This is not a political post. You may vigorously state and defend your opinions. Do it in a civil and respectful way, or do not comment here. If you cannot abide by this one very clear request, I’ll put you on the blacklist. I have the very strong opinion that people who cannot express themselves with respect do not need to be babysat in moderation. Keep to the topic.
Once upon a time, in the Treehouse long, long ago, this was a well practiced custom. The discourse and exchange of ideas was the better for it. Those of you who cannot give and take in this manner take something away from this fine site, and from each other.
You are not out there fighting the good fight. You are just standing on the sidelines, stomping your feet. And before getting your back up, please go back and re-read my second sentence.
If you aren’t clear on what that means, then I suggest you not only studiously read Sundance’s comments, but also our admin Stella’s. Go look for some of her posts and comments here, or go over to her blog, Stella’s Place. She is a master at clearly presenting logic and defending her position without logical fallacies or disrespect. It’s kind of like a classroom for discourse, in my opinion.
I have been intending to do a venting post. Kind of a rant, if you will, for all of us. No great ideas, or study, or thorough examination of a subject. Just a brief few sentences on things I think are wrong. But now isn’t the right time for that, if it ever is the right time.
Yesterday I did a post requesting prayer for Israel. Apparently, a lot of people had a problem with that. A lot of others made a complete mockery of the idea by praying or wishing awful things for the terrorists.
Terrorists whose actions, whose nature, whose belief system and morals are the most awful example of what a human can be. They do not deserve sympathy. We can’t even put ourselves in their shoes, and try to see their side. They don’t have a side. Hate and evil are not a legitimate platform to examine for worth or understanding. Full on rejection of all they entail is the only logical and moral response, not only for Christians and Jews, but for anyone with a functional brain.
Some of the things I wanted to rant about have a little relevance here. They aren’t unique to me, or original in any way.
I am particularly tired of people who won’t work, who have never worked, and never intend to. Yet each year their lot gets better and mine gets worse.
I am tired of knowing that if I so much as don’t pay a parking ticket, I’ll suffer a trip to court and an expensive fine, while there are murders set free.
I am tired of paying more for goods because a whole group of people believe they are entitled to steal from everyone and suffer no consequences at all. And they don’t suffer any consequences. At all.
And, may I boldly emphasize that the topic and point of this post, and comments, is not about ranting. Maybe another day.
As I said, these few examples, and the others I’d intended to list, have nothing directly to do with my topic. Ah, but indirectly, there’s the point.
I have become so absorbed in my interior rants that I have crossed a line. I’m no longer in a place of righteous anger and seeking justice, justice grounded in God’s law and truth. I am no longer listening as I ought at all times to Christ’s voice inside me. I am no longer looking to him who taught us the both/and way of walking out our lives of faith. The Master who both turned over the moneychanger’s tables and wreaked havoc at the Temple, and rebuked the Sons of Thunder for their thirst for vengeance.
Yesterday was a stark wake up call for me. My own house in not in order. My will is not submitted to Christ. My words do not reflect his teachings. My heart has been given to passions other than that which should at all times be central in my life.
I have failed to carry my cross. I have scorned my cross. I have failed to offer my sufferings to Jesus. I have, through my fault, my most grievous fault, sinned greatly in my anger and pride.
The Confiteor
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Menagerie, just wanted to say thank you for what you’ve been doing here!
I appreciate you appreciated and many of the folks here do as well!
This is understandable. I’ve read here often and posted infrequently, for the better part of a decade.
This post is pretty much exactly how I feel, though. There has been a clearly observable quickening of evil in the world over a mere 20 year period, such that I don’t think we’ve seen in modern history, it being so globally widespread.
Now, with the attacks in Israel, my anger has turned a bit to rage. How long do we have to witness these atrocities and wrongdoing and innocent lives lost? Our own border is overrun like this on a daily basis, and nothing from our leaders either (our citizens are raped, killed, abused, robbed, and beaten, too). Men are women and women are men, so the degenerates say. There’s no limit to the debt our leaders obligate our progeny, without our (or their) consent. Corruption is at its zenith here, although done with all the proper appearance so as to not seem like Mexico or another banana republic. Looters loot, murderers murder, and rapists rape, and evil men and women set them free the next day to repeat their offenses.
There’s a part of me that wants to see these people utterly annihilated and cruelly destroyed. And I want to watch it happen. Yet, I’m not without sin myself.
So, I pray for America. I pray for Christians around the world who suffer these exact same atrocities yet never see their stories in the news.
And I do pray for Israel. But not because I believe there is some special dispensation from God available to them. We were grafted to the same tree in Christ. However, they did and do, in fact, reject the builder’s cornerstone still today. Yet, I pray for them because they’re human and have inhuman neighbors who seek to destroy them instead of make peace. I pray for them because before they destroy a building, they’ll drop a knock-knock bomb on it to let residents know to leave the building – a favor not returned by Islamic militiants. I pray for them because they bend over backwards to appease the world powers and defend themselves at the same time, while their neighbors seek their destruction.
I do in fact pray for Muslims, though I utterly despise their beliefs, that they will reject their evil lie of a religion that has caused so much horror over the past 1390 years.
I pray for the Catholic Church, which this month has begun to discuss abandoning some of its long-held morals. I am not Catholic, though St. Thomas Aquinas is responsible for my remaining faithful in large part.
But yeah, I get it. I’m angry, too. About a whole lot of unrighteousness that is clearly and exponentially getting worse in the world. It cannot be sustained much longer before it all breaks.
Well, the Tate bros. respect each other’s religious choice (one is Christian and the other is Muslim).
I’m not familiar with them, so thanks for bringing them to my attention. I’ve always believed strongly that God knows every obstacle to faith that one goes through in life, including growing up in a foreign religion.
God have mercy on us all.
This mostly began with the “be kind” attitude of the liberals. Don’t hurt anyone, be fair, all people matter and all people are equal. This is all BS and is proven wrong every day. It became “out” to disagree or to argue a different viewpoint with someone else. Essentially we all became gay…it is so in to be feminine these days and so out to be masculine. This country cannot survive as we are seeing every day. 14% of the population dominate the destruction of our once great country and in the name of “being fair” and white guilt, we encourage it. Most of the government funds are spent on this destructive 14% and, yet, they add nothing but expect everything. It is painful to watch. I left this sinking ship 12 years ago but it is still painful to watch……
The “we welcome all” phrase from the left was used a lot a few years back by our city council and mayor. It was also plastered on signs in yards.
I got a chance to ask our mayor at a public gathering if “We welcome all” includes criminals, the non productive, the violent, or people that really don’t like us. I asked if he wanted to increase the poor in our city and the problems that come with them. Did he actually mean we welcome murderers and pedophiles?
Of course he got distracted and walked away. Telling isn’t it. Unfortunately there are too many people that think these ideas are so kind and noble. These same people have never really had pain and hard times in their life.
I say bring on the pain. It’s the only thing that will change things. Most of us here will survive and get through it through the thoughts of Menagerie and many others that offer helpful insight into life.
The number appears to keep creeping up. However, if one believes the official census, it is 12.4%.
“What sorrow awaits those who have destroyed others but have never been destroyed themselves. They betray others, but they have never been betrayed. When they are done destroying, they will be destroyed. When they are done betraying, they will be betrayed.” ~ Isaiah 33:1
Thank you, Menagerie. This post brought tears to my eyes… for I am in the same boat and need the same forgiveness for my thoughts that are not captive to Christ.
I have a sincere question for you. What are your thoughts about the “correctness” of praying the same sort of maledictory prayers that David prayed over his enemies as recorded in the Psalms? One prayer of David’s I explicitly remember is, “Lord, break their teeth.” And, this is one of the more mild of his prayers. Do you believe these are proper prayers for those under grace in the New Covenant?
Interested in your thoughts.
From 2Timothy, chapter 3, verses 16&17
All scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed) and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
A couple of random thoughts. Without going back and re-reading the maledictory, or imprecatory Psalms, I believe David was not praying that he be granted the opportunity himself to dispense justice to his enemies. But he certainly was passionate about praying for God’s justice to be done wasn’t he?
Here’s a quote from Father Z’s blog:
As Christians we may never wish evil upon a sinner directly and personally, but [NB] these [curse] psalms have nothing to do with personal enmities. The theme of all our praying is God’s kingdom and sin, and the curse passages in the psalms are expressions of absolute protest against evil, sin and hell. Try changing the curses into an expression of divine justice and you pronounce them no longer with your own mouth, but with the mouth of Christ and the Church. The curse thus resembles the woes that our Lord addressed against the Pharisees. There is something quite stirring and grand about these curses. The all-just God steps before us as we pray and warns us of the punishments of hell. [NB: warns us!]
I read these Psalms, but I do not pray them. I certainly would not like to think someone would be praying these Psalms with me on the receiving end, and that is a just and real possibility perhaps.
When I was a teenager, and in a very bad situation, hurt, confused, afraid, I was fortunate enough to have God send someone to me who gave me hope, and as much wisdom as a messed up kid can absorb and retain. My uncle, a Christian, a wise man, and a psychologist, told me that God was a pretty tough guy and he could take my anger, and anything else I wanted to throw at him. Those words became the foundation that would wait for me to build on.
Haven’t you poured out your heart to God, giving him your worst, your ugliest, baring everything and perhaps even daring him to reject you, or chastise you, or punish you?
Say what you will about David, I think he had such a relationship with God that he poured out his heart.
Perhaps this is what enabled him to dance so freely and joyously before the Ark of the Covenant.
Excellent thoughts. Also, C.S. Lewis book, “Reflections on the Psalms” helped me sort through the cursing Psalms. He wrote, “The ‘just’ judge, then, is primarily he who rights a wrong in a civil case. He would, no doubt, also try a criminal case justly, but that is hardly ever what the Psalmists are thinking of. Christians cry to God for mercy instead of justice; they cried to God for justice instead of injustice. The Divine Judge is the defender, the rescuer.”
I am so glad that God is just. Christ bore our sins on calvary and took all the punishment so that those who cry to Him for mercy will receive it. Those who do not, will rightly be judged. I deserve judgement but have received mercy. What a beautiful gift. I am also thankful that the Holy Spirit intercedes when I pray because in my sinful state, even my prayers are not holy enough to reach God’s ears.
Thank you for this post and for your willingness to humble yourself and by doing so, inviting others to do the same. God bless you, Menagerie.
Some thing went through the Cross… Love the Lord your God with your heart. Love your neighbor…
Some things stopped at the Cross… The Jewish dietary restrictions.
Praying vengeance upon another human did NOT go through the cross.
When the disciples wanted call down fire on the Samaritans (Luke 9:54) like Elijah, Jesus soundly rebuked them.
Our enemy is not flesh and blood, but the evil one and his minions. Ephesians 6.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, Romans 12.
I do pray in the words of the Psalms and Proverbs, that the evildoers should “fall into the pit they have dug”. But I also pray that I would not fall into the “pit” of seeking to exact the revenge myself, or taking joy in it. Let them face the consequences of their actions in this life, and if the Lord can give the opportunity for their eternal repentance before they die, then so much the better.
We are taught in the Christian Church, ‘God loves everyone, and we should too.’
A famous Fatima prayer often said as part of the Rosary. = “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead ~>all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.”
Part of the famous Our Father, Lord’s prayer. = ‘Forgive us our trespasses, ~as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ [Sounds like a contingency prayer doesn’t it?]
Jesus = “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (NIV)
*************************
The Cross can be hard to carry, but Jesus will make the Cross light. … … With all the words about Love in the Bible, the Catholic Church still explains, ‘The Just War Doctrine.’ … We also have the right to protect ourselves, families and neighbors. We do NOT have a Godly right to hate someone else. … … We pray for ALL souls to be led to Heaven.
“Lord, break their teeth.”
David, I pray, leave some fun for others.
Nobody ever asks those who question what they see as blind loyalty to Israel why they have qualms about that support.
And you get banned when you respectfully ask questions and offer reasons for your own view of things.
Your words are misconstrued, you’re ridiculed, or you’re told some version of “Satan is working on your soul.”
In other words, the reaction to attempting to analyze and discuss American relations with Israel, or when you mention how there seems to be very many Jews in positions of power, and you also notice that their power is being actively wielded against those same people who refuse to let you express your views on Israel. But… you can’t mention any of this…
I don’t wish any strife on anyone and this move by Hamas – particularly those who initiated the plans and motivated the soldiers/terrorists to engage in brutality – is an atrocity and I agree that retaliation should be swift and, more importantly, specific. If there is a Hell, they should be in it.
I also cannot pretend that I don’t see how many Jewish organizations are behind all the monetary schemes and mass illegal immigration, not to mention how many Jews say things about wiping White people off the planet while using their influence to inspire others to work towards that goal. This influential maneuvering is an affront to every group, not just Whites.
But, of course, I can’t notice it or mention it because, if I do, it means I hate all Jews and want to wipe them off the planet. In fact, to make sure I’m not wishing to do that, laws are written in ways which suggest that any disagreement with Jews or any criticism of them no matter how minimal or obvious, will immediately be responded to as though I’m rampaging the streets like Hamas.
Funny how that works… (and how many people are engaged to leap in to defend them without actually listening to what is being said, or checking to see if it has any merit). It’s identical to the reaction seen in woke people on the left.
My stepfather is Jewish, I had a Jewish girlfriend and she was one of the best women I’ve dated, and I’ve had many Jewish friends over the years. I don’t think they’re trying to kill me and I certainly don’t want any harm to come to them, but that doesn’t mean I cannot identify a trend that has gone back centuries which suggests that Jews who come to power often use it against others, with special emphasis directed at White people.
All that information is out there for others to read, listen to, and witness through video. I’ve tried sharing it over the years in order to further what I think is a necessary discussion to have, but I just get attacked so I no longer do so.
We all see what we want to see to some degree – that’s a flaw within all of us whether they be White, Jewish, Black, etc., etc….
Discussion is crucial in times like these (and sometimes we have to hear what we don’t want to acknowledge in order for relations to progress in a positive way).
Is it worse to question certain things and assess their positives and negatives, or is it worse to stop people from participating in the discussion because you don’t want to hear anything which contradicts or tarnishes your own beliefs?
This is why people talk about separation – too many limitations imposed upon seeking the truth within each situation depending which symbol you’ve aligned yourselves with. Tunnel vision, then unrestrained criticism if you’re not in that tunnel as well. It’s justified after all, because you’re one of The Good Guys, right?
That sounds strangely familiar… I may have read similar comments from people on this very site who saw such behaviors in The Other Side. Hmmm…
No offense to anyone, just sharing my own thoughts.
All the many tribes of people in this world have righteous people and those that have lost any sense of Godliness and now worship this world. The senses have taken over the mind and the mind has taken over the Soul.
It is best not to fixate on any particular tribe as the lord of the Soul has created us all and we are all his children. The key to going back home is to experience the spiritual love that the Saviour has given us.
Even Jesus was tempted in the desert.
Every sin committed by every human was done with the whispering of demons in his ear. Let that sink in…even YOUR sins. This fight is with THEM not earthly principalities and authorities. The Lord has promised to NEVER abandon you and Jesus instructed us over and over to FEAR NOT. This battle is between God and Satan and we all know who wins. Some people have fully chosen Satan already but most have not. Try and remember that! Be the light in this world. Yes, we want justice. Justice comes from God. The only thing anyone needs to fear is the WRATH of God. Protect the innocent and have mercy on the foolish but the true wicked on pray God delivers his justice soon.
The Lord of all and everything does not need to do battle with any of his creation. If the Lord wanted the negative power to be gone, with his will he would be gone in an instant. Everything he created has a purpose.
In a purified and healthy mind no demons can enter. The battle between good and evil is within you.
You’ve accurately described the one Pretending still enforced by even the sites which have thrown off all the rest of society’s enforced Pretendings.
I’m sure I’m not alone in noticing this history to which you’ve alluded, nor am I alone in keeping my knowledge to myself.
I don’t really fret about it, though. We see through a glass, darkly, just for a while longer.
Evil manifests itself by many forms and means, if it were only one , life would be less complicated. Your thoughts and views just expressed are legitimate to those willing to be honest with oneself. I appreciated your comments for the honesty, courage and the manner inwhich you expressed them.
I think every group has evil doers in it, but when you are looking at a small group it’s easier to see what you are looking for.
Maybe try looking for the folks who are trying to do good, and maybe ask the Lord to give you discernment and to help you see other folks the way He sees them?
Thank you for this John. You are definitely not alone in this understanding and experience…
John, go make an account on Gab. There is an unfettered, unpretending free exchange of ideas there.
I suspect that the biggest issue with your views is that they’re akin to the blind men describing the elephant, and you’re trying to sell us on what an elephant looks like when we can see with our own eyes that your description is incorrect. And since you’re not telling us the reason behind your slanted views, you’re leaving it up to the reader to guess the reason for the slanted views. Imagination is always worse than the real thing.
What may have started out with the Jews, Marxism/Bolshevism, it has morphed into something else entirely, and it may have always been something else entirely from the very beginning. Hitler/Nazis were against Jews AND Catholics, but the emphasis has always only been on the Jews. And there’s no doubt that this current Pope is a Communist.
As the EVIDENCE reveals, the Bolsheviks brought their Communist views to the US, which was then wholeheartedly adopted by the “Christians” in Congress
“The failure of Marxist ideology to produce a utopian state. The original neoconservatives started off in the 1930s and 1940s as Marxists. This tight-knit circle of intellectuals included Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, Midge Decter, and Nathan Glazer. They came to be deeply disillusioned by Stalin’s brutal dictatorship, abandoned their hope for communism, and began to perceive the Soviet Union as an aggressive enemy of liberal democracies. It was this issue that split the early neocons from the Democratic Party, which they saw as alarmingly indifferent to the Soviet threat. As their alienation from the Democrats grew, they also moved to the right on domestic issues.”
https://theweek.com/articles/528827/rise-neocons
This very “Kristol” later received medals from George Bush who recognized Kristol as the godfather of Conservativism.
https://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-irving-kristol19-2009sep19-story.html
The EVIDENCE proves that it’s not any one religion or ethnic group at the heart of this Communist movement. And if you can’t point out the transgressors, you can never solve the problem. It does nobody any good to point out the wrong culprits. It only inflames and becomes an impediment to solving the real issue.
“whether they be White, Jewish, Black, etc., etc….”
It has many times been ‘posted’ prior this this post… but I am still confused as to why a skin color ‘bias’ is mixed in with a ‘religion’ bias.
Should not the focus be on discarding ALL/ANY distinctions and focus on the Human Goodness, or Evil, as the case may be?
Sort of like this, No?
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7:15-20&version=NKJV
Timely Menagerie! So easy to transfer the hate of violence to the un-Christian hate of others.
The secondary points of violating logic, of committing logical fallacies and letting emotion overcome to the point of attacking other posters instead of their statements is well taken.
Stella can slice and dice (a false premise) and leave you wondering why it felt like someone just said to you, “Why bless your heart honey child.”, (lol).
Here is a reference for logical fallacies some might find useful: https://www.logicalfallacies.org/
(If you read it and use it you can go on the presidential thread and lay vast aerial territories of speculation and opinion to waste and ruin. Ever watch Sundance on Twitter bringing down the thunder? He’s a very talented debate Ninja)
My regards to all and my thanks to the Mods and Sundance!
What is Stella’s blog. I looked for Stella’s place online and found a lot of restaurants. Popular name.
https://stellasplace1.com/
Amen
I’ve come to this site consistently for many years, soley because it posts The Lord’s Prayer. I seldom comment on articles posted daily on any site including this one anymore, because it saddens me that we are so divided and that in many cases are just empty barrels and barking dogs, who create more hate and division.
Christ says He is The Way and The Truth and The Life. That nobody gets to the Father but through Him.
Knowing that, if we follow his words with actions showing that we truly know, trust and have Faith in Him, we will prevail. It certainly makes life simple.
We are all guilty of breaking every one of The Ten Commandments. Christ says if we think it we are guilty because it is already in our hearts.
The actor Kirk Cameron has a great street ministry that forces us to look into the mirror and realize our own hypocrisy. It’s a life changing experience to witness it and certainly helped change how I thought about myself. It bares our soul similar to what you and many others are doing here today.
The few words you have written here today in my opinion have created the very best article in any blog or website I have ever visited. It’s simple, reflective, glorifying and effective. It’s not noise. It’s not coming from an empty barrel and it’s not the sound of barking dogs. What it is, is The Solution, The Sound of True Freedom, and it comes from your heart. Thank you for writing it.
“The P-12 Initiative”
In a wicked world, God picked an old sheepherder and his barren wife and built a nation out of them. Just because He could. From that nation came our Lord.
And remember that sheep herder was an Arab, originally from Ur in modern day Iraq.
if he was from modern day iraq then not an arab
We all fall short every day in some way or another. It is God’s purpose for us to keep our eyes on our faith so we may walk through the fire without anger and revenge on our hearts. It is a difficult path, one that may need to be retraced with prayers of repentance, forgiveness, and wisdom. God will deliver to us by Holy Spirit the knowledge we seek in order to more closely to His Word. My hope is that others will pray for me and that I will continue to be a willing vessel in the work to express God’s plan and Word. Thank you.
Interesting post, Sundance. In our Catholic Homily today (SSPX), our Priest spoke on anger, rightly ordered – “Be angry, and sin not”. And I admit, as he was speaking, I thought of your ideas on “cold anger”. I think the two of you are in alignment in that way.
The point of the homily was that (a) anger is not just permissible, at times it is mandatory and (b) anger must be brought under the rule of reason, ordered in God’s Law.
Anger, like all the passions (our Priest said), is good and of God *as long as* it is brought under the rule of *reason*.
To not be angry, when anger is justified before God, is itself a sin. And when St Paul says “don’t let the sun go down on your anger”, he means (contrary to common assumptions) … do not let righteous anger end by the end of the day; hold on to righteous anger, cultivate it; make it productive for good.
IOW – Cold Anger!
Such saith a very good and holy Priest. God bless them in the coming days!
I believe that it was St. Augustine who said, “Hope has two beautiful daughters, their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.
Reading the Psalms at times like these helps me. Especially Psalm 37 and Psalm 73.
This is such a great post!
I have noticed the same thing invading my heart, especially anger toward the filth of the TG movement and its encroachment on schools and weakening of churches due to tares in their midst, reading about the “vibrance” of miscreants tearing through cities all over the country, stealing whatever they can get their hands on in city centers, making waste of these formerly thriving areas. I watch and admire Trump continuing to campaign in his positive way, focused on what he wants to do to bring the USA back, in the midst of one of the most heinous hate campaigns against a candidate I have ever seen in politics.
Some days I rant and rave, and then have to confess that I have let my faith in God grow cool and need to ask forgiveness for my lack of trust in Him. I remind myself that God, who watches and knows all, will bring perfect justice in His time and order and we have nothing to fear between here and there. I find consistent comfort in reading Scripture, today with Romans 8:28 (LSB): And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
This is what we Christians need to commit ourselves to doing on a daily basis. We could be in the end times or not, but the truth remains that only God knows when and how, so we need to trust Him, no matter what it looks or feels like. We must step up our Christian witness with those around us (which can include family members, as in my circle) so that they can find the same peace and happiness we have been given, knowing that God will reward us for being faithful servants to the end in His name.
Wow! I had the same examination of conscience today, albeit, not as beautifully expressed as yours. This morning when I was driving to Mass, I got cut off by a driver who didn’t seem to understand how to yield into a traffic lane. I completely lost my peace of mind on a dime. One second I was praying and the next I was cursing. You articulated your prayer much better than I was able, but I repented at Mass and prayed for the oblivious driver, but I realized that incident was just a wakeup call as to how far I am from where I need to be. I will be praying for you and everyone here as I pray for myself and my loved ones that we all take up our crosses and follow Our Lord. Penance and Prayer are crucial for such a time as this.
We all fall short on those points….but we all know that in the end we are forgiven because of His sacrifice. Half the battle is acknowledging that we need to do better.
This says it all, idealistically, one at a time…if we can only get government out of the way:
“Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault…”
Suddenly, our own crosses don’t seem so bad…
I don’t completely understand. You said:
“Yesterday I did a post requesting prayer for Israel. Apparently, a lot of people had a problem with that. A lot of others made a complete mockery of the idea by praying or wishing awful things for the terrorists.”
Yet from the Caroline Glick post the day before:
“Regardless of diplomatic costs, the strategic killing of every element of Hamas must begin immediately, with extreme prejudice and without regard for collateral damage.”
Seems to me she is calling for awful things.
In my opinion, peace, love and forgiveness only goes so far. Pray for Israel, certainly! But the perpetrators of the heinous attacks against innocents must first be stopped, by whatever means necessary.
To that end, imprecatory prayers must be made, against the enemies of God. I believe self-examination followed by repentance is necessary to have standing to pray such prayers. That may be the reason for your post; otherwise I don’t understand.
Prayers.
Why does the Bible then say: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?
I quote
An eye for an eye” ( עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן, ʿayīn taḥaṯ ʿayīn) is a commandment found in Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure.
I am sure we were all horrifed and very angry at the atrocities Hamas committed–especially on women and children.
Would our anger have been any different if this had happened in America?
We have been angry about 9/11, Benghazi, Aghanistan, terror attacks in the USA, the killings in Ukraine and Russia.
Are we not allowed to express anger at this?
I am just trying to understand why some think it is wrong to be so angry.
Its a natural human reaction in response to such awful atrocities.
Does the maxim “turn the other cheek” apply here?
I am confused.
I would also like to add that I really am grateful Menagerie posted the Prayer of Israel piece.
Everything was going fine with the comments until 2 Godless and Israel hating people started posting–the guy from New Zealand ( a Godless country–I know-I lived there for 5 years and couldnt wait to leave.) and the greek woman Eleni.
It was the vicious and nasty tone of those 2 that started it all.
I regularly read this column and the comments and I never have seen those 2 here.
They were troublemakers who came to spew their hatred on these pages –in oppositon for request for prayers-thats why I call them Godless.
And of course in doing so angered many people who are old faithful commentators here.
Be angry and do not sin.
I did not write the Caroline Glick post. You are apparently mistaking me with Sundance.
Understood – yet both are allowed on CTH – you were specific to your “Prayer for Israel” post, and I understand that, too. The paradox that prayer for victory is prayer for the defeat of your enemies – is where I am, albeit poorly expressed.
No offense intended, or taken. Thanks for all that you do here!
No offense taken. And, just to be clear, I don’t have a problem praying for victory over my enemies, or in this case, for Israel to have victory over Hamas. And I do not find that to be a challenge to my faith, or hypocritical. People have a right to defend their lives and fight evil. What we have seen in the videos, the news, that’s evil.
And the people who practice that, live that, believe as they do, they are evil. Indeed, looking at the videos, I suspect many of them might be under demonic influence.
One Sunday I sat in church feeling very unworthy of God’s love. When I got home I sat down and wrote this:
Judgement
My savior is with me thou I struggle
In my heart with him I abide
Though in sin I’ve toiled through my trouble
He never has left from my side
And I know before my final hour
That within him secure I will be
That my faith like a blossoming flower
Will bloom forth for my God to see.
Yet in this life filled with much bleakness
I pray to my God above
Lord judge me not for my weakness
But Father for only my love
For on that day when you open the book
Despite all of the errors I’ve made
I know on one of the pages you’ll look
To see I was worthy of the price that you paid.
I too have felt unworthy of God’s love – and very much appreciate you sharing this beautiful expression you wrote.
You are very welcome.
My feeling as a Vietnam veteran, there is no way to justify the Mi Lai Massacre.
I read your posts, I read the comments up to 7:40pm EST. I am confused. I will read them again. I am in a familiar place.
One part of me is ready to charge the hill, to pledge my life, fortune, and sacred honor for this country, for my family, for my Lord, yet there is no clear hill to charge.
There is only the tasks of today. My mantra from my confusion is to wake up, diffuse the anger by being grateful for my blessings, and ask the Lord to show me “the next right thing to do” for which I turn to him for guidance.
That boils down to love my family as best I can. Show up at the office and do my best to continue to minister while the government and greedy insurance companies continue to entangle me with seaweed, oppression, and higher overhead, keeping me from showing the love and compassion I trained for in a very dysfunctional medical industrial complex.
Sometimes I think I am being watchful and contributing as I leave comments here. It hurt a little for Menagerie to call it “Stamping my feet on the sidelines”. Yet there is truth there. But it takes all I have to follow Sundance’s guidelines to bet the best we can be, prepare, grow, be joyful and grateful; yet, on the other hand, “throw sand in the machinery”
On one hand I am prepared to go to war, or to be special ops and take out one or a few enemies, even on our own soil, as there are many. My mind is filled with unsought after scenes of destruction of self-identified enemies on our soil who are traitors. Hopes of white hats coming out of the hills and valleys of our people and wiping out/bringing to justice the traitors among us.
I have seen much blood in the streets here. My medical career and running toward the fires of all kinds has shown me the full spectrum of evil and God like spirit in the human spirit.
I know how to be kind, loving, strongly gentle in the face of violence. I know how to be a warrior that is a formidable force — but I am not practiced with it. Daily I envision attacks on my families home and assets by illegals and enemies allowed in our borders, or governments taxing or prosecuting unfairly, or outright persecuting for things have said and professed.
So what am I convicted of? That God is Lord. His son came in the flesh and answered the most important needs and questions for us to see, and sparked the most important revolution the world every knew. I still don’t know if I will die in a gas chamber, a Venezuela like nation/remnant of our once great country; or whether God will keep us a prosperous nation and relatively blessed and peaceful around me.
It’s all rubbish, except to know Christ. For Him I seek to understand. As to what to do — I will seek the answer one day at a time, and be greatful for the manna one day at a time.
I think we do our duty wherever we happen to be. We do what we can, the best we can, for God, for family, for country (which transcends this traitorous moment). We take care of business within the station life God granted us.
The duty might change, according to circumstance, but we stay within what we can control.
Which sure sounds like what you are already doing. Salute!
Thanks for what you do, Menagerie.
I do find that the will to fight seems to have made it past our level of the fight.
The people who aren’t “Political” but are good people that were not paying attention or they don’t know Politics, are finally getting angry.
Rich men north of Richmond sums it up.
I was convicted of the same stuff just recently as well.
Grateful for His never ending mercy and grace.
Peace be with you.
Menagerie, thank you. This is a good reminder that we should continually examine our hearts before God.
I firmly believe that we are in the End Times. I feel much sorrow over what is coming, yet I rejoice that He is coming soon! How I wish we would be spared from the evil to come, yet everything I see that fulfills Biblical prophecy amazes me. I am full of righteous anger and sorrow over what is happening to Israel, and I wonder if this portends the Ezekiel war?
What an incredible privilege to be alive right now. Pray for Israel, pray for each other, pray for our leaders, pray for our enemies, and pray that God’s will be done.
Thank you
Thank you for reminding us that humility is essential.
Menagerie. You have nothing to apologize for. Soul searching doesn’t begin to tackle the problem, because that’s not where the problem is. As responsible adults we always look to ourselves first when addressing problems, what can I do different that would make it better. And then there’s this. “I am particularly tired of people who won’t work, who have never worked, and never intend to. Yet each year their lot gets better and mine gets worse.
I am tired of knowing that if I so much as don’t pay a parking ticket, I’ll suffer a trip to court and an expensive fine, while there are murders set free.
I am tired of paying more for goods because a whole group of people believe they are entitled to steal from everyone and suffer no consequences at all. And they don’t suffer any consequences. At all.” It’s designed to enrage you. It’s designed to perplex you. It’s designed to confuse you. The solution to these problems is not in your wheelhouse. Or mine. It’s going to take harder men. Less compassionate men. Less understanding men. And our job is going to be to stay out of their way when that time comes.
We all wish this could be settled in ways that don’t challenge our acceptable views of behavior. I believe President Trump conducted his first term under those exact perameters. He knows better now. We all do. I’m a little rough at times for this forum. Like I said above, it’s going to take rougher people than me to change the status quo. Accept that. I see a denial of that reality amongst posters here all the time. They want to win playing by the rules. They want to win where nobody gets hurt. They want to win where nobody gets their feelings hurt. What does Sundance say, prepare to be uncomfortable or something like that. It’s coming. That poor German girl, now dead supposedly in the Hamas video, up until the moment she was seized, I’m sure she felt she had rights. You only have rights if you can physically protect them. She was a fool. The girl I took to prom in high school was murdered in Thailand thinking she had rights. You can look her up. Wendy Albano. It’s a mean and vicious world out there. We have been so fortunate to live here in the greatest society mankind has ever assembled. But we’ve been sold down the river by vicious and inhumane forces. They will stop when somebody stops them. And it’s getting high near that time
“Hate and evil are not a legitimate platform to examine for worth or understanding.”
————————————————-
Pro 8:12-13
I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion,
To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
Pro 6:16-19
There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
Pro 11:5
The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
Our church men’s group tonight was partly about keeping an eye on our principles because when we feel just or justified in our anger, because of our principle, we are not living in the image of Christ.
A lot of our principles and all of the obvious wrongs happening here and abroad are testing our faith and challenging the notion of appropriate response.
I feel better, now, after our meeting but I suspect I will be super pissed again soon and wanting heads to roll (figuratively of course). ‘Soon’ as in about 5:15am tomorrow morning.
It’s a struggle
I have been praying for Israel since I first heard of the terrorist attack. I’m glad I didn’t read the posts of the wicked. Shame on those that align with the evil one and blame the victims!
I often ponder the parable of the bridesmaids and their lamps. I always feel like I am one of the maids without sufficient oil in their lamp. My heart is quickening. The time is near. No more excuses. We must be prepared to stand for righteousness. Our children are watching and they need to know that we are strong in the faith.
The good news, I believe, is that there is revival breaking out all over the world. God is preparing His church for the coming of our King. And by “church” I am referring to those that love and follow Jesus Christ, regardless of denomination.
The light shines brightest in the darkness. We were born for this time. Stay in the Word. Let your lights shine! God has a harvest just for you. There are people in your orbit that are desperately searching for the truth. YOU are their bridge to an abundant life in Christ, in this life and the one to come. Be strong, be bold for the Lord your God is with you always!! (Joshua 1:9)
And, as always, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
The reality is the alphabet agencies knew about the attack and stood by.
This is evident by the choreographed response “let’s not find out about the intelligence failure now” (to prevent it from happening again), ” let’s concentrate on….. (fill in the blank) and worry about why everybody dropped the.ball later (never).
Next, it will be, BTW, it’s all Trumps fault so why bother finding out the truth. We know who is to blame.
The big guy got his 10% of the money released and the war machine got a better stage to make their billions. Slipping Ukraine support not enough anymore.
Why do our Jewish American friends support and vote for the ones supporting the destruction of Israel???
What’s next? How far will the self proclaimed greedy know betters go to achieve their belief of what should be. Release biowepons on their people killing millions? Release drugs into communities killing millions? Finance both sides of wars to make billions?
Forgive them for they know not what they do.
Citing your examples, it’s very hard to not resort to expletives and the desire for some sort of retribution. I’m not there yet and have no peace of mind. But I appreciate your point; and yes, people can make the strongest of points in a civil way, even if (out of pure frustration and justified grievance) they would prefer spittle flecked invective. Sadly, I’m still among the mostly aggrieved sort that just wants to see someone finally punished for their crimes against the nation. Spittle flecked invective tends to be my default.
You have to understand the enemy has this Treehouse within its sights. Sundance has become all too visible and influential within right-wing circles which threatens the UniParty hegemony.
Not all posters are genuine and posting with good intentions. It’s amazing to me how sane the comments remain here compared to other “open” conservative websites. Hats off to whomever is moderating.
Every public forum is vulnerable to COINTELPRO. If the opposition can’t sway public opinion using bot-driven agents and human operators, they simply drown it in so much garbage visitors will invariably leave.
<3
Get right with the Lord. That’s the only thing that truly matters when you slip.
God loves you and will be happy to take you back into his arms.
We all struggle here, as to know of and to observe the ways of the wicked is a wearying thing.
To remain lawful in a land of lawlessness is a daily challenge.
Be well Menagerie!
Be well fellow Treepers!
Two things: During my morning prayer, before coffee and Treehouse, I was moved to pray for God’s chosen.
Secondly, after reading Menagerie, I recalled the multitude of conversations with like-minded individuals concerning the coarsening of our county/culture. The signs were there when the internet bloomed.
Never, ever, forget that Christ crushed the liar. Even so, it writhes and lashes out with whispers of hate.
Godspeed Jesus!
I also thank you, Menagerie. This site is a port in the storm for me. Have you or do you read Barnhardt.biz ?
I am not a fan.
I am not either.
I just want to tell you Menagerie that you have been a Godsend to me in my faith journey. As you know, the decline of our country stems from a decline in the Church. Your voice of faith and reason has helped me stay in the boat. Your wisdom is a balm when the state of the world makes me want to despair. May God bless you as much as you have blessed us.
Thank you!
The truth hits home and does good.
Thank you, dear sister.
I love the balance
of Sundance
and you.
Truth
You haven’t sinned. You don’t sin if you loose your temper under the umbrella of wanting good.
There is one thing to be angry about, however. Stolen elections are the cause of evil because they nullify the the good peoples will.
Amen (I believe).
At times like these we find ourselves in the holding furnace. Heat is being applied, but to the untrained eye nothing is happening.
To the Master Craftsman a lot is happening. Dross is forming and impurities settling out. The Time is Near to Cast…
Thank God we’re in His furnace.
Thank you for this post Menagerie. God bless you.
Thank you, Menagerie. I hope you know how very much you are appreciated.
This site is a Blessing in my life. Thank you, Sundance, and the entire team for Blessing us all!
God’s will be done.
Prayers for Israel! I cannot even imagine what they are going through right now. Pray for Israel, and for peace.
We all sin….we all do what we know we shouldn’t, even in thought. But, we are forgiven…….and we must learn to forgive ourselves…..and put those things behind us…in the past where it has no power over us in the NOW. This present moment….which is the only ‘time’ that matters….and is promised to us. In this Present Moment, we can experience and be…in the ‘silence’…the ‘stillness’ where the Presence within is experienced and we come know thyself. Only here, can we be in that Presence….really experience the Truth of what is and connect to God, or Source, or the Creator. For that is who we truly are….and is that in which HE created in HIS image. And in reality…..this is all that really matters….everything outside of that…is noise and distraction. And yes…we all get distracted! Listen to the silence and know thyself….be still and know that I AM.
Sometimes…in fact many times….our greatest obstacle in this life, is our own mind and the feeling of our own guilt….forgiveness is paramount….and it comes from within! The Presence that was placed there by HIM!
Respectfully, I disagree with much of what you say. Forgiving ourselves matters, yes. Knowing the peace of Christ matters. Forgiveness comes from within?
No, I don’t believe so, and I never, ever will. Forgiveness comes from Christ, and he bought it on the cross. Yes, I understand your point about the Presence. I know exactly what you are saying, I simply disagree.
When I have sinned I must repent and seek forgiveness, which Christ is always, always seeking me out to give.
https://gab.com/threesevens/posts/111208935300865069
context regarding recent world events, pretend not
From @sovereignbrah: I’ve kept an eye on this Israel situation for the past few days. Here’s what I’ve learned, & here are my blunt & honest thoughts:
1. Israel chose to ignore intelligence from Egyptian officials about a major attack coming from Hamas.
2. Multiple former IDF soldiers & Israeli intelligence personnel have come forward online and said there’s a zero percent chance Israel was unaware of this attack beforehand or couldn’t have prevented it.
3. We just watched unsophisticated terrorists on hang gliders soar into one of the most heavily-defended & surveilled countries on the planet.
4. Within 48 hours of the attack, we’re now suddenly seeing enormous support for an American war with Iran and the genocide of the Palestinian people.
I’m witnessing American pastors and formerly level-headed influencers in our world completely lose their minds and call for genocide. It’s unsurprising, but insane to watch.
If the events of the past three years have taught me anything, it’s that when people get whipped into an emotional frenzy, critical thinking completely goes out the window.
People become highly suggestible and will rush to extremely dangerous conclusions without thinking about the consequences. I think this is what we’re all witnessing with this situation in Israel.
I’m reminded of Pearl Harbor and 9/11. In both scenarios, the American government received intelligence in advance of the attacks, but chose not to prevent the attacks. Why?
The American government was willing to sacrifice the lives of American citizens in order to advance its geopolitical goals.
Pearl Harbor gave the justification to enter WWII.
9/11 gave justification to invade the Middle East & drastically expand the American military industrial complex & our surveillance apparatus.
They were brutal & extremely traumatic events for the American public to witness. The emotional trauma caused people to get whipped into an emotional frenzy.
America wanted ONE THING in response to these attacks: The blood of our enemies. I see the same psyop playing out now. People are whipped into a frenzied bloodlust.
In their frenzied bloodlust, people are overlooking some SERIOUSLY important facts here, notably:
1. The fact that none of this adds up,
2. Innocent civilians are being threatened with genocide, and
3. Escalated violence in the Middle East and a war with Iran both risk ***the rest of the planet getting dragged into WWIII***.
What happened in Israel this weekend was obviously gut-wrenching and awful to witness, but I do not trust Israel’s so-called “intelligence failure”, nor do I trust the snakes in Washington calling for war with Iran, & I sure as hell no longer trust any of the emotionally-frenzied influencers calling for explicit genocide of innocent civilians.
This was a defining moment in history, similar to Pearl Harbor, 9/11, COVID, the beginning of the Ukraine war, etc, and a lot of people just got played. Hard.
People responded by going full mask-off, exposing themselves as reckless & incapable of exercising sound judgment in moments of chaos and heightened emotion.
And we’re now at the brink of WWIII because of it. This is all worth noting.
There’s a high likelihood there will be more chaos throughout the rest of this decade. There will be more psychological operations. There will be more moments in time in which cooler heads ought to prevail, but people will get whipped into an emotional frenzy instead.
Keep your wits about you, & be cautious in whom you allow yourself to be influenced by.
Recognize that governments & intelligence agencies spend enormous resources waging psychological operations on social media nonstop when stuff like this goes down.
Remember that when chaos is at its peak, history shows there is ALMOST ALWAYS a hidden agenda being played out, & that hidden agenda is ALWAYS designed to prey on our base emotions to facilitate a desired end-result.
Pray for world peace …….
THANK YOU. Made me think. Be safe and enjoy your day
Menagerie,
I know that this comment is very late and I apologize.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to you for quickening my heart to pray and confess my sins daily (or more often).
While reading your article and meditating on your words I was reminded of a song by Bob Carlisle;
We Fall Down We Get Up
This song is by Bob Carlisle and appears on the album Stories From The Heart (1998).
Cursing every step of the way
He bore a heavy load
To the market ten miles away
The journey took its toll
And every day he passed
A monastery’s high cathedral walls
And it made his life
Seem meaningless and small
And he wondered how it would be
To live in such a place
To be warm, well fed and at peace
To shut the world away
So when he saw a priest
Who walked, for once, beyond the iron gate
He said, “Tell me of your life
Inside the place”
And the priest replied…
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up
Disappointment followed him home
He’d hoped for so much more
But he saw himself in a light
He had never seen before
‘Cause if the priest who fell
Could find the grace of God to be enough
Then there must be some hope
For the rest of us
There must be some hope left for us
‘Cause we fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up
Jeremiah 8:4
So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says:
‘Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return?
Proverbs 24:16
Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.
Again, I am so very grateful that you have reminded me to be more faithful to pray and to confess my sins at least daily.
Menagerie,
May you and your family be Blessed and Protected by The Almighty Lord for more generations than you live to see!
May The Lord Jesus help me to live such a life that I meet you in Heaven.