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| A protest rally in Brooklyn during late June 2020 |
Enid, Oklahoma's city council is scheduled this Wednesday afternoon/evening, 5:00 pm, July 15, 2020, to consider making masks mandatory for every person in public. The council will also consider limiting the size of public gatherings, including churches, sports activities, funerals, etc... An Enid city councilmen named Ben Ezzel, according to the Enid News and Eagle, has repeatedly pushed Enid Mayor George Pankonin for more mandatory measures as Covid-19 cases began spiking again after Enid reopened the beginning of June.
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| Enid has abundant ICU bed capacity |
Here are the facts. Enid, Oklahoma serves as the county seat for Garfield County. There have been only 102 cases of Covid-19, with 75 recoveries and 2 deaths, in our entire county. According to recent public statements in the Enid News and Eagle by the leaders of our two major hospitals in Enid, we have 3 patients in the hospital with Covid-19, and almost 75% hospital capacity available. In other words, the number of Covid-19 cases have more than tripled since opening back up, but ICU beds available for treatment of Covid-19 patients remain at seasonal levels. We have plenty of hospital ICU capacity, and the number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19 is not growing. They're being treated at home.
In addition, nationwide the number of deaths due to Covid-19 has plunged while the number of Covid-19 cases has soared. The mortality rate for Covid-19 is very low according to the compilation of scientific studies by USA Today.
Emmanuel Enid, the church I pastor, closed its buildings in March out of an abundance of concern for our local hospital capacity. We kept the buildings closed until the end of May, but during the time our buildings were closed, we went throughout our community helping people with food, transportation for doctor visits, and other needs that were called in to a Covid-19 hotline that we established.
But since late May, the buildings of Emmanuel Enid have opened and hundreds of people have come to our facilities every weekend, and large groups have gathered almost every day of the week for different events, including funerals. Even though we've averaged about 700 on campus on Sunday, that is only half of our typical attendance. Some come to the buildings, but some choose to stay home and watch online. Some wear masks, but some do not. We provide masks, but they are not mandatory. We disinfect after every service.
But since late May, the buildings of Emmanuel Enid have opened and hundreds of people have come to our facilities every weekend, and large groups have gathered almost every day of the week for different events, including funerals. Even though we've averaged about 700 on campus on Sunday, that is only half of our typical attendance. Some come to the buildings, but some choose to stay home and watch online. Some wear masks, but some do not. We provide masks, but they are not mandatory. We disinfect after every service.
Let's review the spread of Covid-19 in Garfield County since we opened the buildings in late May. Though cases have increased to 102 in Garfield County, hospital admissions have not gone up. Our church has purchased a van and our Pastor to Pacific Islanders, Yohanes Arwakon, has taken nearly 100 Pacific Islanders to be tested for Covid-19. We are ministering to two Pacific Island families who have Covid-19. We teach them how to take personal responsibility, how to distance from others, how to wash their hands, and provide masks for them. We are on the front lines with the ethnic group in our area that needs the most help. And they are doing quite well taking personal responsibility.
A handful of individuals in our church have been diagnosed with Covid-19. The Oklahoma Blood Institute has told me that I have developed Covid-19 antibodies. My wife has not had Covid-19. In our ministry to people in Enid from the very beginning of Covid-19 (March 11), we've discovered that no matter what measures a person takes, some simply can't avoid catching Covid-19.
Most of the people that we know who have had Covid-19 (about two dozen) all followed health protocols. They wore masks. They washed their hands. They socially distanced. They still got Covid-19. None of them has died, and all except for two were never hospitalized.
Cases of Covid-19 throughout the United States and in Enid are indeed going to go up. Even more Americans are going to get Covid-19 in the weeks to come. What political leaders should be carefully monitoring is hospital capacity and the mortality rate. Those two indicators are in very good shape.
Politicians who wish to make mandatory mask laws should be required to visit families with Covid-19 and to talk with business owners who must make a living during Covid-19. Doctors who wish to make laws for stopping the spread of Covid-19 should be required to make some house calls to families who already have loved ones with Covid-19 or to business owners.
We've been doing that every single day. A mandatory mask law and limiting the size of public gatherings are not needed, and in my opinion, such laws could even be more harmful than helpful in Garfield County. Are they needed in Houston? Maybe. Maybe not. We're not Houston.
There's a reason doctors aren't given the privilege of making laws and politicians are term limited. Doctors tend toward bias from only seeing the sickest and politicians tend toward bias due to power. We are grateful for doctors and politicians and the roles they play, but the people should be heard, for we are America's government.
People in Enid, Oklahoma, want to make our own decisions regarding wearing masks. The people in our county want to make our own decisions on how to operate our businesses during Covid-19. If a private business demands masks, we will respect them. But let the owners of that business make that decision. For example, it would be reckless for a privately-run nursing home or assisted living center not to require masks. They care for the most vulnerable. When these facilities open again and I make my weekly visits, I gladly will wear a mask for the sake of the citizens inside and out of respect for the requirements of that facility.
America thrives on the principles of personal responsibility, ingenuity, and liberty. The way to stop Covid-19 is for doctors to plead personal responsibility, politicians to encourage private ingenuity, and for all Americans to respect individual liberty.
Now to the four real reasons for mandating masks in public by political officials other than "the common good" reason which is the publicly stated one.
Now to the four real reasons for mandating masks in public by political officials other than "the common good" reason which is the publicly stated one.
1. Some in political power think they're smarter than we are.
A New York Times editorial from May 2018 suggested that liberals are not as smart as you think they are. The truth of the matter is even more precise. Liberal politicians aren't smarter than you are, though they often think they are. That's why they feel they can tell you what is best for you, what is best for your business, what is best for your family, and what is best for your community. They think they know better than you.
The city of Norman passed a mandatory mask law (Oklahoma University). The city of Stillwater passed a mandatory mask law (Oklahoma State University) last week. Tulsa's mayor is considering a mandatory mask law. Oklahoma City's mayor is considering a mandatory mask law.
What do all these places have in common? They have mayors, city councils, and political leaders who may think they're smarter than the average citizen. Norman citizens are seeking a recall of their mayor and their entire city council through an initiative petition.
But take a look at how the city leaders of Moore, Oklahoma, are handling the mask issue. Moore's mayor, who leads a city that sits just north of Norman, was recently asked about mandatory masks. He said,
"We don’t want the government saying you have to wear certain clothes or wear your hair a certain way. We just don’t have any way to enforce this, and I don’t think Norman does either.”
The mayor of Moore gets it. By the way, the city of Moore currently has the 11th highest COVID-19 case total of any city in the state, with 278 confirmed cases and nine deaths as of Thursday morning, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
Enid, Oklahoma, is more than 300% lower than Moore in the number of cases, hospitals, and deaths due to Covid-19. And Enid's mayor and city council are considering a mandatory mask law and limiting public gatherings?
2. Change in November requires a chaos that voters remember.
Last October 2019 I read a startling article from Market Watch that predicted Donald Trump would be re-elected as President in a landslide.
Moody's Analytics and Market Watch have accurately predicted the re-election prospects of a sitting President since Richard Nixon by a statistical analysis of the growth of the stock market and the decrease in the unemployment rate.
Bottom line: If the stock market goes up by a certain percentage, and the unemployment rate goes down by a certain percentage, the sitting President is always re-elected.
The numbers in October 2019 suggested Trump would win in a landslide. The article stated:
Trump is headed toward another four years in the White House. And, if the numbers are right, it won’t even be close. In fact, his Electoral College victory could very well be wider than the 304-227 margin he enjoyed over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Then came March 2020 and the Covid-19 scare.
The stock market crashed. People were told to stay home. The unemployment rate soared.
Listen carefully: I was never a supporter of Donald Trump. But what I've seen and heard since March 2020 has driven me toward support of our sitting President.
Ask yourself the question, "Who is supporting closing businesses? Who is demanding mandatory masks? Who wants to close churches and public gatherings?"
There's a rule in preaching that I've never forgotten. "He who shouts the loudest is typically the guiltiest."
3. There'll be billions for a vaccine when a public panic is seen.
I am not anti-vaccine. I typically get a flu shot. However, I have a few friendships with scientists at the National Institute of Health, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. They've explained to me how big pharma makes money.
For a vaccine to bring billions of dollars into the coffers of a pharmaceutical company, the general population must all agree to take a vaccine. It is an axiom of modern science that those scientists with patents on their medicine aren't happy with people who are healthy without their medicine.
God created the human body as the most efficient virus fighting machine that mankind will ever know. What the laboratory invents, the human body prevents. Humans adapt far faster than any supercomputer.
If the American people focused more on healthy eating, personal exercise, decreased smoking of tobacco, drinking of alcohol, and personal hygiene, America might be surprised how fast Covid-19 disappears.
Big pharma should never be given a platform on television, particularly any person with financial ties to a potential vaccine for Covid-19.
4. If they don't like what you say, it will be you that has to pay.
I find it incredulous that large gatherings were banned because of Covid-19 until Black Lives Matter rallies began taking place all over the United States.
Suddenly, public health officials began saying social justice mattered more than social distance.
So the message sent, whether intended or not, is that the only people who should keep their mouths covered are those with whom politicians and public officials in power disagree.
Churches were closed in California and people were told they could not sing....
But rallies and riots and protests and pandemonium were allowed in the streets in every state of the union because the message behind the protests was deemed meritorious by health officials.
That's right.
You can beat your neighbor and destroy his business in California, but you darn not better sit next to your neighbor and sing.
The national media gives reports after Black Lives Matter rallies that stating No Covid-19 Cases Traced to Any Black Lives Matter Mass Rallies Held Two Weeks Ago.
But the President holds a public and civil rally in Tulsa and the national headlines: Trump Rally Perfect Storm for the Spread of Covid-19.
Summary
I am not asking anyone to agree with what I've written. I always respect you if you disagree with me. The issue is whether or not you will respect me for pointing out that I do not believe mandatory masks or limiting the size of public gatherings is in the best interest of our community based on facts. If you do agree with the premise of this article, one that I trust is a balanced and fair, it would be wise to let your city councilman and mayor know before Tuesday night.
47 comments:
Yes, yes, yes!! A thousand times, yes! Well done, Wade! Did you notice that throughout March and April flu deaths were consistently keeping up and sometimes exceeding Covid 19 deaths, so they stopped reporting actual numbers of flu deaths in May?
Hello WADE,
here is an interesting interview with President Trump himself and with members of the press in the Oval Office wherein some of your own concerns are addressed, I believe:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/business/media/donald-trump-interview-news-media.html
rixshep,
My twin brother died with the flu March 17, seven days after his 88th birthday.
Thank you so much for this carefully thought out and very insightful article. I appreciate and value your calm wisdom during this storm! God bless you!
Totally agree with your article.
CHRISTIANE,
I like what Catholic Priest, Rothrock, said.
https://www.indystar.com/news/
In Rothrock's weekly message for the church posted on Sunday, June 28, he wrote that the church must oppose Black Lives Matter and Antifa and carry the "message of peace."
"The only lives that matter are their own and the only power they seek is their own," Rothrock wrote of Black Lives Matter organizers. "They are wolves in wolves clothing, masked thieves and bandits, seeking only to devour the life of the poor and profit from the fear of others.
They are maggots and parasites at best, feeding off the isolation of addiction and broken families, and offering to replace any current frustration and anxiety with more misery and greater resentment."
Hey REX RAY,
I looked on your link and (after some searching) found THIS in the 'opinion' area (you have to scroll down to find it):
"Doherty suspended Rothrock on July 1.
"The Bishop expresses pastoral concern for the affected communities," the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana said in a statement announcing his suspension. "The suspension offers the Bishop an opportunity for pastoral discernment for the good of the diocese and for the good of Father Rothrock."
In a statement posted online before Doherty suspended Rothrock, Doherty said he hadn't approved or previewed the article.
He reiterated comments he made in an earlier column regarding race.
"Peaceful demonstrations in the streets are one way to elevate voices for fairness and justice," Doherty wrote. "Not so the wanton destruction of property and violence. Each of us is called to be a healer and peacemaker by virtue of our baptism."
Doherty didn't directly criticize the Black Lives Matter organization by name in either of his initial statements regarding Rothrock's comments.
During mass on Sunday morning, however, Doherty spoke about his belief that the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation promotes ideologies that are at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church. But, he added, the phrase itself is no longer affiliated with a single organization.
"It is a mistake to say that foundation is the headquarters of a coordinated or very diverse movement," he said. "We can't capture the facts of what's happening across different movements inside and outside of the United States by simply referring to a general 'they' or an 'it.'"
As he spoke, the woman who called him a coward also accused him of having no backbone. Another man yelled out, "You're an enemy, bishop!"
IndyStar reporter Justin Mack contributed to this story.
Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange."
REX RAY, it looks like the bishop gave 'Father TED' some 'time-out' to ponder the consequences of his words and actions (a kind of 'church discipline' that allows for re-thinking and re-considering one's actions), so the good father Rockrock is in the dog house for a time-out and he can examine the 'results of his efforts in how the bishop was attacked by Father Ted's supporters, who are his 'flock'.
Here is a good example of what can happen when 'the culture wars' get mixed up with the Church and how people get DIVIDED in the process. I suspect that the bishop wanted to give Father Ted a chance to hear some of his 'followers' responses and to ask himself if this kind of 'division' is what he had hoped to create within the diocese or not. (?)
It is on his own moral conscience for him to take the time-out and use it 'for good', but I hope he chooses the path of reconciliation and the path of reasoning and talking it out with the bishop, since the 'time-out' is a time for pausing in the midst of the 'storm' and finding 'the better way' for all concerned. So, Father TED's in trouble, but it's temporary one hopes. :) We shall see.
Let me know if you read something about how all of this turns out for Father Ted. And thanks for the link.
The BEST we can hope for is that people TRY to understand what is troubling those they disagree with and what is at the heart of the concern that has upset someone who feels that their own values have been attacked . . . people try to stand by what is meaningful to them, and we sure do have trouble COMMUNICATING these days so that we can peacefully examine what is at the heart of someone's concerns. There is always a deeper hurt. . . what is it? what can we learn of someone's upset that teaches us about that which we do not yet understand about someone we disagree with?
It's a process, this 'dialogue', but it is meant to be a healing effort among people of good will.
"it is better to understand, than to be understood" . . . so Francis of Assisi puts the onus of this effort on the followers of Our Lord, who must learn to 'listen' to the hearts of hurting people . . . it is said that God is present in the listening. I believe this is true. :)
The contradiction and blatant uncertainty of the "scientific specialists" throughout this ordeal is one reason NOT to trust their credibility.
The obvious political advantage to one party as opposed to the other that is given by a continued escalation in the COVID panic-mode and steps taken to keep the nation bogged down in fear is another cause for serious doubt and question as to the credibility of there being a genuine basis for fear is being propagated.
The lopsided media propaganda coming from the elitist-left press to escalate COVID as the on-going number one news agenda is another huge reason that undermines the credibility of all the fear-mongering being done.
The elixir of tremendous power that comes with unleashed control over the private lives of the citizens of an entire nation, world, is another matter that should terrify this nation more than ANY propagated disease or plague.
The trillions of dollars at stake in the coming flu vaccine proposed to be the cure for COVID along with very possible mandates that citizens take it is another reason for justified cynicism about this entire panic-demic. Even though credible scientists say that this COVID 19 has already mutated into over 200 various strains that one vaccine would not address. At best, perhaps a 40% effective rate, if that.
The bogus, disproportionate statistics being publicized by the pro-COVID panic press showing the US with rates of contraction hundreds of times over all other nations with NO explanation as to "why" is another cause for doubt and cynicism regarding all of the reporting. It should be obvious that IF the US has a disproportionately higher rate it is due to an extraordinarily high testing rate in comparison to others but one NEVER hears this from the leftist media and political player hoping to benefit politically from this panic-demic.
The intentional strategy being used to distort and exaggerate COVID cases and especially deaths is another reason that the reported severity of the disease should be suspect. When the word goes out that all deaths of patients who die while having contracted COVID 19 should be attributed to "COVID 19" is another valid reason for cynicism.
One final reason to be cynical is the disdain for all who are bold enough to propose that this is a huge hoax intentionally elevated for self-serving, political reasons by those advocating its escalation. Wade is putting himself on the line by even writing a post like this. He puts himself at risk for being portrayed as one who is dangerously risking the lives of the public by not conceding to the claims from those elitists saying everyone should remain "sheltered in place"/schools closed/businesses shut down/no gatherings/universal law forcing all people to wear masks whenever outside.
These are very interesting days. The final, telling, reality as to whether COVID 19 was a politically orchestrated panic-demic would be unveiled should Joe Biden win the election in November. If he did, the entire discussion regarding COVID would disappear overnight and nobody would be asking, "Whatever happened with that terrifying COVID 19 pandemic?" Just like Y2K on January 2, 2000.
As a 🇨🇦, I appreciate hearing a carefully-reasoned report “from the trenches” as it were, Wade, so thx. Whether or not I agree with all of your views is irrelevant to the larger point of “somehow, we have to find a way forward and to what extent does endless fear and trepidation assist that objective?” Jesus told his followers to “ be of good cheer,” not fear.** My Bible has no marginal note stating; “exceptions allowed during pandemics.”
Hello Mr. Kuter,
you wrote, this:
" Wade is putting himself on the line by even writing a post like this. He puts himself at risk for being portrayed as one who is dangerously risking the lives of the public by not conceding to the claims from those elitists saying everyone should remain "sheltered in place"/schools closed/businesses shut down/no gatherings/universal law forcing all people to wear masks whenever outside."
I do disagree with Wade on many things, but with respect I KNOW that he would NEVER consciously put anyone in harm's way. It's not how he rolls.
I do think disagreements arise when people get their information from different sources and don't venture into other people's 'media bubbles' to try to comprehend what is being said there;
and also when people put themselves INTO 'bubbles' and refuse to respect that other people may have a different viewpoint for reasons that may make sense once they begin to dialogue with one another.
As for November, no one knows the outcome yet, but hopefully people will stop saying things like 'testing for the virus CAUSES the virus' ...... we don't need that kind of rhetoric because people who are not savvy about medicine and science might actually BELIEVE it, and if they get serious symptoms that are signs of the virus, they might choose to 'ignore' the symptoms instead of getting medical help. For our older people, this might prove fatal.
A breathing problem can take people out quickly if it advances to critical level before there is medical intervention. . . . so better we should not listen to those who are spreading unfounded rumors.
I think Wade would always try to do what is right as he sees it by people. I don't think he needs to worry about his reputation among those who know his history of standing up for others against abuse and doing this at cost to himself.
Thank you again for being the voice of reason in our city!
Thank you for your thoughts, Christiane. Not to belabor the point, but my intent was never to imply that testing for the virus "causes" the virus. Not sure where that came from. Did "I" say that?
I did say that the distortion between the cases reported in the US and that reported in the rest of the world is seldom, if ever, attributed to the immense amount of testing going on in the US as compared with the rest of the world; hence, more cases identified. The point intended was that media reports how high the number of cases are in the US with little acknowledgement that this could be attributed to the high quantity of testing. Just to clarify things.
Also, in regards to Wade putting himself at risk for ridicule, nobody could mistake my comment as meaning that Wade intended to harm anyone. But these days, what people say is frequently twisted to accommodate what others would prefer for it to be.
Hello Mr. Kuter,
I'm sorry, I was not intending to suggest that you personally made that charge, no; I was giving an example of how something could be misunderstood by those who do not know better to seek medical help when breathing becomes labored.
My bad. I need to be more careful with how I word things. Please forgive.
God Bless!
“Listen carefully: I was never a supporter of Donald Trump. But what I've seen and heard since March 2020 has driven me toward support of our sitting President.”
Now you’re lying. You can’t run from your history.
From your own blog last year: “ I am a political conservative who voted for Donald Trump and think he's doing a pretty good job as President.”
And just because I wouldn’t put it past you to try to edit your history, remember, the internet never forgets:
https://web.archive.org/web/20190107211748/https://www.wadeburleson.org/2018/06/nationalism-july-4th-and-kingdom-of.html
Your entire point of Norman council people bring recalled (which won’t happen, as you, and them will soon find out is that you all are actually the ones against what “free individuals” actually want) is misleading at best and mostly likely intentionally deceptive. Trying to frame a few people mad over police having their budget lightly cut as citizens revolting over face masks is just dishonest.
If you’re having to mislead and lie to people to get your point accords, you may consider that your point IS the issue.
Joseph,
I have never been a supporter of Donald Trump personally, believing his character to not represent the kind of character I desire in a President. I have always supported the policies that he advocates (thus, the comments about the job he is doing). That said, the personal attacks on the President these past three months have driven me to support the man, not just his policies.
Thanks for your comment.
Those dastardly Americans always saying mean things about Hitler! It’s no wonder so many Germans supported him.
What a terrible argument.
Christiane, isn't written media always a challenge? We write one thing and it is easily misunderstood. No offense taken in the least.
I'm sure that Joseph doesn't mean to come across as the brute that his statements saying that Wade is a liar could easily lead someone to assess him as being. Joseph probably just did not take time to reflect on the manner in which his statement might be taken. I mean, why not trust Wade to not be a liar and if it seems he makes some statement that appears to contradict something he said previously, just point it out and ask him what was his intent? I don't think that Joseph is a brute just because a couple of statements could be misleading. I'm sure he's a nice, sweet, individual.
Joseph,
Are you comparing Donald Trump to Adolph Hitler?
I am sorry to hear that, sir. My sincere condolences.
Hello Mr. Kuter,
No, I can't speak for 'Joseph', but for myself I can ALWAYS do better in the communications department.
That is a 'given'.
:)
Can you come to the meeting and bring friends in Wednesday? Wear red to show support for NO mask mandate.
What you have written makes so much sense, and what I’ve believed all along!
rixshep,
Thank you. If James the brother of Jesus talked about him as much as I talk about my brother, the Book of James would be a foot thick. :)
Once my brother visited a family that had recently joined their church. He never trimmed his eyebrows or anything.
As he was about to leave, their 3-year-old daughter got on her knees on a sofa with him. She kept getting closer and closer. He thought she was going to give him a kiss.
“Mr. Ray, why does your nose grow weeds?”
Melissa,
They scheduled the meeting when I have responsibilities at the church I pastor. I am teaching through the book of Genesis on the life of Joseph, and unfortunately, I can't be at the meeting Wednesday night. Keep doing what your doing and encourage others. Thank you.
Wade,
First of all, wearing a mask does not help you from GETTIMG the virus. It protects others from you GIVING them the virus.
Second, wearing a mask prevents you from getting the same amount of oxygen you would get if you didn’t wear one.
Wade,
First of all, wearing a mask does not help you from GETTIMG the virus. It protects others from you GIVING them the virus.
Second, wearing a mask prevents you from getting the same amount of oxygen you would get if you didn’t wear one.
And we all must show up in person and let them hear our "No mandatory mask" as well!
thank you Wade, for all your efforts in leading the Body and the entire community. i applaud your heart to live-out Eph. 2:10 like all believers should. you make Enid and Oklahoma a better place, and i completely agree for many more reasons that our President, a non-career politician, is doing a better job than any other one we've had in the last 20 or 30 years. yes, he's offensive and rude and shouldn't say at least half the things that he does, but his politics is very on-point, which allows all the other stuff to so easily put up with. he's my President. not my pastor nor friend.
i won't even begin to compare him to Mr. Biden, because there is none. the entire will see that IF there are any debates this fall.
calvin
This implys then that the sick should wear the mask or be quarantined, right?
" his politics is very on-point, which allows all the other stuff to so easily put up with "
no, it doesn't when we take babies from their mother's arms and then mistreat the babies;
and when we abandon our allies in the field of battle;
and when we are encouraged to put others' lives at risk for 'his politics'
I think some of us believe that this is a bridge too far
we need to be an honorable people, and that includes very much thinking about 'all that other stuff' as not being acceptable because it HAS HURT PEOPLE AND IS HURTING PEOPLE
please think about 'the deal with the devil' where you get something, but then the devil makes it possible for you to 'so easily accept' what is unconscionable and what will turn around on us in the end . . . no one wants that
just think about it and instead of the 'bargain' with all of its evil baggage, we begin to work towards integrity and healing in our land
what WAS it that was traded off for 'the spot-on politics'?
and WHAT WAS the 'spot-on politics'?
re-consider what is lost and if transactional living in this way IS what Christ-followers are called to on this Earth
please try
May God have mercy on all of us together
In his poem, 'The Hangman',
Ogden's words remind us of our own inability to stand up to evil because of our fears and cowardice. He reminds us that we allow the evil to happen to others and are then are strangely surprised when that evil comes for US.
The Hangman's words:
" I DID NO MORE
THAN YOU LET ME DO."
When good people do nothing in the face of evil done to those around them, they sow the seeds of their own destruction.
We need to stand by those people who are innocent and who are vulnerable, not hand them over to suffering and death for some 'deal' made with the devil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TcSnj4Wt6Q
Thank you Pastor. Well stated. Thank you for speaking up.
Wade said: "The issue is whether or not you will respect me for pointing out that I do not believe mandatory masks or limiting the size of public gatherings is in the best interest of our community based on facts."
Very true, especially when one considers today's "science" regarding virology is a religion, and is not based on objective testing (viruses have never been isolated or purified as the sole cause of illness...it is still an unproven theory that needs to be discarded).
Here is something that would take most people using Google a million years to find (censorship of info) - a study that the US navy and public health system in Boston did during the true pandemic a hundred years ago. No masks were used. They couldn't get one person infected!
https://moscow.sci-hub.se/4021/da48b390a33f0ef54f59d6974a4104f6/rosenau1919.pdf
Ken
Christiane, the reasoning confounds me. You get upset about an Administration that enforces immigration laws at the border which sometimes results in immigration agents being forced to put children in quarters safer, cleaner and healthier that anything provided by those adults who exploited them for their own selfish purposes by dragging them over hundreds of miles of wilderness.
Yet while you demonize this Administration for making the best of a ridiculous situation forced upon it by political forces orchestrating caravans of thousands of unruly mobs seeking to force their way across the border, you turn an eye to former Administrations financing and promoting the killing of millions of yet-to-be-delivered infants.
Any immoral character between those two positions seems to me to have no degree of comparison for measurable decency or compassion. Yet you continue to force it.
The contradiction confounds me.
In Shakespeare's play 'Troilus and Cressida', the character Ulysses depicts the all-devouring nature of gross appetite as ‘an universal wolf.’ In the paradox, which is typical of the play: appetite is so all- consuming that it devours itself.
I can see in the imagery of 'the wolf' this:
Trump's devouring of the integrity of the fundamentalist-evangelical world. . . . . and that when the Church had a CHANCE to help Trump, by being a 'Nathan' to him, to reveal to him the harm he had done to the innocent among the asylum seekers, the babies;
instead the fundamentalist-evangelical Church grew silent and did not confront him . . . .
The Shakespearean imagery of 'the all-consuming wolf' invites us to look at it from many different perspectives. . . . mine may only have meaning for me . . . but it has spoken to me of what I fear most . . . . the terrible, deafening silence of the Church in the face of evil:
this 'silence' turns around on the Church and consumed its integrity in the eyes of those who were watching . . . . and the 'voice' of the evangelical Church would not return to it again. . .
As for using a short-cut of political power to 'stop abortion', I think we all know that the result is to send desperate women into the hands of the back-alley butchers.
So why not instead let the Church 'encourage' political powers that be to help new parents by 'welcoming' new life with real aid?
Like the kind Nancy Pelosi engineered, this:
"House Democrats last week urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to make the recently enacted program granting up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees available to workers sooner than anticipated.
Last December, Congress included in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act a provision authorizing 12 weeks of paid leave for federal employees coinciding with the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. The Office of Personnel Management, which is in the process of implementing the policy, has indicated the new benefit will apply in the cases of all births, adoptions and foster placements that occur beginning Oct. 1."
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE:
a beginning, but a very important one indeed
our nation will take its place among the civilized nations of the Earth who have been for some time offering REAL HELP to mothers of new born babies,
which in the United States
means the difference between a working single woman with an unsympathetic boss trying to figure out how, on Earth, she is to give birth and nurture her infant and work and eight-hour day with 'deadlines' that can mean termination if not met. . . .
'bout time the Church turned positive towards the 'welcoming' of new life with REAL HELP
for women who must earn
that initial legislation to provide PARENTAL LEAVE was a sea-change
I hope the whole Church gets out of the political business of wanting to drive desperate women back into the hands of butchers in back alleys,
and BEGINS to advocate for giving real support to women who are bearing children and advocating social programs that will 'welcome new life'
'bout time, I'd say, for our backward country, yes
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/12/16/u-s-lacks-mandated-paid-parental-leave/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20in%20six%20countries,or%20care%20of%20a%20child.
CHRISTIANE,
Well, old friend, I could go back to Wade’s post and see how much ‘complaining’ you did for the ‘children’ when Obama was president that showed he had ‘children’ in cages.
But that’d take a lot of time, so I’ll ask you if you did or not.
If not, then is a lot of what you’re complaining about political?
Good Morning REX RAY,
I was responding indirectly to Mr. Kuter's comment about my comment, but I can tell you that I am 'complaining' (I was SCREAMING when it began) about what happened here:
https://www.newsweek.com/stephen-miller-family-separations-plan-trump-1167844
it was a REAL tragedy, and it ended up with the abusers trying to 'justify' the poor treatment of the children in court, this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzZwca4rEWc
the story gets much worse when it comes to proper records being kept so that the little ones might be someday reconciled with their family members but that is another story.
Politics? The tragedy was REAL. It is said the children will be scarred for life emotionally.
I am aware of the 'zero tolerance' family separation policy of the present administration, not of previous administrations . . . but if you have evidence of this kind of abusive treatment of past administrations, please let me know.
As always, I can respect the viewpoints of good people here, though I may not understand them, in the same way that Mr. Kuter cannot understand my point of view,
but at least some communication is better than none between people who disagree, and then if there is misunderstanding, it can be sorted out hopefully.
REX RAY, I think the covid-19 crisis is real, so please take precautions. You are smarter than the average bear AND in the age group, as I am, that is most vulnerable to being affected. Please shelter and wear a mask when you go out. It's important. And no, that's not 'political' either . . . I just want people to be as safe as is possible. The news keeps getting worse. I've seen enough of death recently, so I worry, you bet.
Amazing how people will change the subject when facing challenging issues to avoid a direct response.
Does anyone other than me recall when pro-abortion advocates defended the killing of babies by saying that "this is not a baby, it is simply a mass of tissue".
Any honest observer and especially Christians who believe the Bible knew this was bunk. But after successfully embedding the legality for killing the "yet to be delivered" innocents to the degree of having confidence that allow them to continue their atrocities, even those justifying their murder by saying it is "not a person" have become so bold as to admit they are killing children.
For instance, this quote from Hillary Clinton in 2016's "Meet the Press" interview when she concedes, “the unborn person doesn’t have constitutional rights.”
Not only does she openly identify the victim as being a person but now justifies its killing by saying its right to live is not covered in the constitution; an obvious oxymoron; i.e., "The Constitution gives citizens (people) the right to live but this 'person' hasn't been delivered yet so is not a registered citizen, so we can kill her." (Using that reasoning, Hillary could advocate simply killing illegal immigrants "and their children" at the border to cull the numbers coming into the country!)
Now that pro-abortionists are so bold as to correctly identify "abortion" as being the killing of children, "people", they go so far as to even expand their heinous acts to taking the baby out of the womb, either partially or fully, and then killing it without any legal accountability! RISE UP CHURCH! Talk about having NO defense for silence in the midst of horrific injustice!
There is NO legitimate argument to defend the on-going slaughter of hundreds of thousands of babies in this country every year. There is no justification for all of those involved in that act not being seen as collaborators in murder and deserving of prosecution for that crime of infanticide.
This is not "hate" speech. It is "love" speech exhibiting an awareness of the treasure of innocent life being taken for political purposes and expediency and admittedly, a "disdain", not "hate", for all of those that continue to advocate for the continuance of those practices.
https://www.vox.com/2016/3/30/11333472/trump-abortions-punishment-women
seems to me that the Church is more geared to the business of healing the wounded than punishing them
RB,
Matthew 1:18-22 tells of Joseph having a dream that Mary was not unfaithful to him.
If they lived today, and Joseph didn’t have the dream, he may have wanted Mary to have an abortion.
I agree 100%......the USA has 'tried' polite politicians......who happen to not be truthful sometimes.........WE HAVE THE EXACT RIGHT PRESIDENT for these times............and I pray that he will continue to do the RIGHT THING for our Country always!
TRUTH.......in some places right now ALL DEATHS unexplained by a medical condition history are listed as the Flu....Covid 19....................
Why?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeKHf_r8i4s
Pastor Burleson, thanks for weighing in on issues that affect people in your ministry and in the city you live in. I pray that the mayor and city council members will listen. I too feel that a mandate is the wrong way to go. I pray that our city leaders will allow people to continue to make decisions for their own businesses and for their own personal lives.
When viewed on a state-by-state basis; I found that the anecdotal evidence shows that those states that mandated the wearing of masks three months ago, (ahead of everyone else), had the highest death rates, I did a quick search of states that mandated that people wear masks in public, beginning in early April, which revealed that those states have had the highest mortality rates per one million population.
The number one spot - New Jersey - mandated mask-wearing April 4, they have the highest number of deaths per million, at
1768, according to the Worldometer website.
Number two - New York - mandated mask-wearing April 17, their death rate stands at 1669 per million.
Number three - Connecticut - has seen 1226 per million die of Covid.
Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware all mandated mask-wearing in April; they are all above the national average for deaths per one million population.
There is no evidence that mandating the wearing of masks saves lives. Period. Why? Maybe because people are not abiding by the mandate. Maybe people touch their faces more when they are wearing a mask. Maybe masks give people a false sense of safety. And just maybe, like you stated above, that when people are allowed to have liberty to do as they feel is best for themselves, and their businesses, they make better choices than the politicians would make for them. Whatever the reason, mandates do not guarantee success.
I will be watching the meeting online tonight, and praying :-)
God Bess You,
God Bless Enid,
and God Bless America,
Linda Mardis
Mercy and Truth,
And if businesses choose to require masks, then it is perfectly fine for the businesses to not serve those customers or allow them in the store if they are not wearing any. And if they become hostile like all the Karens and Kens you see that have gone viral, then it is perfectly fine to have them ejected from the store or arrested by the police.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd90ff3d14f0e423a2fd3c2a10cf0c11c732eeb2e210b286b856addc7a91229c.png
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