Hmm ... What To Say?

 

So Saturday afternoon, Mark and I went to eat at a local Mexican restaurant and sit out on the patio with Ziggy pug, to have margaritas. 

At the next umbrella table was a woman and her adult son, who was taking her out for a pre-Mother's Day dinner, and we struck up a conversation.

So this lady never drinks and had 2 margaritas -  and the margaritas at this restaurant are strong.

So pretty soon, she starts telling me stuff that she may not usually say to a complete stranger, but ya never know, it's Kentucky. 😂

She's lucky it's me, though - I like to be kind with everybody. 😊

This town is friendly enough on the surface, but they are also very judgmental, despite what their politics are, and very skilled at being fake.

I'm of the mindset, though, that you never know what somebody's going through and a little kindness may help.  

Maybe she just needed to talk, and sometimes a total stranger is easier to confide in than those already in your life.

So here's how this went ....

Lady: "One of my granddaughters says to me "Mamaw, I think I like girls."

Mark looked at me like "What the ??? Where did that come from and why is she telling a total stranger about it?"

 

Me: "Oh? How old is she?"  

 

Lady: "19."  

 

Me: "So she understands what that really means, then, so she very well could be." 

 

Lady: "I told her I don't believe in that, but I don't want to turn my back on her."  

 

Me: "So tell me what she's like otherwise, is she a good person, are you proud of her?"  

 

Lady: "Oh, yes! I have 4 granddaughters living with me and she's the most stable, doesn't drink or do drugs, has a good job, helps me with the other 3. She's working and saving for college." 

 

Me: "Then I don't think you need to worry. If you consider that her worst flaw, then you're doing okay and she's doing okay. She sounds like good people to me! 😊" 

"And think about this - she chose YOU to come out to, because she feels safe with you - that's a compliment to your parenting/grandparenting.  It means you've done well. She just wants to know that you still love her and are proud of her regardless, even if you don't agree - she wants reassurance that your love for her has not changed just because of her sexuality 😊"

Lady:  "Thank you. 😊 I have the 4 because their parents are drug addicts/alcoholics, so I worry what I've done wrong. But in fact, I have 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, and some of my other daughters tell me stories so they can come live with me, too.  Mostly because their parents won't buy them exactly what they want, see." 

"One said "Mamaw, mama hit me with a hanger the other day."  

"I said, "Well, was it wire or covered, and did it leave a mark?"😂  

"Aren't I awful?  But don't you worry, if I really believed they were being abused and not exaggerating, as teenagers do when they don't get their way, I wouldn't hesitate, like I didn't with the other 4. I'm no dummy." 

"I love them all, but I'm tired, ya know?  Everybody's coming to my house tomorrow for Mother's Day, but guess who's cooking for them all? Me."

Me: "Whaattt? No. Girl, order Door Dash and celebrate you tomorrow, that's the one day of the year you can!  Or make it a potluck instead." 

"Mothers sacrifice more than our kids will ever know, but this complete martyrdom crap has got to go. Those who even notice you often start to expect it from you.  I don't think they'll really appreciate it until either they're mothers themselves, and in some case, until we're gone, honestly."   

"There's nothing selfish about telling people one day of the year "Hey, it's Mother's Day.  Okay if I don't cook today and we all chip in on ordering out?" 

They may not like it because it's not their usual, but tough tatas, Mother's Day is not about them anyway."

She said she'd think about it 🙂

You'd be surprised how common that is, here in Kentucky, mothers cooking for the family themselves on Mother's Day. 

Last year, my dentist told me she drove 2 hours to her parents' house at 5 a.m. in South-Central Kentucky to spend time/bring breakfast and a gift to her mom, drove back, cleaned her house, and then  there she was at 9 p.m., grilling burgers on the grill for her husband and kids m. because nobody had thought about dinner except her.

It made me so sad I said "You did what, now? Dr. H! On Mother's Day! Aw, that's not right. Nobody could take 15 minutes to throw some meat on the grill for you?"

"I know how hard you work, getting up at 4 a.m. to muck horse stalls, come here and work, take care of your kids/get them to activities. Now I wanna get right up out of this chair and go home right now and grill you up a burger myself. " 😂

She just said her husband was tired after mowing their big lawn all day, her kids are teenagers are busy.

Ya know, always making excuse for others, martyrdom and exhaustion expected. 

And we don't mind doing it, we love caring - but the moment we stop doing it or someone doesn't get their way, all they notice is you didn't, that day.

And you think they'll notice,  you think that maybe they'll grow up to do for others, too.

Not necessarily, on either count.

I love my dentist, she is the kindest, coolest person. 

And the thing is, she cut her hours back to one day a week because her family complained, but they're never home anyway!

And as much as she loves and brags on her husband and kids, she loves her patients and being a dentist, too, and is a GREAT one (seriously, I had a root canal and didn't feel a thing) - and she shouldn't be made to feel bad or selfish about being both a mother AND a dentist!

But back to the original lady's LGBTQ granddaughter, I didn't think it was a time to explain that human sexuality has never been binary, it's along a spectrum, nor the science we've learned about gene expression - it wasn't time to push my beliefs on hers, with her already resistant. Her worry was where she had gone "wrong" and the well being of her granddaughter.

So I didn't know what to say - except point out what's good about her granddaughter, how she'd done well with her, and that if she considers being gay a character flaw - even though I do NOT - if that's the worst she can say about her, she's doing all right 

That seemed to go over well.  I think.  😊

I'm not sure what she was expecting me to say, though. Maybe she wanted me to commiserate, to help her feel okay in condemning it.

I can't do that.  Because what that granddaughter needs most now is love and acceptance and the realization that nothing has changed - she's still the same good person, despite her sexuality 😊

Pope Leo XIV's First Mass ...

Though I am not Catholic (I'm Catholic "Lite," Episcopalian), my husband is, and I have great respect for the Catholic church. 

Because IMO, Catholics are like our parents, and Jews are like our grandparents  - without them, there would be no us 😊

We may not always agree - but we do need to acknowledge that if it were not for them, the rest of us as Christians wouldn't even exist. 😊

Thus, IMO, these faiths are to be respected and revered for this exact reason -  just like we do our parents and our grandparents. 

(Notice I didn't say canonized into sainthood or that we should deify them or turn a blind eye to true wrongdoing - but there's a difference between people just interpreting scripture/believing differently and true wrongdoing.😉)

Regardless, I watched this mass out of that respect for this changing of the guard, the pomp and tradition of it all. I admit, I love the "high church" pageantry of it all - plus his first mass was at the Sistine Chapel!💓

Interestingly, he focused on Peter being considered the first Pope, the "rock" upon which the church would be built.  I find this interesting for two reasons:

The first is, for those unaware, this is one of the major aspects on which Catholics and Protestants disagree, basing their differing beliefs on this passage from Matthew 16:13-18:

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

So the Catholic church believes that Christ meant that Peter himself is the rock upon which the church is built.

Protestants instead believe that Christ meant Peter's answer, his stated belief that Christ was the son of God, is the rock upon which the church is built - not Peter himself.

Regardless, the Catholic church, in the end, was built on both - the first formally recognized Christian church (St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City in 519 AD), professing Jesus as the son of God - was supposedly literally build built on Peter's remains!


Both things can be true, fellow Christians.

So often in the Christian faith -  unlike other faiths like Buddhism -  everything is so black or white, so either/or - there is no room for "the middle way," no gray areas, and there is definitely no room for both.

That is not to say that Christ himself was like that.

 Jesus definitely allowed for gray areas, as most intelligent people recognize things aren't usually that simple. 

In fact, Christ even directly defied church law over it many times, if the law wasn't based on loving thy neighbor and mercy.

However, unfortunately, Christianity itself - does not.

Regardless of what you believe, or don't believe, the result is the same - the first formal, organized Christian church recognizing Christ as the son of God was supposedly literally built on Peter's remains!😊

So does it really matter?

And what is most important is Christ's message of love, compassion, mercy , forgiveness, and giving people multiple chances managed to survive all the bible edits/translations, all the church politics, all the greed, all the grasps for power and need for control.

The second and bigger reason I found his focus on Peter interesting is because how many times the gospels told us that Peter messed up, even after being a disciple 😂

(In fact, I think this contributes to the Protestant belief that Christ could not have possibly really meant Peter as "the rock." )

For starters, he didn't write his own gospel like other disciples, just later books in the New Testament. (If he did write a gospel, it has been lost to history).

Also, when trying to protect Jesus, hot-headed Peter drew his sword and cut off a centurion's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane, trying to protect Christ from arrest. Christ not only healed the centurion (which also saved Peter's behind), but also said to him "Those who live by the sword will die by it" - another phrase modern Christians seem to forget (only it's not swords today, it's guns.)

And later, Peter famously denied Christ 3 times, as Christ predicted he would (only later to to say he loved him 3 times upon his resurrection).

Regardless, in the end, the first church was built on both Peter's belief that Christ is the son of God AND Peter himself - literally!

To his credit, Pope Leo stated that he viewed himself not as the voice of God or a rock, but as the administrator of the son of God's living words, as we continually interpret them - a very diplomatic way to state this 😊

Now - keep in mind, I'm saying this today, myself having really struggled in my faith, especially since my friend, Marian, was killed by a drunk driver.

Also because my fellow Christians today have astonishing started followed politics that seem opposite to Christ's message to me.

And this paranoid, insecure need for Christian control, Christian nationalism in my own country and others, mistaking criticism of them for greedy, selfish, controlling choices they're making in Christ's name, as "persecution" justification to take religious choice/freedom away and negate free will.

And they talk about the power of Satan, fear, anger, loss of their own elite status more than they talk about the mercy, love, and forgiveness of Christ!

It just disturbs my soul and confuses me - it's hard to hear the real Christ I learned about in any of it.

And yet ... I will still always pause to listen to a message from another human of whatever faith, these days, instead focusing on love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and hope   🥰

So does that mean I'm a rebellious prodigal daughter?

Or does it instead mean I'm one of those sheep Christ said would always recognize their master's true voice?

Maybe both.  

Maybe neither. 

Maybe I'm a Peter, who messes up a lot, or even a doubting Thomas,; either way, the remains upon which nobody will ever build a church (thank God 😂)

I guess we'll see which I am someday 😊

"It's Belle's, B*tches"

Belle's Cocktail House, Lexington, Kentucky

It's been a minute since I've mentioned Lexington's beloved Belle Brezing, the madam with a heard of gold (the inspiration for Belle Watling in Gone With The Wind). 

I think my last post on her was here, in 2017, but my original post about her was on my first blog in 2005 (now defunct) - but we've learned so much more about her since then that I plan to write a new post on what we've learned since.

The first time I heard of Belle was walking down Upper Street in about 1996, when I noticed a small historical plaque in front of a row house, stating that it was her first "house of ill repute."

"Whaaaat?" says I.   

"This snap-judgmental, church-on-every-corner town that pretends to be perfect has an historical plaque to a madam tucked away on Transylvania University's campus?  Well, isn't that just like Lexington."

It was very much like finding out during my college years  "The Bar" - Lexington's 3-story-complex upscale gay bar, drag show, and dance floor - sitting quietly on main street for the last 40 years!

(They still have the best dance floor in town, glass ceiling on the third floor!)

Upon returning home, I asked my grandmother about Belle Brezing and she said she didn't know, but she knew who did - the Church Lady in Chief at her local Baptist Church.

"Whaatt?" again, says I. 

"The same church lady who ran two lesbians out of their Baptist church? Yeah, this'll be fun and include a  fire-and-brimstone sin lecture. "

Actually ... no.  

Surprisingly, she didn't. 

In fact, she privately revered Belle!

She possessed the only known book on her at the time, written in 1983 by Buddy Thompson, which she let me borrow.

Since then we've uncovered so much more and there are a plethora of books on her - and it would seem that some things Buddy got right, some he got wrong, and some can't be verified (like visiting St. Joseph Hospital in a hooded cloak to help the nurses or trying to donate her rare book collection to UK, only to be rejected, until she later donated anonymously).

We do know for a fact,, however, that when St. Joseph Hospital had a fire, she donated new linens for the entire hospital (and it was rumored she helped finance the rebuild, again, anonymously, so it can't be verified.

Regardless, I was completely shocked - the Church Lady in Chief at my grandmother's Southern Baptist church  had a book on/revered Belle Brezing?

I think because as women especially, I guess, you feel for her - because she was dealt a horrible hand in life and had limited options at the time, but did the best with it she could.

I was also shocked at how much Belle accomplished, though much of it anonymously,  and how she was still kept as somewhat of a secret you only talked about in private conversation still, at the time (late 90s).

The whole thing intrigued me.

Also, the fact that she was so charitable, donating much to St. Joseph Hospital (she was Catholic) and the local poor - she really was the madam with the heart of gold and known nationally for running the "most orderly of disorderly houses," because of the horse business.

So then in the late 2000s - which was after I'd written my first post on her in 2005, based on Buddy's book, mind you - interest in her exploded, to the degree that we now have a play based on her life, a regional beer named after her, a hotel room named after her, and finally, a rooftop cocktail bar named after her called "Belle's."

Genealogists and historians have now researched more about her and her life, with documents and news articles uncovered, and I plan on ordering their books soon.

I haven't yet been to Belle's, but plan to go when the weather is warmer - but if you're in Lexington and are interested, HERE is their website and some photos are below.

Let me just give you a heads up, though - the bar has a dance floor and is very LGBTQ friendly, so you'll see a mix there - love it!

This last one of the dance floor inspired the blog post title 😃

Movie Tariffs - More Hitler Sh*t

So the major rationale for the tariffs is to bring back jobs, goods and services back to the U.S., right?

(However, the price of goods and services here is astronomical now.)

But with movies, the jobs already are U.S.-based - even if filmed outside of the U.S. 

So I'm scratching my head about the justification for tariffs on movies filmed at least in part outside the U.S. or with foreign talent, if the story line includes foreign travel?

What are they supposed to do, only films stories about us?

(Zzzz boring!)

Go back to fake, painted sets and all CGI and nobody has any accents?

Welp, I guess we'll get 1,000 more Yellowstone spinoffs (and the new ripoffs), but no Helen Mirren or Jerome Flynn in them. 

His justification is not only jobs, but "national security threat" filming elsewhere but ... name one time there was ever a security threat while filming a movie elsewhere, just one ...

*crickets*

They're not stupid enough to film in unsafe countries, that's a poor investment - they film in friendly countries with similar terrain to unfriendly countries and say it's another country lol.

And why does he get to decide what's safe anyway in private business, and if he's THAT concerned about job safety, then why did he roll back safety standards at work?

This is just Trump wanting to get a piece of movie income and more  content control, just like with the Kennedy Center - period.

I swear, Republicans - everything you feared about too much government control in your business and personal lives is now happening -  but you're okay with it because it's Trump doing it?

Why would anyone want the government - and especially any one person - to have this much control?

And just where are the savings from all these cuts and income from the tariffs going, anyway?

I've not seen any reports on that at all and God knows our taxes on stuff this year hasn't reflected anything yet.

Well, we do know that Elon Musk profited enormously from government contracts after the cuts.

But otherwise, is anyone tracking where the savings/new income is  actually going?

No one cares, "Pope Trump" ordained by God gonna fix it all.

Sigh ... God help us, and by that, I mean actual God, not this fat orange-golden calf everyone is worshipping!

In fact, I'mmonna dust off my screenwriter skills and write a new American movie called "The Big, Fat Greedy Orange-Golden Calf Idol Goes to Washington" - and film it right in the White House !😂

Now THIS is Funny: Colin Jost, Journalist Frank Cerabino on "Pope Trump" 😂

 

I was hoping that SNL would mention this, but the "Trump Pope" photo was posted so late on Friday, the skits for Saturday were likely a done deal -  except Colin Jost did incorporate it into his Weekend Update news segment, and said this:

"Well, guys, it happened. President Trump posted an AI-generated photo of himself as the Pope, apparently ordering a one-way ticket to hell. "Who posts a photo of themselves dressed like a guy who died a week ago?"

Trump was at the Pope's funeral.  That means he walked past the Pope's casket and was like "Oh, we should do a "Who Wore It Best?" It's truly like if the week after Queen Elizabeth died, I posted this."

"I don't know, I just feel like as a Catholic, Trump's photo just feels slightly disrespectful."

But the funniest take I've seen on it yet was what popped up in the Google News feed on the subject - journalist Frank Cerabino from the Palm Beach Post (yes, where Mar a Lago is) posted this speech, parodying what Trump would be like as Pope ... 

"As your new pope, I will be bringing back the Catholic Church, which frankly, has been run into the ground by stupid, crooked foreigners for many centuries.

I call them “centuries.” It’s a word that means a hundred years. Most people don’t know that.

No more meek inheriting MY Earth

Today is a great day for the Church, a day when other religions will be put on notice that they can no longer keep taking advantage of the Catholics. And it’s about time.

The Muslims are laughing at us. The Buddhists are beating us badly in Asia. And the Jews are eating our lunch.

So sad.

And what are we doing? Giving away money to the poor. Hiding our good-looking young nuns in non-flattering clothing. And over-regulating so-called “sins”, which are really just people using their leverage to make some shrewd deals.
Let's investigate (and eliminate) the Ten Commandments

As your new pope, I am signing an Executive Pontiff Order today that calls for the complete and total investigation of the Ten Commandments, starting with the elimination of the ones that deal with stealing and coveting your neighbor's wife.

They’re so unfair. So unfair. We’re bringing coveting back, both carnal and financial. Big time. That I can tell you.

It’s time to put an end to the meek inheriting the earth.
Pope Donald the First? Get that on a coin. Now.

I am also unveiling today a limited edition Pope Donald the First meme coin. It’s more than just a handsome keepsake with the likeness of your favorite pope on it. It’s an investment that will save you from the fires of Hell.

People are saying that investing in the Pope Donald the First meme coin is the surest pathway to eternal life in Heaven. That’s what they’re saying.

As one of my first papal duties, I will be hearing the confessions of the whack-job, far-left, Marxist, Communist cardinals who didn’t vote for me, and investigating the woke ideology that has infected the college of cardinals.

Many people don’t even know that the cardinals have a college. It’s time to shut it down. I like the uneducated cardinals.
The Church is in desperate need for a new direction. With that in mind, I have ordered the conversion of all that wasted space on the floor of the Sistine Chapel. It will become an arena for staging UFC cage-fighting, pay-per-view events from the Vatican, which will become the 52nd U.S. state.

Big changes are ahead, starting with abortion going from a sin to a sacrament.

There have been a lot of questions about my selection. Some people have asked whether I will be converting to Catholicism, leading daily Mass, and continuing papal rituals, such as washing the feet of the poor.

The answers are: No, no, and you’ve got to be kidding me.

I am here to fulfill a calling. And right now, God is calling me to a golf course. So, I am going to step away from the balcony.

Until I do, please remain kneeling."

😂😂😂😂 

________________________________________________________

PS -  Did you fully got the Pope coin joke?

Because for those unfamiliar with history, the selling of papal indulgences - or forgiveness of sin/tickets to heaven - was the main issue that Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther, took issue with. 

Also, Martin Luther's protestant reformation was later embraced by Henry the VIII enough to change the official Church of England from Catholicism to Anglican or "Catholic Lite" - NOT because he believed in Martin Luther, but because he wanted to divorce his wives and the Catholic church would not permit it.

Thus, Cerabino is fully tying greed and political ambition to religion, here - brilliant!

Just When You Thought Nothing Else Trump Could Do Would Shock and Disgust You -....

 

I literally gasped when I saw that Trump had shared an AI-generated picture of himself as the Pope.

😦😮😦😮

(And no - I'm not resharing the picture here.)

I'm not Catholic (and neither is Trump), but ... wow, that's some serious disrespect of not just Pope Francis, who just died, but of the Catholic faith itself.

I'm not saying that I believe the Pope is chosen by God or that every Pope is Godly - it's more about what the Pope represents. 

Also, as you all know,  I have a very healthy sense of humor, but in no way is that funny or cool - this is NOT okay.

This is just more proof that Trump's ego, power-hunger, and greed is out of control.

Geeeeeeez, and we thought Sinead O'Connor ripping up the pope's picture on SNL was bad.

What say you now, my fellow self-proposed Christians who continue to support Trump?

Are we still "snowflakes" for being offended/disgusted by this or do you get it yet, how soulless and depraved this man really is?

No?

Don't know what it's gonna take, but okay ... we'll wait.

Karen Read ReTrial ...

Okay, this is more of a head-scratcher than it first appears.

Because at first, it seems like an open-and-shut case - after bar-hopping, she drunk-drove her drunk cop boyfriend to his friend's house for an afterparty during a blizzard, but backed over and killed him (accidentally or on purpose), and in the morning, she noticed her taillight was busted out.  

When he didn't come home, she called everyone trying to find him, searching for him in the snow until they found him, and then said "Oh my God, I didn't kill him, did I?  Did I kill him?"

Also, she left horrible, verbally abusive voicemails for him previously, and admits they were arguing and she was angry when she dropped him off at his friend's house (nobody at the party liking her).

Now, Occam's razor says the simplest explanation is the answer - she killed him.

However, Occam's razor isn't always right -  some things aren't as simple as they first appear.

Because remember, we once believed the sun traveled across the sky over our flat earth because it "looked that way."

But let's go with Occam's razor for the sake of argument and just say that she's guilty.

Then what explains the below?

Everyone at the house party said O'Keefe never arrived, but the body had dog bites on the arm. Neither O'Keefe nor Karen Read owned a dog, but the friend who owned the house did have a dog known to be aggressive who was inside the house, that night, due to the blizzard. 

The bite marks were tested for DNA and came back positive for animal bites; however, they can't test the friend/homeowner's dog because the friend has since "sent it away because it was too aggressive," but no one can find where they sent it.

Though not in full view/correct angle, there is home-security movement-detection video of Karen arriving home and parking her car after dropping him off, and the rear taillight at least appears to still be intact from that angle - however, when she left in the morning, she discovers the busted taillight which is now also visible by that same motion-detection video.

The evidence collection at the scene was botched horribly, collected in red Solo cups and plastic shopping bags by the cop friends themselves - and most importantly -  pictures at the crime scene revealed the red taillight fragments belonging to Karen's car supposedly found near the body weren't covered with snow, like the body was, though it was a blizzard.

There had been a  a previous coverup in that same town police department over their cop friend strangling to death his underage teenage girlfriend. 

Anyone who has publicly written or spoken about the Canton police department ended up finding dead animals in their yard or hanging on ropes on their porches.

Two of the cops at the house that night have been suspended for not disclosing evidence about a separate cop cop friend - who impregnated and killed his underage girlfriend -  as well as inappropriately harassing their critics (one of their critics, however, "Turtleboy," a local blogger, also in legal trouble for harassment.).

Lastly and most importantly - the defense is hanging almost their entire argument entirely on this piece of evidence - Jennifer McCabe, girlfriend to one of the cops at the house that night. Googled ,  "How long does it take a body to die in the cold" at 2:27 a.m." - about an hour after O'Keefe was dropped off - and 4 hours before his body was found.

So the defense's theory is that O'Keefe actually did make it in the house, the dog attacked him, he hit the dog, his cop friend who owned the house became angry and then the two physically fought and O'Keefe went down hard, busting his head on the floor, and later died. 

Then the cops and their wives/girlfriends at the party - already under suspicion for not disclosing information about their other cop buddy (the strangler cop)  - panicked, covering it up by pinning it on Karen (whom they didn't like). 

So let's go with Occam's razor and say Karen is guilty, whether she did it on purpose or not - but then we still have these questions:

Where did those dog bites come from and where is the dog now?

Why weren't the shards of taillight covered in snow, like the body?

Why was her taillight not busted upon arriving home after dropping him off, but was busted by 6:30 a.m.?

Why was anyone at the friend's house searching for how long it takes for someone to die in the cold at 2:27 a.m. - 4 hours before his body was found?

But is it enough to cause "reasonable doubt" by its legal definition for the jury to find her not guilty?

I don't know.

I will say that in watching her interviews, even if Karen IS guilty, I believe she believes herself that she's not guilty, whether she's convinced herself of it or not  - but that's not uncommon - some people can't come to terms later with what they've done, especially when drunk.

The saddest thing about this whole story is the O'Keefe's niece and nephew, whom he adopted, after they lost both parents to cancer (their mother was O'Keefe's sister) and O'Keefe is now dead, too - so these children have lost everyone they've ever known as a parent 😢

So I don't know, though she's most likely guilty, I will admit, those are odd things that do leave doubt, so I will officially say that I have no opinion, I just don't know?

What I DO know for sure is that - I would never hang out with any of those people on either side ever! 

Bar-hopping cops during blizzards who drive home drunk?

Bartenders that let already-drunk cops carry more liquor home in glasses, after closing time, during blizzards? 

One of those cops being O'Keefe, who is partying instead of being home with his adopted kids during a blizzard?

Cops that say nothing, despite knowing their other cop friend had an inappropriate, pedophilic relationship with an underage teen, got her pregnant, and then strangled her to death?

Girlfriends that scream "I hate you" on repeat voicemails that drive drunk during blizzards and drop off their drunk boyfriend's and don't wait for him to make it to the door?

However, this case has been an interesting case study of people going with what they choose to believe, rather than actual evidence, a malady that is rampant nowadays, because people don't seem to know the difference between belief/opinion and fact.

The only thing I know for sure is that not only would I never want to hang out with any of these people, but remind me never to go to Canton, Massachusetts!

Why I Stopped Reading Quora Today 😂

 

So sometimes when you Google something, Quora answers come up. Sometimes they were helpful.  The problem is, if you signed up for Quora (10 years ago!!), then Quora sends you stuff to your email they think you'll be interested in based on some sort of algorithm that's wayyy off, to where you're like "Why would anyone ever read that?" 😂

Lastly, trolls are asking fake questions like "My son died two days ago and my husband won't get over it - should I divorce him?"

Oh, BS, you know dang well that did not happen and is not normal. 😂

In the unlikely event that really did happen, then my answer is YES , Girl - please, divorce him ASAP -  so that he can feel free to grieve like a normal human being, in his own time and way, and heal from your apparently sociopathic arse!  😂

However, it's NOT a real question - because if you see what else that person posted, they have a a new absurd story somewhere every day.

How the heck did this question even get in my feed?

I know I dang well I didn't search for anything even remotely close to that! 😂

I think the last thing I searched for and read on Quora was about liver cancer symptoms in dogs when Brookie died, trying to piece together the symptoms, until I realized even if anyone figured it out and been sure, the outcome would've been the same, so I then ended up reading some people's memoriam to their pets who had also just died. 😢

(I think because doing so makes us feel less alone in our grief, as we don't want to burden others who aren't also grieving about the same loved one at the same time).

Wow, Quora - way to go on your algorithm, it's spot on!

*sarcasm*

And my God, no one mention the name "Meghan Markle" or the Brit Bitch Brigade will sniff them out and go nuts!

What I find hilarious about that is that they call her a narcissist without even knowing her, but themselves spend all day, every day, trying to get attention for their opinions on her, even when the last time she spoke publicly was a year prior. 😂

Seriously - y'all really do not have enough to do if you are spending all day on Quora, making up fake questions or gossiping all day about people you don't even know.  😂

(Unless of course your job IS being a paid troll, in which case, I know they're not paying you that much - better for the soul to flip burgers at McDonald's?  At least it's honest work.)

Today, however, took the cake - enough to get me to dig up my old password from 10 years ago to stop the madness.

Because the post that came to my inbox was from a "supposed" social worker, talking about how watching Drew Barrymore with Kamala Harris was so OTT fawning it made them so violently ill and traumatized that they can't watch Drew again.

Oh, come on.  😂

Yes, Drew can be a little corny and OTT and a bit too touch-feely, but if the person that wrote that really is a social worker - which I highly doubt (although you never know, some people in the counseling/helping profession really shouldn't be) - if all it takes is Drew being corny to traumatize you, then you are definitely in the wrong profession!

Okay, I can't remember the last time I watched Drew for lack of time, (so I like her but am not a superfan), and although she can be corny and too touchy-feely, at least Drew is positive in an increasingly unkind/merciless world?

And if you don't want to be touched, don't go on her show, and you can always tell her to stop?

Martha Stewart did, which people applauded in the comments section.

Seriously, what kind of people are even reading this crap that choose ice queen Martha Stewart over Drew Barrymore?

And these are my choices?!?

 Yeah, that was enough for me.

In fact, I was traumatized into projectile vomiting from reading the hate nuts on Quora!

Just kidding - not really.  

But who wants to read that kind of vitriol nonsense coming to their inbox every day?

Not me!

Bye, Quora!

PS - I Would Also Drop Some Mark 10:42-45 on 'Em 😂

Because it is a warning message against selfishness, power abuse and outright tyranny. 

And again, just like in my pre-Easter post, Christ reminds about Christians being called to humbly serve - NOT arrogantly demand service for themselves over others out of arrogance. 

The verse ends with Christ encouraging sacrifice on behalf of humanity if necessary, as he did.

But unlike other "first shall be last and the last shall be first" sermons Christ gives, this one calls out a specific group, even a specific race ....

Mark 10:42-45

"So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them." 

"But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all."

"For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many’" 

Did you catch it?

That's right - Jesus specifically calls out us Gentiles -  non-Jewish white people - on our centuries-old historical tendency towards conquest, glorifying our leaders, power abuse, and tyranny and warns his disciples against doing so in leadership. 

BOOM!

Did y'all forget this one in favor of other verses, too, or had you never heard it?

If you haven't heard of it despite being Christ's own words in both Mark and Matthew, I'm not surprised.  I myself have only heard 2 sermons on this passage in my lifetime.

Thus, White Supremacists, the KKK, "Christian Nationalists" and others supporting this self-glorifying, arrogant, power-abusing, authoritarian-style government in Christ's name are in direct opposition to Christ's words.

"Freedom of Speech For Me, But Not for Thee?" ... and "In The Eye"

So this is a weird post that may be a bit dark for some, as it was inspired by a "what if" conversation regarding the current Trump administration.

Because as we know, most Trumpers' mantra, besides MAGA, has been perverting the concept of freedom of speech and press to include spreading lies and false propaganda - fear and hate.

But now that they are in charge, with denying entry into our country for even tourists who have ever criticized President Trump and denying press access who have told the truth/been critical of Trump access (below post) ...

...  as well as bills circulating even within my own State of Kentucky to outlaw even peaceful protest - which IS provided for in our constitution ...

... and the FBI being used to arrest state judges who resist the new, brutal (and often wrongful) deportation of even legal immigrants ...

... this is dictator behavior - and we then aren't but a stone's throw away from natural-born citizens being arrested for protest or public criticism, too.

They will make up false justification, of course, as Fox News is already doing with the wrongfully detained or deported U.S. citizens thus far. 

But yesterday, they apparently deported 2-year-old child who was born in the U.S. to Honduras, without following protocol or due process!

What's your justification now, a-holes?

A toddler terrorist?

I don't think so.


Thus, my husband and I had this weird "what if" conversation, about what we would do in the unlikely event (or not?) if ever arrested for protest or public criticism of Trump - or worse, they became violent - just thinking aloud.

Now first of all, you need to know that I've never been arrested or charged with anything in my life - but I would be willing to do so in resistance against THIS BS.

You don't even wanna know what my former-Army Ranger husband said he would do. 😂

I wouldn't get violent - and the first thing that came to my mind was an old song by folk/alt musician, Suzanne Vega, called "In The Eye."

No one is really sure what it's about, but the theory is that it's about domestic violence.



At that time, Suzanne was known for drawing attention to certain social causes by adding dark lyrics to an upbeat tune, like her 1988 hit "Luka," which was about discovering the child abuse of her neighbor.


Perhaps an unusual way to draw attention to social causes, an unusual juxtaposition, but very effective. Suzanne's hallmark is to an intentionally inflict emotional conflict, to the point you almost feel guilty for humming along merrily to the upbeat melody.

So essentially, I would just go down singing this song, looking them directly in the eye 😁

LYRICS:

If you were to kill me now right here
I would still look you in the eye
And I would burn myself into your memory
As long as you were still alive


I would live inside of you
I'd make you wear me like a scar
And I would burn myself into your memory
And run through everything you are


I would not run
I would not turn
I would not hide
I would not run
I would not turn
I would not hide

I would live inside of you
I'd make you wear me like a scar
And I would burn myself into your memory
And run through everything you are


I would not run
I would not turn
I would not hide
I would not run
I would not turn
I would not hide

[Post-Chorus]
In the eye

And in case you think I'm just talking tough and wouldn't really do that in that situation, think again.

Because unfortunately I already have had to sing it - twice in my life.

If I could sing it to my own father and my exhusband when my life was threatened - I can definitely sing it to some numb-nutted, jack-booted Trump thugs arresting me or worse for protest or public criticism of Trump.

(Despite my social anxiety and PTSD, something happens to me when actually in an actual emergency where I actually don't fall apart until afterwards - instead, I go on autopilot during and think, faster than usual because of adrenaline - which Mark calls my "Ripley" mode.)

And I'm still here ... but will sing it again, if the need ever arises.

Let us hope that I never do have to sing it to anyone ever again!

Countries Giving Travel Advisories for the U.S.

 This article is from travel magazine, Conde Nast, and gives a full description of why and you can read it HERE with a subscription.

The reasons given are gun violence and rioting, immigration /tourism issues/confusion, and LGBTQ/gender identification. 

(On the latter, if your passport or other identification says your biologically born gender, but you present as another, you will be denied entry.  That's insane, of course, but that is the state of affairs today.)

The immigration detention and deportation confusion/mess has really ramped up travel advisory warnings, not only after now 2 Venezuelan-born LEGAL immigrants were wrongfully deported, but also after a Russian scientist Kseniia Petrova, a LEGAL immigrant studying aging at Harvard Medical School, has been detained by ICE for months. (She was carrying frog embryos for study which is apparently illegal and cost her her visa), as well as an unnamed French scientist (who chose to remain nameless to avoid harassment) was traveling to Houston for a conference, was stopped, illegally searched, and denied entry due to text messages critical of President Trump. 

That, combined with all of the funding cuts to major research institutions and organization, it appears we at war not just with immigrants, legal or not, but with science itself - not to mention our constitution.

Because search and seizure without a warrant is unconstitutional.

 (The Russian scientist initially stopped by Customs (who called ICE) for the frog embryos IS legal - but the search of the French scientist's phone was NOT legal.)

The Russian scientist is a Harvard scientist at Harvard Medical School studying aging - why the hell else would she have them otherwise, and what would they think was so dangerous about frog embryos, anyway?

Thus, she sits in a Louisiana detention center now, awaiting deportation.

Detaining or denying entry of a person, foreign born or not, over nothing more than criticism of our President in his personal texts, is unconstitutional. 

Both are actually harassment.

Denying entry of persons based LGBTQ gender issues is just absurd and wasting our tax money and time.

Because again, let me say this -  at least for me, any violence, harm, theft and/or trauma that I've ever experienced in life has been at the hands of white, straight, Christian, natural-born U.S. citizens - NOT immigrants,  tourists, people of color, people of other faiths, or LGBTQ!.

Also, one of the things I am proudest of about this country is how we have previously placed great importance on scientific research, especially in the fields of healthcare, technology, and space exploration, such that the world often looks to us as their go-to gurus.

Again, why are we undoing it?

Is the goal for the U.S. to become a dictatorship or monarchy of a now third-world country or-?

Regardless, you can read the article above for each reason, but those countries with embassies that have issued travel advisories to the U.S. for the above reasons - gun violence/riots, immigration/tourist issues/confusion, and LGBTQ -  are:

Canada.

The United Kingdom.

Ireland.

France.

Germany.

Belgium.

Portugal.

Denmark.

The Netherlands.

Finland.

New Zealand. 

*Since this article was published, apparently, Australia either is added to this list or will be soon?

 

The Last of Us, Episode 2

 

*SPOILER ALERT*

Okay, we all knew the peace and harmony in the town would have to come to an end soon, with the fungus still among us, but ...

They killed my Pedro!?!

In the second episode!?!

As much as I love Bella Ramsey, too, the whole show was about the father/daughter relationship that had formed between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). 

Well, Ellie's gonna go on a rampage, now, to avenge his death, but I'm not sure she can carry the show by herself?

I mean, she has to survive, she's immune/the possible cure, but ...?

I know that happened in the video game, but this is a TV series - and you don't always have to follow the original.

I get it that Game of Thrones started this whole kill-off-main-characters vibe, but GOT had several strong characters, not just two main, so there were others to carry it.  Not sure you have the same dynamic here?

All right, ya bastards. I'm not watching this dang show anymore!  😂

(Okay, I probably will, but not sure who can take Pedro's place.)

Also, has no one tried bleach on the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus?  😂

Not internally with people, of course (well, until they turn zombie), but bleach does kill that fungus.  I don't know, I'm assuming since it's mutated to affect people instead of just insects, in this show, it's mutated a resistance to bleach, too, but just saying, it's worth a shot? 😂

 

Christianity Is About Humble Service, Not Demanding Proper Service

Forgive me if this post is a bit disjointed and meandering, it's been a whirlwind week.  So I'll write this out here stream of consciousness and edit later (maybe).



So I now work for a large faith-based hospital in another state. Now when I say "faith-based," though I mean a particular Christian denomination, being that they are in a large metropolitan area, their Pastoral Care Department is interfaith - meaning they have chaplains available for several denominations of Christianity, but for every faith.

Every morning, their Pastoral Care Department sends these little spiritual notes, which is great, because I believe every faith has some pearl of wisdom to help us get through this thing called life.

The notes have been very helpful after Brookie's passing, as well as thoughtful notes about Holy Week and the profound love, mercy, and sacrifice of Christ.  

I asked my employer if I could share the note from Maundy Thursday, but being a large institution, I probably wouldn't get approval until after Easter, so I just decided to share the general concept, as it was Maundy Thursday that day, but what I WILL do is credit the Pastoral Care Dept for the inspiration 😊

Of course, although the spiritual notes this week have been comforting during Brookie's passing, Thursday's message was a great reminder about Christianity not being just about my own comfort,  as Christianity is mostly about servitude, not receiving service.

I tend to isolate myself during times of grief or difficulties, not wanting to burden anyone or to cry in front of others whom I don't know well.

(In fact, although I tear up, I have a hard time crying full tears at all anymore, and rarely do -  but believe me, I did this week!)

Also, it's just not safe to be vulnerable and share your thoughts and feelings with everybody, especially in these times of snap-judgement social media, as well as us seeing a revival of the idea of sharing any other feeling but anger is a sign of weakness.

But since female anger or outrage scares men, what are we supposed to do? We cry, which science now tells us relieves stress hormones.

Then even with that, women have gotten a bad wrap for that too, for "using tears" as "manipulation"  

I'm not saying some women don't - but women like that give the rest of us women a bad name, especially when most "normal" women cry more often in sympathy or empathy, rather than out of their own pain or self-pity.

In fact, over the years, though I can't hide my anxiety disorder, I've become an expert at hiding sorrow, only sharing it with people who I'm sure won't judge. 

Also, I need to add here in full disclosure, that I've been very confused about faith for a while, now - not only after my most loving Christian friend was killed by a drunk driver in May of 2023, driving home from church on a Sunday afternoon, after tending to the church garden ...


... but also because of some things I'd hoped were life-restoration  gifts from God that actually were not ...


... but mostly because today's Christian movement has become so militant, so angry, so demanding, so merciless, so paranoid -  so unable to distinguish between criticism and true persecution - so greedy and selfish - the antithesis of everything Christ stood for, according to my interpretation of who Christ was in his own words.

In fact, dare I say it, today's Christians seem to embody everything that Christ himself preached against.

I believe Christ evolved humanity and human law, even repudiated prior merciless OT law - and we were meant to continue that progression, as we grew as civilizations and understood more about science, and people and the world around us - NOT adhere to and revert back to OT-style merciless law!



Now, I'm no Christian expert, but I have studied comparative religion as well as Christianity, in college, meaning within it's historical and cultural context, which is quite eye-opening. (But don't do it if you're defensive about what you already believe and aren't open to new ways of looking at things and new interpretations, or willing to concede the bible itself was edited twice - at the Council of Nicene and the Council of Trent.)

In doing so, although I think all religious icons have something we can learn from, I rechose Christianity as my faith because he was the only one to die in sacrifice for our redemption.

I also chose Buddhism as adjunctive philosophy, and yes, Christians can do that - because when I say Buddhist philosophy, I mean Buddhism before people started mixing it with ancestor worship, as Buddha himself never meant for Buddhism to be a religion and said "When I'm dead, don't pray to me, I won't hear you. Work out your own salvation with diligence - I'm here to teach you a better way to live."



But no religion is pure - they've all been influenced by the others and prior - including Christianity, who "borrowed" most of their OT law from the merciless Sumerians/Babylonians, their captors, who didn't believe in an afterlife and thus all punishment was swift and merciless, which is why Christ amended or repudiated it - because it's not Judeo-Christian at all.



Regardless, the miracle of Christianity in particular to me is that despite the appropriation from other faiths within the bible itself, despite the heavy editing, despite the mistranslations, despite omissions of important text at the Councils of Nicene and Trent, despite our varying interpretations - Christ's message of love, mercy, self-sacrifice, and servitude somehow still survived the cuts.

Christ's words are unlike anything else in the bible (sometimes even contradicted by Paul later) - but today's Christians seem to focus on everything else in the bible BUT Christ's words. 

Despite my confusion in faith in recent years, I found myself wanting comfort, this week, with Brookie's passing, and there are some pearls in scripture about that, too - if nothing else, that Christ understood our sorrow and suffering very well.

And also, as weird as it sounds, if nothing else, I recognized the timing of things was exactly the way it was supposed to be, which restored my faith - a little. 

Because there was a long wait, a long HR process, for starting my new position - directly for a hospital now instead of a third-party, which is rare in my field - so I had just taken out a personal loan just 2 days before to help pay some bills to tie us over - so I had enough money to pay for her expensive vet care.

Also, as mentioned, she died peacefully, in Mark's arms, and it happened fast. 

Sometimes you think the timing is the worst, but in the end, things happened exactly the way they were supposed to.

Maybe another time you couldn't afford it.   Maybe something else was coming, good or bad, that they wouldn't have been able to handle.  Maybe it was dramatic, inconvenient timing, but if it hadn't happened that way, you wouldn't be reminded of just who and what is important, or with some things like human deaths and human dynamics, to see truth you needed to see, despite unpleasant.

And of course, there is nothing wrong with needing spiritual comfort and guidance, and those of us with introvert bends tend to want to be alone (or with a close select few) when grieving or sad, rather than  needing sympathy or needing to be picked up by others in groups, which is okay, too.  

Everybody grieves differently.

In fact, though I've taken the Myers-Briggs many times, it's been 20 years, and though it may have changed over time, I always tested right on the line between introversion or extroversion and that sounds about right.  At that time, I was either INFP/ENFP, but right on the line regarding introversion/extroversion. 

This essentially means that I like my time to be about 50% alone and the other 50% social-support time.

Though only about 25% of the world's population are introverts, contrary to popular belief, introversion isn't necessarily about being quiet or shy (though that can be a part of it), it's more about how you like to process things, your preference for coping with stress and the amount of time you'd prefer to spend in groups versus alone, etc.

Over time, I have learned to tell other people that I'm going radio-silent for a bit to grieve, etc., so that they know it's not about them, I'm neither abandoning them nor ghosting them, and I'm okay or will be okay - it's just about needing private alone time.

But at some point, it's important to realize there's life out there outside our own pain, people with even greater grief and burdens than yours, and since you know what that feels like to any degree, it's important to reach out of your own pain and help others suffering.

However, finding that church or Christian volunteer organization is tricky because it's become so political.  The focus of today's Christianity ain't what it used to be.  

It's appears to be about using the bible a rigid, black-or-white moral rule book for the sort of people that apparently have no internal moral compass and thus need something outside of themselves to stop them from engaging in unhealthy behaviors. 

These "moral" rules apparently now only apply only to sex, gender and reproductive issues, completely ignoring that Christ himself never mentioned these things at all and mostly preached against greed, power abuse, deceit, and showing compassion.

Worse, they then unfortunately use these rules to shame/beat other people up with so that they can feel better about themselves and more in control. This has always been around, of course, but it has caught fire to a level I've never seen in my lifetime.

Now - I worded it that way, "by the sort of people who need something outside of themselves to stop them," for a reason - because this is addict behavior.

And in fact, Jesus is used by many like a drug to get a personal high from - especially in America - which is why so many alcoholics/addicts are drawn to it.

And if you think it's not harmful like a drug, think again - especially for others around them. Look at our politics, right now. Look at the worst case scenario, killing people as witches and heretics.

For many, it's about the self-uplift, the feeling of acceptance, belonging and being loved unconditionally of Christ, of Christ understanding their own struggles (though the church itself is so NOT like that).

Though the uplift and feeling unconditionally loved/belonging is part of it, the actual focus of Christ's sermons is about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you and standing up to power abuse - WITHOUT - the goal of gaining anything in return OR converting anyone to Christianity.

In fact, Christ is very specific differentiating between "evangelizing" and "proselytizing," actually chiding the Pharisees for the latter.

"Evangelism" is sharing the good news to people who either haven't heard (which is rare in today's word) and/or who have expressed interest in it.

"Proselytizing" is preaching and doing good deeds with the goal of conversion.

Unfortunately, most of today's Christians do not know the difference and actually believe Christianity is about proselytizing and converting others, "saving souls," when Christ commanded nothing of the sort.

The Great Commission in is about "evangelizing" - NOT proseytizing.

Need proof?

Let's compare words Christ used.

Matthew 23:15

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

What did Christ mean here?


I think Christ is pretty clear, here - Christ meant your travel and interactions with the goal of conversion - especially forceful, but even doing good works with travel with the goal of conversion - was actually a sinful act deserving of hell..



Now - The Great Commission - which has actually been mistranslated from its original Koine Greek.

Our English interpretation of Matthew 28:16-20 says this:

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Here's where the mistranslation lies -- πορευθέντες (“go”).

This actually means "as you are going" in Greek, not an imperative command of "Go."

In other words, it means he was telling the disciples as they spread the good news to people who hadn't ever heard it, "evangelizing," they were to baptize those who choose it to become fellow disciples along the way.

It therefore is NOT a commandment, it is instruction for the disciples at a specific time, when the world had not yet heard of Christ, and it definitely does NOT mean to proseltyze or force anyone into Christianity as a convert.

Also - and most importantly - verse 18 is the most important.

Jesus said right before this instruction that "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

That means God and Christ do the conversion work, not us - which should've been a precursor clue that Christ was instructing not to proselytize, but to assist others into becoming disciples of Christ who have heard the good news and show interest.


Therefore, IMO, if you were doing your good works for the goal of conversion points for yourself or your church, rather than the benefit of the person you're helping, then you are, in fact, sinning and will make the proselyte "twice as much" a child of hell/sinner than yourself.




So totally confused about what Christ really wanted now? 😂


No worries - if nothing else, Christ's ultimate sacrifice should make it abundantly clear.


We are to follow suit and serve, even making personal sacrifices, with the goal of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us  with no other goal than helping others/betterment of humanity as extension of the love of God  - period.

Illustrating the point perhaps better than any act Christ took just before his death was what we call "Maundy Thursday."


John 13:1 - 17

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.  

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”  

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”  

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”  

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.

 

13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

At this time, kneeling down to wash others' feet was a very humble, subservient act. 

Was he telling them to do it with the goal of conversion of others?

Was he telling them to only do it for other Christians or people they cared about?

ABSOLUTELY NOT. 

He commanded them - actually using the word "command" to once again, do unto others as you would have them do unto you and that "no master is greater than his servant."

Also, interestingly, John 12 is worth a read in conjunction to his words just before: 

47 And if anyone hears My words and does not [g]believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.

Ho, hoooo, my fellow Christians - Christ is saying here that others reject him, Christ himself does not judge, that is up to his father, God, on judgment day.

Therefore, if Christ himself does not judge rejection of himself and leaves reward/punishment to God for choosing him in free will, why aren't we again, and why are we so obsessed with conversion of others?

In fact, why are we trying to now force our entire nation to follow Christ - especially by your own likely misinterpretation of him?

Okay, but don't forget, fellow Christians -  Christ offers a double-entendre warning in Matthew 18 of what awaits you if you were cause "little ones" (meaning God's children to stumble in their faith) because of your own actions; in fact, he states that "greater a millstone be hung around they neck and thrown into the deepest ocean that what awaits you from God's punishment."

Now -  once again, I do not claim to be an expert on Christianity, nor do I demand anyone else interprets Christ the way I do - but I DO take issue with the selfish direction modern Christianity is taking.

But if you do dig my interpretation - or more accurately, my focus on verses other Christians like to ignore - here are the takeaways:

TAKEAWAYS

1.  Jesus is NOT a replacement drug for your addictions, or a self-uplifting high off of t all. 

In fact, he's not to be used solely to make yourself "feel better" and get through life - he expects stewardship of others and yes, even requests selflessness and self-sacrifice if for the betterment of humanity. 

 

2.  Conversely, Jesus never "commanded" that you convert anybody, forcefully or under the guises of doing good deeds with the goal of conversion.   

 

Christ instructed - not commanded - sharing the good news "along the way" to those who haven't heard it (which is rare in today's world) and baptizing them as disciples - IF - they showed interest/chose to in their God-given free will.    

In fact, nowhere in the bible does it say you get extra reward points in heaven for doing so, and it does NOT say it is your job to "save people from hell.  

In fact, according to Matthew 23, it is more likely that you are making them "twice a child of hell" with your pushing or your forceful conversion attempts.

It only says he will say "Well done by good and faithful servant" - IF - you followed his commandments - but remember, Christ only gave two, loving God above all else in your life AND loving your neighbor than yourself.    

So then if you're honest, the only reason you're trying to actively trying to convert people, either through force or even good works or talking about Jesus every time you speak with someone, it's done out of actual selfishness - imaging you'll get some extra reward points for yourself or your church, or even your own insecurity - not for them or for God.  

And if you imagine that there will be some punishment for NOT converting others - where is THAT in the bible again? 

Christ's commandments never included doing good deeds for others as a means of conversion, but out out of nothing more than the love of/betterment of humanity, as an extension of himself.

 

Therefore, servitude should never come with any attachment goals of conversion or votes or anything else, either for yourself or your church - these good deeds are to be done to better the lives of others and humanity - period. 

Also, note that he never says "Other Christians" or "Only other _____ people" -  he says "others" - period.  

 

3)   Unless you humble yourself to serve others, regardless of leadership or position, serving others in humility - doing unto others as you would have them do unto you - then you are NOT following Christ's actual commandments - not instruction, commandments.

 

Not only did Christ say the millstone thing, but he also said that you can heal, cast out demons in Christ's name, but if you also sew discord, work iniquity and strife, he will still say "Depart from me, I never knew you."  (Matthew 7:21-23) 

 

5.  If you're using the bible as some sort of moral rulebook for yourself on how to behave and what's right/wrong, as well as feel more comfortable/less out of control - either because you otherwise have no internal moral compass or need something outside of yourself to guide you in general - it doesn't mean everyone else does.

 

The above sentence is doubly true if you limit your morality to sex. 

So if you are using the bible as just your sexual morality rulebook  - and worse, imposing these as rules on others - not only have you completely ignored Christ's message in favor of others' passages, but you're completely missing out on the total height, breadth, and depth of Christ's actual message about the true love of God.  

 

5)  Understand the difference between criticism and and persecution and stop being so defensive out of your own insecurity; self-examine first?. 

 

Is there something you're doing as a self-proposed Christian that could legitimately be perceived as hurtful, rude, cruel, exclusive, or mean?  

Have you demanded your own way, under the guises of Christianity or not, above all other ways, imposing just your version of Christianity and conversion on everyone else, then called it "persecution" when criticized for doing so, after someone(s) was adversely affected by your doing so?  

Have you caused others to stumble because of your actions or misinterpretations is scripture?   

 

Then above passages encourage you, according to Christ, to self-examine your behavior as a Christian and to take criticism - NOT automatically jump to persecution when others have done so.    

Perhaps the way you are doing things instead according to your personality as a human, and it's hurting others or causing others to stumble in Christ's name? 

In that case, it's not persecution - it means it's time for self-examination and self-correction, demanding what YOU want over others. 

All of the above to say, if you have jumped on the current Christian political bandwagon to follow the way of greed, paranoia,  mercilessness, demanding of your own way or faith,  labeling anyone not just like you your "enemy," then ask yourself if who you're following is really Christ or Christ based - because these are things that Christ would never, ever condone, and actually preached against. 

Also know this - this current behavior by self-proposed Christians in politics is causing many, many "little ones" and others struggling in their Christian faith to stumble, and causing some to turn away completely. 

Because it appears, at least to me, that today's Christians do not know the difference between "value" and "love" anymore? 

Perhaps that is because not a single one of our self-proposed Christian politicians appear to know the difference. 

This weekend, I am going to focus not on what I value but what I love = and serve them accordingly.

Will you join me? 

Happy Easter 😊

 

How about Matthew







For evidence that there was a difference to Christ is this:




Unfortunately, many Christian faiths today do not