By What Authority?
Apr 29, 2021
By Dave Daubenmire | April 29th, 2021
Once again, the miss-understanding of words has led us down a precipitous path. Part of the mess we find ourselves in today is a result of a re-working of the English language. I wrote a column back in 2009 entitled CHANGE THE WORDS, CHANGE THE WORLD. It is worth the read and you can find it here. The Socialist Left poisons everything they touch.
Words have meaning. They are the vehicle through which every thought is communicated. For years, most Americans shared an understanding of a common language…based on common usage of words. Slowly and steadily the meanings morphed into confusion. Today, so many words no longer mean what they used to mean, and most Americans still have not bridged the language barrier.
Many people blame pop culture, but the morphing of words was far more sinister than simply using slang. For instance, the term “hang-out” can hold a variety of meanings. But context can usually clear up the confusion one might have whenever that phrase is used. “I’m going to hang out.” “Your pockets will hang-out.” “I’ll meet you at the hang-out.” “The laundry is going to hang out all day.”
Each of those phrases used in context can clarify the communication. But it is the CHANGING of the meaning of words that is most deceptive. It leads to agreement when there is no agreement. It is almost as if you need a law degree to communicate today. A thesaurus is becoming as useless as a rotary phone.
Which leads me to the greatest manipulation of words in American history. The current dog-muzzle virus has introduced a whole new level of miss-communication. Made-up phrases are one of the Socialist Left’s greatest weapons. “Social distancing” is an example of a nebulous, purposefully confusing linguistic lunacy. Neither of those words were designed to be used together…you know…sort of like gay marriage.
The Communist Left loves to use nonsensical terms. The foggier the explanation the greater their chance of successfully undermining Truth. “Public servant” is another of those weaponized terms. If most Americans understand what the words really meant there would be a revolution by this weekend. The Commies are great at disguising their true intentions behind an amalgamation of terms.
But there are other words that are much less obvious. Democracy is one of those words. The Lefties love to talk about our “democracy,” when our form of government is a Constitutional Republic. A Republican form of government is a democracy but not all democracies are republics. That would be like calling a T-Bone steak a hamburger. Although they both come from a cow there is a significant difference in the two.
Mask mandates are not laws. According to Webster a mandate is an order, but an order is not a law. Heath Departments can issue mandates, governors can issue mandates, but mandates do not carry the weight of laws. The formula for creating a law is clearly spelled out in State and Federal Constitutions. Mandates are not laws and are void of power.
Authority is the key word. It is one of those terms that the Commies have shoved to the back of the bus. So much of what is going on in America is being done without AUTHORITY.
Webster defines authority as “legal power.” Power and authority are not the same. Often today we see power used as a usurpation of authority. Because we fail to recognize the difference in the two, much of what we see being “mandated” as public policy has no authority behind it. The governor has the POWER to mandate masks, but he does not have the AUTHORITY to enforce it.
Watch this video of a Canadian Pastor ordering the police off Church property. This is a clear demonstration of AUTHORITY being exercised against brute police POWER. The badges and the guns give the police the POWER to disrupt the service, but they have no AUTHORITY to do so. Legal authority emanates from God through the people. Brute power is often exercised in the absence of authority. The Pastor destroys the POWER of the police by simply exercising his AUTHORITY.
A school Principal may have the AUTHORITY to exercise his POWER in the school, but the same Principal has NO AUTHORITY to do so in MY HOME. He could show up at my home with a Police SWAT team and use POWER to enforce his school rules, but he has no authority to do so no matter how many cops he brings.
Because we no longer understand the difference between AUTHORITY and POWER, we are surrendering our rights. Presidential Executive Orders may hold POWER, but their AUTHORITY is limited ONLY to the EXECUTIVE Branch.
This entire lockdown has been void of AUTHORTY. I do not care how many police officers show up at my house they do not have the AUTHORITY to force my family to wear a mask.
Despite what your teachers may have taught you most of what the Government does is void of AUTHORITY. Governmental POWER without rightful AUTHORITY is the definition of tyranny.
In Mathew 28:18 Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in both heaven and earth.” Jesus had POWER because His Father had the AUTHORITY. All earthly authority falls under the jurisdiction of Almighty God. He handed-off that power to His People. Our duty was to “go into all the world and teach them to observe all I have commanded you.” That is called “delegated” authority.
Our government violates the authority delegated to them by God and substitutes RAW POWER to enforce their illegal edicts. The use of POWER without rightful AUTHORITY destroys freedom.
Tyranny “the exercise of power over subjects and others with a rigor not authorized by law or justice.”
Mask mandates? Social distancing? Job furloughs? Non-essential churches? Mandatory vaccinations? This is just the tip of the iceberg.
If America is ever to make it safely to shore it is time we stood in the streets and asked a remarkably simple question of our governmental officials.
By what authority do you do this?