...........THE RAMIFICATIONS OF TAKING SIDES..........

TEXT IN GREEN ARE LINKS - CLICK ON THEM

Who's side are we on? What side should we take? Since we are now choosing sides rather then examining and appreciating different perspectives it's important for our side to be right. Taking a side permits us to travel down two way streets as if there is a one way sign. In a three dimensional world generally both sides of most polarizing issues fall short of truth. Arguing a point amounts to just that. A point is an "exact" position or location. In mathematics it refers to a "single" element of a set. Over the years we've expanded on this definition to include not only a place but a thing. Since then we've done everything from making a point, to having a point, to getting the point and pointing things out. The point is that the more we focus on a single point the more we narrow our vision from seeing any other points. One of the most misunderstood expressions we use and give too much credibility to, is our own point of view. As if a view can only be seen from one perspective, point or just focuses on one spot! Practical truth can be discovered by the homogenous blending multiple truths. We all should know that perception influences direction.

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As time goes by we might decide
To have a view and pick a side
In fact today it really seems
that everybody has a team

So day by day we wait for news
​we do not like our team to loose
To really win, we're told to beat
the other side we must defeat.

And so with that we choose to fight
on the side we think we know is right
we're justified in joining the throng
of voices that make their side wrong.

So as we fight with one another
Like Cain we'll even kill our brother
Being polarized we've now decided
​to prove our point and stay divided.
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We are all subject to deception. Bias may be defined as ignorance in its sincerest form. Without objectivity, taking sides may simply give life to a lie. "THE BIG LIE,"  an expression coined by Adolf Hitler, is a phenomena of the human condition which effectively corrupts consciousness. It is such that the more often a lie is repeated the more believable it becomes. Aristotle's error(lie) about gravity was believed for centuries until finally someone challenged it. Although it was not deliberate is was not true. To this day people still believed that the great Albert Einstein at some point in his education failed at math. Although this is another lie the story told again and again is believed as truth. The lessons of Pinocchio have been ignored or forgotten. Whatever we say initially is in seed form. Each time it is repeated or not discredited, we figuratively water that seed. Taking a side on a sayings is short-sighted. It is far easier for us to say something and later not mean it, then it is to do something and say we didn't mean to do it. All actions follow an intention before they are initiated. Words are often spoken with the psychic energy of intent but never fulfilled by any action. This is where the old saying "actions speak louder then words" comes from. Does that make an unfulfilled promise a lie? Yes, we can be sure that it does; but at what point does an empty promise become a lie?  It is far easier to be a "right fighter" than a truth teller.  

Our country claims to stand on Christian principles which implies that we should not turn a blind eye to the teachings of the Bible, Jesus or moral religious authority. Although some of our religious institutions have fallen short of their calling they are responsible to maintain a moral compass. Regardless of these shortcomings this does not change what is written in our spiritual constitution called the bible. Jesus called out the religious institutions of his day for their hypocrisy and died for it. Martin Luther called out the institutions of his day and almost met the same fate. Each did it by citing the written word and holding the powers that be accountable to it. The perspectives these spiritual leaders delivered included the moral, legal, and ethical aspects of the matter. They took their authority from and sided with the tenants of the Bible! We all know that every coin has two sides, but two wrongs don't make a right! Truth may be hidden for some time, but truth is not hard to find. We can color it or ignore it but we cannot change it. The champions of truth apply it without fear or favor. Those who pervert truth pretend to stand for it by taking a side. 

Are we really divided or just deceived or undecided. Jesus told us that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Should we be alarmed? Is not the need for us to unite much more important then being right? Making a point should not taken priority over telling the truth. Keeping score in the game of life involves looking for and pointing out every contradiction that strengthens our point of view. As participants in a point system we are likely to easily overlook the truth system! Taking a side encourages us to "blindly" follow promises, pledges and declarations without evaluating the path to those goals. Without understanding the spiritual, social and psychological forces at work when it comes to differences we are very likely to put our friends, families, businesses, governments and world in danger. It's not about winning especially if it's divisive. Victory does not require a loser! Victory is triumphing over a problem or situation, not a person. Personalizing a problem implies that the other people are the problem. So in order to get rid of the problem it means we have to get rid of the people associated with it. If we did this with our own children they would never make adulthood. Do we need to reject classes of people? Or should we simply reject the behaviors that do not meet our standards. We do have a "book of standards" and as such have examples of standard bearers. When we fail to hold all of our leaders to the highest standards we compromise all standards for everyone everywhere else. The standard must be to stand for truth and righteousness even if our leaders don't. Whether or not we like or agree with others we can stand for their right to disagree. A time will come when we will need others to stand up for our rights despite our beliefs or practices. The law of reciprocity, cause and effect or simply reaping what we have sown is immutable. What goes around does come around, history teaches us that. It is natural to align ourselves with others. As humans we are predisposed to herding behaviors. This is a part of our normal social patterns. We see this in our everyday behaviors at sporting events, protests and even in religious assemblies. Whether we find ourselves aligned with the sad, "singing the blues" party or the mad, "filled with indignation" red hot party, it's truth we're after. We must realize that our alliance with truth takes precedence over our alliance with others. Speaking truth to power affects policies, thinking and sentiment. Abiding and siding with truth, no matter how uncomfortable it is works against our personal biases. Cognitive and confirmation bias is the common enemy of us all! There are influential spiritual forces that we all have to deal with.  They know how to manipulate us when they see us having problems among ourselves. The bottom line is that when our concerns fail to reach everyone collectively no one individually is safe. Our integrity suffer when our allegiance is not with the truth. Our "pledge of allegiance" defines our union as "one nation under God, Indivisible," but our politics reveal the ugliness of two divided parties that pick and chose which spiritual or biblical principles they will abide by. Most importantly are the voices of the people and our moral obligation not just to vote and blindly follow, but to also hold those elected accountable. "Do you hear the people singing?" When our religious leaders also fail to act as the voice of conscience everyone's allegiance to God and truth is also compromised. "Let us do evil that good may come," is not the mantra of Christianity! Sin and iniquity cannot be compartmentalized. The Bible declares that "whosoever shall keep the whole law yet offend in one point he is guilty of all." And yes, we ALL are guilty. As we systematically pollute our environment, eradicate multiple species of animals, and marginalize various cultures and races, the cry will be "first they came," till they came for me!

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