Higher Standard

[carolinarider09]

My parents were from Pennsylvania (Reading and Allentown areas).  I was born and raised in the Carolinas.   As a youngster I was raised in a rural setting in South Carolina.  At the age of 11 or 12 my family moved to Myrtle Beach.  Thats where I came of age. 

We went to church every Sunday, Boy Scouts, and church youth groups.  I was taught to respect my elders, to turn the other cheek and to obey those in authority. 

If I was challenged at school, I usually just let the other person move on.  I was large enough to play defensive tackle on the High School football team so lack of size to respond was not the issue. 

My teaching and training basically said if you are confronted by an idiot or someone who was just being a jerk and there is a way to walk away you should do it.  So…. I turned the other cheek and walked away.

The story was that the person doing bad things would be brought to justice.  You just had to wait for it. 

That has continued from then until now.  I think that is what being a conservative is about.  Trust in the process.  Trust the authorities to do their job.  Trust, Trust.   Stand your ground if you have no other choice but, if an exit is there, you should take it.  



What never occurred to me was that I was being held to a higher standard than others.  That, because of my up bringing, because of my beliefs, because I was a conservative, I was being held to a much higher standard. 

It was expected that I would take the higher road. It was expected that I would avoid confrontation.  It was expected………..

Until a few days ago, I was not aware how pervasive that expectation was. 

I see it in Seattle, Portland, and other liberal strongholds.  I see it in social media. 

Why social media.  Probably two reasons.  First, a lot of social media is very, very liberal leaning  (FaceBook and Twitter among others).  Second, conservatives take feedback on errors they make or standards they don’t comply with like the gentlemen and the ladies they are. 

One only has to look at the recent conservative rally in Washington D.C. for objective evidence of what I say.  There will be no condemnation of BLM and ANTIFA groups for their actions by Democrats. 

This morning my wife asked me what I thought about these events.  I told her, as I stated above, that we conservatives were taught to “turn the other cheek” and let the Lord and the rule of law prevail. 

Sadly, the rule of law is not prevailing.  Liberals attack conservatives without any accountability.  ANTIFA and BLM groups exist and are never held accountable for their actions. 

Oh yes, a dozen or so were “arrested” in DC this weekend.  Does anyone think that they are still in jail?  Does anyone think there will be any penalty in a court of law? 

What she said next was the most important part.  She said, maybe this is like Noah’s Ark for us as a nation.  But it would be different. 

We conservatives would have to “pull in our horns”.  Let the Liberals destroy the nation and then, we conservatives, build it back.  We have the tools.  We can hunker down.  But, we must be ready.   

Am I being overly concerned?  Am I just being loopy?  All one has to do is to look at the document below to see what the Democrat plan for the our great nation is.   

https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/


So yes, conservatives are and have been held to a higher standard and that is very disconcerting to me and should be to everyone.  But……. It shall not continue.  I, for one, will no longer tolerate being held to a higher/different standard. 

[GiG]

[scooperhsd]

Darn tootin' - I'm tired of being held to higher standards just because I'm a white middle age male. I want EVERYONE to be held to the same standards I am. ESPECIALLY BLM / ANTIFA and other minority groups. If they can't live up to the same standards, then they don't deserve what we have.

[Gryphon Rider]

"Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." - Luke 12:48b

The story was that the person doing bad things would be brought to justice.  You just had to wait for it.  That has continued from then until now.  I think that is what being a conservative is about.  Trust in the process.  Trust the authorities to do their job.  Trust, Trust.

Perfect justice cannot be had prior to God's final judgement.  Many are quietly doing righteous works in God's name, without acknowledgement from others.  Many have committed such heinous acts to so many people, that an earthly justice system couldn't possibly punish them in proportion to their crimes.  The process that we can trust is God's perfect, righteous judgement on those who rebel until the end, and overwhelming mercy to those who repent and believe, trusting that God's only Son took the punishment that they justly deserve.  With God's strength, we should be able to suffer temporal injustice in light of our eternal reward.

*******
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)
*******

[Oss]

The story told is there was a reason that only Caleb and Joshua alone made it across the river Jordan of the whole of the people who left Goshen in Egypt after the 40 yrs.

When asked to scout the promised land for 40 days including Jericho only they reported that the enemy although great in number including giants in fortified cities were nothing compared to the power of the Lord

The city fell without an arrow being fired or a sword swung in battle, and the people marched on....some say Jericho fell in an earthquake and the some say the story in the bible is true. Either way
there are lessons there

And likewise the harlot who hid them survived with her family, showing that anyone of any status or class can by their Deeds (not mere prayer) can turn the world for good.

You can take that road and good luck to you GR my friend.  I will take the path of action and be pro-active whenever the opportunity can present itself.

Sometimes all it takes is giving a helping hand to someone,  After all, he who saves one soul it is as if he saved the entire world.

It is why (and we dont even think about it) a biker will stop to offer aid to another biker or person on the side of the road and why we rush to donate and buy raffles at Inzane.  We are all good people  *because we are not politicians

[cookiedough]

Yep,  me being a fat white middle aged 'priviledged' man has it's advantages but can tell you first hand I earned (and then some) every penny I ever made in my life.    I do not take BS from anyone and never will and whatever I say to piss someone off they rightfully deserved it more than likely.  I refuse to turn the cheek if being harassed or in harms way,  to do otherwise would be foolish IMO, for me anyways.

Take case in point some young punk black boy with white girlyfriend both about age 17 or so about 12 or so years ago now came up to me and my then age 6 or so age kid in a waterpark in WI Dells.  Me and kid were minding our own business enjoying the waterpark rides and he outta the blue comes up to me and calls me a fat white honky.  Well,  he thought he was funny until I got 2 inches in his grill face to face and told him to take his black (N word) _ss back to Illinios where he came from and if he had an issue with that lets get it ON (N word again).  He backed off very slowly and his white girlyfriend could tell her black boyfriend was going to get hammered to a pulp since was NOT backing away at ALL.  He never said another word and backed away slowly.    All it takes is for us to stand up to these punks whether white or black or any other race and 9 times outta 10 they will back down and run and hide.   If not, I am willing to go to jail for a long while putting some punk in the hospital, if he recovers that is.   

In high school some 30+ years ago me in 8th grade my brothers class seniors a bully blindsided me from behind and threw me up against the lockers denting them in.  I let him and his bullies laugh walking away and not taking it walking away I ran up behind them blindsiding the bully me age 15 him age 18 and sent him flying on his keester, then I took off running for there were about 4 seniors with him.        Only time I might think otherwise if a gangster had a gun and demanded my wallet.  I'd probably ask to see the gun first though....

I like all the youtube videos of older gents getting bullied and harrassed by young thugs and the old guy warns the young punk to back off and leave him alone and they do not.  The old guy wallops the young punk bloody face, etc.  LOVE IT!    There is my higher standard!   

[Jess from VA]

I agree with your sentiments Bill.

But it's not really higher standards;  it's just normal, usual, moral, honest, law and order, work ethic standards.

It's only when compared to the abnormal left that those standards look high.

As far as Antifa and BLM, they should read some history.  If the far left ever fully secures power, those groups will be the first to die (having served their useful purpose).  Hitler's brown shirts, the Russian purges, and others (right or left extremism is the same).

But if the left gets around to making us normal people felons or fugitives or second class citizens, then we have nothing to lose (and a lot to gain).   Our forefathers did it before.  We can do it again.

[Pete]

Thanks, well said.

[Gryphon Rider]

You can take that road and good luck to you GR my friend.  I will take the path of action and be pro-active whenever the opportunity can present itself.

I don't think you and I are on different roads regarding standing up and/or taking action for righteousness.  Despite my Mennonite (a pacifist denomination) background, I don't think the portion of the Sermon on the Mount that I cited means that a Christ-follower needs to back down or stand back when evil is being perpetrated on oneself or on another, but rather that we should seek to de-escalate a confrontation whenever possible, and that mere offence to our pride is not just cause to sinfully react.  (See also verses 38-40 of Matthew 5, further along in the same chapter of the Sermon on the Mount that I previously cited.)

So yes, conservatives are and have been held to a higher standard and that is very disconcerting to me and should be to everyone.  But……. It shall not continue.  I, for one, will no longer tolerate being held to a higher/different standard.

Although I didn't previously cite this part of carolinarider09's post, my response was largely in response to his concluding statement.  I don't think the fact that someone else is getting away with acting to a much lower standard is a good reason to lower the standard to which we are being held, or to which we hold ourselves.

I recently heard a pastor that I highly respect define "courage" as doing right, despite the personal cost.  I would add, ...despite what others are doing and encouraging us to do.