14 BOCNEWS.com NOVEMBER 2017 all ideas, you’re being misled by the system. Let’s be real, not all ideas are invalid since they can lead an individual to harm, poor health, disconnection from others and/or ultimately failure. Sure, marijuana can provide medicinal benefits but medicine is an intervention not a lifestyle. If you use any medicine for term-life there will be harm- ful physical effects and other forms of metaphysical disharmony. Well, doesn’t a person have the right to lead themselves to failure? The answer is No. There is an important distinc- tion between having the right to think thoughts and the power to do so. All human beings have the “power” to entertain whatever thought they choose to but that doesn’t mean that they have the “right” to do it. Having a right suggests being given the author- ity to perform a certain function. But, when it comes to thinking, who gets to authorize right thoughts and wrong thoughts? Are the authorities of lawful being-ness delegated to (mankind) the Courts, the Government, the Church, Educators, Millionaires, Entertainers, etc.??? In Genesis, it shows that when Adam and Eve exer- cised the power to choose an idea that ran contrary to Gods’ Will, things started to go bad very quickly. Just because we have the power to choose bad ideas doesn’t mean we have the right to do so. Adam and Eve decided to exercise the power to turn down oneness with God. It was an act of disrespect for authority. Disrespect for authority is a big sociopolit- ical spectacle today whether it’s in Law Enforcement, Education, Entertainment, Religion, Politics, etc. If Adam and Eve were a metaphor that represented mankind, when did they ever get the right or author- ity to choose anything they wanted to? So, the real issue is whose disrespecting who? Don’t let a sys- temic way of thinking lead you to believe in institu- tionalized disrespect for authority. If you think about it, neither the US Constitution, or the National Anthem, nor the Bill of Rights makes any mention of God as the foundation for its author- ity. Kurt Andersen states in his book referenced above, When somebody asked Alexander Hamilton why the Framers hadn’t mentioned God in the Constitution, his answer was deadpan hilarious: “We forgot.” In these three symbols of Nationalism, God is not sourced as the supreme authority for what is right or wrong (reality). So, “We the People” have decided to authorize ourselves (the forbidden tree) to define right and wrong and that’s why no one can say what thinking is unlawful because in Western Culture that “right” belongs to the individual. So, when indi- viduals exercise their right to cultivate ideas that lead to mass destruction, what does the system say? You have the right? According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there is an aver- age of 121 suicides per day in the US or 44,193 every year. Where does mass destruction start? Having the power to choose is what distinguishes mankind from nature (human, animal, plant and chemical) but when that power is abused, the line between animalistic and natural behavior becomes indistinguishable and human beings wreak havoc on each other (it was that woman you gave me - Adam) and on nature. And, We the People become the wretched of the earth and our divine potential gets wasted and we give away our birthright. Is fantasy land real? Solution Separate yourself (mind, body & soul) from the cul- tural practices that encourage and insist on idolatry. What is idolatry? According to the Miriam-Webster dictionary idolatry is: a) religious worship addressed to an image or other material object representing a deity or b) any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion. And, c) according to the Bible dictionary, an idol is an image of a deity other than God. Let’s break it down; a) Religious worship is devotion to a way of life such that the devotee is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice (death) for satisfying its fulfillment. How many times have we heard this religious invocation, “people or soldiers have made the ultimate sacri- fice…” Or, in my opinion, it was the soldier’s job (the under employed) to be sacrificed (by the power-class) for said things… the flag, the anthem, constitutional National Donor Sabbath This November 10-12, Colorado faith leaders, families of organ, eye and tissue donors, transplant recipients and donation and transplantation pro- fessionals are gathering at churches to help increase awareness of the need for lifesaving transplants in our region and across the country. Known as National Donor Sabbath and observed annually on the Friday through Sunday two weekends before Thanksgiving, the 3-day observance looks to include the days of worship for the major religions practiced in the United States. All major faiths support organ, eye and tissue donation, with many rec- ognizing donation as a selfless act of compassion. Since many people often refer to their faith leaders for guid- ance on matters of both life and death, National Donor Sabbath gives faith communities the opportunity to share their views and join the conversation. This year, as we observe National Donor Sabbath, more than 34 thou- sand people from the African-American community around the nation are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. In Colorado alone, there are more than 250 African Americans waiting for an organ transplant. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans are the largest group of minorities in need of an organ trans- plant. In the U.S. 30 percent of those currently waiting on an organ trans- plant are African American, and almost 35 percent of people waiting for a kid- ney transplant are African American. While organs are not matched based on race or ethnicity, transplant match- es made within ethnic groups can be more compatible. That is one of the reasons it is so important for people in our communities to register their deci- sion to be donors. “There’s a great need for organ trans- plants within the African American community in Colorado. It’s important that more African Americans and peo- ple who belong to minority groups reg- ister as organ, eye and tissue donors,” said Angelica Barajas, Community Engagement Coordinator for Donor Alliance. Just one donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save or heal more than 75 lives through eye and tissue donation. Colorado residents can register as an organ, eye and tissue donor any time at DonateLifeColorado.org, or by saying ‘yes’ at the driver license office. Faith communities and individu- als that would like to plan National Donor Sabbath events in Colorado can contact Donor Alliance at (303) 329- 4747 or go to www.DonorAlliance.org/ faithanddonation for additional infor- mation and support. You can plan to attend a Donor Sabbath event sponsored by the Colorado Black Health Collaborative in partnership with Donor Alliance on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 9 am. There will be a special showing of the Movie, The Wish, that high- lights the importance of donation for our community. The event will be held at Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church. See our website for additional details, www.coloradoblackhealth.org. Hope to see you there. GOD vs. The People ... continued from page 5 COMMUNITY Continued on Page 22 By Terri Richardson, MD Terri Richardson