PERSONHOOD Ohio (see Association of Pro-Life Physicians) Can’t Read Its Own Manual (the Bible) on “When Life Begins” [Publ. Jan. 28, 2012]..” @ (too many quotes!!) 26,929 words; short-link ends “-10d.”

AS I WROTE IN January, 2012…

This section developed in the middle of yesterday’s post summarizing the memorable event of 1996, namely former President Bill Clinton’s signing of the welfare bill, and the after-effects of creating an invasive and power-to-incarcerate (and garnish paychecks) child support system upon the entire nation.  Don’t ask me which search led to discovering “PERSONHOOD Ohio” but once it did, it definitely had my attention!

I have grappled with the implications and wish to explain that this is NOT a “Christian” view or anything resembling it, if “Christian” has anything to do with actually reading the Bible, understanding to whom its various books were addressed, what millennium (and stage of the history of The Chosen People they were addressed), having a vague concept of “context,” and (finally) in general, exhibiting what is pretty darn clear in the gospels, Acts and New Testament, is the gist and purpose of Christians and their relationship to the present world.  It’s in that last part where the contradictions are most extreme – – while Jesus said “my kingdom is not of this world,” the so-called followers have been very much concerned with establishing all kinds of kingdoms and dominions and exerting institutional (not spiritual) control over this world.

Finally, a little closer look shows that very accurate scriptural reading (in fact by translators through the centuries) which builds the habit of at least, attention, has produced men who contributed ALSO scientific advances in the study of the human body and who helped topple abusive and murderous regimes.  Why?  Because they were out of step with their times, and followed their instinctual love of observation, logic, attention to detail and consistently comparing what scripture read to what the religious leaders of their times pushed forth.

It seems that attention in language also relates to attention in science.

Others of this, though they still retained various prejudices (I’m now reading how Martin Luther was also anti-Semite) (and we know that the founders of this country, many, were slaveowners), they STILL changed the status quo for the better by challenging the FOUNDATION of man’s authority over man.

_ _ _ _

There is a point to limiting abortion, for example, partial-birth abortion (I don’t believe that either Bush or Obama were that great on this issue.  I’ll check, though).  It can get out of hand, and the fact is that aborting a fetus DOES end a life, and/or a potential life.  But that is no excuse for the kind of rhetoric, or propositions that PERSON HOOD Ohio puts forth, or how it puts them forth.  True to the religious tradition (se e”Inquisition” “Crusades” “Holocaust” (Hitler was a “Christian,” right? ), when they can’t persuade people by reason — or example, they call up on God and then head towards military or governmental domination by force.  Not exactly Jesus’ methods, who “humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians) before GOD (and not his fellow men) exalted him.

I have been listening (some) to analysis of the Republican candidates for President of the U.S.A.   Not real encouraging.  I heard Michelle Bachmann speak today on “Facing the Nation” (TV).  Yuck, dripping with sincerity, as is Romney.  I also heard Florida Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schulz (Head of DNC).   And I’m opposed to “Obamacare.”   I hope this post (for those who get through it) may outline some of the heritage and mentality of this element within the Republican Party, and why they are such a joke to truth, logic, and honesty — which are THE most important qualifications we should demand as voters to anyone heading up this country.

I grappled with this for two days.  Any further linguistic or grammar mistakes (through incomplete edits or omissions), you can still read the overall and get the gist of my message, I’m sure.

So, POST is in two parts:

(1)

The extended introduction (in conversational form) I hope outlines why I stand where I do, and why those who have not yet confronted within themselves the existence of “evil” (as well as “good”) in this world, as a just about tangible entity, are simply not qualified to help others, and will be used by them.

Probably 95% of the “intervention” and behavioral change programs we all are paying for (through out government) do not accept the existence of evil and/or good per se, and hence have to fabricate different ways to describe a situation, such as pathology or lack of education.  This works great of you are a forensic psychologist or LOVE educational theories and testing them on OP (other people).

The book of Hebrews 5 puts it this way:

14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Meat is a metaphor (?) for  knowledge, that which, when chewed it up, swallowed, digested & assimilated (don’t forget excreting the indigestible!) results in understanding (discernment).  This usage seems consistent throughout the Bible, referring to doctrine or knowledge as something eaten or drunk.  For example, “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” or “I am the bread of life” (spoken in John 6, after a miraculous expansion of loaves & fishes to feed the multitudes), or “Desire the sincere milk of the word,” etc.  It’s throughout.  People worked harder for food in those days than our pre-processed, shrink-wrapped, fast-foods, a supermarket on the corner society;  it was obviously significant.  They also were likely more aware of what it took to get from plant or animal to the mouth.

The act of eating and drinking brings something into ones body for use, breakdown into component parts and nourishment, excreting the indigestible, etc.  It takes time and energy and it’s a good analogy and simple one — typical of the book.  Jesus in John 4:34 said “my meat is to the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.”  How simple is that?  It’s what sustained him, gave him energy even when he was (as in that case) tired.

In that verse, I hear, those who have not practiced discerning (separating) GOOD from EVIL are not ready for strong meat.  This is part of digesting truth– knowing the difference. And knowing that difference is as important as taste, it is vital to life.  (Imagine, if you could not taste ingested poison!) Sense are to be exercised to discern the difference, and this happens through practice — it is an acquired skill

We live, however, in a time of force-fed progaganda through mass media which is EVERYwhere, for the most part, containing words, images, and sounds.  It is even more important now to discern good from evil (let alone true from false).  Unless we’re OK with intravenous feeding (pre-processed, with censorship) of the thoughts and ideas that drive our lives, and governments.

In Hebrews 5 context, one hears the writer’s exasperation, reviewing basic principles of who is Christ as a Priest after the order of Melchizidek (bear with me a moment, OK?) it appears even then, matters of “personhood” (namely, Christ’s) were somewhat confused and needed to be set straight.  The writer scolds the listeners for needing to be taught again — by now, they should be teachers, but apparently they hadn’t sharpened their tools (“senses”) through use.  The chapter is dealing with the topic of a priest, commonly understood even now, as to be someone who intercedes, being a man, on behalf of men, vis a vis God:

5So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.{{i.e., high priests are called — they don’t call themselves.  Christ didn’t call himself, ergo was not “God”}} 6As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 7Who in the days of his flesh, when he (Jesus) had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him (God) that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. 11Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

No wonder, centuries ago, a method of living together within the U.S. which restrained the religiously zealous and equally indoctrinated was devised, in good part by those who were less than convinced, some of them possibly of the miraculous, spiritual matters though they accepted Jesus’ summary of ethics.

They wisely saw that matters of spirituality should not be legislated, indeed could not, and put some chains on the thing.   This was 1700s; being quite aware of recent history {{i.e., recent, ongoing, religious wars in Europe}} and realizing this could lead to more wars, bloodshed, book-burnings, and burnings at the stake, creating a caste of fugitives — again, somehow, then, a Declaration of Independence, a War FOR Independence and a Constitution (and Bill of Rights) were consolidated.

EVERY US President who takes office, and many other (not all) public leaders, have to swear allegiance to it, to uphold and defend it.  Ha, ha, ha. ….

Most of mainstream Christianity — and I’m going to hazard a guess that PERSONHOOD OHIO is somewhere in the mix — has accepted, according to the powers that be, that there is a trinity, that Jesus Christ was in fact God, and that’s that.  This, I am finding out, has ramifications far, far beyond the realm of religion and spirituality, because it gets down to matters as simple as, can you (did you?) read what’s written or are you making it up as you go?

WOULD YOU?

And I do not want people “making it up as they go” to be determining whether my daughters, for example, “God forbid,” should they become pregnant by rape or other horrible deed, are to be subjected to a nationwide, religious-based criminalization of them for not following through with childbirth, based on the convoluted determination of when life begins by people who have far less concern apparently about loss of life after such pregnancies, or in the foster care system, {or through domestic violence}, for example.

Today on the news, there was a horrible statistic, in which a 19 year old male is suspected (not convicted) of stabbing to death the mother of their child, who happens to be 15 years old.  The child was nine months old, so potentially, it could’ve been an age-fourteen childbirth, or age-fifteen, but either way, that child is now motherless, and (due to imminent jail) fatherless.   Interview with the victim’s younger brother indicated they were arguing with who gets the baby for weekends, i.e., custody.    It appears that the young woman was living with her family who seemed supportive, yet imagine if this 14-year old had used contraception and not such tragedy started this child’s life — imagine, 10 years from now, and that not being an option.

AND THEN I HAVE BELOW, PART 2 of the Post:

(2)

This part, with lots of scripture quotes, is a little FAQ for anyone who might oppose the general concept of giving fertilized eggs personhood and criminalizing ALL abortion, no matter for what cause.

A little scriptural ammo, in case you get tired of simply citing separation of church and state, or civil rights for same-sex marriage (an argument I’m sure won’t be won among this crowd).

“PERSONHOOD Ohio” (and they’re in other states) really got under my skin yesterday, because of their simple, consistent, bludgeoning of their own scripture (which I take as mine too, i.e., that Bible), while citing it to stop, potentially, things like contraception and increase the ranks of babies brought into this world.

Pray {{and/or take other care to ensure..}} you don’t hire one as a defense attorney!  The same habit in legal field would spit out irrelevant cites, and potentially make a fool of your case in court.  The same habit in the medical field could justify dangerous and wildly inaccurate procedures based on simply not taking the time to look carefully, and in a detached, objective manner, at the facts. Believe me, it’s habit-forming. Sound judgment doesn’t develop through just getting turned on during the work day and off on the weekends…

On the website, the inaccuracy, the improper handling of scripture (which isn’t THAT hard to read, the portions they quoted) was then carried over into their handlings of statistics (rarely produced) and, just a side note, the corporate status of one of the two groups (with the same incorporator & street address) HAS expired, it reads “cancelled” (for failure to file) — yet they are still advertising in more than one state for donations.  Typical!

MY RESPONSE:

I am angry at myself for having engaged in the foolishness of this group, and have tried to redeem the lost time by publishing what I found looking more closely.   Just how truly sloppy the quotation and cites were, not to mention out of context and anachronistic.   This type of observation applied to the  most important book such groups supposedly use for backup should not be overlooked.  You have my permission to engage and if possible expose how flimsy the reasoning is.  Please do, and do so on-line IF you have processed the information.

This may (??) have a little more impact than simply fighting them by saying, you’re religious, religious groups are anti-gay, anti-abortion, etc.  Beat them on their own ground, which is shaky.  If they want to come out of superficial and fraudulent spirituality back into the land of observable facts, then that also could be engaged.

I realize this particular group is definitely not the most powerful one around, or significant, but principles count, and the prime climate for fascist takeover is confusion.  (See Naomi Klein, “The Shock Doctrine”).   They are being “used” and can be used by anyone.

The matter of abortion IS a legitimate issue, and this is not an easy one — it does bring into conflict the purpose and meaning of life.  That is a deep discussion — but some simply do not qualify to even be at that table, at least not from the Biblical side.

I have no idea what the self-excuses were for the many religious people & groups who saw {our situation, the routine violence and its impact on our home//LGH 2018}, and did nothing other than open their doors occasionally for an overnight when we fled {{a violent incident in the home or imminent threat of one}}.  Somehow, it never disrupted their routine more than temporarily. I cannot see that anyone changed their viewpoints to actually, NEXT time, call the police and seek to get a batterer arrested, or even acknowledged it as a crime.

I carry a long list and awareness of just who in which communities was involved, and note that their passivity in the face of such outrage is matched by those of their flocks.

But I know that all of these fell into the categories above of black ink.  Not red, and not blue.  Who knows, perhaps I have something to do in this lifetime to push back some of the curtains and help with some language interpretation, from the inside out.

Tax Perks for Religious Groups need to Go!

When I say that I truly believe NO church, mosque, or synagogue should receive ANY nonprofit status — I am utterly serious.  Let them balance their books like everyone else, and stop fleecing their own flocks, while doing soup kitchens and sometimes even opening doors to homeless created, in part, by their own policies of silence on spouse abuse, and complicit in systemic oppression of their own populations, then meeting weekly to solace them in their distress and poverty.

That was intro.  Here we go:

(1)  The world may, it seems, be classified into those who are/who:

• NOT RELIGIOUS, OR “SPIRITUAL” BUT STRIVES TO BE ETHICAL & TOLERANT WITHIN SOCIETY

• VAGUELY (OR SPECIFICALLY) “SPIRITUAL,” BUT NOT ATTENDING

• HONESTLY UNINTERESTED IN THE AFTERLIFE, BUT ATTEMPT TO LIVE HONESTLY & ETHICALLY & PRODUCTIVELY IN THIS ONE.

• INTEND TO RUN THE WORLD (WITH COLLEAGUES) BY ANY MEANS, NECESSARY, INCL. WAR &/OR GENOCIDE OF “INFERIORS,” AND HAS A PLAN IN OPERATION, TRAP SET BUT HAS NOT YET BEEN SPRUNG.