Looking Past Hatred That Divides (Part 2)

It's been 1 month since I wrote "Looking Past Hatred That Divides."  In that post I pleaded the case for calm, forgiveness and compassion instead of rage, hatred and anger.  And sadly it's gotten much worse.

After I posted that,  one person lamblasted me for it.  How dare I say this was a faith based community and call them out for showing a Lynch Mob mentality.  I left the group.

Well it started out with one person who wanted to make a difference. She wanted a group where survivors could come and talk about their experience,  and comfort one another.   Until a handful of radicals, that's all I can say about them, took over and turned it into a raging angry mob. That's the only way I can describe it.  I'm sorry but it is, I once took up for that group when someone else suggested they were an angry mob,  but that's exactly what it's turned out to be.  Now the group has splintered,  and they formed their own little group that they say is only for helping people.  But yet they have totally and completely tried to ruin the founders reputation of the original group, they have called her all sorts of names and attempted to ruin her completely this is not helping people.

They've been to  City Council meetings  nastily accusing city council members and the mayor of deceiving purposely the people. So much so that they accused the mayor of moving his furniture out of his house the day of the fire early in the morning,  and leaving town and leaving everyone to die. Yes they did, the mayor was out of town that day he had gone to Knoxville with most of his family.   Anyway he was very distraught over the fires growing into the town,  and this group, like I said has not missed one opportunity, with news media in tow, to accuse him of these things.  In fact one stood up in front of the news media and said "they left us all to die."   There were so many people trapped in this fire trying to get out trying to get down the mountain to safety, so much so that the roads became so dangerous that First Responders couldn't get to them. There was winds 90 miles an hour, Flames everywhere, downed electrical lines, and the emergency crews couldn't make it up some of the mountain roads, so the dispatchers from 911 were trying to calm people and tell them to get out the best way you could, don't give up keep moving forward or find a safe spot, and that was twisted and said that they told them no one was coming, keep driving get out on your own, you're on your own.  Leaving them to die.   That's not exactly true.  I can only imagine the desperation dispatchers felt that night knowing someone could die, and only helplessness resounding in their mind.    Our First Responders and firemen have to live with the things that they witnessed that night.   The fire alone was described as the gates of hell, and I know this to be true , I was here I experienced 90 mile an hour winds.   I watch the glow of the fire above the trees.   I didn't have to go through the fire because I stayed in my home and my home was spared, but to accuse officials of purposely leaving people to die is unconscionable.  The Mayor, City Manager, a council member and first responders also lost their homes.  The Mayor lost his business.

Then they decided that their freedom of speech was being denied, because this media circus they brought,  with all of the bashing so to speak of officials, (my words)  was disrupting their meetings so they changed their rules to match the county rules. Where you must submit your questions to the city 5 days in advance, and of course if there were multiple questions the same, or the questions had already been answered,the city could deny your speaking.  But instead of waiting to see if actual rights were violated,  they filed a petition, titled We the People and obtain 2500 signatures or something to that effect.  Some of the people that signed that petition do not even live in this state, that's sad. They delivered the petition along with their questions, 40 of them to the City Hall 5 days in advance.   Since this group has received so much publicity and they have ranted and raved with anger on social media, it was asked that police be present while they were there.   They had also threatened to protest and other things in front of City Hall.   Police presence in such instances is not an unusual request, but they took it as an infringement on their rights.   Then they showed up to the city meeting.   The city had already answered their questions in  written form, and they passed it out to them and everyone in the audience.   They included the initial public government form that they use to fill out, which gave their name and address, which was public knowledge.   But they say they are suing the city because they gave out their address.  Of the 40 questions, some were not questions but personal attacks asking them if they felt responsible for the deaths, and why the Mayor left his dog at a shelter for a month.  Only about 3 were directly related to the fire.  And in reality they had already been answered.  At the same meeting they wore white t-shirts with black lettering and Silhouettes the silhouette on the back was of the mayor, and it also had a gavel up next to his head saying remove the mayor.   The front of the shirt had a picture of a woman who they say was demeaned by the mayor with a piece of tape over her mouth and it said I am..... with the woman's name.  This was  very distasteful, disrespectful and frankly awful.   The woman portrayed on the shirt angrily asked the Mayor why would he say that the fire made lives better, more than once.  And how could he not lead his sheep, the Mayor asked her to sit down, which she did not, so he told her to sit down or be removed, as she was asking the City manager about FEMA trailers that had been answered via email.   The County also does this for disrupting behavior.  Before the meeting,  which went very well,  the mayor gave a heartfelt statement of why he wasn't infringing on their rights and why they had to change the rules to maintain some sort of Civility in, their meetings and a program that didn't get out of hand.   He also talked about his sorrow and his pain and his grief and how he chose not to let it Define him but to make him stronger, and he wanted us to come together.   It was a very heartfelt speech and it was applauded.   Before his speech we all stood as we always do and we turned to the American  flag and recited our Pledge of Allegiance. Then we had a prayer, as they always do before every meeting.  They got to speak and ask their questions.   So after the meeting this group only a handful, starting screaming answer our questions, why won't you answer our questions.  Then they  held a press conference in which they told the media that they had invited the ACLU because their rights were infringed upon, their freedom of speech had been denied and they asked the ACLU to address the prayer before the meeting because  it broke the law.   These were Christians or they say they're Christians.   They say they pray, they say they're not against prayer but at the same time they called the ACLU to address the issue of prayer before City meetings.   In Anger they struck out at a peaceful, sleepy little community that had just suffered great Devastation in a natural disaster.  A faith-based community that's very close to God.   So in their anger and rage and wanting a pound of Flesh so to speak,  somebody to pay for what they had been through, they've hurt a whole community and divided it right down the middle.   I can't imagine what the mayor's family has gone through with all of this negativity, it's really gotten vile at times.  It really has,  one comment on the social media post was that he and the city manager needed to be tarred and feathered and taken out of town, and that was a mild one.   I can't understand why people who showed so much love to each other the days after the fire show so much hatred and anger for each other now.   And the ones who dare to speak out and call them out on the ACLU  and their anger, hatred and rage are raked over the coals on social media.   It's like a civil war basically played out on a social media platform.   It's a very dangerous game it causes a lot of pain and a lot of suffering more than you can imagine.   I begged for this to stop because this did nothing to honor the memories of those who lost their lives in the fire.   This does nothing to honor those who tried to save us that night, this does nothing to honor God.  In fact it mocks God.  I have no more words except please stop this, stop this hatred and rage and anger and show some forgiveness and love if you really are Christian.  Promote healing and positive change not vengeance.

In my opinion a town was overwhelmed.  A system was overwhelmed.  We had multiple wildfires raging all around us that summer due to the drought and some possibly by arson.  So we all had grown accustomed to heavy smoke.  I'm sure if we had it to do again, things would be different.  Changes are being made, but it takes time.  I wouldn't want to go through future disasters with anyone else other than those who were on the ground that night.  As one official told me, experience and knowledge was gained.  We will mourn forever the date of November 28, and the precious souls lost that night.  But let's not make their memory made of rage and anger.
(Click here for part 1)
#MountainTough
#SmokyMountainstrong

The Fight Over Freedom Of Speech

Recently locally and nationally there has been much crying about Freedom of Speech violations.
From what I understand,  freedom of speech means just  that, that we are free to speak our emotions our political views, and our religious views in public,  without interference from the government.

In  other words, they cannot arrest us for saying that we believe in Christ,  or our voicing of political opinions.   If we think that our choice of leaders are wrong we can voice that,  and ask them to be replaced.  Not like some countries,  even Iran has signed on to the United Nations International chapter of freedoms but yet they arrest you if you voice your opinions about their government or speak of another religion besides the Shiite twelver religion that they abide by.
That said here's what it actually says about are freedom of speech:

The version of Article 19 in the ICCPR states the exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or " or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".  Therefore, freedom of speech and expression may not be recognized as being absolute, and common limitations to freedom of speech relate to libel, slander, obscenity, pornography, sedition, incitement, fighting words, classified information, copyright violation, trade secrets, non-disclosure agreements, the right to privacy, the right to be forgotten, public security, and perjury. Justifications for such include the harm principle, proposed by John Stuart Mill in On Liberty, which suggests that: "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." The idea of the "offense principle" is also used in the justification of speech limitations, describing the restriction on forms of expression deemed offensive to society, considering factors such as extent, duration, motives of the speaker, and ease with which it could be avoided.  End quote.

With our freedoms come responsibility.   It is our responsibility to make sure that we are not relaying false claims, because it's our right to say things,  we're not using sensationalism, we're not guilty of slander or liable and we're not ruining another person's reputation just because it's our right to do so.

Freedom of speech does not give you the right to infringe on someone else's right whether it be a right to privacy or a right to expect honesty, our freedom of speech is precious here.   Men have died to give that right to us,  which means that we have a certain Freedom that other countries do not , like Iran Pakistan ,China, and North Korea.   We're not allowed though,  to slander and freely throw out opinions that are based on slander or gossip. Or anger or hatred.   It means that we have a certain responsibility to tell the truth and to abide by these truths given us from God.  We can't just say whatever we want to say on public platforms,  for instance I heard a woman tell another woman she wasn't fit to be a mother and she should be sterilized, just because she said something that this woman didn't agree with that's wrong that is not a freedom of speech I'm sorry but it's not.  You don't have the right to ruin someone else's reputation.

I don't like smear campaigns on the national level during elections and I don't like smear campaigns on a local level simply because you're angry. 

We have such a precious freedom in that there are lots of ways to use this freedom to speak out and to engage even on a political platform and healthy debates and ask questions, but bullying sensationalism and twisting the truth is never, should never be acceptable yet it is.  It's widely practiced due to the increase of platforms like social media it's very sad.

So use your freedom wisely and remember that there are hundreds of thousands, even millions of people in the world that would give anything to live in our great country, our great land,  where we can voice our opinion without fear of being killed or arrested by our government.

One last thing it's okay to call out corruption or something that you see as wrong, it's okay to call that out but what is not okay is to hate that person that you're calling out or act in anger even the Bible says that.

2 Corinthians 12:20

For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;

Ties That Bind: Blessing or Prison?

The Phrase the "ties that bind" means "the shared belief or other factor that links people together."

We've all experienced this at one time in our lives.  Whether it be in a relationship personal or work related.  Sometimes circumstances even disaster brings a tie that binds even to those unknown to each other prior to the event.  Even our world wars have tied whole populations together.  Bringing peoples together who never knew each other existed beforehand.  Ask a combat veteran, they will tell you of a tie that binds making brothers and sisters of each other.

Christians share a tie that binds in the love Christ placed in our hearts.

I've had many ties in my life, some from unexpected sources.  Like the disastrous fires that claimed lives and property in Tennessee.  This claimed and held hostage peoples peace and feeling of safety.  Material things are just that, material.  The memories from these things that are precious will live on forever in hearts.  But the bittnerness, rage and hatred for the blaming of this loss lives forever too.  I have met some wonderful people, strong people, who have looked to love and God to see them through.  Then I have seen the bitterness and hatred dividing.  I've heard name calling, I've heard the age old arguments from grade school, "mine is bigger than yours" "mine hurts worse"  to be specific one of the most bitter responses is you didn't lose everything so your ignorant. 

That couldn't be farther from the truth.  You see that disaster and other disasters like Katrina, affected everyone in the immediate area and even people across the world, as they watched it unfold.  I sit everyday and I watch the pain and the suffering. Especially from those who lost loved ones, and I go through that with them so they can't really say your loss nothing, so you're ignorant, that's bitterness and hatred and that has to go.   I know this because bitterness, rage and blaming others almost ruined me, years ago.

That has to go,  blaming someone is the first thing that humans want to do.   That  happened to Adam and Eve in the garden, the blame game started when Eve believed Satan.  But it has to stop. Somewhere at some point we have to say enough we have to stop attacking each other especially.   We have to stop attacking personally, officials.   At some point we have to say how can we fix this?  How can we make this a better place?   How can we make everyone prepared? The Ties That Bind, when they turn to bitterness and hatred it becomes a prison.   And that's what I see our community becoming instead of a loving community that came together to support each other we have become a prison of hatred and bitterness.

Not everyone,  but bitterness, hatred and rage spreads like cancer, fast and furious infecting the whole body if not stopped.

Religious leaders are calling for forgiveness and peace.  But sadly it falls on deaf ears.  But with prayer, love and forgiveness we can save one tie at a time.  Unless you give bitterness to God there's nothing He can do, if you hang onto it, He can't help.  Let's make the ties That Bind us a blessing not a prison.

"Blest Be the Tie that Binds"
by John Fawcett, 1740-1817
1. Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
2. Before our Father's throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our alms, are one,
Our comforts and our cares.
3. We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear,
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.
4. When here our pathways part,
We suffer bitter pain;
Yet, one in Christ and one in heart,
We hope to meet again.
5. This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way,
While each in expectation lives
And longs to see the day.
6. From sorrow, toil, and pain,
And sin we shall be free
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

Self Serving Attitudes Of Today

A search for thinking only of one's self turned this definition up:

"A person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish. Self-absorbed comes to mind. It is defined as: Excessively self-involved. Self-serving is another word that roughly means "only caring about oneself," as the formal definition for self-serving is "asborbed with oneself."

It seems as if most millilenials and a whole number of all ages have come under a sort of spell over the last few years.

No one accepts responsibilities, everyone of these think that the world owes them, because after all, it's all about them.  Right?

I could list a host of examples from world and National leaders to ordinary people.  But I think we all know one of this type personally.  The world could collapse and fall in around them and they wouldn't notice.  World War lll could break out and they wouldn't notice.  Self absorbed in all about me and my problems.  I've witnessed this first hand recently in my community.  It becomes a game, you didn't suffer, I suffered more than you, even while police are assasinated, No. Korea threatens nuclear war, fires raging out west, starving Iraqi's are rescued after years of ISIS from Mosul, Otto Warm bier dies from torture, and still it's all about them. 

This type of person becomes angry and bitter, craving attention so bad they lash out at everyone around them.  Turning from survivor/victim to the bully.  This is very hard to witness.  Begging for attention and everyone to share their bully pulpits to demean, demoralize and humiliate anyone not giving them what they think they are owed, be it attention, respect or money.

This is a sickness, it's even a spiritual darkness.

This type of spiritual darkness is most especially hard to watch when Christians embrace this. Christians who take on a bully pulpit to spew hatred and hate-filled rants like you're unfit or you're worthless.  And I could go on and on, but the hatred that spews out of another Christians mouth just to humiliate, demoralize and demean a person turns my stomach.   This is not of God and then to claim that they are the only Christian, and the Christian that they're demoralizing is not a Christian,  and is going to hell, it's just a sickness like I said a spiritual Darkness.   And they always like to end their hate-filled rant with Don't Judge Me judge not lest ye be judged.   Hello!

What does the Bible have to say about this?  God's word has plenty to say about self-serving attitudes and self-willed people let's look:

Isaiah 29:13-14

13 The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.[a]
14 Therefore once more I will astound these people
    with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
    the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”

 Isaiah 8:18-20

18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

The Darkness Turns to Light

19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

2 Timothy 3
 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

This type of attitude was of satan, from the Garden of Eden.  This is what darkness was in the heart of man before Jesus came to take this away and replace this with love and peace.  We are in the last days.  Are you ready?