Ruling Theory

 

Orwell's "Ministry of Truth," (in his book, "1984"), which eradicated all previous history and re-wrote it to fit the current national situation, is alive and well.  They are known today as "Big Tech," "Social Media Giants," (that would be Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to name the 3 most egregious), and "Mainstream Media."  Oh, I'm sure I could include others in this list as well, but everyone should be disturbed by what is happening.  Even the "Fair and Balanced" Fox News has been highly biased and suppressive of news that didn't fit a certain narrative, lately.  Bottom line?  Finding the truth in anything is near impossible today.  In 2000, Al Gore filed a lawsuit over a recount in 1 state.  Today we are dealing with 6 or 7 states with razor thin margins, and coupled with massive allegations, sworn statements, past statements, and both video and photographic evidence of such fraud, little to no reporting occurs on it, and the current President is (as has happened for 4 years now) accused of being a Nazi, a Klan Leader, and a plethora of other names.  I've even witnessed the degeneration of free thought and speech on Facebook in particular, over both the election and the nature of Covid19.  I've witnessed colleagues who ridicule anyone who even suspects a conspiracy of any kind, and yet the evidence is before us, that should at least be investigated.  It's one thing if you have a strong opinion based on certain facts over an issue.  It's something totally different if you bludgeon and ridicule anyone who holds a contrary point of view, especially if ALSO supported by factual evidence.  Recently, a high school classmate told me that my "logic baffled him," and then proceeded to claim I had said things that were nowhere to be found in what I did say.  Oddly enough, I don't even recall what the "situation" was regarding, but what was clear was that he and I were on opposite sides of the equation.  Rather than try to understand my perspective, it was easier to write off my logic as baffling.  Previous encounters included him telling me that he felt sorry for me if I believed a certain way, hoping I slept well at night because of how racist and bigoted I was, and many more that I've long forgotten.

In 1897, a geologist by the name of TC Chamberlin wrote a paper entitled "The Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses."   In it, he outlined the dangers in science of developing a "ruling theory" in which only certain data is considered in support of a theory that is otherwise not supported by other data.  That is exactly what is happening across the boards in the world today, especially as it relates to Covid19.  I likely had it back at the end of December 2019, and for one reason:  All the symptoms manifested itself, including the loss of taste and smell, which, according to the Two Rivers Health Department in central Nebraska, is a very specific symptom to this virus.  But when asked why we are still being told that the virus didn't begin until early March 2020 here in America, I can get no answer.  It is the official party line, and yet not a single official organization called to deal with it will consider any alternative theory that doesn't fit with the official narrative.  Nearly a third of our town had this "unknown respiratory illness" between October 2019 and January 2020, and the town survived.  Intact.  With no lockdown.  No social distancing.  No ridiculous mask mandate.  Nothing.  We are told to "trust the science," but as a former scientist, that is extremely hard to do when all I see in science these days are "ruling theories" that ignore vast amounts of data for the sake of a theory that would not be supported if all that data would be included.  The censorship of anything related to Covid that ran counter to the official CDC and WHO narrative was not only dismissed outright, but was actively censored by the "big three" on social media, and not reported at all on the mainstream media, let alone by the government agencies that were tasked with the health and safety of America and the world.

Fast forward to the days preceding the 2020 general election in America, and the active, blatant censorship of a bombshell story on corruption within the Biden family.  Every effort was made to swing voter sentiment away from the incumbent who vowed to root out corruption in DC, and toward the very subject of this corruption - the Biden family.  They were actively aided by the "swamp" itself, known as the Washington establishment.  Colleagues, friends, and others actively claimed that it was all false, that election fraud was not real, and why?  Because Facebook fact checkers said so.  Enter the Ministry of Truth, that rejects all of the data mentioned above and tells a person what to think.

I for one refuse to support such agencies that suppress the truth any longer, which is why I've gone around recently from limiting Facebook, deleting Twitter, to now deleting Facebook also in the near future.  Watch this clip from Tucker Carlson and you'll get a better sense of where I am coming from.  

Now nowhere do I claim that the "far right" is the actual truth.  Just the opposite, actually.  I believe that the "far right" and "far left" talking points are part of the data set that needs to govern every American's ability to think for themselves and make informed decisions, much the way the founders of this country intended.  And while, as a religious and political conservative, I tend to sympathize more with the right than the left, (I will admit my bias here), I always want to know what ALL the people are saying in order that I might be able to glean the truth from it.  Sadly, we now live in a world where this cannot and does not happen, thanks to the shameless censorship that doesn't fit the ruling theories of the ruling class.  Most people believe the predominance of far left talking points simply because they are told to, without ever actually examining both the content of their words, as well as the consequences should such words and policies ever gain traction or become law.

We live in deeply turbulent and troubled times.  History has shown us time and again that the only answer is in returning to the Lord God, the maker and owner of all things.  That is the solution I offer, and it is one rejected by the majority of the world, and even by many Christians (those who deny the most fundamental tenet of the Christian faith for example:  the resurrection of the son of God).  What does the future hold?  I pray it is that mass return to God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  If it is not that, the world will indeed self destruct, and quickly so.  In the meantime, it will be a world for me that will no longer include Twitter, YouTube, and now Facebook.

Shattered Trust

Oddly enough, as I scroll back through old entries, I discovered that many of my thoughts center on a lack of transparency, deceptiveness, and trust issues with so many things.  The original title of this entry was going to be simply "trust," but I discovered that I had already written one with that title prior.

It will be difficult, and even perhaps impossible to thoroughly present what's on my mind here in the heartland in such a forum.  This could end up being a lengthy entry as a result.  The bottom line is that we are in the midst of a "pandemic."  Now let me state up front that this virus should indeed be taken seriously - JUST as we take other things like influenza seriously.  But in this time of pandemic, we have heard so many lies, conflicting statements, and outright fear mongering that it is no longer prudent to simply trust blindly what our government and the media say.  Let's face it:  no matter what news outlet you watch (I will regularly compare CNN and Fox, along with the occasional network feed), the coverage has been nearly all "virus-virus-virus" for 6 weeks now.  You mean to tell me that there is no other news happening anywhere in the world?  There is, and we'll get to a couple of those in a moment.

Let's simply deal with the government misinformation first.  While it has now been changed, THIS was found on the CDC website on April 1, fully 3 months AFTER we were told of how contagious the virus was when people were asymptomatic:

     "Can someone spread the virus without being sick?
     People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).
     Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus,  
     but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads."

My main regret was in not taking a screen shot of it then, but others can report on the accuracy of this as well, and I questioned it on April 1 on my personal facebook page.  If you recall, back at about the beginning of March, we were told that we needed "two weeks to flatten the curve."  Now, here we are, 2 MONTHS later, and the virus is still on the rise in many parts of the country, including my home state of Nebraska and my home county of Dawson.

The government's expert and task force member, Dr. Fauci, initially projected catastrophic death numbers and infection rates.  This was apparently done using a study that was well documented as being highly flawed.  It was reported on one of the news sites back when the death toll predictions kept getting lowered, but I'm no longer finding  a link to it.  What is now causing a shattering of the trust in what the CDC and the government are doing is the intentional padding of numbers of those who die of other causes, but because they test positive for  COVID19, are being identified as victims of the virus instead.  Even those who have NOT tested positive, but die with viral symptoms are being identified as victims of the virus.  A youtube video of two doctors making just such a claim has now been censored by youtube.  The full video can still be viewed here.  Why censor a member of the medical profession?  Multiple other reports of this happening have also been removed from internet searches, where they appeared last week.   Italy reports that 99% of it's fatalities were already ill with other things.  And yet the mainstream media and the government both continue to push a narrative that the worst is yet to come, despite the growing number of medical professionals who are indeed on the front lines challenging their assertions?  Why would this be, if not to continue to incite fear and panic, and to justify the often draconian measures many states have undertaken which constitute government overreach in the eyes of many.

Because I need to move on to the "other news" that also shows a breach of trust between the American public and the government, I will have to merely mention how this virus has been politicized ON BOTH SIDES.  It is sickening that the virus numbers are being padded to overinflate the mortality rate as if to continue to fuel panic and fear.  That is a sure way to get many Americans to stop trusting you, when the virus becomes more of a political weapon to be wielded, rather than something which the government should be providing assistance in coping with those infected.  I need to briefly touch on how this virus will  have far more damaging effects long term than just the deaths from the virus itself.  It is questionable whether or not these lockdowns are having any real effect.  For comparison, Sweden did absolutely nothing, and the death rate there is no more significant than anywhere else in the world, and there appears to be a herd immunity developing there as a result.  And this is to say little of the apparent government overreach happening in such states as Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kansas, and even here to a lesser degree in Nebraska.  It is worth noting how often the phase "for your safety" comes up in these instances.  Two things come to mind - one is that this is highly insulting to the American public, as if we were incapable of protecting ourselves from danger.  This is in itself a violation of the charters of freedom and what they intend.  It should also be pointed out that the public must exercise due diligence in educating itself - but sadly the very point of this is that it's near impossible to trust most of the sources we have to do just that today.   The second point  is that Jews were routinely told the very same thing -  "für Ihre Sicherheit" (for your safety) as they were rounded up and ultimately exterminated in Nazi Germany.

Now has there been other news, that is largely unreported?  Yes.  Two major stories come to mind, and the first demonstrates the glaring hypocrisy of the mainstream media, and a prime cause of the shattered trust in government and media I'm speaking of.  It is a tale of two candidates:  Brett Kavanaugh (for the SCOTUS - September 2018) and Joe Biden (for POTUS - 2020).  You may recall the firestorm over Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation:  the nonstop media coverage, the very public hearings on the allegation of sexual misconduct from his high school days, and the figurative crucifixion of the man's character, which by all other counts was impeccable. What is fascinating about the CNN timeline just linked is that nowhere does it mention that two of the three allegations were later proven to be demonstrably false, and the remaining accusation had significant holes in it (especially a lack of corroborating witnesses, along with witnesses who contradicted the accuser), which is what prompted his ultimate confirmation.  Yet during the entire process, calls for "believing all women" were constant.

Now fast forward a year and a half, and an accusation has now come out, but against a liberal candidate for President:  Joe Biden.  Are all women still to be believed?  Regarding the aforementioned CNN, this is what they've presented thus far:  Nothing.  In fact, the only network that has provided any coverage of substance at all on this current accusation against Joe Biden (which has far more damaging evidence in support of it than the accusation against Justice Kavanaugh), is Fox.  Is there now a glaring double standard here?  Absolutely.   We've got one party that is galactically hypocritical on it's "moral outrage," while the other party (the party of morals and family values) continues to engage in behavior that is anything but moral or of family values.  This war between the parties plays out on the media daily.  Is it any wonder I believe there is absolutely NO reason to trust those who serve in state and federal government?

Now let's look at a third story that has been breaking, but mostly on the conservative Fox News Channel.  As I've watched other network/cable news outlets, I've seen virtually no reporting on the renewed interest in the case against Michael Flynn, who if you recall, was nominated and briefly held the position of National Security Advisor to President Trump until late 2017 when he was convicted of lying under oath and fired from the position.  Again, fast forward a couple of years, and what we now find is that, like the entire Russian Collusion Hoax, the entire proceeding was a hit job from the beginning, orchestrated by many of the same players in the FBI as the collusion hoax.  Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real thing, and there are many in this country who suffer from it.

Since when was politics about gaining and preserving power?  Since when was this country founded on people or ideologies coming to power and working to hold it at all costs?  This is the pattern in virtually every failed empire and civilization in history, and it is precisely what the founders hoped to prevent in our democratic republic, with the concepts of "checks and balances," as well as the Electoral College, to prevent a few populated areas from controlling the entire nation.  It is all that I've attempted to outline right here that makes me instantly skeptical of anything spoken of in either the mainstream media or from any number of government agencies.

There was a time when this country's religion, morality, values, and liberty were all headed in the same direction.   Alexis de Toqueville said in the 1830's, "Upon my arrival in the United States the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there, the more I perceived the great political consequences resulting from this new state of things. In France, I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions. But in America I found they were intimately united and that they reigned in common over the same country." (excerpt from "Democracy in America")  In this same book, he postulates, "Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."  So what was the secret of America's greatness?  A foundation established on the Christian principles of liberty, morality, and virtue.  As this foundation erodes, we see the cause of the shattered trust:  a government that has failed at every level to live up to the principles established at its' founding, and a media that is all too complicit in propping up the shattered shell of a government that no longer carries out it's duties the way in which they were intended.

What is the answer?  Certainly not in propping up these shattered hulks of the remnants of the Constitutional system of governance we have today, both at the state and federal levels.  The foundation has to be rebuilt first.  And that means to recapture the virtue and morality that once guided this great nation long ago under the banner of the Christian religion.  It does not mean becoming a theocracy, but it should be clear that when there are no standards any longer, we are engaged in a free-falling death spiral.  Think about it.  And think about what you can do to rebuild the foundation now lost.

ADDENDUM, May 8, 2020:  Yesterday, the case against Michael Flynn was dropped by the Dept. of Justice. Predictably, the very people who began this witch hunt were up in arms, while those on the other side hailed it as a great victory.  Also predictably, Fox reported on the contents of both the reasons for dismissal and the pages of released documents that contained many of the key players claiming they had no reason to believe in any Russian collusion, while CNN interviewed Andrew McCabe (rather than report on the reasons for dismissal and the content of the documents), who is not only portrayed in these documents as one of the liars-in-chief, but was then allowed to spin and lie about the contents of the documents in question.  

Good Friday Reflection

It is not a good Friday,  at least not from where we stand.  God's Son is crucified:  tortured, beaten, flogged, and then nailed to a cross.  The cross remains today the most barbaric, painful, and prolonged means of execution ever devised by humanity.  And this is what Jesus was willing to endure.  This is what God would endure:  not for Himself, but for us - his creation.

It is strange that we would call it "Good Friday."  Now without getting into all the theoretical reasons - word origins and such - it expresses a theological truth:  that we are not in charge, and we never were.  We believe ourselves to be, but the current pandemic ought to put that notion to rest once and for all time.  Throughout history, we have all succumbed to thinking thusly - that we were, in fact, in control of our destinies and of course sets the self up as our chief and number one idol.

But it is "Good" from the perspective of God.  It is Good from the human perspective, but ONLY as the human perspective thinks, reflects, and ponders on the divine.  It is Good because in it begins the culmination of God's Divine Plan, laid out for us in the pages of Scripture and being fulfilled in these 3 days, beginning with THIS day.  It is Good precisely because it vanquishes the real enemies of humanity:  sin, death, and the devil, and destroys their power over us for an eternity. 

Now we may want to know why in heaven or on earth God would choose to act in such a fashion?  It is for the very reasons listed above.  When every "religion" on the face of the earth holds to a position that humans can be "good enough" to save themselves ultimately, Christianity stands alone as the one religion in which we are powerless to save ourselves.  Therefore God does the act of saving on our behalf, which is fitting considering we are but God's handiwork and creation.  The problem with any religion that somehow thinks people can ultimately be good enough is in how that particular religion would define "good," which is often in not a very good way.  Sadly, this would sometimes include Christians as well, who forget that God alone saves us through this "Good" act on His part, and therefore they take on the notion that we must be Good enough to save ourselves.  And because we are all guilty of acting as our own "god," in thinking this way, God chose to act on our behalf, to prove that we were wrong.

We may never be able to answer that question in this lifetime, as to why God would choose to act in this way (at least outside of what I ponder above).  But isn't it enough to know that God "so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life?"  We may never be able to answer many of the questions we have about God, but may it be sufficient for us to know that despite our lack of understanding, God's love for us was extreme enough to bring about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and his triumph over death in rising again.

Maundy Thursday: A Reflection

Throughout Lent, we focused on the historical nature of the book of Exodus, with one primary intent:  to demonstrate that all of the events leading up to the Exodus itself, including the institution of the passover, were historically grounded so that when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper in celebrating it with his disciples, we could be assured that it wasn't just some fable from long ago, but factual reality.

For us, since our "service" on this Maundy Thursday commemoration has always been communion around a common table with the Lutheran potluck (one of the best meals a person can ever get - anywhere!), there was not much we could do to celebrate it since we cannot gather for either.

But that said, our lessons read today would be these:

Exodus 12:1-14 (the institution of the Passover as the 10th and final plague against Egypt unfolded)
Psalm 116:12-19
1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (the Words of Institution - for us)
Matthew 26:17-30 (the Lord's Supper)

It is perhaps a good time to review what we believe about this Sacrament of the church.  the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther succinctly tells us in the Small Catechism, that we believe in the real presence of Christ, as the bread and the wine are indeed "Jesus' body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins."

And when is a person rightly prepared to receive this Sacrament?  This body and blood?  This forgiveness of sins through His body and blood?  Once again, the answer is "a person is rightly prepared when they believe those words above, for the words 'for you' simply require a believing heart."

Now there will indeed come a time, sooner than later, to borrow a phrase from the late great announcer Harry Carey, "as sure as God made green apples," we will gather together again and receive this wonderful sacrament, gift, and grace of God.  And when we do, it will be a joyous time!  But until that time comes, let us reflect on this great gift of God:  "Jesus' own body and blood, given and shed - for you - for the forgiveness of sins."

Tonight we enter the "triduum," or 3 days which are the most holy days of the church year.  Tomorrow's service will indeed be a joint service to be broadcast at 7 pm, but stay tuned for how to access that broadcast, as it is a prerecorded video since we cannot gather together. 

A blessed Maundy Thursday to you all,


Pr Jeff

If I Were the Devil

(Author's Note - This is a transcript of a Paul Harvey Radio Broadcast from April 3, 1965.  Here we are, 55 years later, and it seems as though the Devil listened to him...  Posting here as a blog entry because of several instances over the last week where this broadcast was referenced)

"If I were the devil...If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of it’s real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee.

So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’ To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…’

And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the devil I’d soon have families that war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the devil I’d take from those who have, and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what do you bet? I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work, in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on TV is the way to be. And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure.

In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing on what he’s doing.

Paul Harvey, good day."

(First broadcast on the radio - April 3, 1965)