The notion that we do not have enemies among the American people is a popular one, because it's easier to blame our current state on a shadowy few, but the truth tells a different story. We have real enemies and no small number of them.
You are correct. When you say, “normalcy bias” it sounds so clinical. It’s tough for people in my generation to come to grips with how completely the country we grew up in has been destroyed. We still want to believe that the POTUS is the head of the government, no matter how obvious it is that he is incapable of even walking in a straight line. We still want to believe that Congress has, “the power of the purse”, even though they haven’t passed a budget in 20 years, and will never do so again. We can’t come to grips with how the schools, law enforcement, and the military all propagate values that are diametrically opposed to the ones we grew up with. And yes, we can’t fathom how many of our “fellow citizens” are dedicated to our annihilation.
You are right. We are not in a debate with reasonable people. We are in a struggle, and what is at stake are our freedoms and our country and its future. And right now, the enemy is winning. We must not ignore that.
"...the vision of a political rapprochement in which individuals from all corners of the polity converge in the political middle as they sing 'Kumbaya' is a dangerous fantasy..."
John R. Hibbing, "Predisposed: Liberals, Conservatives, and the Biology of Political Differences" (2013)
Centrism and compromise with evil are not the right way forward; they are the path to defeat in a war that we cannot afford to lose.
Sarah, thank you for mentioning the most vulnerable of all: the unborn. When I found out that the process of creating many vaccines (including Covid vaccines) includes the use of tissue from "elective abortion," it served to solidify my already adamant refusal to be vaccinated. And they always make sure to include the descriptive "elective" abortion. As if that somehow makes it okay to snuff out the life of a beautiful creation of God.
While a small portion of the population supports mutilating/sterilising children, I think the stronger argument is that the bulk of the population shrugs at their vile corruption. Long-standing school programs have shredded their innocence at a very young age, and we encourage their promiscuity--or at least are mostly indifferent to it. Their exposure to subtle and not-so-subtle vulgarity for decades now has allowed them to accept increasingly heinous legislation because they were robbed of their ability to know right from wrong. “Woe to those who scandalise the little ones!”
Politics alone will not be enough. The fury with which the murder and mutilation are promoted is nothing if not satanic. At least the euthanasia insanity has not reached Belgian / Canadian levels in the US. Yet.
Prayer, a lot of it, will be required. The enemy's too big now.
We must be even more cautious about not being our own worst enemy. When we easily suppose that our current positions and initial reactions and own ideas are all very probably the very most correct ones, we are demonstrating pride. I choked on this pill. I'm not sure whether I'm done choking yet.
Our enemies are enslaved in basically the same way. The fatal flaw in democracy is "the majority can and will be deceived." They're guilty of choosing the wrong master just like everyone else and choosing to admit and maintain falsehoods on their own inner truth tables just like everyone else. They go on creating problems in the name of solving problems, and your teeth will explode from the grinding, and we still must have compassion for them.
If you're like me, the reason it is always so easy to focus on [the horrible thing someone is doing] is that you *really* like being distracted from your own catastrophe. One day, I wrote a rule:
Meditating on someone else's stupidity is one of the stupidest things you can do.
P.S. Our enemies have "redefined" or at least attempted to redefine cultural Marxism as a far-right anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, presumably in order to further hamper everyone's ability to think and talk about what is happening. Sometimes it seems like the left demands that everyone is either communist / socialist or fascist, regardless of how they identify, and of course "fascism baaad, socialism good."
P.P.S. Regarding "normalcy bias", a pastor once said to me a sort of paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:4 -- "all things continue as they were." I was probably getting upset about how things are getting "interesting" and he was trying to get me back on the ground or something... poorly. I made my point that things absolutely will change, eventually & dramatically: " 'I will gather together all nations and pour out on them my wrath.' That hasn't happened yet." Sometimes it's like people forget that Jesus said "Watch!"
As the illegals continue to invade the country at the urging of the criminals occupying this nation, more and more people settle here without any allegiance to or knowledge of what this country has stood for.
This alone increases the enemies we have by leaps and bounds.
I suggest reading ‘Letter to the American Church’ by Eric Metaxas as a clarion call to stand up, work for the good, and be ‘wily as serpents, innocent as doves’ while trusting the Lord.
When are we going to wake up and realize that it is up to each one of us to start cleaning up this mess that we are tolerating??? It's not going away....it's getting worse!!
The Post-Modern Marxism that has captured every Western institution is rooted in extreme liberalism, which posits that Truth must be warred upon. It brings unceasing relativism to effect permanent revolution which destroys each and every thing in its turn.
Good article, Sarah. Christians have always faced enemies, clear enemies who make no attempt to hide their animosity toward Christ, the gospel, and the Church. These have proved serious enough. Paul relates his suffering at the hands of enemies in II Corinthians 11, which included beatings, stoning, and prison. And as Christ was betrayed by Judas, Paul notes that he also suffered betrayals from false brothers. I would say that betrayals from those who claim to be among us represent the most stinging enemies that we encounter.
Over the past several years, the Barna Group has reported the results of its Worldview Survey. These results have recorded a steady decline in the number of Americans who hold a biblical worldview—particularly Americans who identify as Christians and attend church regularly. A growing number of Christians accept the idea of “karma” and affirm that all people pray to the same God no matter how such people identify deity. In addition, more and more Christians identify with naturalistic beliefs about the nature of reality, beliefs that characterize their secular neighbors. These beliefs include a rejection of absolute truth, the embrace of moral relativism, and even the acceptance of a Marxist analysis of history and society.
Brooke Hempell, senior vice president of research for Barna, explains what his years-long research shows, “This research really crystalizes what Barna has been tracking in our country as an ongoing shift away from Christianity as the basis for a shared worldview. We have observed and reported on increasing pluralism, relativism, and moral decline among Americans and even in the Church. Nevertheless, it is striking how pervasive some of these beliefs are among people who are actively engaged in the Christian faith.” https://www.barna.com/research/competing-worldviews-influence-todays-christians/
Christians still encounter bitter opposition from those who despise the Judeo-Christian tradition. Anti-Semitism is not only on the rise, but so is an anti-Christian bias that often drips with bitter animus toward any public expression of faith. At the same time, a growing number who identify as Christians are likely to oppose orthodox moral beliefs as bigoted and out of touch. That is, we see Christians who deny any aspect of the orthodox Christian faith inconsistent with their beliefs and lifestyles. We find Catholics in positions of power, for example, who accept and even promote elective abortion despite the Church's teaching. And those who disagree? Well, they are simply bigots who seek only to oppress women and exclude diversity.
For another example, Grace Semler Baldridge, the openly queer performer known simply as Semler on stage, saw her 2001 album, Preacher’s Kid, go to number one on iTunes Christian Music Chart, and her song, Faith, hit number one this year. For yet another example, last June, the drag performer, Flamy Grant, appeared in a music video for Christian musician Derek Webb’s song “Boys Will Be Girls,” which is an ode to queer "Christians" mistreated by the Christian community that refuses to accept them. And there seems to be, apparently, an enthusiastic Christian audience for this message.
Both of these performers identify as Christians, yet both demand that they be accepted within the Christian community despite their denial of Christian moral values. It’s not that they wish simply to be left alone to pursue their lifestyles. Not at all. No one is stopping them. But they want more. Their quest is for the entire Christian faith to change in order to accommodate them. That orthodox Christians do not accept their lifestyles is hurtful, damaging, and immoral. A Christian faith that opposes the LGBTQ+ agenda is, in their view, a cruel affront to man and to God. The implication? They are the victims, and all of Christianity must change. Forget Scripture and doctrine, Semler and Flamy Grant will tell you what God’s moral views are. And unless Christians gleefully celebrate their sexual proclivities, we are guilty of denying God’s inclusiveness and love. Despite their denial of Christian doctrine relative to human sexuality, they still demand to be included as part of the Christian faith. That very demand is an aggressive and hostile repudiation of Christian belief. Yet they are the ones who claim to be victims. This message echoes Paul’s words about false brethren, as well as his warnings about false doctrine. Paul is clear that we have enemies from within.
As Christians, we offer the message of the gospel to all. But we also recognize that not all will respond. Some of these will become bitter and open enemies of the gospel. Scripture tells us this will happen. But Scripture also tells us that some who have identified with us will eventually turn against the Church. They will show themselves to be wolves who will teach false doctrines and who will lead others away from the gospel. These are also enemies. Paul, in fact, has stern words for them in Galatians (NAB), “As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!” We must, therefore, be aware of those enemies who oppose the Christian faith claiming to be our brothers and sisters, as well as those who oppose the gospel as open enemies.
We have left the crossroad, long ago, where the Western world disposed of those things which made it great. People are being fooled today with the finger wagging at certain groups, with their myopic zeal. Marxism has infiltrated societies, to the point people cannot discern how it has influenced them to think they are virtuous, claiming their ideology of Marxism is some religious righteousness. Yet, from a Christian perspective, Marxism forces people to comply, where Jesus Christ never stated you must do anything, except by free-will. For all intents and purposes, Marxism should be deemed Satanism, which has infiltrated Westernized society.
You are correct. When you say, “normalcy bias” it sounds so clinical. It’s tough for people in my generation to come to grips with how completely the country we grew up in has been destroyed. We still want to believe that the POTUS is the head of the government, no matter how obvious it is that he is incapable of even walking in a straight line. We still want to believe that Congress has, “the power of the purse”, even though they haven’t passed a budget in 20 years, and will never do so again. We can’t come to grips with how the schools, law enforcement, and the military all propagate values that are diametrically opposed to the ones we grew up with. And yes, we can’t fathom how many of our “fellow citizens” are dedicated to our annihilation.
You are right. We are not in a debate with reasonable people. We are in a struggle, and what is at stake are our freedoms and our country and its future. And right now, the enemy is winning. We must not ignore that.
"...the vision of a political rapprochement in which individuals from all corners of the polity converge in the political middle as they sing 'Kumbaya' is a dangerous fantasy..."
John R. Hibbing, "Predisposed: Liberals, Conservatives, and the Biology of Political Differences" (2013)
Centrism and compromise with evil are not the right way forward; they are the path to defeat in a war that we cannot afford to lose.
https://michael796.substack.com/p/leftist-untruth-6-centrism-is-good
Sarah, thank you for mentioning the most vulnerable of all: the unborn. When I found out that the process of creating many vaccines (including Covid vaccines) includes the use of tissue from "elective abortion," it served to solidify my already adamant refusal to be vaccinated. And they always make sure to include the descriptive "elective" abortion. As if that somehow makes it okay to snuff out the life of a beautiful creation of God.
Thanks, Sarah, for saying what I don't have the acumen to say.
While a small portion of the population supports mutilating/sterilising children, I think the stronger argument is that the bulk of the population shrugs at their vile corruption. Long-standing school programs have shredded their innocence at a very young age, and we encourage their promiscuity--or at least are mostly indifferent to it. Their exposure to subtle and not-so-subtle vulgarity for decades now has allowed them to accept increasingly heinous legislation because they were robbed of their ability to know right from wrong. “Woe to those who scandalise the little ones!”
Two Maxims to bear in mind:-
Do not underestimate the power of an enemy, no matter how great or small, to rise against you another day. – Attila the Hun.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. - Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus's.
For the first time a church member has come out against the prevailing idolatry agenda, the Pope should have been the first to say this..
100+ Cleveland [ Ohio USA ] schools reject gender ideology.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#sent/KtbxLvgpqcTPCwztcXxFLrlsVXHQLTxLqV.
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND
Office of the Bishop
Parish & School Policy on Issues of Sexuality and Gender Identity.
https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/files/assets/parish-and-school-policy-on-issues-of-sexuality-and-gender-identity.pdf
Politics alone will not be enough. The fury with which the murder and mutilation are promoted is nothing if not satanic. At least the euthanasia insanity has not reached Belgian / Canadian levels in the US. Yet.
Prayer, a lot of it, will be required. The enemy's too big now.
We must be even more cautious about not being our own worst enemy. When we easily suppose that our current positions and initial reactions and own ideas are all very probably the very most correct ones, we are demonstrating pride. I choked on this pill. I'm not sure whether I'm done choking yet.
Our enemies are enslaved in basically the same way. The fatal flaw in democracy is "the majority can and will be deceived." They're guilty of choosing the wrong master just like everyone else and choosing to admit and maintain falsehoods on their own inner truth tables just like everyone else. They go on creating problems in the name of solving problems, and your teeth will explode from the grinding, and we still must have compassion for them.
If you're like me, the reason it is always so easy to focus on [the horrible thing someone is doing] is that you *really* like being distracted from your own catastrophe. One day, I wrote a rule:
Meditating on someone else's stupidity is one of the stupidest things you can do.
P.S. Our enemies have "redefined" or at least attempted to redefine cultural Marxism as a far-right anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, presumably in order to further hamper everyone's ability to think and talk about what is happening. Sometimes it seems like the left demands that everyone is either communist / socialist or fascist, regardless of how they identify, and of course "fascism baaad, socialism good."
P.P.S. Regarding "normalcy bias", a pastor once said to me a sort of paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:4 -- "all things continue as they were." I was probably getting upset about how things are getting "interesting" and he was trying to get me back on the ground or something... poorly. I made my point that things absolutely will change, eventually & dramatically: " 'I will gather together all nations and pour out on them my wrath.' That hasn't happened yet." Sometimes it's like people forget that Jesus said "Watch!"
As the illegals continue to invade the country at the urging of the criminals occupying this nation, more and more people settle here without any allegiance to or knowledge of what this country has stood for.
This alone increases the enemies we have by leaps and bounds.
I suggest reading ‘Letter to the American Church’ by Eric Metaxas as a clarion call to stand up, work for the good, and be ‘wily as serpents, innocent as doves’ while trusting the Lord.
When are we going to wake up and realize that it is up to each one of us to start cleaning up this mess that we are tolerating??? It's not going away....it's getting worse!!
Nicely written!
The Post-Modern Marxism that has captured every Western institution is rooted in extreme liberalism, which posits that Truth must be warred upon. It brings unceasing relativism to effect permanent revolution which destroys each and every thing in its turn.
Bang on.
Good article, Sarah. Christians have always faced enemies, clear enemies who make no attempt to hide their animosity toward Christ, the gospel, and the Church. These have proved serious enough. Paul relates his suffering at the hands of enemies in II Corinthians 11, which included beatings, stoning, and prison. And as Christ was betrayed by Judas, Paul notes that he also suffered betrayals from false brothers. I would say that betrayals from those who claim to be among us represent the most stinging enemies that we encounter.
Over the past several years, the Barna Group has reported the results of its Worldview Survey. These results have recorded a steady decline in the number of Americans who hold a biblical worldview—particularly Americans who identify as Christians and attend church regularly. A growing number of Christians accept the idea of “karma” and affirm that all people pray to the same God no matter how such people identify deity. In addition, more and more Christians identify with naturalistic beliefs about the nature of reality, beliefs that characterize their secular neighbors. These beliefs include a rejection of absolute truth, the embrace of moral relativism, and even the acceptance of a Marxist analysis of history and society.
Brooke Hempell, senior vice president of research for Barna, explains what his years-long research shows, “This research really crystalizes what Barna has been tracking in our country as an ongoing shift away from Christianity as the basis for a shared worldview. We have observed and reported on increasing pluralism, relativism, and moral decline among Americans and even in the Church. Nevertheless, it is striking how pervasive some of these beliefs are among people who are actively engaged in the Christian faith.” https://www.barna.com/research/competing-worldviews-influence-todays-christians/
Christians still encounter bitter opposition from those who despise the Judeo-Christian tradition. Anti-Semitism is not only on the rise, but so is an anti-Christian bias that often drips with bitter animus toward any public expression of faith. At the same time, a growing number who identify as Christians are likely to oppose orthodox moral beliefs as bigoted and out of touch. That is, we see Christians who deny any aspect of the orthodox Christian faith inconsistent with their beliefs and lifestyles. We find Catholics in positions of power, for example, who accept and even promote elective abortion despite the Church's teaching. And those who disagree? Well, they are simply bigots who seek only to oppress women and exclude diversity.
For another example, Grace Semler Baldridge, the openly queer performer known simply as Semler on stage, saw her 2001 album, Preacher’s Kid, go to number one on iTunes Christian Music Chart, and her song, Faith, hit number one this year. For yet another example, last June, the drag performer, Flamy Grant, appeared in a music video for Christian musician Derek Webb’s song “Boys Will Be Girls,” which is an ode to queer "Christians" mistreated by the Christian community that refuses to accept them. And there seems to be, apparently, an enthusiastic Christian audience for this message.
Both of these performers identify as Christians, yet both demand that they be accepted within the Christian community despite their denial of Christian moral values. It’s not that they wish simply to be left alone to pursue their lifestyles. Not at all. No one is stopping them. But they want more. Their quest is for the entire Christian faith to change in order to accommodate them. That orthodox Christians do not accept their lifestyles is hurtful, damaging, and immoral. A Christian faith that opposes the LGBTQ+ agenda is, in their view, a cruel affront to man and to God. The implication? They are the victims, and all of Christianity must change. Forget Scripture and doctrine, Semler and Flamy Grant will tell you what God’s moral views are. And unless Christians gleefully celebrate their sexual proclivities, we are guilty of denying God’s inclusiveness and love. Despite their denial of Christian doctrine relative to human sexuality, they still demand to be included as part of the Christian faith. That very demand is an aggressive and hostile repudiation of Christian belief. Yet they are the ones who claim to be victims. This message echoes Paul’s words about false brethren, as well as his warnings about false doctrine. Paul is clear that we have enemies from within.
As Christians, we offer the message of the gospel to all. But we also recognize that not all will respond. Some of these will become bitter and open enemies of the gospel. Scripture tells us this will happen. But Scripture also tells us that some who have identified with us will eventually turn against the Church. They will show themselves to be wolves who will teach false doctrines and who will lead others away from the gospel. These are also enemies. Paul, in fact, has stern words for them in Galatians (NAB), “As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!” We must, therefore, be aware of those enemies who oppose the Christian faith claiming to be our brothers and sisters, as well as those who oppose the gospel as open enemies.
We have left the crossroad, long ago, where the Western world disposed of those things which made it great. People are being fooled today with the finger wagging at certain groups, with their myopic zeal. Marxism has infiltrated societies, to the point people cannot discern how it has influenced them to think they are virtuous, claiming their ideology of Marxism is some religious righteousness. Yet, from a Christian perspective, Marxism forces people to comply, where Jesus Christ never stated you must do anything, except by free-will. For all intents and purposes, Marxism should be deemed Satanism, which has infiltrated Westernized society.