I don't recall the exact program (it's been about a year or so) but I do remember the incident. Liberal leader, Alan Dershowitz, and a particular "right winger" (whose name escapes me at the moment) were being interviewed on a talking-heads program of some kind on whatever news program. The guy on the right made a simple comment in passing concerning a person of color. Dershowitz went straight to the moon as if someone had uncorked a phosphorous grenade in his skivvies. Out of nowhere he scowled and growled, "That was a racist remark!"
I was stunned because it was so far from a racist remark that it was ridiculous. "That wasn't a racist remark", was the cool and immediate response from the conservative gent. Even the commentator agreed that the remark wasn't even close to being racist. "Yes it was!" averred Mr. Party Pooper. What concerned me was that Dershowitz only heard the word "black" and "man" and re-wrote the man's entire context and meaning! He literally didn't hear what the guy said!
This "non-hearing" truth-avoiding phenomenon is something that I've noticed with all consistency with liberalism. It is part and parcel of their thought process. It is important to note because it is by "hearing the truth" that we are made free. Christ Jesus states: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Joh 8:31-32). This spiritual principle is universal: it is only by the word of God that you have hearing that brings both faith and truth (His word being "the truth").
There are a couple of dynamics involved with "non-hearing". One concerns those folks (liberal or conservative) who are quite pride-filled about how all-knowing, educated, and intelligent they are. The Bible has something interesting to say about this phenomenon: " ... Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth" (1 Corinthians 8:1). The problem is pride and pride is a universal issue with humans regardless of political persuasion. People are filled with whatever knowledge they seek but, being humans, are soon filled with pride according to this principal.
Note that truthful or accurate knowledge is not a requirement here. It means whatever knowledge learned whether it is good, bad, or indifferent. For instance, having vast amounts of mathematical knowledge is as likely to make a person as prideful as someone who has vast amounts of the knowledge of English. The Bible has no other qualifiers on this matter. Therefore, if a man is filled with great knowledge and is a conservative he has the same potential of being as prideful as a liberal with much education (unless, of course, he understands the Bible and guards himself from such).
There is a second universal phenomenon as well and one not mentioned in the above example with Dershowitz. That is the matter of being so emotional that "facts" just don"t matter. It is a dynamic that afflicts all humans and it is irrespective of politics and doctrines. People are so firmly entrenched in their feelings and beliefs that the truth is sacrificed on there personal altar of emotion (and pride). Because "truth" is never hidden (but must be sought after) and is completely unnecessary, this results in nothing less than a default "refusal" to hear the truth.
It isn't difficult to see this exact dynamic during the O.J. Trial in 1994. Facts just didn't seem to matter. Evidence and truth were irrelevant and no amount of it was going to be allowed to confuse the issue. The jury not only refused to hear what the prosecution was saying, they didn't want to hear what they themselves were saying about the matter. Some of their reasoning was "non-reasoning" and irrational. This attitude is more than a little dangerous but is a common phenomenon.
We should certainly note at this point that this is where liberal demagoguery that defends "un-truth" rears its ugly head. To a liberal, "truth" is whatever an individual believes (without qualification!) and is what's left after someone wins an argument or debate (e.g. after all the screaming and shouting is over with Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, or Louis Farrakhan). They feverishly orate and pontificate to defend their belief system and not to search for "the truth" in a sane and rational way. In fact, bottom-line truth is irrelevant because, to a liberal, truth is relative and subjective to the individual and is without a "standard" (i.e. God's word is the standard for truth and it is not subjective and is not subject to change). Liberals make their own rules.
While I usually attribute such "hear no truth, speak no truth, see no truth" aberrancies to liberals, I am appalled to note that there are an inordinate number of conservatives who are now deceived into thinking with this same dysfunctional dynamic. In other words, they have allowed themselves to become victims of the "spirit of error". There are only two spirits: the "Spirit of truth" from God and the "spirit of error" which is of the world (1 John 4:6). Christians are "in the world" but, to be "of the world" and therefore of the "spirit of error" is inexcusable. Jesus put it this way when the disciples wanted to call fire down and scorch the citizens of certain village that rejected Him: "But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of" (Lu 9:55). To avoid being "liberal mindedness", Christians need to seek "the truth" of God's word.
One contemporary example is that of Republican Senator John Danforth who wrote a book, "Faith and Politics", that, in essence, is advising the Republican Party to forsake conservatism (and, by default, Christianity and Christian values) for the sake of politics (and it's working).
Another and perhaps most notable example is that of Democrat Howard Dean and the rah- rah-rallying and yelling with his (election campaign) troops in 2004. All the guy did was to give the "Rebel yell" to help spur the faithful. That's all it was. It wasn't a "melt down" as it was egregiously labeled by Republicans. The Republicans made a field day of a matter that shouldn’t have even so much as raised an eyebrow. They turned something that was utterly trivial into the battle of the Little Big Horn in the same way that Dershowitz turned a breeze into a hurricane. This leaves Republicans reasoning with the "spirit of erro" at the shamefully low level of liberals. This ought not be (though it is somewhat understandable that the liberals would reap what they sow).
Make no mistake; I'm no "Deanie Bopper" by any means. He's not my cup of pea gravel. But, I would never shoot a man in the back like that. The point is that I was deeply disturbed to see the Republicans emergency-dump their minds and descend upon him like piranhas on a bloody foot in a shallow pond.
Stop and think about it; right wing or wrong wing who would want to vote for someone who had no heart and wasn't passionate about their cause? This is what's called common sense (what an amazing concept). Surely the Republicans hated Dean and wanted an excuse to gun him down in the streets of Laredo. But to cast rationality into the toilet for the purpose of political gain and expediency is inexcusable. That's playing on Looney turf and is unacceptable to anyone with a sense of conscience and who has any semblance of decency. And, that is the point: conservatives are playing ball like the liberals and it is erroneous and of the "spirit of error".
This is serious cause for alarm. There has to be at least some link to reality and sanity. There has to be a standard of common sense and decency that is in consistent alignment with our Constitution and that is above political corruption and contamination. It would be reasonable to assume that the "conservatives" would be such a link because it is certain that the "Looney Left" isn't going to establish any such bridge. They are out in space beyond the moon with no fuel to get back home. But, alas, there's that word "assume" and we all know what happens when you assume.
While conservative leaders are certainly cannot yet be be labeled with such an appellation as "insane", such an example as the slam-dunking of Dean is enough to warrant suspicion that their tracks are greased and that they are, therefore, headed downhill.
Let's look at it this way: while they are morally "conservative" (i.e. they don't believe in the slaughter of babies in their mother's wombs or for allowing children to have abortions without the knowledge of their parents), they are otherwise completely part of a socialist police-state mentality wholly headed for a "New World Order" with all alacrity. In other words, they eat their young. The "spirit of error" has no moral underpinnings and will turn on their constituents loving the "world" more than God. That's why most Republicans now hate Christians and their values but hang onto an appearance of "conservatism" to maintain at least some grip on their voter base.
This means that they are infected with the pernicious virus of "liberal-think" which invariably leads to terminal stupidity, lack of the ability to lead a country, a lack of offense for moral turpitude, and probably a lack of bowl control during arguments. There is a subsequent loss of the knowledge of bottom-line truth and a further loss of common sense. They are basically liberals with a coat of whitewash who will sell their grandmother to the Gypsies for a boost up the political ladder.
It is only a matter of time before this illness runs its full course of riotous ruin of rationality in the same way a little leaven leavens the entire bagel. Thanks to Sen. Danforth and others, we can no longer trust the Republicans. To do so is to invite disaster.
Now the good news; I am greatly pleased and relieved to find out that I'm not the only one who has taken this position. Others such as Devvy Kidd (www.devvy.com) agree and have forsaken those who pass themselves off as "conservatives" and "Republicans" yet who consistently betray the American people and the Constitution.
This also means that, to counter such powerful pulls to perdition, there must be a constituency of people who are quite capable of clearly seeing and hearing bottom-line truth. These genuine Americans may or may not have a specific (political) label per se (though many support the "Constitution Party" [www.constitutionparty.com] ). But, they have set their faces like flint to lay hold on truth and justice.
Someone has to fight for "the truth" (that being what our founding fathers gave us and what the Bible teaches because God's word is "the truth"). Someone has to fight for those (American) things that have been sacrificed on the altars of greed of the corporate moolah mongers, perverse ideologies of left-wing socialist idiots, lackeys, and stooges, and of perfidious professional politicians. We need those who loudly and vehemently remonstrate against all those who operate with a seared conscience and with no regard for "we the people". Thankfully, such people exist and are "alive and well on planet earth".
My faith has been buttressed after having found numerous sources on the net that are blowing the clarion call of and for "truth". I'm alluding to the truth that isn't based upon a mixture of a myriad of philosophies which are based up the shifting sands of the desert of liberalism but that which that is based solidly on the facts of the Constitution, the Bible, common sense, good law, ample education, and ten thousand years of empirical human history (like understanding that socialism and dictatorial tyranny don't work).
These are they who have the moxie to criticize all evil and who do not just speak from a purely-partisan position. They fearlessly call a spade a spade and care less for the vile and opprobrious epithets hurled at them by the defenders of political correctness, political persuasion, and supporters of socialism. They are literally the last redoubts of reason.
Who are these champions of the Constitution, truth, justice, and the American way (please overlook my shameless and "super" patriotism if you are so inclined to judge)? They are those stalwart individuals who pump red, white, and blue and who operate websites, shortwave radio programs, maintain a print media, and those who contribute articles of truth to these various (truly) patriotic news media and sources. You've likely seen their names, listened to some of their programs, and read some of their articles and essays. A few are: Devvy Kidd, Linda Kimball, Nancy Levant, Jim Kouri, Pastor Chuck Baldwin, Frosty Wooldridge, Betty Freauf, Anthony LoBaido, Michael Cook, Nathan Tabor, Carl F. Worden, Paul Cappadona, Phyllis Schlafly, and Selwyn Duke (my apologies to a host of others whom I would love to specifically name but cannot at this time due to space considerations).
A few of the websites that are hammering out the truth are: "First Amendment Radio" (www.firstamendmentradio.com), "Truth Radio" (www.truthradio.com), "News With Views" (www.newswithviews.com), "Olive Tree Ministries" (www.olivetreeviews.org), "American Expose" (www.amerikanexpose.com), "The Federal Observer" (www.federalobserver.com), "Color Country Courier" (colorcountrycourier.com), and, again, a host of others (and, again, my apologies for having to adhere to space considerations).
I've have gone thus far to say this: there is still hope. Though there seems to be an army of liberal thinkers (particularly in seats of leadership) who have rejected truth and the concept of "absolutes" and who have laid siege to our country with political doctrines of insanity, there is hope, indeed. As long as such champions of truth have a mouth and an outlet and as long as people have ears (and, peradventure someone doesn't nuke the internet), there is the courage-bolstering belief that current events can be altered and shaped so that we may have a truth-filled (and therefore free) nation. It has happened before in history. It can happen now if we can be in one accord with a unified effort to resist these numerous evils and evil doers. We can overcome if we believe and doubt not and faint not in our minds (didn't we do it in 1775?).
Certainly there are those who will question such an obviously optimistic outlook. In fact, I have an understanding of current events and the Bible that leads me to believe that there are certain faith-taxing things which must come to pass. I can say with all honesty that these things really don't bode well for this country. However, without faith and without a pressing optimism, man loses hope and without hope, defeat is assured. I would much rather maintain my faith and hope "unto the end", as it were. I would rather fight and fail and have a clear conscious than to roll over and play dead and let the haters of God and America mock me to my face. I will not go into slavery willingly or ignorantly and without my vocal cords being stretched to the limit and my heels making drag marks in the concrete.
We can and must pray that God have mercy on this nation and that such freedom fighters that have been mentioned be able to maintain the strength to fight the good fight of faith. Certainly it's an uphill battle. The loonies have developed a considerable momentum and have cloaked their pathetic political philosophies in black and parked them on our court benches. They are attacking with rabid dog ferocity. But they are still only human and therefore are not invincible (though they think otherwise, to be sure). The activist America-hating judges can be impeached and ousted. Legislators can be thrown out on their keisters. We can sow the seeds of truth with every breath and to every person and we can gainsay and judge evil and the lunacy of liberalism with the powerful strokes of the pen.
The Lord give mercy as we fight the good fight of faith for truth and sanity and peace in our land.
