Was Christ Ever Cruel?

Making the Christ-like choices

It’s mind-bogglingly easy to discern if the choices we make… if the opinions and policies we support are in line with Christ’s teachings. Rather than relying on some manipulated words from self-interested political creatures who style themselves as leaders – modern day Pharisees and Sadducees – ask yourself, “Was Christ ever cruel?” I defy anyone to find one example anywhere of systemic cruelty from Christ! Then, ask yourself about the issue at hand, “Is this cruel?” More specifically, is this choice, idea, opinion, or policy cruel?” 

No one believes kindness is wrong. We all believe cruelty is evil. It doesn’t matter what decision… It doesn’t matter which choice… It doesn’t matter what kind of ideology… It doesn’t matter which religion or if there’s a lack of religion… It doesn’t matter if your left leaning or right leaning. It doesn’t matter whether your Republican or Democrat or Green Party or Libertarian or Socialist or Independent. It doesn’t matter if your conservative or unaffiliated or liberal or progressive. None of it matters when making a choice – any choice… any decision… any policy.

It’s a very clear litmus test: Is this cruel? Ask the question when the choice is presented. Ask the question when the choice is decided. Is this cruel? If the answer is yes, then the choice and the decision are wrong.

Is it cruel? It is that simple.

There are ample verses of the words of Jesus and of Scriptures in the New Testament guiding us as Followers of Christ. The guidance is there for all to read – it’s clear and undeniable. It comes down to one word – that word is “LOVE.” So, ask yourself another question, “Does this choice express Christ’s love?”

Following are some of those passages of New Testament Scriptures:

CEB Markk 12:28 “…Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus replied, "The most important one is… Our God is the one Lord, 30 and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these."

John 14:15 [Jesus said] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 20…you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."

John 15:10 [Jesus said] "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. 12 This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you.”

Romans 12:9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 16 Consider everyone as equal, and don't think that you're better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you're so smart… 18 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. 20 …If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink.

Romans 13:9 The commandments, Don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself. 10 Love doesn't do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.

I Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn't arrogant, 5 it isn't rude, it doesn't seek its own advantage, it isn't irritable, it doesn't keep a record of complaints, 6 it isn't happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth… 13 Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.

What they tell us

A poem of outrage

Be nice.

Be polite.

Be demure.

Be obedient.

Be compliant.

Don’t make a fuss.

Forgive and forget.
That’s just the way things are.

Make the best of it.

Don’t talk about it.

Grin and bare it.

Laugh it off.

Let it go.

Deal with it.
Shut up!

He was just a dumb kid.

He didn’t mean it that way.

You didn’t really mean “no” at the time.

Did you lead him on?

If he hadn’t been drinking, he would never have done that.

Why were you dressed like that?

What were you doing there?
If you hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t have happened.

Why didn’t you report it then?

Why are you bringing it up now?

Who put you up to this?

Why are you trying to destroy a good man?
Just shut up and take it!

© 06 October 2018, by D. Denise Dianaty

Infographics found on Twitter

What the GOP’s “yes” vote says to girls and women everywhere; and, what their base’s continued support tells us:

They tell us men are entitled to these kinds of “peccadilloes” in their youth and entitled to be protected against repercussions by their elder own no matter when women find their voice to come forward.

They tell us the GOP believes the women. They even expected this debacle to lose them the election and simply did not care. It’s more important to them to legislate their self-appointed entitlement to control our bodies. An extreme conservative majority on the Supreme Court, with Clarence Thomas (a habitual sexual harasser) & Brett Kavanaugh (a proven liar who is an accused attempted rapist and serial blackout drunken sexual abuser), will do that for generations to come.

They tell us to “Just shut up and take it!”

There was no justification for voting “yes” for a nominee who repeatedly lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee about his record in the Bush administration — he repeatedly answered with lies that could be easily disproven just by Googling them! Every “yes” vote from any senator is plainly irredeemable.

Remember:

We, women and girls, have been told all our lives not to argue… that it’s “not ladylike.” Who told us that?

We’ve all been told all our lives not to discuss politics… that it’s “not polite” conversation. Who told us that?

We women and girls have been told all our lives to “laugh it off” or “get over it.” Who told us that?

We’ve all been told all our lives it’s disrespectful to disagree with our elders — or anyone. Who told us that?

The people who told us that also said “feminism” or “liberal” or “progressive” or “democrat” were dirty words. Who told us that?

The people who told us that are the very people hammering us with their “conservative” opinions and policies. They are the very people who voted to a man AGAINST equal pay for women in 2014. They are the very people who said they will “plow right through it” and ram a nominee onto the SCOTUS who is our collective nightmare to be sure they can legislate their self-appointed entitlement to control us and our bodies!

THEY KNOW! The GOP knows she told the truth. They believe her. They believe all of us. The GOP is “plowing right through it” to ensconce every woman’s nightmare on the court. They’re doing this to legislate their own self-appointed entitlement to control our bodies — to legislate the future that will protect the perpetrators of our nightmares.

I’m sick to death of being told to hush! I’m beyond fed up with being silenced. I’m angry beyond words at the betrayal of the people who were elected to protect us!

We have survived them all our lives. We will keep surviving! We must keep fighting. We must find them in their halls of power… speak out… call them out… protest… VOTE!
We must vote BLUE as if our lives depend upon it – BECAUSE IT DOES!
Like the refrain from “Fight Song” says:“And all the words I didn’t say…
Wrecking balls inside my brain…
I will scream them loud tonight!
Can you hear my voice this time!?”

We cannot — nay — we MUST NOT allow anyone to silence us ever again! MAKE THEM HEAR US FOR ALL TIME! VOTE THEM OUT!

Park Bench

I was flipping through an old sketch diary and found a line sketch of this park bench. The line sketch was made back in the Spring of 2008, in a park near my son’s preschool in Alexandria, Virginia. I had completed the bench in the original line sketch. Using the lighting set down on the bench, I finished the rest of the pencil drawing from memory, then scanned it and ran it through Pixlr. I added a rough-looking border, then overlaid the “paper” filter onto the image to give it a more textured look.

Pencil drawing completed 29 September 2018, by D. Denise Dianaty