Saturday, February 4, 2023

DEFUNDING MENTAL HEALTH IN PORTLAND


 Becoming Real about our Psychiatric Community 



Being a real psych-nurse.... required BECOMING REAL about all the effects of mental illness 


In November of 2017, I was working on Thanksgiving day in the ED at Unity Center in Portland, Oregon, talking with anguished parents about our seemingly futile efforts to help their loved one. At the time, I was deeply saddened with our inability to do more for their son and sympathetic with their frustrations. A frustration I have recently experienced first hand with our foster son.

Unity was a joint venture where Portland's four largest psychiatric hospitals closed and reopened as the consolidated, "Unity Center," with a special added emphasis on, "Emergency Stabilization," and community support.  

At that time I had 22 years of floor and charge nurse experience and was excited to work in the new, "Psychiatric Emergency Room," where expectations for a quicker recovery and earlier discharge became a frequent, but often unrealistic hope. 

In REAL psych-nursing the best we can usually provide are islands of relief in a troubled sea of changing symptoms. My task was to prepare them for success on this very difficult journey. 

As a nurse, BEING REAL was about truly being there with them. Often in their pain and their loss, but also in helping them to recognize their victories.

The video clip below is this type of story.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4cC1SwFWxU

Titled: A Mother's Story...

This is the story of  Kaye Warren's family as they share about the loss of one of their sons to mental illness.

In response, she and her husband Rick have committed themselves to making the problem of MENTAL ILLNESS REAL in the churches and communities across America....

So, why all this talk about being REAL? 

It is important because it is the process that allows us to take the pain of others without damaging ourselves. It is simple enough for a child to understand, and as old as the hills. The conversation below is from a book that I read to my children on the topic when they were very young. It is titled, "The Velveteen Rabbit." 

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. 
"It's a thing that happens to you....

"Does it hurt?" asked the Velveteen Rabbit .....

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become." It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept......" 

Photo and quote source, Margery Williams' 1922 children's classic, The Velveteen Rabbit,

Today I am still hoping and praying that the Warrens will be  successful in helping people to become REAL ENOUGH TO STAND WITH AND SUPPORT their neighbors, their peers and our families.

The video below is of a Sermon on the topic...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W52-H5-6qW8

It is the only sermon I have ever given in front of a congregation. I gave it after I returned from the Conference on Mental Health hosted by the Warrens with approximately 10,000 healthcare and pastoral worker attendees. Speakers included Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murphy and many, many others. They and their congregation organized and sponsored it at the Saddle-back Church campus in CA.

But all of this was from years ago... What about now?

Very recently  KGW News broadcast a story about TODAY'S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS and Portland's inability  to keep mental health workers. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqdqSyB4-4k

What's keeping workers from going into the mental health care field?


This broadcast discusses outpatient care at the community level. It presents some very good ideas that include, "peer support," and apprenticeship approaches and alludes to low starting salaries, (at around $40k) with the assumption that funding alone is the primary problem. But it did not mention how outpatient mental health worker pay scale and demand is influenced by hospital pay scales. With outpatient workers pay being lower. 

It also does not mention the critical shortages of mental health workers in our local hospital. Shortages due to the significant pay cuts and the exodus of workers since the hospital consolidation into the Legacy controlled Unity Center. 

Let me explain. With the consolidation of the city's four major Mental Health Hospitals into the Unity Center, overseen by the Legacy Hospital System, a vast number of Behavioral Health Therapists, (BHT) were demoted to the lower pay status of  a Behavioral Health Associate (BHA).  

This was not based on seniority or demonstrated ability, but solely on past educational achievement. In addition the employees of the more conservative Adventist's Medical Center and the more conservative workers from the other three hospitals were often criticized, or even ostracized for their conservative views or even lack of enthusiasm for advancing progressive social change. The failure of Unity to create respectful appreciation and compromise, created a culture shock for many on both sides. 

Consider, the mission statement (at that time) from AMC. 

"To demonstrate in human form the healing ministry of Jesus Christ." 

It recently was changed to... 

"Showing God's love through excellent service in patient care."

And Legacy's 

"Our mission is good health for our people, our patients, our communities and our world. Above all, we will do the right thing." 

It seemed that at Legacy, "doing the right thing," meant, If you are not excited about doing the "right,  (progressive) thing." You should  be pushed out.

Legacy's rejection and devaluation of the workers that held more conservative values resulted in many being fired, mostly by having their positions eliminated. Many quitting and many others retiring early like me. All making it easier to replace them with workers at beginner pay scale.

And so today we have a very significant shortage accompanied by low wages due to pay cuts as most BHTs were replaced with lower paid BHAs.   

As for increasing mental health demand; the pernicious effects of substance abuse and addiction destroy mental health stability causing demand to explode!  

With the recent decriminalization of possessing and selling small amounts of (formerly illegal) drugs, we have made well over 90% of the drug transactions that occur on our streets either legal, or only a  misdemeanor. With our passively open border, (to Cartel activity),  drug supply is more abundant than ever, and virtually legal. 

Today, the incentives that made quitting use, like lack of supply, incarceration, negative social consequences, drug courts and even many recovery options have been removed. Theoretically voluntary counseling will solve this problem if we fund it sufficiently. But I find this very unlikely as I see no mechanism to create motivation for change. For many caught in addiction, even watching those around them die from overdosing has little to no deterrent effect. Since using is no longer interrupted by the negative circumstances we have eliminated, it is unlikely that it will be interrupted by anything but overdose and death. Sadly, in my opinion, the more likely outcome of throwing more money into counseling, will be very well paid, but very ineffective therapists. 

I review the severity of these problems and homelessness in my post link at the bottom of this page.


Pondering Homelessness and Community 


Where a permanent tiny house village is destroyed, and a public relations, Police Officer is interviewed and talks about the problems he sees with what I have described above. 
Click the link below to see the blog. 

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Monday, January 16, 2023

Pondering Homelessness and Community

Pondering Homelessness and Community 

For decades my family hosted a community Christmas Party. Our house was very large and ideal for hosting. 

Attendees at our party included a blind internet talk show host who banged amazing jazz rhythms out of our piano, an international business owner, many stay at home and single mom's, their husbands and children along with several residents of a tiny house village. 

Today I am writing about the last group. At that time they lived in garden shed cabins on the large lot directly behind ours. At one point when their water was cut off, we provided a hose from our garden area. The City was unhappy and wrote us a threatening letter, but we recognized their need for water. That was the summer of 2009. It was a very hot summer and our neighbor Rick had kidney disease.

You see, the landowner and leader of the group had failed to meet city regulations for community housing standards and resisted demands for building code compliance. Eventually after many court hearings all that was on his property was removed.

Today the neighborhood appears to have improved (by superficial standards), as a nice new home now stands where the village was. But for the people that lived in the village life has worsened greatly. Most are living in parked vehicles, possibly in a neighborhood near you. There have been numerous trips to the hospital for frostbite, kidney malfunction and pneumonia and one has died.     

I chose to write after recently seeing the article at this link.
 https://www.columbian.com/news/2022/dec/16/decriminalization-of-drug-possession-leaves-officers-in-clark-county-on-sidelines/

If you follow my posts, you will recognize the officer, whom I hold in very high regard. You can hear him speaking in the second video below. He was much more hopeful then. Even in spite of the circumstance. 

(Picture from article)
From the article, at the link above...

Decriminalization of drug possession leaves officers in Clark County on sidelines....Vancouver neighborhood police officer Tyler Chavers has watched fentanyl take over the city’s streets in the past two years...

Something I and my neighbor didn't see at his tiny house village before police defunding and decriminalizing most gateway and hard drug activity.

During the demolition, I was very impressed with our police, including officer Chavers, and the respect and self control they showed while enforcing the court order to clear my neighbors property.

In my eyes, it was a very sad situation since my neighbor had successfully created and sustained a house/shed village on his 2.5 acre lot for decades. Although substandard in many ways, the sheds were permanent, warm, dry and shared needed bathrooms and a kitchen.

As landlord, he demanded a standard of behaviors that seemed to minimize impact on the neighbors and still allowed gainful activity to tenants. Several actively recycled bottles and cans. One repaired bicycles and small engines, and others worked at odd jobs. It operated much like the Re-Store in N Portland.

Drug culture seemed low key or absent, and I was not aware of any reports of the kind of car traffic or chaos that comes with drug sales or prostitution, the most common ways of funding drug use among our poor. Once the police did come over a domestic dispute.

But their collection of building materials for recycling was abnormally large and unusual for our neighborhood, as was his 2.5 acre lot located at the end of a dead end street.

He fought the city for about 20 years before being shut down. He eventually agreed to have the City buy his property. 

(Hear his perspective in the videos below.)

CREATING HOMELESSNESS (part 1) 
A NOT SO BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

and...


CREATING HOMELESSNESS (part 2) 
Destruction and Hopes for Collaboration

In the videos you will hear some explosions. I am not sure what caused them. Perhaps he was trying to feel powerful. I know that he felt he had provided something of value and was angry that it was being discarded. Fortunately, his destructive actions were in harmony with the goals and requirements of the situation.

In an unfortunate contrast; Today, we have a much greater tragedy occurring with our nation wide explosion of both StreetSide Homelessness and, "legalized," Drug Dealing.

I say legalized because today, as many as 98% of the drug transactions that occur are considered either "legal," or merely a misdemeanor, even as the deadly supply mushrooms thanks to our current tolerance of the Cartel fed distribution network.

Instead of incentivizing creative self reliance, in our vulnerable communities, we have incentivized, an explosion of dealer and trafficker profits along with the mass deaths, community suffering and human enslavement that comes with it.

But this is not just happening to strangers, or even neighbors. Currently it has captured the lives of two of our former foster children. 

In September 2022 we drove 27 hours one way cross country to offer needed resources and encourage recovery support, just four days after one had been Nar-caned along with a co-user who died. And just days before Christmas another was admitted to Legacy Salmon Creek ED for stabilization after having multiple drug related seizures and then, declared stable enough to be discharged, and so I was called, but they were still so high on either meth or mushrooms that they didn't even understand that I was there to pick them up. They just wandered off while talking to invisible people. I waited for some time and eventually called the police because I was afraid, they would be hit by a car.

Both the hospital and the police could do nothing according to our new community standards. 

This seeming gentleness is not kindness or even tolerance. It borders on murderous disregard masquerading in a costume of progressive virtue. 

If you marched to defund the police and are backing the decriminalization (that promotes) these criminal behaviors. What are you thinking? Shame on you!

The deaths and destruction they are causing is a result of these very actions and it is happening in each of our neighborhoods.

In the future consider the historical and social context. Movements rarely act responsibly. It took decades to create and adapt the systems we so carelessly destroyed. Keeping police training current, and effective actually requires additional investment. Defunding is an insane approach. 

Currently I am grateful for the many church volunteer and city planned efforts that our mayor (in Vancouver WA) has taken to address these problems. Chief among them, Living Hope and Exchange Churches.

Actions surprisingly similar to many of the things my neighbor was doing.

If you are caught in a cycle of addiction, please realize that this is not an effort to attack. I am here to talk about having a healthy community and encourage you to consider the testimony in this link. https://www.driveoutaddiction.com/testimonials
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Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Rejecting Mob Think:

Rejecting the mob mentality:
Both in the streets 
And in the media. 

When viewing the ongoing primetime January 6th Trial, it is plain that this MADE-4-TV-DOCUDRAMA is a substandard effort at best.

The timing of the events in the audio don't even match the events in the videos! Great for drama, but frequently utterly dishonest!

How can our government officials ignore their oaths of office to promote such blatant propaganda? 

Considering the repeated and, "unprosecuted normalization," of destruction and lawless rioting in the name of BLM where at least 26 died; where Biden passively condoned and Harris aggressively encouraged it's ongoing repetition. The same riots that resulted in declines in police presence and nixed criminal prosecutions to bring a skyrocketing of property crimes, assaults and deaths in our cities. And now Trump is the one being prosecuted! This is...
 
 ABSOLUTE HYPOCRICY! 

Granted, a (single) January 6th event did occur! And it was violent! And destructive! (Even though Trump verbally discouraged acts of violence and destruction.) But to air this trial, while failing to even address and prosecute the BLM parallel is...

ABSOLUTE HYPOCRICY!

Perhaps Trump could be tried for, "Seeming to inspire," or, "Not  discouraging enough," or even for, "Talking too brashly." on that day.  

But it is more likely he is being tried for his contempt for what he called, "the swamp." Yet, regardless of his personal statements and beliefs, at the appointed time, he left his office and yielded his power to his opponent according to election guidelines. That doesn't appear to be criminal.

But this current abuse of power, (highlighted by this trial), makes all of his seeming exaggerations, overstatements and grandiose claims much, much easier to accept! It seems that they are now being fully validated!

Consider and compare his statements from the 2016 election:

ABC News    Trump: Election is 'Rigged'
10,949 views Oct 17, 2016  (length 3 min) 

Note: Is he saying, "The election (itself) is rigged," -or- Is he expressing his apprehension that - "(It) is rigged," (the election outcome) because of the inaccurate, falsely framed, and blatantly biased news coverage done during the campaign?

When we consider his apprehensive feelings about the 2016 election. The election that he clearly won, it becomes clear that much of his jabber is a result of his apprehension. Is this what he should be tried for? His opponent also expressed apprehension in claiming that the election was compromised by Russian collusion. Should she be tried as well?

This all makes me wonder... How stupid do they think we are, and where can we go to find the rest of the story today? Personally I follow many international sources and compare them with our US narratives.

But how can we continue to re-elect such self-righteous abusers of power!

Answer... Through the shallowness and laziness of group think.
For democracy to work active voters need to understand both sides of the issues they vote on. Blind group voting is little more that ballot stuffing.

Although incredible damage is often done on the short term through deceptions like this trial. They rarely stand the test of time.

It wasn't even that long ago that impeachment was the goal... Which only gave Trump more credibility by validating his claims. (consider the article below titled)

"The impeachment articles are a vindication for Trump"


click link below for article
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/12/impeachment-articles-are-major-retreat-democrats/

We have to reject mob action. Whether it be in the streets, or a feeding frenzy on the media. We need to return to a (balance of powers) for our system to work again.

If we don't we are likely to destroy our system completely.

Consider the suffering we are inflicting on our most vulnerable with our false compassion and virtue signaling. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAbF2bKo2Fs

DENVER IN DECAY / DOCUMENTARY FILM
423,360 views Sep 17, 2020 (length 50 min)                       Mountain Time Media  3.01K subscribers


We have exchanged the helping power of opportunity with the crippling chains of increased dependency.  Rather than creating opportunity our leaders have normalized a growing culture of dependent criminality and in doing so, they become enriched themselves at the expense of the honest responsible citizens that are being victimized. Also consider...

Seattle is Dying | A KOMO News Documentary
12,434,588 views    Mar 19, 2019   (length 60 min)


If a trial is to be done, the leaders of this movement should be the first defendants and the sentences should be permanent.   

And like Trump... This trial needs to be done at the voting box. 

It's time to wake up and question your assumptions. To open your eyes and see the failures in font of you, To ask the hard questions about personal responsibility and accountability. So be sure you understand both sides of what you are voting for and then vote wisely.  
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Friday, May 27, 2022

Lethal Media



And yes... Both devices can be very, very dangerous.

Hey Parents... Your influence over media access to our youth is critical... Did you know that the July 4rth shooter, "Awake," the rapper was posting since age 11 and paid over $100,000 in royalties for the attention created by his online presence. Who are your kids listening to? Consider....


Highland Park parade shooting: What we know about person of interest social media influence.

See full story in link below.

https://nypost.com/2022/07/04/highland-park-parade-shooting-suspect-robert-crimos-disturbing-social-media/

Is our addiction to media killing our youth?
Does the power to captivate mass attention create peril?
Does the intensity of our outrage guarantee reoccurrence?
And our divisive political actions progress at the expense of each victim?

There are many ways to create terror. Look across the globe.
But when someone who is experiencing mental or emotional torment looses connection, structure and boundaries their outrage can create an explosion of loss.

But you can do something. This, "Fast and Furious," event was stopped! Consider these who were arrested before a parallel July 4th mass shooting could occur. Consider the video clip below.





Two men arrested in July 4th mass shooting plot, police say
See story details at link below
If you or someone you know has reoccurring thoughts of doing harm, go with them to your local Emergency Department or call the police if this is unsafe. If that person is you, you should go now. If you are in a crisis go to your local hospital emergency now! Someone will be there to talk with you. And if you find yourself struggling with resentments, depression or reoccurring anger or addictions, attending a local support group like Celebrate Recovery can be a real option. 
 
When someone becomes tormented and looses their sense of  human connection, supportive correcting action is important! When they cannot tolerate personal boundaries or the social structures, like home, job, or school, the sense of isolation and outrage can destroy them and many others. Consider the following videos, and when you do, consider who noticed what, and which device was misused first and probably led to obtaining the other on this terrible pathway toward destruction. 



My son was a Columbine shooter. 
This is my story TED MED 
Feb 2, 2017 (length 15.5 min)



Former Columbine student reflects on killers' red flags
Rocky Mountain PBS 63.9K subscribers
 Apr 22, 2019 (length 9 min)

Again, If you or someone you know has reoccurring thoughts of doing harm, go with them to your local Emergency Department or call the police if this is unsafe. And if you find yourself struggling with resentments, depression or anger attending a local support group like Celebrate Recovery is a real option. 

There are a variety of Recovery groups. Most are held in church buildings. Call your local churches, or look online for their websites. 

The link below explains 
Why and How Support Group Recovery can be effective.
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Friday, May 20, 2022

A Modern Day Constantine? Or...

Putin and the Church Across Ukraine and Russia



   Cossacks Erect Bust Of Putin As A Roman Emperor... 
From (Radio Free Europe) see article at:

With the 2014 un-negotiated and mostly ignored-by-the-West annexation of Crimea from Ukraine that took 15,000 Ukrainian and countless Russian Separatists lives... The cloak and dagger victory was fully celebrated and according to these Cossacks, an Emperor figure arose. 


But is Putin truly an emperor molded in the likeness of Emperor Constantine, who broke tradition to establish Christian teaching and culture across his domain?

Has there been a, "Fundamental Change," in Russia, even greater than the, "Fundamental Changes, "that President Obama brought to America?

Has Russian Governmental control and intrusion into individual private life drastically decreased as is described by the Russian Religious Television broadcaster in the second video below?

Do Putin's values truly match those held by the members of the Orthodox Russian Church which represents roughly 70% of the Russian population, and if so why... 

Here is a little recent history


Here's why the Russian Orthodox Church is deeply connected to  Putin (due to protecting Holy sites) in the Syrian War  Apr 21, 2019  (length 4min)

And finally, Could the assumption of being destined to win due to presumed allegiance to, "Orthodox Truth and Righteousness,"  have caused their military to wrongly assume an easy victory in their attempts at, "Reuniting the Russian Empire?" 

How is their act of, "being on the right side of Russian history," going?

consider...




War in Ukraine: The Battle for the Church
Book Of James 467 views 2.05K subscribers
Mar 26, 2022 (length 10min)

According to the video, even after Ukrainian Orthodox leadership became divided, the Priests of both Ukrainian branches including 300 Russian Orthodox Priests united in offering support, shelter, assistance and even returning of the bodies of invading soldiers along with their condemnation of the Russian invasion. Orthodoxy also remains consistent in promoting, Traditional Christian family and cultural values, and although most are less militaristic than the Cossacks in the video below. Those pushing for military action report doing so to resist a return to godless Secular  Humanism. 

Today, both branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, and Orthodoxy as a whole resist these, "Progressive Changes," that Secular  Humanism has brought to the west. They see it as cultural decline. 
  


Russia's rise in conservative family values | Unreported World
1,143,122 views Oct 4, 2017 (length 25min)

These fears were recently 
 escalated by Joe and Nancy in Joe's,
 "Battle for the very soul of America."


See full PBS Original Video at: 

and Nancy's Prayer 

Speaker Pelosi Appears on Episode 5 of RuPaul’s
Drag Race All Stars Season 7 # Nancy Pelosi shorts 
(and the original, from the show at link below)
(Stating, "That's what America is all about")

These are the very kind of careless acts that prove useful for Anti-Western propaganda. They intensify the perceived crisis by validating the very cultural fears which strengthen Putin's hold. 

But these occurrences are not new, they have been promoted on a global scale with little regard for consequence even during times of uprising and terrorism. Again, when we look back to 2014 we see top US officials speaking out about inciting backlashes and terror through our careless and provocative advancement of "Progressive," Policies"...


State Ambassador warned of backlashes over what
Islamic populations described as, "cultural terrorism."


Senior State Department Deputy Ambassador Richard Hoagland warned his audience at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 2014 about the cost of aggressively pushing the LGBT agenda.

“There are times and places where I believe we need to temper our idealism with at least a certain degree of realpolitik.”



Hoagland, a homosexual, and then the number two diplomat 
at the mission, co-hosted a USAID, and GILFAA 
(Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies) 
event in June of 2011 at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, 
Pakistan. This was their first LGBT, "Pride Celebration.

“...We should never forget the terribly important maxim, ‘First do no harm."... “There are countries in the world, whether religiously or culturally deeply conservative, that will react to our goals with backlash against their own LGBT citizens.”

“We should maintain enough humility to remember that we are terribly new at promoting LGBT human rights as U.S. foreign policy...."

Access full article through link below:

But what about Religious Freedom in Russia? 


Secret Protestant Churches in Donetsk: 
Ukraine's Religious War   VICE News 
Mar 19, 2015 (length 6min)

 
One thing is certain. Today, there seems to be no neutral ground. So how did the division get here? The following presents some of the, how it happened details.


Some demographics.



What most people miss about the war in Ukraine

1,352,995 views Vox 10.7M subscribers
Mar 25, 2015 (length 3min)




And now finally... 
Before you ask the question below... 
Consider yourself. Are you? And how do you know?




Is Vladimir Putin a Christian: 
God, Power, and Russia's War in Ukraine
Book Of James 2.05K subscribers
1,010 views Mar 18, 2022 (length 17min)



Today there are many ways to be misled. Some are more traditional and some are less. 

History shows that we are especially vulnerable to being misled, when we justify our own misdeeds as a form of moral advancement or benevolence. This was true when the west, "Christianized," peoples through conquest, colonialism and expanded the abuses of slavery prior to emancipation. Or conversely when the Soviets reorganized Ukrainian agriculture and created mass starvation in the name of advancing Communism. Sadly, all of these acts were initiated for their perceived long term goodness toward their cause of establishing the, "correct kind." of power.

When we consider the fruit of our, "Progressive," experiment here in the west; with our rejection of the, "traditional family, " and traditional family roles, we see the social prevalence of serial monogamy, intermittent or often total fatherlessness and an increasing confusion in our young often leading to role and gender confusion. We see a tolerance of illegal profit and access to addictive drugs and even the promotion of drug abuse in our youth along with the associated fear, crime, gang affiliation, violence, incarceration, homelessness, suicide, and intergenerational patterns of chronic unemployment. With our recent progressive BLM and CRT activism we also see a crippling of leadership in our black communities and a breakdown of the traditional alliances that once brought strength and stability to our intercity communities.

The fear that Putin exploits; That the west seeks to once again replace Russian historical biblical values with corrupting Humanist Doctrine and dogma is very valid. And this alone has motivated a strong social pushing back against western influence. This fear was certainly exacerbated by the lawlessness and destruction of the global BLM uprisings. 

In comparison to the drastic decline of Christian influence in much of the west, the Orthodox Church has risen in splendor and beauty! She has been the keeper of many of the oldest Christian religious sites in the world and has a long history of steadfastness to the historical teachings of the Church. She has displayed strength and resilience for millennia and has overcome the persecution and oppression of the communist era to blossom in size and wealth and social influence and bring "Fundamental Change," through the goodness of her intentions. 


Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

 
(Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in the center of Kiev Ukraine. It is one of the first monasteries founded in Kievan Rus and remains under the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate Kirill. This monastery was founded in 1051.)

But has this goodness and beauty been hijacked by a political opportunist? 

Consider Putin's Political History in the the video below...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvfLe7pDaKU

The Realities of Putin's Russia: 

From Spy to President  

 The Sword and the Shield 3



Have Russian Christians been manipulated to become tools of state manipulation much like the Humanistic teachings she claims to oppose? Not familiar with the term, "Humanism," Consider this discussion contrasting Humanistic and Christian teachings during our last election here in America at:  https://www.thesubwaywalls.com/2019/11/christian-and-humanist-tradition.html)

The recent decision by Archbishop Bartholomew calling for the separation in Orthodoxy of Ukraine from Russian Orthodox leadership appears to say yes.

Could avoiding this tendency, "Of inflicting harm on others, in our zeal for what we believe is good," or even see as righteousness, be why Jesus said...

"My Kingdom is not of this world."

In contrast, He said, "My kingdom is within you."

For more on this theme, see "The Narrow Way," at:

To understand why,  "Transition Therapy," was  rejected by some in the church and forcefully punished by Biden as well as stories of many living out their lives as Christian believers who experiences same sex attraction consider... 

"Whose choice and what change? Family, faith & activism"

or, even, "Choosing to Love Either Light or Darkness," at: 


see it at:

In this context of, "Choice," even choosing to become an instrument of divine judgement is not unfounded. Will Putin use nukes? Will our leaders in the West? Only God knows? For according to scripture, all of mankind is deserving of the judgement. Are you ready? 
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Friday, May 13, 2022

The Wonder that You Are, As the two become three.

 

 The wonder you are! 


Consider the miracle you are!
Instead of 1 cell + 1 cell = 2 cells...

Here 1 cell from 1 + 1 cell from another =
The very first cell,

Of a whole new person.


Responder 1:
I do believe I'm a miracle! Thanks for that! However, the timing of this implies it is actually a pro-life stance hidden behind a nice self-affirming statement. So I am gonna respond in kind.


In math, there is a paradox called the birthday paradox. It really is not a paradox at all. People just get it wrong because they don't "zoom out enough" to see the whole picture. I'm am gonna do that with this video... it only considers myself, a success story, rightfully affirming what a complex, beautiful, unique person I am. But the miracle goes deeper...


Of the millions of unique individuals God creates at conception in the womb, 33-50% fail to implant, according to guttmaker. They are washed out of the mother and into oblivion. Of those that do implant, up to 20% are spontaneously aborted/stillborn at some later point according to the American Family Physician publication. Not only am I lucky to be a living, working, complex human; I am also lucky to be part of the (very roughly) 40% of fertilized cells (with 6 billion-part DNA codes describing a unique person) that God, I'm his wisdom, allows to survive until born. But let's not forget the "cruel" pro-choice crowd who "do not value human life"! They kill roughly 2% of these remaining precious lives!


To summarize, of 1,000 unique and beautiful fertilized eggs, God (in his wisdom) disposes of up to 600 of them! Of the remaining 400, abortionists dispose of 8... I'm still special! In fact, now I am more special. To have developed into a functional human when so many fertilized eggs never get a chance... I am super special!


This reasoning is called "reduction ad absurdum" because I accept a proposition and it leads to a conclusion that just is not tenable. While the math is rudimentary, the message is clear i hope. If we celebrate EVERY fertilized egg as unique, viable, human life then we have to also accept God as "the great abortion doctor in the sky". Take the number of abortions you are currently claiming the US needs to atone for... God killed 50 times that many!


Make no mistake, every human born is incredibly special! More special than they often consider in light of the above! However, to believe that God is the ruthless genocidal being described above is not acceptable to me. So I choose to believe God's actions are not morally wrong... I do not believe that God is destroying 60% of humanity... so I cannot accuse the pro-choice movement of destroying 2%.


That is my own honest argument. I hope it makes sense and doesn't bug you to much. 


My Return Response:

I appreciate your writing back although entering into a discussion was not necessarily my intent. I know you are already very busy, but I also appreciate your time and see it as a form of caring. Thank-you.


The birthday paradox that you shared presents a point of view that is very difficult for most to accept. The potential human death rate prior to birth is a cause of great discomfort for most, especially those seeking to have a child. And yes, on the statistical level, the miracle, of you is actually much bigger than even the video presented. So much so that it is difficult not to seem flippant and dismiss ideas of human life having special sanctity when we consider how fragile it is.

On the faith level, each individual is created in the, "Image of God." Jeremiah 1:5 states, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart... This could accurately refer to both conception and foreknowledge.

On the fact level, how we are created has nothing to do with our culture or politics. It is not pro or anti woman or pro or anti abortion. (It just is ) as the opening equation states.


This is very incredible all by itself.


Considering that I am not God, I do not have the capacity to make a judgment about Him without intentionally joining Eve in the act of seeking to, "become like God," in my presumptions of, "good and evil." It is not my place to make moral judgments about God. Or His part in causing the natural survival or death of person's before birth. However, unnatural termination of the life inside of the womb is discussed several times in the Bible. But that was not the purpose of this post. Wonder and awareness is.

My intent in posting was to encourage a look beyond the natural, which is so easy to take for granted. My goal was to stop and consider the incredible; which you have already acknowledged.


Responder 1:

Sorry for presumption. Things are pretty crazy in the world right now and the last thing you posted on my Facebook page was much more overtly about Roe v. Wade. I am very troubled about that subject. It has taken the country down a path that will not end well for anyone in my opinion.


It certainly is a time to pray for love and unity, build connections of mutual trust, and respect one another. I can do that in my life but worry that has become impossible in much of the broader world, where people seem to be regularly acting in bad faith... then I get to comfort confused kids while walking a tightrope of avoiding things I'm not supposed to talk about... because unlike the last president, the scotus, and much of congress, I am not willing to undermine the institution I work in for personal reasons.

It is very draining! Pray for me!

My Return Response:
Praying that you will be strengthened and encouraged in these difficult times with the strength and wisdom that comes from above and that the god of this world would have no influence over you.


Responder 2:

Don't forget all the pregnant women this particular deity took out in the flood. He doesn't seem particularly pro-life does he?

My Response:

Your comment matched the sentiment that I reviewed in June of 2020 at the death of RGB. Do you notice an increase of social influence by the group mentioned in this article? 


The Death Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pushed Me To Join a Politically Active Temple.

(see article at)

https://www.thesubwaywalls.com/2020/06/changing-culture-over-period-of-20.html


Responder 1:

I consider most "Church of Satan" people to be politically active people who just want to make use of America's religious laws the way that Christians do every day. There is a definite double standard in practice and these individuals are simply pointing it out with the means at their disposal... we live in a weird country.


NPR-  Florida man asks schools to ban Bible following the state's efforts to remove books

April 26, 20225:41 AM ET

(see article at)

Responder 2:

I hadn't even heard that so maybe it's just a logical conclusion over social influence.

My Response:
I recently read this article about the self deceit of discrimination and racism. It compared characteristics of DNA the, "Same Kinds of creatures," and talked about how, "the human DNA code is completely recognizable and unique from all other life-forms. There is variation within our kind – taller, shorter, different shades of skin, more or less hair – but the basic code, the basic DNA structure is the same....And while there are differences, human beings have an essence. We all share “human-ness.”.... (if we choose to see it).... We share what it means to be human and this is not something that can be measured like height, it is something a creature either has or does not have. “Human-ness” is found in every variation of humans. 

Why racism is irrational?



 See full article at 
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