#Obey God Defy Tyrants

[ladysnowangel]

[bestworstcase]

in re: oz understanding what salem meant i do not have the brainpower to go through the whole thing rn but it sort of comes down to,

#1, an “all just a big misunderstanding!” resolution feels pretty cheap and to my mind makes ozma seem just completely pathetic; earlier in the same episode we see him ask salem flat out “what are you saying?” when he doesn’t follow and salem clarifies without the slightest hesitation. the notion that after a decade or more married to this woman, ozma heard her say something this out of pocket, out of fucking nowhere, and didn’t AT LEAST go “…what are you saying?” to confirm that no yeah she really did just abruptly go mask-off on wanting to do genocide, is… pathetic. world’s most pathetic man. i do not believe that ozma has at any point in his lives been the kind of person who wouldn’t blink hard and go “excuse me??” in this scenario.

#2, the only person present during the lost fable who knows the full context of that conversation, aside from jinn, is oz. the only character on team good who has the requisite information to know what she meant. if there’s going to be any proactive motion on the heroes side toward correcting their own misperceptions of salem, ozma is going to have to be the one to provide more information. regardless of what salem herself does to surprise them, i don’t think these kids will be able to get to “let’s try talking to her?” until they have a reason to believe that she doesn’t like. want to massacre humankind.

#3, it makes a ton of sense for there to be a miscommunication on this specific point between ozma and the kids, because a) after the shock of the lost fable nobody was asking follow-up questions aside from “how could you hide all that?” and “what the fuck is your plan to beat her?” and then oz got punched in the face and screamed at and locked himself away for months to reflect on all this. meanwhile the kids focused on the immediate problem of how to beat salem secure in the assumption that they now have all the facts. the question of salem’s motivation never comes up at all until ozpin brings it up with hazel, explicitly in a bid to scare hazel into turning against her, and he misrepresents the nature of salem’s curse in order to make his case. which is to say, ozpin is lying about one thing when he claims salem wants to end the world – it isn’t unlikely that he’s lying about the rest too.

and that’s a recipe for misunderstanding, if ozma knows what salem meant but no one on his side is asking questions about or discussing her intentions – how is he to know they misunderstood something she said until they voice their misconception?

#4, it’s a lot more compelling for the conflict between salem and ozma to be genuinely about what it seems—she believes the gods are fallible tyrants who can be defeated and should be rejected and replaced, he believes that they are absolute cosmic authorities who can only be obeyed and that her defiance is tantamount to a death-wish. they are on the same page about this and before ozpin’s lifetime, both resolutely believed that the other was a) wrong and b) beyond reason, and thus the immovable detente. then ozma experienced the first shattering crisis of faith during the great war (salem was right about what it takes to unite the world) and ozpin spends his whole lifetime reeling while he treads water; and meanwhile salem acts on the presumption that he has not changed, seeming to confirm ozpin’s worst fears (that she despises him, that she will never forgive him, that she’ll burn the world down with her for the sake of defying the gods one last time, and so he is still fated to be her eternal enemy). and there’s the storm.

layered over top of that is all the fairytale propaganda ozma has spent lifetimes meticulously weaving to obscure the true conflict (because he fears she’ll rally people against the gods again if he doesn’t poison the well) – so long that he half-believes it himself, until jinn causes him to relive all of that; the story salem told him that he desperately didn’t want to believe, his lies, her trust, his choice to plug his ears and blame her for the cruelty of his god. not for nothing does he crawl out of this hole with the wistful yearning for reconciliation song playing underneath in the very moment salem arrives in atlas! shattering though it was – it also reminds him of what’s really true, what’s important to him. what he wants.

(#5, it really doesn’t make sense to me for that ^ to happen if ozma is under the impression that salem just wants to kill everybody and/or do grotesque magical eugenics – “the enemy was right” is an odd thought to insinuate that he’s having if he isn’t clear on what salem was right about.)

and #6, i think it makes the reconciliation easier for the conflict to not be predicated on a misunderstanding. consider how salem might feel in the event she asked why ozma did all of this and his answer boiled down to “i assumed you wanted to commit genocide and use our daughters to breed a new race of magically empowered humans and it didn’t occur to me to question that assumption EVEN A LITTLE BIT at any point in our history. forgive me?” like – jesus christ. whereas “i remembered what you told me the gods had done to you and to the world the last time you rebelled against them and i got scared” is so much less awful, and so much more natural to forgive. she’s scared of the gods too. and if there’s any inkling in there of ozma having been scared for her, scared of what the gods might do to her if she failed, all the more so. it just… fits together better with the set up so clearly leading toward a romantic reconciliation.

[daemon-in-my-head]

Tenets of Conquest

A paladin who takes this oath has the tenets of conquest seared on the upper arm.

Douse the Flame of Hope.

It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies’ will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.

Rule with an Iron Fist.

Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.

Strength Above All.

You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.

I do enjoy a Bhaalist that is uncannily close to a Banite. In more ways than one. Also burning the tenets into ur skin? Yeah that does sound like Durge.

Do you understand why it's so vital to me? Why he just needed to be a conquest paladin? What his broken oath really means? I want to talk about what it means. Oh God. It's like a carnal need. I'm sorry I have time and I'm making it everyone else's problem again

Also also, conquest paladins have a tendency to hate other conquest paladins but especially those who sided with the nine hells. So he nd the tyrant can bond about their shared hatred for everyone associated with the hells <3 well as long as my guy doesn’t join the hells knights in Avernus for some fun himself I suppose, you never know when ur conquest paladin may betray you after all

[themuseandantarctica]

* 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏

sentence starters from christopher isherwood’s novel a single man. change however necessary.

tw: death, drugs, age gaps (between adults, no pedo.philia), some n.sfw text

i'm afraid of being rushed.

why? why? is it some cosmic entity, some arch-tyrant who tries to blind us to his very existence by setting us against our natural allies, the fellow victims of his tyranny?

such questions are hard to take seriously. they seem so academic.

intolerable old [name], always absolutely in the right, and crazy.

oh well, i expect it'll last our time.

the question "is this playacting or does he really hate us?" never occurs to them.

put them back, now! back! put them back!

i never hear the noise children make -- just as long as it's a happy noise.

do they know that they are afraid? no. but they are very afraid.

among many other kinds of monster, they are afraid of little me.

even when they are geniuses in spite of it, their masterpieces are invariably warped.

[name] wasn't a substitute for anything. and there is no substitute for [name], if you'll forgive my saying so, anywhere.

would you possibly be free tonight?

poor man, living there all alone. he has a kind face.

idiots -- fooled them again!

what is he up to?

these people are not amusing. they should never be dealt with amusingly. they understand only one language: brute force.

but does [name] want to be obeyed? doesn't he prefer to be defied so he can go on killing and killing -- since all these people are just vermin and the more of them that die the better?

no time to worry about that now.

it is a slander to say that they are identical.

the only ism i believe in is abstract expressionism.

is this some supersubtlety?

let's see if that old robot'll know the difference.

will any of them make it? oh, sure. one, at least. two or three at most.

you're always paying.

[name] wanted me to ask you, sir -- we were wondering if you could manage to get out to us again before too long?

won't this keep happening to him all through his life? won't he keep getting himself involved in the wrong kind of game, the kind of game he was never born to play, against an opponent who is quick and clever and merciless?

sorry, sir -- i lost you for a minute there.

they look as if they were ready at any minute to switch from studying to ditchdigging or gang fighting.

she has the look of a divorcee.

how can i impress, flatter or otherwise con this cantankerous old thing into giving me a good grade?

i must say, i don't see how anyone can pretend to be interested in a novel when he doesn't even stop to ask himself what its title means.

it's not much fun being beautiful for ever and ever, when you can't even wake up and look at yourself in a mirror.

well, what does [name] want them to say it's about? they'll say it's about anything he likes, anything at all.

wow! i don't dig that jazz.

what do we need eternity for, anyway?

the stupidest text in the bible is, 'they hated me without a cause.'

a minority is only thought of as a minority when it constitutes some kind of threat to the majority, real or imagined.

it's better if we admit to disliking and hating them than if we try to smear our feelings over with pseudo-liberal sentimentality.

why, you wouldn't recognize love if you met it! you'd suspect love!

well, after all, what else can you expect?

is this sheer idiocy or slyness?

i keep remembering that beautiful accent. it's like music.

i have to go down to the book shop.

you don't have any of those capsules left now, do you?

i bet, even if you had seen god, you wouldn't tell us.

someone has to ask you a question before you can answer it. but it's so seldom you find anyone who'll ask the right questions. most people aren't that much interested…

a place where the police are angels has to be an insane asylum.

the not-understanding, the readiness to remain at cross-purposes, is in itself a kind of intimacy.

isn't it some tiny satisfaction to be of use, instead of helping to turn out useless consumer goods?

just the same, it is a deadly bore and, to be frank, a wee bit distasteful.

want to go? we might ask him some awkward questions.

now we have with us a far more terrible fear, the fear of survival.

[name] stood me up. talk to me.

they're being cheated out of their childhood. they're being turned into junior consumers!

how can you talk such incredible nonsense?

that fills them with fury and loathing because they can never understand it.

essentially we're creatures of spirit. our life is all in the mind.

the nurses at the reception desk are pleasant, too. they don't fuss you with a lot of questions.

i am woman. i am bitch-mother nature. the church and the law and the state exist to support me.

i was screaming. they heard me clear down the hall.

it seems as if they can't bear to leave anything the way it used to be.

where's that fucking nurse?

if you'll just step outside for a moment. this won't take any time at all.

did she mean goodbye?

it will be a good christmas, the merchants predict.

i am alive, i am alive!

you old ass, who are you trying to seduce?

there is always an atmosphere of leisureliness in this place.

these things just kill me. man!

nobody is bitchy here, or ill-tempered, or inquisitive.

even up here, they are building dozens of new houses. this area is getting suburban.

the supermarket is still open; it won't close till midnight.

who says i have to be brave? who depends on me now? who cares?

look -- is it too late to change my mind? about tonight?

who can it be at this hour?

they might notice something queer about me, and you'd feel ashamed.

hey -- you can't die here! ain't this heaven?

the author gets slightly vague, so i've had to improvise a bit. i mean, he doesn't come right out and say so, but i have a suspicion that one's supposed to make it with human flesh. actually, i've used leftovers from a joint…

i've already made two new year's resolutions -- only they're effective immediately. the first is, i'm going to admit i loathe bourbon.

you know, i sometimes think, about you, whenever you do something really sweet, you're ashamed of it afterwards!

how many times, when [name] and i came to visit you -- sulking, avoiding each other's eyes, talking to each other only through you -- did you somehow bring us together again by the sheer power of your unawareness that anything was wrong?

he has made up his mind, really and truly. he wants a complete break.

i know you think he hasn't behaved well to me, [name]. i don't blame you for thinking that.

i betrayed you, [name]; i betrayed our life together.

i keep wondering just when it began to go wrong.

so here we are, just the two of us. just you and me.

i mean, until i've done that, i won't feel everything's really over. you have to do something to convince yourself.

i never wanted to live alone, [name].

how can you pretend you don't love it? and you miss it -- you wish you were back there -- you know you do.

i'm not sure how i should like that part of it.

whatever you say about it, darling, you always make it sound so marvelously romantic.

what's the harm? it's fun. it adds a new dimension to being drunk.

[name] not enjoying himself? he was having the ball of his life!

we were always making plans like that. we hardly ever told other people about them, even you. maybe that was because we knew in our hearts they were crazy.

no, [name], cross my heart, i am honestly not being bitchy!

feeling guilty's no reason for staying or going. the point is, do you want to go?

i think i shall go back, [name]. i dread it -- but i'm beginning to think i really shall.

i had to tell her at once, right after it happened. otherwise, i'd have been so afraid she'd find out for herself, in some uncanny way, and that would have been too shaming.

the past is just something that's over.

i can't stand anymore indecision. i've got to burn my boats, this time.

i should hate so to leave you, [name].

we could get drunk and earn money at the same time.

do women ever stop trying?

you are drunk. oh, you stupid old thing, how dare you get so drunk?

oh, the bloody battles and the sidewalk vomitings!

seashells are still less easy to find here than discarded rubbers.

it was nothing. only a poem.

but imagine your happening to pick on this particular bar!

do you really think i'd be such an idiot as to try to buy drinks for a minor?

you could invite him to stay the night at your place. tell him you'll drive him back in the morning.

you can talk about anything and change the subject as often as you like.

that's the trouble. i don't know what is important and what isn't.

the past doesn't really matter to most kids my age. when we talk like it does, we're just being polite.

maybe i will. maybe i'll get mad at you.

if you and i are no different, what do we have to give each other? how can we ever be friends?

whatever made me tell you all that? am i drunk or something?

i, personally, have gotten steadily sillier and sillier and sillier.

well, i'm not bluffing -- so what are we waiting for? you weren't bluffing, were you?

that's enough for now!

they ought not to let you out on your own, ever. you're liable to get into real trouble.

don't be an idiot. you'd get pneumonia.

you don't even have a cat or a dog or anything?

i believe you've discovered the secret of the perfect life!

getting married? no. that's out.

i don't believe you're that much interested whether i marry [name] or not. i think you want to ask me something different.

so now she's called the whole thing off?

you aren't exactly sober, if you don't mind my saying so.

and now get me another drink.

i suppose you've decided i'm a dirty old man?

don't you have a glimmering of how i must feel -- longing to speak?

the point is -- here am i and here are you -- and for once, there' s no one to disturb us.

it's the enormous tragedy of everything nowadays: flirtation. flirtation instead of fucking, if you'll pardon my coarseness.

thought maybe i'd better split, after all.

that was great, this evening. let's do it again, shall we? or don't you believe in repeating things?

quick -- we need a substitute!

yes, i am crazy. that is my secret; my strength. and i'm about to get much crazier.

what if [name] has been scared off? what if he doesn't come back?

this is where he found [name]. he believes he will find another [name] here. he doesn't know it, but he has started looking already.

but is all of [name] altogether present here?

how can such a variety of creatures coexist at all?

both will have to be carted away and disposed of, before too long.

[cagemasterfantasy]

Paladin (Oath of Conquest)

The Oath of Conquest calls to paladins who seek glory in battle and the subjugation of their enemies. It isn’t enough for these paladins to establish order. They must crush the forces of chaos. Sometimes called knight tyrants or iron mongers, those who swear this oath gather into grim orders that serve gods or philosophies of war and well-ordered might.

Some of these paladins go so far as to consort with the powers of the Nine Hells, valuing the rule of law over the balm of mercy. The archdevil Bel, warlord of Avernus, counts many of these paladins – called hell knights – as his most ardent supporters. Hell knights cover their armor with trophies taken from fallen enemies, a grim warning to any who dare oppose them and the decrees of their lords. These knights are often most fiercely resisted by other paladins of this oath, who believe that the hell knights have wandered too far into darkness.

A paladin who takes this oath has the tenets of conquest seared on the upper arm.

Douse the Flame of Hope. It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies’ will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.

Rule with an Iron Fist. Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.

Strength Above All. You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.

Oath of Conquest Spells

Paladin Level 3: Armor of Agathys and Command

Paladin Level 5: Hold Person and Spiritual Weapon

Paladin Level 9: Remove Curse and Fear

Paladin Level 13: Dominate Beast and Stoneskin

Paladin Level 17: Cloudkill and Dominate Person

Channel Divinity: When you take this oath at level 3, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

Conquering Prescence: You can use Channel Divinity to exude a terrifying presence. As an action, you force each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. The frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Guided Strike: You can use Channel Divinity to strike with supernatural accuracy. When you make an attack roll, you can use Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.

Aura of Conquest: Starting at level 7, you constantly emanate a menacing aura while you're not incapacitated. The aura extends 10 feet from you in every direction, but not through total cover.

If a creature is frightened of you, its speed is reduced to 0 while in the aura, and that creature takes psychic damage equal to half your paladin level if it starts its turn there.

At level 18, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Scornful Rebuke: Starting at level 15, those who dare to strike you are psychically punished for their audacity. Whenever a creature hits you with an attack, that creature takes psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) if you’re not incapacitated.

Invicible Conquerer: At level 20, you gain the ability to harness extraordinary martial prowess. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of conquest, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:

You have resistance to all damage.

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as part of that action.

Your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Obey God, Defy Tyrants - Acts 5:29

Making reformed merch and theological posts to the glory of God. We offer customized wholesale orders for churches and ministries. www.reformedsage.com

[pamphletstoinspire]

Proclamation on 850th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket  

Issued on: December 28, 2020

Today is the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170. Thomas Becket was a statesman, a scholar, a chancellor, a priest, an archbishop, and a lion of religious liberty.

Before the Magna Carta was drafted, before the right to free exercise of religion was enshrined as America’s first freedom in our glorious Constitution, Thomas gave his life so that, as he said, “the Church will attain liberty and peace.”

The son of a London sheriff and once described as “a low‑born clerk” by the King who had him killed, Thomas Becket rose to become the leader of the church in England. When the crown attempted to encroach upon the affairs of the house of God through the Constitutions of Clarendon, Thomas refused to sign the offending document. When the furious King Henry II threatened to hold him in contempt of royal authority and questioned why this “poor and humble” priest would dare defy him, Archbishop Becket responded “God is the supreme ruler, above Kings” and “we ought to obey God rather than men.”

Because Thomas would not assent to rendering the church subservient to the state, he was forced to forfeit all his property and flee his own country. Years later, after the intervention of the Pope, Becket was allowed to return — and continued to resist the King’s oppressive interferences into the life of the church. Finally, the King had enough of Thomas Becket’s stalwart defense of religious faith and reportedly exclaimed in consternation: “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”

The King’s knights responded and rode to Canterbury Cathedral to deliver Thomas Becket an ultimatum: give in to the King’s demands or die. Thomas’s reply echoes around the world and across the ages. His last words on this earth were these: “For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.” Dressed in holy robes, Thomas was cut down where he stood inside the walls of his own church.

Thomas Becket’s martyrdom changed the course of history. It eventually brought about numerous constitutional limitations on the power of the state over the Church across the West. In England, Becket’s murder led to the Magna Carta’s declaration 45 years later that: “[T]he English church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished and its liberties unimpaired.”

When the Archbishop refused to allow the King to interfere in the affairs of the Church, Thomas Becket stood at the intersection of church and state. That stand, after centuries of state-sponsored religious oppression and religious wars throughout Europe, eventually led to the establishment of religious liberty in the New World. It is because of great men like Thomas Becket that the first American President George Washington could proclaim more than 600 years later that, in the United States, “All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship” and that “it is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.”

Thomas Becket’s death serves as a powerful and timeless reminder to every American that our freedom from religious persecution is not a mere luxury or accident of history, but rather an essential element of our liberty. It is our priceless treasure and inheritance. And it was bought with the blood of martyrs.

As Americans, we were first united by our belief that “rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God” and that defending liberty is more important than life itself. If we are to continue to be the land of the free, no government official, no governor, no bureaucrat, no judge, and no legislator must be allowed to decree what is orthodox in matters of religion or to require religious believers to violate their consciences. No right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow one’s religious convictions. As I declared in Krasiński Square in Warsaw, Poland on July 6, 2017, the people of America and the people of the world still cry out: “We want God.”

On this day, we celebrate and revere Thomas Becket’s courageous stand for religious liberty and we reaffirm our call to end religious persecution worldwide. In my historic address to the United Nations last year, I made clear that America stands with believers in every country who ask only for the freedom to live according to the faith that is within their own hearts. I also stated that global bureaucrats have absolutely no business attacking the sovereignty of nations that wish to protect innocent life, reflecting the belief held by the United States and many other countries that every child — born and unborn — is a sacred gift from God. Earlier this year, I signed an Executive Order to prioritize religious freedom as a core dimension of United States foreign policy. We have directed every Ambassador — and the over 13,000 United States Foreign Service officers and specialists — in more than 195 countries to promote, defend, and support religious freedom as a central pillar of American diplomacy.

We pray for religious believers everywhere who suffer persecution for their faith. We especially pray for their brave and inspiring shepherds — like Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong and Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu — who are tireless witnesses to hope.

To honor Thomas Becket’s memory, the crimes against people of faith must stop, prisoners of conscience must be released, laws restricting freedom of religion and belief must be repealed, and the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed must be protected. The tyranny and murder that shocked the conscience of the Middle Ages must never be allowed to happen again. As long as America stands, we will always defend religious liberty.

A society without religion cannot prosper. A nation without faith cannot endure — because justice, goodness, and peace cannot prevail without the grace of God.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 29, 2020, as the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket. I invite the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches and customary places of meeting with appropriate ceremonies in commemoration of the life and legacy of Thomas Becket.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

DONALD J. TRUMP

[furiousgoldfish]

Abusive parents like to act like they’re some kind of fucking deity that must be obeyed and respected no matter what, and that they’re right to “punish” (torture) children if they “fail to notice that parents are actually gods with rights to rule child’s life” and honestly no, they are not in the right.

 If you’re living with abusive parents, you are 1100% right to defy, to fight them on every single thing, to reject them, to say no, to fuck them off, to do everything in your power for them to not get their way. Because you’re not dealing with the all-knowing, all-doing-it-for-your-good, all-well-meaning concept of parents, you’re dealing with a fucking tyranny. You’re dealing with violence, injustice, insults, injury, torture. You are more than authorized to fight that, fighting that makes you human. To hell with fucking tyrants who would use the words “parents” to loom against you. They have the nerve even thinking they can call themselves that.

(this is not to say that you’re wrong to stop resisting after the torture is no longer worth it, it’s also human to put your survival before fighting for justice and you are right to survive first)

[didanawisgi]

Virginia: Let’s get down to the heart of the Issue.

by The Culpeper Minutemen

“As we sit here on Christmas Eve, we can reflect on the overwhelming groundswell response across Virginia, to the threats of tyranny from Richmond. The MSM is carefully not mentioning any of it. Yet the vast majority of counties and towns have declared themselves as either 2A Sanctuaries, or Constitutional Counties. This has resulted in more rhetoric from Richmond, including threats of violence against the citizens of Virginia.

None of this is complicated. You do not need to be an attorney to understand the Constitution. In regards to the 2A, it says right there:

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed…..”

This is really a struggle about rights, although focused at this time on the Second Amendment. It is about the rights of the citizens in opposition to the increasing tyranny of the leftists. However, the mindset of those tyrants in Richmond is fascinating: They do not appear to see the predicament they have put themselves in. They are doubling down. You see, they believe their own propaganda. It is clear to any sensible citizen that they are preparing to enact a huge tyranny across Virginia. But the left does not see it that way; they twist the meaning of ‘Constitutional’ and believe that they can pass ‘laws’ that are in fact repugnant to the Constitution, and have them validated by black-robed leftists in a corrupt court system. There have already been statements that any law enforcement officer, not enforcing these proposed new laws, will be fired. Even threats of raising the National Guard for employment in violence against the Citizens of the State. I won’t bore with a full summary, most of you know what is going on.

However, the real reason I decided to sit down and write this article was something I am tracking in comments across the board. It is fear. What do I mean by that? Essentially, it is your normalcy bias not registering the seriousness of our situation. This forces you to act in what you see as a ‘rational’ way, but that in fact is an advantage to the leftists in Richmond.

You see, you are in fear of ‘the authorities.’ You are in fear of saying something that may get you in trouble. You don’t want to cause a fuss. You are a ‘law abiding citizen.’ The usual response to these sort of gun ‘laws’ coming down the pike, as seen in other States, is for people to scuttle and run, and look to ways they can ‘sort of’ get around the ‘laws.’ But God Bless Virginia! Things have gone differently here, and we have a chance. We have a chance to push back on this tyranny, and maybe even create a wave going back into other lost States where they may be able to stand and reclaim their Liberty. Because make no mistake, the leftists are playing for keeps, and if We (The People) lose this now, we will lose it forever, for our kids and grand kids, forever.

The whole Virginia thing has been great so far. However, it may seem to you to be a political / Facebook struggle right now. Making some noise to hope to avoid the promised plans from the Democrat majority in the 2020 session. Posting a meme is fairly low effort, low risk. But make no mistake, this is EXACTLY the kind of tyranny that the 2A is there to prevent. Do not sit in denial. Thus, it is possible that on July 1st 2020, you may become a felon, for standing by your natural and enumerated right to self-defense. It is your duty as a free citizen to NOT ALLOW THE 2A TO BE INFRINGED.

We mostly don’t want to think about it, but there may come a time, and it may be soon, where we face an armed struggle for our rights. If this happens, it will be absolutely because Richmond tried to enact tyranny and force it down our throats. Don’t be duped by the way they talk about ‘laws’ and having them obeyed. Any Virginia Citizen knows their Constitution, and knows what is right and what is wrong. Be absolutely clear in your mind that if this comes to violence, it will be the fault of Richmond. This is why I am writing this article – because I don’t think many of you are there yet. You need to get your mindset right. You need to have your kit packed and ready to go, in case Richmond sends armed men against us.

We are not here making threats. Chest beating is pointless. I’m not one for spurious rhetoric. We are standing by as free citizens, and you need to get your head in the game in terms of what it may mean depending on what comes down the pike from Richmond. To me, there is no course of action other than to ensure that YOUR RIGHTS are not infringed. As such, you will very likely need to be prepared to ACT in SELF-DEFENSE should Richmond send armed men against you. That this may happen is totally un-American, and seems almost impossible in our times of peace and prosperity. But it appears we are there, on the very cusp of that tyranny. If we do not stand, then we lose it for all that come after us. It is a civic duty as free American citizens.

Reminder: If a right is not defended, then it is not a right, and is lost.

Here in Culpeper, we are doing all that we can to avoid such a situation. Through the Culpeper County 2A movement (and Facebook page) we succeeded in having Culpeper voted as a Constitutional County by the Board of Supervisors. We are working on the Culpeper Town Council. We are working on campaigns and rallies, because becoming a Sanctuary is just the beginning.

I have created, as a subsection of Culpeper County 2A, a Facebook Group called Culpeper Volunteers. No, it isn’t a militia, but a pro-bono community outreach of Max Velocity Tactical, where will put on some free training. Nothing we are planning involves violence, or terrorism, or civil disorder of any kind: we simply want to lawfully improve the readiness of County residents to protect their family and community should the need arise. As part of this, I am creating specific threads on the MVT Forum, posted to the Culpeper Volunteers group, in order to address specific issues such as equipping the Patriot etc.

But despite all this, what happens if you, as a law abiding citizen, become a felon in 2020? Because it seems these leftists in Richmond are hell bent on passing these laws, they have the majority, and they think they are in the right. I would not even be surprised, if due to the possible attendance at Lobby Day on January 20th 2020, that something (false flag?) happens to create a situation. It may even go hot. What happens then? That does not give us the six months to campaign that we currently think we have. What if, at some point, a state of Insurrection is declared in Virginia?

It may even be that once the laws are enacted, nothing specifically happens. However, as I stated above, what you need to do is not scuttle and hide. You need to stand up as a responsible Citizen. What could this mean? Perhaps business as usual with going to the range, wherever that is, even in your backyard? Do not acknowledge that any ‘laws’ have even been enacted. Carry on as normal. Particularly if your County has already declared itself a Sanctuary. It may be the case that raids are conducted by armed men in the employ of the State in order to create an example – I would suggest the creation of mutual support groups in your area, in order to make that impossible.

I personally am sick and tired of the laws in this Country being corrupted in the name of tyranny, so we now have a situation where even writing what I have written today is something that will be avoided, for fear of consequences. I would like to see some Federal support for Virginia from the Trump Presidency, perhaps even stopping Governor Northam’s proposed raising of the National Guard to enforce his tyranny. But this is where we have the essential issue – we have a Deep State and elites who are forcing this upon us, and a corrupted government security apparatus. Anyone working for the sort of Agency that will read this, should have sworn an oath to the Constitution. To act against normal American citizens who are only standing for their Constitutional rights is criminal. This has got to stop. There are many things that standing up to this tyranny from Richmond may achieve – and throwing off the yoke of Tyranny is perhaps the most noble. This may be our one and only chance. Put the middle finger up to Richmond!

I advise you to work on your preparations. Physical fitness, equipment, and training. You have to understand that what is happening in Virginia is not the normal way of things. It has not gone this way in other States; normally, the tyranny is simply enacted. In Virginia, the people are reacting and saying NO. This is unique. However, in that unique way, it may lead to places not normally contemplated in our affluent and lazy society. When the Regulars marched to Lexington, they were faced by people who were certainly terrified of the consequences of defying the tyranny of the Crown. And recall, at that time they DID NOT EVEN HAVE the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to hang their hats on; simply an idea of Liberty that must be defended. Whoever fired that shot, it was certainly heard around the world. In our case, we must not fire any shots first, but we must be prepared to act in self-defense should the State act in tyranny and send armed men against us.

1859. Tick-Tock.”

[ladysnowangel]

[jolivira]

I know that I’m not the only one that thinks this: a post by me

I’m noticing a pattern that the more I like something, the more I want to make it ““better””

The percy jackson universe for example is something I’m really passionate about and ever since house of hades I started changing stuff in my mind, creating headcanons and stuff. To fix the things I didn’t like. Also the reason I won’t read the Apollo new series :P

The problem right now is steven universe though. God what’s going on with that show? I love those characters so much but these last like 6 episodes were so weird

Season 5 started out fantastic!! What happened man? Ever since pink diamond was revealed shit just hit the fan! (oh yeah this is going to get long)

character arcs don’t matter anymore

We literally had a full episode about Garnet’s insecurity (something that was almost unheard of) and it got beautifully solved by the end. They had a nice talk about life and the future, then took a kitten home. Period.

Why in the hell throw away all of that with this cowboy episode???? I can’t understand. Garnet is a deep and old relationship. The new episode completely disregarded that when Ruby said she never had a chance to be just herself.

In my mind “the answer” was like around 50 years? From their escape, exploring Earth, to the second time they fused and joining the rebels. We had a music sequence and everything, are you saying all of that happened at the same day?? C’mon. From my understanding, during the war Ruby and Sapphire didn’t stay like Garnet 100% of the time like they do now either. They can’t act separetedly because they fused twice? We have like 4000 years to develop this guys, making things faster just ruins the pace.

Since when did Rose “force” them to be Garnet? Again. More than 4000 years and they never spent periods of time separate to think?? They never argued? Never talked about feelings and identity? Being Garnet was always that choice. It’s “the answer” for fuck’s sake...... *sigh*

Lapis and the barn

Why? just... why ruin what we had already established? Peridot and Lapis did not get along. Now they are very good friends and built a home at Earth. From a writing standpoint it makes no sense to have Lapis leave! Instead of creating depth and developing the character you are back to square one. 

By the way, why have Peridot stay at the temple if the following episodes will just pretend she’s not there at all? What difference does that make? The lapidot arc was good how it was, now like 14 unnecessary new problems were created.

I’m still waiting for Lapis to sing escapism too (yes ever since it was released)

new director hired: fanservice

I believe that some stuff have geniously been planned all along. Fusion Garnet, pink Lars, corruption and many more. Pink Diamond/Rose on the other hand feels incredibly out of place. It’s like when fans started making theories and more theories (which I love with all my heart) at some point the crewniverse decided to just go with the most interesting one!

If the image of Pink Diamond hadn’t been altered I would be totally ok with this plot twist. No, she became this goofy child that “just wants to see the world”. Pink Diamond is a tyrant remember? The one that wished to destroy Earth and laughed at other smaller beings, who had a very close relationship with Blue and was raised for the gem society. Pink Diamond caused hundreds if not thousands of deaths, imprisionments and corruptions. Remember Centipeetle? That is literally Pink’s fault

I want Rose/Pink/whoever the hell to be the villain of the story. The show is treating her as the cutsy naive girl

Speaking of fanservice, please try to convince me there is any other reason that Ruby and Sapphire are getting married. I’ll wait.

Pearl belongs to nobody

Yes she fucking does! 

Remember when I talked about fan theories? The best ones are about Pearl honestly. She is the perfect image of the rebels! This weak skinny gem that was supposed to stand and look pretty went against her supposed purpose of life to become the best swordfighter in the universe? That’s amazing!!

Yeah well, we just learned that she has been serving her diamond. to. this. day.

Pearl didn’t rebel. She was given to Pink to obey orders. She helped and followed her to battle and everything. Now the only difference Steven is her diamond. 

And that line “I must be replaced” where is our really scaring Pearl? That feels disgust and anger towards Homeworld rule?

poof she’s gone :)

this is really minor but I’m so pissed

Amethyst not only shapeshifted as a horse last episode. No. She stayed as a horse THE WHOLE DAY AND EVEN SLEPT THE WHOLE NIGHT AS ONE. Wasn’t it like DANGEROUS to keep it for long periods of time?? WASN’T THAT WHY AMETHYST HERSELF WAS CAUGHT? AND STEVEN?? IN VERY IMPORTANT EPISODES?????

What I’m saying is that the show said it’s something major. And then, just for like a silly joke they just threw that out of the window. Fuck it, who c a r e s about continuity anyway?? 

*audible SIGH*

Things I liked:

Greg is a sweetheart gotta love him

It’s not Amethyst’s problem (and Steven doesn’t have to be everyone’s therapist)

Sapphire was pissed (for like 7.2 minutes but yeah)

Kiki and Jenny because I love them

Ruby defying human behaviour (falling on her head, walking in the pool that stuff)

Ok I’m tired that’s all for now. Bye

[blackbird5154]

"Myth and legend are mostly dead, but some still remember the old tales of those who tried to defy the gods. It was said they stole the fire from heaven, or called themselves equal. One figure was considered so prideful he was imprisoned in a pit where he gathered a legion to plan a great rebellion. Now they are merely stories to scare children, to remind them that defiance is a sin. Papa Emeritus III will steal your breath, the parents say. He will unscrew your hands and feet. He will take your eyes." - The same source

I think you've raised an interesting question. I believe Papa III has some contradiction inside of him. On the one hand, he's the bearer of an idea of disobedience and independence ("You will wear your independence like a crown"). He's crowning every person giving them freedom and dignity ("It is freedom to struggle against injustice, to march with crowns and scepters. Here in the pit, we are all royalty now"). And in this context he is supposed to be a democratic leader, which is reflected in your quote. And then we read: "Behind the lie of our own damnation is the truth of Papa’s love. Submission won’t be easy, but on the other side is liberation-" Stop, what? Submission? Does it mean that I'm supposed to obey Papa to get freedom? Doesn't it sound a little... controversial?

What if Papa's intention to be independant coupled with his superiority complex (discussed here) has led to the riot against the Clergy and particularly Sister Imperator (dominant bitch)? I think if he has succeeded in this he could become a real tyrant, despite initial ideas he has in the beginning of his reign.

But it's only my vision, of course.

In my hc Terzo was removed by the Clergy because of a conflict of interest.

From the very beginning of the Ghost project the Clergy considered Papas as "faces of a company", not as rulers. They were supposed to represent the Church on stage and recruit new followers using their charisma. But Papa III, with his ambitions and vanity, had a different opinion. He wanted the situation to be exact opposite: the Clergy had to work for Papa, providing his ability to be heard by as many people as possible. Maybe he even plotted against Sister and the Clergy, preparing a coup in the Church. That's why he grabbed Sister by her shoulder in one of the Summoning chapters. He tried to pressure her, maybe even blackmail. But he was too keen on his stage work and she had more leverage in the Church, so she won.

I really like this rebellious spirit in Terzo and I think this side of him is not sufficiently covered although there are many hints on it, in particular in Peter Bebergal's promo.

[elel-kyutto]

The coronation and the taking of power of Charioce XVII

As expected, Charioce's autocoronation gives us more clues to decipher his insatiable ambition. But also shows us the references for the construction of this character.

This particular scene was a great reference to Napoleon Bonaparte, a man who crowned himself as emperor of France without the Pope's blessing, the bridge with God. 

In this case, Charioce take the crow (the symbol of the sovereign) And put it on his head. Not only does he defy the rules of coronation -rules made by men-, even he shows himself capable enough not to need the permission of the gods to rule his own men. He doesn’t need the blessing of the gods to govern them: the gods who can know of man if they are not men? What can the gods know of man's needs if they do not have those needs? Useless, the sovereignty of the gods is useless to man.

The mentality of charioce is that of a contemporary man, a man who knows that the interests and needs of man don’t correspond to the interests of the gods (or demons). There is no reason to bow to the gods, they no longer represent signs of domination. Man must master himself. The divine determination in man is no longer possible and never was. 

And all this is implicit in proclaiming himself king. The point here is the ambition he displays. Remenber that Beethoven composed a symphony for Napoleon cos’ he admired the ideals of the revolution embodied by this man, but when he learned that Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, he decided to change the name of the symphony and he said: "Now he will obey only his ambition, rise higher than the others, become a tyrant!”

Tyrant? Yes, he is. Free man? Maybe, he has disconnected himself from the yoke of the gods and demons to offer himself to the yoke of mankind. Good man? It depends on what perspective you tell me about being a good man, because if you do it from a political point of view: YES! HE IS A FUCKING GOOD MAN. A good ruler. 

[mayacatmaster]

"Don't you dare satisfy your selfishness, we're all here satisfying my selfishness,

okay?"  ~Abraham Hicks,

*** *** ***

“Student”(solar): “My Master, I am really, really, really very curiosity about why you always tell other people the worst side of you, no matter of it’s on business, friendship area… why?”; *** *** *** "Master"（Mr. Bean）:“Well, my dear solar, you know….: We're all in the same game; Just different levels. Dealing with the same hell; just different devils! *** *** *** If one kind of business you tell your partner the worst side of you, … if they can accept it, then when you both together, it will became better and better more than begin, because they already accepted your worst side of you. And you have no burden hide in your heart because you have nothing to hide from them. It’s same deal with friendship area….!“ *** *** *** "Master"（Mr. Bean）:“So..., my dear solar, maybe you can try it…! Do not tell someone about your good side to make them stay. Tell them your worst side and see who stays.” *** *** ***

“Student”(solar): “But , my Master, what is your worst side of you,…?;

*** *** *** "Master"（Mr. Bean）:“Oh..., my dear solar, the worst side of me is,…:

I am as selfish as your cat!

*** *** ***

And ..., my dear solar,…:

Are you as selfish as your cat? We're wanting you to want so much for your own personal joy, that you can be as selfish as your cat. Your cat, who may focus upon you in the moment, or may not, but we promise you, your cat will do whatever is best for it. And where humans got the idea that their own individual, personal suffering was in any way good for anybody else, defies all Laws of all Universes that we have ever encountered.  ~Abraham Hicks

*** *** ***

“Student”(solar): “But , my Master, why,…?;”

*** *** ***

"Master"（Mr. Bean）:“Oh..., my dear solar,

The World Knows Many Religions or morality/country-social-family-belief-system,  But Nature only just has ONE “Truth”(True Self; Tao; Ma at; Cosmic- Nature-Law). *** *** *** The World Knows Many personal-belief-system, But Nature of heart only just know one-pointed-whole-heart-whole-mind-whole-wisdom alignment with “Source”(True Self; Tao) and as an alignment-deliberate-creator. *** *** *** RELIGION or morality/country-social-family-belief-system From the Latin verb religare: "to tie back; to hold I back; to thwart from forward progress; to bind." *** *** *** A system of CONTROL based in unchallenged, dogmatic BELIEF which holds back the progress of Consciousness….><!!! *** *** ***

They all said:"

Don't you dare satisfy your selfishness,…;

Just alignment with your “Source”(True Self; Tao) and as an alignment-deliberate-creator.

*** *** ***

If you as selfish as your cat by Just alignment with your “Source”(True Self; Tao) and as an alignment-deliberate-creator.

*** *** ***

Don't you dare satisfy your selfishness,…;

And don’t kiss our ass by blind follow and blind obey.

*** *** ***

Don't you dare satisfy your selfishness,…;

We will according our egoism-standard judge you, said you are badass-asshole and punishment you.

*** *** ***

“Student”(solar): “But ,... how can I do, when I face this kind of only-want you kiss their ass-toxic situations or trials & challenges,…:

They all said: repeated after my word, kiss my ass is you as human being the supreme virtue, the most highest duty, obligations, and responsibilities, and it is the eternal truth of life, put the whole world is one-size-fits-all golden rule, …my Master?;”

*** *** ***

"Master"（Mr. Bean）:“Oh..., my dear solar, …:

Run, run, run from what they preach or teach!

By just don’t pick up what they preach or teach as “me; mine; myself” & “real; true”!

*** *** ***

By Follow the force that is guiding the whole universe is in you.  Pledge allegiance to your "Source"(God; True Self; Tao; Logos),  everything is done! ~Huangdi Yinfujing 「觀天之道，執天之行，盡矣！」: 黃帝陰符經； *** *** ***

Because…: You are never along or helpless.

The force that is guiding the whole universe is in you too! *** *** *** Those who flow as "Life"(Tao; True Self; Source) flows know they need no other force. ~Lao tzu *** *** *** You have all the intelligence within you. TRUST, ALLOW and only listen to your own HEART! *** *** *** Use your own light and return to the Source of "Light"(Tao; True Self; Wisdom of Universal). This is called practicing eternity. ~Lao Tzu *** *** *** Always listen to your own heart, even if it is against what your family, society, culture of religion is telling you! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Thanks for “ONEness” *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Because…: NOTHING IS SO LOVED BY TYRANTS AS ARE OBEDIENT SUBJECTS. ~Clarence Darrow *** *** *** If you walked away from a toxic, negative, abusive, one-sided, dead-end low vibrational relationship or friendship…..: you won. *** *** *** Because...: Some people will only "love you" as much as they can use you. Their loyalty ends where the benefits stop. *** *** *** You see a person's true colors when you are no longer beneficial to their life. *** *** *** And Have any of you seen a very, very, very dangerous “saints”(teachers; holy books)? *** *** *** A man who claims to know what is good for others, is very, very, very dangerous. *** *** *** Specially when those said if you want as a good “man”(woman; children)…: Yourself only value is just come from as my sheep, as my dog, play the role kiss my ass. *** *** ***

[yourguruisproblematic]

Sogyal Rinpoche

TW: Accounts of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gaslighting.

Author of the bestselling The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, which has sold over 3 million copies and has been praised by John Cleese, Thom Yorke, and Michelle Yeoh. No mention of the below allegations, or his current work in the wake of his resignation from Rigpa, the organization he cofounded and led until 2017, appear on his website.

Accused by 8 of his former senior students of decades of physical, psychological and sexual abuse (Sydney Morning Herald) with supporting evidence that resulted in an independent investigation report. The report concluded, “Sogyal Lakar should not take part in any future event organised by Rigpa or otherwise have contact with its students.”

Physical Abuse

Allegations of punching and kicking students, “pulled hair, torn ears, as well as [hitting the 8 students] and others with various objects such as [his] back-scratcher, wooden hangers, phones, cups, and any other objects that happened to be close at hand. (Open letter dated July 14, 2017)

Gut-punched a Danish nun in front of an assembly of more than 1,000 students at Lerab Ling in France because his footstool wasn’t in the right position. Then refused to continue with the retreat as students questioned this action, speaking through an employee: “Sogyal, he said, was upset that people should be questioning his methods. If people didn’t understand what had actually happened, then they probably weren’t ready for the promised higher-level teachings, and Sogyal would not teach again during the retreat.” (SCMP)

In 2001, took on a woman named Drolma as his assistant. "The first time Sogyal hit her hard on the head with the back­scratcher that he carries everywhere, Drolma says, she accepted it as part of his ‘wrathful’ training. ‘I thought, “Wow, he really trusts me.”’ It was the beginning of years of physical abuse and verbal humiliation. ‘If he became anxious about his mother, or over a relationship with a girlfriend or some financial thing, he would slap me across the face, or hit me over the head with his backscratcher.’” (ibid)

Abuse that “left monks, nuns, and lay students of yours with bloody injuries and permanent scars” (ibid)

Drolma in an interview with Good Weekend: “If anything went wrong and his anxiety got the better of him, he would take it out on me. One of those times he grabbed me by the ear and it was torn all the way along the back. There was blood pouring down my neck.” (Sydney Morning Herald)

Verbal and Emotional Abuse

“In December 2005, in a live streamed teachings from the unfinished temple, Sogyal Lakar said that Ian Maxwell, one of his oldest students, was “an asshole”, as Ian lay dying in the hospital in Paris. After Ian’s death Sogyal Lakar said that Ian, ‘died spitting up blood' because he had defied him in the past. Sogyal Lakar regularly used this incident, saying, ‘Do you want to end up dying spitting up blood like Ian for defying me?' as an example to other students when he threatened them with dire consequences if they did not obey his commands“ (Open letter dated July 14, 2017)

Sogyal Lakar told Graham Price that his beloved partner, Elena, got sick (and died a year later) because Graham had shouted at him. “In reality Graham didn’t even raise his voice.” (ibid)

Publicly humiliated a male attendant during a teaching session who had erred on travel plans. "Sogyal got him to kneel at the foot of the podium and then run backwards and forwards across the tent. I felt terribly uncomfortable but I also thought he was very fortu­nate to have such close attention from the teacher.” (SCMP)

Sexual Abuse

Within a year of the publication of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, groomed and sexually abused a woman named Dierdre Smith who attended one of his retreats after the death of her father. “For several months Dierdre put her everyday life on hold and travelled with Sogyal as his servant, sex partner and arm candy. She recounts how the smile on Sogyal’s face and the unctuous charm of his of his public presentation vanished the moment they were hidden from view: ‘There must have been about 10 women in his inner circle,’ she says, and it was our job to attend to his every need. We bathed him, dressed him, cooked for him, carried his suitcases, ironed his clothes and were available for sex. He was a tyrant. Nothing we did was ever good enough. He went into screaming rages and beat us. If I tried to question the way he treated us, he became angry. The only way to avoid this was to stay silent and submissive.’” (Behind the Thangkas)

In 1994, a $10 million civil lawsuit was filed against Sogyal Rinpoche and Rigpa by an anonymous plaintiff, who was given the name “Janice Doe” to protect her identity. The complaint alleged infliction of emotional distress, breach of fiduciary duty, and assault and battery. (The Telegraph)

In 1995, an anonymous female student told The Telegraph Magazine: "It's a relationship that you haven't chosen, agreed to or discussed. Because he was my spiritual teacher, I trusted that whatever he asked was in my best interests. You're chosen which makes you feel special. You want to help the teachings, you want to progress on the spiritual path. By sleeping with the teacher you get a closeness to him which everyone is hankering after. You want to be a 'good student.' It's a sort of submission. I saw it as part of the teachings about the illusory nature of experience and emotions. But in fact it caused me a lot of pain that I wasn't able to dissolve." (The Daily Telegraph Magazine)

Another female student spoke for the same article: “When, at length, Rinpoche made a sexual advance to her, she says that she felt 'confused'… Her understandings of the teachings, she says, did not help her resolve her confusion. But while her doubts grew, she did not feel 'justified' in expressing them to Sogyal.…'All of the older students, the people I went to for advice, told me repeatedly that I must "abandon my discriminating mind and use my wisdom mind" in dealing with Rinpoche,' she says. 'Every time I tried to do that I ended up doing what he wanted and feeling bad about it later." (ibid)

“The distress felt by students who have had sexual relations with spiritual teachers can be analogous to incest.“ (ibid)

In 2000, Janine, the daughter of a follower of Sogyal Lakar started attending his teachings to spend time with her father who had begun to neglect her. After engaging with Sogyal in a few public settings, she was “ordered to wear a best dress and turn up at Sogyal’s house for dinner. At this moment she realised the whole set up was somewhat bizarre: ‘There was Sogyal surrounded by five or six young pretty girls and there were no other men. Iit was quite fun actually, we had nice drinks and we danced for him. Then at a certain point he asked me to go upstairs with him and massage his head. I made some sort of smart reply and he became angry. He said I was too proud and he would have to break my pride.’” Janine became inducted as an unwilling member of Sogyal Lakar’s harem and forced into orgies. “‘They were terrified of being beaten…During the time I was with him continuously, one of us would be beaten every day – because you forgot something or did something wrong. For one girl it was because the way she walked was too proud. I got a little less than the others — some would get a serious, really bad beating. He got irritated with me because when I did something wrong I would hand him something to hit me with and that would spoil the fun.’” (Behind the Thangkas)

“Indoctrination into the inner circle is designed as a life sentence. A young, vulnerable woman is programmed to accept Sogyal’s god-like status and to be compliant with his wishes and whims, slave-like in her willingness to accept a punishing workload and available for sex on demand. She is separated from her family and friends, discouraged from contact with the outside world and persuaded to see Rigpa as her family, with Sogyal (confusingly as father-lover) in absolute power and control. In the majority of cases, it works. By the time these women realise they are being abused and exploited and are deeply embedded in a coercive cult, it is too late for them to extricate themselves. Their investment is total and their chances of making lives for themselves beyond Rigpa have dwindled into non-existence.“ (ibid)

Allegedly instructed students to strip, show their genitals (male and female), provide oral sex, provide photos of their genitals, to be sexual partners and to describe other sexual relations with other partners. (Open letter dated July 14, 2017)

Allegedly ordered students “to photograph [his] attendants and girlfriends naked, and then forced other students to make photographic collages for [him], which [were then] shown to others.” (ibid)

Allegedly “offered one of [his] female attendants to another lama (who is well known in Rigpa) for sex.” (ibid)

Met Victoria Barlow in 1976 for a private teaching, “He roughly put his hand up my long dress, groped my privates, unzipped himself and lay on top of me, literally grunting for the minute or two until he released. Immediately, he got up, said he had things to do, that he was getting ready to travel across America.” (Sydney Morning Herald)

Gaslighting

Food was not hot enough

Awakened from nap a half hour late

Phone list was missing a name or the font was the wrong size

The internet connection was slow

The television movie guide was confusing

Technology failed to work

Students failed to “tune into [his] mind” and predict what he wanted

Upset with one of his girlfriends. (ibid)

Sogyal Rinpoche denies all allegations.

[updcbc]

May 7, 2017 - “The Great Transition: Joshua Leads Israel” Joshua 1:1-8

Click KEEP READING to read the full sermon. 

Introduction

As a people of God, we all yearn for the Lord to raise godly leaders among us. Listen to a man who listens to God and follow a man who obeys the Word of God.

God governs over his beloved people by choosing a man to shepherd his own flock. There was a man who listened and obeyed God. And the Lord chose him to deliver his own people and to lead them. For the Hebrew people, there was no greater man to whom they could listen to and whom they could obey than Moses.

Moses was a man who faced great transitions in life. For forty years he lived as a prince in Egypt. Yet when he could no longer endure the suffering of his fellow Hebrews, he left the royal palace and lived in the wilderness for forty years. Then the LORD appeared to him in a burning bush. And Moses delivered his own people from their miserable slavery in Egypt and led them in the wilderness for forty years. Moses saw the Promised Land from a distant at Mount Nebo. On that mountain he died and God buried him to an unmarked grave in the valley of Moab (Deut. 32:50; 34:6). The obvious reason was to keep the Israelites from idolatry for in their reverence to Moses they could make him as their national idol.

How great was Moses? The Scriptures testified about him.

“Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).

Now that Moses was gone, Israel faced a historic transition—if not a national crisis. Who would be qualified to take his place and be able to lead the Israelites?  The sovereign Lord chose his own man to shepherd his own people and lead them to the Promised Land. And Joshua was the man.

In this great transition, the LORD gave his word to Joshua (1:1-9). In taking the helm of leadership over Israel, Joshua gave his charge to his own countrymen (1:10-15). In response, the Israelites pledged their allegiance to the Lord’s anointed (1:16-18).

A. The Word of Yahweh to Joshua (1:1-9)

It was the Lord himself who informed Joshua that Moses was dead. He gave his charge for him to lead his people and claim the Promised Land as their inheritance. And the Lord gave his reassuring promise to his chosen servant.

1. The Staggering News

This was the word of the Lord to Joshua.

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead.’” (1:1-2a)

The breaking news was indeed staggering: Moses is dead. The whole nation deeply mourned for him. Joshua anticipated this eventual event. Moses had prepared him for this moment. Now, all Israel looked up to him. And Joshua trembled.

And who would not be gripped with fear on the very thought of considering to take the place of Moses? The unparalleled greatness of a predecessor could cripple anyone who would be a candidate to become his successor. For someone to consider becoming a shepherd over a great nation would be unsettled by his own inadequacy and weakness. For anyone to lead the people of God based on uncompromising moral standards, who would be qualified to such a noble task? And for someone who weighs the possibility that he could be defied and rejected by the very people whom he would be serving, how prepared would he be to face the perils and pains in the ministry?

Joshua, who served as the right hand of Moses, knew the obvious fears and hidden tears in leading the people of God. Now that Moses is dead, Joshua was called to lead Israel. And there was no one whom he could turn and hold onto but God.

2. The Divine Mission

Joshua was set apart by God to finish what Moses started. Moses delivered Israel from Egypt. Joshua will lead his people to the Promised Land.

a.     “Lead your people.”

The Lord made this clear to Joshua.

 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” (1:6)

The Lord had given his word. Joshua was the man chosen by God to lead Israel. And Moses prepared him for this noble task.

Joshua was born and grew up as a slave in Egypt. When Moses delivered Israel from Pharaoh, the young man Joshua was one among the Hebrews who crossed the Red Sea. In the wilderness, Moses chose Joshua to be his assistant. Moses took Joshua to accompany him on Mount Sinai and for forty days they spent time with the Lord who gave Moses the Law, primarily the Ten Commandments, as the Lord’s covenant with Israel (Ex. 24:13). Moses gave Joshua a prominent place at the Tabernacle as his representative while the great leader left the camp and went inside the “tent of meeting” to commune with the Lord (Ex. 33:11). Joshua, who came from the tribe of Ephraim, was one among the twelve spies whom Moses sent to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:8). Joshua, with Caleb, made a good report and encouraged the people to conquer the land with the help of God (Num. 13:30). Because of their faith and courage, they were the only two men from the former generation who remained alive to enter the Promised Land. Joshua, as a seasoned assistant of Moses, proved himself faithful in obeying the Lord and in discharging his duties. The Lord himself chose Joshua to lead Israel with the blessing of Moses (Deut. 31:1-8; 34:9).

What does it mean for Joshua to lead Israel? It means for him to be the servant of the Lord. The Lord called Moses, “my servant.” Joshua should follow the footsteps of Moses. A leader is a servant. No one can truly lead without a servant’s heart. The great Moses was a humble man. Joshua should lead in humility.

b.     “Inherit the Promised Land”

As the anointed servant of the Lord, Joshua was commissioned by God to lead Israel to the Promised Land. This was the command of the Lord to Joshua.

 “Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. (1:2b-4 RSV)

Israel then was camped on the plains of Moab on the eastern side of the south end of the Jordan River across Jericho (Num. 33:48-49). Canaan was just across the river. God commanded Joshua and his people to get ready to cross the Jordan.  The Lord assured them in their claim of their inheritance. And he gave the boundaries of the Promised Land. The borders were from the Negev desert on the south and as far as to the great river Euphrates on the north, and in a restricted sense, from the Jordan River on the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west. The Lord himself set the boundaries and the details were recorded by Moses in Numbers 34:1-12. (See the red line on the map.) Israel must respect these territorial boundaries and they should not become unruly invaders outside the Promised Land.

For the Israelites to invade the Canaanites and their territories, would they not be guilty of becoming tyrant conquerors and of shedding innocent blood of many people? The Lord is sovereign and just in all his ways. In his sovereignty, he had promised to Abraham and to his descendants the land of the Canaanites to be their inheritance as a nation. Was the Lord not unjust for him to do this? He was not because he had the authority to give territories to people of his own choosing. “From one man he had made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:26). In fact, he gave sufficient time for the peoples in Canaan to acknowledge God. Abraham and his descendants lived as strangers in the Promised Land. When the Israelites became slaves in Egypt, the Canaanites were free nations for four hundred years. In the time of Moses, the Israelites were not able to enter Canaan because that generation defied the Lord and was unworthy to enter the Promised Land. So the Canaanites had another forty years of freedom while Israel wandered in the wilderness.

It was totally different when Joshua led the new generation of Israel. Moses was able to mould that generation to fear the Lord and prepared them to enter the Promised Land. Unfortunately, that was also the time when the wickedness of the Canaanites had reached to the limit. The prophecy of the Lord to Abraham was fulfilled in the time of Joshua: “It will be four generations before your descendants come back here, because I will not drive out the Amorites until they become so wicked that they must be punished” (Gen. 15:16 GNT). There were two fundamental reasons why the Lord himself would lead Israel to conquer Canaan and destroy the inhabitants. First, it was the judgment of God over the Canaanites because of the fullness of their wickedness. And the Lord raised Israel to judge them as the Israelites would conquer the land which the Lord promised them. God could use a nation to punish other nation in administering his divine justice. And Israel was not exempted. The Lord warned the Israelites that they too will be conquered by other nations and be evicted from the Promised Land if they would rebel against him and disobey his commandments. Secondly, it was a safeguard in preserving Israel as a holy nation. To conquer the land and destroy the people was the Lord’s way to redeem and consecrate the land for his own people. The Israelites must destroy the idolatrous inhabitants and all forms of idolatrous worship so the Israelites would not be corrupted with the godless practices in the land. Likewise, Israel had been sternly warned that should they become idolaters, they too will be judged by the Lord by sending foreign nations to invade them and be dislodged from the land. For the Lord to execute divine judgment over wicked nations and to secure divine preservation for his covenant people, God commissioned Joshua to lead the Israelites to conquer the Promised Land as their divine inheritance. The Lord who is sovereign over all the affairs of humankind was just in all his works and judgments. And Joshua understood the mind of God.

3. The Divine Promise

How could Joshua be sure that Israel would be able to inherit the Promised Land? Under the Lord’s sovereignty and justice, he gave his promises to Joshua.

a.     The Protection of God

The Lord had promised that he will protect him and his own people: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life” (1:5a).

In the time of Moses, the reason why the former generation failed to enter the Promised Land was because they believed the discouraging report of the ten spies. In fairness, there was truth to their report that the Canaanites were giants and the Israelites were like grasshoppers. The Canaanites were warriors, skillfully trained in warfare, and more powerful in height, built, might and number. Unlike the former generation of Israelites who had been slaves, they were never trained to warfare because they were oppressed to burdensome labor. The sin of the ten spies was their choice not to put their trust in God. And worse, they persuaded their countrymen to defy the Lord. As a consequence, Israel wandered in the desert. It was Joshua, with Caleb, who stood for the Lord. And within those forty years in the wilderness, Joshua was able to train the new generation on warfare. Joshua, however, should not place his confidence in human might but in the power of God.

b.     The Presence of God

Likewise, the Lord had promised his abiding presence to Joshua and his people.

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (1:5b)

The Lord promised his personal presence to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” Moreover, he assured his ever-presence to his anointed, “I will never leave you.” And finally, he declared his faithful presence to his servant, “I will never forsake you.”  If there was one thing that sustained Moses for him to shepherd the former stubborn generation, it was the presence of the Lord. Moses earnestly pleaded to the Lord that he would never leave and abandon them. The Lord honored the prayer of Moses. And Joshua himself could attest how Israel was preserved as a people because of the abiding presence of the Lord. As the Lord was with Moses, so he would be with Joshua.

4. The Divine Exhortation

The Lord had chosen Joshua to lead his people to enter the Promised Land. He promised him of his presence and protection. What did the Lord ask of Joshua? These are the reassuring words of the Lord to Joshua.

a.     Seasoned Courage

First, Joshua must be a man of courage. The Lord said, “Be strong and very courageous” (1:7a). Israel was a step away to the Promised Land. Across the river, the multitudes of fierce Canaanite warriors were fully prepared to defend their people and land. Joshua was now to lead Israel to face their greatest battle as a nation. At stake were their lives and the future of their children. All eyes were fixed on Joshua. He must make his final stand. He could not lead his people in cowardice. He must be brave to lead his people. As Moses trusted in the Lord, Joshua must trust God. This was the moment for him not to lose sight of the Lord.

b.     Total Obedience

Second, Joshua must take God at his Word.

“Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (1:7b-8)

The command was clear: total obedience to the Word of God. With obedience, a promise was guaranteed: victory in conquering the Promised Land. As Moses obeyed the Lord and his Covenant, Joshua must obey God and his Word.

c.      Divine Assurance

Third, Joshua must lead as the Lord’s anointed.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (1:9).

The Lord set him apart to shepherd his countrymen and to lead them in battle to claim the Promised Land. Joshua must lead in the authority of the Lord just as Moses did. It was time to lead and move forward. No looking back. No turning back. The sovereign Lord was on their side. And the Lord reinforced his word to Joshua that he must be strong and courageous.

B. The Word of Joshua to Israel (1:10-15)

Joshua rested on the Word of the Lord. The time came for him to lead. And he led his own people in obedience to the Word of God.

1. The Instruction to the Leaders

This was his instruction to the leaders.

So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’” (1:10-11)

It was time for the Israelites to consecrate themselves and be ready. On the third day the nation would make their final march. The Israelites would cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. The whole community knew that they would be engaging with the greatest battle in their lives. And there was no point of return.

2. The Reminder to the Transjordan Tribes

And he gave his reminder to the concerned tribes.

a.     Families to be Left Behind

This was his word for those who would be left behind east of Jordan.

But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan.” (1:12-14a)

These Transjordan territories were the kingdoms of the Amorites conquered in the time of Moses. The two and a half-tribe asked Moses for these regions as their inheritance. Moses granted their request. And Joshua honored the agreement.

b.     The Help of the Fighting Men

This was Joshua’s instruction to the fighting men of the two and a half-tribe.

“But all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them.” (1:14b-15a)

This battle was not only meant to conquer the Promised Land. It was essentially a testimony of national solidarity among the Hebrew people.

c.      The Return of the Fighting Men

And this was his final instructions to the fighting men of the two and a half-tribe.

“After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.” (1:15b)

This agreement was decreed by Moses and was witnessed by Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua himself. This binding agreement was written in Numbers 32:1-33. And Joshua fulfilled the word of Moses.

C. The Word of Israel to Joshua (1:16-18)

What was the response of the Israelites to Joshua? This historic event was the most powerful account of how an entire nation rallied its support to their leader.

1. The Pledge of Obedience

Israel pledged their obedience to Joshua.

a.     Their Wholehearted Obedience

Listen closely to their words.

Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.” (1:16)

The whole nation took Joshua at his word!

b.     Their Reassuring Obedience

And they made their pledge in the name of Moses: “Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you” (1:17a). This was not blind obedience. Rather it was a solid obedience anchored in the great fear of the Lord.

c.      Their Serious Plea

The Israelites had one soul-searching plea: “Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses" (1:17b). Joshua trembled before the Lord!

 2. The Pledge of Loyalty

And Israel had pledged their loyalty to Joshua.

a.     Their Phenomenal Loyalty

Their loyalty was astounding: “Whoever questions your authority or disobeys any of your orders will be put to death” (1:18a GNT). The Israelites were dead serious. And Joshua all the more trembled before the Lord!

b.     Their Earnest Plea

Israel made their final plea to Joshua, “Only be strong and courageous” (1:18b). The whole nation had the same words of encouragement to Joshua—like the Lord’s. Joshua must bravely take the lead. And all Israel were willing to follow.

This was the younger generation whom Moses led in the wilderness and molded in the fear of the Lord. This was the same generation whom Joshua had trained and equipped in battle. And this was the new generation whom the Lord had raised and prepared to enter the Promised Land! What a great transition and difference it was!

Conclusion

“Moses is dead.” Joshua trembled. Israel mourned. Now, what lies ahead? The message of the Lord to Joshua was a double-edged sword: “You are the man whom I have chosen to lead my people to enter the Promised Land.”  The message of Joshua to Israel was a matter of life and death: “Get ready for we will enter Canaan and fight our greatest battle for the destiny of our nation!” And the message of Israel to Joshua was irreversible: “We are here to die for you and may the Lord be with you as he was with Moses.”

Let us give a careful though on this. Our home church is our spiritual family. We earnestly pray that the babies whom we dedicate to the Lord would be our future godly leaders and faithful servants. May our sons and daughters love the Lord and walk in the truth. As a Christian congregation whom our Lord Jesus Christ had built right in the midst of the prestigious institution in our homeland, how can we make a godly influence inside our homes and to people around us? Based on the great passage in the book of Joshua, here is a personal question to every one of us: “What particular word would I allow God to make a difference in my life?”

These are the words of the Lord to Joshua:

“Lead my people with a servant heart.” “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth.” “Be careful to do everything I have commanded you.” “Be courageous and do not be afraid.” “I am with you and will never forsake you.”

These are the words of Joshua to Israel:

“Get ready to enter the Promised Land and claim your inheritance.” “Consecrate yourselves and present your lives clean before the Lord.” “Leave your comfort zone and go to the battlefield—into the real world of service.”

And these are the words of Israel to Joshua:

“As we obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.” “Just say the word and we will do it.” “Our lives for your life—only, may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses!”

Choose a word to make a difference in your life. We pray that this word of God be true to anyone who may ever lead us: “As I was with Moses so I will be with you.”