Paul's Passing Thoughts

I am no longer a NFL fan, but I am a Tom Brady fan. This is why I watched the Super Bowl. As far as I am concerned, I would like to see Brady get 10 rings. For me, football is all about how many rings Brady will end up with before he retires. Why is this? As one who will go down in NFL history as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, if not thee greatest ever, at least statistically, he was given no respect by the so-called football experts. Initially, even Bill Belichick was less than enthused about Brady who was drafted from the bottom of the pickle barrel.

Once again, as in every venue of life, the experts are proven wrong. Again, we are reminded, because somehow Trump’s election didn’t eternally discredit expertism, that elitism is a collectivist mentality.

Let’s pause to ponder on the best working definition of collectivism. It begins with the idea that man cannot know reality or understand the material world he lives in. In this reality where reality cannot be known; where what you think is reality, really isn’t, a hierarchy of knowers are necessary. And what do they know? They know that man cannot know. That makes them the experts.

Hence, they are experts on how to best organize civilization for the best life now, and experts on how to save humanity from itself. Keep in mind, they do no proport to know reality either; they are experts on the unknown, and how to save the unknowers from themselves. In some cases, it is necessary to execute those who insist on thinking they can know stuff to protect others from the same deception. According to collectivism, the cardinal sin is to think you can know, and to think you have any other purpose in life other than contributing to the collective group. And, experts determine how the collective whole is best organized for the survival of mankind.

This philosophy, which is mostly Socratic, is at the heart of liberal politics and ALL religion. We often find ourselves screaming at the TV: “Do liberal politicians think we are stupid?” Well, not exactly, they simply think we don’t understand reality, and that the individual is expendable for the “collective good.” These principles explain everything you see in politics and religion that dumbfound us. And this, and this alone, is behind the hatred of Donald Trump because he believes individuals can know stuff and actually have the audacity to know what’s best for themselves which is supposedly the epitome of arrogance.

Brady didn’t believe what the experts said about him. He insisted that he knew himself better than the experts. And this is also key: listen to his interviews carefully; he is accomplishing what he is accomplishing for his own self-fulfillment because he knows the love and support of the football world is only predicated on his present performance. If your view of self is based on the collective view of others, you need to change the way you think, or just resign yourself to a life of misery.

Secondly, Brady is dedicated and focused. His eyes are on the goal, and he is apt at identifying distractions. Brady might just be the paramount example of a focused person. For those of us here for God’s kingdom and His purposes, Brady should be a model in regard to his laser sharp focus.

But Brady isn’t the only one who stood for self that played in this game. Nick Foles, the Eagles’ quarterback, has had a career defined by being second fiddle, and a necessary evil when the real big dogs couldn’t play. He always knew better. However, recently discouraged and contemplating retirement, he went on a camping trip to carefully contemplate his decision. He decided to stick it out for another season. He was named the MVP for Super Bowl 52, and the key to his play is evident; astounding self confidence based on fact, not the opinion of others. No one knows the truth about you better than you and God. And if there is something you don’t like about yourself because YOU don’t like it; change it.

Then there is the Eagles’ running back LeGarrette Blount. He was a major contributor to the win last night, and also a major contributor to last year’s Superbowl…when he played for the Patriots. Yep, he has two rings in two years with both winning teams. How did that happen? Well, the Patriots tried to cut his salary after the Super Bowl last year and he pretty much told them to shove it and went to play for the Eagles. Oh, and by the way, Blount has always been an undrafted free agent. And by the way, after last year’s Super Bowl, the Patriots were considered a shoe-in to return this year. Obviously, Blount made a decision based on principle and self dignity…which payed off. BUT, principled decisions that maintain self dignity are not about the booty that happens to result from any decision. Defending self dignity has cost and reward both.

The antitheses is the #ME Too movement which protests the exploitation of actors and actresses because they “had to” avail themselves to sex with predator Hollywood producers in order to “make a living” or “become successful.” See the problem here? Success in the eyes of others is more important than one’s self dignity. As I happened to hear this morning, one Hollywood snowflake had to submit to a predator Hollywood producer for the sake of a “project that she believed in.” Oh, I see. Question: why are successful people in Hollywood so miserable? They are enslaved to what others think of them as opposed to what they know about themselves.

Martin Luther’s philosophy of total depravity/total inability was nothing new in religious or secular venues and never will be. And, if you can do no good, you certainly cannot know anything worth knowing. Luther’s foundational documents that formed church orthodoxy simply stated that the only thing man can know is that humanity is totally depraved and God decided to save some of us based on no criteria whatsoever. Hence, knowing this has no benefit whatever except to glorify God. For all practical purposes, reality is for the sole purpose of glorifying God through salvation and damnation; ALL happiness is delight in God’s glory because the SOLE purpose of reality is God’s glory.

The folly of this was revealed in a conversation I had at a restaurant yesterday with some guy Susan used to go to church with. After sharing his ministry endeavors with us, I made it a point to boast about the rich reward he would be receiving from Jesus. The response was what I expected: he started preaching, with visible terror in his eyes, that Jesus gets all of the glory. I then said, “So, let me get this straight, when Jesus says, ‘well done faithful servant,’ he really won’t be talking to you?” To which he replied, almost in a panic at this point, “Oh yes, he will be talking to me, but…[you know what’s coming] I will be throwing all of my crowns at Jesus’ feet!” Sigh. At this point, I continued, “Wow, so, you are going to get a lot of credit for throwing your crowns at Jesus because that is a commendable act of good, no? Jesus gets all of the glory, but giving him all of the glory is a good work, no? In fact, you are going to be working hard up there with all of the crown throwing you will be doing, just think of how pleased Jesus will be with you!”

At this point, his salvation in clear jeopardy, he quickly departed. This is why the whole concept of church is dying; it is rationally unacceptable to the conscience and common sense. But in our duty before God to supply a plenary alternative, these three examples of dedication and truthful self-esteem are instructive.

paul

You can call it self love or self respect or whatever, but humanity is wired by God to love life. And that necessarily includes yourself if you are living. It’s a fairly simplistic equation. Self loathing is the warning light on the dashboard indicating that something is wrong. The Bible instructs us on how to have self respect.

In fact, people love life to the point that they will hang on to whatever is left of it which in some cases isn’t much. I see that every day in my profession. The nurse aide has a unique opportunity to add something to these lives. Our primary function is aiding in ADLs (activities of daily living) and protecting the dignity of the person. By state and federal law, we are advocates for the disabled. “Seek first the kingdom of God and these things will be added to you” is not just a Christian principle, but I also believe it applies to the secular as well. In most, if not all cases, where nursing facilities struggle financially, quality care is a pretense and that’s why they are in the red.

Know this: if you understand the centrality of self dignity and its major objective for your life, you will make many enemies, and will need few friends. Don’t misunderstand, friends are VERY important if they are real friends and the more you have, the better. But also understand this: tyranny is a major force in the world because of sin. The world is dominated by control-lust, and this is the break point; people who have earned respect for themselves are very difficult to control.

If you can’t be controlled, you will get under the skin of many, and will need fewer friends because you like being with yourself. If God and you are your best friends, you do well.

Let’s pause to consider some Scripture. “For ‘Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.'” Any questions? Loving life and having good days is obviously a worthy desire, and that must include yourself if you are living. Then we have this: “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.”

Self loathing, or dissatisfaction with self is part and parcel with lack of confidence, fear, and a subsequent willingness to be enslaved and manipulated. Self disrespect makes you easy to control. When the able-bodied help those who are not, build self value, this is a paramount act of love. Part of self love is seeing the value you have for others, and according to the Bible, all living people have value and something to contribute to others. But also, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

If you are thankful for what you have been given, you will make the most of it to respect yourself and love others. If you know you have much to offer, you will offer it.

So, let’s consider the church story line. Our natural bent is to love ourselves which, according to church orthodoxy, is errant because we are all totally depraved and all of our works are filthy rags before the Lord. Our tendency is to deny our sin and hide in darkness, blah, blah, blah. What’s that all about? Answer: church is simply part of the overall Control Lust Kingdom. Fact is, because humanity is under the condemnation of the law, our tendency is to feel guilty, lack confidence, and seek answers from so-called experts. Social caste systems and cultural expertism are made possible by a humanity that is primarily under condemnation.

The New Birth throws a monkey wrench into all of that big time. That’s why religion denies the New Birth; all impetus for control is eradicated if the New Birth is true. This, and this alone, is why contemporary evangelicals constantly pound the drum of total depravity.

This dynamic is so apparent in my profession that I am compelled to use it as an example. I am continually striving to be a better and better aide to gain self respect, self confidence, and value in the eyes of others; and of course, to please my Father who wants to find His children happy and useful for His purposes.  This makes me a threat to other aides who are full of fear and condemnation. If I raise the care bar, and they lack confidence that they can meet that standard, or don’t want to, they will immediately seek to tear down my self confidence for purposes of control. This will manifest itself in petty criticism, intimidation, and false accusations.

By the way, you can apply this dynamic to just about every sphere of human existence, especially politics and marriage, but let me pause to emphasize the fact that true self respect is earned through legitimate self improvement. This isn’t rocket science; we feel better about ourselves if we lose weight and have more energy to help others and accomplish more, no?  The determiner isn’t a figment of what we want to believe, but the weight scales. Self esteem is earned and based on a truthful evaluation.

Now, on the other side of the coin, let’s talk about the working conditions for aides in most nursing facilities. Often, aides are expected to do the impossible which is ok for a season. Why? Because persevering in the challenge will make you a better aide. And also, you may be stepping up to help a good facility in a temporary bind. But once you have persevered and obtained the benefits of the challenge, and it becomes clear that the bind is not temporary, why do many aides stay in those circumstances which frankly puts their careers at risk on many levels?

They stay because of fear, and lack of confidence. Most aides live paycheck to paycheck and are about two or three paychecks away from being homeless. Facility managers know this, and managing through fear is easier than the hard work of quality leadership. It took me a while to figure this out while watching the total indifference of managers towards very good aides leaving in droves. They want aids they can control and who are willing to compromise. Confident aides who care raise the bar and a subsequent required, increased effort by management.

Let me put some more feet on this. I overheard, in my opinion, an excellent aide complaining to a DON about some issues. After smoothing the aide over, the DON said, “We (management) love you.” Hmmmmm. Do you see the putrid manipulation/intimidation here? You are here because we (management) love you, not because we respect you as a quality aide. Here is another one: “Sally is a really hard worker.” Get it? Sally, bless her heart, isn’t that good of an aide, but at least she works hard. Hence, in both cases, we (management), as benevolent despots and lazy managers who wouldn’t know leadership if you painted it on a board and hit us in the face with it, are only keeping you around because we love you (and deem you an idiot as well because you believe it), and work hard to impress us. Because we pity you and are full of love and compassion, we will keep you around. Gag.

What church discipline letter is not dripping with love for the excommunicated, pathetic little child? In all cases, those who want to rule over you are supposedly the adults that pity you and are overcome with compassion. Again, gag me with a ten-inch spoon.

This is your mission in life before God: to be all God created you to be, but know this; the world is dominated by condemnation and control lust. Therefore, working through the world’s pushback against progressive self dignity will be a daunting task. Nevertheless, this is your only pathway to happiness.

paul

If you read the article cited by this blogger, it calls the New Calvinist Movement a “gospel recovery” movement. That is a stunning admission. So, the church didn’t know what the gospel really is for hundreds of years, but we should trust that this time they have really found it? If you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Xenia, Ohio I would like to sell you.

Gospel recovery? It had to be recovered? The church lost the true gospel for how many years? Regarding authentic Protestant orthodoxy, in fact, it did. What does that tell you about "historic precedent" in general and church specifically? + they openly admit it and no one blinks!

— Paul M. Dohse (@PaulMDohse) January 30, 2018

I used to feel extreme pity while viewing history pictures of women, children, and old people waiting in some kind of precipice to be summarily executed. But I now realize that not paying attention, and in general, lazy thinking got them there. Of course, the children are not responsible, but as a generation raised by two other generations of lazy thinkers, inevitably, a generation in the chain is eventually going to pay the piper.

History only has two gods; the god of slavery and the God of freedom. The god of slavery has many sub-gods, or “subordinate” gods representing a core orthodoxy. Sure, orthodoxy has many different flavors, but it is all ice cream, and the ice cream is caste authority over the great unwashed.

What is this present world and its history? A bunch of different kingdoms vying to rule the world to save humanity from itself. This is why wars happen. All wars are driven by the basic presupposition of man’s total depravity. As true Christians, we recognize that our kingdom is not presently on earth; we are “sojourners,” “aliens,” and “ambassadors” from another country. If our kingdom was presently on earth, and our king ruling, it would be well obvious.

This can be demonstrated by some articles sent my way this week. Though I am in a season where I have little time to write, this one by Roger E. Olsen inspired me to rearrange my priorities for the day, and while I am at it, I will toss in one by Matt Walsh and some honorable mentions from Susan’s Face Book page to boot.

But first, a word on the functionality of our kingdom. We are of a royal family that functions on grace, or “under grace” reality. Yes, there is most definitely an objective truth which we love, but it is also assumed that all family members are honestly pursuing an understanding of what that truth is. And, we are seeking to align personal conscience with that truth. In other words, we are compelled by love, and not authority. It’s obedient love to the mind of Christ as we progressively understand it, not an obedience under compulsion that may or may not violate our conscience. All loving obedience to our King and Father are freewill offerings, or it isn’t love. This is all hinged on an assumption that we can know the “mind of Christ” which is the treasure of all knowledge and reality. This is also how we function in all of our other relationships as well. Our love is not under compulsion, but rather freewill offerings.

Is there a better example than the so-called “tithe”? Under the old covenant, the tabernacle and priests had to be supported, but there were also freewill offerings. Now that our own bodies are the temple of God, and we are no longer “under law,” we only need to use our members to offer “living” sacrifices to God that are of love and not under compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver. Tithing is under law, not grace. And whatever we do and wherever we are, we are worshiping because our bodies are the temple and we are the priests of that temple, NOT some institutional building built for the purpose of “worship.”

We begin with Roger Olsen who proffers the following in said article: orthodoxy should never be rejected as a result of the personal testimonies of its proponents. He concedes that the founders of Protestantism had horrible personal testimonies, but what are we to do? Should we reject orthodoxy altogether because of the shortcomings of our spiritual heroes? This is asked in rhetorical fashion; after all, what would we do without orthodoxy, right? Orthodoxy, otherwise referred to as “subordinate truth” (wink, wink), must be protected at all cost while the fallout is often unfortunate collateral damage. After all, the Reformers where “men of their time.” Of course, the things going on at the time had nothing to do with the prevailing ideologies…perish the thought! You can liken this to the same mentality of “subordinate shepherds” who have been preordained by the Chief Shepherd to, as Al Mohler stated it, “save God’s people from ignorance.” Yes, they concede, they don’t have the same authority as Christ, but it just so happens that Christ never stops by to check in, so, you do the math.

Is Olsen a sly Platonist manipulator or just a shallow thinker? Perhaps both, but what is the fundamental slight of hand that he uses to enamor the blogosphere with this article? Answer: moral equivalency. Do you see it? Sin is sin. He even concedes that Reformed orthodoxy was used by the Nazis to condone the slaughter of innocent millions, because, you know, no one is innocent to begin with after all. Watch what he does: beer drinking, cussing, womanizing, and mass murder are all the same thing…sin.

Hardly.

Secondly, and this is key, which sins are the direct result of an ideology? We may also boil all of this down to presuppositions about humanity; able, or unable? Free, or necessarily enslaved for its own good and ultimate survival? Wars and mass murder are always the direct result of the latter.

Please note the history of the church, Catholic and Protestant: it is a story of endless wars and bloodshed stopped only by the American Revolution which was predicated on the freedom of mankind and its emphasis on individual rights. The founding fathers of Americanism had some sin issues, but their ideas were contrary to humanity’s inability and consequent enslavement.

This is where we can enter Matt Walsh’s article into the point being made here. Don’t you know, the primary purpose of church is for receiving judgement for your assumed many sins, and receiving ongoing forgiveness? Yes, the nearly sole purpose of church is to bring yourself under judgment for purposes of ongoing “repentance.” Curiously, he calls out Protestant and Catholic churches alike for this shortcoming and subsequent ruining of society accordingly.

And I couldn’t agree more; yep, our ministry has been saying this for years—that’s church in a nutshell. The church is God’s supposed authority on earth where wicked mankind comes for ongoing salvation via “repentance.” “Christians,” yet condemned and still under law, must be compelled to love God and others. Note the clear logical conclusion in his article that salvation is only found in church to begin with, and churches that condemn for a hearty return to the same gospel that saved us. Due to this presupposition concerning humanity, reality is seen through the prism of sin and condemnation, and not love.

If you really understand this issue, you understand that Enlightenment ideas are closer to being under grace than church ideology which is under law. But whether secular issues of individualism versus collectivism (socialism/communism) or religious issues concerning law and grace, most are woefully ignorant.

Now we can enter Susan’s rant to me earlier this week about Face Book postings whining about the moral shortcomings of Donald Trump. Of course, mostly from church folk who want to be led by a good-old-fashioned-church-going Protestant…or Catholic. Yes sir, these are the ones that can keep us out of wars and stuff because, you know, historically, Protestants and Catholics are really good about keeping the peace until someone disagrees with them. They, like Islam, are all religions of peace because there is unity after all detractors are slaughtered, and the rest willingly surrender their conscience and God-given ability to reason. Are these really ideologies effected by the times? No, that is why Catholics and Protestants were slaughtering each other over in Ireland as late as the 1970s. Terrorism is always defined by some orthodoxy. Like Baskin-Robbins, there are 31 flavors, but it is all ice cream.

Forced to get along with each other because of American jurisprudence, the likes of Matt Walsh have discovered the gospel of authority; salvation is for those who humble themselves and stay under the condemnation of the law because we are all sinners in need of ongoing salvation. Catholics and Protestants alike, as well noted by Walsh, are still under condemnation and have this in common. Besides, the Reformation was simply a disagreement about who could better condemn. And, anyone who dared think for themselves were pursued by both which had no upside because both were proficient at torturing detractors.

One comment, as far as I could tell, concerned a complaint that Trump is a cussing President. I think this is the one that grated on Susan the most. Oh, for the days when John Calvin ruled Geneva and was never heard cussing, but was beheading rebellious children and executing accused witches. Oh, for the days when Jimmy Carter the Southern Baptist was President and knew that you couldn’t trust mankind to possess money.

As ambassadors on assignment from another kingdom, we prefer to work here with as little bloodshed, poverty, and run of the mill tyranny as possible. We are “called to peace” and “happiness,” not a perpetual crucifixion as suggested by Walsh. That means understanding that actions are driven by ideology and presuppositions concerning mankind.

Therefore, we prefer leaders who understand freedom whether they cuss or not. Sure, it may be an extra dip of ice cream if they don’t, but those who stone women buried from the neck down are not endeared to us because they don’t cuss.

paul