We shake our heads in amazement whenever we read BG’s website {for new people, BG is an atheist we take examples from time to time}. Recently, he posted content about the protests that have captivated the attention of Americans and the rest of the world. We will take a few quotes from that article- The Right to Protest Applies to Everyone.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Yes, this is what the Constitution says but that is not what is happening in these protests. Here is what one article has to say:
Newsom’s ‘failure’ to ‘do anything’ to stop university violence slammed by lawmakers
Officers made about 200 arrests, breaking up the camp that had produced “several days of violent clashes,” according to the school’s chancellor, Gene Block.
That is not a peaceful protest, nor are the actions of running up to the police in homemade shields and causing possible harm to the police officers. Peaceful protests do not occupy buildings as was done in Columbia nor do they have professional protestors fanning the flames:
“They are professionals,” he said.”They may just fly in for a day or two and leave. You’ll see them traveling around the country, and they have funding.(source)
But that is only part of the distortion that unbelievers broadcast.
From coast to coast and college to college, students are protesting Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people (From the original article mentioned in the beginning)
There is no war of genocide against the Palestinian people. Israel went after Hamas that invaded, kidnapped, sexually abused, tortured and killed Israeli citizens. It was Hamas that put the Palestinian people in jeopardy by their ‘defensive’ tactics.
They knew what would happen when Israel responded to that attck on their citizens. Those words are wrong and change what is happening ot make Israelis looklike blood-thirsty savages, when they are not.
Politicians on the left and the right seem ignorant of the First Amendment and its protections of free speech and protest (Ibid)
No, they are not ignorant of what the Constitution says about protests. However, BG is distorting what is taking place. First, these are not peaceful protests as Jewish people have been physically harmed and threatened by these protestors.
Also, peaceful protests do not have students sent home to protect them from harm. The reaction against the protests has nothing to do with violating any First Amendment rights of the protestors but to stop the violent and hate-filled actions of those who are targeting innocent people.
Many of the protesters are anti-Zionists and not anti-Semites. Just because the protesting students oppose the state of Israel doesn’t mean they are anti-Semites
Yes, it does as being an anti-Zionist is being anti-Semitic because there is no difference between the two. One may be a state and the other a people group but the latter are and have been attacked in many cities throughout history just for being Jewish. Take away the state and you still have hatred against the Jews.
The First Amendment protects anti-Zionists and anti-Semites alike, just as it protects those supporting Israel’s murderous actions in Gaza.
This is a dubious claim as it begs the question, why are they protesting in America when Israel is the one carrying out the defense of their people in Israel and the Gaza Strip? Shouldn’t these anti-Israel protestors be protesting in Israel, the country that made the decision to carry out this offensive?
It seems that the protestors are a bit cowardly as they pick to demonstrate in a place that seemingly protects their ‘right’ to protest. Then, if the protestors, or some of them, are not American citizens, does the right to protest apply to them?
When one is a guest in another country, they should be on their best behavior as they may violate the rules that allowed them to enter the country in the first place. We know that because as an E-2 Visa holder in Korea, teachers were not allowed to engage in any political action in the country.
. I vividly remember the protests and riots in Los Angeles and Detroit. I remember civil rights protests and opposition to the draft and the Vietnam War. These protests forced the end of the Vietnam War and the enactment of the Civil Rights Act. Protests can and do make a difference.
We remember those riots as well as the many anti-war protests that took place during that era. yet, there is a difference between those historical and legal protests and the ones taking place right now.
At that time, the students protesting were at risk of being sent to Vietnam and losing their lives. They were also being sent by the country involved in the war and were sending men overseas to fight. None of the current protestors face those risks, nor are they being sent to Gaza to face the Israelis.
One could say that this current crop of protestors is fighting to save innocent lives. But one, how do they know those lives are innocent? Two, Are they fighting to save innocent lives or because they hate Israel and Jewish people?
In the Vietnam War era of protests, the students were protesting to protect their own lives. They fled to Canada, burnt their draft cards, or went to jail for refusing to go and fight like Muhammad Ali did.
The innocent lives the Vietnam protestors were protecting were their own.In comparison, and why we can call BG’s comments a distortion, there was another protest that was peaceful yet BG does not mention it at all:
Last week, five middle school girls were barred from competing in a track and field event after protesting a court’s ruling to block enforcement of the state’s “Save Women’s Sports Act,” according to the West Virginia Attorney General’s office…
OutKick notes that the students refused to participate in the event due to a transgender athlete’s inclusion in the meet. A biological male finished in first place in the shot put and second in the discus event…
The students, from Lincoln Middle School in Shinnston, West Virginia, were then prohibited from competing in their next event, which took place Saturday. They returned to competition Monday….
It is easy to bully defenseless girls who should be protected by the same constitutional right as applied to the violent protests taking place on different college campuses right now. yet, they are not. They were swiftly dealt a punishment that was unfair and unjust.
Where is BG’s defense for these little girls?
“These girls didn’t disrupt anything when they protested. They should be commended, not punished. We need to teach them that it is noble to stand firm in their beliefs and address their grievances within the protections guaranteed by our Constitution. They need not to be silent. They have won by having their voices heard. So glad we were able to weigh in on behalf of these courageous young girls and that they are able to play.” (Ibid)
Notice the difference. This is not right. For Christians, we can support the latter protest as these girls are protesting the sinful acts of allowing fake women to invade their areas of life. While Christians are to obey the law, they have the right to stand up when the law or governing officials are making people violate God’s commands.
This is why we can support the Jewish students and citizens when they are being attacked by those who hate them. We cannot support the anti-semitic protestors because they are violating God’s commands and not only sinning but causing harm to innocent people.
Transgenders are not innocent people. They have made a willful decision to follow after unnatural & sinful behavior. That decision as well as inclusion in areas where they do not belong cannot be supported by Christians.
We do not support sin or evil whether the unbeliever says the protestors or transgenders are innocent or protecting them from ‘harm’. The people actually being harmed are innocent and victims of those who are intolerant and hate-filled.
It is obvious that transgenders are hate-filled because they reject their biological gender and identity at birth. But women should not suffer because these boys and men cannot accept themselves as they are.
Nor should they be punished for standing up to and rejecting this sinful practice. Their protest was peaceful, and honest, with no professional protestors inciting their rejection of the inclusion of a fake woman in their events.
Before Christians act, make sure to get the whole story and fully understand how God’s word applies to all situations. We do not want to sin when fighting against sin.
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