Gender confusion

[Falco Knotwise]

Interestingly, the original Hypocratic Oath taken in Greece included this ...

I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.

Americans traditionally defended the rights of doctors and patients so long as the medical profession was practiced according to traditional medical ethics.

Just a small point of clarification omitted by many people today when talking about Americans' traditional support for medical practices.

[temporal1]

Falco:
.. Not sure if that last sentence was intended to characterize sex change operations or not, however, that these practices do seem to "transform the healing profession into a technocracy" to achieve purposes that were once considered beyond the medical profession does seem to be a valid point.

Not to ignore: Technocracy, AT MAGNIFICENT PROFIT to big pharma providers, protected+guaranteed by gov policy.

Search SCOTT NEWGENT in this topic for his first-person ADULT experience, sharing “a word to the wise” on minor exposure.

All of my adult life i’ve been frustrated at how “we pawns on the bottom” argue endlessly over morality - while amoral profiteers control the strings, morality is NEVER an issue for them. Only for its power to DIVIDE the masses.

It’s sickening. Whether over abortion, elective surgeries for minors, war, it’s all the same.
Pawns duking it out on the ground, profiteers protecting their profits, smugly removed from the fray.

Literally, people go to the death fighting these ugly battles. True Believers.

[Falco Knotwise]

Falco:
.. Not sure if that last sentence was intended to characterize sex change operations or not, however, that these practices do seem to "transform the healing profession into a technocracy" to achieve purposes that were once considered beyond the medical profession does seem to be a valid point.

Not to ignore: Technocracy, AT MAGNIFICENT PROFIT to big pharma providers, protected+guaranteed by gov policy.

Search SCOTT NEWGENT in this topic for his first-person ADULT experience, sharing “a word to the wise” on minor exposure.

All of my adult life i’ve been frustrated at how “we pawns on the bottom” argue endlessly over morality - while amoral profiteers control the strings, morality is NEVER an issue for them. Only for its power to DIVIDE the masses.

It’s sickening. Whether over abortion, elective surgeries for minors, war, it’s all the same.
Pawns duking it out on the ground, profiteers protecting their profits, smugly removed from the fray.

Literally, people go to the death fighting these ugly battles. True Believers.

They don't argue morality any more because it can't be won. If taken on its own ground - rational thought with respect to moral issues - Christianity has won all the moral arguments.

So they don't argue moral points rationally anymore, they just dismiss it all as a relic of ancient past. "Nobody believes that anymore. You can't prove that with science!"

An appeal to rights and an undefined freedom, therefore, is supposed to put an end to all thought on the matter.

Works for all politicians and corporate power mongers alike.

[Falco Knotwise]

Addendum: we don't don't rationally consider Truth in the public sphere either.

In fact, those subjects (Truth, Religion, morality) are all supposedly connected with absolutes, which are supposed to be dangerous by their very nature, leading to divisiveness and fanaticism. Those things must be ostracized from the public realm.

We don't want to discuss Jesus in the public realm. Give us Barabbas!

What does get discussed a lot is the Big Lie that the supposed "Wars of Religion" have clearly demonstrated that "religion," "truth" and "morality" have no place in the public life of citizens. For the safety of all concerned we must banish them to the private sphere.

Give us Barrabas!

Those who disagree with the Big Lie are all right wing reactionaries longing to return to an illusionary Golden Age, willing to do it by venting their irrational hatred, bigotry on the world. They are simply uncompromising and motivated by an irrational fear of progressive change.

That's the Great Modern Lie, the founding myth of the Liberal revolution, on which all is based today.

At least that's how I'm starting to see it.

[Ken]

Addendum: we don't don't rationally consider Truth in the public sphere either.

In fact, those subjects (Truth, Religion, morality) are all supposedly connected with absolutes, which are supposed to be dangerous by their very nature, leading to divisiveness and fanaticism. Those things must be ostracized from the public realm.

We don't want to discuss Jesus in the public realm. Give us Barabbas!

What does get discussed a lot is the Big Lie that the supposed "Wars of Religion" have clearly demonstrated that "religion," "truth" and "morality" have no place in the public life of citizens. For the safety of all concerned we must banish them to the private sphere.

Give us Barrabas!

Those who disagree with the Big Lie are all right wing reactionaries longing to return to an illusionary Golden Age, willing to do it by venting their irrational hatred, bigotry on the world. They are simply uncompromising and motivated by an irrational fear of progressive change.

That's the Great Modern Lie, the founding myth of the Liberal revolution, on which all is based today.

At least that's how I'm starting to see it.

The public sphere isn't about discovering truths or "Truths"

It is about creating ground rules for a diverse society to live by: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal;" freedom of religion, speech, and assembly; equal protection under the law, etc.

Within those fundamental ground rules, everyone is free to seek their own Truths. But also respect the Truths of others.

In a society with hundreds of different Christian groups as well as Muslims, Jews, Hindus, followers of native religions, or of no religion at all, there is never going to be any consensus as to one single Truth about anything. The days when a single uniform Truth could be discerned and agreed to at a place like the Council of Nicaea are in the distant past and have been for centuries.

You are, of course, free to discuss and promote any truth our morality you want in the public realm. No one is ostracizing anything. But of course others are also free to disagree or more likely, pay you no mind. Which is what I suspect upsets some conservatives the most. That people are just paying them no mind and they are just shouting into the wind.

[Josh]

The public sphere isn't about discovering truths or "Truths"

So truth doesn't exist?

It is about creating ground rules for a diverse society to live by: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal;" freedom of religion, speech, and assembly; equal protection under the law, etc.

Since when is it about "creating ground rules for diverse society to live by"? (For starters, where did you get the assumption that America or other societies were founded as "diverse societies"? That is a relatively recent invention of the 20th century.)

In a society with hundreds of different Christian groups as well as Muslims, Jews, Hindus, followers of native religions, or of no religion at all, there is never going to be any consensus as to one single Truth about anything. The days when a single uniform Truth could be discerned and agreed to at a place like the Council of Nicaea are in the distant past and have been for centuries.

None of this changes the fact that truth is truth and everything else is falsehood, and yes, I think Jesus (who is the only light of truth that there is) should indeed be front and centre in the public square.

In fact, that's exactly what he came to earth for, and is also why the political leaders of his day killed him: he had the audacity to speak the truth in the public sphere.

You are, of course, free to discuss and promote any truth our morality you want in the public realm. No one is ostracizing anything. But of course others are also free to disagree or more likely, pay you no mind. Which is what I suspect upsets some conservatives the most. That people are just paying them no mind and they are just shouting into the wind.

Ah, yes, the old "It's fine if you practice religion privately, but don't you dare ever express it in public." As I have said earlier, a true follower of Jesus follows Christ in every area of their life - including if they are a teacher, a school principal, a school board member, a janitor, or any other job. The modern, secular state demans that the schoolteacher or the school board member effectively turn off their faith before making any decisions. It is, effectively, asking us to stop following Christ and instead follow some kind of state-mandated religion.

[Falco Knotwise]

You are, of course, free to discuss and promote any truth our morality you want in the public realm. No one is ostracizing anything. But of course others are also free to disagree or more likely, pay you no mind. Which is what I suspect upsets some conservatives the most. That people are just paying them no mind and they are just shouting into the wind.

Well, thanks for being kind enough to give me some attention then. Ken.

[Ken]

The public sphere isn't about discovering truths or "Truths"

So truth doesn't exist?

It is about creating ground rules for a diverse society to live by: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal;" freedom of religion, speech, and assembly; equal protection under the law, etc.

Since when is it about "creating ground rules for diverse society to live by"? (For starters, where did you get the assumption that America or other societies were founded as "diverse societies"? That is a relatively recent invention of the 20th century.)

In a society with hundreds of different Christian groups as well as Muslims, Jews, Hindus, followers of native religions, or of no religion at all, there is never going to be any consensus as to one single Truth about anything. The days when a single uniform Truth could be discerned and agreed to at a place like the Council of Nicaea are in the distant past and have been for centuries.

None of this changes the fact that truth is truth and everything else is falsehood, and yes, I think Jesus (who is the only light of truth that there is) should indeed be front and centre in the public square.

In fact, that's exactly what he came to earth for, and is also why the political leaders of his day killed him: he had the audacity to speak the truth in the public sphere.

You are, of course, free to discuss and promote any truth our morality you want in the public realm. No one is ostracizing anything. But of course others are also free to disagree or more likely, pay you no mind. Which is what I suspect upsets some conservatives the most. That people are just paying them no mind and they are just shouting into the wind.

Ah, yes, the old "It's fine if you practice religion privately, but don't you dare ever express it in public." As I have said earlier, a true follower of Jesus follows Christ in every area of their life - including if they are a teacher, a school principal, a school board member, a janitor, or any other job. The modern, secular state demans that the schoolteacher or the school board member effectively turn off their faith before making any decisions. It is, effectively, asking us to stop following Christ and instead follow some kind of state-mandated religion.

Yes the United States was founded as a diverse society. One of the most diverse on the planet at that time. The colonies were a polyglot of English, Scottish, Gaelic, German, Swedish, Dutch, dozens of native languages, and Black Africans from the West Indies and west Africa speaking their own tongues and bringing their own cultures. And in their wake came more Irish, Italians, Poles, Chinese, and others in wave after wave of immigration. And it was not just races and ethnicities, there were a diversity of religions as well.

And yes, you are free to practice your religion as much as you want in public and right there in the public square. When has that ever not been the case? In the public square, on the public airwaves, online, anywhere you want frankly. We just don't expect the government itself to endorse a particular version of any one religion, or discriminate on the basis of religion. But you should be comfortable with that concept if you are Anabaptist. That is the fundamental principle of Two Kingdom theology.

And no, no one is asking you to turn off your faith if you are a school teacher or school board member. They are simply asking you, in your role as a government employee or representative of the government, to uphold the constitution and not discriminate on the basis of religion. Or on any other basis for that matter. That is a pretty simple concept for most to grasp. And most people have no trouble with it whatsoever.

[Josh]

And no, no one is asking you to turn off your faith if you are a school teacher or school board member. They are simply asking you, in your role as a government employee or representative of the government, to uphold the constitution and not discriminate on the basis of religion. Or on any other basis for that matter. That is a pretty simple concept for most to grasp. And most people have no trouble with it whatsoever.

Except that, as Christians, we believe what the New Testament teaches us, including about certain things that are very grave sins. And somehow I don't think our government would accept me for very long as a schoolteacher or school board member if I spoke honestly and freely about how serious I think clear sins in the New Testament are.

And yes, these things are the unvarnished truth. Heaven and hell are very real, and there is nothing more important than understanding that truth. Yet the "public square" has been decayed to something that promotes... what, exactly? Some kind of American civic religion? And just what does America stand for, anyway? As far as I can tell, America's core values are going deeply into debt so that we can buy lots of bombs to bomb other people in other places.

Is that really something anyone should want to proudly stand up for?

[Ken]

And no, no one is asking you to turn off your faith if you are a school teacher or school board member. They are simply asking you, in your role as a government employee or representative of the government, to uphold the constitution and not discriminate on the basis of religion. Or on any other basis for that matter. That is a pretty simple concept for most to grasp. And most people have no trouble with it whatsoever.

Except that, as Christians, we believe what the New Testament teaches us, including about certain things that are very grave sins. And somehow I don't think our government would accept me for very long as a schoolteacher or school board member if I spoke honestly and freely about how serious I think clear sins in the New Testament are.

And yes, these things are the unvarnished truth. Heaven and hell are very real, and there is nothing more important than understanding that truth. Yet the "public square" has been decayed to something that promotes... what, exactly? Some kind of American civic religion? And just what does America stand for, anyway? As far as I can tell, America's core values are going deeply into debt so that we can buy lots of bombs to bomb other people in other places.

Is that really something anyone should want to proudly stand up for?

Yes, you right. You wouldn't make a very good teacher or school board member if you feel that your faith compels you to discriminate against others in your role as a public servant. Nor would you make a good teacher or school board member if you feel your faith compels you to use your position as a public employee to proselytize on behalf of one specific religion or strain of Christianity. Again, this is a pretty simple concept to grasp and most people have no trouble with it whatsoever.

What does America stand for? If you don't know I suggest reading the Declaration of Independence and Constitution followed by the Federalist Papers, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, Jack London, Helen Keller, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, John Steinbeck, Toni Morrison, Martin Luther King, Louise Erdrich and many others.