Rex M Rogers - Discerning What Is Best

Discerning What Is Best
with Dr. Rex M. Rogers

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 15 October 2020

1--I like it, whether or not I agree, when politicians speak truth as they understand it based upon their principles, especially when what they say seems to undermine their preferred outcome, i.e., is not to their advantage. Like Walter Cronkite said, "And that's the way it is."

2--I dislike it, in fact they lose me, when politicians make statements that can easily be debunked with even the most cursory review of evidence, which they nevertheless argue because the "narrative" is to their advantage. Like Stephen Colbert said, "Truthiness - It used to be, everyone was entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. But that's not the case anymore. Facts matter not at all."

3--I'm a staunch proponent of the First Amendment, i.e., freedom of speech, so I consider Big Tech/Social Media and Big Media's increasing censorship of information and points of view they believe is "misinformation" or "dangerous" and does not align with their version of the "publicly acceptable narrative" (e.g., earlier, views re the pandemic, now partisan politics) fundamentally un-American, Orwellian, and a serious threat to free democratic society. I say this re all points of view on the ideological spectrum.

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers.

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 14 October 2020

A few years ago, we visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. A different year we visited The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. Neither visit was fun, but I recommend the experiences for everyone. The history and perspective they provide are priceless.

I noted how the US museum set up displays such that the most gruesome pictures or artifacts illustrating the horrific results of the Nazi’s genocide of Jewish people could not be seen by simply walking past the display. An adult could only view these worst examples of cruelty by choosing to walk near the display, look over the upraised boxed edges, then look down at the display. This architectural precaution was implemented to protect children and to allow for the fact some adults simply did not want to engage the gore and ghastly images and objects of the Holocaust, even though they wanted to tour the museum and learn about this history.

I’ve also noted that articles about the holocaust, particularly those discussing the conditions Allied troops found in Nazi prison camps in 1945, are often prefaced with what today we might call a trigger warning, a note saying horrid information is included herein. This brings me to my point.

I think abortion, which is by definition the killing of an unborn human baby in the womb, is for most people a distant, abstract, at times even sanitized concept. It’s a legal idea or a political cause or a court case, not an actual physical and emotional human experience.

People of course know abortion happens. They understand it as one option now available for dealing with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. Many people consider it a woman’s civil right if she so chooses. Yet the vast majority of Americans do not actually interact with the back end of the operation. They do not see blood and human body parts, they do not see the actions taken by doctors a la abortionists, they do not usually even read about this, though sources are available, they do not have any direct personal experience with this thing called abortion.

Americans don’t “see abortions,” we don’t understand this ugliness any more than the Allies really understood the Holocaust until the camps were finally breached, the gas chambers and furnaces were opened, thousands of bodies lay before them stacked haphazardly like cordwood or tossed into pits, and thousands of emaciated survivors were liberated who testified of their experiences.

I recognize that some pro-life groups make the physical images of this surgical procedure available to those who wish to view them. These images are gut-wrenching. I confess that when I’ve seen tents at county fairs sponsored by pro-life groups I did not want to see the images any more than others might. Sickening is not a strong enough term. Most people have never “seen an abortion.”

But here again is my point. Americans don’t “see abortions” like we’ve seen the Holocaust, so it is easier to not really feel this issue at an emotional level or to not grasp the barbarity of this “final solution.”

I understand that some within the American Church have not always demonstrated or may not yet be demonstrating appropriate empathy for the women involved, and in fact at times has been judgmental toward the women rather than seeking to help them. I understand that some Christians may not be as informed or engaged with myriad reasons women end up in an abortion clinic. To this I say, let’s do more.

But I don’t see why demonstrating Christian love for the women involved is an either/or, a versus, toward the pro-life cause to end abortion. Why can’t we, why shouldn’t we, do both?

Abortion is an American holocaust, and I say this with utter respect for the meaning and history of the Jewish Holocaust. The human tragedy of the Jewish Holocaust came to an end. The human tragedy of the unborn baby holocaust must come to an end as well.

Abortion was foisted upon the American public by Roe vs Wade (1973) and it may yet be codified into law via legislation in the US Congress. God forbid this would ever happen and pray for the day abortion can be stopped forever.

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 13 October 2020

Abortion continues to be America’s greatest shame and embarrassment.

Yes, slavery left an indelible stain that affects the country yet today, but a war in the 1860s in which hundreds of thousands died and a Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s ended this tragedy. Abortion marches on.

Since 1973, more than 61 million babies have been aborted in the United States.

What logic leads a politician like Gov. Tony Evers, WI, to say that President Trump stating, Doctors in the state of Wisconsin are executing babies "is just blasphemy” and that this is “a horrific statement”? This was a reaction to the governor saying he would veto a born-alive bill or what pro-life proponents called life-saving legislation.

Gov. Ralph Northam said born-alive babies should be “kept comfortable” till their fate is determined by doctors and the mother.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called abortion “life sustaining” for women.

Meanwhile, abortion remains America’s worst injustice, racism, and sin.

“Nearly 2,400 every day. Ninety-eight babies every hour. About one baby every twelve seconds. Innocent human beings are dismembered, poisoned, crushed, harvested for organs, put in trash cans, and disposed of in the name of ‘women’s rights’ and ‘the right to choose.’ This happens day after day, week after week, and the church largely remains silent. The most forgotten, marginalized human beings today are the preborn.”

Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, Catholics

And ostensible Christian commitment doesn’t seem to make much impact: “According to Pew Research, one third of evangelical protestants, sixty percent of mainline protestants, and forty eight percent of Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.”

“One in three women were attending church at least once a month (if not more) at the time they had their first abortion. Around 75% of women indicate churches had no real influence in their decision to end their baby’s life, and most of them expect the reaction to be one of judgment if it is ever found out they obtained an abortion. Only four in ten women believe churches are a safe place to talk about having had an abortion.”

There is a “complete ignorance as to what Scripture teaches:

‘According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can't name even five of the Ten Commandments...According to 82 percent of Americans, ‘God helps those who help themselves,’ is a Bible verse.’”

“Though people hear Scripture on Sunday and may read some of it during the week, a solid understanding of a biblical worldview and how Scriptural principles are applied to cultural issues is strikingly absent. Due to this lack of Biblical knowledge, we are surrounded by people who claim to know Jesus and yet do not understand His teachings. They have no idea how to properly apply a biblical worldview.”

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the 2020 Presidential election, a group called Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden is arguing that somehow, a Christian ethic of life demands Americans vote for a Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate who are as radically pro-abortion as any candidates have ever been. They claim that “Poverty, lack of accessible health care services, smoking, racism and climate change are all pro-life issues…Faithful evangelical civic engagement and witness must champion a biblically balanced agenda. Therefore we oppose ‘one issue’ political thinking because it lacks biblical balance.”

“These “pro-life” evangelicals are voting for the party that has supported these barbaric procedures for years. Indeed, they are calling on other Christians to vote for the party that opposes the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would guarantee medical care for a baby that survives abortion.”

I find the Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden rationale incredible, which is to say lacking both evidence and persuasive authenticity, not to mention consistency with Scripture.

Why we should consider one-issue voting suspect is not explained, other than they say it lacks biblical balance. As to what “biblical balance” means, if it allows for supporting a radical abortion candidate, I am at a loss to say.

One or Single-Issue Voting

There is nothing in Scripture or the U.S. Constitution that indicates one should not or cannot be a single-issue voter. Actually, one-issue or single-issue voting “can in some cases be morally justifiable and even required. Single-issue voting can in some cases be an appropriate expression of the politics of principle.”

Throw-Away Voting

While some may argue this “throws away one’s vote,” I’d argue there is no such thing. As long as people vote their conscience in a free society there is no throw-away vote. The vote matters, even a single-issue one, because it records the voter’s view. It lodges his or her disposition on the single-issue or the candidate at hand. This is morally defensible and a privilege.

Life and Death

Abortion is literally a life and death issue. More than two thousand individuals are ushered into eternity every day in the United States, simply because they were an “unwanted pregnancy” and thus inconvenient for the mother. This represents a far greater toll on human life than any that emerged from the calamity of slavery or destruction of the Native American population in the 19^th Century. I don’t mean these other sins don’t matter. Quite the opposite. I mean, like those examples of genocide, the infanticide of abortion is murder and a horrible culture of death.

I understand when some friends or associates indicate they cannot vote for President Donald Trump, that they have profound problems with his persona and behavior, or perhaps some of his policies. They are free to make this decision. What I cannot understand is some of these friends or associates, Christians, saying they will cast their vote for Joe Biden. While I could list many issue concerns, the abortion stance of the former Vice President and this running mate are non-starters for me. If you cannot vote for Trump, OK; write in someone else.

Call this single-issue thinking if you want, but it’s a moral issue, a life and death issue. How can anyone claiming to be Christian, including self-identified evangelicals, support a candidate affirming abortion on demand and saying he would make Roe vs Wade the law of the land?

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 12 October 2020

If the pandemic mask mandates and lockdowns we’ve endured since March were ever really about science and public health, they are no more.

“Trust the experts or science,” we’re told, but which experts, what science, and why trust them at all if indeed mask mandates and lockdowns don’t accomplish much other virtue signaling or destroying economies?

Multiple, credible medical scientists and even now the WHO say lockdowns are not effective in stopping the spread of the Coronavirus and, on top of this, are creating other collateral damage like greater negative impact upon impoverished people.

Scientists are saying, “’Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people,’ said the declaration. ‘Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health.’ They include ‘lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health—leading to greater excess mortality in years to come.’”

‘Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.’”

Yet still, state governors like Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California’s Governor Gavin Newsom persist in introducing new draconian measures mandating statewide masks, even outdoors, keeping churches closed, and pushing schools to keep tens of thousands of students at home.

Gov. Whitmer’s 160 plus executive orders were tossed out by the Michigan State Supreme Court, which said her use of emergency powers was unconstitutional. She, of course, merely shifted her argument to other state laws and accused the court of partisanship.

Gov. Newsome’s latest attempt to play doctor occurred last week when his office tweeted a reminder to those going out to dinner to “keep your mask on in between bites.”

WHO weighed-in, finally, stating, “We in the World Health Organization do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus.” To say this is late to the party is an understatement.

There is no end in sight to governors and mayors acting as health czars, unless the presidential election brings a change. First, masks, stay at home, and lockdowns were necessary to “flatten the curve.” Then these measures would “save lives.” Then it was “until there is a vaccine.” Then it was no longer just C-19 but “flu season,” meaning any rationale will do. Meanwhile, doctors worldwide are recording more deaths due to lockdowns than to the virus.

The economic impact of the unnecessary lockdowns has been devastating. “About 60 percent of US businesses closed since the beginning of March will never again reopen.”

“Many of the consequences listed here will take years to analyze and document, but we’ve seen glimpses of more immediate unintended consequences already: rampant suicide, surging drug overdoses, increases in domestic violence, economic destruction, and many others.

None of these consequences were intended when lawmakers passed sweeping lockdowns, but that does not make them less real. Nor do pure intentions absolve lawmakers of responsibility.

The famed economist Milton Friedman once observed that perhaps the greatest threat to liberty comes ‘from men of good intentions and good will who wish to reform us.’

In this case, the well-intentioned seek not to reform us but to protect us. But as Friedman noted, ‘concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.’”

The problems with mask mandates and pandemic lockdowns now form a long list. Yet political leaders continue to argue vigorously and at times self-righteously that this show—their show—must go on. Why?

Trust the science – but scientists and medical professionals are not in agreement, and many now argue against masks and lockdowns. Yet political leaders and much of mainstream media ignore this.
Mask and lockdowns do not work – they have not actually stopped the spread of the virus, have not appreciably reduced infection or death rates, and do not accomplish what proponents claim with religious fervor.
Mask mandates and lockdowns are arguably not needed for a virus, that is yes deadly for some, still moving through populations with a 95-99% survival rate.
Lockdowns are destroying businesses, peoples’ livelihoods, entire economies, and they are creating other negative social and health side-effects, confounding variables, and unintended consequences like increased suicides and greater mortality due to lack of medical care.
Lockdown restrictions may be more about partisan advantage than public health.
Lockdowns are in numerous instances unconstitutional and have violated Americans’ civil liberties.
Lockdowns and the mentality they create are a threat long-term to political liberty.

Masks and lockdowns don’t work, cause other problems, may be leveraged in biased ways, and are a threat to liberty, so I strongly recommend states and localities stop the lockdowns now.

No more cherry-picking scientific data to reinforce one’s biases.

No more mask mandates, just people with information using common sense to care for their own health and that of others.

No more closed businesses and fines, just businesses functioning in a free economy.

No more political leaders acting like public health czars to further their careers or party politics.

No more planned economies, just American people acting freely in the best interests of themselves, their families, and communities.

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 11 October 2020

Truth seems up for grabs in our confused culture.

It is possible to speak truth in a nasty way or for improper motives, which is why Scripture reminds us to speak the truth in love.

God is the ultimate source of truth. Actually, he is truth, so he defines reality and he never said, "Don’t speak the truth." So, speaking truth is not an act of hate, as incredibly some now claim.

It may seem harsh, for example, to call something error, wrong, sin, but if true, it creates an opportunity for change, correction, forgiveness, redemption > hope.

Without truth, there is no hope.

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 10 October 2020

Deep thoughts Saturday afternoon:

1-Politics is not what’s most important in life, yet politics can be constructive or destructive to individual and social well-being.

2-Political parties are useful, but like denominations, party labels matter less than what proponents actually believe.

3-Ideology, Left-Liberal-Moderate-Conservative-Right, is now more socially influential than partisanship.

4-Left and Liberal are not synonymous, nor are Conservative and Right, but four distinct, diverging political philosophies.

5-The Bible is not a political handbook but speaks to foundational issues that find expression in politics, e.g., created order; origin and purpose of life; liberty; good and evil; work and property; family; sexuality.

6-American society and politics are not secular, meaning irreligious, but postmodern DIY religious with no moral calculus but feelings, meaning doing what’s right in your own eyes.

7-I am blessed with political liberty by virtue of my birthright. Like most Americans, I did nothing to earn it. God forbid that I would ever take it for granted.

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