All freedoms of choice are being eroded

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 5, 2024

All freedoms of choice are being eroded, but we fail to see it coming. Some believe the threat is just about what we choose to do with our own bodies. It is about everything they consider a sin. Why? Because they believe humans are made in the image of God...
 

They are free to believe whatever they want but continue to fail to understand that the same freedom belongs to everyone else in this country. They fail to see that when the rights of others are threatened, there is no limit to other rights being threatened as well. 

It seems since they believe pregnancy is a gift from God, they also believe it was God who chose to create life within the female. It doesn't make sense to most of us since He sent Gabriel to offer the choice to Mary that He would force other females to become vessels. Just think about the females becoming pregnant because of rape. Pregnancy is the outcome of force in cases like that, and most of us believe that it is reprehensible for any female to be forced to give birth afterward. If they think all pregnancies are a gift from God, then do they also believe that the rapists are the instrument of that "gift" from God? Why would God force others to "receive" it when He gave Mary the choice to become pregnant or not?

If they made the choice to open their eyes, they would see that pregnancy is biological. Why would God make a female pregnant by acts of love to a couple wanting children and then cause her to miscarry? That happened to me when I was carrying twins; we wanted them to be born. When I was four and a half months pregnant, I started to bleed. One of the twins died, and I was hemorrhaging as I was wheeled into a room at the hospital. It left a blood trail. The other twin would not come out. To save my life, they had to abort the other one. That happened in the 80s, but if that happened now, in some states, they would have let me bleed to death. To them, they wouldn't care about my life but call themselves pro-life. 

It would be great if they could explain how a "gift" from God would include babies born with deformities so severe it causes them to die moments after they were born. Explain how they believe a baby born with missing limbs, blindness, or illnesses was God's decision to create. Maybe they could also explain how they think the inability of a couple to become pregnant no matter how much they want to become parents.

Today, they believe their beliefs are being threatened when the truth is that they threaten the choice of all others who choose to believe differently. They hide behind the title of Christian as they attempt to force what they believe on all others. I attended a church I was very active in for 45 years until I chose to be more of a spiritual person instead of a religious one. I believe in God and Jesus so much that I choose to do it their way without the man-made rules separating what "They" established. We are all free to do what is right for us of our own free will. That right is also being threatened.

What we fail to see is that when they attempt to remove the ability of others to make their own choices of what they believe is right for them, it jeopardizes all other rights.

Think about the belief the human body is in the "image" of God and how that would involve their desire to control what others do with their own bodies on all matters. We must look no further than the Old Testament when God's punishment for sins was every physical condition. The people would not do anything to help cure the illness because they thought it was sent by God. Babies with disabilities were born because the parents were sinners, and the baby had to pay for those sins. We know that it is caused by genetic conditions or biology gone amuck. Jesus straightened that out when he told his disciples that no one sinned when asked because that was what they believed.

Christians should know that God is spirit, which means it is the spirit sent when God breathes life into humans. In other words, that means the image of God is what is within us and not our mortal bodies. They would know that our spirits hold free will to make our own choices because God, being a loving God, did not want to force anyone to do anything, including forcing them to worship Him.

The Founding Fathers of this country created the protection of our religious freedom because of the Salem Witch Trials. Why? Because people decided that their beliefs provided them with the right to make false accusations and murder 20 innocent people as well as incarcerate 200 more facing their own deaths. 

That right is also being threatened as people hide their intentions to take away our freedom by accusing others of doing it to them. 

In the 4th book of The Ministers Of The Mystery series I am writing now, one of the main characters faces a tribunal because she preaches that all people have free will because of God's love. If what they choose is really a sin, they can be forgiven. Otherwise, it is never up to someone else to force them to do what God would not. 

So, who among the people in this country are not just sinners in God's eyes but going against the basis for the rights all of us are supposed to have by His will and protected by the Founders?

Wouldn't it be wonderful

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 16, 2023

If you hear someone serving as an elected official or seeking a position and they do not give a speech like this, then consider what they are not saying before you give them the power to decide how you will have to live your own life.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a country where people of faith were free to praise God out loud as they believe, as much as others are free to choose not to? Free to be able to choose the faith they want and be equally protected under the law because no one group has been given authority to enforce their own beliefs on anyone else?

To live in a country where everyone was able to decide to have a family and how to raise them, as much as others can decide when to have a family or even to not have one.

To live in a country where the law applied to all people living here without regard to power, wealth, or position. Where people are entrusted with fulfilling the laws and valuing the laws for everyone. Where we never had to be concerned with a return to the darkest times of persecution without evidence.

Where we are all free to read and write the books we want to and never have to accept the masquerade of books being promoted as factual, when in fact, they are fiction. Where history books were not banned simply because they made some people uncomfortable because of what others were allowed to do.

Where people were not judged by their physical appearance but by how they treated others.

Where freedom meant that all people are free to make their own choices while it may offend some because they claim to be opposed to their own religious beliefs. 

After all, when they claim to be people of faith, then they know that God granted all souls to be free to decide for themselves and make their own choices. The Founding Fathers understood this. The 1st Amendment proclaimed the premise that no one religion would be established as the law of this country. 

If they are trying to get your vote, consider what you will be rendering unto them before you give it to them. If they are not fighting for everyone to have the power of freedom, then they are only fighting for their power to rule over everyone!

God is pro-choice

Kathie Costos

June 27, 2022

Your right to believe what you choose to was first given by God. If you think I'm wrong, then you don't know He gave you free will to make your own choices. I'll prove that below. The Founding Fathers also gave Americans the right to believe what we all choose. Again, I'll prove that below.

Begin with Adam and Eve
Genesis 2:16-17

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden

thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

They had the choice to do what they wanted to. There are many passages stating how all of us have the choice to follow or not. To do, or do not do, what was taught. There is nothing in the Bible that grants us the right to take that same right away from others. We will all answer for ourselves as to what choices we made, as well as why we made them.

John 1 12-13

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power to become

the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Galatians 5:13

13 You, my brothers, and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Look up more on your own but while the Bible covers punishments, you cannot ignore the fact that people had the right to decide for themselves!

The Founding Fathers granted us the right to use our God-given right.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

The Bill of Rights granted everyone the freedom of choice

Article the third... 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. 

All this means that what you believe is your choice and what others believe is their choice. Your faith does not have more power than anyone else. When you cheer seeing the rights of others taken away, you need to ask yourself if you would cheer if someone said you no longer had the right to worship according to your own choice? Would you want to see the doors of your church closed because a more powerful church did not follow the same doctrine as you choose to do? That is exactly what you are doing if you think you should have the right to take away from others that which you decide for yourself.

American history is offensive to Nike?

Ruled by the offended instead of the brave?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 2, 2019

Since when is it OK to obliterate the history of this country and the people who put their lives on the line to live it? 

It seems that anyone who is offended by something is suddenly empowered to dictate to all others. You know the type. Bow down your free will, your own thoughts, and forget about silly things like history and facts.

Their Mom's must have really gotten carried away with telling them "you're special" because evidently, they are all that matters.

The "American" who first thought it was OK to take a knee during a football game while the National Anthem was playing, has just been handed the Nike crown to do with as he pleases. 

It is complete with 13 stars and now, it seems that it is so offensive to him, they have joined the NFL cowards afraid to take a stand for those who paid the price for "Americans" like him to speak his own mind.

Somehow he ended up believing that everyone not only had to hear what he had to say...they had to subject themselves to his power.

I just saw the movie Aladdin and like the song Jasmin sings...I won't be speechless in return.

Nike Nixes ‘Betsy Ross Flag’ Sneaker After Colin Kaepernick IntervenesThe Wall Street JournalBy Khadeeja Safdar and Andrew BeatonUpdated July 1, 2019

Nike Inc. NKE -0.53% is yanking a U.S.A.-themed sneaker featuring an early American flag after NFL star-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick told the company it shouldn’t sell a shoe with a symbol that he and others consider offensive, according to people familiar with the matter.

The sneaker giant created the Air Max 1 USA in celebration of the July Fourth holiday, and it was slated to go on sale this week. The heel of the shoe featured a U.S. flag with 13 white stars in a circle, a design created during the American Revolution and commonly referred to as the Betsy Ross flag.

After shipping the shoes to retailers, Nike asked for them to be returned without explaining why, the people said. The shoes aren’t available on Nike’s own apps and websites.

“Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured the old version of the American flag,” a Nike spokeswoman said.

After images of the shoe were posted online, Mr. Kaepernick, a Nike endorser, reached out to company officials saying that he and others felt the Betsy Ross flag is an offensive symbol because of its connection to an era of slavery, the people said. Some users on social media responded to posts about the shoe with similar concerns. Mr. Kaepernick declined to comment.

The design was created in the 1770s to represent the 13 original colonies, though there were many early versions of the America flag, according to the Smithsonian. In the 1790s, stars and bars were added to reflect the addition of Vermont and Kentucky as states. U.S. flag designs continued to change as states were admitted to the union until the 50th star, for Hawaii, was added in 1960.read it here

I was born and raised in New England by first generation American parents who understood that this country was worth working hard to make a better place, as well as worthy of risking their lives to defend. My Dad and uncles were all in the military.

Our history began by those who were much more offended by being ruled by someone else, namely, the King of England, than they were concerned about what price they would pay for the freedom they were willing to die for.

For a company to be yield to someone being offended by what so many were willing to die for to obtain equals being ruled by someone else...namely the king of the take a knee stunt no matter what football fans thought of it...or him.

Nice work Nike. Maybe you need to appeal to Heaven for a miracle to get your reputation out of the gutter this time too.

"Appeal To Heaven"
The phrase is a particular expression of the right of revolution used by British philosopher John Locke in Second Treatise on Civil Government which was published in 1690 as part of Two Treatises of Government refuting the theory of the divine right of kings.

Locke's works were well-known and frequently quoted by colonial leaders, being the most quoted authority on the government in the 1760-1776 period prior to American independence. Thomas Jefferson was accused of plagiarizing Locke in certain sections of the Declaration of Independence by fellow Virginian delegate Richard Henry Lee.

Prior to Colonel Reed's suggestion and Massachusetts General Court establishing the Pine Tree flag as the standard of the Massachusetts navy, "an appeal to Heaven" or similar expressions had been invoked by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in several resolutions, Patrick Henry in his Liberty or Death speech, and the Second Continental Congress in the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. Subsequently, it was used again by the Second Continental Congress in the Declaration of Independence.

Do they know that men and women gave their lives to obtain our freedom from England? 

The Revolutionary War (1775-83)

Or the men and women who once again defended this nation in 1812? Or that is what was behind the writing of the National Anthem they protest?

More gave their lives so that everyone would be free?

Civil War (1861-1865)

We are not perfect but so far, most generations have tried to make it better than it was...until this generation decided history no longer mattered and companies like the NFL and Nike gave them the power over the rest of us.

Arizona governor to withdraw Nike financial incentives after shoe company pulls ‘Betsy Ross’ American flag sneakers


More of us are offended they are not only offended, but that they GET TO RULE BECAUSE THE ARE BRATS! Wonder if he'll take a knee on the 4th of July while everyone else is looking up?

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,

If you read the Declaration of Independence, it came at a very high price for the freedoms we still have and have expanded upon after this document was delivered to the King of England. In the end there is this portion.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

We have men and women in foreign nations risking their lives side by side with Muslims, yet they have not only been banned from entering our country, they have been told by our President, the troops are in those countries for the oil.

The president’s order, enacted with the stroke of a pen at 4:42 p.m. Friday, suspended entry of all refugees to the United States for 120 days, barred Syrian refugees indefinitely, and blocked entry into the United States for 90 days for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

 


And in The Bill of Rights there is this portion.

Article the third... 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.

I wonder what they would think had they lived to see this day. 

America, The Beautiful Lyrics

by Katharine Lee Bates – 1913

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern impassion’d stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness,

And ev’ry gain divine!

O Beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam,

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

Katharine Lee Bates Biography Poet, Scholar (1859–1929)

That same year, Bates spent part of the summer in Colorado. She was there lecturing at Colorado College. During her visit, she went on a hike to Pikes Peak. The view from this mountaintop inspired her most famous poem. "It was then and there, as I was looking out over the sea-like expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under those ample skies, that the opening lines of the hymn floated into my mind," she later said, according to the Library of Congress web page on "America the Beautiful."

I wonder what she would write if she had lived to this day.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL by Ray Charles

"No Longer Be a Doubt That All Men Are Created Free and Equal"

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 27, 2015

Believe it or not, there are still level headed folks in this country. So far it seems most of us agree that the Confederate Flag should not fly over any government building. Either we are the United States of America, under one flag, or we are the divided states.

We agree that as far as private citizens having or buying anything tied to the Confederate side of the Civil War should be their choice to have or not. As for the companies refusing to sell these items, they need to explain why they sell other things that are offensive to many.

When men and women step up to serve in the military, they come from all parts of this nation yet they come together willing to die for each other. If you read the newspapers lately, it seems too many Americans are not even interested in getting along with each other.

We keep hearing the slogan "Black lives matter" and they do however some folks behind that seem to think that they matter more than anyone else.

"I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal."
ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUOTES, History.net

Consider the simple fact that we read about veterans being killed by police after calls for help to save them. We don't see any protests over any of these deaths.  Do we see #veteranslivesmatter being tweeted? Do we see any calls for accountability or do we see them being used by politicians trying to destroy the VA no matter how many generations of them have to suffer? We seem to agree that politicians desire to destroy that VA is why there has been so little done to get it right for their sake.

The groups tied to peaceful protests are being taken over by hotheads blaming all police officers for what a few do and never once acknowledging those few usually treat everyone badly. We seem to agree that bad cops need to go but most cops are good and willing to put their lives on the line for the rest of us.

We seem to agree that the war memorials all over the country being vandalized are criminal acts.

These memorials are part of our history, bought and paid for by other citizens and the lives sacrificed for a cause no matter if these criminals agree with the cause or not. The vandals can't understand they are not above the law so how can they understand the price these monuments were built on?

Memorial Day began because of the Civil War when Southern women decided to honor their own fallen as well as the graves of Union soldiers.

Memorial Day History

One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.

Official Birthplace Declared In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.

It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.

Some States Have Confederate Observances Many Southern states also have their own days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26. North and South Carolina observe it on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day January 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.

History of Memorial Day (4 min) TV-PG
Take a look at the holiday marking the official beginning of summer and America's most solemn occasion.

Text of Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground.

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

"Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure."
ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUOTES History.net

We saw two different examples from the same tragedy. The murderer stated he almost didn't do it because the members of the Bible Study were too nice to him.

Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten identified the nine shooting victims as follows: Cynthia Hurd, 54; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Hon. Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; Rev. Sharonda Singleton, 45; Myra Thompson, 59.

Eight of the victims died at the scene, and the ninth victim died at a hospital.

As we witnessed from the response from parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church love won and was not destroyed by hatred. They forgave the shooter.

Victims' Families Meet Dylann Roof: 'I Forgive You, And Have Mercy On Your Soul'

Others don't seem to be able to find their own power to overcome evil.

Monuments, remembrances of lives gone during worst times than these days are being defaced and destroyed. They are part of our history. A history that began before Twitter and Facebook. A history begun before the internet that attempts to share history at the same time others attempt to rewrite it.

We seem to agree that far too many folks in this country are historically illiterate because they are too busy watching reality TV shows instead of learning about the reality of how this nation was not only formed but how it has been defended for all these years. Too busy playing computer war games to pay attention to the men and women dying and being wounded fighting in real wars. Young men and women willing to die for those they are with no matter what the color of their skin is, no matter how they vote or if they vote at all, no matter where they come from when where they are going is all that matters.

Divisions among races are easy to acknowledge while hatred because of ethnicities seems too hard to pay attention to yet they are part of our history as well. There are many other issues that could have destroyed the fabric of this nation yet we managed to overcome them because good people were willing to say no and inspire others to do the same.

Contrary to what the media has been trying to use as news, the truth is not as simple as they wish it would be. After all the complexities of the experiences cannot be reduced to a headline.

There are more good people in this country than bad.

There are more acts of kindness and love than evil acts fueled by hate.

There are more people doing all they can to have a better life than those blaming others for what they fail to do for themselves.

Love won yesterday as the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act because far too many were suffering simply because they lacked the resources to seek medical care but others said it was wrong to see so many suffer for it. It won again when Gay people were given equal rights to marry those they loved legally while the rest of the protections for religious groups remain intact to acknowledge them or not based on what they believe.

Love won yesterday at the Memorial for those murdered during a Bible Study of love.

"The doors of the church are open," declared the Rev. Norvel Goff during prayers. "No evildoer, no demon in hell or on Earth can close the doors of God's church," he proclaimed.