidence, that the ancient world had two kinds of people: the elect and the disrespected. They do not care about people, all people. People who are themselves shorthanded and nearsighted will want to find someone to help show their elite standing by way of contrast. Leaving women out of anything has never been successful. Ask Moses and the scribes and Pharisees of New Testament times. It has to be that people who think Paul was following Christ by putting restrirtions on women are less than human. The man of God (the anthropos, ανθρωπος) can be any gender.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, anthropos is “person”

16) All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17) so that the man (ανθρωπος) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Paul to Timothy 2:3:16-17

Where are God’s lovers

eejoseph

The truth is no longer hiding in a secret room.  When it comes to doing God’s will it is not humans who carry the torch.   The death angel seems to have penetrated the great walls of corporate and civic greatness as well as the pews of evangelical ignorance. Spoiled brats and silent watchdogs are the heritage of a nation that thought it could set up lamb-like powers (kind and gracious) and speak like a dragon (slanderous and destructive) and not pay the price.  Loving a country more than one’s life is ridiculously stupid and the things we do not allow – those forbidden attitudes and behaviours –  are no sign of love.

Blinded by white clouds



11) Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. 12) He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13) He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14) And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

Revelation of John 13:11-14

This beast that is  like both dragon and lamb is not fairy tale secret apocalyptic.  This is an end-of-days nation that will rip to shreds every precious framework for human success and longevity, all the while publishing its love for God and country, and its admiration of despots, and bigots.

People who love God in this age should not think they can get away with dissing the people for whom Christ died.  The love that Christian faith exhibits will shred the barriers of race and culture.  We can make the same mistake of passing on the other side – too holy to be seen with – like the priest and Levite (Luke 10:30-37) sinners, the sick, the wounded and outsiders.  Man, “Go and do likewise” is a rebuke in very gentle language that still needs to be heeded.

Love misplaced again

Despite the many pleas by the apostles to love in sincerity and without pretence we still find ourselves chained to a “chosen people” status as if the treasures of heaven that  can bring purity to people.   I suppose that the presence of that love in our earthen vessel that sends us to the lost, sick and dying is too surprising (new!) to be real.  In reality, one has to ignore  the fact  that a holy and spotless Lamb did really hang out with humans,  each one lost and sinful).

Money traps the saint

That saying about money “answering to everything”  is deadly accurate but also equally ineffective.  Its accuracy comes from the writer’s use of a participle to describe the preparation as pretty much the status quo.  The idolatry is all too evident.  They get laughter from food  (bread), joy from wine, and they fall back  on the “fix-all” silver.


Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.

Ecclesiastes 10:19

It is not surprising that in New Testament times and our times the people who claim to be most ardent followers of truth are lovers of money and themselves.   Even a popular thing like the Law becomes an idol, a mere distraction from God himself.  If we do not draw a firm line between Creator and creature, between Saviour and the perishing, we show ourselves to be spiritual adulterers.  God is not an object like the law, temple, Bible, the church, prophecy or the priesthood.  He alone is able to save.   Our love needs to be more than lipservice and include caring sincerely about people who are different from us. Love that is optimally defined as obedience to the law simply does not cut it and is highly suspect as a tool of the devil.