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Written by Gabrielle Guthrie for “See, there’s this thing called biology…~insanitybytes” @ https://insanitybytes2.wordpress.com/

Original post found @ https://insanitybytes2.wordpress.com/2023/12/16/destroying-the-devil/

Destroying The Devil?

16SaturdayDec 2023

Posted by insanitybytes22 in Uncategorized

Tags blogging, culture, faith, insanitybytes22, politics

I found it somewhat amusing that Michael Cassidy knocked over the statue of Baphomet at the Iowa State Capitol building, and proceeded to throw his head in the trash.

Naturally, they arrested him, which struck me as a bit humorous too. What are you in for? Throwing satan in the trash.

Needless to say, I am not overly grieved by this alleged property crime. I found it rather entertaining and symbolically delightful. Just the same he violated the rule of law, he violated the will of the people, he disrespected someone’s property, and he bypassed due process. No, no, I am not eager to vote for people who show complete disrespect for those principles.

My second thought was, welp, there’s a meaningless publicity stunt from someone running for political office.

Don’t you wish that tearing down statues actually made things go away? People aren’t going to like me for saying this, but that’s a very liberal concept. I call it tokenism. You do something superficial and meaningless, something likely to create even bigger problems, and then pat yourself on the back for having been the only one courageous enough to solve all the world’s problems. Tokenism is a form of virtue signaling.

I don’t wish to single out and target Iowa. I myself often say I live in the 9th circuit of hell. Trust me, Iowa has lots of rotten company. However, some of us might want to ask ourselves if perhaps Baphomet might be a better representative of what really goes on in our state capitols in the first place?! Call me crazy, but I’m far more concerned about people misrepresenting Jesus indeed and act, and then using His image as a brand, as a stamp of approval.

Also, if one is a Christian then we really need to take a better look at Acts 17. The Apostle Paul is in hostile territory and has encountered numerous idols. Does he tear them down? No! He says, “For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”

Acts 17:24-31 is where Paul proceeds to proclaim his truth. I am especially fond of this passage because he pays tribute to their poets. Apologetics is not supposed to be a dry, scientific, intellectual pursuit. Let me tell you about God, let me make Him known to you.

A huge problem I see in the world right now is that force, publicity stunts, and doing the precise same thing as the other guy just with your own team colors stamped on it, is all the rage. Might makes right. Naturally, Michael Cassidy is a military guy, and that is probably an appropriate response in a physical battle, in a war. Some might even say, we are in a spiritual war right now, the problem being you simply cannot use force and violence against the devil. Why? Because it doesn’t work, because it is foolhardy. You just can’t shoot things like cancer, disease, grief, despair, ignorance, greed. You can’t just punch people in the head for doing things like “worshiping an unknown god,” a god they don’t even know how to define!

Have a chuckle with me, this particularly little god was actually made out of pool noodles. I so appreciate the effort and the symbolism, but in truth Michael Cassidy simply fought a pool noodle and won. I’m not overly impressed.

Those of us who are Christians have a wealth of information to draw from in the Bible, actual examples of how to address things properly.

The book of Jude actually says, “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Jude is a reminder that we need Jesus. We are not powerful enough ourselves to fix anything. Some of the things we try to fix are not the things that are broken. And some of the things that really are broken, we refuse to fix. I’ve been trying to say this to conservatives and Christians and conservative Christians for decades now to almost no avail. What is needed is not more force, more aggression, and more authority, more meaningless posturing and displays of tough-guy-ness, but rather more wisdom. Good grief are we famished from some wisdom! We need to stop fighting pool noodles and start using our own noodles.

We don’t just lose politically when we reject wisdom, we lose the war of faith, too.

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

You say you are a “born again” believer…  BUT is your soul “ON FIRE” for the Lord ??  If not, open this link – https://godsmanforever.com/2020/08/01/are-you-a-christian-in-gods-eyes-and-on-fire-for-the-lord-or-not/

Picture credit: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/therefore-submit-god-resist-devil-he-1946866228