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A call for active, nonviolent resistance to evil
Vivificat - From Contemplation to Action ^ | 26 Feb 2014 | Teófilo de Jesús (@vivificat)

Posted on 02/26/2014 6:49:30 AM PST by Teófilo

Brethren: Peace and Good to all of you.

The recent debate about a bill in Arizona designed to protect the free exercise of religion in that state against encroachment from groups advocating special rights and the screams of the elite for "equal rights" at the expense of one's religious conscience. These pressure groups do not hesitate to invoke the coercive powers of the state to silence or marginalize people of conscience and to resign their livelihoods if they don't tow the official line.

Judging by the way the winds are blowing, people of conscience who also happen to be private will soon have to elect between active cooperation with evil or the loss of their employment or businesses, following either bureaucratic humiliation or punitive fines.

One alternative is for the uncompromising entrepreneur  to find a niche in which his offer of goods and/or services pursues a primary good and not an intended evil, that is, configure his or her business to operate in terms of the moral criteria of double effect.
Double effect is a set of ethical criteria which Christians, and some others, use for evaluating the permissibility of acting when one's otherwise legitimate act (for example, relieving a terminally ill patient's pain) may also cause an effect one would normally be obliged to avoid (sedation and a slightly shortened life). Double-effect originates in Thomas Aquinas's treatment of homicidal self-defense, in his work Summa Theologiae.
However, we must accept the fact that the elites, supported by misguided politicians and public officials, will rule or legislate to do away with double effect and then force us to act against our consciences will become a fact of life across our country in which case, people of faith are certain to suffer grievously and in their persons the cost of their conscious choices.

Too long have we stood passively in the sidelines allowing our First Freedom, the freedom of religion and conscience, to be trampled by the state and by bigoted agitators and propagandists who demand tolerance while giving none; who denounce hatred while themselves hating; who decry the imposition of Christian values upon while not hesitating to call upon the state to force their values upon the rest of us.

It seems to me that we must start a campaign of active, nonviolent resistance to evil and principled dissent, up to an including civil disobedience, in order to arrest the attack against our first freedom. What shape or format our resistance should take? Right now I don't know, but we must formulate a response quickly, before the First Amendment is interpreted as only allowing the formation of special reservations where believers are herded into and inside which they can exercise their beliefs through assembly and ritual, yet placed safely outside the mainstream of public participation in our country, and under the watchful eye of the state and the enlightened elites.

As for me, let me say this: I will not capitulate, surrender, or otherwise submit to the wishes of the state and of the elites to leave my conscience home as the cost of participating in our public debates and contribute to the nation as a responsible citizen. I will resist every attempt by the state and by the vociferous agitators and propagandists of the new morality to conform or else.

I am my country's good servant, but God's first. I will give Caesar's what's Caesar, but Caesar should remember he is not the object of our ultimate love and concern whom we worship on our altars.

We stand on the crossroads, brothers and sisters. We must decided whom to follow, God or Caesar, our conscience or the anti-conscience.


TOPICS: Activism; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: freedomofreligion
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Blunders. Typos. Mine. I fix them all on the blog once you point them out to me.
1 posted on 02/26/2014 6:49:31 AM PST by Teófilo
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To: Teófilo

I think we just need to stand up for ourselves more.

When they call us names for opposing them just say “I am NOT a racist/hater/mean person for opposing governemnt control”


2 posted on 02/26/2014 6:52:29 AM PST by Mr. K (If you like your constitution, you can keep it...Period.)
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To: Teófilo

100%


3 posted on 02/26/2014 6:54:21 AM PST by ecomcon
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To: Teófilo
The writer is correct.

People need to stand ready to decide which side they're on because the choice will be thrust upon them sooner than later.

4 posted on 02/26/2014 6:58:59 AM PST by skeeter
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To: Teófilo

Just watch the MSM turn non-violence into some sort of described violence.

Totally agree, though, we need to use “their” tactics, and use them again and again...and use them hard.

Liberals are slime. They will knife you every time. So, to use their phrasology, bring a gun to the knife fight.

Sorry, but that’s the way it is, and they’ll get their way until we start forcing them to shove their outdated and silly ideas up their smelly Obamaholes.


5 posted on 02/26/2014 7:07:23 AM PST by Da Coyote
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To: skeeter

IMHO, the major point of contention between Conservatives is the differing level of tolerance each of has for silently allowing elected Republicans or Independants to act as submissive doormats for violators of the US Constitution.

IOW, what level of tolerance does each of us have, when exceeded, that will put the elected Republicans who do nothing to oppose violations of the US Constitution in our personal category of “Do Nothing RINOs?”

For example, my level of “Do Nothing RINOs,” (DNR), tolerance was forever exceeded during the Primary Campaign of 2012.

Full disclosure:
* I will not vote for “Do Nothing RINOs” ever again.

* I shall just leave their slots blank on the ballot, as there is no effective difference between a Do Nothing RINO and a Democrat.

At each time during the past five years of critical voting the Do Nothing RINOs in the House and Senate have voted with the Democrats to approve the violation of the US Constitution being voted on.

Their usual defeatist whine is: “We can’t do anything because we do not have control of the Senate or White House.”

The Do Nothing RINOs were given FIVE years to do something and did nothing.

Now it is our turn.

IOW, The Do Nothing RINOs and the Democrats vote together as a single, unshakable voting block to rubber-stamp whatever Obama want to do to “Fundamentally Change the United States of America.”


6 posted on 02/26/2014 7:09:57 AM PST by Graewoulf (Democrats' Obamacare Socialist Health Insur. Tax violates U.S. Constitution AND Anti-Trust Law.)
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To: Teófilo

I truly expect Governor Brewer to veto this law, for pragmatic reasons, basically that Arizona is caught in the vice-like grip of the leftist 9th Circuit, that would never permit it.

However, this may only be a short time loss. The panicked overreaction by the forces of perversion indicates that they are very afraid of such actions, because their agenda is vulnerable to them, and they know it.

So the next effort to do this by a state legislature should either be in Texas, Louisiana or Mississippi, in that they belong to the 5th Circuit, which is far more conservative and likely to uphold religious rights.

But other states should also join in with similar efforts, which will both dilute the resources backing the agenda, but also create momentum in the direction of religious rights.


7 posted on 02/26/2014 7:11:33 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (WoT News: Rantburg.com)
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To: Teófilo; All

RINOS ARE THE OBAMA TROJAN HORSE TROOPS PARTY

The “RINOs” are really just Trojan Horse troops sent in for token show by Obama.
They do as they are told to avoid Left Stream Media jeers.
John “The Doormat” Boehner has his paranoid fears:
Obama and the Left Stream Media Journalists will drive him to tears.

And then there is “Capitulation” Cantor,
With a soft Virginia Drawl,
Who wears patches on his knees
From his frequent Cave-In crawls.

Don’t forget “No Resistance” Ryan,
Appeasement is his long suit.
No wonder “Romneycare” Romney
Was such a big Ryan fan.

Obama’s Trojan Horse is now filled with House RINOs,
All promising that in 2014 they will ALL be silent.
The Republican’s RINO Rove, and “Wacko Birds” McCain,
Act as the Loyal Rear Guard for the Obama Trojan Horse.

What have we here? So say the skeptical.
Forward, ever FORWARD rolls the Obama Trojan Horse,
Crushing the Constitution, all Checks and Balances, and all who complain,
While the RINOs in Obama’s Trojan Horse stay always silent. and do not complain.

Did Obama capture the House RINOs inside his Trojan Horse?
Or did the Loyal RINOs stampede on to get there first?
The “What” and the “Why” are just idle chatter,
The RINO Five Years of failure, is what the to voter matters.

With only two plus years left to Impeach Obama,
Can the Trojan Horse House RINOs be trusted,
What the Constitution requires elected Stewards to do?
Or will re-elected House RINOs just continue the destructive Obama trauma?

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Court Rules Off-The-Grid Living Is Illegal [Florida]
February 25, 2014 9:18:18 PM CST · 11 of 88
Graewoulf to lightman
And how do y’all ‘splain the “Freedom of Choice” that our Founding Fathers gave us?

___________________________________________________________________________

The peak Taxpayer “Rage Day” is April 15, Every Year.

For the 53 % who still pay personal Federal Income taxes, I say “Put y’alls Tax Rage to work and get rid of Obama’s TROJAN HORSE John “Doormat” Boehner” on Imperial Democrat Tax Day, April 15, 2014.

As for timing, the new fire-in-the-belly, Speaker of the House can then, with great and detailed TV Fanfare, draw up the necessary Articles of Impeachment on Soetoro-Obama to be officially filed on the Grandest of all Patriotic Days, July 4, 2014.

Then the 2014 Campaign will be going on along with the following:
* Obama’s Impeachment trial;
* Pro-Obama Impeachment street protests;
* Pro-Military street protests;
* Pro-Privatization of “Entitlements” street protests;
* Anti-Coverup of Benghazi Murders street protests;
* Anti-Coverup of Fast and Furious murder street protests;
* Anti-IRS street protests;
* Anti-NSA street protests;
* Anti-Holder’s DOJ street protests;
* Anti-Bypass Congress street protests;
* Anti-Judge Robert’s street protests;
* Anti-Obamacare street protests;
* Anti-Trojan Horse RINOs street protests; and
* Anti-Democrat Party street protests.


8 posted on 02/26/2014 7:14:17 AM PST by Graewoulf (Democrats' Obamacare Socialist Health Insur. Tax violates U.S. Constitution AND Anti-Trust Law.)
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To: Graewoulf
x2. I will no longer vote for any republican who does not 'move' me either.

Not out of spite, but because 'moderate' RINOs have proven to be worthless enablers. Or worse, liars who'll say anything to get elected.

And I'm tired of being made a fool of.

9 posted on 02/26/2014 7:14:36 AM PST by skeeter
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To: skeeter

Here is an “American Street” Sign idea for the coming Summer of American Street Discontent:

YOUR VOTE IS A
TERRIBLE THING
TO WASTE ON A
DO NOTHING RINO!


10 posted on 02/26/2014 7:19:59 AM PST by Graewoulf (Democrats' Obamacare Socialist Health Insur. Tax violates U.S. Constitution AND Anti-Trust Law.)
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To: Teófilo
We stand on the crossroads, brothers and sisters. We must decided whom to follow, God or Caesar, our conscience or the anti-conscience.

Yes, we do.

11 posted on 02/26/2014 7:21:54 AM PST by sauropod (Fat Bottomed Girl: "What difference, at this point, does it make?")
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To: Teófilo

bump


12 posted on 02/26/2014 7:29:18 AM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: Teófilo

Great post.


13 posted on 02/26/2014 7:41:11 AM PST by Shark24
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To: Teófilo

The phrase is “TOE the line,” not “tow.”

But the substance of your piece is correct and your stance commendable. I too will refuse to recognize homos as being “married,” regardless of what the law says.


14 posted on 02/26/2014 8:38:43 AM PST by IronJack
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To: IronJack

LOL! Just before I posted, I asked a friend regarding the “toe” versus “tow” and he told me “tow”. I tried, I tell you!

~Theo


15 posted on 02/26/2014 8:47:41 AM PST by Teófilo (Visit Vivificat! - http://www.vivificat.org - A Catholic Blog of News, Commentary and Opinion)
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To: Teófilo

We should all nonviolently and actively resist Obama, leftism, progressivism, socialism, and the rest of the evil threatening America.


16 posted on 02/26/2014 9:01:32 AM PST by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: Teófilo

It’s “toe,” trust me. As in “Stand with your toes on the line!”


17 posted on 02/26/2014 9:52:33 AM PST by IronJack
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To: IronJack

I was thinking like the Navy man I am, as in “tow that line, don’t let it slack!”


18 posted on 02/26/2014 11:37:24 AM PST by Teófilo (Visit Vivificat! - http://www.vivificat.org - A Catholic Blog of News, Commentary and Opinion)
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To: Teófilo

Ultimately, if these laws stand, it will force Christians to stop providing commercial services to any weddings. For example, if a baker decides not to provide wedding cakes as part of his products then he can’t be forced to bake a cake for a gay wedding. Same with photographers. It will certainly hurt them financially but it will be the only way to avoid being forced to facilitate blasphemy. It would be a crime and a shame if it came to that.


19 posted on 02/26/2014 12:01:58 PM PST by circlecity
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To: circlecity

Mark of the Beast


20 posted on 02/26/2014 12:02:46 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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