I am so torn between putting this on my blog or directly on Facebook. I know people read my blog but they never respond and I really want to hear people’s opinions. I do not want more laws. I don’t think we have a large enough police force in Longview, Washington to be able to enforce the laws we have now, and as a Christian, I think that I don’t need more. I know that sounds wrong, but if I am spending as much time as I can loving my God with all my heart, soul and mind and going out of my way to love my neighbor, more than myself, I don’t need laws to tell me how to live right. I feel offended by Christians that feel the need to make more laws to tell other people how to live when Galatians 2:21 says that the law makes a mockery of what Jesus did on the cross for us all…Yet I also know that just a few weeks ago I made posts about needing more gun control laws.
So I was wrong. I have since then, realized that since I have never lived with guns or relied on guns, I can never understand the viewpoint of someone that had never lived without them. As some of you know, my wife, Karen G Clemenson, and I do not always agree on politics or guns but we do choose to disagree because we respect and love each other. This same behavior can be extended beyond our home and should be. Karen was raised with guns in her home and was a sharp shooter in the Army. We currently don’t have a weapon in our home, but at some point she will take up her hobby and I will then, out of responsibility, learn how to handle this weapon, maintain it and shoot it, but I am sure I will never think to use it, first. It is not how I am wired.
I would love to see mass shooting stop. But I am not sure that new laws will answer that immediately. I am saying this because change comes slowly. There are civil rights amendments on the books that have taken decades to really be seen backed up consistently by society and in some parts of the United States it is still hit and miss. Why would taking people’s guns do anything but cause more turmoil and a possible desire for rebellion?
There is an event at a local church by a very conservative group about education in public schools this coming weekend. I can tell by the flier that was shared with me that they will be talking about Critical Race Theory (CRT), I have a feeling they will be attacking trans-children, they will talk about parent’s rights, and health clinics in schools (which are not any different than what they had when I was growing up but they have reinstated them and had success in Seattle) and they will also rally for more laws. I scoured the Facebook pages of the organization that is putting on the event and the church that is hosting the event and I can’t find anything about this event but people in the Longview Rainbow group and a local Democratic lady has shared the informative flyer with me. Why hide? You would think they would want to tell everyone about their event.
I am torn about political parties. I am not against any party but I am not for any of them either. I don’t see any party doing a very good job. When it comes down to it, I am done with old white men, so anyone that is older than me and male and white wont be getting my vote. I want to see something fresh and new. I am about hope and I am not about hoping the president doesn’t die because I can’t stand the vice president either. But I do appreciate the Democratic lady that made sure I knew about the event. I don’t know if I will be able to attend. We don’t need a permit to protest but we have to keep moving, we can’t use a tent or chairs and quite honestly I am not sure my body will be able to do that if this rain and cold is going to hold…and I think it is.
Why would I protest? Because unlike many angry Christians that think that Christ has been removed out of schools and that is the reason schools don’t work, I disagree. I believe church and state should be separate but Christ and Christians never are. I was taught that Jesus was with me and it was my job to have a relationship with Him. I could talk to Him whenever I wanted and tell my friends about Him, if they wanted to hear it. The teachers can’t bring up religion but the students can and I did. I pray whenever I want and I always have. That is what Christian parents should be teaching their kids. Instead of teaching them to feel squashed, empower them.
Another reason to protest is that some parents are not good parents. Maybe you are amazing parents and you wont need to hear this and you are not the reason for the health clinic. But I did not trust my parents. My parents were not the worst parents in the world but I did not trust them. Some parents hate that their kids are transgender and they abuse them or for other reasons and these kids need help. Health clinics can really help the kids that have really bad parents or no parents. Some foster kids are in bad homes too. Some of these programs are meant for kids that have no one, not for the kids that have loving homes and parents that are not hurting them.
My biggest reason for protesting is that I am tired of the hatred and fear that is causing more pain to our society. I want people to understand that Jesus never said anything about LBGTQIA+ people. There was no cultural context for this group of people when the bible was written and what was written, if you actually do word studies, when homosexuality is mentioned in the bible, they are talking about sex addiction, rape, incest and sex trafficking and not committed relationships between loving people. But Jesus did say to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.
The part that I am stuck on is that Karen and I were debating this event. She hasn’t had time to research the event and some of the things she has heard about. She is a Republican but luckily she is a more moderate one, so we agree more than disagree many times. But the items she was bringing up are very fear-minded and they are not listed on the flyer. So even though they are not listed on the flyer, which can’t be found on the organizations Facebook or the wall of the host’s Facebook, people are talking. I spent time looking today because I wanted to find answers for not only her but for me and I couldn’t find them. If perfect love (of Christ) casts out all fear, why are we creating more laws to control humans? Why aren’t we trying to impose more compassion and love for children, even if we don’t understand what they are going through?
If Republicans are against bigger government, why are they constantly trying to make more laws to control human behavior?
Read More:
- K-12 Student Behavioral Health in Washington by Office of the Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy — June 22, 2021
- School-Based Health Center Program by Healthier Washington Collaboration Portal
- School Health Centers by Douglas Gordon, Hon, AIA for National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities — October 2010
- What is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? by Stephen Sawchuk for Education Week — May 18, 2021
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.
If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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