In a previous essay, “Invictus Veritas”, there was a reference to a world that has seemingly gone mad. We find ourselves in a place where words, relationships, and our institutions are being redefined. Marriage is no longer between a man and a women. You may be a man, but then again, maybe not. If you are a man, but think of yourself as a women, you can use the women’s rest room, or visa versa,—— most notably in California. You can even change your sexual identity with hormones, and eventually surgery. You can be White Caucasian, but be African American because that is how you think of yourself. You can even be head of the local NAACP and teach African American Studies as a minority at your local university!
As for words, we can change their meaning at our convenience. A majority in the Supreme Court has decided in King vs Burwell (Obamacare “state” subsidies), that a “State” exchange does not mean a “State”, but means “Federal” exchange. This, —— when it was obvious that the authors of the Affordable Care Act intended to force “States” to set up exchanges in order to receive “Federal” subsidies. Read about Antonin Scalia’s dissent here ——http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/25/scalia-scathing-scotuscare-dissent/. In another decision, a majority of the Justices redefined “marriage”, even though it is not mentioned in the Constitution. I guess the majority never heard of the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God”, as contextually referred to in the very first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. The Supreme Court as an institution has changed. It is now making “law” which is supposed to reside with the Congress. I could go on, but you get the picture.
To question any of this in today’s America is to be accused of “hate speech”, being bigoted, or judgmental. This tactic is called “jamming”. The “Thought Police” are out in force to silence dissent. The story of Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Christian Bakers in Oregon, is an example. Their business, Sweet Cakes, declined to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. They had baked other products for the couple, but declined to do a cake for the same sex wedding with the understanding that participation would be a violation of their faith and conscience. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has ordered the Klein’s to pay the couple $135,000 for “emotional” damages. On top of that, the Klein’s have been issued a “Gag Order”. (Reference: http://dailysignal.com/2015/07/06/sorry-slate-oregon-did-put-a-gag-order-on-those-christian-bakers/?) Forced participation in an activity that is a violation of one’s faith is state sponsored “coercion”! It is fascist in nature and is certainly not indicative of a free society. After all, the practicing of one’s faith is discriminating by its very nature. Faith is the filter by which we navigate life, and dictates our actions. To “discriminate” means the use of “good judgement”, or at least it did.
It is no wonder that many are confused. Society is saturated with mixed messages from “the world”. Much of the problem resides in cultural influences. In an “anything goes” environment, the lines between freedom, and license become blurred. In other words, freedom does not give me license to do anything and everything I want to do. Freedom is rooted in a people’s voluntary and disciplined adherence to a set of truths. How a people act and behave is dependent on a common set of values, codified in law, that we hold to be important to the social order. But what happens when those common values come under assault? Conflict arises requiring the imposition of one special interest group’s will and desires over another’s. The advent of special interest groups has given rise to special rights, as opposed to equal rights. The resulting “victim mentality” now brings us the “Thought Police” via the state, and forced compliance.
Christ admonished His followers to guard their thoughts. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) That “high place” Paul is referring to is the mind. Our thoughts translate into actions in our everyday life. The Kleins in Oregon understand this. They know that there will be no freedom unless they take this stand now. Those imposing the “Gag Order” also understand this, and is why they seek to silence them. There are multiple parts to the 1st Amendment. It states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances.” So ——, I ask you——, is this “Gag Order” lawful ——, or is it an unlawful act of the “Thought Police”? What say you?
