Not Part of the Problem

How can one be seen as part of 'the problem' 

 simply by appearing not to be part of 'the solution'?

That makes no sense to me.

And while I'm at it:

How can one's silence be construed as consent?

I am beginning to believe that those who spread these catch-phrases are simply pointing the finger at others so as to draw attention away from themselves.

In Lamentations we read:  

"Of what shall a living man complain? 

Each his own sins!"

How could I be part of the problem if I do not see a viable solution to support? and how could I automatically become part of the problem simply because I don't agree with a proposed solution?  I will never choose the lesser of two evils just to make people think that I am not part of the problem.  Choosing evil in any form is no solution to any problem; it only prolongs the inevitable.

Moving on, how can my silence equal consent when I've been verbally beaten down by the very ones accusing me of consenting? They have twisted honest talk into their perceived hate speech. There are times I keep my mouth shut because I have learned that lesson long ago; there are folks who just don't listen; and, for example, when I do point out the truth of a matter I get pushed aside as a conspiracy theorist.

These catchy phrases have been taken way out of context and reflect narrow mindedness by those throwing them out there (to one extent) and look like brainwashed behavior beyond that. Those words are a 'stop sign', a verbal wall put up that allows no further conversation. 

Here is the origin of one of those sayings:

"To be sure I must; and therefore I may assume 
that your silence gives consent."

This is taken from a speech given by Socrates as recorded by Plato.  Please note that it is an 'assumption' made by Socrates, who is standing trial in regards to a religious matter.  I was inspired to do some research and it turned out to be an interesting study.

I learned that the poet Meletus was one of three accusers of Socrates. The affidavit sworn out by Meletus made two related charges against Socrates: "refusing to acknowledge the gods recognized by the State and of introducing new and different gods" and "corrupting the youth."  Here is part of the speech made by Socrates in which his manner of speaking made Meletus look like a fool. I think I would have been temporarily rendered speechless listening to this man bloviate as well:

Did ever man, Meletus, believe in the existence of human things, and not of human beings? I wish, men of Athens, that he would answer, and not be always trying to get up an interruption. Did ever any man believe in horsemanship, and not in horses? or in flute-playing, and not in flute- players? No, my friend; I will answer to you and to the court, as you refuse to answer for yourself. There is no man who ever did. But now please answer the next question: Can a man believe in spiritual and divine agencies, and not in spirits or demigods?

He cannot.

How lucky I am to have extracted that answer, by the assistance of the court! But then you swear in the indictment that I teach and believe in divine or spiritual agencies (new or old, no matter for that); at any rate, I believe in spiritual agencies, so you say and swear in the affidavit; and yet if I believe in divine beings, how can I help believing in spirits or demigods; must I not? To be sure I must; and therefore I may assume that your silence gives consent. Now what are spirits or demigods? Are they not either gods or the sons of gods?

Certainly they are.

But this is what I call the facetious riddle invented by you: the demigods or spirits are gods, and you say first that I do not believe in gods, and then again that I do believe in gods; that is, if I believe in demigods. For if the demigods are the illegitimate sons of gods, whether by the nymphs or by any other mothers, of whom they are said to be the sons--what human being will ever believe that there are no gods if they are the sons of gods? You might as well affirm the existence of mules, and deny that of horses and asses. Such nonsense, Meletus, could only have been intended by you to make trial of me. You have put this into the indictment because you had nothing real of which to accuse me. But no one who has a particle of understanding will ever be convinced by you that the same men can believe in divine and superhuman things, and yet not believe that there are gods and demigods and heroes.

Socrates put a big spin on the accusations against him but was found guilty.  He failed in his attempt to use the words of Meletus against him, and failed to use his silence against him as well. His accusers argued for the death penalty. Socrates was given the opportunity to suggest his own punishment and initially offered the sarcastic recommendation that he be rewarded for his actions. When pressed for a realistic punishment, he proposed that he be fined a modest sum of money. Faced with the two choices, the jury selected death for Socrates. The philosopher was taken to the near-by jail where his sentence would be carried out. Athenian law prescribed death by drinking a cup of poison hemlock.

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"If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem."

This saying is attributed to Eldridge Cleaver who was an American writer and political activist. He became a follower of Malcolm X and an early leader of the Black Panther Party as 'minister of information'. In his later years Cleaver proclaimed himself a born-again Christian and a Republican, engaged in various business ventures, and struggled with an addiction to cocaine.  He died of prostate cancer in 1998. It is also noted that this popular saying might not be the full quotation from Soul on Ice, a collection of writings he composed while in Folsom Prison, in which Cleaver traced his political evolution while denouncing American racism. (I haven't read the book to confirm this):

'There is no more neutrality in the world. You either have to be part of the solution, or you're going to be part of the problem.'

The observation being made is akin to getting someone to stop sitting on the fence or to quit walking down the middle of the road (staying neutral), as in trying to force someone to take a side. It will only appear a person is part of the problem if they don't readily agree with your view on the matter. I, for one, would rather stay in the neutral zone while I studied out the matter at hand before making any decisions or jumping to any conclusions.

The bottom line of most problems is lack of knowledge which does not make one automatically part of the problem or the solution; just as one's silence doesn't equal consent.

Sodom and Gomorrah

Another one of the things Y'shua lets us know about in regards to the signs that indicate the nearness of his return is recorded in Luke 17:28 when he makes reference to both Noah and Lot:

As it was in the days of Noah, so it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking and buying and selling, growing crops and building. But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, Master YHWH rained down fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed all of them. Thus it will be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.

Back in the days of Noah folks were living life as usual, eating, drinking, getting married, raising families, buying and selling goods and ignoring the reason Noah and his family were preparing in obedience to the instructions given by YHWH our Creator. Those other folk kept on keepin' on right up until the Noah Family entered the ark. The others did not really understand what was going on until the flood hit and then it was too late to enter the ark, too late to be saved. We are told the signs before the return of Messiah so we will prepare before it's too late to be saved from the coming flood of Wrath of Yahweh, which is contained in the final 7 Bowls of Plagues.

Sodom, Gomorrah and surrounding communities were living life the same way as those in Noah's day, but we learn it was common practice for these folks to welcome strangers/new comers into their town by having sexual intercourse with them, whether male or female or if they were willing or not. Abraham's nephew, Lot, warned the two messengers YHWH had sent to his town not to stay out in the open and to spend the night in his home. In Genesis 19 we read that the townspeople, young and old alike, gathered at Lot's house demanding he bring the visitors out to them so they could be 'intimate' with them. Lot beg the townsfolk to leave them alone and even offered his own virgin daughters to the mob to do to them as they please but to leave those 'men' alone who he was trying to protect. This happened the night before Yah rained down brimstone and fire upon the towns.

Both scenarios are examples of people who are disobedient or rebellious, putting themselves first and God as an afterthought, if they thought about Him at all. They mocked or ignored the ones preparing to be saved from destruction. Today we are called 'conspiracy theorists' or 'bible thumpers' and are mocked or ignored as we continue to study Scriptures and learn how to prepare for those end time events. Back in the days of Noah as in the days of Lot many did not have faith in the Creator and lived life the way they saw fit, sort of the 'Live and let live' mindset many have today. And who can ignore the perverted sexual lifestyles promoted in today's world?

Jude 1:6

And the Messengers (aka Watchers, those angels whose offspring were the Nephilim) that did not keep their first estate but left their station, He has reserved in chains unknown, under darkness to the judgment of the great day. And in like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities which followed sexual sin and went after strange flesh, are also placed beneath eternal fire, being doomed to judgment.

We read in the second letter of Peter that our Master YHWH knows how to rescue from afflictions those who fear Him, and He will reserve the wicked for the day of judgment to be tormented, and especially those who go after the flesh in the lusts of perversions.

In today's world the majority of people live out each day to the best of their abilities: eating, drinking, getting married, raising families, providing for their wants and needs, content to 'live and let live' while turning a blind eye to the evil that has continued to surface throughout the years until 'evil' is now considered good and 'good' is called evil; 'good' is called hate speech and homophobia. The next step Y'shua tells us about is that we will be hated because of him, because of our faith in God the Father, Yahweh our Creator. This is exactly what is happening as if we were the ones building an ark while spreading the Word about the Good News of the Kingdom to come, informing people about choosing the way of salvation. The analogy for us today, however, is that we have been invited to the wedding feast and if we are not prepared to enter, if our lamps are not full of oil and we run off to buy some more, the door to the banquet hall will be shut and locked - it will then be too late to enter, too late to be saved.

In Deuteronomy 32 Moses predicts what will happen speaking poetically when he said: "Ah! The vine for them is from Sodom, from the vineyards of Gomorrah; the grapes for them are poison, their clusters a bitter growth." Yahweh says He is saving it up to be His recompense and vengeance at the time "their foot falters". Their day of disaster will come as destiny rushes upon them. This is pointing towards the end of the world as we know it. Just as He brought an end to creation with The Flood when man's thoughts were on evil continuously, just as He brought an end to Sodom and Gomorrah because of their arrogance and wicked ways, He will bring an end to this world that we know for those same reasons. Likewise, as He saved the righteous and faithful from The Flood and as He saved Lot from destruction, so do we have the opportunity to be saved from death eternal.

Compare today with the writings of Ezekiel in Chapter 16 for example. There are people in these modern times who are arrogant, who have plenty to eat and live without worry or concern but they do not support the poor or needy; in their haughtiness they commit abominations in the eyes of our Creator. Then there are those whose ungodly behavior makes those people appear righteous by comparison. There will be a day of reckoning for us all. Lets remember we can choose to be in His Everlasting Covenant and He will forgive and forget the follies of our youth. For us today it is by acting in obedience to our Creator's Instructions and having the testimony of His Son, Y'shua the Anointed One that we find salvation.