George Offerman
Glenn Beck held his equivalent of an “I have a dream” weekend, and it drew hundreds of thousands of hungry Americans wanting to see real change occur in this very sick nation of ours. Even though the tea party has made its best efforts to stay out of the arena of religion and social issues, Beck was able to inject a very religious message that appeared to resonate with the people. If our rights are God given, then what obligation do we have to follow laws the state imposes on us that are minimally immoral, and likely anti Christian and anti God? And if we do answer this question in the affirmative, what is the next step in which to take in order for our voices to be heard?
One of the gripes I have heard over and over again was the tea party did not (or maybe does not) have a pure pro life platform, and seems to not address many of the hot social issues and religion. I have long thought that this is actually a great position to take, as the pro life movement at least at this time, does not have a unified plank, or a realistic game plan in which to end legalized child killing. Due to this, the tea party is not ‘bogged down’ with the baggage that belongs to the current pro life movement. The same could be said of religion, as nearly all the churches are under the cursed 501 c 3 status, and as such, are really whores of the state. The tea party has been wise in avoiding both pitfalls, and seems to have pulled in a great many people by this strategy.
Nearly all of the tea party people I have encountered have a very Theo centric view of the world, and as such, do have a good moral center in which they view the current situation in our country. The reason I believe they are causing such a fuss on ‘BOTH sides of the aisle’ in politics, is because they are fundamentally sound, and this is a threat to BOTH SIDES. The tea party people question the whole idea of many of the recent laws passed, and want to see many repealed (as they should be). The only weakness I see with the tea party (other than being absconded by the Republicants) is they stop short of applying non violent civil disobedience to these Godless laws.
We need to begin to assess, and determine what the proper and moral actions to take against the godless laws that now dominate our landscape. What we know is true, is over the past 37 years, our actions have not cultivated in any significant headway in ending legalized child killing. There are many who want to make the claim that for the first time ever, a majority of the population are pro life. We still have rampant killing going on, and a stale mate in this arena means status quo is the order, and the killing fields continue to be open for business. If the goal of the tea party is to effect change in the political arena, there will need to be standards and creeds the candidates have to abide by or there is little purpose to this movement. The same needs to be said for the pro life movement. There needs to be teeth behind the rhetoric.
If we consider the true nature of Christianity, it is to be the light to the world. If the world needs light, it is presupposed the world is dark, and darkness is not the condition that is conducive for salvation and peaceful living. Right now, the world is running this land, and there seems to be little movement in changing this hierarchy. We need to be looking at ways in which we can express ourselves, while also remaining true to our Christian heritage. Non violent civil disobedience is going to have to be in this calculation, and it is a fact that will make the staunchest Christian uncomfortable and the lukewarm run for cover. Without an honest discussion of this reality, we will soon be seeing even more restrictive laws denouncing our beliefs being passed, and simply going to church one day soon may be a criminal offense. What are we going to do then?
I am challenging all those who follow the Living God to consider what they are willing to do. This battle is in the late phase, and our options are being limited by the day. We cannot run and hide forever, and the master has made it clear that saying nothing in the face of evil is evil itself. There does have to be a day of reckoning and we need to be prepared for it. It is time to organize, unify and hit the enemy with calculated and pinpoint precision in their most vulnerable point. Disobeying godless laws is a good place to start.
Showing posts with label civil disobedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label civil disobedience. Show all posts
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
RENDER UNTO CAESAR
George Offerman
I was on Jason Hommel’s site silverstockreport.com reading one of his latest entries titled “Give to Caesar: Give to God” posted on July 28th and the subsequent reader’s response posted on August 6th. In this particular posting, Mr. Hommel does a fairly detailed Bible study on the question of kings, government, their roles in our lives and what we are morally obliged to do, concerning the subject of whether we are morally obligated to pay taxes or not. (I recommend all the readers check this out for themselves). Mr. Hommel raises many valid points about the role of government in general, and the role of our government in the United States in particular, and what our role as Christians ought to be.
Mr. Hommel seems to answer many of the mainstream churches allegations that as Christians we are ‘obligated’ to submit to authority and the churches identify the authority as our current government. This is based upon the Romans 13 discourse about proper behavior and obligations, but Paul in this particular series of passages, is referring to Godly authority, and is careful to not use the term ‘government’. Paul would not contradict, and has not contradicted any of the scriptures which clearly state that we are to ‘discern’ the nature of the law, and are obligated to disobey man made laws that violate God’s law.
How is it that the churches, who are all exempt from paying taxes with their 501 c 3 status, can preach to us about our need to pay taxes? If the churches are tax exempt because they represent God, then shouldn’t we, by extension be exempt as well? It would seem by the way that most of the churches are acting (including the Catholic Church and the USCCB) they are more in line with the state’s party line than that of God. The Church is highly motivated to not anger the state or to contradict their policies, regardless of how ungodly, due to losing this coveted status. This violated the whole purpose of their existence, which is to preach the unvarnished Gospel to a lost world.
Just because the Church has sold out on its beliefs, does not give the believer the right or obligation to sell out on the beliefs and tenets of the faith. The Church is not taking their proper role of moral leader in any fashion that demonstrates they actually believe in the Gospel message. This makes them no different than the misguided and corrupt state we live in, and they are unwilling and unable to discern truth from the lies, and want to operate in ‘peace and harmony’ with the sate (read tolerance and collusion). If we can choose to forgo tithing to unworthy organizations like the church, we sure have the moral and Biblical authority to deny money to a godless state.
Not paying taxes is one of the most ‘horrendous’ crimes against the state a citizen can commit. Look at the severity of the law, and one can only conclude that killing a legalized child killer is the only thing worse a citizen can do. The consequences for not paying taxes are severe, and the only way this can work as an effective strategy for the pro life movement, is to have large numbers, and have the pro life movement as a whole (outside of the Churches purview) adopt this and support this platform in totality. It is a strategy that should be very seriously considered, and it will take incredible dedication to follow through on this. I do believe it will reap dividends that we cannot even begin to imagine, but courage it will take.
I am not there yet in my courage to do this, but it is an eventual goal of mine. I do fear judgment day, and having the Father tell me that convenience and this life’s desires got in the way of saving his children. We all need to do a gut check and decide what doing little for the children is really worth. The more I see of the destruction of all that is good in this country, the more I believe the price we will pay for doing nothing is greater than even jail. We shall soon see if this is true or not.
I was on Jason Hommel’s site silverstockreport.com reading one of his latest entries titled “Give to Caesar: Give to God” posted on July 28th and the subsequent reader’s response posted on August 6th. In this particular posting, Mr. Hommel does a fairly detailed Bible study on the question of kings, government, their roles in our lives and what we are morally obliged to do, concerning the subject of whether we are morally obligated to pay taxes or not. (I recommend all the readers check this out for themselves). Mr. Hommel raises many valid points about the role of government in general, and the role of our government in the United States in particular, and what our role as Christians ought to be.
Mr. Hommel seems to answer many of the mainstream churches allegations that as Christians we are ‘obligated’ to submit to authority and the churches identify the authority as our current government. This is based upon the Romans 13 discourse about proper behavior and obligations, but Paul in this particular series of passages, is referring to Godly authority, and is careful to not use the term ‘government’. Paul would not contradict, and has not contradicted any of the scriptures which clearly state that we are to ‘discern’ the nature of the law, and are obligated to disobey man made laws that violate God’s law.
How is it that the churches, who are all exempt from paying taxes with their 501 c 3 status, can preach to us about our need to pay taxes? If the churches are tax exempt because they represent God, then shouldn’t we, by extension be exempt as well? It would seem by the way that most of the churches are acting (including the Catholic Church and the USCCB) they are more in line with the state’s party line than that of God. The Church is highly motivated to not anger the state or to contradict their policies, regardless of how ungodly, due to losing this coveted status. This violated the whole purpose of their existence, which is to preach the unvarnished Gospel to a lost world.
Just because the Church has sold out on its beliefs, does not give the believer the right or obligation to sell out on the beliefs and tenets of the faith. The Church is not taking their proper role of moral leader in any fashion that demonstrates they actually believe in the Gospel message. This makes them no different than the misguided and corrupt state we live in, and they are unwilling and unable to discern truth from the lies, and want to operate in ‘peace and harmony’ with the sate (read tolerance and collusion). If we can choose to forgo tithing to unworthy organizations like the church, we sure have the moral and Biblical authority to deny money to a godless state.
Not paying taxes is one of the most ‘horrendous’ crimes against the state a citizen can commit. Look at the severity of the law, and one can only conclude that killing a legalized child killer is the only thing worse a citizen can do. The consequences for not paying taxes are severe, and the only way this can work as an effective strategy for the pro life movement, is to have large numbers, and have the pro life movement as a whole (outside of the Churches purview) adopt this and support this platform in totality. It is a strategy that should be very seriously considered, and it will take incredible dedication to follow through on this. I do believe it will reap dividends that we cannot even begin to imagine, but courage it will take.
I am not there yet in my courage to do this, but it is an eventual goal of mine. I do fear judgment day, and having the Father tell me that convenience and this life’s desires got in the way of saving his children. We all need to do a gut check and decide what doing little for the children is really worth. The more I see of the destruction of all that is good in this country, the more I believe the price we will pay for doing nothing is greater than even jail. We shall soon see if this is true or not.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
ACTION, NOT TALK
George Offerman
There is a fairly prominent group I am in dialogue with concerning the personhood amendment and where I stand on it. I want to be very clear that I have always stood for ending abortion WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS and go even further by eliminating birth control as most are abortifacients. I am clear on how controversial this position is, and has been fairly persecuted and mocked for it, so I am not that concerned about where others may put me on a ‘tiered’ scale. The issue as I see it should not revolve around talking points, but actions. There are too many talkers, and not enough actors in this holocaust, and the body count continues to mount by the day.
I do agree we need to be unified in our approach in ending legalized child killing, and there is too much dissention in the ranks as many groups advocate differing levels of what is acceptable as a stand, and using this as some sort of guide in determining what will have the best chance of passing and what will not. I have made clear in a previous posting “Pro life’s deadly sin: incrementalism” how many in the movement, if not most, don’t believe we can win this war in totality. If we are dealing with the moral law handed down by the Living God, total victory is the only option. But it requires action, not talk.
How does this get done? Well, if it is an amendment to our constitution, it will require statesmen in office instead of the current group of wimps and liars that currently occupy those positions. It will take 2/3 of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to get this done, then it will be submitted to each state for approval, and 38 of the 50 states need to ratify it. This process requires much time, and would also require that the politicians ‘feet be held to the fire’. I understand this process; I understand the thinking behind it and agree with all of it. However, how will this amendment get passed when there is no chance in hell right now with the current crop of cronies in charge?
I think there is a simple solution, but I can almost guarantee few will be willing to do it. We simply stop paying taxes until we get what we want. The only language any of these ‘elected officials’ know is, talk about spending and promising someone something for nothing. The only color they see is green and the only sound they hear is ‘ca-ching’ of the cash register. Good old fashioned non violent civil disobedience. Anyone in the pro life movement, who is not naïve, knows we already fund abortion through taxes, and it is immoral for us to do it. Yet, no one really wants to discuss it, and only a few discuss the cursed 501 C 3 status that muzzles the churches. If we want legalized child killing to end, it will take way more than talk, tiered systems, marches, fund raisers, signature drives and such. We have to be willing to put ourselves on the line if we really mean it.
By virtue there were 95 at Notre Dame (7 took deals for personal reasons) I don’t hold out much hope that there will be a groundswell in support for this activity. Not paying taxes is really in the ‘big leagues’ and definitely would get the attention of most of the informed world, if there were enough doing it, and it would move this cause at light speed, and require a resolution of it. If we want to be gut wrenching honest with ourselves, the vast majority of us (me included) would get an “F” for our ‘efforts’ as 3,500 per day lose their lives with no apparent end in sight. There is a limited amount of time the Living God will give us to resolve this, and we don’t have the ‘luxury’ of waiting several election cycles to get in the ‘right’ people. Our bloodguilt mounts by the day and this bill will be paid, one way or another.
In short, it will be action, not talk that will get the job done. It starts with a unified front, praying and fasting, then EFFECTIVE ACTION. Anything less is a waste of time, and our enemies know this, and has basically beaten us into submission. Until any movement within the pro life ranks is willing to risk in proportion to the crimes being committed, it will flounder and fail. Failure is not acceptable to the Living God, and should not be acceptable to any true Christian out there. We need to get out of the safety of the kitchen and Churches and take the fight to the enemy, and get the job done.
There is a fairly prominent group I am in dialogue with concerning the personhood amendment and where I stand on it. I want to be very clear that I have always stood for ending abortion WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS and go even further by eliminating birth control as most are abortifacients. I am clear on how controversial this position is, and has been fairly persecuted and mocked for it, so I am not that concerned about where others may put me on a ‘tiered’ scale. The issue as I see it should not revolve around talking points, but actions. There are too many talkers, and not enough actors in this holocaust, and the body count continues to mount by the day.
I do agree we need to be unified in our approach in ending legalized child killing, and there is too much dissention in the ranks as many groups advocate differing levels of what is acceptable as a stand, and using this as some sort of guide in determining what will have the best chance of passing and what will not. I have made clear in a previous posting “Pro life’s deadly sin: incrementalism” how many in the movement, if not most, don’t believe we can win this war in totality. If we are dealing with the moral law handed down by the Living God, total victory is the only option. But it requires action, not talk.
How does this get done? Well, if it is an amendment to our constitution, it will require statesmen in office instead of the current group of wimps and liars that currently occupy those positions. It will take 2/3 of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to get this done, then it will be submitted to each state for approval, and 38 of the 50 states need to ratify it. This process requires much time, and would also require that the politicians ‘feet be held to the fire’. I understand this process; I understand the thinking behind it and agree with all of it. However, how will this amendment get passed when there is no chance in hell right now with the current crop of cronies in charge?
I think there is a simple solution, but I can almost guarantee few will be willing to do it. We simply stop paying taxes until we get what we want. The only language any of these ‘elected officials’ know is, talk about spending and promising someone something for nothing. The only color they see is green and the only sound they hear is ‘ca-ching’ of the cash register. Good old fashioned non violent civil disobedience. Anyone in the pro life movement, who is not naïve, knows we already fund abortion through taxes, and it is immoral for us to do it. Yet, no one really wants to discuss it, and only a few discuss the cursed 501 C 3 status that muzzles the churches. If we want legalized child killing to end, it will take way more than talk, tiered systems, marches, fund raisers, signature drives and such. We have to be willing to put ourselves on the line if we really mean it.
By virtue there were 95 at Notre Dame (7 took deals for personal reasons) I don’t hold out much hope that there will be a groundswell in support for this activity. Not paying taxes is really in the ‘big leagues’ and definitely would get the attention of most of the informed world, if there were enough doing it, and it would move this cause at light speed, and require a resolution of it. If we want to be gut wrenching honest with ourselves, the vast majority of us (me included) would get an “F” for our ‘efforts’ as 3,500 per day lose their lives with no apparent end in sight. There is a limited amount of time the Living God will give us to resolve this, and we don’t have the ‘luxury’ of waiting several election cycles to get in the ‘right’ people. Our bloodguilt mounts by the day and this bill will be paid, one way or another.
In short, it will be action, not talk that will get the job done. It starts with a unified front, praying and fasting, then EFFECTIVE ACTION. Anything less is a waste of time, and our enemies know this, and has basically beaten us into submission. Until any movement within the pro life ranks is willing to risk in proportion to the crimes being committed, it will flounder and fail. Failure is not acceptable to the Living God, and should not be acceptable to any true Christian out there. We need to get out of the safety of the kitchen and Churches and take the fight to the enemy, and get the job done.
Monday, May 24, 2010
ARE WE GOING TO FIGHT?
George Offerman
We are witness to major upheaval politically as well as financially and most importantly, spiritually. It is beyond question that the landscape is changing rapidly, and if one wants to make an impact, it will require the ability and desire to change with it. Here we are, at a crossroads in this nation, and the need to respond has never been greater. It also seems that many in this country are worn out or showing low energy in dealing with the changes at the exact time that high energy and purpose driven activity is required the most. The question that will need to be answered soon (and we will know that very soon) is: Are we going to stand up and fight the dark forces that challenge us, or is this all talk?
There is good reason to have some guarded optimism concerning the people in the tea party movement. The tea party has mobilized a large number of people, at least politically, who have been out there, but voiceless until recently. Most of these people hold very basic, but common sense principles of government and how the government affects the day to day life of the citizen of this country. These people are also aware that the government is now out of control, and if not stopped, will usher in some of the most socialistic programs ever envisioned for what should be a free and market driven nation.
One of the main problems with this is the fact that many are new to this level of activity, and thus are vulnerable to the manipulation and influences of the established party system, especially the GOP. The GOP has already attempted to influence much of the message of the tea party, and has already alluded to the fact that the Kentucky senate winner for the GOP primary, Rand Paul, is ‘dangerous’ and a potential liability for the establishment GOP. So far, there seems to be some resistance to the GOP statements and allegations that Dr. Paul will be a liability, but what has the GOP done for this country lately?
At some point, the tea party people, and really all Americans, are going to have to ask themselves this question: When will that line in the sand be crossed, and what am I going to do about it? For me, it seems abundantly clear that the line is ready to be crossed, and there needs to be serious calculations as to the cost of resisting the breach of this line, and how to encourage and engage others in defending this line. The time for talk is nearly, if not over already, and there now needs to be much thought and prayer given to the consequences of the line being crossed. If not now, when, and if not, shall we just put on shackles and get it over with?
There is way too much talk going on, and too many are talking in the future tense when discussing what they will eventually do ‘if this point gets crossed…, then I’ll do this. There needs to be an action plan now, and it needs to be tight, and well coordinated, or this new found energy and political clout will be absconded and wasted. There does not seem to be a lot of time left, and it truly does seem that the absolute future of what is left of this country hangs in the balance of the upcoming November elections. If we as a nation cannot get this budget under control, and manage to elect some people who understand the peril we are in, then there really may be no hope for our future.
Adversity does bring out the best (and worst) in people, and the question will be will there be enough people of integrity to counterbalance the potential rioting and bad behavior when a crisis hits? (Think of the Superdome in New Orleans after Katrina). Will we as a people rise to the occasion, or simply make excuses for our inactions and accept the impending slavery our masters have in store for us? It really is gut check time, and all of the warnings and prognostications about our situation are finally at our doorstep. Either way, we have a date with destiny and it will be our convictions, then actions (or inaction) that will determine which side of history we end up on.
We are going to have to get used to the idea that civil disobedience will soon likely be a way of life. It will carry consequences, and we have to be willing to pay that price. The more that are willing to pay the price, the lesser the consequences will be overall, and the less pain we will go through in rebirthing our society and nation. But we need to be very aware that painful times are here, and being lethargic and non committal is not an option that will result in any outcomes that are positive. It will be a battle, but the fight will be worth the price if good men and women stand up and fight for the principles this country, and Christianity are founded upon.
We are witness to major upheaval politically as well as financially and most importantly, spiritually. It is beyond question that the landscape is changing rapidly, and if one wants to make an impact, it will require the ability and desire to change with it. Here we are, at a crossroads in this nation, and the need to respond has never been greater. It also seems that many in this country are worn out or showing low energy in dealing with the changes at the exact time that high energy and purpose driven activity is required the most. The question that will need to be answered soon (and we will know that very soon) is: Are we going to stand up and fight the dark forces that challenge us, or is this all talk?
There is good reason to have some guarded optimism concerning the people in the tea party movement. The tea party has mobilized a large number of people, at least politically, who have been out there, but voiceless until recently. Most of these people hold very basic, but common sense principles of government and how the government affects the day to day life of the citizen of this country. These people are also aware that the government is now out of control, and if not stopped, will usher in some of the most socialistic programs ever envisioned for what should be a free and market driven nation.
One of the main problems with this is the fact that many are new to this level of activity, and thus are vulnerable to the manipulation and influences of the established party system, especially the GOP. The GOP has already attempted to influence much of the message of the tea party, and has already alluded to the fact that the Kentucky senate winner for the GOP primary, Rand Paul, is ‘dangerous’ and a potential liability for the establishment GOP. So far, there seems to be some resistance to the GOP statements and allegations that Dr. Paul will be a liability, but what has the GOP done for this country lately?
At some point, the tea party people, and really all Americans, are going to have to ask themselves this question: When will that line in the sand be crossed, and what am I going to do about it? For me, it seems abundantly clear that the line is ready to be crossed, and there needs to be serious calculations as to the cost of resisting the breach of this line, and how to encourage and engage others in defending this line. The time for talk is nearly, if not over already, and there now needs to be much thought and prayer given to the consequences of the line being crossed. If not now, when, and if not, shall we just put on shackles and get it over with?
There is way too much talk going on, and too many are talking in the future tense when discussing what they will eventually do ‘if this point gets crossed…, then I’ll do this. There needs to be an action plan now, and it needs to be tight, and well coordinated, or this new found energy and political clout will be absconded and wasted. There does not seem to be a lot of time left, and it truly does seem that the absolute future of what is left of this country hangs in the balance of the upcoming November elections. If we as a nation cannot get this budget under control, and manage to elect some people who understand the peril we are in, then there really may be no hope for our future.
Adversity does bring out the best (and worst) in people, and the question will be will there be enough people of integrity to counterbalance the potential rioting and bad behavior when a crisis hits? (Think of the Superdome in New Orleans after Katrina). Will we as a people rise to the occasion, or simply make excuses for our inactions and accept the impending slavery our masters have in store for us? It really is gut check time, and all of the warnings and prognostications about our situation are finally at our doorstep. Either way, we have a date with destiny and it will be our convictions, then actions (or inaction) that will determine which side of history we end up on.
We are going to have to get used to the idea that civil disobedience will soon likely be a way of life. It will carry consequences, and we have to be willing to pay that price. The more that are willing to pay the price, the lesser the consequences will be overall, and the less pain we will go through in rebirthing our society and nation. But we need to be very aware that painful times are here, and being lethargic and non committal is not an option that will result in any outcomes that are positive. It will be a battle, but the fight will be worth the price if good men and women stand up and fight for the principles this country, and Christianity are founded upon.
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