"Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See [how] the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain."   James 5:7 NKJV

Springtime brings promise of new life! And just as nature goes through cycles of renewal, awakening, and flourishing during the spring season, so too does our relationship with Jesus.

This season, which marks a time of transformation and hope, mirrors how the Christian faith can undergo a process of renewal, growth, and deepening connection with Jesus.

For Christians, faith in Jesus brings a new beginning, a fresh start, regardless of our past mistakes or failures. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Just like the earth rejuvenates in the spring, our faith in Jesus offers the chance for a new beginning. When we surrender ourselves to Him, He provides the opportunity for us to be made new. We can start again!

The Bible frequently uses agricultural imagery to describe spiritual growth. Matthew 13:31-32 says, ‘He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’”

Here Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which starts small but grows into a large tree. In the same way, our faith in Jesus begins small. However, through daily prayer, reading the Word, attending worship services, and cultivating relationships with fellow believers, our faith grows. As we allow God’s presence and wisdom to guide us, our trust in Him deepens, and we become more confident in His promises. 

Spring reminds us that growth takes time and patience. A garden doesn’t bloom overnight, nor does our faith. There are seasons of dormancy, struggle, and pruning, but God is always at work in us.

We must intentionally nurture our faith. In the spring, gardeners clear away debris, prepare the soil, and plant seeds. In our spiritual lives, we must clear out the distractions and sin that may hinder our growth. Hebrews 12:1 urges us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Cultivating our faith requires conscious decisions to remove things that prevent us from focusing on God’s work in our lives.

To God Be The Glory for springtime, a season when the barren trees begin to bud, flowers bloom, and animals come out of hibernation. This renewal is a symbol of what happens in our faith when we encounter the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sister Cathy Black

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES

• Join our Virtual Prayer Service by phone on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Bible Study from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
  
  Call: 253-215-8782 or 301-715-8592;
  Additional Phone Numbers:
  564-217-2000; 646-558-8656;
  646-931-3860
  Meeting ID: 685 433 0718
• Radio broadcasts Saturdays 9:00 am and 3:00 pm as well as Sundays at 7:30 am on WJMM FM 99.1
• International Sunday School Lesson
  This Sunday's Lesson:
  
  "The Holy Spirit Gives Gifts: What Are Spiritual Gifts?" 1 Corinthians 12:1-13
  
  Lesson Nugget:
  In today's lesson, Paul's letter to the Corinthian believers clearly explains that God the Holy Spirit equips believers with various gifts and that these gifts are not to be envied, but to be used for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ.
  
  Do we as Christians seek to identify our gifts and use them for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ?
  
  

• Next Sunday's Lesson: "Power & Perseverance: How Do We Respond To Suffering As Believers?" 2 Corinthians 4:1-16

• In - Person Worship Service on Sundays at 10:30 am and Streaming on the Church Facebook Page and YouTube. It can also be viewed on demand on the church
  historicpg.org website by selecting "Watch Us Live."
  
• Thank you for giving your Tithes and Offerings In-Person, by mail or with the Givelify App.
  
• Give with CashApp: $1790pgchurch
  
  Our mailing address is:

Historic Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church

PO Box 11845
Lexington, KY 40578

Upcoming Events

Virtual Prayer Service 

Tuesday, May 5, 7:00 PM

Call: 253-215-8782;

Meeting ID: 685 433 0718

Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, May 7, 7:00 pm

 Bible Study,

In-Person & Virtual

Saturday, May 9, 10:00 AM

Call: 253-215-8782;

Meeting ID: 685 433 0718

ATTENTION  ATTENTION ATTENTION

Any member who is interested in serving as a Chairperson for Homecoming/Rally Day which will be held Sunday, August 16th or for the 236th Church Anniversary to be observed Sunday, October 18th, please submit your name to Rev. Samuel Peoples or Sister Karen Taylor. Thank you.

For May, the Youth Ministry will continue our Life Skills Sessions, #4) Communication - Have An Interview and #2) Time / Self-Management - Preparing For Finals. We will be joined by Sis. LeAndrea Hayden & Sis. Sabrynn Wright for this Wednesday's session and we are excited to have them share their time and talents with us! 

We will continue our study of Joseph, another great character of the Bible. The Youth have been quite intrigued by this Bible character's innate ability to interpret dreams through the Holy Spirit. We are doing an extensive study of what these dreams meant and their importance.
 

The Youth Ministry meets every Wednesday at the Church at 7pm (1st & 3rd for Life Skills Sessions and 2nd & 4th for Bible Study.) We invite ALL middle and high schoolers to join us and to bring a friend as we find engaging ways to study God's Word and learn these important skills. All reminders and events will be posted in our GroupMe messaging app.

Contact Sis. Heather Happy (859.509.2927) for further details.

Yours in Christ,Youth Directors 

WE ARE ONE! 

Please join us as we congratulate Bro. Kered Anderson for his Capstone Project completion! As a requirement for Dunbar's MSTC Program, he completed over 360 hours of active research at the University of Kentucky's Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center on a topic of his choice (Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injuries:  Neuronal Density Loss In The Hippocampus In Rats.) Bro. Kered presented his research topic on Saturday morning during the Senior Symposium, in front of his fellow classmates, as well as upcoming MSTC members, mentors, professors, families, and friends! His passion for research and his plan to study neuroscience this coming fall as he enters college will be a continuation of his incredible academic career and we wish him only the best! We are so proud of Bro. Kered and are happy to be a part of his "village!"  

To God Be The Glory!

Youth Directors & Ministry 

WE ARE ONE! 

Welcome to the 40 Year Christians' Cooking Corner! 

Here we will feature recipes from the 40 Year Christian Group. This week's recipe comes from Sister Alyce Emerson.

Blessings to all.

Sister Linda Gates, President

Col. Keith Jackson

Career:  Commonwealth of Kentucky's Secretary of Justice and Public Safety Cabinet

Why this career at this time? For the  opportunity to impact the lives of others and influence policy and procedures of my fellow Kentuckians

 What do you want your Church Family to know about you? That I strive in my everyday walk to improve the lives and educate those in our Communities of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Is there anything special your Church can do for you?  There is nothing special, but I do pray that we all continue to be educated and trained in the processes and systems that impact/influence our day to day lives. Whether financial, family, business and or politics you have to be knowledgeable of the rules/laws that can dictate or change your life’s direction.

What do you want your PG Family to know about God?

God has centered my life and provided spiritual through His omnipotent presence in my life journey.  There is a mental, physical and spiritual need in all our lives from which our faith and connection are based.  His grace, mercy and love guides/directs our steps and if we choose the right paths, by circumstance or by choice, our gain is multiplied beyond measure.

Favorite Book of the Bible:  Book of Job:  Overcoming the unforeseen and expected trials and tribulations of life’s journey.

• Recent Requests
  
  
• Family of Sister Patricia Brown, who passed. Service was Saturday, May 2
  
  
• Family of Rev. Leondus Frye, who passed. (Brother of Deacon Charles Frye)
  
  
• Sister Cathy Black (NY) (Home)
  
  
• Sister Alyssa Burns (Home) (Daughter of Rev. Ron & Sis. René Burns)
  
  
• Brother John Drake (Home)
  
  
• Brother Jaden Garcia (16 year old son of Walter Speed III's manager) (Louisville Hospital)
  
  
• Brother Je'Ron  Blandon Haskins (Naval Deployment)
  
  
• Sister Norma Johnson (Home)
  
  
• Brother Cameron Jones (UK Medical Center)
  
  
• Rev. Tony Laine (Home)
  
  
• Sister Thelma Masterson (Homestead Nursing Home)
  
  
• Rev. Floyd Raglin (Homestead Nursing Home)
  
  
• Sister Lynn Smith (Home)
  
  
• Brother Rodney Taylor ( Stanford Crossing Rehabilitation Center, Stanford, Ky)  (Nephew of Sister Juanita Black and Cousin of Sister Cathy Black)
  
  
• Sister Valerie Washington (Texas) (Daughter-In-Law of Sister Thelma White)
  
  
• Brother William "Bill" Young (Home)
  
  

Ongoing Requests:

• Brother Willis K. Bright, Jr. (Indianapolis, In)
  
  
• Sister Charlie Peoples Brown (Home)
  
  
• Brother Bruce from Tates Creek Golf Course Clubhouse
  
  
• Sister Debra Collins (Home)
  
  
• Brother Levi Fishback (Harrodsburg Health & Rehabilitation Center, Harrodsburg, KY)
  
  
• Sister Anna Jarber (Homestead Nursing Home)
  
  
• Brother Glenn Allen (Home) (Relative of the Brooks Family)
  
  
• Sister Mary Ann Banksden (Florence, AL) (Sister of Brother Sammie Brooks)
  
  
• Sister Lillian Bell (Ruston, LA)
  
  
• Sister Ruby Branham (Prestonsburg, KY) (Mother of Sister Jackie Peoples)
  
  
• Sister Beverly Bowman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Bonita Brown (Home)
  
  
• Brother Byron Brown
  
  
• Sister Carrie Clay (Home)
  
  
• Sister Charmaine Collins (Home) (Daughter of Sister Debra Collins)
  
  
• Sister Gloria Coleman (Home)
  
  
• Brother Lonnie Cowan (Home)
  
  
• Crutcher, Jones, & Payne Family (especially Little Brother Vince Crutcher III and Sister Brittany Payne)
  
  
• Sister Laura Dunaway (Home)
  
  
• Brother Billy Edwards (Home)
  
  
• Sister Shirley Alcorn Edwards (Portsmouth, VA)
  
  
• Sister Jessica Embry
  
  
• Sister McKinley Emerson (Home)
  
  
• Brother Greg Forrest (Kevil, KY) (Nephew of Sisters Janice Jackson and Barbara Ridgeway)
  
  
• Sister Johnetta Frazier (Home)
  
  
• Sister Wanda Frazier (Home) (Sister of Brother Wayne Frazier)
  
  
• Rev. Jerry Gumm (Home)
  (Friends of the late Dr. Charles Black's family)
  
  
• Brother Darius Hall, Jr. (14 year old Grandson of Sister Marion Hall) (Home)
  
  
• Sister Sheryl Haskins (Home)
  
  
• Sister Jeanette Higgins (Home)
  
  
• Sister Gwendolyn Holloman (Home) (Wife of Bishop J. B. Holloman)
  
  
• Sister Iris Horice (Paducah, KY) (Niece of Sisters Janice Jackson and Barbara Ridgeway)
  
  
• Brother Michael Horton (Home)
  
  
• Brother Daron Houtman, Jr. (Wichita, KS) (Nephew of Sister Lisa Leath)
  
  
• Brother Julian Jackson (Home) (Father of Brother Jarold Jackson)
  
  
• Sister Kemona Johnson (Home)
  
  
• Sister Vera Johnson (Home) (Sister of Sister Marion Hall)
  
  
• Brother Vincino Johnson (Home)
  
  
• Brother Travis Jones (Home ) (Brother of Sisters Liz Brooks, Trina Morton, and Sobona Sweat)
  
  
• The Kierra Joseph Family
  
  
• Sister Janet King (Classmate of Sister Norma Johnson)
  
  
• Brother Larry Leath (Home)
  
  
• Sister Lindsey Leath (Home)
  
  
• Sister Patricia Leavell (Home)
  
  
• Sister Karisma Lockhart (Los Angeles, CA) and her family (Niece of Rev. Freddie Moody)
  
  
• Sister Danise Madison (Seattle, WA) (Sister of Sister Bonita Brown)
  
  
• Sister Dawn Gay Martin (Home)
  
  
• Sister Penny McCann (Austin, TX)
  
  
• Sister Charlet McLellan & Family
  
  
• Sister Genice Moody Mays (Los Angeles, CA) (Youngest sister of Rev. Freddie Moody)
  
  
• Sister Irene Sykes McKenzie (Home)
  
  
• Sister Elnora Miller (Home) (Mother of Sister Lisa Miller)
  
  
• Sister Lisa Miller (Home)
  
  
• Brother Daryl Moberly (Uncle of Sister Marva Eubank)
  
  
• Sister Tyailan Moberly (Home) (Cousin of Sister Marva Eubank)
  
  
• Brother Charles Moore, Sr. (Denton, TX) (Brother of Sister Shelia Williams)
  
  
• Sister Dorothy Offutt (Home)
  
  
• Sister Ashanti Owens (Granddaughter of Sister Mary Thomas)
  
  
• Sister Brittany Payne (Home)
  
  
• Brother Stevie Pepper (Columbus, OH) (Cousin of Sister Mary Thomas)(Home)
  
  
• Sister Lucy Persley (Home) (Sister to Sisters Bonnie Shelton, Mary Thomas, and Brother Rodger Williams)
  
  
• Brother Steven Prater (Richmond Hill, GA)
  
  
• Sister Ruth Rawlings (Friend of Sister Kim Bond)
  
  
• Veronica Ridgeway (Louisville, KY) (Cousin of Sisters Janice Jackson and Barbara Ridgeway)
  
  
• Sister Annette Reid (Home)
  
  
• Brother Ashley Roach
  
  
• Sister Gayle Rush-Coleman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Tamika Sales (Home)
  
  
• Sister Candace Hayes (Home) (Daughter of Sister Sharon Scarber)
  
  
• Brother Donald Scarber (Home)
  
  
• Sister Sharon Scarber (Home)
  
  
• Brother Doug Smith (Brother of Rev. Michael Smith) (Home, Louisville, KY)
  
  
• Sister Pennie Smith (Home)
  
  
• Sister Eleanor Smothers (Home)
  
  
• Sister Delores Spencer (Home)
  
  
• Brother Adrian Tatman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Anna Tatman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Cheryl "Midge" Taylor (Home)
  
  
• Sister Kendra Taylor (Home)
  
  
• Sister Carol Thomas (Home)
  
  
• Sister Anna Ison-Walker (Home)
  
  
• Brother Kevin Walker (San Francisco, CA) (First Cousin of Rev. Freddie Moody)
  
  
• Sister Martha Warner (Home) (Mother of Sister Catherine Frye)
  
  

• Sister Tassa Wigginton (Home)
  
  
• Brother Melvin Williams (Home)
  
  
• Brother Rodger Williams (Home) (Brother of Sisters Lucy Persley, Bonnie Shelton, and Mary Thomas)
  
  

• Brother Leon Wilson (Home) (Brother-in-Law of Sister Mary Thomas)
  
  
• Each person listed on our Sick List
  
  
• HPGMBC Full Time Pastor Search Committee Members, their families and their work
  
  
• Victims of the Wildfires
  
  
• Families of the Children affected in war torn countries around the world
  
  
• Children orphaned due to war and worldwide crises
  
  
• Families affected by gun violence in our community and abroad
  
  
• COVID-19 Victims around the world
  
  
• The People of Ukraine
  
  
• Healthcare workers, First responders, etc.
  
  
• The Entire Pleasant Green Church Family
  
  
• Our Local and National Government Officials

Heavenly Father, Please help us to share Your love and truth with others today so they may believe and walk with You always.Thank you for Jesus. In His Name. Amen 

{Adapted from Our Daily Bread,  May 3, 2026}

Keep Your Contact Information Updated

Please keep your contact information up to date. In case of emergencies, changes of service times, etc., every attempt will be made to contact church members as expeditiously as possible using text messages to cell phones, phone calls, and emails. You can update your contact information by calling the church at (859) 254-7387.

If you would like to volunteer in assisting with contacting members on the rare occasions when information needs to be communicated to the church membership quickly, please call the church and give your name and phone number.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

FLU

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.

Flu shots are available at local pharmacies. Consult your physician regarding a flu vaccination.

RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common, contagious virus that usually causes mild symptoms. In older adults and adults with certain underlying conditions, RSV can cause severe infections.

RSV shots are available at local pharmacies. Consult your physician regarding a RSV vaccination.

COVID-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone can get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age.

The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the disease and how the virus spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by staying at least 1 metre apart from others, wearing a properly fitted mask, and washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently. Get vaccinated when it’s your turn and follow local guidance.

The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. It is important to practice respiratory etiquette, for example by coughing into a flexed elbow, and to stay home and self-isolate until you recover if you feel unwell.

Both COVID vaccines and Booster COVID vaccines are available at local pharmacies. Consult your physician regarding COVID vaccinations.

General Health Information

General Health information can be obtained from the Health Department. Contact information is below:

LEXINGTON-FAYETTE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
650 Newtown Pike
Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 252-2371.

VOL. 24 COMMON SENSE REVISITED

OPPRESSION REVISITED FROM THE 1776 REVOLUTION TO 2026 !?!

VIEWED VIA JUDEO CHRISTIAN ETHICS AND OUR E PLURIBUS UNIUM PERSPECTIVE
 

In Vol 23 I provided you with the entire wording of the Declaration of Independence. In Vol 24 I am going to provide you with research that endeavors to explain the Jedeo and Christian Ethics and E PLURIBUS UNIUM perspective (OUT OF ONE MANY (MANY RACES AND ETHNIC GROUPS IN AMERICA) ) in the colonial time period and an on-going dialogue on where we are now in 2026. Please read the data mindful of what the framers of the Declaration of Independence so eloquently penned in 1776.

Please think critically while reading between both documents to find where we are with race relations especially after seeing the disastrous ruling by the six partisan U.S. Supreme Court justices rendered to destroy the voting rights laws for blacks and all other minorities. Their majority decision has opened the door for ultra conservatives to devise ways to take away hard EARNED progress blacks have made towards obtaining racial equality.

The following information should help you to get a better perspective of things that are happening now in the U.S. and how we should unite to make sure we are ready to defend ourselves as a race of people. This is interesting research data that states:

In the 1700s, Judeo-Christian ethics in colonial America were foundational to social order but paradoxically intertwined (Meaning that two or more things are closely connected, linked, or twisted together in a way that is self-contradictory, illogical, or contrary to what one would expect.)with racial oppression, while formal racial egalitarianism was largely absent. Religion justified slavery through "heathen" status yet later fueled antislavery sentiment; racial hierarchy was enforced despite emerging ideals of spiritual equality.

Judeo-Christian Ethics and Hierarchy (1700s). (Now ask yourself, how much COMMON SENSE DOES THIS STATEMENT MAKE IN LIGHT OF WHAT IS STATED AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE!?!) (In May of 1970 the temptations produced a song entitled “Ball of Confusion (That’s what the World Is Today)” in that song they repeated a recurring lyric that I am gonna use in this article from this point on in our literary journey in our African American Diaspora, “And the band played on!!!”)

Theological Justification for Slavery: Christianity was often used to justify slavery. Africans were frequently viewed as "heathens" needing salvation through bondage, or subjected to a racialized "blood purity test" that equated blackness with sin and degradation. “And the band played on!!!”

Hierarchy and Law: Biblical principles were used to establish a patriarchal, hierarchical household model, which legal systems supported to control servants and enslaved people (Malcom X coined the expression, “self-determinism” in the 1960’s. Malcomb said that blacks needed to work toward “self-determinism” “By all means necessary.”)

Southern slave owners like KY’s Henry Clay, (prior to Malcomb X’s 1960’s mantra) had already employed that same mantra to keep his slaves in order, “by all means necessary.” Clay’s use of the mantra meant “with brutality.” (During my 40 plus years of teaching American History I have had a few students to say that there were benevolent slave owners. There was no benevolence at all in the peculiar Institution of slavery! People need to stop seeking excuses to justify that which never should have happened!)

One historian noted that Henry Clay almost whipped one of his slaves to death with a bull whip. In his and other slave owners' estimation the brutality was justified as an occasion of an “All means Necessary” action, (It’s interesting to note that Malcomb was labeled as a black terrorist for coining this phrase in the 1960’s and a threat to all whites Hmmmmm.)

Henry Clay was the biggest slave owner West of the Allegheny Mountains. He was known by his Congressional colleagues as The Harry of the West (White people’s regional manifest destiny champion and advocate for the spreading of slavery westward. Clay was also noted in the pre civil war era of American history as having been the best compromise agent to ever serve in Congress. He was credited as having tremendously helped to delay the advent of the civil war with cleverly constructed compromise agreements between slave states and free states…. And yet and yet…it begs the question, if he were that astute in diplomacy how could he ever approve and engage in the egregious atrocities innate to the institution of slavery? HOW MUCH COMMON SENSE DOES THAT MAKE!?! “And the band played on!!!”

• Paradoxical Views: While New England Puritans (the staunchest of all colonial religious groups) believed in an Old Testament mandate for fairness toward the oppressed, they simultaneously engaged in harsh enslavement and violence against Native Americans (Mentioned in the earlier volumes of my column).

Racial Egalitarianism and Transformation

• The Great Awakening's Impact: The mid-18th century Great Awakening shifted perspectives by encouraging converts of all races. Methodists, Baptists, and some Presbyterians began holding services where black and white people worshiped together.
• Rise of Black Protestant Churches: By the 1770s, the first black Protestant churches were founded, planting the seeds for later calls for racial equality. (AMEN! HISTORIC PLEASANT GREEN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH LEXINGTON KY organized in by a Black slave Peter Durrett in 1790!)
• Emergent Equality Views: Despite widespread racism, some white settlers began to interpret Judeo-Christian teachings through the lens of individual salvation, laying the earliest, often slow-growing, theological foundations for human dignity and equality, which were later championed by groups like the Quakers. (As per the actions of white benefactors that aided Peter Durrett (Brother Captain) in nurturing the first African American church west of the Allegheny Mountains starting in 1790.

Colonial Religious Context

• Pluralism vs. Orthodoxy: While New England was strict Puritanism, the Middle Colonies offered more religious diversity (Quakers, Lutherans), and the South was largely Anglican.
• Diverse Views on Equality: Religious toleration was spreading by the late 1700s, but this liberty was rarely applied equally to racial minorities or white dissenters in states with established churches, such as Virginia. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960’s stated a religious truth in many of his sermons and speeches. Dr. King said, “The most segregated hour in Christian America is 11:00 AM on Sunday morning.” Dr. King called that social reality was, a “Shameful, tragic contradiction to the gospel’s message of unity.”)

Judeo-Christian ethics promote racial egalitarianism through the theological doctrine of Imago Dei (Image of God), asserting that all humans possess equal, inherent dignity regardless of race, as found in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” This perspective establishes a common origin and shared sacred worth, opposing racial superiority or prejudice.

Key Aspects of Judeo-Christian Ethics and Racial Egalitarianism:

• Theological Basis Against Racism: Because all humans are made in God's image, no race or group possesses more of this image than another, making racism a fundamental violation of human dignity.
• Biblical Interpretation: While some have historically abused religious texts, modern, mainstream interpretations of Judeo-Christian theology emphasize equality. Rabbinic tradition highlights that while humans are varied, they originate from one creator (Adam), precluding claims of superiority based on lineage.

(This is indisputable evidence that demands a verdict for those that are blessed and imbued with God’s given COMMON SENSE in the 1700’s and as well as the 2000’s. How then could Christians and Jews of that era misconstrue or misunderstand God’s word and not vociferously denounce racial prejudice and dehumanizing brutal slavery knowing the truth of God imparted and understandable to them!?

This information is so overwhelmingly, clear, and convincing that it cannot be reasonably doubted nor denied in any era of American History. And yet, and yet…the ethos/the root of all ethics, the root of racism remains burrowed deeply within American consciousness and still produces fruit from the roots of common myths and institutional, systematic racism… “And the band played on!!!”

• "Love Your Neighbor": A central ethical principle, derived from Leviticus and reinforced by Jesus in the New Testament (Mark 12:31 “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than the mandates of love for one's neighbor, directly applying to treatment regardless of race or ethnicity.
• Critique of Relative Morality: Judeo-Christian tradition advocates for universal, not relative, moral standards. This means that the prohibition against injustice, including racial injustice, is seen as a divine mandate rather than a social convention, demanding universal application.

Application in Modern Society: Many argue that this perspective was foundational to the development of human rights, contributing to the belief that all people are "endowed by their Creator" with equal value. AMEN AND AMEN…(And yet…and yet…COMMON SENSE did not prevail and still exists in the American Republic as late as 2026. We are still struggling beneath piles of residue from by-gone centuries of irreconcilable racial strife…) “And the band played on!!!”

Contrasting Perspectives and Context:

• Historical Misuse: Critics point out that, despite these teachings, parts of the Bible were at times taken out of context to justify racism or slavery. However, proponents would argue such acts contradict the core, authentic teachings of the faith. (Is there any “evidence that demands a verdict in this last posit? Hmmmmm!?!)
• Application to Equality: While the tradition strongly supports the equal dignity of all, debates exist on whether this implies total social or economic equality (egalitarian democracy), or simply equal standing before God and the law. (Hmmmmm perplexing posits…what does this point actually mean!?! (“Whatchoo talkin’ bout Willis!?! As per the 1978-1986 sitcom “Different Strokes.” How difficult is it for citizens to amend their ways and “judge all people by the content of their character not the color of their skin” or their ethnicity!?!…and yet people in the E PLURIBUS UNIUM/ out of many ONE continue to struggle with using COMMON SENSE in their reasoning to aid them in progressing toward that which our Republic should always strive toward as per the goals of both the Declaration of Independence and the second U.S. Constitution of these United States of America.

Lastly in Vol. 24 many researchers often note that the "Judeo-Christian" label itself can be interpreted differently, with some seeing it as a broad, unifying tradition of moral values, and others preferring to look at Jewish and Christian ethical traditions separately. (The last Hmmmmmm of Vol. 24…in the words of Sergeant Hans Schultz, his real name was John Banner a former Jewish Holocaust refugee who escaped to the United States of America in 1938, however, his entire family were killed by the Nazis in concentration camps. Banner enlisted in the U.S. Air Corps in 1942 and was promoted to sergeant during WWII.

On the sitcom Sergeant Schultz uttered a recurring phrase in a German accent, he would roll his eyes and say, “I know nothing! Nothing at all!” He did so to fake ignorance when he was on duty and he accidentally witnessed the prisoner's secret activities. He averted his eyes and disregarded, in a humorist way, what he had seen and walked on by.

Many people in this American body politic have adopted the same strategy as Sergeant Schultz by walking on by and not accepting the challenge to become culturally competent individuals nor working not only to drop their prejudices but join other citizens in helping their friends and neighbors to do the same! … “And the band played on!!!”

COMMON SENSE REVISITED…

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL…UNTIL WE READ AGAIN…

TO BE CONTINUED…