Category Archives: current events

Soapbox Ethics- Pride vs Humility

Most mornings, when I sit down and open my computer, I skim through the “news” headlines. I check to see what things I missed the previous day, but I also do it out of habit. These articles continue to become less and less “news” or information stories. Instead, the pages are bombarded with pride and arrogance with a strong intent to tell us how we should be thinking or believing.

So many people with money, power, and influence feel they need to force their ideals on others. All you need to do it watch an awards show for a prime example. What a display of arrogance! They are not encouraging people to think. Instead, they tell them how to think. Only their personal opinions matter and are correct. If you don’t agree, then you are an uneducated, hateful person. They defend their positions with “free speech” while intending to suppress “free thought.” They deflect their personal hate and unhappiness on others.  Fear and intimidation are the key tools of pride and arrogance. 

What they are missing is that humility is more influential than arrogance. If we approach with a humble heart and an open mind, we can begin to find stronger faith and purpose. Stubborn pride closes our mind and soul to truth, leaving the individual with hate and bitterness towards others.

Give your opinion, explain it, and let individuals decide for themselves. Most importantly, respect their opinion and belief if they do not meet the same conclusion.

This is my purpose, I want you, the reader, to not agree with me, but I desire you to evaluate and make your own decisions, opinions, and beliefs. I do not have the answers, but my articles are to make you think and question. Why do you believe it?

Truth is built on a strong foundation.

Stop blindly following those who use their platform to demand conformity. Instead, find the truth deep within that you’ve always had. We are born with it as it was given to us in our creation. A person’s life purpose is to seek truth by discovering who they are as an individual. Take a humble approach, realizing that no one person has it all right.

We are all on this journey to truth. Help others with encouragement and humility. Don’t drag them along like a hostage.

Proverbs 11:2  When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Just a Few Lingering Thoughts…

My apologies as it has been a long pause in writing my next blog. Life has this strange way of getting away from us while we try to chase it down. It definitely reminds me that time is one of our greatest enemies. It’s unbeatable, unstoppable, and inevitable. 

“You may delay, but time will not.” -Benjamin Franklin.

The world is constantly changing. Unfortunately, it’s more bad than good if you listen to the “experts” who flood all our senses every day. War, destruction, conspiracy, protests, and political conflicts bombard us from every angle, making it easy to lose hope. How many times do you watch the evening news and feel encouraged? Likely, very few times, if any.

Someone asked me the other day, “Why is the world such a cluster right now?”

My answer, “Because we allow mankind to control it.”

Human guidance is flawed, no matter how good the intention is. Mankind is a large group of individuals who all think individually. We are not a collective and can not be a collective. Independent thought prevents this mentality. Communism and strict Socialism have proven that collectivism is unable to succeed even with strong enforcement.

As many of you may know, I am a strong opponent of conformity. No true freedom can be experienced under the tent of conformity. It blocks us in, controls us, forces us, and in the end, we suffer.

When we accept society’s standards, we become endentured to it.

Disagree with mainstream society: be labeled and cast out. I’m okay with it. It is the first step of gaining freedom. Separate yourself from mankind and its required conformity. This allows us to find something greater than society’s standards.

Be in the world, but not of it.

Days Gone Down

How many times have you wished to go back and change the things you did in the past? If only you had turned left instead of right…

Unfortunately, the reality is that the past is gone, and we can only move forward. We can reflect and learn from our past, but we must press forward. Live in the present and strive to the future. Always remember that tomorrow’s decisions are always more important than the decisions of yesterday.

A person may still be impacted by the consequences of their past actions, but it is more important to make choices to respond to the consequences. Wishing we had chosen differently in that pas  only leads to regret, desperation, and hopelessness.

Keep your eye on the prize. Do not let the days gone down, drag you to their depths with them. Residing there will delay your race forward. The prize lays before us, not behind. As the Apostle Paul tells us, we need to keep our eyes on the prize.

“We still gotta long way, still a long way to go.”

The World Will Stand Against You

We are seeing a rapid decay in the world as it turns from what is good and righteous to hatred that is trying to be sold as “love” and “acceptance”. Those who challenge this are branded, banished, even killed. Jesus spoke these words which are still true:

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” Matthew 24:9-10

Righteousness is under attack by those who choose hate. It is not love. Follow them, or you will be persecuted. This world expects you to conform, and if you step out of line or challenge it, the consequences could be disastrous.

Woke is not the party of acceptance- it is a party of intolerance and hate. Socialist attitudes is not to make everyone “equal”. It is about control and enslavement to the system.

Choose not to live in fear. Live in righteousness, no matter the cost. Jesus came to save the world, and they hated him for it. Yet, he did what he set out to do.

If we hide in fear, we have given hatred the victory.

In righteousness there is only victory, never defeat.

Not a Typical War

Like it or not, we are in a war. People continue to say that another Civil War is coming due to the divide that continues to grow in this country. I totally disagree with that statement. The war has already begun, but it does not look like what people think. This country and this world are in an “ideological” war. The sides are not using guns and artillery nor are they capturing land, but rather they are using words, beliefs, and that have been “weaponized” to advance agendas to elevate themselves and those beliefs. It is not a conventional war, but it is warfare, plain and simple.


Morality has reached a crisis as immorality has successfully blurred the lines under the umbrella of total inclusion. No belief or behavior should be discouraged, but rather it is encouraged. Being “moral” has now become synonymous with hatred, racism, intolerance, and bigotry. It is an attack against what is good and right. What will we do?

Is there hope?


One option is to surrender and accept it, letting this immoral thinking win. Many have given up feeling it is hopeless to resist. The old adage states, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” People have surrendered too much as they feel defeated and shunned by society. This has become a life of misery, though deep in our souls, we know that this is not how we are to live. The conscience will continue to speak even when shoved down into the deepest recesses of our very being.

As I write this, violence is beginning to sweep through LA. I can see the hatred spread as both sides as they take measures to advance their agenda. There is nothing glamorous nor glorious about this “protest.”

I encourage you to hold fast to your faith, your morality, and to that which is good. Do not surrender your values to the enemy in this war of ideology. You do not have to pick up arms or hurl rocks to make a stand. Live a life of moral example and demonstrate compassion with love and without compromise.

We are at war. It’s time to fight back.

Big Brother Is Watching

Recently, I started re-reading the book 1984 by George Orwell, and it is hitting me quite differently from when I read it back in 1991. Thirty-five years ago, the concepts portrayed seemed unrealistic and far-fetched. It was truly a work of science fiction. Now today in 2025, I see it more like a prophecy of a world that we should fear. Authors in the late 40’s, 50’s and 60′ were able to see the danger and the “writing on the wall.” Authors like Phillip K. Dick seemed to have a premonition of the future. In his work, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, he tackles if Androids who look, act and think like humans have a soul. With the advancements in AI, we are starting to face the ethical issues Dick tackled in 1968.

We are in an age where we are surrounded with surveillance devices that can track all our moves, and we can be found no matter where we go. Police can track people from “pings” on cell phone towers, using credit or debit cards, and cameras placed all around. Privacy is becoming harder and harder to attain as we are surrounded by this expanding technology.

We are always being watched.

Not only are we watched, but we are influenced or, I prefer to call it, “conditioned.” People are spoon-fed a narrative that, over time, will cause them to indirectly think or feel a certain way. Our advancements in technology have made it easier for one group to assert its control over individuals and other groups. We are all under a large microscope with the eye of “Big Brother” looking through the lens. We are forced to play along and pretend even when it goes against the very fiber of our being.

This is not freedom.

This is conformity leading to control.

Humankind is wired to be independent, spontaneous, and free thinking (for good or bad). In 1776, the people of this nation rose up against a controlling force that they could no longer tolerate due to the stranglehold this empire had on them. Fortunately, without modern technology, the British were unable to quell this rebellion driven by desired freedom. Almost two-hundred and fifty years later, we find the weight of immoral oppression weighing down on us. The tools being used are more sophisticated and the narrative is better written, but we find our way of belief being threatened on a daily basis, just like before.

I hate the word “conformity ” with every fiber of my being. To me, it means that we obey even when we disagree and know that it is wrong. Yet, we must overcome this fear and fight the conformity and control that continues to grow within our society.

Morality and truth always stand above any government or institution. These man-made entities are not the ultimate authority in determining the way we live our life. Institutions are the engines of conformity and will lead to our moral destruction. Just as the story of Sodom and Gamora, we see ultimate abandonment of what is good and just into a hedonistic society will result in ultimate destruction.

Where do we go from here? How do we stop this society into becoming the world of 1984? You must resist and live the way you were intended to live. It is not a violent revolution that is needed, but rather, a mass ethical movement from us forcing the tide again those who wish to control us.

Do not let Big Brother control your life. Remember to never take all information as “truth” no matter what the source is. Hold up your moral level and see what the bubble tells you. Don’t be afraid to tell the world that the bubble is off.

The bubble doesn’t lie.

The Wealth of Knowledge

This weekend, I was mulling over my next article, but I wanted to reach out to those reading my blog. Topics come to me from listening to news, reading books and articles, and many times, music ignites a thought. This time, I would like the audience to ignite a thought or two.

What about you? Is there a topic or thought that you would like me to write about? I would like to pursue topics that my audience is interested it.

Please share in the comments any topics you would like to hear about. The pursuit of truth always continues, and we must persevere, persisting in the hunt.

I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led. -Thomas Jefferson

I look forward to your responses!

Leave a comment

Walking In Your Footsteps: Following the Crowd.

What has happened to independent thinking? We continue to walk down these heavily worn paths that lead to failure and immorality. So many follow the path without question, putting their trust in institutions, governments, social media, religion and others.

Following the mass has never gotten us any closer to truth, for truth needs to be discovered by the individual. It is a journey that is both richly rewarding and extremely dangerous. Dangerous you say?? Yes. When you break from the masses, they will turn against you and shun you for not following their predetermined way. You are required to comply.

We are expected to stay in line and not misbehave according to their “rules.”

Yet, this is how you know that you are on the right path. Following truth is always met with resistance. It is much easier to do what is easy and beneficial to the individual in that moment without thinking of any broader implications. Instead of weighing moral implications, it is easier to act according to self-pleasure and the path of least resistance. An individual can stand and watch an injustice or immoral act happen, knowing deep in his/her soul that it is wrong, but support it regardless. Even though, every fiber of their being cries out against it.

Avoid the conflict.

Avoid challenging people due to fear of being outcasted, disposed, or despised.

It is so much easier this way.

Go with the flow, dude. Just like Marlin’s friend, Crush, would say in Finding Nemo.

Here is where the challenge resides. A person must recognize the injustice and choose to move towards the truth instead, even under the threat of being questioned or cast out. Nobody can force you to accept things that are wrong. Do not succumb to the pressure to conform and accept what society determines to be “truth.” This includes institutions, government, social media, and even religious organizations.

Make your own footsteps. Feel the resistance in the ground instead of the matted-down trail of the masses. Flowers cannot grow and bloom on trampled soil. Only the weeds can grow there among the untruths.

I Am a Rock, I Am an Island

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

These words are a reminder to me that a life of compromise and indecision will lead to life of misery. There is no satisfaction in being a gullible person who rides wagon after wagon, never finding a stable foundation. Without a foundation, a building will not stand long, eventually it will crumble. So is the same as our soul. We need foundation, because without it, there will be no peace or purpose in our lives.

Yet, once this foundation is established, and we refuse to conform to the whims of society, should we separate ourselves and become the island that decides that being alone is better? It does seem that it would be easier to live a non-compromising, moral life if we shut people and their opinions out of our lives. Become a mountain man who lives off the land, chopping wood as the sun rises in the east. I know that I have thought about that life many days when this world is getting the better of me.

Unfortunately, we are wired as social creatures. A healthy, productive human existence requires relationships with other individuals. Author, Erwin McManus, makes a case that humans are designed and wired to love and desire to be loved. Without this need filled, we began to fall apart at the seams and lose ourselves in the process. Community is important. we must find that balance to maintain integrity/morality and stand in the midst of society. This is a tremendous challenge that an individual must face on a daily basis.

One of the largest obstacles that comes from being a part of society is becoming part of an institution. The institution develops from the need to keep people “in line.” It wants to hold them to a standard and a specific set of behaviors, coercing those people to act a certain way. The government pushes very hard to institutionalize us, and we may fall prey to this, becoming robots and “yes” men. Even religion tries to institutionalize us and often with great success. They emphasize the “rules” we are required to follow, which results in people behaving and acting out of fear. Fear becomes their strongest tool, and many religions will exploit and judge the people based on how well they follow these rules.

To reach a higher moral standard, our mindset cannot be based on fear. It is not just about right or wrong, good or evil, lawful or unlawful. Our internal compass needs to be tuned towards what is good. We must desire to be moral and allow it to drive us forward. A heart truly focused on love will lead us to what is morally good and right. It also means that we stand up and resist when we are being forced in the wrong direction. Do not be fearful of doing wrong. A person must resist the immorality surrounding them.

Don’t run towards the mountains and become a hermit. Live within this world and resist fueling the fires of moral compromise. Hold firm as a rock to the moral good. Align yourself with others that have a burning passion for what is good and right. Find community and love with those that share your values and demonstrate to others who do not that a righteous life is worth living. It is worth standing against immorality to achieve life’s greatest happiness.

You do not have to accept society’s “standards” to live in it.

Instead of an island, be a beacon of light that shines bright upon a hill in the center of town.

Into A New Year

We close another year and begin what has been labeled as the year 2025. Resolutions will be made and may last to February. We will promise to lose weight and be a “better” person. All of us start with strong resolve, but it almost always seems to fade.

Many years ago, I gave up on making the New Year resolution. It seemed an exercise in futility, because shortly after they failed (as they always did), the feeling of regret and disappointment took over the remainder of the year. Change can be so stressful, difficult, and nearly impossible. Why is this?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word, “institution”, as a custom, practice, or behavioral pattern of importance in the life of a community or society.

Make note of the term, “behavioral pattern.” Society has institutionalized the people to fall into a certain behavior pattern. From birth, people are conditioned to act a certain way. They let this institution mindset bleed into every aspect of life, and it makes a person resistant to change. We are conditioned to conform and set ourselves into a pattern or cycle that is extremely difficult to break. Have you learned to conform and just accept things in your life as they are? Do you find yourself wanting to break out and change everything but feel trapped or ill equipped to accomplish it?

Resolutions to change should not be made at the beginning of a new year. These should be made every day. Make small steps to break free from destructive cycles every day of your life, slowly chip away at the wall of the prison that has you trapped. Over time, you can begin to drop the bad and replace it with the good, getting one step closer to reaching the higher morality.

I have decided to change my cycle and make a resolution for 2025. I know that I just contradicted myself, but for me this is a break from my usual cycle of refusing to make resolutions. Flawed logic? Wouldn’t be my first time. I am going to spend my 2025 year focused on pushing to break from the institutions that trap humanity and control its way of life.

I hope you continue to follow me on this journey. My hope is that you will continue to stretch your mind, question everything, and be a force of change. I am not asking you to agree with everything I write, but I am asking you to a least listen and consider; constantly challenge and explore all options.

That is how we grow. That is how we change.

This is man’s search for meaning.