Phnom Penh Killing Field Skull.JPG Created: 29 October 2011 Used under Creative Commons License,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phnom_Penh_Killing_Field_Skull.JPG
The following story is a partial representation of material shared during a mentoring class at the Sunshine Rescue Mission on 3-2-21
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phnom_Penh_Killing_Field_Skull.JPG
The following story is a partial representation of material shared during a mentoring class at the Sunshine Rescue Mission on 3-2-21
In the four years between 1975-79 after I graduated from high school, I don't remember thinking about millions of people being slaughtered in Cambodia. The Killing Fields were named after the discovery of millions of executed Cambodians found in mass graves in about 300 sites throughout the country. Pol Pot was a genocidal despot who lead the murderous regime of the Khmer Rouge in wiping out almost one quarter of the population of Cambodia in only four years. Is it possible for a genocide to happen in America?
You might think that seems like a ridiculous question, but how does a genocide happen in the first place? While reading some of the survivor accounts and thinking about events in America today, I started to feel an extreme heaviness push down on my heart. As the sadness gripped me, a dismal thought came to mind, "Is it I, Lord?"
In light of my life with many mistakes, that's a question I've often asked myself. It comes from a question the Disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 26:21-22. "Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” A guy named Judas was the one. He betrayed Jesus for some money and became part of the crucifixion story as Christ was murdered in unspeakable horror.
Now the seemingly ridiculous question of genocide in America enters into an even more ridiculous thought process. How does a good friend betray somebody so special who healed people and came to save others? Why do all of His good friends even have to ask if they're the one capable of betraying Jesus?
Nobody believes that genocide will happen to them in the land of freedom, but why do guys who've been walking with Jesus, His close friends, actually think they could become betrayers? Because they are, and so are we. As human beings we're all capable of loving like Mother Teresa, killing like Pol Pot and betraying like Judas.
The Khmer Rouge engaged in a sadistic genocide with the goal of returning Cambodia to the "golden age." The poor would farm the land in a quest for self sustenance and all capitalistic influences would be banned. Their methods to force people to comply were barbaric, ruthless and inhuman. How does a human commit inhuman atrocities? How are people convinced that it's in their best interests to betray friends, neighbors and family members?
I was never personally a first hand witness to a holocaust, genocide or slavery, but I have witnessed the barbarity of gangland executions. Here's one thing I've learned, the first killing is the hardest and the second is easier and then it becomes easily accepted. After a young gang member is convinced that he has to join a gang, he tries to convince gang leaders that he's worthy of becoming a gangster. He's given a task which many times means killing somebody. The young, immature mind is convinced. that this act of murder is necessary. Misguided adrenaline helps him conquer fear and nervousness to put courage in his trigger finger. The only failure is not making sure the victim is dead. Usually the adrenaline makes him empty his weapon to make sure the execution is complete. Killing the first victim is the hard, but evil has a way of growing on you. Eventually the youngster develops a sociopathic mindset and kills without any trace of a guilty conscience.
What happened in Cambodia can happen again in any country. All it takes is spreading the bait of half-truths, combining them with fear and wrapping them up as hope for the hopeless; and you have a ready made hungry audience. Once the naked truth of Marxist control becomes known, it's often too late. Young people are taken from their families and brainwashed into committing atrocities. Friends, relatives and neighbors turn on each other for fear of becoming the next target of torture and execution. Slowly the insidious fear takes over neighborhoods, cities and then a country.
The destruction of normal social structures is one of the main weapons of Communistic ideologies. The government is in charge of everything and controls the population in many ways including:
Where is America today? It's easy to see the influence of big companies, social media censorship and foreign influence. The political parties have many members who cater to special interests who fund their political campaigns. The current President has signed executive orders allowing taxpayer monies to support the killing of children through abortion in this country and overseas. Cities have experienced destruction at the hands of angry mobs. Organizations claim to stand up for victims of racism and oppression while hiding their true mission of destroying nuclear families. They act much like the wolf who dressed up as Grandma.
I read about a Rwandan Genocide survivor who said what's happening in America is eerily similar to what happened in his country before the Genocide. When a group or groups of people are treated as second class citizens, the process of dehumanization begins. Differences of opinion are turned into accusations of bigotry and hatred. Separating people by classes can lead to inhuman treatment. When enough folks engage in mistreating a class of people over an extended period of time, inhumanity becomes the norm and is no longer viewed as inhuman.
In America, many people who identify as Christians or other religions have become targets of government legislation. If you have a Biblical mindset as a Christian, that means you wouldn't support the passage of the Equality Act. It doesn't mean that you don't love folks who do support the Act. We believe what God wrote in the Bible. God created man and women in His image. Changing the image of who He created to be is like telling God He made a mistake. Personally I'd never want to do that. Nations fall when God is replaced by idols. Pursuing self-fulfillment outside of the will of God is pursuing an idol of destruction.
You might think that seems like a ridiculous question, but how does a genocide happen in the first place? While reading some of the survivor accounts and thinking about events in America today, I started to feel an extreme heaviness push down on my heart. As the sadness gripped me, a dismal thought came to mind, "Is it I, Lord?"
In light of my life with many mistakes, that's a question I've often asked myself. It comes from a question the Disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 26:21-22. "Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” A guy named Judas was the one. He betrayed Jesus for some money and became part of the crucifixion story as Christ was murdered in unspeakable horror.
Now the seemingly ridiculous question of genocide in America enters into an even more ridiculous thought process. How does a good friend betray somebody so special who healed people and came to save others? Why do all of His good friends even have to ask if they're the one capable of betraying Jesus?
Nobody believes that genocide will happen to them in the land of freedom, but why do guys who've been walking with Jesus, His close friends, actually think they could become betrayers? Because they are, and so are we. As human beings we're all capable of loving like Mother Teresa, killing like Pol Pot and betraying like Judas.
The Khmer Rouge engaged in a sadistic genocide with the goal of returning Cambodia to the "golden age." The poor would farm the land in a quest for self sustenance and all capitalistic influences would be banned. Their methods to force people to comply were barbaric, ruthless and inhuman. How does a human commit inhuman atrocities? How are people convinced that it's in their best interests to betray friends, neighbors and family members?
I was never personally a first hand witness to a holocaust, genocide or slavery, but I have witnessed the barbarity of gangland executions. Here's one thing I've learned, the first killing is the hardest and the second is easier and then it becomes easily accepted. After a young gang member is convinced that he has to join a gang, he tries to convince gang leaders that he's worthy of becoming a gangster. He's given a task which many times means killing somebody. The young, immature mind is convinced. that this act of murder is necessary. Misguided adrenaline helps him conquer fear and nervousness to put courage in his trigger finger. The only failure is not making sure the victim is dead. Usually the adrenaline makes him empty his weapon to make sure the execution is complete. Killing the first victim is the hard, but evil has a way of growing on you. Eventually the youngster develops a sociopathic mindset and kills without any trace of a guilty conscience.
What happened in Cambodia can happen again in any country. All it takes is spreading the bait of half-truths, combining them with fear and wrapping them up as hope for the hopeless; and you have a ready made hungry audience. Once the naked truth of Marxist control becomes known, it's often too late. Young people are taken from their families and brainwashed into committing atrocities. Friends, relatives and neighbors turn on each other for fear of becoming the next target of torture and execution. Slowly the insidious fear takes over neighborhoods, cities and then a country.
The destruction of normal social structures is one of the main weapons of Communistic ideologies. The government is in charge of everything and controls the population in many ways including:
- Dictating the number of children you can have.(Forced abortions.)
- Taking away rights like business and property ownership (Fostering communal ownership.)
- Discrimination against religious beliefs.
- Forced acceptance of political ideologies.
- Censorship of any opinion contrary to government control.
Where is America today? It's easy to see the influence of big companies, social media censorship and foreign influence. The political parties have many members who cater to special interests who fund their political campaigns. The current President has signed executive orders allowing taxpayer monies to support the killing of children through abortion in this country and overseas. Cities have experienced destruction at the hands of angry mobs. Organizations claim to stand up for victims of racism and oppression while hiding their true mission of destroying nuclear families. They act much like the wolf who dressed up as Grandma.
I read about a Rwandan Genocide survivor who said what's happening in America is eerily similar to what happened in his country before the Genocide. When a group or groups of people are treated as second class citizens, the process of dehumanization begins. Differences of opinion are turned into accusations of bigotry and hatred. Separating people by classes can lead to inhuman treatment. When enough folks engage in mistreating a class of people over an extended period of time, inhumanity becomes the norm and is no longer viewed as inhuman.
In America, many people who identify as Christians or other religions have become targets of government legislation. If you have a Biblical mindset as a Christian, that means you wouldn't support the passage of the Equality Act. It doesn't mean that you don't love folks who do support the Act. We believe what God wrote in the Bible. God created man and women in His image. Changing the image of who He created to be is like telling God He made a mistake. Personally I'd never want to do that. Nations fall when God is replaced by idols. Pursuing self-fulfillment outside of the will of God is pursuing an idol of destruction.
- "For the nations that refuse to serve you will be destroyed." Isaiah 60:12 NLT
- "Some find their strength in their weapons and wisdom, but my miracle deliverance can never be won by men. Our boast is in the Lord our God, who makes us strong and gives us victory!" Psalm 20:7 TP
- Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the tame animals, over all the earth and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.” So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female." Genesis 1:26-27 ICB
YWAP IS BIG ON MENTORING & COMMUNITY SERVICE! YWAP empowers people in Christ to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. Man Cave is a place of transparency and accountability. A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. We don’t hibernate in the Man Cave, we believe in Community Engagement through good neighborliness. The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].
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