WHAT MESSAGE ARE THE NFL PROTESTERS REALLY GIVING?

 ARE YOU REALLY BEING HEARD? WHAT MESSAGE ARE THE NFL PROTESTORS REALLY GIVING?

I am less interested in what the NFL players have the 'right' to do as what the consequences are and the message really being received.

Speak! By all means, speak! Use your platform to speak. But speak in such a way and in such a place where those who have fought for your freedoms, whose ancestors bled and died for your freedoms, will hear your voice and rally behind you, not feel that you are spitting on them.

Is the true message the NFL players who refused to stand for America's National Anthem, really about racial injustice? Is that the message people have really received?

It is said that Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics of what we know as America's National Anthem on the back of a letter he pulled from his pocket on the morning of September 14, 1814, after a night of British bombardment. The flag he saw was waving over Fort McHenry. The poem was first called - “The Defence of Fort McHenry.

At that time in history, there were slaves and freemen. There were those who owned slaves and those who did not. But the battle that was being fought was against the British. It was not the Civil War. When the Civil War did take place there were people fighting to be able to continue the despicable practice of slavery, both white and black. White men did fight for this right and white men died wanting it to end. America has come a long way since then. If you try to lump our country into one big lump, you can see it as either all bad or all good and be wrong either way. A country is made up of individuals. Not all people of one race held the same views before the Civil War, nor do they today.

By 1860 one census shows there to have been 3,952,801 slaves in America while the entire population was 31,429,891. 22 states did not have slavery.

There were both white people and people of color who practiced slavery. I did not realize this until recently.

According to - http://www.theroot.com/did-black-people-own-slaves-1790895436 - some free black people in this country bought and sold other black people, and did so at least since 1654, continuing to do so right through the Civil War. - “And for a time, free black people could even "own" the services of white indentured servants in Virginia as well. Free blacks owned slaves in Boston by 1724 and in Connecticut by 1783; by 1790, 48 black people in Maryland owned 143 slaves. One particularly notorious black Maryland farmer named Nat Butler "regularly purchased and sold Negroes for the Southern trade," Halliburton wrote. - Perhaps the most insidious or desperate attempt to defend the right of black people to own slaves was the statement made on the eve of the Civil War by a group of free people of color in New Orleans, offering their services to the Confederacy, in part because they were fearful for their own enslavement: "The free colored population [native] of Louisiana … own slaves, and they are dearly attached to their native land … and they are ready to shed their blood for her defense. They have no sympathy for abolitionism; no love for the North, but they have plenty for Louisiana … They will fight for her in 1861 as they fought [to defend New Orleans from the British] in 1814-1815."

The truth is that in this country there were many who held to this horrible practice and many who did not. It is a mistake then, to look at all people of one race as being of a certain mindset and heart and it is wrong to look at an entire country and judge it by what only a part of its population is doing.

Even today, while there is racial injustice in our country, there are people of different nationalities who are not experiencing this as they live together on an equal basis. We have come a long way since Martin Luther King held his non-violent protests. But he did more than simply make himself obvious as a protester of something. He spoke words of truth, life and hope, making clear what his dream was and speaking of the truth of God. He did not despise nor disrespect his entire country.

Across America there are men who have stood behind pulpits, and spoke on public media, using the Bible for selfish purposes. Men take scriptures out of context and lie. People are confused, deceived and lied to using the Bible. And it has been used as a means for pastors to claim superior positions of authority over others while leading people into bondage. False doctrines are taught by wolves in sheep's clothing, dividing, scattering and bringing sheep to their deaths. At the same time, the true church of the living God marches on, loving, growing, edifying and doing spiritual warfare against the works of darkness. Now, if, because there are so many injustices done in the name of the Bible and the Church, you were to march down the aisle of your church on a Sun. morning, when the congregation was asked to stand for the reading of the Word of God, and you were to sit down on the floor in front of the pulpit as the congregation stood in reverence to the Bible, what would be thought?

You might be escorted out of the building. If so, suppose you called out that you were sitting in protest of the injustices propagated by the misuse of the Bible. How many would think it was alright for you to show disrespect for the Bible because some people were misusing it? Indeed, you would get attention. You might even get your name in the paper if you continued to do this, or went from church to church doing the same thing. But would the end justify the means? Would it really be alright to disrespect the Bible and the church to make your point? And even if you think it would be, what would be the message most people would really get from your actions? Would most of the people say, “He is brave to get our attention about the abuse of the Bible that is going on in other places of our country? We really should do more about it? Or would the shock and anger over your obvious disrespect for the Bible cloud out every other consideration?

When NFL players refuse to stand for the national anthem it is seen as disrespect for an entire country. Not just any country, but the very country in which they work and grow very rich. The country in which there are more black players than white and in which many have obtained fame. This action is not only, or primarily, getting attention concerning racial injustice, but has served rather to stir up even more unrest and division. It is not bringing a solution to the issue the players claim to be protesting about. It is not encouraging unity.

I am not out to deny constitutional rights. However, whatever our rights may be, what is our PURPOSE? Wisdom would have us use our privileges, not in a way that teaches our children to despise an entire country, where there are men who fight for all of our freedoms, but in ways that bring hope.

Do we have a right to make non-violent protests? Yes, we do. Well … some of the time. What? Some of the time? Are you kidding me? No … but … if you are an employee you actually DO NOT have the right to complete freedom of speech, on the job, in America. As a matter of fact look how one legal scholar explains it. And what is said in an article on - http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/law-professor-stop-saying-football-players-have-constitutional-right-kneel-during-national - This is what legal scholar Teresa Stanton Collett had to say on the subject: - “I don't watch football. I don't care about football. But I do care about constitutional literacy. Please stop saying football players have first amendment rights to disregard the direction of their private employers while engaged in privately sponsored activities -- which is what NFL football games are,” said Collett, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. “They have no more constitutional protection for their expressive activities than I do for mine at my private Catholic university. Any 'rights' they have are based on their contracts and employment law.”

(Cillizza atually acknowledges this fact later in his CNN piece: “Yes, the NFL is a private association made up of 32 team owners. And, yes, as such, they have the right to fire or penalize an employee who, they believe, engages in conduct unbecoming to the team.”)

It’s also worth pointing out what the NFL’s game operations manual says on the subject:

“The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”

We could discuss till doom's day, whether or not the team owners 'should' fire the players who will not show respect to our country and whether or not the players 'should' refuse to stand for the National Anthem, but that will not change the legality.

'Should' and have the 'right to' are two different things.

I believe it is good to do something about injustices in our country. I believe there is a place to speak out. But why cry into the wind where your voice is lost and distorted? Why act in a way that will defeat your purpose? Much wrong has been done in this country. Much progress has been made in this country that does not hold it's people in a vise grip by a tyrannical king who will behead you for speaking of change and injustice.

Speak! By all means, speak! But speak in such a way and in such a place where those who have fought for your freedoms, whose ancestors bled and died for your freedoms, will hear your voice and rally behind you, not feel that you are spitting on them.

Do not protest injustice in a way that leaves people feeling hopeless as though their entire country is against them. Point to those who have cared, bled and died for the rights of all Americans and offer some direction for more solutions. Remind the people of what has already been accomplished and urge them toward even more. Remember change comes one person at a time. America has more than a few who hate injustice. Get people's attention by all means! But do it in a way that is profitable.

The NFL players who will not stand for the National Anthem give a message that is not what they are protesting … or does it really? Is the disrespecting of a country really more the goal than what their words say?

Christians know that we have been given a free will. We have a right to sin if we want to. We can speak words of filth and hate or words of life. We have the right. We have the freedom. And we also will face the consequences of what we choose to do with our 'rights.'

We can tell people they are going to hell and leave them with their condemnation or we can inform them, not only of their condition but of the joyous hope, the way to freedom and life. We have the 'right' to do either, but what is more profitable?

I am less interested in what the NFL players have the 'right' to do than what the consequences are and the message really being received.

American Borg

REMOVING AMERICA'S FREEDOM – CREATING THE BORG

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

People of America claim the right to individualism. They value freedom of religion, free speech and freedom of expression. And yet many, as the old expression goes – are cutting off their nose to spite their face – while calling on others to do the same.

The result of freedom of speech will be that we are going to hear words that express thoughts and ideas that are sometimes contrary, that is, opposite in nature, direction, or meaning, from our own. If we are to live in a country where we are free to worship as we please, then we can expect to see and hear expressions of various thoughts, ideas, and faiths, some of which we may find very troubling.

There are safeguards, as there must be, in a land that offers the freedoms we say that we value. For example, while we have freedom of speech, we are not free to slander, or to invade another man's space. We have laws against indecent exposure and so on. So then, there are protective boundaries. These are not for the purpose of denying our freedoms but rather protecting them.

To be an American, we will not only enjoy such freedom, but we will need to have the strength to survive it. When someone is believing and expressing something we are opposed to, but it is not illegal, we are forced to make decisions of our own. We can choose to separate ourselves from those individuals, which could involve a cutting off of a relationship. We can involve ourselves in debate, working to counter their claims. We can choose to ignore them, be spiteful to them etc. But we must be able to endure and put up with the expression and evidence of things we oppose, which requires strength. To be an American calls for real men and woman, not weaklings. The benefit is the freedom of individuality, the ability to be ourselves and to enjoy the fellowship of those who are like-minded.

American parents need to raise their children to be strong, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and to be disciplined. For in such a country as ours, where there is good, there will also be evil. Our children need to be raised to be thinkers, people who can think for themselves and not fly by the seat of their pants, who will not be driven by the emotions of any given crowd or influence.

Today, however, we see people who, while claiming their rights to freedom of speech and expression, use their freedom in an effort to deny this same freedom to others. They want the right to eliminate our rights if it offends them. People with no more strength of character and mind, whose emotions are so weak that upon seeing or hearing something that they oppose must be so emotionally shaken that they cannot bear it, without abusing other's freedoms, are unstable and too weak to bear such a country as ours.

For by the very nature of our freedoms, we must be able to suffer those who do not think like us and who express themselves accordingly. But today, groups of individuals break the law as they destroy and deface property that depicts things they say offends them. They act either like spoiled children who must have everything their way or like unstable individuals whose psyche and tender emotions cannot tolerate anything they do not like without falling apart or going into a rage. Not only do they express their weakness, but try to spread it like an awful, contagious disease.

What is at their own core, the hatred and fear that torments them and drives them to unreasonable acts, is the very thing they attempt to spread. They try to intimidate and shame those who will not follow their example.

If, when you see a statue that represents something you disagree with, you are so shaken that you cannot emotionally withstand it, then you need spiritual and psychological help. You are unable to bear the freedoms America provides. But by no means should you expect to have the right to take away or destroy the rights of your fellow Americans or that which, for them, represents a piece of their history. You do have the right to walk away.

People get caught up in debates, asking such questions as - 'Would you want to have to see …? Or how do you think they feel when they see …? What are they to tell their child when they see …?' By such questions and displays of emotion, people are drawn into emotionally charged conversations that are irrelevant to the basic laws of our nation. Does that sound cold? It is fact. My freedom to have a sign in front of my church expressing my faith is not based on, nor can it be based on, your emotional response. It is up to you to have the strength of mind and emotion to decide how you are going to respond. You can ignore it altogether. You can explain to your children what the error is that you believe to be expressed there. You can let the words you see spur you on to search out the truth. Your response is up to you. What you are not free to do, is deny me my freedom because you do not like it.

If an African American mother walks by a statue of Robert E. Lee with her little girl, it is up to her how she will respond. She can give it no attention at all. She can tell her child that it represents what they have overcome. She can encourage her child to look into history and try to discover what that man was really like. She can say that it is a remembrance of our history, reminding us of the good and the bad. Or she can become so emotional that she brings her child to tears as she spews hateful words and tells her that the statue has no business being there. Her response is up to her. Those who wanted the statue are not responsible for her response, for we cannot look into the mind and heart of every individual.

An effort to purge America of all that offends, is an effort to remove the freedom we cherish. If each of us removes from the face of the earth, all that we say offends us, which is, more likely, all that we disagree with and don't like, there will be no more freedom of expression in our land.

Can we be kind? Yes. Can we be considerate? Yes. But to do so, we should not become like the Borg in the Voyager movies. We do not want to become a vast collection of drones who are all linked to one mind. Though, in truth, there are those who would, likely, love to see just that happen, so that they can then rule the collective.

Our differences provoke us to learn, grow, better ourselves and even attempt to bring about change. Our differences challenge us.

The very fact that you are not allowed to take away my freedoms and destroy my expressions of those freedoms, should spur you on to find means of persuasion, rather than force.

If something is being done that we truly believe is harmful to our children and our way of life, there are proper legal avenues through which to seek change. But brute force, temper tantrums, and destruction, demonstrate weakness and hatefulness that needs to be resisted not joined.

We must resist and refuse assimilation by the Borg!

As Christians, we are grieved with unrighteousness, sin, and all the things that oppose our God. We live seeing and hearing the expression of sinful hearts on a daily basis. Satan has worked long and hard in his attempt to desensitize us, so that sin will no longer bother us. If we become numb to it we will cease to be witnesses of the way of God. We will just melt into the collective.

We should recognize the things that oppose God. We should be bothered by it enough to do spiritual warfare against it. But, at all times, we should be strong in the power of God's might. We should so rely on His strength that our enemy is unable to bring us down. The things of the world, should neither entice us nor cause us to become emotionally unstable. We are the light of the world.

We know that it is only Salvation, which comes through Jesus Christ, that will truly change the hearts of men. We are called to live the truth, speak the truth, and represent Christ.

Be not deceived into thinking it is our place to purge the world of everything it calls offensive. Remember, to those bound in sin, Christians are the most offensive things of all. There has been, and continues to be, an effort to rid the world of all Christians.

If as a Christian, you do not want to be eliminated, do not get caught up in the frenzy of weak, sick and hate-filled minds, calling for the purging of all that offends. Do not cut off your nose to spite your face.

Remember that it is not a physical fight that we fight.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is a spiritual battle. It is a fight of faith.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Our weapons are not of the physical things of earth.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

DO NOT – give in to emotional outcries from those seeking to lure you into emotionalism that will distract you from truth and lure you into a battle meant to strip away America's freedom and create an American Borg!

Be strong -

1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

DO NOT buy the lie that to be caring you must let your emotions rule you until you are no more than an emotional basket case fighting with words of emotion that are void of truth and steal America's freedom.

It is truth that sets us free, not emotional debate and mob rule.

The Bible has instructed us to 'compel.'

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Thank God for the freedom given us in America! Do not give in to those who are so weak that they are constantly ruled by 'offences.' If you are so weak that everything you disagree with upsets you beyond your ability to cope, there is a Savior who can help.