Author: Valerie Cullers

The Service for FREE SPEECH Will be Held Tomorrow

Valerie Cullers 30 Comments

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The service for FREE SPEECH will be held tomorrow in the Chapel on campus. Although the Chapel is a building held in disdain by many professors and students, it was the only place that would allow her service to be held. 

FREE SPEECH was born several millennia ago in Athens, Greece, at the Socratic School. There she was taught about forming cohesive and logical arguments and debating them with others. She spent her early years on Mars Hill, where for centuries men with different philosophical ideas shared their thoughts. Even the Apostle Paul went to Mars Hill to share his beliefs on the invisible God whom the Athenians worshipped. 

After several centuries, FREE SPEECH decided she wanted to travel the world. She tried to be admitted to many different countries, but she was not allowed in because of the danger she posed to the minds of their citizens. Almost all of the countries that allowed her in eventually treated her badly. She was imprisoned from time to time because various emperors, kings and dictators hated her ideas and wanted to silence her.

She found a friend in the United States in the 1700s and came to spend much of her time there. She was healthy and strong until the late 1980s when she contracted the virus Unpopularity. She thought this virus was benign, but it actually opened her immune system up to another, more virulent virus called Political Correctness. That virus turned out to be malignant, and though it didn’t kill her immediately, she was in ill health after contracting it.

Due to her illness, she was rarely seen on campus after the turn of the 21st Century, and few professors or students knew she actually existed. She lived in a back room at the library, where she had been exiled by those in Academia. Because so few people came in to read and study, she was seen only rarely by a handful of students. Those who did know of her existence were afraid to talk to her for fear of reprisals.

She died quietly on campus one day when Political Correctness placed a small amount Group Think in her water glass. No one noticed she had expired, as she had not been out of the library for well over a decade. When we heard of her demise, we sent in a Pathologist to confirm our suspicions. He was able to make a positive ID on her, and so we have decided to hold a memorial in her honor.

She is survived by her first cousins: INDEPENDENT THOUGHT and  CRITICAL THINKING. Other close relatives include: ROBUST DEBATE AND INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY. Her best friend, LADY LIBERTY, will conduct the service, and her husband COURAGE will speak on her behalf.

In lieu of flowers, those who knew FREE SPEECH believe her preference would be for each of you to go to a library and read a book of your choice (yes, even a Bible if you want to) and share the ideas you’ve learned with someone.

There will be plenty of parking behind the Chapel, as only a few on campus knew she existed at all, and will be attending. She will not be missed by many at the college, as she was always a thorn in the sides of her professors, and most students were afraid to associate with her. 

Hope to see you tomorrow!

If We Believe Black Lives Matter, then…

Valerie Cullers 29 Comments

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IF we believe Black Lives Matter, then why don’t we protest outside abortion clinics in black neighborhoods? Why are we not holding up signs that say “Defund Planned Parenthood?” After all, Planned Parenthood was founded by none other than Margaret Sanger, a woman who believed in eugenics. Planned Parenthood clinics were deliberately placed in black neighborhoods to give women a “choice” when it came to birth control.  Since the early 1970s, over 20 million black babies have been murdered in America. That’s not counting the countless thousands of black babies that have died on the African continent in an effort to keep their population under control.

IF we believe Black Lives Matter, then why are we not working with State School Boards and City School Boards to make sure education money is equally allocated so that inner city schools get their fair share of the tax revenue? Schools in poor black neighborhoods are notoriously underfunded, and the literacy statistics are there to prove it. There has got to be a way to equalize funding within the state system and support a better educational system within low-income communities.

IF we believe Black Lives Matter, then why are we not working with State Legislatures to stop incentivizing single-parent families with our state-funded programs? Why are we not working towards helping restore two-parent families within the back community? Two-parent families would give children the support and modeling they need in order to become successful in today’s society.

IF we believe Black Lives Matter, then why are we not outraged by the thousands of black lives lost each year, with black on black violence? Can we not join with those who are working hard to stop gang violence, and its control in our inner cities? This is one of the saddest problems going on in our inner cities and one of the least talked about in the press. 

IF we believe Black Lives Matter, then why would we encourage the police departments to be defunded? Don’t we know that it will be the poorest of the poor who will suffer the most from the lack of police protection? Are we really thinking about black lives when we use those slogans and support those ideas?

IF we own a Corporation and we support the Black Lives Matter movement, then why aren’t we bringing jobs back to our cities so that young black people can have the opportunity to get decent middle-class jobs and have a shot at the American dream? 

We can hold up signs all day long that say “Black Lives Matter,” but what are we actually going to do to show that black lives do matter? There are plenty of people within the black community who are working hard to deal with these issues, and they could surely use our support. Most of these issues are not about race; they are about economics and educational inequality. At the end of the day, blacks are no different than whites. They want to be able to get a good education, have a decent job that can support a family, own their home, and live in a safe neighborhood where they are respected by others. 

Phileo – A Personal Cure for Racism

Valerie Cullers 24 Comments

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I must have heard the term “racism” at least a hundred times last week, but what does it truly mean? The primary definition in Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary says, “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capabilities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority in a particular race.” That is one definition for the word, but it is not the only kind of racism in the world. A lot of racism is ethnic or religious and has nothing to do with the color of a person’s skin. Visit any country and you will find people who believe they are superior to another group of people who share their same nationality. Many believe they are superior to those living in the countries along their borders.

How do we get those beliefs inside of us, and where do they come from? If we examine our own belief systems, we will see that most prejudice inside of us has been taught to us since the time we were small children. Remarks may have been made around our home or in the neighborhoods we lived in about people who were different than us. Did we always agree with those remarks? Probably not, but somehow those attitudes may have wormed their way inside of us in a way we were not aware of at the time. We could also have had a bad experience with someone from a different nationality or ethnicity, and so we formed a generalization about those who shared the same characteristics as the person who hurt us. 

I believe that racism is a form of hatred. We may have even heard the words, “I hate that person because they are…you fill in the blank. Racism hates because of the racial, ethnic, or religious differences of those around us. It is very easy to generalize about people groups, especially when we don’t know the individuals personally. We don’t believe we are bad people when we hold those kinds of beliefs; we think it is only natural to feel that way.

Natural or not, we need to confront those beliefs and seek to change our attitudes towards those who are different than we are. Jesus told us to “Love our neighbor as we love ourselves.”  There are many kinds of love in the world, but the kind of love we need is “phileo.”  The word phileo is from the Greek and it means “friendship or brotherly love.” You’ve heard of Philadelphia…same root word.

Will it be easy to change? No, it will take time and determination. Every time we begin to generalize or think ill of those who are different than us, we must catch those thoughts and reject them. We must learn to view others as fellow human beings, our brothers, if you will, whom we need to learn to love and care for. If we can personalize that love and reach out to others with that same kind of caring we would give our own brothers, it will go a long way in solving the problem of racism. 

Remember, we cannot fix the world around us until we fix ourselves. 

Image by Cheryl Holt. Courtesy of Pixabay.

Wolves Among the Sheep

Valerie Cullers 36 Comments

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This week, we have watched demonstrations and riots across the United States. There have been legitimate protests and illegitimate riots. Many of those demonstrating peacefully have been blamed for the rioting and looting that took place. Why? Because people couldn’t tell the difference between the sheep and the wolves. 

So, how do we recognize the wolves among the sheep? At times, they may look pretty much the same, but a closer look will show us they are two completely different species.

Sheep travel in flocks. They are plant-eaters and docile. Sheep do not think for themselves and follow whoever is leading them. Sheep will trample the grass they are walking on, but do not leave a trail of destruction behind them; the grass will grow back on its own. Sheep are awake during the day and sleep at night. 

Wolves travel in packs. They are carnivores and rapacious. They have a leader and a malevolent plan for chaos and violence. They rip and tear their prey and leave a trail of destruction behind them. They will steal and kill without a second thought. Wolves are nocturnal, they may hunt during the day, but primarily come out at night to attack their prey.

We have been watching wolves among the sheep. Let us be clear-eyed and discerning. If you can’t tell the difference between the two, then study the species until you can. One may seem to look like the other, but they are not the same, and we would be well served knowing the difference.

One thing is for sure, the sheep have been seeking peaceful, meaningful change in our society. The wolves, on the  other hand, have wreaked havoc and are seeking its destruction. 

Image by SarahPickertArt.

Courage

Valerie Cullers 20 Comments

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Have you ever wondered what is wrong with the human race? How can we continue to hate and hurt each other? You’d think that after a while (several thousand years) we would have learned our lesson…apparently not. The killing of George Floyd this week and the subsequent riots (notice I didn’t say protests) are an indication of the hatred and malice that exist in the human heart. 

When I watch the events taking place on the streets of some of our major cities, I just shake my head. I am saddened by the lack of leadership within the ranks of the rioters, and it makes me miss some of my heroes. Take Mahatma Gandhi, for instance. He helped liberate his country from English colonialism. His philosophy of non-violent protest changed an entire nation. It took a lot of courage and character to react non-violently in the face of senseless violence, but he became the Father of modern India and an example to the whole world.

Gandhi influenced another of my heroes, Martin Luther King Jr. He also believed in non-violence, and through his preaching and example, he was able to lead this country out of the dark ages of racial segregation. It took courage and character to stand toe to toe with the police, but he and his followers were able to do it. They received the respect of the majority of Americans who wanted the insidious doctrine of racial segregation legislated out of existence.

If we want to honor the memory of George Floyd and every other American who was killed unjustly by a police officer, we must behave in a way that commands the respect of the people. The vast majority of Americans were appalled by the murder of George Floyd and were more than anxious to see the perpetrators brought to justice. However, the burning, looting, and wanton destruction of property have elicited a different reaction to this tragedy. 

Now, all the American people can see are violent protests and angry mobs pillaging and looting. The tragedy of George Floyd is being obscured by the riots, and the spotlight that should be on his death has now been shifted to the angry mobs. Make no mistake, it doesn’t take courage to torch a car or loot a business. It takes opportunism, greed, and disrespect for the property rights of others.

Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. threatened the status quo. Their courage in the face of evil was a shining example of how society could be changed by the practice of non-violent protests. The agitators who are leading the violent protests will not change society; they will only leave a wave of destruction in their path. Nothing will justify their behavior, and they are certainly no example of courage or character. 

Image by truthseeker08. Courtesy of Pixabay.

Dead Relics

Valerie Cullers 16 Comments
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“Henry Ford believed the soul of a person is located in their last breath and so captured the last breath of his best friend Thomas Edison in a test tube and kept it evermore. It is on display at the Henry Ford Museum outside Detroit, like Galileo’s finger in the church of Santa Croce, but Edison’s last breath is an invisible relic.”  Elizabeth Alexander, “The Light of the World.”

For the past few months, humanity has endured the pandemic. It has been worldwide, impartial as to race or sex, and devastating to the elderly and infirm. The virus has caused fear to be rampant among millions, and millions have sought security in a variety of ways. Some have sought security in their religion, others have sought it with their friends and family, while others have been at a loss as to where to find it. Some have even sought their security from dead relics.

What are dead relics? Dead relics are material items from the past. They may be parts of bodies, clothing, pieces of art, wood, rocks, or strands of hair, to name just a few. Some ascribe an almost magical force to them, hoping they have the power to keep one safe. In some cultures, people wear them on their bodies or around their necks as a talisman. You’ve seen the pictures in National Geographic, and so have I. 

There are several problems with placing our confidence in dead relics, but here are just a few. Have you ever visited a holy site, and people are selling relics? Do you really think they are what the sellers claim they are? I mean really, how many pieces of the cross of Christ are there? If I bought one and kept it near me, hoping it would protect me, I would only be deluding myself. The truth is that many “sacred relics” are fraudulent, packaged only to make money for the seller.

As we move forward and attempt to reintegrate into society, we each must ask ourselves a few questions: “Where am I getting my security from? Is it coming from the living God or from dead relics?” These might seem like odd questions, but in reality, we must come to terms with them as we move forward. Security is a primary human need, and we will all seek it in one way or another, depending on our belief system.

We have a choice, though. There is a living God waiting for us to seek Him and ask Him to be our Protector and Friend. We only have to ask; it’s our choice. Dead relics or the Living God? 

“But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.”  Jeremiah 10:10.

The Race to Create a COVID-19 Vaccine

Valerie Cullers 38 Comments
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Have you ever been to the horse races? If you have, you know there is always a tremendous amount of excitement in the air. At times, the air feels almost electric, depending on which horses are running. Today, if you are part of the scientific community or big pharma, you can feel that same excitement in the air. The race to create a viable vaccine for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is on, and the winners will soon be announced.

Those entities that come up with the vaccine first and are approved by their governments will receive millions, if not billions, of dollars. Make no mistake, this race is real, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Within the next several months, more than one company may roll out a viable vaccine. According to an article I read, the hope is to make it available to frontline healthcare workers first, essential workers next, and then to the general public. Some are talking about having a vaccine available for children that will use a microneedle. It will leave an invisible mark on the skin that can be read by an infrared scanner. If you are over fifty, there may not be a vaccine available for you in the beginning. Research will have to be done to determine the safety of giving the vaccine to those with diminished immune systems, as those who are over fifty are presumed to have. 

Each person will have to decide if they are going to take the vaccine or not. At the moment, it will be an individual choice, but some employers may require it in order to work for their company. Certain vaccines are already required by healthcare agencies, and this one may not be an exception. If you want to travel to certain countries, you may be required to have an Immunity Passport to cross their border. Germany is already talking about the concept, and it could become law in the near future.

If a person is going to take the vaccine, it will be important to find out some information before taking it:

1. Who produced the vaccine, and what is in the vaccine made of?

2. Where was the vaccine produced, specifically,COVID-19 which country was it produced in?

3. Are there any biomarkers in the vaccine?

4. Will any of the vaccines have an RFID chip in them?

5. What are the possible short-term side effects of the vaccine?

Because the rollout of these vaccines will happen so quickly, no one will know the possible long-term side effects of the vaccines. It will also be difficult to tell how long the immunity will last or if multiple injections will be needed to establish or maintain immunity. Even as many governments are hoping these vaccines will be a silver bullet to protect their populace from COVID-19, there are still many questions that need to be answered about them. Each of us should be diligent about doing our research before we take one.

The race is on, and the research is going at breakneck speeds. The stakes are high, not only for the producers but for those who will be receiving the vaccines. We will soon hear who has crossed the finish line and will be receiving the prized billions. If I look through my binoculars, I can almost see them nearing the final turn as they race to the finish line. Can you?

Who’s Pulling the Strings?

Valerie Cullers 27 Comments

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“The Puppet Masters only concern is how well they can manipulate their marionettes.” Steven Redhead

Since about the middle of January, I have been hearing about the Coronavirus outbreak. Towards the end of that month, I heard a molecular biologist talk about the virus. She referenced an article in “The Lancet” published January 24th. That article studied people in Wuhan who had contracted the virus, some of whom had no connection to the wet market.  She also stated that the researchers found that some parts of the RNA sequence of the virus had been genetically manipulated.

I found the article in the Lancet and read it, but could not find the information about the genetic mutation of the virus. She may have referred to another article, but I missed the reference. Since then, I have heard varying scientists talk about where they believe the virus originated. Their opinions are varied, and I believe many of them are working in good faith. Others, I am not so sure about. What concerns me in the scientific community is the existence of a hidden money trail. Who are the researchers receiving grant monies from, and how does that influence their opinions? In other words, who is really pulling the strings? It is a legitimate question and one we should ask when we evaluate the information we are being given. 

“If you have the ability to see the things behind the scenes, then you have the greatest talent one can ever have because there is almost always something else behind the scenes.” Mehmet Murat Idan

As we move forward in the process of dealing with this virus on a societal basis, we need to be able to identify its origins. We will then know what we are really dealing with. Is it a man-made virus, or is it a virus that just happened to be transmitted from a horseshoe bat to a human? This virus is exponentially contagious, able to spread around the world in record time, kill our most vulnerable citizens, and destroy our economies. We have a responsibility to find out the truth when dealing with something so insidious. 

Science is supposed to be based on facts. Research into the RNA sequence of this virus should produce similar results no matter where the research is done. Unfortunately, after listening to different scientists, that does not seem to be the case. Because of that, we must seek to find out who is pulling the strings so we can know which information is the most reliable. Then we will be in the position to draw informed conclusions.

Bulletproof

Valerie Cullers 28 Comments

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“I thought I was bulletproof or Superman there for a while. I thought I’d never run out of nerve. Never.” Evel Knievel

We’ve all come through the last two months together, and now states and countries are starting to open up. Throughout this process, I have noticed several different attitudes towards the Coronavirus. Some people feel they are absolutely bulletproof in regards to COVID-19, especially the young. This group may not think about washing their hands after going out in public. Others are concerned, maybe don’t feel entirely bulletproof, but don’t think there is much to worry about. This group is probably washing their hands at the very least. Still others, depending on their age and comorbidity factors, are taking the threat seriously and are washing their hands, social distancing, and wearing masks. This group feels the least bulletproof of all.

I don’t know about you, but I have probably been in each of these groups at one time or another during this process. Initially, when I was thinking about and praying about it, the Lord gave me a deep peace. I took that to mean that I didn’t have to worry about the virus. I was a bit cavalier about wearing a mask, although I did wash my hands after going out in public. About three weeks into the shelter-in-place order, I ate some fish for dinner that, for some reason, didn’t agree with me. That evening, I was sicker than I had ever been. I felt nauseated the next day and was careful about what I ate for the next week. The lesson here? I was not bulletproof. 

I have no idea what the peace the Lord gave me meant. Was I going to be spared from the virus? Was I going to get it and be healed from it? Was I going to get it and die? I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I did begin to take the threat more seriously. I started wearing a mask in public, was more careful about social distancing, washed my hands for a longer period of time, and disinfected surfaces when I came in from shopping. To encapsulate my thoughts, I give you a quote that I really love:

“We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm.” Damian Barr

As the country opens up and we are given more freedom, we need to respect each other regarding our response to the threat of this virus. If the median age of death is 82, then the virus has taken many who were a lot older than that. Yes, it has affected some who were younger, but in general, the young are pretty much bulletproof. The rest of us, depending on our age and comorbidity factors, will have to think about our response going forward as retail stores, salons and airlines open back up. 

What am I going to do? I don’t know. I will just have to move through this process one step at a time and make my decisions from there. I do pray for protection for myself, my family and friends daily, and I trust the Lord will take care of each one of us. I will not, however, regard myself as bulletproof. What about you? What has your response been to this virus? 

“I returned and saw under the sun that – the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.” Eccl. 9:11

Photo by Mike’s Photos. Courtesy of Pixabay!

Shoulders

Valerie Cullers 21 Comments

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“If He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders; brothers and sisters, I know He will carry you.”                                                    Scott Wesley Brown

A few weeks ago, I started looking at shoulders. Shoulders, you say? Yes, shoulders. I started looking at the shoulders of our government leaders, and I thought about the weight they were carrying on them. They are tasked with promoting the general welfare of the citizens under their authority. This must have been a staggering time for them while dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

I especially think of one governor I saw on television last week. His state has lost the most people to this disease, and he looked shell-shocked. I thought of the sleepless nights he must have spent worrying about those under his care. This disease has left a lot of people at the top feeling helpless in many ways. After all, how do you fight a disease that you don’t yet have a viable treatment for? I also thought about some of the mayors in this country; some of their cities have a greater population than a lot of our states.

There’s not much we can do to help them other than to pray for them. Scripture encourages us to pray for “all in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” All, you might ask if you are a political partisan? Yes, all, regardless of political affiliation. But you don’t know who is in charge of our state, you might say to me. That’s right, I don’t. However, the Bible is clear on this issue: “All” apparently means all.  

Before you rush to take another pill for your hypertension, think about it this way. Everyone (all)  in authority needs wisdom, strength, and divine guidance. At the time this was written, Romans were under the authority of their Emperors. Some of the Emperors were notoriously cruel, unjust, believed they were divine, and held the power of life and death over their citizens. There was a lot to disagree with the way they governed, but believers were instructed to pray for them nonetheless. 

The next time we see one of our government leaders on television, let’s take a closer look at their shoulders and see if we can discern the weight they are carrying on them. May it stir compassion inside of us so that we are motivated to pray for them. Maybe, just maybe, our prayers will help lighten their load a bit. 

Scripture Reference: 1 Timothy 2: 2. Image courtesy of Pixels.