Insanitybytes22 and I have been having a debate. She is an unrelenting critic of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), and I have argued that that is not appropriate. What is the problem with what insanitybytes22 is doing? insanitybytes22 means well, but her criticism condemns without offering a solution. This same problem is pervasive in the news media, and insanitybytes22’S consumption of the news media is probably what drives her criticism.
We soft pedal the problem of mean spirited and abusive news media criticism by calling it crusading journalism. However, if we take the time to observe that muckraking is a form of crusading journalism, that puts the matter into a more accurate perspective.
What is the primary incentive for the widespread practice of muckraking in today’s news media? Like most of the mass media, the news media is exists to attract an audience for advertisers. Muck provides cheap entertainment. Lots of people find delving into the alleged sins of others, especially their sexual sins, quite entertaining. Unfortunately, there is nothing new about that. What is new is that most of us have not been properly taught to recognize and disdain muckraking.
To her credit, insanitybytes22 provides little, if any, salacious content on her websites. Instead, she demands that the SBC do something for the sake of the victims of sexual abuse. What? That is not exactly clear.
“Do something” is not exactly the way insanitybytes22 states her demand for action, but “do something” is a favor phrase for activists and the crusading news media.
- Gun violence? Do something.
- Poverty? Do something.
- COVID-19? Do something.
- Genocide? Do something.
- Global warming? Do something.
- Infant formula? Do something.
- Inflation? Do something.
- And so forth? Do something.
“Do something” is the emotional, thoughtless response of a news media that does not want its audience to think. “Do something” is the way the news media convinces its audience to believe they are being virtuous when in fact they are just viewing an unending stream of slanderous and libelous innuendo. “Do something” is just the emotional cover that the crony capitalists who own the news media give their bought politicians. It takes a lot of idiotic emotion to give politicians an excuse to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars on worthless government programs and to viciously abuse the rights of their political opposition.
When “Do something” is so utterly stupid, why do we believe crusading journalists? We believe because that is how we have been taught to participate in politics. Instead of learning how our political system is supposed to work so we can control the politicians we elect, we have allowed the politicians we elect to run our education system, and THOSE SAME POLITICIANS HAVE TOLD US HOW THEY WANT TO BE CONTROLED.
Given the criticism by myself and others, insanitybytes22 has tried to explain herself (see The First Sin?). Unfortunately, she doesn’t yet understand why some of us find her criticism of the SBC and various Conservative Christians so frustrating. Perhaps that is because we have not explained ourselves well. So, here is the reason. “Do something” is not constructive criticism. What is the SBC supposed to do? How will we know when the SBC is properly responding to those complaining of sexual abuse? If we don’t have measurable criteria, how will we know when the SBC is doing enough?
Note that SBC has not ignored the problem of sexual abuse.
Here is the SBC’s web page on sexual abuse.
With respect to accusations of sexual abuse, has the SBC behaved well? No, but has any of the institutions within our society — including the news organs that make up the corporate mass media? Nope. Consider this extract from the Executive Summary of that report that the news media and Insanitybytes22 are so concerned about.
Our investigation revealed that, for many years, a few senior EC leaders, along with outside counsel, largely controlled the EC’s response to these reports of abuse. They closely guarded information about abuse allegations and lawsuits, which were not shared with EC Trustees, and were singularly focused on avoiding liability for the SBC to the exclusion of other considerations. In service of this goal, survivors and others who reported abuse were ignored, disbelieved, or met with the constant refrain that the SBC could take no action due to its polity regarding church autonomy – even if it meant that convicted molesters continued in ministry with no notice or warning to their current church or congregation.
Click here for Guidepost Full Report
Please observe that what those EC leaders did was at first the conventional response.
However, the SBC helped produce the Guidepost Report, Sexual Abuse Task Force Report Resources. Moreover, the SBC authorized the release of a list of alleged abusers compiled by a former employee of the SBC Executive Committee. Was releasing that list fair to the alleged abusers? I don’t know, but both the accused and the accusers have the right to a fair hearing and justice.
See also => Guidepost.
The Guidepost report came at the request of task force created by the SBC, Sexual Abuse Task Force. The SBC may be a slow learner, but they now appear to be trying to deal appropriately with a problem that seems all too common.
So, what is the lesson here? When we criticize someone, we need to try to make our criticism worth more than it hurts to those we criticize. Consider how business people look at criticism.
What is constructive criticism?
Constructive criticism is a type of critique that can be applied to someone’s behavior to make meaningful, positive changes. Those in supervisory positions should always aim to provide actionable criticism, and when you receive it you should do your best to apply what you learn.
from => https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-take-constructive-criticism
As citizens of a free country, we have supervisory authority over our government and many of this nation’s institutions. Therefore, when we criticize those who lead us, we should provide actionable criticism, and when we receive criticism we should look for lessons we can apply.
Citizen Tom 
These are difficult issues to discuss, not only because they involve emotions deep in our hearts, but because they invade the privacy of innocent victims. Jesus warned that his Church would be plagued with wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. When we catch a predator, that person must be removed from authority in the Church–from any opportunity or temptation to cause further harm to others. That person must be called upon to repent (privately is sufficient; it does not need to be public). Those who repent must be assured of forgiveness, that Christ paid for their sins on the cross. At the same time, those guilty of predatory sin should receive counseling to help them recognize their sin and turn around their lives. The victims will also need counseling. Whenever possible, the Church should provide the needed counseling and be the agency of healing. But the privacy of the victims should be maintained, even when that leads to awkward circumstances in which some members of the Church sense that something dramatic is happening, but they don’t know what. That, in my opinion, is the something that should be done, and I suspect that IB agrees with me on that. J.
@Salvageable
The expression “sexual abuse” is somewhat nebulous, but here the expression refers to criminal sexual abuse. Your recommendations for dealing with predatory sexual abuse may be reasonable for abuses short of that which require legal intervention. Otherwise, the law requires that sexual abuse be reported to the authorities. At that point church authorities must obey local and state laws, and whether or not the privacy of the victim can and will be protected depends largely on local and state laws.
There is also another issue. When and if we are prosecuted for a crime, we have the right to confront our accuser. If the accuser is a minor, that will make protecting the privacy of the minor difficult. As you said, this is difficult, but it is highly important to identify predators, lock them up, and prevent them from harming others. It is also highly important to prevent those falsely accused of being ruined and punished for a crime they did not commit. That often means that the privacy of the victim must be treated as a secondary concern.
“Was releasing that list fair to the alleged abusers? I don’t know, but both the accused and the accusers have the right to a fair hearing and justice.”
The names of those not convicted in a court of law and not on a sex offender registry, are redacted, blacked out. What makes this report so horrific, these names we read are just the convicted sex offenders. Both the SBC and Tom use the term “alleged” and focus on protecting the bad guy’s potential innocence. However, they have been convicted in a court of law and found guilty. Not knowing that demonstrates a complete lack of awareness as to the nature of the problem and not caring enough to find out.
So the first guy on the list is now serving time in prison for having sodomized 8-12 yr old boys and making pornographic videos of his crimes, all while serving as a pastor of a SBC church.
My constructive criticism is that we all need to repent for completely failing to protect victims and for sweeping their complaints and reports under the rug. I could actually care less about the media or the feelings of the SBC. There is no excuse for what happened over years and years and there is no excuse for our continued use of the word “alleged” when it comes to people fully convicted in a court of law.
You speak of constructive criticism. We are supposed to repent for crimes we did not even know about and could not have stopped? That’s absurd. There are things I have done for which I am ashamed, but this one is not in the list.
This is at the front of the sex offender list.
You use the word horrific to describe the list. Horrific relative to what? You realize bad things do happen? This list is not specific to the SBC, and there are lots of Baptists in the United States. Some of the ministers of are going to be bad apples. No one knows how to keep any large organization or group of people from being infiltrated by people who do bad things. So, the mere fact that a large organization has bad people in it doesn’t prove much. The real problem here is that the management of the SBC — like many other organizations that have experienced the same problem — hesitated when they should have immediately acted to investigate and prosecute the guilty.
If the names of those merely accused of sexual abuse had not been redacted, those publishing this list would have probably been sued. As it is, the publication of this list is largely theatrical. It doesn’t prove much of anything. However, with some people it garners a huge emotional response.
I suspect the SBC management thought the list would “prove” they are “doing something.” It doesn’t. All the SBC can actually do is promptly call the cops when they have a potential incident of sexual abuse and improve its efforts to screen out known sexual abusers. They cannot satisfy those dead set to scream and howl about sexual abuse by uncaring Conservative villains. Those people won’t be satisfied by anything the SBC does, not when the default conclusion, prejudgment, prejudice, and bigoted belief by Liberal activist, crusading journalists is that Conservatives do not care about people.
What makes you think the Liberal journalists attacking the SBC care about people. They encourage some people to condemn others?
All of this is why I left religion behind. Give me my Bible, give me God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. These religious institutions will never change and there are many reasons for that, but the main one is they worship everything but God. They care for their own man made rules than they do for the actual Word of God. Several of them have added to and taken away from scripture as if they have that right. Most churches leave out 1/3 of the Bible and 65% of so called Christians do not believe in hell, Satan, or demons. Is it really any wonder at all there is so much evil in them? A solution tear it all down and go back to when people met in homes in small groups and actually studied the Bible the whole Bible. There is no fixing these corrupt systems because there is much evil in them as there is in the secular world and has been for centuries. There should be no denominations we are suppose to all be the bride of Christ. We should all have our noses planted in our Bibles instead we are making up this path is better or that path is better so is it any wonder people are turned off and confused about what Christianity is? When all is needed is to give them the gospel. I never read the Apostles jumped through religious hoops to save people because they didn’t they presented the gospel pure and simple and before it was even written down. You want to change all of those things that have gone wrong in the churches then as I said tear them all down and worship God as He intended us to do.
There is much truth in what you are saying, but the apostles set the example on Pentecost. They began teaching those who believed, baptizing and making disciples of them (Matthew 28:16-20).
The Great Commission is not something we can do alone. We must joint with others to spread the Gospel. 1 Corinthians 12 explains how that is supposed to work.
The Holy Spirit gives all of us certain gifts. When we are obedient to our Lord, we share our gifts with others. It is then that with the gifts of the Spirit we bear the fruit of the Spirit.
There is a problem, however, as you say. Many churches do not teach the Gospel. So, we each must study the Bible and make certain that our pastors teach from the Bible, teach all of what the Bible says, and do not teach anything contrary to the Bible. 1 – 3 John is a good place to go for guidance in such matters.
What I am saying is tear down the religious institutions the denominations because they are not needed just as huge mega churches. I am not saying we should do it alone, but I believe in smaller groups. I also believe that those that openly sin need to be removed from the church if they don’t change there ways after being warned about it by the church. They did this in the times of Christ it is harmful to the body when you have people openly having affairs and such in a church. When you allow those to remain that do not bear the fruit of the Spirit you Satan into the church.
Smaller groups of believers are better in my opinion because they can all get to know each other and work together better. Large churches are nothing more than social clubs and gossip hubs. I haven’t seen even one mega church that did not have mega problems. Joel Osteen has had people removed from his church for mentioning sin and hell and he and his congregation are not Christian, but use the name of Jesus for financial gain.
So no give me the small congregation that worships God and study his Word and all of it. The man made rules of these churches is nothing more than a way to control the congregation of that institution and nothing more. I do not believe these churches can be fixed because they tell people what their itching ears want to hear. Things like have your best life now. If this is my best life now I want a refund.
@jsneese62
Doesn’t what you are suggesting illustrate how different sects and denominations get started?
Think about this.
How would we go about tearing down the religious institutions and denominations? We organize. Right?
Jesus commissioned us to spread the gospel. The Bible clearly states we should not allow apostates and anyone else among our ranks who deliberately disrupts the spread of the His Gospel, but we must remember it is His message, not our own.
I don’t know much about Joel Osteen, but I understand he teaches some sort of prosperity gospel. Since the prosperity gospel is contrary to what the Bible says, there is no point in associating with someone who promotes it. However, I don’t see why Christians cannot organize house churches, small churches, large churches, in denominations or as standalone churches, and so forth.
The Bible commissions us to spread the Gospel. So, we should do that the best way we know how and not worry too much about what others are doing. The Apostle Paul didn’t (Philippians 1:12-18).
Check out Romans 14. Then consider why I still believe I should discourage insanitybytes22 from complaining so much about the SBC. My answer is that I work with other Christians like insanitybytes22 to spread the Gospel online. When we portray the SBC as a hotbed of sexual abuse, we portray fellow Christians (even if we are not Baptists) as hypocrites who say they are against sexual abuse but do nothing to stop it. That is, we help spread a news media half-truth.
Such news media half-truths against Christians and Conservatives work because while accepting the message of the Gospel may save us it does not complete the process of sanctification. We still remain sinners, and we still choose imperfect men and women to lead us. Nevertheless, when the Liberal Democrat news media accuses an organization like the SBC of sexual abuse, we should see that for the joke it is.
So if I read what you said right we are to just ignore people like Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, and so many others that are leading people astray with their charismatic/ prosperity gospel? That we should just ignore those denominations that have added to the Bible and taken away from it? Does it not matter that they are leading people away from the true gospel every day? A lot of these big mega churches are nothing more that huge cults. Look at what Jim Jones did he convinced people to drink poisoned Koolaid and 909 people died that day. Many of these churches are leading people into spiritual suicide and I do not believe God intended for us to ignore that.
Are you so sure the SBC sexual abuse is a joke? I know of a pastor that has distanced his church from them for that and other things they have done and he is not a liberal or democrat. There has been something wrong with the SBC for a very long time this is not new at all. I have refused to have anything to do with any church in the SBC since the late 70’s because something just didn’t sit right with me.
I stand by we do not need mega churches or denominations and we certainly do not need man made rules in churches just go by what the Bible says that is why it was given after all. Many of these pastors of huge churches believe they are the same as God and I feel the same about the pope and I will tell you I will never kneel to a man or kiss his hand because he is not my Lord and Savior. It is crap like that detracts from the gospel and it is worshiping a man and not Jesus. There is also the worshiping of Mary and it is wrong. We do not pray to saints or Mary that is idol worship. Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes unto the Father, but by Him.
Yes we are to spread the gospel that also means to those that are being lead astray by these institutions so they can at least know what the true gospel is and then choose which path they will take. They are just as lost as the average person on the street are and need the gospel as well. It does no one any good to turn a blind eye to these things and say it is a joke simply because of who said it. We need to make sure if it is true or not before passing that kind of judgement. As for how to tear down these institutions it is with the gospel and the truth, but unfortunately there aren’t Christians willing to do that work.
For me though I do try as much as I can to do what I can, but I will take a small group or church that preaches the gospel, that keeps man made rules out of it, and removes trouble makers until they change. It is not a complicated thing to spread the gospel and to have a church that simply follows the Bible. My first real church was one such church and I loved it and it can be done. I don’t know why there has to be denominations all they do is cause division among the body, and pastors of mega churches get big egos and start teaching their own gospels so no thanks because I would rather be alone with the gospel than to taint the truth by supporting those messes.
@jsneese62
Be careful. Did I call the SBC sexual abuse a joke? You know I did not.
The mass media peddles sex and violence. After all the examples moral turpitude we have seen in Hollywood and the mass media, we are not suppose to laugh when those people get on their high horse and complain about the sexual depravity of SBC? It’s ridiculous.
Read the Great Commission again. The principal job of the church is to make disciples. That requires us to teach everyone who would follow Jesus all that He commanded.
Does that mean that we are to ignore apostates and those who teach things contrary to what our Lord taught? No. Jesus did not do that and neither did His apostles, but our Lord and His apostles put the emphasis on teaching correct doctrine.
Consider what the experts tell us about detecting counterfeit money. The best way to detect a counterfeit is to know what real money looks like. Nevertheless, we should also know something about the most common ways of counterfeiting money.
Does the Christian Church have problems in this world? Of course, it does. Satan is the ruler of this world. That is why He could tempt Jesus with the opportunity to rule over the world. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote Ephesians 6: 18-20.
So, what should we do when a fellow Christian sins and refuses to repent? Don’t we have an example in the Bible? What do we do when a fellow Christian who has sinned repents and asks forgiveness? Don’t we have an example in the Bible?
We are all still capable of sinning, and sometimes we do. When that happens — when we lose our way — we must pray that instead of mercilessly condemning us that our fellows will correct us and point us back to the correct path.
I am not going to keep going back and forth with you because it gets us nowhere. I do not know how old you are, but I have been watching this world fall faster and faster. People go on about their lives without a care or a real thought about what is happening or where it is ultimately leading. Funny thing is if you ask most people Christians included if they believe this world will ever end most will tell you no.
Churches are not what they were meant to be and the people in most of them make a mockery of the Bible and the author of the Bible. There are churches who now allow the occult into their doors and open homosexuality even pastors that are. Yes I know who rules over this world, but I also know we have a full set of armor to fight him with. We are to stand firm in that we were not given spirits of fear because from him we have nothing to fear. My point about what we should do when people in the church openly sin is they are suppose to be removed until they repent. That no longer happens because as I said many are even allowing the occult and openly homosexuals in their churches and if you pastor is openly homosexual where do go from there? No the world can keep their cesspools I want nothing to do with them. I know there are still good churches out there, but I do not have the energy any longer to look for them.
If you can, you should look for and find a Bible-believing church.
Please consider the company that Jesus kept. The people who considered themselves good thought Jesus kept bad company. The difference is that the people Jesus associated with knew they needed help to be saved.
A church is a hospital for fallen souls. Therein the patients help each other by pointing each other to Jesus. Therein the patients know they are not good. Instead, they seek sanctification.
I looked for that for decades and never found it and I no longer have the health or energy to look anymore. I am not alone I have my partner and we have an online community that we fellowship with.
I have no need for a brick and mortar church with their rules and a need to know my finances demanding I give a certain amount of money. Giving should be from the heart and it doesn’t have to be money. Churches are no longer what they once were they are more concerned with status and which medium is available to do readings next so no thanks.
Churches are not what God intended them to be and people have no desire to change them to what they are suppose to be. They are all to busy getting their egos stroked and their fill of self love and building their self esteem to be concerned with the welfare of others. We are told by God that we are wretched creatures and none of us are good in any way not one of us. Yet you have these churches that are all about self love and self esteem.
No I will help people as I can with my blog and I will stick with the Bible and my online community that is Bible believing and Bible teaching the whole Bible at that.
@jsneese62
Worship is both an individual and group activity. We worship individually — we pray, for example — to demonstrate our love for God when He is the only one watching. Out of obedience to God we worship with other Christians. In churches we care for each others souls.
Why is participating in a church difficult? Are not other Christians our brothers and sisters in Christ? Yes, but just as we don’t get to choose our family at birth we do not truly get to choose our church family. That is especially true if we primarily focus upon the doctrine the church teaches and church members strive to obey. Then, to lend our support to the spread of the Gospel, we bind ourselves to people who may or may not make us feel comfortable.
Why is this so. As a family member, our job is to help our family — to be there for our family. Is our family supposed to be there for us when we are in need? Yes, but that will be true only to the extent we love each other as Jesus loved us. With aid of rhe Holy Spirit, all we can do is set the best example we can set.
Church is about loving others as Jesus loved us, not about improving our social life.
I understand those things, but Jesus also said where two or more gather together He will be there. There are two main reasons I do not attend a brick and mortar church one is because I have never found one that puts the Word of God above their own man made rules and to many of them want their noses in my finances which is none of their business. Far to many do not preach from sound doctrine and it is a complete waste of time to go to a sermon that has little if anything to do with the Word of God. The other if I suffer from many disabling health conditions such as two heart conditions A-fib and Bradycardia and I suffer from chronic pain syndrome part being arthritis and nerve pain caused by diabetes I was also born with a deformed lower spine and to just sit in a chair and write here brings me near to tears sometimes. The problems with my spine causes me problems walking and my knees are a mess from a car accident. Pretty much the only time I leave the house is to see one of my several doctors. These are the reasons going to a church is difficult.
I do feel we choose our church family or at least we should and here is why if we walk into and join just any church that slaps Jesus name on their building that is one way to end up in a cult. There are many that say they are Christian and are anything but Christian take for example Catholic, and Mormon that use books and beliefs outside the canon of the Bible or what about Jehovah Witness and charismatic churches talk like a toddler with a mouth full of mashed potatoes, bark like dogs, and rolling around on the floor screaming and laughing like they are insane. There are many out there that have allowed the occult into their churches so yeah I would say if you are looking you better choose wisely.
It is also possible to join a church online we watch from Pastor Billy Crone from Sunrise Church in Henderson Nevada and if at some point we decide we want to become members of his church we can do that too. We chose his church because he preaches from the Bible. I do not go to a physical church, but I don’t think that is as important as being given the Word. In Jesus time Christians met together in small groups in homes and I think that is still the best idea. In settings like that you can get to know each other better and have a better relationship with each other and that cannot be done with several hundred to a couple thousand people. I think it has been proven the bigger a church becomes the more corrupt it becomes.
Tom, Insanit bytes
In my opinion, constructive criticism in words only is not very effective anymore in our contemporary times because too many of us are becoming apathetic when nothing constructive seems to result no matter how hard or time we spend trying to change for the betterment of our communities.
In my opinion, we need to identify the root cusses and that are driving al the issues you listed which seemingly never seem to be resolved and become stalemated in Congress who really have no one to pressure them for results to obtain results to the issues.
I wrote a post today about the how even Jesus Christ wanted to vomit about the issues caused by all of us who lose their passion to make our world a better place on the issue of Truth – Who is really to blame for the shooting’s conundrum?
We all are, in my opinion when we become tepid or cold hearted on issues instead of hot a passionate.
How to heat up our passions is the conundrum of burn out apathy of far too many tepid lifeless voters, instead of passionate community members.
Sad.
As for the SBC and Roman Catholic Priests amd Ministers sex issue, we all should have been taught to recognizes that ever since the beginning of time, parents and teachers have warned us about wolves in sheep’s clothing.
The percentages of are low compared to the good Priests and Ministers, same as lowlife in general. However, he harm inflicted is significant in cost and misery of their sins.
Sadly, that is never going to change unless we return to teaching instructions in the Bible focusing on Biblical wisdom and love instead of secular humanities which anyone who reads or hears the news ought to discern has resulted in total failure, in my opinion.
Reality is we will never be utopia, but we can accomplish ways to reduce the folly if we somehow can become passionate about the issues.
Regards and goodwill blogging.
Donald Trump has led the way in creating alternative, anti-left media. Fox News is becoming spotty but it, too, offers intense criticism of the ruling regime. Laura Ingram and Tucker Carlson come to mind. Throughout my life which goes back to the 1950’s, not until, the present has there existed an anti-left corporate response to the corporate news media.
I think there was a time when the media was held to some standard for veracity. Of course there was always some spin, but when they were caught there was usually some consequence. Dan Rather’s “fake but accurate” comes to mind. He was very successful and this ended his career. I do not think it would have happened today…we have far worse culprits now and they remain employed.
The fall of Dan Rather is a revealing observation.
I think the primary reason we did not notice how partisan the news media was is because the FCC controlled the airwaves. Because the government licensed broadcasters, that made it difficult for broadcasters to criticize politicians. Before the advent of broadcast journalism, the partisan preferences of newspapers was more obvious.
Another problem is the concentration of news media ownership. Not too many newspapers, radio stations and TV outlets are owned locally anymore.
Reblogged this on boudica.us.
Thank you!
Constructive criticism is a macro vs micro issue. That is, to criticize a friend, spouse, boy or girl friend is to put those relationships at risk. Whereas expressing opinions about organizations, websites, editorial writers, blogs, blog writers is all fair game.
The Catholic Church took it in the shorts over sex abuse committed by clerics over decades. People being what they are, this sort of depravity probably went on from close to the beginning of things.
The intense criticism forced the Catholic Church to institutionalize training programs that educated parishioners on what to look for with regard to grooming and other behaviors that might indicate abuse. As a Catholic school teacher that sort of training is required every 3 years after which I was certified.
Focusing attention on the issue is a good thing. The problem is that Liberal, corporation owned news media has used the issue of sexual abuse to attack its foes. Meanwhile, we are supposed to pretend Liberals are virtuous about sexual matters. Seriously?
Hmmm. This is kind of an interesting debate Tom, because it really represents a huge cultural divide I see going on. I like how you framed it, as an emotional plea to “do something.” So conservatives tend to be the “do nothing” party. “Do nothing” becomes “care about no one. ” Why do we lose so many elections?? Well, setting aside obvious elections theft, it is mostly because we care about no one and we are the party of “do nothing.”
Is there a time to “do nothing?” Yes! Often people are heathier and thrive better when there is little or no government intervening in their lives. However, there is currently no government at the Southern border, no government stemming the flow of drugs into the US, and no government stemming the flow of spending. “Evil thrives when good men do nothing.”
The actionable criticism should be conviction and repentance. We need to change our ways. It baffles me that so many conservatives (and Christians) seem unwilling to take responsibility for anything and to repent for the misery we have caused and we are currently suffering. I’m not even a part of the SBC, I’m not in government, and yet the only humanly decent thing to do is to mourn with those who mourn weep with those who weep. How can we just ignore the suffering of those around us, just sweep it under the rug, and pretend it doesn’t matter? Not my problem, my hands are clean?
Authority always flows to those who take responsibility. Why is the church no longer a prominent moral authority in our culture? Because we take little or no responsibility for the suffering of those around us. Why are conservatives not running our country? Because they pride themselves on their mantra of “care about no one” and “do nothing.”
Your comment is not true. After Columbine and subsequent school shootings prudent actions were taken to harden up the schools. At Uvalde, the shooter walked in through an open door and law enforcement nullified active shooter policy that required them to go in all guns blazing. When they weren’t eating donuts law enforcement somehow found time to hand cuff and taze distraught parents who were demanding action.
And you also have it dead wrong concerning the decline of religion. The state has forced religion out of the public school classroom. Children spend the greater part of the day and the greater part of their lives until graduation in a God-free zone. Without understanding the nature of God, man and universe the human being is left adrift in meaninglessness.
Along with mathematics, I teach my students Plato, Aristotle and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Without understanding how to perceive reality and without understanding good and evil, there really is not point to human life.
The young, angry men who commit mass murder understand that their lives have no point. And they express their understanding in a final, nihilistic blood bath of the innocent.
Still addressing issue at an emotional level. When we separate our ability to reason from the feelings of our heart, we do brainless things.
You are a smart lady. THINK!
Government is not a solution for most problems. In fact, our biggest problem with government these days is that it is doing too much. Are you going to trust people (such as those in government and especially the news media) who cannot define “woman” to fix the problem of sexual abuse?
Question. Do you have any idea what the SBC has done to address the problem of sexual abuse? Other than the fact that the news media doesn’t like the SBC, what makes the SBC a special concern?
Sexual abuse is a big problem in the public schools, for example, but the news media does not care.