Some things that everyone knows

by John Holbrook Jr.
A Biblical View, Blog #104 posted September 2, 2019, edited March 10, 2021.

There are some things that everyone knows which fall under the rubric of common sense.  Until the 20^th century, virtually everyone acknowledged them as givens in human life and based their aspirations and expectations upon them. A few examples will indicate the kinds of things to which I refer.

1. 1. Everyone knows that humans stand at the pinnacle of earthly species. Their welfare takes precedence over the welfare of any other class of life.[1]
   2. Everyone knows that humans and almost all other species are divided into males and females.
   3. Everyone knows that males and females are profoundly different. They exhibit (a) different designs and (b) different physical and behavioral characteristics, and they serve different roles in their specie’s communal life.[2]
   4. Everyone knows that, on average, males are considerably larger, stronger, and faster than females and, in most species, including mankind, are innately inclined to protect their mates, their children, and the more vulnerable members of their immediate community from attack by predators.
   5. Everyone knows that, on average, females are considerably smaller, weaker, and slower than males and, in most species, including mankind, are innately inclined to bear and nurture children and to assist their mates in protecting and providing for their children and the more vulnerable members of their immediate community.
   6. Everyone knows that these different characteristics and different roles of males and females normally result in patriarchal families.
   7. Everyone knows that patriarchal families normally result in patriarchal societies.
   8. Everyone knows that a baby growing in his or her mother’s womb will, after the appropriate period of gestation, emerge from her womb as an easily identifiable member of the parents’ species. Dogs produce dogs. Horses produce horses. Humans produce humans.
   9. Everyone knows that the baby emerging from a mother’s womb will be either male or female.[3]
   10. Everyone knows that every child will quickly notice and soon understand his or her gender and the expectations and aspirations associated with it. Male children will naturally emulate their father and their community’s patriarchs. Female children will naturally emulate their mothers and their community’s matriarchs. Among humans, most boys dream of being a princely hero who saves the community from predators and thereby wins the hand of the princess and most girls dream of being the princess who is carried off by the heroic prince. At the same time, boys and girls quickly learn that their lives will be less glamorous than their dreams. Not everyone can be a prince or a princess.
   11. Everyone knows (a) that a nation needs to be protected from exterior attack and invasion, interior criminality, fire, flood, and storm and (b) that men are best able to fill the positions of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coastguardsmen, border-patrolmen, policemen, firemen, etc., all of which require strength, courage, and the ability to work within a carefully defined hierarchy, taking orders from a superior and dispensing orders to inferiors. A few women may have the ability to fill one of these roles, but they don’t belong in them, because they introduce a sexual component into the workplace which distracts the men from their mission and disrupts the male-bonding or sense of brotherhood that has always been recognized as an essential ingredient in any fighting force.
   12. Everyone knows that a healthy family or society will respect and honor the men and women who fulfill their roles diligently, faithfully, and humbly.
   13. Everyone knows that men and boys are easily aroused by the sight of even partially naked women and girls. Thus most parents – particularly mothers – taught their daughters to dress modestly in order to avoid the unwanted and possibly dangerous attention of men and boys.
   14. Everyone knows that alcohol strengthens sexual interest and weakens inhibitions of every kind. Thus, most parents insisted that their daughters avoid unchaperoned parties where alcohol was being consumed.
   15. Everyone knows that males and females need separate bathrooms and locker rooms in order to protect women and girls, not just from the prurient interest of men and boys, but from physical molestation by them as well.
   16. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, everyone knows that every child is born bad – that is, he or she is a little sinner, not a little angel – and will require years of benevolent and patient admonishment, encouragement, guidance, instruction, punishment, etc. from parents, pastors, pedagogues and perhaps even policemen before he or she exhibits a modicum of character, civility, concern for others, generosity, honesty, respect for the rules, etc. (If you happen to disagree with this assessment, just produce a mother that had to teach her child how to be bad. Also, see 1 John 1:8.)

I say again: All of the above is common sense. Excepting for the information concerning the chromosomes in the footnote to paragraph 9, no one needs to have it explained to him or her. One doesn’t need to read a book to learn about them. One learns it from just living and interacting with other people and animals. Indeed, if a teenager – let alone an adult – questioned any of it, one might reasonably conclude that he or she was a bit dim.

​During the 20^th century, however, a confederation of radical groups flying the flag of “political correctness” began a coordinated effort to contradict the above verities and to prevent others from defending them. The radicals attacked the traditionalists’ rights to be treated civilly and respectfully, to speak their minds, to retain their jobs, and even to go on living. Under these vicious assaults, the majority of traditionalists, including many Christians, retreated into silence and allowed the radicals to promote their agenda, not just in the public square, but in churches and synagogues, offices, the military services, stores, etc. – even the schools. Four year old children in pre-kindergarten are now being taught the following:

• • There is no preferential order among species. The welfare of humans and the welfare of animals, birds, and fish are equally important.
  • Although there are only two gender categories within every other species on earth, there are many genders within mankind – – e.g. heterosexual men, heterosexual women, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, queers, etc. (a new gender category pops up nearly every month).
  • Each of us is free to choose whatever gender category we want. Indeed, we can even create a new category if we are unhappy with the categories already available.
  • There are no innate differences among genders.[4]

The results of this insane, “politically correct” crusade are all around us. American culture is confusing and collapsing. Discourse concerning an ever increasing number of issues is becoming difficult – if not impossible – to conduct without dissension and disorder. Debates are increasingly infected with illogic, incivility, and invective. Murder, suicide, and other social pathologies are increasing.

At this point, traditionalists must recognize a few things.

First, differentiation is one of the foundational blocks of intelligence. If the radicals succeed in ensuring that none of our children can tell the difference between humans and animals, between men and women, between roles in life that are gender-appropriate, between fact and fiction, between sense and nonsense, we will have produced a nation of morons.[5]

Second, differentiating between good and evil is essential to living a healthy life. Moreover, our Creator has not left it up to us to decide what is good and evil; he has reserved that role for himself. In Exodus 20, he has given us ten commandments.

1^st Set of Commandments

The first through fifth commandments (Exodus 20:2-12) define how we must maintain a proper relationship with Himself, whom He identifies as the God who delivered the Hebrews out of bondage.

• • First, He has told us that we must not recognize, let alone worship, any god but Him.
  • Second, He has told us that we must not fabricate, bow down to, or serve any idol.
  • Third, He has told us that we must not blaspheme – i.e. use the His name inappropriately – or otherwise use obscenities.
  • Fourth, He has told us that we must keep holy the Sabbath – i.e. follow His example by worshiping Him and resting on the seventh day of the week.
  • Fifth, He has told us to honor and obey our parents.[6]

2^nd Set of Commandments

The sixth through tenth commandments (Exodus 20:13-17) define how we must maintain a proper relationship with one another.

• • Sixth, He has told us not to murder one another (v. 13), even children still in their mother’s wombs.
  • Seventh, He has told us not to be sexually impure with one another (v. 14), which means no fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, etc. (Sexual relations are to be confined to marriage between a man and a woman.)
  • Eighth, He has told us not to steal from one another (v. 15), even if the government does the stealing by favoring one group of businessmen over another or one group of citizens over another.
  • Ninth, He has told us not to bear false witness against one another (v. 16), even against nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Tenth, He has told us not to covet one another’s circumstances, spouses, or goods (v. 17), even if we think they have been given an unfair advantage in life.

In addition, in Deuteronomy 28, our Creator has warned nations to honor him and his commandments, promising his blessings if a nation does so (verses 1-14) and his curses if a nation does not (verses 15-68).

We should ensure that every child in our communities are instructed in the above, because ignorance of them does not render him or her blameless.

Third, if individuals and nations tolerate any of the above sins, or worse, affirm them with special treatment and protection under their laws, they are doomed and will suffer the same fate that befell previous nations that engaged in evil practices: the Assyrians, Aztecs, Babylonians, pharaonic Egyptians, German Nazis, Incas, Macedonians, Ottomans, Persians, Romans, Seleucids – to name some past empires that come immediately to my mind.

Finally, I must remind my fellow Christians that God expects us to be “watchmen on the wall.” Honoring, obeying, and serving our Lord and Savior is important, but not sufficient. He has given us the responsibility of warning our neighbors of the fate that awaits the wicked. “When I say unto the wicked, ‘O wicked man, thou shalt surely die,’ if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (KJV Ezekiel 33:8-9).

Despite the valiant efforts of some Christians, darkness is rapidly overtaking our land. We need to be more urgent in our blowing of the watchman’s trumpet. If you are not doing so, start blowing. If you are already doing so, blow harder!

© 2019 John Holbrook Jr.
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[1] I acknowledge that some Buddhists would disagree.

[2] Among humans, until recently these differences have always been a source of wonder and delight. As the French say, “Vive la difference!”

[3] Among humans, every cell in a person’s body contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, of which the last is the pair of sex chromosomes. Regarding the latter, a female’s 23^rd pair contains two X chromosomes (XX) and a male’s 23^rd pair contains one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). This sex-coding is bi-polar – i.e. there are no other alternatives. Moreover, it is permanent; regardless of whatever mutilation a person’s body undergoes, his or her chromosomal information will not change.

[4] The unwavering proponents of this point of view must lack the capabilities for seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.

[5] A nation of idiots is just what the confederation of groups flying the flag of “political correctness” is trying to achieve. Only then can the masters behind the scenes step in, seize control, and launch their new world order.

[6] I include the fifth commandment regarding the proper relationship with God in this first set because, in honoring our parents, we are honoring God, who gave them the authority over us to instruct and train us in living God-honoring and God-obeying lives.

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