There is a never ending sense of the impending doom. I never got that sense from my grandparents or parents. Not because there were not issues during their times. They lived through wildfires burning everywhere, just like today. They worried about the spread of mosquito borne illness because we outlawed DDT. They lived through Goldwater and McGovern. They saw the Watts and Harlem riots in the 60's, and the LA riots in the 90's. They lived through Black Panthers and the real life of the KKK. They had Orel Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart, and Jim and Tammy Faye.
None of these things gave them a sense of the world ending. They were children and survivors of the Great Depression and WWII. They lived through hell on earth, and did not confuse it with the unrest of a nation growing. Of course, these things disturbed and angered them. These things were things that they prayed over and worked on.
But, they had seen what life was really like during catastrophe and cataclysm. They waited for the bank to come, or the DOD rep to come, and deliver the bad news. They knew what it was like to not be certain that the US would continue to be the US. It was no forgone conclusion that we would defeat the combined power of Germany, Japan and its allies. We fought a hard and bloody war that saw defeat and reversal in equal measure. We were woefully unprepared to wage that war, and nearly lost it before our war efforts swung into full gear to overcome the rest of the world.
We don't understand that in these days. We think that today there is great and horrible unrest. We think that today we are seeing the death throes of the world. Every morning, there is some new, incontrovertible sign of the end of the world.
Nothing could be further from the truth, and more truthful at the same time. God made a few clear promises to us. First, he would not destroy the world with a flood again. Every time you see a rainbow, you are reminded of that eternal covenant with God. He will never again destroy the world by unleashing a flood. Yet, He did not say the earth would continue on forever as it is. That is not His plan.
So, every day since Noah exited the ark, we have been getting closer to the end of time. None us know the number of the days. The signs that Jesus and the prophets gave us to know when the end is near are kind of non-specific. Anyone and everyone can interpret them to their heart's content. And they miss the point. The point is that you will not be able to watch what happens to humans, in all their ways of evil, and know that wickedness has increased and Jesus is near. You have to assume it is coming any day, and live according to that. In fact, predictions of the End Times is one of the key signs Jesus and John left for us as to how to identify false prophets.
All that being said, is to say that this world is no more wicked than it used to be. It is no more violent than it used to be. It is no more chaotic than it used to be. It is no more corrupt than it used to be. It is no more deadly than it used to be.
We have survived the Black Death, which claimed a larger proportion of living beings than any illness we contend with today. For that matter, we survived the Spanish Flu at the start of the 1900's, which impacted many, many millions more than are impacted by AIDS and Zika combined.
We have survived the Crusades, the Huns, the Mongol Hordes, Napoleon, WWI, WWII and all the smaller wars to end all wars in between.
We have seen Joseph Smith create Mormons from dictation from his hat, and not seen the end of man. We have seen more false prophets than I could list, Osteen and his corrupt message that God cares about your pocketbook, and your internal intrinsic peace, are just the latest fad. God cares about you, not your bank account, and He wants to give you His peace, not see you fill yourself up with your own aggrandizement. False messages are endemic, until Jesus returns. Don't fail to question them, but don't despair that there are suddenly more than before.
Which brings us to Trump and Clinton. These are historically bad candidates on both sides. Neither has the best interests of the nation at heart, above their own. Perhaps you cannot compete for that office anymore without that ambition and dogged dedication to your own self. Even if that is true, these two narcissistic nut jobs are clearly world class at it. But, they, in and of themselves, are not signs of the end times. Or, more accurately, are not greater signs of the end times, than all the signs we see daily.
The end times have been coming and are one day closer, every day since Jesus ascended to heaven. The message in Scripture is clear, live each day as if this is the last, and don't worry about interpreting the signs and the prophets. Every day is capable of being your end time, so don't leave the relationship with your Lord go. Make it right, and live in His peace, because He indwells you and strengthens and comforts you.
Hysteria around the history of things is a gift to false prophets and manipulators of all kinds. Historic events are likely to be not much more than a shade of whatever flavor of the moment. Obama was the first black president. Yet, I challenge you to show me how the black community at large is one bit better off for having had a black president. We will elect the first woman president, the first Latino president and the first gay president (if Buchanan was not already the first), and eventually the first whatever president.
That, in and of itself, will not be more than a footnote in whatever replaces Google one of these days. The issue is not in trying to interpret the times, or waste your energy on what it all means. The issue is in doing what your conscience and faith dictate, after prayerful consideration with God.
Then, and only then, live as if our world was ending tomorrow, because it might. I don't see any sign today that is significantly different than any other time in history. Even terrorism is not worse today. We have had Presidents killed by anarchists over a hundred years ago, and attempted assassinations by communists. We have had Weather Underground and the Unabomber, who had killed more than any other terrorist organization before McVeigh, who had killed more than any until Al Qaeda. ISIS is nothing compared to the Spanish Inquisition. Today is not as bloody as yesteryear.
We have a very narrow focus by which we compare things. Trump does not signal the end of times. He does signal the roll back of hard gained grounds in treating those different from the main stream in any kind of civil and equitable way. But, in ways, so does Clinton. Trump is incapable of considering the fate of others outside of the prism of what it gains him. Neither is Clinton. They just consider differing ends of the spectrum. Neither are motivated by the better portions of their nature, if either possess better portions at this point.
They are not intrinsically evil. I would not fear eating dinner with either of them, that they would poison me, or have me killed for disagreeing with them. Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Min, Franco, Castro, Peron, Noriega, Amin, a good long list, yeah, they might have consumed your flesh after having you killed.
It is dangerous to take bombast too far. It is dangerous to ascribe too much history to any achievement. The value is only learned years later. It is obvious in some cases. There is going to be corruption, graft and evil in either administration. It is going to be ugly. But, it is not deadly to you or America. It is not even a worthy speed bump. Back to Buchanan, it is not likely the next four years will result in a Civil War, like his four years did, almost solely because of his inaction and poor stewardship.
See, as much as I detest both of these candidates, for different but equally large reasons, they are just simply two sides of the same coin. It is a coin that we have played this election game with for 32 years. Not since Reagan beat Carter have we had a clear difference beyond rhetoric, between the candidates. That was the last election that was decided solely on the quality of capability of the candidates. We did not know for certain the capability of Reagan, we just knew as a nation it was better to try almost anyone new, over the man in office that was overwhelmed and defeated by the job. It was so bad, that even four years later, we gave Reagan a historic victory over the VP and last vestige of Carter's legacy in Mondale.
This will not be for the soul of our nation. This will not be for the survival of our nation. It has long lasting and far reaching impact, and it is not a light decision, but do not despair for our nation. It is too resilient for either of these candidates to defeat it. But, let us just hope that both parties find someone, in the next four years, that can be the Reagan for the times. Mark my words, it will come to that. It is not going to be the end for us all.
Unfortunately, neither of these numbskulls know what they are doing. One has been constantly under investigation and litigation and settlement and legal issues for 30 years. The other was Secretary of State while doing that. They are both crooks, in the broad sense of that word. It has not mattered to millions and millions and millions of Americans to this point. And unless the FBI indicts her before November, it doesn't matter in the election. Just like it will not matter about the outcome of the fraud case for Trump University.
I guess the point is, cheer up, it has been worse. The world has been significantly more broken, dangerous and chaotic, than it is today. Not all that long ago. We keep celebrating WWII veterans, though they are disappearing at an alarming rates. Do you think the world today looks more dangerous to them today than it did in 1941? If you do, please just Google WWII and read any of the articles it brings up.
Perspective, let's not get carried away. Let the hysteria go, and go about this with as much intelligence as the candidates allow. Remember that there are other candidates for President. If they gain 5% of the vote this election, next election they are eligible for public funding of their candidate. Something to consider, if you are just disillusioned with either party.
But, go vote. Don't hold your nose, it is not that bad. It sucks, but this too shall pass. I guarantee it. Unless Jesus comes, in which case, what do Trump or Hillary matter anyway? Just saying.
GLYASDI
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