The following is a transcription from a recent interview of James Lindsay done by Dave Rubin.
James Lindsay is speaking. This is around minute 18 of interview.
I’ve been preaching a lot of the same thing lately. I found it ironic — perhaps you’ll (Dave Rubin) enjoy this — one of my favorite words is a different “R” word. Not “responsibility.” But…”repent.” And I don’t technically believe in God, so what do I mean by that? Say you got caught up in this woke stuff. A lot of people did. Or, you got caught up in the COVID19 hysteria. A lot of people did. Or you got caught up in – pick your favorite politician. Doesn’t have to be Trump derangement syndrome. A lot of people did. You have to get inside yourself and say, ‘I messed up.’
It’s not just, a lot of people messed up and it just doesn’t matter.
You have to get inside of yourself and say, ‘I messed up.’ And you got to get right in your conscience with where you were and then, take responsibility for the mistakes you made. You need to know where you want to go in the future.
I call for people to repent all the time!
Repent of the woke.
Repent of your participation
Look at what’s happening in the world right now. Look at what they are cheering for. Glory to the martyrs on the side of Columbia University. Look at what they’re cheering for.
Repent and take responsibility.
What I Saw at London’s Palestine Rally Frightened Me | James Lindsay
Dr. Lindsay’s “repent and take responsibility” has motivated me to understand the word “repent” and to take responsibility.
So, here I go. I am going to share with you several things I repent. Some will be a surprise and some – it’s about time (haha). And some will say, ‘is that all?’
I repent “Facebook-defriending” without first telling my sister, her husband and my best friend of over 20 years, Jeff. Now, they know this. I have told them. I apologized for how I “Facebook-Defriended” them. I am sorry our relationship has never fully recovered. I will always love my sister as my sister. Family love is too important to abandon. And, I understand her loyalty to her husband outweighs her loyalty – even love – for me (her brother).
As far as her husband.
Her husband / my brother-in-law, the door is always open.
The same goes with my best friend, Jeff. Jeff was along my side for many ‘battles.’ He is a TERRIFIC man!
I repent (feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin) not staying in California public (government) education and risk being fired for what I believe. As many of you know, April 2021, the principal said, ‘Paul, you need to keep Jesus Christ in the parking lot.’ I should have pushed back. HARD. On October 6, 2021, when the same person told me I could not say, ‘I love you’ to my students or to stop using social media because it upset the students, I should have pushed back.
I repent while being a teacher not speaking out against the idea teachers keep secrets from parents. Not being a public school teacher in California and letting my feelings know that it is immoral to not include parents in the ‘training’ of their children is too easy. While I was a teacher, I should have been more assertive / aggressive in my disapproval in what the union is encouraging their teachers to do.
I repent for walking away from my accounts with teachers who had me work with their students. I was so taken aback what I was starting to observe in public (government) education, I thought what I was sharing did not fit. I should have persevered and allowed those teachers to continue to trust me or allow them to go in a different direction. The information I have to share with their students sees no difference than when I began sharing that information in 1997!
I am sure there are several more. In fact, there are those who would love to share with me their several more. You have my contact. Give me an email band2gether@comcast.net. Be courageous. Send me an email (with your real name) and I will give you my phone number. I encourage you to phone me. We can exchange what we repent. If you are willing to repent with me, I must be willing to repent with you.
We should repent. It is difficult. No doubt.
Dr. Lindsay is correct. All of us – NOT MANY OF US – have done things we regret. Why not repent? What is holding us back from repenting?
One more thought. Sometimes we don’t realize we have done something that would need us to consider repenting! Let that person know he/she (I know – so binary, Paul) did something that needs repent. He/she may not know. Give that person the benefit of the doubt and be ready for that person to have the freedom not to repent.
Again, repent means – feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. That person’s action that hurt you / offended you may be one that he/she feels no repent is needed or justified. Because you feel their action was wrong, immoral or inappropriate, he / she does not have to repent . Are you ready to repent for not giving the person the benefit of the doubt or listening to their explanation for their action / behavior? Can you continue to be a part of that person’s life when he/she chooses NOT to repent? Life is difficult.
HAPPY THANSKGIVING!