The Weaponization of Hate

 Controlling The Narrative

A deluge of books, news articles, and videos floods the marketplaces, the airways, and the internet daily, and each has a story. However, many of these stories are unsubstantiated rumors posted or published by news writers, influencers, satire writers, and those who have obtained numerous degrees whose intent Is to shape the public's mindset and amass followers. The overall purpose behind these chronicles is to control the narrative on a particle subject. Controlling the narrative is deciding what we should talk about and how we should talk about it. If the intent is to create an atmosphere of hate, the narrative must downplay the positive while amplifying the negative. Whether true or false, controlling the narrative creates euphoria for those thrust into the limelight by a collage of often irrelevant and insensitive words.

What is the narrative, and why is it important? It is an account of an event. It can be a spoken or written account of an event or related events, the narrated part or parts of a literary work, as distinct from dialogue, the practice or art of telling stories, or a representation of a particular situation or process in such a way as to reflect or conform to an overarching set of aims or values. Whether true or false, narratives play a crucial role in shaping how information is presented and perceived in news and other aspects of communication and storytelling.

Let's consider a not-so-typical news story. This news story supports the victim narrative.  “Black People Perceived as ‘Disabled’ Due to the Impact of Systemic Racism” – Radical Class Curriculum Ignited Debates About Racism.

A recent development at a major university has ignited debates about racism, as a class curriculum scheduled for the upcoming semester suggests that Black people can be perceived as “disabled” due to the impact of systemic racism.

The course in question gained credence because a noted professor who specializes in women, gender, and sexuality studies and has raised eyebrows for its incorporation of a well-known book has decided to teach the class.”

Now, let's consider a typical news story. “John Smith, a murderer who served fifteen years in prison, saved three children and their mother from drowning. Their mother had fallen asleep and crashed her car into Sonic River. While walking along the river edge,  John Smith, a homeless and unemployed laborer, saw the car crash into the water. According to John, Seeing the car crash into the water, without thinking of his safety, he sprung into action.”   

John Smith is the hero, but the storyteller tells us of a different person. The narrative gives us several unnecessary pieces of information.   John is a felon, homeless, and unemployed, yet he saves the life of four people. Based on the narrative without documentation, we can conclude John is of a minority culture; therefore, John is not in control of the narrative.

The art of controlling or shaping the narrative is a tool used to maintain power. Controlling the narrative can deprive others, especially races or cultures, of respect, social influence, and the ability to define reality.  Stories in the media shape our home and worldview, and we tend to let them do so uncritically. If the narrative is the most critical asset, who controls the narrative? Everybody is doing it — governments, businesses, and public figures. To hold power is synonymous with shaping and controlling the narrative as you see fit.

Controlling the narrative can be seen in large organizations with lots of power, such as governments, media, religious institutions, large corporations, and NGOs. The term NGO is used inconsistently and sometimes synonymously with civil society organization (CSO), any association founded by citizens. NGOs are nonprofit organizations in some countries, and political parties and trade unions are sometimes considered NGOs.

To control the narrative is to control how people think about you or a particular action or themselves. You don’t leave it up to them to form their own opinion. Instead, you interpret the facts for them. Regaining or retaining control of the narrative is one of the most essential tools in a narcissist’s toolbox. Controlling the narrative can be beneficial for the manipulator for many reasons. They can decide whether they are the hero deserving praise or the victim needing sympathy. 

Some cultures pride themselves on playing the role of the victim and go to great lengths to preserve the narrative. Maintaining the narrative of a victim can be a source of financial compensation. Any reference to slavery to be accepted must be in the negative. To say that enslaved people benefited from slavery is not acceptable because the accepted narrative does not support this conclusion. When discussing specific core issues, it is not a question of what is true or false; it is whether the narrative and the agenda support each other. This agreement is necessary to prevent any indication of disinformation. Disinformation is correct or incorrect information intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media:

Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which a person or group causes someone to question their sanity, memories, or perception of reality. People who experience gaslighting may feel confused, anxious, or unable to trust themselves. The term “gaslighting” comes from the name of a 1938 play and 1944 film, Gaslight, in which a husband manipulates his wife into thinking she has a mental illness. Gaslighting is a mind-manipulation tool and is particularly powerful in unequal relationships, especially regarding race, gender, and sexuality.

Controlling the narrative also means influencing or manipulating public opinion or perception by controlling the information presented.

The Weaponization of Hate

The War Against God

Part !! 

Science has continued to provide the necessary evidence to deny a supernatural God's existence.  It is for that reason Paul ended his first letter to Timothy with these words of warning: “O Timothy, keep that [Faith] which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and the oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20–21, KJV).   Even in Paul’s day, science was causing people to lose faith.

From my early school days, Darwin and his Theory of Evolution challenged God's creative work. While Darwin’s ideas initially challenged long-held scientific and religious belief systems, opposition to much of Darwin’s thinking among the scientific communities of the English-speaking world essentially collapsed in the decades following the publication of On the Origin of Species. Yet evolution continued to be vigorously rejected by British and American churches because, religious leaders publicly argued, the theory directly contradicted the Word of God and many of the core teachings of the Christian faith.

Many agree that the teaching of Science was representative in the Garden of Eve as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God cautioned Adam and Eve to refrain from partaking in the fruit and relying on the knowledge he gave them.

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.” The Big Bang Theory is a new-age explanation of how the universe began. It came with the exploration of space. It says the universe as we know it started with an infinitely hot and dense single point that inflated and stretched — first at unimaginable speeds and then at a more measurable rate — over the next 13.7 billion years to the still-expanding cosmos that we know today. 

These and other theories seek to explain the creation and how the universe began.  These theories rely upon the world's knowledge, good and evil.  God warned Adam of it when he warned him not to partake of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  In preparation for his next war, the Devil informed Eve that she would become like God if she partook of the tree's fruit.  The cumulative effect of humanity's thirst for knowledge has enabled God's creation to challenge the throne of God.

In this age of wokeness and political correctness, it is not inconceivable that humanity would have the audacity to cast aside their belief in the Bible and declare war on the Word of God. The insolent charlatan priests practicing their quackery and confidence tricks to obtain money, power, fame, and other advantages through pretense or deception assured the masses that a war with God was unthinkable and impossible.  Their reason is that God is a God of love, and regardless of how we turn away from Him, he will never turn his back on us.  

There is a non-sanction war going on. What I mean by that phrase is there is a war against God, but no one has openly declared this war because to do so is to admit God exists.  This war is not between two countries trying to solve their petty grievous.  It is not about cultural differences or social justice. It is a war that pits man’s order against God’s order. The thought of a war against God does not appeal to the masses because our subconscious teaches us that a war against God will not end well.

Science has created a level of deniability; the world can speculate what it would be like without God.  World leaders search for solutions for overpopulation, crime, and climate change, to no avail. Our once-prosperous cities and communities are becoming crime-ridden, and hope and common sense are fading.

In 2^nd Chronicles 7:14, The Lord spoke unto the prophet and said, “ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” This verse, which many have been quoting without context and sharing on social media since the pandemic, has become the anchor of the faithful.  Prayer warriors have taken to the street, imploring God to move mightily.    Too often, we wonder,” Did God hear my prayer?”

In the Old Testament, God made many promises to the children of Israel. There is an unspoken truth; those promises do not apply to the New Testament Church.  Too many of God’s people are standing by, waiting for God to part the Red Sea, and we are about to get overrun by Pharoh’s army.  

There is no more powerful message than to speak of how God is moving.  It is akin to the message of the Emperor’s new clothes.  When I look out over the landscape, I see God's silence. When the heat wave parches the land, the thunder roll, and the lightning flashing, I can feel the anger of God, but to me, God is silent.  If God was silent between the law and the dispensation of grace for at least four hundred years, then maybe we should respect his silence.  

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were encouraged to stand still and see the salvation of God. In the New Testament, Paul stated, “Put on the whole armor of God,” a phrase from the Bible found in Ephesians 6:11-18. The phrase is a metaphor for Christians' spiritual warfare and protection as they fight against evil. The armor of God includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. Christians today demand that God solve our problems, and it seems he fails to act.  In the eyes of the world, we are shaming the God of our salvation. Under the dispensation of the Law, God’s justice would have prevailed, and the fear of God would have healed the land.

Now I have used the word “dispensations,” which creates confusion for some. The number of dispensations in the Bible varies according to different theologians, but usually, seven are the accepted number. These are Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and Kingdom. Some will disagree and spend wasted moments debating the issue.   When Christians argue with other Christians, the Word of God suffers. Churches have split because they could not agree if there were three, five, or seven.  Confusion is a tactic of war. Winning the battle is easy if the enemy can get the collation [church] members arguing.   

My focus is not on the number of dispositions, whether seven, five, or three are even none, but on how and when God punishes those who sin against him.  In the ancient days, in the Old Testament, we know God’s judgment against sin was swift. In the New Testament, we learned that judgment will occur when Christ returns.  Because of this anomaly, I use the dispensations of Law and Grace to separate how God deals with his creation.  Because God seemly no longer reacts violently to sin, the fear of God has diminished, and God’s order has been declared irrelevant.

Declaring God's everlasting order irrelevant through works or deeds, in his house, in his creation is disrespectful; it is an act of war.  This declaration creates confusion within the world and the household of faith.  

The Weaponization of Hate

A War Against God.

Part 1

"We have forsaken our God for baubles and chosen the path of hate. Now the eve of destruction is upon us, and we have no hope for tomorrow, for we have cast aside our God and are staring into the abyss."

The greatest weapon employed by the Devil is the “Confusion of Christianity.” This weapon is of the Devil, but Christians engage it from within. This confusion erodes the weak's faith from within, leaving those standing on the outside bewildered. That being said, for consideration, I submit the number of dispensations in the Bible varies according to different theologians, but usually, seven are the accepted number. These are Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and Kingdom. Some will disagree with that statement and spend wasted moments debating the issue.   When Christians argue with other Christians, the Word of God suffers.  My focus is not on whether seven, five, or three are even none but on how and when God punishes those who sin against him.  We know that God’s judgment against sin was swift in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, judgment will take place when Christ returns.  Because of this anomaly, we use the dispensations of Law and Grace to separate how God deals with his creation.  Because God seemly no longer reacts violently to sin, the fear of God has diminished, and God’s order has been declared irrelevant.

Who has counted the cost and instituted plans for war with God's order? What nation has accepted the role of leadership and dared to declare God irrelevant in modern-day society? What race, what culture has taken the lead in debasing themselves, their country, and the will of God? Some will consider these questions foolish, rhetorical, or even racist, but whether you believe in God or not, this is a declaration of war with God. A war with God does not end well.

With all the knowledge and examples available to humanity, Christian theologians, minority cultures, and groups that once existed on the fringes of society have decided to go to war against God, not a face-to-face confrontation but a fight to change the Word of God. That old Satan has learned that the perfect war is not to attack God but to change or reinterpret God's words. The use of the phrase reinterpretation of the Bible carries a bad connotation. It usually means dissatisfaction with the accepted interpretation, and someone is seeking to change the meaning of the scripture.  Some will argue that God’s word will never change because the Bible validates that his word will stand forever. 

At first, it was adapting the scripture to a native language, but good intentions opened the door of abuse.  Now we are adapting the Word of God to accommodate different lifestyles, even defining the color of a supernatural God. If we can change the Word of God, can the God of old still exist?

The Bible has provided a recorded history of God's involvement with his creation.   From the day of conception, The Word of God was a thorn in the side of those seeking control and power.  This desire for control was not limited to politicians and worldly leaders. It manifested itself in the churches also.  For this reason, many attempted to rewrite or even destroy the Bible.  Leaders sought ways to shred the image of a God in control of the universe, a God that demanded total obedience from his subjects. 

The Bible has significantly impacted our court systems, schools, and home and has existed as a protected book in most Western cultures.  There was a time when taking a stand against the Bible would lead to condemnation, banishment, and even execution.

We can trace the origin of the war against the Bible in the United States back to the early days of the public school movement when socialists, atheists, and other fringe groups vehemently rejected the God-centered worldview of the Founding Fathers and sought to secularize education and substitute salvation through scientific education than by redemption through Christ, proclaiming that humanity was in control of its destiny.

However, it wasn’t until the turn of the last century and the rise of the progressive education movement that the war on God in many developed nations took on the militancy that characterizes it today. The progressives were primarily members of the Protestant academic elite and gullible depressed groups who no longer believed in the religion of their fathers and transferred their faith to science, evolution, and psychology. 

The scientific method provided the means to acquire complete knowledge of the material world, evolution explained the origin of life and man, and psychology provided the scientific standards for studying man’s nature and programming his behavior. In the progressive scheme of things, there was no need for a supernatural religion.

With the providential gate now open, depressed groups who felt forsaken by God and the country were quick to join the march to freedom from a religion they considered depressive and irrelevant.  Leading the parade were those who had become dissatisfied with the presentation of Christ.

Several things had to take place for the war against God to proceed. Because of America's position and arrogance, she had to prove to the world that she was a color-blind society, and the church had to accept God as a God of love and not a God of vengeance.  No longer would the churches embrace hate messages, and God’s anger would be tempered with love. The final act was when the president's subsequent call to arms was for those dissatisfied with the power of the police. 

Early in the 21st century, the progressives embarked on a mission to change America from a capitalist, individualistic, and believing society into a socialist, collectivist, atheist, or humanist society. They were motivated by the need to prove God's nonexistence or irrelevance and deal with the age-old problem of evil.   What was it, what caused it, and how humanity could eliminate it became a subject of academic speculation.

A proxy war is an armed conflict between two states or non-state actors, one or both acting at the instigation or on behalf of other parties not directly involved in the hostilities. For a conflict to be considered a proxy war, there must be a direct, long-term relationship between external actors and the belligerents.  The previous relationship usually involves funding, training, arms, or other forms of material assistance which assist a belligerent party in sustaining its war effort.

The primary purpose of a proxy war is to avoid direct conflict and its consequences for the two main sides. However, this may not always be effective or beneficial. For example, the United States supports worldwide groups under the banner of BLM and LGBT+, fighting for culture and gender equality. 

When the president of the United States of America went on national television and declared that America was not a Christian Nation, the blowback was minimal.  The speaker of these words identified himself as Afro-American. Leaders, vocal pundits, and even preachers scrambled to justify his remarks.     Those shocked at his comments became a part of the silent majority. 

One of the significant factors that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire was the rise of the new religion, Christianity. One would think that the rise of Christianity would have ensured the prolonged existence of the Empire because they were aligning their values with the one God concept, but this was not the case.

The monotheistic Christian religion ran counter to the traditional Roman belief, which was polytheistic (many gods). Therefore, at different times, the Romans persecuted the Christians.  As a side note, The persecution of   Christians was a favorite pastime.

to be continued

Suicide, the elephant in the room

Suicide, The Elephant in The Room

When confronted with or discussing the act of suicide the elephant in the room metaphor comes into play.   We know it exists but in a state of denial we concede our power to confront it and control it.  Scripted responses often fill the need for a response.  An announcement on medical phone answering machines and ads running in the media says, "If you are considering suicide, call this number.  We sit back with a self-serving smugness, fooling ourselves into believing that we are doing all we can to solve a society-created problem.  Once the news of suicide reaches our domain, we flood social media outlets with worthless platitudes hoping to soothe our scared but jaded physic.  We spend many moments trying to wrap our minds around the unanswered question, "What could drive a person of their standing or a child of that age to commit such an act." The answer seems to escape us, or is it because we are not prepared to accept the answer?

Depression is an entity that society, the church, and many families pretend not to notice.  It plays an important role in suicide.  If we do not recognize it or if we just pray, the consensus of the religious is, it will go away.  This ideology has left the door open for many to go ahead and commit suicide.  Today, preachers and so-call successful people are committing suicide. Many are surprised to learn that a person who seemed to be so successful and appeared to have everything anyone could ever want in life would ever feel so down, depressed, and/or worthless as to consider suicide as the only option.  Again, the question is, what is it that keeps any of us from committing suicide?   Until we can truly answer that question we cannot prevent it.

When I began preparation for my book, ‘The Weaponization of Hate”, I engaged a learned expert in a detailed discussion on suicides.  I was not interested in learning the meaning or history of suicide.  With all of the help that is supposed to be available the question was why is suicide on the increase? Suicide, like so many other things in life, the more we study from an academic perspective the less we know.  His years of education coupled with his position in the veteran healthcare care programs allowed him to develop what I refer to as a “god complex. “ He showed his disdain at being questioned by the likes of me on a subject that he was considered to be an expert on.  My interest was lost the moment he began explaining that suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's death.   I would be hard-pressed to visualize a person not knowing what suicide was.  There is an elephant in the room that no one seems to want to address.  I resigned myself to the adage that much is often spoken but very little said.

When I received a cancer diagnosis some years ago, it took me to a place that I would have not believed existed.  If you have not been there then you will not know what I am talking about, you can only imagine and the depth of your imagination will be flawed.  Try to imagine a place where all hopes, aspirations, and expectations suddenly vanished and darkness overshadows you.  Even this does not adequately describe your situation, because mere words cannot describe your predicament.  At the end of the day, I found myself staring into the abyss and the abyss was staring back at me.  After reviewing the treatment plan, and the prognosis, I placed all of my options on the proverbial table.    Suicide once again became a viable option.  

What is the abyss, and what is its unique relationship to the suffering of humanity?   The word has a mysterious sound, almost like a sigh of despair.  Yet, the abyss is not what it is; it is what it represents. 

The abyss is an unfathomably deep or boundless place in the English Bible.  Abyss is a transliteration of the  Greek word abyssos [a [busso"] (RSV "bottomless pit").  The term comes from the Greek ἄβυσσος, meaning bottomless, unfathomable, boundless.  

It would be unnerving if I used those three adjectives to describe the human mental condition.  In Psalm 71:20, "the depths of the earth" are spoken of in a manner almost signifying death (however, it probably means no more than the depths of one's troubles on earth).   Yet, the Bible teaches it is a place.  "They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue, he hath the name Apollyon" (Revelation 9:11) (ASV)

The abyss represents the depth of one's troubles here on earth.  Its existence is both natural and supernatural, and it is transformational.  It serves as the depository of our past mistakes and our fears, a place where hope has vanished.  If we stare into the abyss, we can see what we want to see, which is merely a picture hiding what lies beneath.  The chance of being drawn in where escape is usually futile is always a risk.   

In some societies, there is a religious connotation that makes these acts distasteful, while in some societies to save face, suicide once was an honorable means of departure.   A belief in the almighty deity is that barrier that prevents us from indiscriminately killing others and ourselves.  The truth of this statement is not based upon our acceptance.  Tampering with the laws that once sustained us will open pandora’s box, suicide, murder, and other vices will become the norm.   

When a person of notable fame or status commits suicide the media has a field day reporting the facts mixed with speculations over and over again.    Recently, while the media was salivating over the suicide of a young actor/dancer, a woman open fire on two armed law officers, in the events that followed the lady was killed along with both officers.  It was first and falsely reported that she had taken her own life.  Regardless, the unanswered question is did she intentionally create a situation that would cause her life to be taken?  Was this an unreported form of suicide known as, “Suicide by Cops?”  

The Elephant in the room is a metaphor used to simplify a critical stage in the development and survival of humanity.  When a notable person commits suicide there is a rush to find an answer as to how this could be prevented.  According to the World Health  Organization,  suicides are preventable.  Yet by their admission, more than 700 000 die each year due to suicide.   At the end of the day, nothing is said or done that will prevent the next suicide.  Now we should ask the question, Why? Here are some of the key facts listed by the World Health Organization:

• For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population.
• Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds.
• 77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Ingestion of pesticides, hanging, and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally.

 

Nowhere in the elucidations does this or any other organization address the root cause of this malady and America and other countries are making it hard to address the problem from a root cause perspective.

My goal here is not to convince you with thorough exegesis that all other opinions or reactions are wrong, but rather to provide another perspective that harmonizes what Scripture says. I ask you this question, could the rise in incidents of suicide be caused by the decline in the belief in the scripture? 

Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.

Revelation 20:2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief time.