First let’s clear up a misunderstanding. This happens a lot between Christianity and people of other religions. When Christians claim that Jesus is “the Way,” the presumption is that all other religions are 100% false and Christianity is 100% true. This is a mistake.
All religions have truth in them. For example, just about every religion teaches very similar practices when it comes to right living and good moral behavior, such as being honest, having courage, being faithful and loyal, or to learn patience and develop self-discipline, things like that. All religions also teach that people should regularly practice a form of Spiritual Discipline, things like praying, fasting and meditating. So, in this sense Christianity is no different than most other religions.
In fact, this would be true on the negative side as well. That is, all religions, including Christianity, can become stale, legalistic, and rigid with regard to their relics and their traditional practices, and become out of step and out of touch with the issues and challenges of a modern contemporary society. So, not only do all religions have truth, all religions can also cause a great deal of misunderstanding and confusion among its followers. This is also true with Christianity.
So, what IS unique about Christianity? The uniqueness of Christianity is in the Person of Jesus. The person of Jesus is the dividing point between Christianity and all other religions. Jesus is unique in the history of humanity—who He is, what he did, and… more. Jesus is received and experienced as unique among all human beings. Jesus stands out as a one-of-a-kind figure in human history. There is no other like Him, ever. He was born special. He lived uniquely. He died. But most significantly and extraordinarily important of all, eye-witnesses claim that He Is Risen! He did not stay dead, as all other humans who have ever lived on the face of this earth have.
So, it is not the religion of Christianity as such that is special or unique. It is the Person, Jesus who is special and unique. Christians believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures, the unique and specially Holy Anointed One of God. Jesus the Christ is what is uniquely special about Christianity: Jesus, the Living Resurrected Lord, and as such, the unique bridge between humanity and God.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Questions of Faith: What We Believe & Why? Question Two… If God is Good, Why Do We Suffer So?
If there is a God and God is good, kind, merciful, and loving, why does God allow humans to suffer so—sickness and ill health, poverty, hunger and thirst, crippling deformities, and finally, death and dying? It’s that age old question, “why do bad things happen to good people”?
Simplistically speaking, there are two quick possible answers to this question: one answer is to conclude that God is actually not all that good. We might call God unreliable, fickle, inconsistent, even unfair; the point being is that we could say that God is good one moment and unfair, mean spirited, and careless or uncaring the next. This would be a ready explanation as to why some seem to suffer terribly and others seem to have a great time in life with no rhyme or reason as to just desserts or fair-play involved.
Or, another answer is to say that God is limited in power and ability. That is, we can conclude that God IS a good God but is unable to prevent bad things from happening for lack of absolute power. This answer presumes that God is up against an equal but opposing force to His goodness. Sometimes God wins (Goodness triumphs) but sadly sometimes the opposing force wins (Evil triumphs). It’s just the way it is.
In effect, the whole Biblical narrative is an attempt to answer this question, why we suffer, why do bad things happen to us, etc. And Biblically speaking, neither of the above two answers are acceptable. For Biblical Revelation makes it very clear that God IS indeed a very good God and is ALL powerful as well. So, why DO we suffer?
We blame God. We hold God responsible. We accuse God of being this and that, and everything else, unreliable, untrustworthy, inconsistent, fickle, cruel, mean, abusive, hard-hearted, cold, distant, and uncaring. But that’s US! Not God. We humans are the problem. We are the selfish ones. We are the haters. We are the cruel, spiteful, in-your-face, ego-centric, proud and arrogant, torturing war-mongers, and doers of evil in this world.
God is love. God is good. God is kind, merciful, and gracious. God is patient and longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, says the Bible.
It’s called Free-Will. And the human raced has chosen against the goodness of God. Without choice there is no free-will. And without free-will we cannot be authentically human. We are fallen. Our character is tainted. We are in rebellion. We are effectively waging war against God. And we are suffering for it. This is the Biblical explanation.
But God is merciful and gracious, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). And for this, God sent a Savior (yes, the meaning of the Christmas story), that we might be saved from ourselves, saved from the end result of our rebellion against God—which is judgment and final condemnation. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“Sinners,” a word fast becoming outdated and meaningless in common speech, ignored at best, laughed-at or ridiculed at worst. But that’s what we are, who we are. And it is why we suffer. It is also why we need a Redeemer, a Savior.
The contrast is striking. God’s patient, enduring, and longsuffering compassion toward “sinners” is profound. God chooses not to destroy us in righteous indignation but to provide a means of escape. This is God’s mercy at work, the provision of grace—the provision of undeserving love and salvation to a rebellious and recalcitrant people—to us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
So, the next time you experience a deep loss or undergo much sorrow and grief, turn toward God, not away from Him. He is a God of comfort and compassion. God is love. And He promises that soon, one day, he will wipe away every tear and all sorrows. Until then, trust Him and believe. God cares. The proof is in the Person, Jesus, who is called the Christ/Messiah.
Simplistically speaking, there are two quick possible answers to this question: one answer is to conclude that God is actually not all that good. We might call God unreliable, fickle, inconsistent, even unfair; the point being is that we could say that God is good one moment and unfair, mean spirited, and careless or uncaring the next. This would be a ready explanation as to why some seem to suffer terribly and others seem to have a great time in life with no rhyme or reason as to just desserts or fair-play involved.
Or, another answer is to say that God is limited in power and ability. That is, we can conclude that God IS a good God but is unable to prevent bad things from happening for lack of absolute power. This answer presumes that God is up against an equal but opposing force to His goodness. Sometimes God wins (Goodness triumphs) but sadly sometimes the opposing force wins (Evil triumphs). It’s just the way it is.
In effect, the whole Biblical narrative is an attempt to answer this question, why we suffer, why do bad things happen to us, etc. And Biblically speaking, neither of the above two answers are acceptable. For Biblical Revelation makes it very clear that God IS indeed a very good God and is ALL powerful as well. So, why DO we suffer?
We blame God. We hold God responsible. We accuse God of being this and that, and everything else, unreliable, untrustworthy, inconsistent, fickle, cruel, mean, abusive, hard-hearted, cold, distant, and uncaring. But that’s US! Not God. We humans are the problem. We are the selfish ones. We are the haters. We are the cruel, spiteful, in-your-face, ego-centric, proud and arrogant, torturing war-mongers, and doers of evil in this world.
God is love. God is good. God is kind, merciful, and gracious. God is patient and longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, says the Bible.
It’s called Free-Will. And the human raced has chosen against the goodness of God. Without choice there is no free-will. And without free-will we cannot be authentically human. We are fallen. Our character is tainted. We are in rebellion. We are effectively waging war against God. And we are suffering for it. This is the Biblical explanation.
But God is merciful and gracious, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). And for this, God sent a Savior (yes, the meaning of the Christmas story), that we might be saved from ourselves, saved from the end result of our rebellion against God—which is judgment and final condemnation. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“Sinners,” a word fast becoming outdated and meaningless in common speech, ignored at best, laughed-at or ridiculed at worst. But that’s what we are, who we are. And it is why we suffer. It is also why we need a Redeemer, a Savior.
The contrast is striking. God’s patient, enduring, and longsuffering compassion toward “sinners” is profound. God chooses not to destroy us in righteous indignation but to provide a means of escape. This is God’s mercy at work, the provision of grace—the provision of undeserving love and salvation to a rebellious and recalcitrant people—to us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
So, the next time you experience a deep loss or undergo much sorrow and grief, turn toward God, not away from Him. He is a God of comfort and compassion. God is love. And He promises that soon, one day, he will wipe away every tear and all sorrows. Until then, trust Him and believe. God cares. The proof is in the Person, Jesus, who is called the Christ/Messiah.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Questions of Faith: What We Believe & Why? First Question… Why believe in a God at all?
Our scientific knowledge continues to expand. We are learning great things about the universe, the stuff it’s made of, and how it works, even possibly how it all started, which the Big Bang Theory and Evolution teaches us. So isn’t belief in God childish at best, like believing in a Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny?
Yes, Science teaches us a lot. Science is good, informative, useful, and makes us smarter about the world and the universe that we live in. Thanks to science we enjoy all the hi-tech gadgets and gizmos that make our life easier (or more challenging as the case may be). However, Science in and of itself can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God. That is, the Scientific Method cannot be used to determine whether or not there is a God. Therefore, strictly speaking, asking whether or not God exists is NOT a scientific question, nor can science answer such a question.
Secondly, the belief or non-belief in the existence of God is also not a matter of intelligence or a question of having or not having a higher education. Some of the greatest minds and best educated individuals in the history of humanity have held a deeply committed faith in God. Thus, NOT to believe in God’s existence does not necessarily make one smarter and does not mean that one is more highly educated. Indeed, there are many modern day scientists who believe in God and continue to make excellent scientists.
But, since the existence of God cannot be proven scientifically, one way or the other, the question can still be asked: why should one believe in God as opposed to not believe, or why not be an agnostic (which means one who believes that “God’s existence” remains unknown and is unknowable)?
Well, now it comes down to initiative, and personal, experiential, historical evidence or accounting. By “initiative” I mean this: if God does exist then it’s clear that the initiative must come from God Himself to make His existence known to us humans. Why? Because by definition the God-ness of God puts God beyond our ability or capacity to directly know God or realize God on own terms or in our own power. God must stoop to our level in order to “connect” with us. That is, God must take the first step and reveal Himself to us. (Note: I use the pronouns, “He, Him, His, and Himself” as a matter of convenience; for the truth is that God is not simply the equivalent of a human male, as if “He” literally means “the man upstairs”).
So, being that the only way we can possibly know that God does exist is for God Himself to reveal Himself to us, we are dependent on His Revelation. And here is why Christians believe that there IS a God. Christians believe that God has and does reveal God’s Self to us and that there is an abundance of personal testimony, eye-witnesses, personal experience, and historical evidence for this. So, from the Christian perspective, given that God has pro-actively revealed Himself to us, there is no place for agnosticism. We believe that God has “contacted” and “connected” with humanity.
Furthermore, undergirding the principle of “Revelation” is the premise that God is a Living Sentient Being. That is to say that God is NOT simply an Impersonal Force in the Universe—as if God were merely part of, and one with—the essential energy and substance of the Universe. So, by “Sentient Being,” I mean this: God is Self-Aware. God has personality. God knows and understands. God has a will, which is to say that God acts with purpose and intent. God feels things, or to put it in human language, God has a heart. And, God makes choices. So we are dealing with a Person, not a thing or a force like some kind of mindless power or energy force.
So, when God chooses to make God’s Presence known to humanity, we call it Revelation. Christians believe that God has in fact actually revealed Himself to us and that the story or account of how and when God has revealed Himself to us is what the Biblical record is all about. Summarily, the bottom line for Christians is this: Jesus Christ is the supreme Revelation of God’s Existence and of God’s Presence in the life of humanity. So, in a nutshell, Christians believe that we are not alone in the Universe. We confidently believe that there is in fact a God out there.
Lastly, consider the opposite option. If there is no God, then all that exists merely exists by chance or by accident, which is to say that our existence, my life and your life, has no purpose, no plan, and no reason behind it. Life is what it is because things fell together that way, a mere chance happenstance. And, if there is no Creator and our lives have no personal intent, then everything that we experience, everything that we think or do or feel is also a chance accident of the Universe with no rhyme or reason to it. Without God, nothing has any meaning or purpose. In that case, even my writing and your reading of this blog has no real meaning or purpose to it, other than it happens to be a mere extension of our accidental existence.
Yes, Science teaches us a lot. Science is good, informative, useful, and makes us smarter about the world and the universe that we live in. Thanks to science we enjoy all the hi-tech gadgets and gizmos that make our life easier (or more challenging as the case may be). However, Science in and of itself can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God. That is, the Scientific Method cannot be used to determine whether or not there is a God. Therefore, strictly speaking, asking whether or not God exists is NOT a scientific question, nor can science answer such a question.
Secondly, the belief or non-belief in the existence of God is also not a matter of intelligence or a question of having or not having a higher education. Some of the greatest minds and best educated individuals in the history of humanity have held a deeply committed faith in God. Thus, NOT to believe in God’s existence does not necessarily make one smarter and does not mean that one is more highly educated. Indeed, there are many modern day scientists who believe in God and continue to make excellent scientists.
But, since the existence of God cannot be proven scientifically, one way or the other, the question can still be asked: why should one believe in God as opposed to not believe, or why not be an agnostic (which means one who believes that “God’s existence” remains unknown and is unknowable)?
Well, now it comes down to initiative, and personal, experiential, historical evidence or accounting. By “initiative” I mean this: if God does exist then it’s clear that the initiative must come from God Himself to make His existence known to us humans. Why? Because by definition the God-ness of God puts God beyond our ability or capacity to directly know God or realize God on own terms or in our own power. God must stoop to our level in order to “connect” with us. That is, God must take the first step and reveal Himself to us. (Note: I use the pronouns, “He, Him, His, and Himself” as a matter of convenience; for the truth is that God is not simply the equivalent of a human male, as if “He” literally means “the man upstairs”).
So, being that the only way we can possibly know that God does exist is for God Himself to reveal Himself to us, we are dependent on His Revelation. And here is why Christians believe that there IS a God. Christians believe that God has and does reveal God’s Self to us and that there is an abundance of personal testimony, eye-witnesses, personal experience, and historical evidence for this. So, from the Christian perspective, given that God has pro-actively revealed Himself to us, there is no place for agnosticism. We believe that God has “contacted” and “connected” with humanity.
Furthermore, undergirding the principle of “Revelation” is the premise that God is a Living Sentient Being. That is to say that God is NOT simply an Impersonal Force in the Universe—as if God were merely part of, and one with—the essential energy and substance of the Universe. So, by “Sentient Being,” I mean this: God is Self-Aware. God has personality. God knows and understands. God has a will, which is to say that God acts with purpose and intent. God feels things, or to put it in human language, God has a heart. And, God makes choices. So we are dealing with a Person, not a thing or a force like some kind of mindless power or energy force.
So, when God chooses to make God’s Presence known to humanity, we call it Revelation. Christians believe that God has in fact actually revealed Himself to us and that the story or account of how and when God has revealed Himself to us is what the Biblical record is all about. Summarily, the bottom line for Christians is this: Jesus Christ is the supreme Revelation of God’s Existence and of God’s Presence in the life of humanity. So, in a nutshell, Christians believe that we are not alone in the Universe. We confidently believe that there is in fact a God out there.
Lastly, consider the opposite option. If there is no God, then all that exists merely exists by chance or by accident, which is to say that our existence, my life and your life, has no purpose, no plan, and no reason behind it. Life is what it is because things fell together that way, a mere chance happenstance. And, if there is no Creator and our lives have no personal intent, then everything that we experience, everything that we think or do or feel is also a chance accident of the Universe with no rhyme or reason to it. Without God, nothing has any meaning or purpose. In that case, even my writing and your reading of this blog has no real meaning or purpose to it, other than it happens to be a mere extension of our accidental existence.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Why This Beautiful Ugly Depressing World Needs Christmas Hope
What a Wonderful World!
Know that song? It’s a hit song by the late great jazz artist, Louis Armstrong: I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world….
But is it? The world, I mean. Is it really all that wonderful? After hearing the song by Louis Armstrong, we’re convinced that it is.
This world is bad. That should be the title for another song. Maybe it already is. I don’t know. What I do know is that, as beautiful as this world is, there is also a lot of pain and suffering going on in the world. Those of you without a job know what I’m talking about. Anyone with loved ones battling cancer and other life threatening illnesses, know what I’m talking about. Those going through painful divorces or have lost close loved ones or have sad broken relationships with parent or child or sibling or significant other, know what I’m talking about. Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen…words to another song, a Gospel song. Life is hard. This has been known since the beginning of time.
Life is hard not only because of broken relationships or life threatening diseases. It’s hard because we must survive the harsh realities of nature. We are vulnerable. We have basic necessities: food, water, and shelter, to begin with. However, except maybe for the homeless person, our high-tech modern city lifestyle has removed us several steps from the immediate challenge of survival, challenges that our ancestors dealt with daily in order to survive: If the men didn’t hunt, there would be no dinner, if the women didn’t carry buckets from the well or stream, there’d be no water. If the children didn’t milk the cows, till the ground, gather wild berries, there’d be no milk, no fruits and vegetables.
Living in the cities as most of us now do, we’ve forgotten our dependency on Mother Nature. Few of us have a clue as to how to survive in the wilderness. We have supermarkets and warehouses, locomotives and tractor-trailers that supply us. We don’t think of nature. We don’t think of nature’s cycles. We don’t think of the earth’s thin crust or the sky’s thin ozone layer or the interconnectedness between trees, plants, water, weather, climate, and life sustainability. We should. It’s a matter of survival. Mother Nature can be very harsh and unforgiving at times; we must nurture nature, take care of what she gives us.
Silly humans we are. We are our worst enemies. We cut off our nose to spite our face. We will ruin this earth. We have and we are. For example, global warming is a reality and its prognosis is not good. Yet the international community, including the U.S., can’t agree on a collective and unified approach to protect us from its inevitable consequences. We see our water-wells closed and sealed-off, wherever there is heavy duty fracking and drilling going-on, and we call it a financial boon for the economy. We see industrial pollution of our air and water ways leading to global warming and we call it a natural cycle of nature. We see the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and we call it Fair Trade.
We humans can be cruel and unjust. We are greedy and selfish. We are quick to fight and kill. We are haughty and presumptuous. We are short-sighted, self-destructive, and indulgent. We can be mean, insensitive, uncaring, cold-hearted, and belligerent. To be bad is cool. To be cold and hard is hot. To succeed at the expense of others is smart. To win by beating others down is admirable.
This is why we need Christmas.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son. And they shall call his name Immanuel, which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
We need a Savior.
“Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
This Christmas season think of the contrast. All the pain and suffering, all the heart-ache and agony, the loneliness and sorrow, and ask, where is God.
God’s answer is Jesus: I AM the bread of life. I AM the light. I AM the Good Shepherd. I AM the resurrection and the Life. I AM the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was born, lived, died, was raised from the dead.
Someday there will be an accounting and all will answer to God. We will finally have what we’ve so longed for, a world without war, a world of peace, justice, righteousness, and glory.
Until then, keep the faith, turn to Jesus, and hold on to His promise.
Jesus Saves!
Know that song? It’s a hit song by the late great jazz artist, Louis Armstrong: I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world….
But is it? The world, I mean. Is it really all that wonderful? After hearing the song by Louis Armstrong, we’re convinced that it is.
This world is bad. That should be the title for another song. Maybe it already is. I don’t know. What I do know is that, as beautiful as this world is, there is also a lot of pain and suffering going on in the world. Those of you without a job know what I’m talking about. Anyone with loved ones battling cancer and other life threatening illnesses, know what I’m talking about. Those going through painful divorces or have lost close loved ones or have sad broken relationships with parent or child or sibling or significant other, know what I’m talking about. Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen…words to another song, a Gospel song. Life is hard. This has been known since the beginning of time.
Life is hard not only because of broken relationships or life threatening diseases. It’s hard because we must survive the harsh realities of nature. We are vulnerable. We have basic necessities: food, water, and shelter, to begin with. However, except maybe for the homeless person, our high-tech modern city lifestyle has removed us several steps from the immediate challenge of survival, challenges that our ancestors dealt with daily in order to survive: If the men didn’t hunt, there would be no dinner, if the women didn’t carry buckets from the well or stream, there’d be no water. If the children didn’t milk the cows, till the ground, gather wild berries, there’d be no milk, no fruits and vegetables.
Living in the cities as most of us now do, we’ve forgotten our dependency on Mother Nature. Few of us have a clue as to how to survive in the wilderness. We have supermarkets and warehouses, locomotives and tractor-trailers that supply us. We don’t think of nature. We don’t think of nature’s cycles. We don’t think of the earth’s thin crust or the sky’s thin ozone layer or the interconnectedness between trees, plants, water, weather, climate, and life sustainability. We should. It’s a matter of survival. Mother Nature can be very harsh and unforgiving at times; we must nurture nature, take care of what she gives us.
Silly humans we are. We are our worst enemies. We cut off our nose to spite our face. We will ruin this earth. We have and we are. For example, global warming is a reality and its prognosis is not good. Yet the international community, including the U.S., can’t agree on a collective and unified approach to protect us from its inevitable consequences. We see our water-wells closed and sealed-off, wherever there is heavy duty fracking and drilling going-on, and we call it a financial boon for the economy. We see industrial pollution of our air and water ways leading to global warming and we call it a natural cycle of nature. We see the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and we call it Fair Trade.
We humans can be cruel and unjust. We are greedy and selfish. We are quick to fight and kill. We are haughty and presumptuous. We are short-sighted, self-destructive, and indulgent. We can be mean, insensitive, uncaring, cold-hearted, and belligerent. To be bad is cool. To be cold and hard is hot. To succeed at the expense of others is smart. To win by beating others down is admirable.
This is why we need Christmas.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son. And they shall call his name Immanuel, which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
We need a Savior.
“Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
This Christmas season think of the contrast. All the pain and suffering, all the heart-ache and agony, the loneliness and sorrow, and ask, where is God.
God’s answer is Jesus: I AM the bread of life. I AM the light. I AM the Good Shepherd. I AM the resurrection and the Life. I AM the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was born, lived, died, was raised from the dead.
Someday there will be an accounting and all will answer to God. We will finally have what we’ve so longed for, a world without war, a world of peace, justice, righteousness, and glory.
Until then, keep the faith, turn to Jesus, and hold on to His promise.
Jesus Saves!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Home for the Holidays: Blessing or Curse?
The Holidays are here. That means family gatherings. Whoopi! …NOT!!
Okay, not so fun for some. Why? Family gatherings can be challenging even painful at times, that’s why.
THE FAMILY: a blessing for many and for many a curse. We have no choice in the matter. We neither choose our parents nor our siblings, not mention those strange extended family relations. We’re stuck. Good bad or indifferent we get what we get.
If we like our family and have warm, cozy, loving family relations all the way around, there’s no problem. But who has a perfect family? No one, that’s who, ALL families have their fair share of dysfunctions.
How best to deal with them, especially during the Holidays?
The following may be of some help. These principles may not resolve, solve, or dissolve family conflicts. Nevertheless, applying them in your own life may be a step in the right direction.
Principle #1: Try changing yourself not others. The only real person within your power to change is your Self. It’s a recipe for disaster to force or cajole others to change. (We’re talking about adult relations here; parents who are still nurturing and raising children have a different set of dynamic principles they need to work with). Thus, in any family dynamic where you wish so-and-so was different, a better more likeable or pleasant kind of person to be with or live with, begin by asking your Self, “How do I need to change, if I am going to bring a more positive dynamic to this challenging relationship?”
Principle #2: Be penetratingly and painstakingly honest first with your Self. We are quick to reveal the flaws we see in others. Quick to boldly point out their blind spots: “You see, you see what I mean! Do you see how you are?!” We tell them off, let them have it, harsh penetrating truth that cuts them to the quick about their weaknesses, their faults and failures, their shortcomings. But we are just as quick to gloss over any truth about ourselves. Take personal inventory before your family gathering. Be brutally honest. Ask yourself: What are you feeling and why? Why are you angry, upset, or hurt? Understand your real motives, your purpose and desire for this particular family member that grates on you so much. Be true to your Self. You will then be able to be true to others. In turn they will learn to appreciate your authenticity. When there is a lack of authenticity, tensions are raised and a huge amount of unnecessary energy is expended when family members have to second-guess and ask themselves “what did you really mean by what you just said.”
Principle#3: Respect yourself as well as the other person by setting appropriate personal boundaries. Respect means don’t go on the attack. Don’t speak down, nag, compare, put down, or belittle the other and don’t allow it (as much as is possible) to happen to you. Don’t say things like, “Why can’t you be more like your brother [or sister, mom, dad, cousin, nephew; you get the idea.]?” Do not nag: “you shouldn’t…, you ought to…, why don’t you…, when are you going to…?” These are boundary crossers that go on the attack and show little respect for the person hearing them. Avoid controlling, manipulating or commanding tones and behavior towards others. This also is evidence of disrespect for the recipient of your controlling, commanding attitude, a source of much resentment in family dynamics. If you are tempted to do this, remember the first two principles above.
Principle #4: Don’t get defensive; rather, become more teach-able and receptive to honest critique or feedback. This is helpful for applying the second principle. Others are always able to see our flaws more clearly and more penetratingly then we ourselves are. We all have personal blinds pots, blinders that somehow keep us from seeing ourselves the way others see us or experience us. For example, we can be pouty and petty and never notice until someone—who hopefully really cares for us—kindly and lovingly shows us as much. If we are to grow out of such childish and unbecoming behavior, we must first be willing to see it and hear it by allowing someone to hold up that reflective mirror that shows us exactly how we’ve been acting.
Principle #5 is so well known and so often said in personal self-help contexts that it has become a cliché. Nevertheless, its truth is still powerful when conscientiously applied: Accept the things that you cannot change; change the things that are within your power to change, and ask God to give you the wisdom to know the difference.
Finally, turn to God. Ask for His grace and mercy to give you the wisdom, strength, love, kindness, and compassion that you need to endure, live with, overcome, and deal with the family given you. They are not perfect. But neither are you. So by all means, avoid self-righteous attitudes toward those family members whom you deem less worthy: judge not less you too be judged. After all, it was Jesus Himself who said, “Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.”
Okay, not so fun for some. Why? Family gatherings can be challenging even painful at times, that’s why.
THE FAMILY: a blessing for many and for many a curse. We have no choice in the matter. We neither choose our parents nor our siblings, not mention those strange extended family relations. We’re stuck. Good bad or indifferent we get what we get.
If we like our family and have warm, cozy, loving family relations all the way around, there’s no problem. But who has a perfect family? No one, that’s who, ALL families have their fair share of dysfunctions.
How best to deal with them, especially during the Holidays?
The following may be of some help. These principles may not resolve, solve, or dissolve family conflicts. Nevertheless, applying them in your own life may be a step in the right direction.
Principle #1: Try changing yourself not others. The only real person within your power to change is your Self. It’s a recipe for disaster to force or cajole others to change. (We’re talking about adult relations here; parents who are still nurturing and raising children have a different set of dynamic principles they need to work with). Thus, in any family dynamic where you wish so-and-so was different, a better more likeable or pleasant kind of person to be with or live with, begin by asking your Self, “How do I need to change, if I am going to bring a more positive dynamic to this challenging relationship?”
Principle #2: Be penetratingly and painstakingly honest first with your Self. We are quick to reveal the flaws we see in others. Quick to boldly point out their blind spots: “You see, you see what I mean! Do you see how you are?!” We tell them off, let them have it, harsh penetrating truth that cuts them to the quick about their weaknesses, their faults and failures, their shortcomings. But we are just as quick to gloss over any truth about ourselves. Take personal inventory before your family gathering. Be brutally honest. Ask yourself: What are you feeling and why? Why are you angry, upset, or hurt? Understand your real motives, your purpose and desire for this particular family member that grates on you so much. Be true to your Self. You will then be able to be true to others. In turn they will learn to appreciate your authenticity. When there is a lack of authenticity, tensions are raised and a huge amount of unnecessary energy is expended when family members have to second-guess and ask themselves “what did you really mean by what you just said.”
Principle#3: Respect yourself as well as the other person by setting appropriate personal boundaries. Respect means don’t go on the attack. Don’t speak down, nag, compare, put down, or belittle the other and don’t allow it (as much as is possible) to happen to you. Don’t say things like, “Why can’t you be more like your brother [or sister, mom, dad, cousin, nephew; you get the idea.]?” Do not nag: “you shouldn’t…, you ought to…, why don’t you…, when are you going to…?” These are boundary crossers that go on the attack and show little respect for the person hearing them. Avoid controlling, manipulating or commanding tones and behavior towards others. This also is evidence of disrespect for the recipient of your controlling, commanding attitude, a source of much resentment in family dynamics. If you are tempted to do this, remember the first two principles above.
Principle #4: Don’t get defensive; rather, become more teach-able and receptive to honest critique or feedback. This is helpful for applying the second principle. Others are always able to see our flaws more clearly and more penetratingly then we ourselves are. We all have personal blinds pots, blinders that somehow keep us from seeing ourselves the way others see us or experience us. For example, we can be pouty and petty and never notice until someone—who hopefully really cares for us—kindly and lovingly shows us as much. If we are to grow out of such childish and unbecoming behavior, we must first be willing to see it and hear it by allowing someone to hold up that reflective mirror that shows us exactly how we’ve been acting.
Principle #5 is so well known and so often said in personal self-help contexts that it has become a cliché. Nevertheless, its truth is still powerful when conscientiously applied: Accept the things that you cannot change; change the things that are within your power to change, and ask God to give you the wisdom to know the difference.
Finally, turn to God. Ask for His grace and mercy to give you the wisdom, strength, love, kindness, and compassion that you need to endure, live with, overcome, and deal with the family given you. They are not perfect. But neither are you. So by all means, avoid self-righteous attitudes toward those family members whom you deem less worthy: judge not less you too be judged. After all, it was Jesus Himself who said, “Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.”
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thanksgiving! Who Exactly Are We Thanking?
Ungrateful people are often also unpleasant people. Have you ever noticed this?
On the other hand, people who are thankful and appreciative seem to be happier, kinder, and thus more pleasant to be around. Why?
I suppose it’s because appreciative people realize that, in the end, life is really a gift. For, there is no guarantee as to our life’s longevity or even its quality. As much as we try, we are not the absolute masters of our lives. Things happen and we fall victim to… whatever, things beyond our control, which is to say that we owe someone more powerful than ourselves a hardy “Thank you” when life is good—that unexpected goodness that comes by surprise and truly beyond our ability to have made happen on our own.
Saying “thanks” is simply acknowledging that we owe a debt of gratitude. We are in debt to an act of kindness, a generous gift, provisions supplied that could not have come of our own doing and were perhaps even underserved. And for this we are grateful.
At the heart of gratitude is the recognition of a kind of dependency or needfulness. For example, we need someone’s help or require the service of another; we have support, receive an act of kindness, a generous gift that made our life better, easier, or enabled us to move up and forward to better things. We need the presence of others in our life, and most certainly the love of and acceptance of others. We can’t do everything alone. There are certain things that we can only get by the aid of another. And so, we are grateful for their presence in our lives.
There are the proud and arrogant; the totally self-sufficient types who refuse to recognize their neediness of others. For them it is a weakness ever to admit such a thing. It’s almost as if they’d rather die than to call for help and admit, “I need you. And I am much obliged, grateful for your kind help.” But most of us realize that such an attitude is nothing more than hard-headed foolishness.
And so there is no shame in giving rightful thanks to God.
Oh Yes. I know. There are a lot of bad things going on in this world and some are hard pressed to find anything, ANY thing to be thankful about. So why thank God?
Because, the bad things that happen in life actually serve to accentuate a deeper reality concerning our human condition: we are vulnerable, needful, dependent creatures. We need God. And, as such, we need to trust God and be grateful. We owe God our gratitude.
The alternative is bleak: without God we are essentially on our own. Without God, gratitude is nonsense. To whom would we be giving thanks for what we have, who we are, the life we live—the universe, the sun, the stars, Mother Nature, Cosmic Dust, Ourselves? Inanimate objects, the sun moon stars, etc., wouldn't give a twit about our gratitude. So what about ourselves, what would we be thanking ourselves for? “Cheers! We’ve given ourselves Life! Look what we’ve accomplished. We did it! We’ve made it! By our strength and our wits we live. We will conquer the universe.” I think not. That kind of strident arrogance is what gets us into trouble. It was the arrogance of the Nazi’s in WWII and that of every other ugly oppressive empire in human history, past or present.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shifting shadows,” says St. James (James 1:17).
This Thanksgiving Season, if you are thankful for friends and family and appreciate all you have. Don’t forget to also turn your heart toward God. God is gracious. God is good. By God’s mercy and by God’s grace are we given life, ability, and love.
Psalm 106:1-5
“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.”
On the other hand, people who are thankful and appreciative seem to be happier, kinder, and thus more pleasant to be around. Why?
I suppose it’s because appreciative people realize that, in the end, life is really a gift. For, there is no guarantee as to our life’s longevity or even its quality. As much as we try, we are not the absolute masters of our lives. Things happen and we fall victim to… whatever, things beyond our control, which is to say that we owe someone more powerful than ourselves a hardy “Thank you” when life is good—that unexpected goodness that comes by surprise and truly beyond our ability to have made happen on our own.
Saying “thanks” is simply acknowledging that we owe a debt of gratitude. We are in debt to an act of kindness, a generous gift, provisions supplied that could not have come of our own doing and were perhaps even underserved. And for this we are grateful.
At the heart of gratitude is the recognition of a kind of dependency or needfulness. For example, we need someone’s help or require the service of another; we have support, receive an act of kindness, a generous gift that made our life better, easier, or enabled us to move up and forward to better things. We need the presence of others in our life, and most certainly the love of and acceptance of others. We can’t do everything alone. There are certain things that we can only get by the aid of another. And so, we are grateful for their presence in our lives.
There are the proud and arrogant; the totally self-sufficient types who refuse to recognize their neediness of others. For them it is a weakness ever to admit such a thing. It’s almost as if they’d rather die than to call for help and admit, “I need you. And I am much obliged, grateful for your kind help.” But most of us realize that such an attitude is nothing more than hard-headed foolishness.
And so there is no shame in giving rightful thanks to God.
Oh Yes. I know. There are a lot of bad things going on in this world and some are hard pressed to find anything, ANY thing to be thankful about. So why thank God?
Because, the bad things that happen in life actually serve to accentuate a deeper reality concerning our human condition: we are vulnerable, needful, dependent creatures. We need God. And, as such, we need to trust God and be grateful. We owe God our gratitude.
The alternative is bleak: without God we are essentially on our own. Without God, gratitude is nonsense. To whom would we be giving thanks for what we have, who we are, the life we live—the universe, the sun, the stars, Mother Nature, Cosmic Dust, Ourselves? Inanimate objects, the sun moon stars, etc., wouldn't give a twit about our gratitude. So what about ourselves, what would we be thanking ourselves for? “Cheers! We’ve given ourselves Life! Look what we’ve accomplished. We did it! We’ve made it! By our strength and our wits we live. We will conquer the universe.” I think not. That kind of strident arrogance is what gets us into trouble. It was the arrogance of the Nazi’s in WWII and that of every other ugly oppressive empire in human history, past or present.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shifting shadows,” says St. James (James 1:17).
This Thanksgiving Season, if you are thankful for friends and family and appreciate all you have. Don’t forget to also turn your heart toward God. God is gracious. God is good. By God’s mercy and by God’s grace are we given life, ability, and love.
Psalm 106:1-5
“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.”
Monday, November 14, 2011
Oil Companies Using Military Tactics against US
Have you heard? Here in Pennsylvania, Gas/Oil companies that are engaged in Fracking are advocating the use of Military Psychological Warfare Tactics as a way of warding off unwanted critique and avoiding having to face the hard questions that solid honest and open accountability would demand of them. These tactics were discussed or alluded to during a conference entitled, “Media & Stakeholder Relations: Hydraulic Fracturing Initiative 2011” held in Houston, TX.
What? Is this true? Please Explain! You should say. And, yes, I’ll be happy to.
(1) First a lesson on “PSYOPs”: This is military lingo for Psychological Warfare used by the military which is designed to influence the perceptions and attitudes of individuals and/or groups as well as governments in foreign affairs. Literally it’s short for “psychological operation” = Psy-Op, hence PSYOPs”
(2) Here is a quote taken from Matt Pitzarella who is the Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Ranger Resources: “We have several former PSYOPs folks that work for us at Range [a gas & oil fracking company] because they’re very comfortable in dealing with localized issues and local governments. Really all they do is spend most of their time helping folks develop local ordinances and things like that. But very much having that understanding of PSYOPs in the Army and in the Middle East has applied very helpfully here for us in Pennsylvania.”
Please note these two sentences again (to repeat & emphasize): “We have several former PSYOPs folks that work for us at Range….” And “But very much having that understanding of PSYOPs in the Army and in the Middle East has applied very helpfully here for us in Pennsylvania.”
(3) Pennsylvanians are being subject to PSYOPs, psychological warfare, by the gas/oil fracking industry!
Why?
This industry does not want to be held accountable. They want to get what they want without being responsible for any ill side-effects from its business. They want nothing to do with openness and transparency. They want to block out any open and honest discussion about their methods and actions. They hope to silence voices that raise serious concerns. And they hope to keep the “civilian” population (the average Pennsylvania voter) in the dark as regarding serious questions and concerns about any negative consequences arising from the fracking method. The whole industry is pushing for a free reign in this whole area of getting gas and oil out of the Marcellus Shale. Thus, they view the average Pennsylvanian as “the enemy” who need to be psychologically managed and controlled, less we ruin their plans. Hence, their use of PSYOPs! At least, that’s my take on the whole thing.
What does this say about this particular industry’s character? What does it say about their business integrity? What does it say about their attitude toward, let’s say, giving back to the community? What does it tell us about how much we know and how much we should really know and need to know for our own protection? Why do they fear us knowing the real truth, facts and figures about what they are doing, such that they must stoop to Psychological Warfare against us?
Did you also know that the use of PSYOPs, psychological warfare, on U.S. citizens is technically illegal? So how is it that they are getting away with this? And finally, what are we going to do about it?
For further info see: www.desmogblog.com and www.sourcewatch.org.
What? Is this true? Please Explain! You should say. And, yes, I’ll be happy to.
(1) First a lesson on “PSYOPs”: This is military lingo for Psychological Warfare used by the military which is designed to influence the perceptions and attitudes of individuals and/or groups as well as governments in foreign affairs. Literally it’s short for “psychological operation” = Psy-Op, hence PSYOPs”
(2) Here is a quote taken from Matt Pitzarella who is the Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Ranger Resources: “We have several former PSYOPs folks that work for us at Range [a gas & oil fracking company] because they’re very comfortable in dealing with localized issues and local governments. Really all they do is spend most of their time helping folks develop local ordinances and things like that. But very much having that understanding of PSYOPs in the Army and in the Middle East has applied very helpfully here for us in Pennsylvania.”
Please note these two sentences again (to repeat & emphasize): “We have several former PSYOPs folks that work for us at Range….” And “But very much having that understanding of PSYOPs in the Army and in the Middle East has applied very helpfully here for us in Pennsylvania.”
(3) Pennsylvanians are being subject to PSYOPs, psychological warfare, by the gas/oil fracking industry!
Why?
This industry does not want to be held accountable. They want to get what they want without being responsible for any ill side-effects from its business. They want nothing to do with openness and transparency. They want to block out any open and honest discussion about their methods and actions. They hope to silence voices that raise serious concerns. And they hope to keep the “civilian” population (the average Pennsylvania voter) in the dark as regarding serious questions and concerns about any negative consequences arising from the fracking method. The whole industry is pushing for a free reign in this whole area of getting gas and oil out of the Marcellus Shale. Thus, they view the average Pennsylvanian as “the enemy” who need to be psychologically managed and controlled, less we ruin their plans. Hence, their use of PSYOPs! At least, that’s my take on the whole thing.
What does this say about this particular industry’s character? What does it say about their business integrity? What does it say about their attitude toward, let’s say, giving back to the community? What does it tell us about how much we know and how much we should really know and need to know for our own protection? Why do they fear us knowing the real truth, facts and figures about what they are doing, such that they must stoop to Psychological Warfare against us?
Did you also know that the use of PSYOPs, psychological warfare, on U.S. citizens is technically illegal? So how is it that they are getting away with this? And finally, what are we going to do about it?
For further info see: www.desmogblog.com and www.sourcewatch.org.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Living within One’s Means and Meaningful Living
Tough economic times always call for tough financial choices. We can no longer afford to have “both/and,” or “all of the above.” It is now “either/or,” or “we just can’t afford it.” What do we choose, what shall we give-up, or with what shall we do without?
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Ever hear that before? No doubt you’ve spoken that little proverbial quip yourself; perhaps you’ve said it to your children. There is good reason for those little proverbial sayings that pop-up in our discourse from time to time. They speak volumes of truth with so few words, an economy of language. And, no doubt, the kids rolled their eyes when they heard it, and without skipping a beat, still pleaded: “I know, I know, but why can’t I have…? Please!!!!!”
It’s been said that in every crisis there is an opportunity, the possibility of a new start, an “A Hah!” teachable moment, leading to development of body, person, and character, or renewed hope and inspiration. What might be the opportunity that our present financial hardship might give to an American family?
Well, this economic downturn might just provide American families the opportunity to measure its worth above and beyond its material assets. Yes of course a family needs the basics, a roof over one’s head, food on the table, clothing to cover the body—especially in the dead of winter. But once a family affords what it needs, all else is fluff, extra; is it not?
That is to say that for many, our economic downturn has really ignited an emotional reaction to our loss of the fluff and not simply to a loss of basic necessities. That is, many can still afford clothes but not the latest styles (second hand stores should be booming). Many can afford food but can no longer eat out any time they please. Many can afford a roof over their head but have lost the chance for their dream house that might have provided each family member with a room of her own along with private bath. The loss of “fluff” may not be all that bad.
Perhaps the lesson for us Americans in the face of this nation’s financial tightening of the belt is to become less spoiled and to go back to the basic principles that made this nation economically strong and stable in the first place: that is, living with gratitude for the things we DO have and not living with regret for the things we have not, accepting hard work as the true means to earning money, buying only what one can afford and not beyond, saving money as earnestly as spending it, and doing work that adds real and substantial value not only to one’s personal family but to the community at large, and finally: managing one’s finances responsibly, conscientiously, and wisely.
Let me make an extreme statement: before our economic downturn, most debt was frivolous and unnecessary. Yes! For example, short of real emergency use, no family should necessarily have been in credit card debt. A mortgage is understandable. Even having a car payment makes sense to most families. But many families are hurting financially now, simply because back then they had to have it and buy it now. They could not, would not wait until they actually had the earned money in hand to pay for it with cash. “We could not say ‘no,’ to this and that, and the other thing. We wanted our cake and eat it too. We used our credit card as if it were free money.” Furthermore, businesses and corporations wanted it that way. We have been a “consumer driven society.” “Consumer driven” means: buy, purchase, and consume—and worry about how to pay for it later.
Instead of “consumer driven” how about becoming a “value driven” society, value as in quality of living by means of building substance to personal-being and interpersonal relationships, valuing and measuring people by their quality-living rather than by their material-assets. For example, we can live off the land in such a way that we give back to the land as well, so that the land is not left devoid of life, stripped of regenerative energy and made incapacitated for reproductive ability. In short, maybe this is a good time to re-think economics altogether and discover a new model for financial sustainability in the 21st century and beyond.
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Ever hear that before? No doubt you’ve spoken that little proverbial quip yourself; perhaps you’ve said it to your children. There is good reason for those little proverbial sayings that pop-up in our discourse from time to time. They speak volumes of truth with so few words, an economy of language. And, no doubt, the kids rolled their eyes when they heard it, and without skipping a beat, still pleaded: “I know, I know, but why can’t I have…? Please!!!!!”
It’s been said that in every crisis there is an opportunity, the possibility of a new start, an “A Hah!” teachable moment, leading to development of body, person, and character, or renewed hope and inspiration. What might be the opportunity that our present financial hardship might give to an American family?
Well, this economic downturn might just provide American families the opportunity to measure its worth above and beyond its material assets. Yes of course a family needs the basics, a roof over one’s head, food on the table, clothing to cover the body—especially in the dead of winter. But once a family affords what it needs, all else is fluff, extra; is it not?
That is to say that for many, our economic downturn has really ignited an emotional reaction to our loss of the fluff and not simply to a loss of basic necessities. That is, many can still afford clothes but not the latest styles (second hand stores should be booming). Many can afford food but can no longer eat out any time they please. Many can afford a roof over their head but have lost the chance for their dream house that might have provided each family member with a room of her own along with private bath. The loss of “fluff” may not be all that bad.
Perhaps the lesson for us Americans in the face of this nation’s financial tightening of the belt is to become less spoiled and to go back to the basic principles that made this nation economically strong and stable in the first place: that is, living with gratitude for the things we DO have and not living with regret for the things we have not, accepting hard work as the true means to earning money, buying only what one can afford and not beyond, saving money as earnestly as spending it, and doing work that adds real and substantial value not only to one’s personal family but to the community at large, and finally: managing one’s finances responsibly, conscientiously, and wisely.
Let me make an extreme statement: before our economic downturn, most debt was frivolous and unnecessary. Yes! For example, short of real emergency use, no family should necessarily have been in credit card debt. A mortgage is understandable. Even having a car payment makes sense to most families. But many families are hurting financially now, simply because back then they had to have it and buy it now. They could not, would not wait until they actually had the earned money in hand to pay for it with cash. “We could not say ‘no,’ to this and that, and the other thing. We wanted our cake and eat it too. We used our credit card as if it were free money.” Furthermore, businesses and corporations wanted it that way. We have been a “consumer driven society.” “Consumer driven” means: buy, purchase, and consume—and worry about how to pay for it later.
Instead of “consumer driven” how about becoming a “value driven” society, value as in quality of living by means of building substance to personal-being and interpersonal relationships, valuing and measuring people by their quality-living rather than by their material-assets. For example, we can live off the land in such a way that we give back to the land as well, so that the land is not left devoid of life, stripped of regenerative energy and made incapacitated for reproductive ability. In short, maybe this is a good time to re-think economics altogether and discover a new model for financial sustainability in the 21st century and beyond.
Monday, October 31, 2011
OWS, World Population of 7 Billion, and other Concerns . . ., I wonder
There are many issues and concerns in the world. I wonder how we will address these issues satisfactorily. For example, we have placed a lot of confidence in our scientific know-how and wherewithal, too much so I think. We assume that our scientific approach to things will discover, invent, create, dig, climb, and build our way out of the mess we’ve made of things. I wonder.
I wonder about fresh clean drinking water and its cost in the future. Desert cities have grown exponentially while our water resources have not. Think of our three big Southwestern desert cities drawing from much of the same water sources: Los Angeles CA, Las Vegas NV, and Phoenix AZ. They keep growing and growing, will they not meet the limits of their water resources at some point? Of course they will. Our world population is now 7 billion and more are coming. I wonder how we are going to feed everyone and quench everyone’s thirst in the long run.
I wonder about our energy resources and our transportation system—yes, I love my car and the freedom it gives me to go wherever I want (or so I think until I drive up against closed bridges due to unrepaired structural weaknesses and bump into detours due to unrepaired roads, not to mention coming to a complete stop due to impassible traffic jams), just how long will the world’s energy resources support our individual driving independence—one car per person—across the globe. Keep in mind that China has over a billion people, not to mention India. I’m sure that all these people would like the same opportunity to own and drive their own vehicle and have several cars per family, as we have in the U.S. Can the earth’s present energy resources sustain all these eager drivers? Not at this rate. I wonder how the world will meet its total energy needs in the future, which only keep increasing—computers, heaters, air-conditioners, electric cars and other digitized electronic energy hungry technologies.
I wonder how new scientific discoveries will get us out of this mess? Will science save us? We assume so, hope so. But we also have the problem of politics getting in the way of science. Just take the question of Global Warming as an example, one political side says that there is no such thing as global warming along with its potential disastrous effects, siting their own scientific gurus; the other political side begs to differ on the basis of scientific studies from a different set of scientists. Who should we believe (by “we,” I mean the common layperson on the street that is neither a politician nor a scientist)? We are turning scientific findings into a kind of commodity. This is not good. Real knowledge, truth, and insight are lost to the highest bidder.
I wonder why we place so much faith in pure Capitalism and therefore become unwilling to critique and correct its flaws. Nothing is perfect, not even our precious capitalistic system. Everything is about business, capital investment, free trade, and economic gain. But when we make policy decisions solely based on what’s good for corporate America and global corporations—with the argument that that’s what creates jobs—we become economically myopic, wearing short-range profiteering blinders that tend to steer us away from making necessary long range investments that may require immediate sacrifice and/or losses. Thus, we do things like support oil drilling methods that may satisfy our thirst for oil in the short run but may also be doing irreparable damage to our precious water supply in the long run.
I wonder about the haves and have-nots, global corporations, the powerful wealthy-few versus the masses who are feeling more and more financially pinched. I wonder about the stability of a world whose economic system seems more and more unjust to the average worker on Main Street, especially when those who make any attempt to suggest improvements are accused of being trouble makers and instigating class warfare just because they ask for a more equitable economic system.
I wonder how our thinking needs to change. For example, it seems to me that we need to think locally as well as nationally and globally respecting social, economic, and energy policies. We also need to think long-term in the face of present day crisis and short-term demands so as not to save a dollar today only to spend a hundred tomorrow (penny wise, pound foolish). We need to think more like a community that is indivisibly interconnected to insure the fair management of and the just distribution of vital resources for the whole—town, city, state, and nation—protecting our communities against the unfair accumulation of precious resources landing in the hands of a few tight-fisted private citizens. We need to think of multiple precious resources at the same time, so as to prevent the damaging of one precious resource while going after another (e.g., the damaging of precious water wells and water ways when drilling for precious natural gas resources). We need to think of just and fair systems, ways and means to satisfy the needs of the many and avoid merely pleasing the selfish interests of a few. We need to think transparency and accountability, think of equitable regulations and just economic and tax laws that neither favor special business interests nor favor private parties and/or personal interests.
I wonder: do we really have what it takes to overcome the world’s challenges? For those readers who believe there is no God, it means that we humans are basically on our own. I have to ask, how are we doing on our own? For those readers who do believe in God, I have to say: It’s no wonder that God promises a new heavens and a new earth, for we’ve certainly made a mess of this one.
I wonder about fresh clean drinking water and its cost in the future. Desert cities have grown exponentially while our water resources have not. Think of our three big Southwestern desert cities drawing from much of the same water sources: Los Angeles CA, Las Vegas NV, and Phoenix AZ. They keep growing and growing, will they not meet the limits of their water resources at some point? Of course they will. Our world population is now 7 billion and more are coming. I wonder how we are going to feed everyone and quench everyone’s thirst in the long run.
I wonder about our energy resources and our transportation system—yes, I love my car and the freedom it gives me to go wherever I want (or so I think until I drive up against closed bridges due to unrepaired structural weaknesses and bump into detours due to unrepaired roads, not to mention coming to a complete stop due to impassible traffic jams), just how long will the world’s energy resources support our individual driving independence—one car per person—across the globe. Keep in mind that China has over a billion people, not to mention India. I’m sure that all these people would like the same opportunity to own and drive their own vehicle and have several cars per family, as we have in the U.S. Can the earth’s present energy resources sustain all these eager drivers? Not at this rate. I wonder how the world will meet its total energy needs in the future, which only keep increasing—computers, heaters, air-conditioners, electric cars and other digitized electronic energy hungry technologies.
I wonder how new scientific discoveries will get us out of this mess? Will science save us? We assume so, hope so. But we also have the problem of politics getting in the way of science. Just take the question of Global Warming as an example, one political side says that there is no such thing as global warming along with its potential disastrous effects, siting their own scientific gurus; the other political side begs to differ on the basis of scientific studies from a different set of scientists. Who should we believe (by “we,” I mean the common layperson on the street that is neither a politician nor a scientist)? We are turning scientific findings into a kind of commodity. This is not good. Real knowledge, truth, and insight are lost to the highest bidder.
I wonder why we place so much faith in pure Capitalism and therefore become unwilling to critique and correct its flaws. Nothing is perfect, not even our precious capitalistic system. Everything is about business, capital investment, free trade, and economic gain. But when we make policy decisions solely based on what’s good for corporate America and global corporations—with the argument that that’s what creates jobs—we become economically myopic, wearing short-range profiteering blinders that tend to steer us away from making necessary long range investments that may require immediate sacrifice and/or losses. Thus, we do things like support oil drilling methods that may satisfy our thirst for oil in the short run but may also be doing irreparable damage to our precious water supply in the long run.
I wonder about the haves and have-nots, global corporations, the powerful wealthy-few versus the masses who are feeling more and more financially pinched. I wonder about the stability of a world whose economic system seems more and more unjust to the average worker on Main Street, especially when those who make any attempt to suggest improvements are accused of being trouble makers and instigating class warfare just because they ask for a more equitable economic system.
I wonder how our thinking needs to change. For example, it seems to me that we need to think locally as well as nationally and globally respecting social, economic, and energy policies. We also need to think long-term in the face of present day crisis and short-term demands so as not to save a dollar today only to spend a hundred tomorrow (penny wise, pound foolish). We need to think more like a community that is indivisibly interconnected to insure the fair management of and the just distribution of vital resources for the whole—town, city, state, and nation—protecting our communities against the unfair accumulation of precious resources landing in the hands of a few tight-fisted private citizens. We need to think of multiple precious resources at the same time, so as to prevent the damaging of one precious resource while going after another (e.g., the damaging of precious water wells and water ways when drilling for precious natural gas resources). We need to think of just and fair systems, ways and means to satisfy the needs of the many and avoid merely pleasing the selfish interests of a few. We need to think transparency and accountability, think of equitable regulations and just economic and tax laws that neither favor special business interests nor favor private parties and/or personal interests.
I wonder: do we really have what it takes to overcome the world’s challenges? For those readers who believe there is no God, it means that we humans are basically on our own. I have to ask, how are we doing on our own? For those readers who do believe in God, I have to say: It’s no wonder that God promises a new heavens and a new earth, for we’ve certainly made a mess of this one.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Our Troops Coming Home from Iraq in December, May we Ask the Tough Questions Now?
Roughly 39,000 troops are in Iraq now. They are pretty much all due to come home by December 31st this year. That is great news!
Our troops were first sent over there in March of 2003, almost nine years ago. Nine years! I have read that since then, 4,482 of our troops have been killed and that 32,213 have been wounded at a cost of 715 billion dollars.
Without being accused of being unpatriotic, I wonder, can we now review and ask some tough questions?
Do we remember that we started this war as a pre-emptive strike? Do we remember that we were told that we must start this war because Saddam Hussein housed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and that he was supposedly ready to use these against us and our allies? Do we remember that all this turned out to be false? Did the Bush administration lie to us or were they just being ignorant?
There were other reasons also given, according to the “Iraq War Resolution” of October 16, 2002 by a joint session of congress that formally authorized then president’s Bush’s military action against Iraq. In light of these other reasons (national security, fight against terrorism, etc.), did this war accomplish its stated purpose? How will we know and how shall it be measured?
In short, was this war worth the cost? If not—and I believe that most Americans will now say that it was most certainly NOT worth the cost—what went wrong? Why is it that we were so easily duped into this action—to the point that anyone who tried to argue against entering into this war at the time was hollered down as naïve, ignorant, wimpy, unpatriotic, and worse?
Why did the media not get it right at the time? Why did they not dig deeper and ask the tough, penetrative, cynical questions that might have revealed the emptiness of the stated cause for going to war with Iraq in the first place? And if they did, why were we not listening?
What has this war gained us? If this was a war for national security, are we more secure as a direct result of this war in Iraq? If this war was also about freeing the Iraqi people from a brutal and repressive tyrant, are they now less oppressed, fully and truly democratically free? I suspect that time has yet to tell on that one. Is Iraq now more secure against being used as a hide out for terrorists, and if so will it continue to be so in the future? That’s “iffy” isn’t it. Again, time will tell.
As a result of this war, is the whole Middle Eastern geo-political arena (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc.) more secure, safer and more stable? Or is there a risk of renewed violence and national/international instability in the area (consider the possibility of Iranian interference in Iraqi development e.g.)? And again, time will tell, another iffy situation.
Would there, could there have been a better way to have addressed our fears and concerns (regarding WMD, for example) then immediately resorting to sheer brute military force? What might these other means have looked like in the real world? And why were these possible other means not more seriously looked into at the time?
We’ve thrown tons of money into the war effort itself, now how are we going to treat our Iraqi war veterans who have been both physically and psychologically injured by this war. Will we have—provide—the money to help them back home in their time of need for rehab, hospital and medical care, physical therapy, and more? Or are we going to say that we’ve spent too much already, so they’re on their own? After all, are we not economically worse off as a nation, as a direct result of the cost of this war in Iraq?
Now that we see how mistaken this pre-emptive strike, war policy has been, how might we prevent this kind of serious error in military intelligence and grave misjudgment in military action from happening again? Or is that even possible?
Our troops were first sent over there in March of 2003, almost nine years ago. Nine years! I have read that since then, 4,482 of our troops have been killed and that 32,213 have been wounded at a cost of 715 billion dollars.
Without being accused of being unpatriotic, I wonder, can we now review and ask some tough questions?
Do we remember that we started this war as a pre-emptive strike? Do we remember that we were told that we must start this war because Saddam Hussein housed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and that he was supposedly ready to use these against us and our allies? Do we remember that all this turned out to be false? Did the Bush administration lie to us or were they just being ignorant?
There were other reasons also given, according to the “Iraq War Resolution” of October 16, 2002 by a joint session of congress that formally authorized then president’s Bush’s military action against Iraq. In light of these other reasons (national security, fight against terrorism, etc.), did this war accomplish its stated purpose? How will we know and how shall it be measured?
In short, was this war worth the cost? If not—and I believe that most Americans will now say that it was most certainly NOT worth the cost—what went wrong? Why is it that we were so easily duped into this action—to the point that anyone who tried to argue against entering into this war at the time was hollered down as naïve, ignorant, wimpy, unpatriotic, and worse?
Why did the media not get it right at the time? Why did they not dig deeper and ask the tough, penetrative, cynical questions that might have revealed the emptiness of the stated cause for going to war with Iraq in the first place? And if they did, why were we not listening?
What has this war gained us? If this was a war for national security, are we more secure as a direct result of this war in Iraq? If this war was also about freeing the Iraqi people from a brutal and repressive tyrant, are they now less oppressed, fully and truly democratically free? I suspect that time has yet to tell on that one. Is Iraq now more secure against being used as a hide out for terrorists, and if so will it continue to be so in the future? That’s “iffy” isn’t it. Again, time will tell.
As a result of this war, is the whole Middle Eastern geo-political arena (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc.) more secure, safer and more stable? Or is there a risk of renewed violence and national/international instability in the area (consider the possibility of Iranian interference in Iraqi development e.g.)? And again, time will tell, another iffy situation.
Would there, could there have been a better way to have addressed our fears and concerns (regarding WMD, for example) then immediately resorting to sheer brute military force? What might these other means have looked like in the real world? And why were these possible other means not more seriously looked into at the time?
We’ve thrown tons of money into the war effort itself, now how are we going to treat our Iraqi war veterans who have been both physically and psychologically injured by this war. Will we have—provide—the money to help them back home in their time of need for rehab, hospital and medical care, physical therapy, and more? Or are we going to say that we’ve spent too much already, so they’re on their own? After all, are we not economically worse off as a nation, as a direct result of the cost of this war in Iraq?
Now that we see how mistaken this pre-emptive strike, war policy has been, how might we prevent this kind of serious error in military intelligence and grave misjudgment in military action from happening again? Or is that even possible?
Monday, October 17, 2011
Poisoned Rhetoric: comparing Obama with Hitler
A couple of weeks ago, more or less, Hank Williams Jr. implied/compared President Obama to Hitler and said he’s “the enemy.” He got some flak for making this comparison, and rightly so. Yet, according to an article in a CBS News’ blog, called “Political Hotsheet” (by Corbett B. Daly), Sarah Palin said that the criticism that Hank Williams Jr. received for this is ‘disgusting.’ Disgusting? Really!
Let’s just take the word “enemy.” According to “dictionary.com,” an “enemy” is defined as “(1) a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent. (2) An armed foe; an opposing military force: The army attacked the enemy at dawn and (3) a hostile nation or state.” In that light, have Republicans and Democrats truly become enemies, as in “a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another”? If so, our nation is worse off than we think.
Enough already! Rhetoric matters. We are not enemies. Enemies are to be destroyed, annihilated and altogether cancelled out. Do Conservatives and Liberals really want to annihilate each other? Right Wing and Left Wing people may be political opponents and may even get angry at each other. But to see each other as enemies that need to be destroyed? That’s taking politics too far. We may be political opponents but we are citizens of the same country, with allegiance to the same flag, serving the same nation, and value the same American ideals. We are NOT enemies.
Of course we can be passionate about our convictions; we can even be loud and boisterous about them. Let’s do argue and defend our case and support our cause, but let’s not unnecessarily and unfairly vilify our political opponents. We are Americans. ONE Nation under God, not two, three or however many Americas that our various parties and platforms may make us think that we have. We are one people with one government. We are not enemies. Political battles are one thing, but outright disgust and hatred, vilifying and demonizing each other is uncalled for and should not be acceptable from Right or Left.
Democrats and Republican representatives should actually play golf together and have lunch together. Yes, they should become friends. Together they represent the same Union. Of course, let them disagree whole heartily in their political views but let them also respect each other and hold each other in high regard as colleagues in office, friends, and citizens sharing the same love for this nation, working for One Nation Under God….
Let’s just take the word “enemy.” According to “dictionary.com,” an “enemy” is defined as “(1) a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent. (2) An armed foe; an opposing military force: The army attacked the enemy at dawn and (3) a hostile nation or state.” In that light, have Republicans and Democrats truly become enemies, as in “a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another”? If so, our nation is worse off than we think.
Enough already! Rhetoric matters. We are not enemies. Enemies are to be destroyed, annihilated and altogether cancelled out. Do Conservatives and Liberals really want to annihilate each other? Right Wing and Left Wing people may be political opponents and may even get angry at each other. But to see each other as enemies that need to be destroyed? That’s taking politics too far. We may be political opponents but we are citizens of the same country, with allegiance to the same flag, serving the same nation, and value the same American ideals. We are NOT enemies.
Of course we can be passionate about our convictions; we can even be loud and boisterous about them. Let’s do argue and defend our case and support our cause, but let’s not unnecessarily and unfairly vilify our political opponents. We are Americans. ONE Nation under God, not two, three or however many Americas that our various parties and platforms may make us think that we have. We are one people with one government. We are not enemies. Political battles are one thing, but outright disgust and hatred, vilifying and demonizing each other is uncalled for and should not be acceptable from Right or Left.
Democrats and Republican representatives should actually play golf together and have lunch together. Yes, they should become friends. Together they represent the same Union. Of course, let them disagree whole heartily in their political views but let them also respect each other and hold each other in high regard as colleagues in office, friends, and citizens sharing the same love for this nation, working for One Nation Under God….
Monday, October 10, 2011
Dallas Pastor says Romney is a Cult Member as a Mormon (Implication: not a good presidential candidate)
Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, when introducing Gov. Rick Perry (October 7, 2011), Republican running for presidential office in 2012, essentially said that Mormons are a cult and not true Christians. Mitt Romney is a Mormon.
It is true that Mormon theology and doctrine indeed differs from mainstream, traditional, historical and Biblical Christianity. There can be no real argument there. Just compare the two. A careful review of Historical Christianity as a whole, when compared to Mormonism, should prove Pastor Jeffress’ remarks about Mormonism to be true. Mormonism is not in the same league as other historical mainstream Christian Denominations. However, that is really not the problem with Robert Jeffress’ remarks.
The problem is the assumption that all Evangelical, Born-Again Christians are and ought to be cut from the same political cloth. I am a Born Again, Evangelical Christian but I do not subscribe to the far, rightwing, conservative, Republican Party politics (especially the Tea Party). The fact is, President Obama is also a Born Again Christian (read his testimony and the witness he gives to his own faith as a Christian), yet Obama is often demonized by many right wing conservative Christian Believers as if he were not only a non-believer but a scoundrel to boot. What’s going on here?
As a Christian, I hate to state this obvious truth, but I feel that I must. The truth is this: being a Protestant, a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, a Born Again Christian, and accepting the Bible as the Inspired Word of God, does not necessarily make someone better qualified as a presidential candidate.
For example, I accept President George W. Bush’s own testimony that he is a Believer in Christ, a Born Again Christian. Yet I do NOT believe that his being a Born Again Christian made him a better president as such. In fact I think that his international policies regarding Iraq and Afghanistan were naïve, foolish, and short sighted. He made some terrible decisions as president, especially as regards his taking us to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. And so, in my opinion his being an Evangelical Protestant Born Again Christian did not make him one ounce of a better—more capable, more intelligent, more insightful and/or wise—president. A Roman Catholic president (remember J. F. Kennedy) or yes, even a Mormon president might have done just as well or even better than did George W. Bush when he was in office.
Christians have always drawn the line between Genuine Authentic Christianity and Heretical or Nominal Christianity. Such arguments existed even in New Testament times (see 1 Corinthians 1:10-17). This is nothing new. But the danger in contemporary American politics is the pervasive assumption that a certain type of right wing political Christian is the only true voice for Christianity and for this nation’s conservative social and economic policies. Not True!
Yes, mainstream Christianity generally views Mormonism as a cult and not as authentic genuine Christianity. But it is also true that there is indeed a wide range of Christian expression, teachings and practices. Consider the difference between the Friends Church (Quakerism) and the Eastern Orthodox Church or between Pentecostals and Episcopalians or Presbyterians. Likewise, within this wide range of Christian Identity and Faith there is also a wide range of “Christian” political, social, and economic conviction as well, representing the far left as well as the far right. In short, we Christians all follow the same Lord of Lords and King of Kings but our politics vary greatly. Point being: not all authentically genuine Born Again Christians subscribe to the right wing political position or assume that the president of the United States of America will necessarily make a better president by virtue of his (or her) being a Born Again Christian as such.
Thus, who knows, Mitt Romney may make an outstanding president. I’m not endorsing him. I’m just saying, his ability to be a good or outstanding president has little to do with whether or not he is an Evangelical Born Again Christian or a Mormon. There are many, many other qualifying skills, abilities, values, and perspectives, not to mention one’s philosophical worldview that must be weighed-in as significant factors for considering a person fit for the office of President, not just that one is a genuine Born Again Christian. And I say this as a genuine Born Again Believer—though I am sure there will be those who question my authenticity as a real Born Again Believer on the basis of what I just said—which only serves to substantiate my point.
It is true that Mormon theology and doctrine indeed differs from mainstream, traditional, historical and Biblical Christianity. There can be no real argument there. Just compare the two. A careful review of Historical Christianity as a whole, when compared to Mormonism, should prove Pastor Jeffress’ remarks about Mormonism to be true. Mormonism is not in the same league as other historical mainstream Christian Denominations. However, that is really not the problem with Robert Jeffress’ remarks.
The problem is the assumption that all Evangelical, Born-Again Christians are and ought to be cut from the same political cloth. I am a Born Again, Evangelical Christian but I do not subscribe to the far, rightwing, conservative, Republican Party politics (especially the Tea Party). The fact is, President Obama is also a Born Again Christian (read his testimony and the witness he gives to his own faith as a Christian), yet Obama is often demonized by many right wing conservative Christian Believers as if he were not only a non-believer but a scoundrel to boot. What’s going on here?
As a Christian, I hate to state this obvious truth, but I feel that I must. The truth is this: being a Protestant, a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, a Born Again Christian, and accepting the Bible as the Inspired Word of God, does not necessarily make someone better qualified as a presidential candidate.
For example, I accept President George W. Bush’s own testimony that he is a Believer in Christ, a Born Again Christian. Yet I do NOT believe that his being a Born Again Christian made him a better president as such. In fact I think that his international policies regarding Iraq and Afghanistan were naïve, foolish, and short sighted. He made some terrible decisions as president, especially as regards his taking us to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. And so, in my opinion his being an Evangelical Protestant Born Again Christian did not make him one ounce of a better—more capable, more intelligent, more insightful and/or wise—president. A Roman Catholic president (remember J. F. Kennedy) or yes, even a Mormon president might have done just as well or even better than did George W. Bush when he was in office.
Christians have always drawn the line between Genuine Authentic Christianity and Heretical or Nominal Christianity. Such arguments existed even in New Testament times (see 1 Corinthians 1:10-17). This is nothing new. But the danger in contemporary American politics is the pervasive assumption that a certain type of right wing political Christian is the only true voice for Christianity and for this nation’s conservative social and economic policies. Not True!
Yes, mainstream Christianity generally views Mormonism as a cult and not as authentic genuine Christianity. But it is also true that there is indeed a wide range of Christian expression, teachings and practices. Consider the difference between the Friends Church (Quakerism) and the Eastern Orthodox Church or between Pentecostals and Episcopalians or Presbyterians. Likewise, within this wide range of Christian Identity and Faith there is also a wide range of “Christian” political, social, and economic conviction as well, representing the far left as well as the far right. In short, we Christians all follow the same Lord of Lords and King of Kings but our politics vary greatly. Point being: not all authentically genuine Born Again Christians subscribe to the right wing political position or assume that the president of the United States of America will necessarily make a better president by virtue of his (or her) being a Born Again Christian as such.
Thus, who knows, Mitt Romney may make an outstanding president. I’m not endorsing him. I’m just saying, his ability to be a good or outstanding president has little to do with whether or not he is an Evangelical Born Again Christian or a Mormon. There are many, many other qualifying skills, abilities, values, and perspectives, not to mention one’s philosophical worldview that must be weighed-in as significant factors for considering a person fit for the office of President, not just that one is a genuine Born Again Christian. And I say this as a genuine Born Again Believer—though I am sure there will be those who question my authenticity as a real Born Again Believer on the basis of what I just said—which only serves to substantiate my point.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Hospice Care, Death and Dying, and Advance Directives
Living Wills, Advance Directives, Durable power of attorney, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, treating the person versus treating the disease, are you familiar with these terms, what they mean, how applied? Okay, so we’re back to talking about death and taxes, only this time more about death than taxes.
Death! I know. It’s an uncomfortable subject for many. But it happens—will happen. That’s life.
About once a month our church has a potluck after service and sometimes we’ll have a guest speaker. This month we had guests from the local Hospice, “Home Care & Hospice of the Montgomery Healthcare system.” Our guests, a Hospice Chaplain and a Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, were very informative and yet they barely scratched the surface of the things that we ought to know about and be prepared to deal with, when it comes to dealing with terminal illness and eventual death in a family.
For example, do you and your loved one(s) have an “Advance Directive” that spells out or outlines what kind of health treatment you want to receive should you ever be in a critical condition and are unable to tell the medical team yourself what you desire as far as the extent of medical treatment and resuscitation attempts? If not, does your spouse and/or other family loved ones actually have any idea as to how you might want to be treated—let’s say if you are declared brain damaged, for example, as a result of an auto accident? I know, these are uncomfortable questions and scenarios, but, uncomfortable as they are, they require honest attention. And, that’s the point.
Modern medicine and medical technology has actually increased the trauma and burden of dealing with death and dying issues in some ways. A medical team can resuscitate a person whose heart has stopped even after fifteen long minutes of no heartbeat. We have feeding tubes and other wires and gadgets that we connect to a person’s body in order to keep the body alive and heart pumping, regardless of the vegetative state of the mind. How, when, or who decides to “pull the plug” on Mom, Dad, Granny, or beloved Aunt Sally?
Most families are unprepared for such traumatic decisions. They are often reeling from the suddenness of its onslaught or are unable to deal with the inevitable, not willing to come to terms with end-of-life issues. Nevertheless, a family that openly talks about it and intentionally processes these things beforehand—what they want or do not want to be done to them respecting healthcare treatment in the face of a worst case scenario—is far better off, and far more emotionally, spiritually, and mentally healthy for doing so.
Speak to your doctor and/or your spiritual adviser, pastor or priest, about end of life care, death and dying decisions, Advance Directives and Living Wills. You will be glad that you did before you are faced with such decisions. After all, death and dying is in fact part of living.
Death! I know. It’s an uncomfortable subject for many. But it happens—will happen. That’s life.
About once a month our church has a potluck after service and sometimes we’ll have a guest speaker. This month we had guests from the local Hospice, “Home Care & Hospice of the Montgomery Healthcare system.” Our guests, a Hospice Chaplain and a Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, were very informative and yet they barely scratched the surface of the things that we ought to know about and be prepared to deal with, when it comes to dealing with terminal illness and eventual death in a family.
For example, do you and your loved one(s) have an “Advance Directive” that spells out or outlines what kind of health treatment you want to receive should you ever be in a critical condition and are unable to tell the medical team yourself what you desire as far as the extent of medical treatment and resuscitation attempts? If not, does your spouse and/or other family loved ones actually have any idea as to how you might want to be treated—let’s say if you are declared brain damaged, for example, as a result of an auto accident? I know, these are uncomfortable questions and scenarios, but, uncomfortable as they are, they require honest attention. And, that’s the point.
Modern medicine and medical technology has actually increased the trauma and burden of dealing with death and dying issues in some ways. A medical team can resuscitate a person whose heart has stopped even after fifteen long minutes of no heartbeat. We have feeding tubes and other wires and gadgets that we connect to a person’s body in order to keep the body alive and heart pumping, regardless of the vegetative state of the mind. How, when, or who decides to “pull the plug” on Mom, Dad, Granny, or beloved Aunt Sally?
Most families are unprepared for such traumatic decisions. They are often reeling from the suddenness of its onslaught or are unable to deal with the inevitable, not willing to come to terms with end-of-life issues. Nevertheless, a family that openly talks about it and intentionally processes these things beforehand—what they want or do not want to be done to them respecting healthcare treatment in the face of a worst case scenario—is far better off, and far more emotionally, spiritually, and mentally healthy for doing so.
Speak to your doctor and/or your spiritual adviser, pastor or priest, about end of life care, death and dying decisions, Advance Directives and Living Wills. You will be glad that you did before you are faced with such decisions. After all, death and dying is in fact part of living.
Monday, September 26, 2011
On a Scale of 1-10, How Good are You?
Are you a good person? Yes, for the most part, you believe you are. You try. In the balance of things, weighing your good deeds over the bad, you are sure that your good deeds outweigh the bad. At least you hope so.
Is there evil in the world? Yes, anyone who follows the news on a daily basis—be it local, national, or international—is sure of it. There are not only bad people in the world there are downright evil people that do terribly evil things. Just consider the international human/child slave trafficking problem we have in the world, for one.
But here’s a question, how many bad deeds does a person have to do before he or she becomes truly “evil”? Or, out of a hundred let’s say, exactly how many good deeds over bad deeds must a person do in order to qualify as a truly good person, 60/40, 70/30, 90/20, 95/5? We already know that no one does 100/100.
When we are caught doing wrong, the first thing we say in self-defense is, “Well, nobody’s perfect” coupled with “I made a mistake,” or “I didn’t mean to do it.” We seldom fess-up, admitting full guilt: “Yes, I did it, I knew it was wrong—lying, stealing, cheating, immoral, false, bad, corrupt—but I chose to do it anyway. I was just hoping that I’d actually get away with it and not get caught.”
One day, a rich man came up to Jesus and asked a direct question of him: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” But before responding to the point of the question, Jesus took him to task respecting his assumptions about goodness, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus said, “no one is good but God alone” (Mark 10:17-22). Do you even know what real “goodness” is, is what Jesus was driving at.
Everyone, all of us are guilty of doing wrong. We’ve lied and we’ve stolen. We’ve mistreated and offended others, and have hurt others badly. We’ve been selfish, arrogant, rude, and have been inconsiderate and disrespectful toward others. Thus, we not only are not perfect, we are also not innocent and are most certainly guilty. How then should we define “good”?
The Bible tells us that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). So what is a good person really like? And if evil can disguise itself as good how do we tell the difference? And are such questions even important in today’s modern world?
Indeed they are! In the ebb and flow of history, nations and peoples go to war in the name of justice with righteous indignation, good versus evil, right over wrong, and so on and so forth. In a way it is what the Arab Spring is all about; consider the motive within Libya's battle against Gadhafi’s oppressive regime.
But the trajectory of human goodness and badness begins with the little things, the little white lies that we justify telling, the small things that we justify taking, the little offenses we commit against others due to our own arrogance or greed or personal insecurities or self-righteousness.
Is it possible that what is missing both in the public arena as well as in the personal private arena, and what is fading quickly from the political arena is what used to be called good ole-fashioned integrity? Whatever happened to the golden rule: “treat others as you would have others treat you”? What happened to such proverbial values to live by, such as “an honest day’s work deserves an honest day’s pay,” or “be trustworthy, true to your word,” or “mean what you say and say what you mean,” or “judge not lest you be judged,” or “be gracious, compassionate, and merciful”?
These principles, values, and truths will never expire or become outdated and irrelevant. We should expect such of our politicians as well as our employers, employees, teachers, students, and well, everyone—and that, despite the fact that “no one is perfect,” for it is keeping and holding up the standard that counts.
Is there evil in the world? Yes, anyone who follows the news on a daily basis—be it local, national, or international—is sure of it. There are not only bad people in the world there are downright evil people that do terribly evil things. Just consider the international human/child slave trafficking problem we have in the world, for one.
But here’s a question, how many bad deeds does a person have to do before he or she becomes truly “evil”? Or, out of a hundred let’s say, exactly how many good deeds over bad deeds must a person do in order to qualify as a truly good person, 60/40, 70/30, 90/20, 95/5? We already know that no one does 100/100.
When we are caught doing wrong, the first thing we say in self-defense is, “Well, nobody’s perfect” coupled with “I made a mistake,” or “I didn’t mean to do it.” We seldom fess-up, admitting full guilt: “Yes, I did it, I knew it was wrong—lying, stealing, cheating, immoral, false, bad, corrupt—but I chose to do it anyway. I was just hoping that I’d actually get away with it and not get caught.”
One day, a rich man came up to Jesus and asked a direct question of him: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” But before responding to the point of the question, Jesus took him to task respecting his assumptions about goodness, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus said, “no one is good but God alone” (Mark 10:17-22). Do you even know what real “goodness” is, is what Jesus was driving at.
Everyone, all of us are guilty of doing wrong. We’ve lied and we’ve stolen. We’ve mistreated and offended others, and have hurt others badly. We’ve been selfish, arrogant, rude, and have been inconsiderate and disrespectful toward others. Thus, we not only are not perfect, we are also not innocent and are most certainly guilty. How then should we define “good”?
The Bible tells us that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). So what is a good person really like? And if evil can disguise itself as good how do we tell the difference? And are such questions even important in today’s modern world?
Indeed they are! In the ebb and flow of history, nations and peoples go to war in the name of justice with righteous indignation, good versus evil, right over wrong, and so on and so forth. In a way it is what the Arab Spring is all about; consider the motive within Libya's battle against Gadhafi’s oppressive regime.
But the trajectory of human goodness and badness begins with the little things, the little white lies that we justify telling, the small things that we justify taking, the little offenses we commit against others due to our own arrogance or greed or personal insecurities or self-righteousness.
Is it possible that what is missing both in the public arena as well as in the personal private arena, and what is fading quickly from the political arena is what used to be called good ole-fashioned integrity? Whatever happened to the golden rule: “treat others as you would have others treat you”? What happened to such proverbial values to live by, such as “an honest day’s work deserves an honest day’s pay,” or “be trustworthy, true to your word,” or “mean what you say and say what you mean,” or “judge not lest you be judged,” or “be gracious, compassionate, and merciful”?
These principles, values, and truths will never expire or become outdated and irrelevant. We should expect such of our politicians as well as our employers, employees, teachers, students, and well, everyone—and that, despite the fact that “no one is perfect,” for it is keeping and holding up the standard that counts.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Taxes are necessary and therefore should be Just
Warren Buffett, a billionaire, admits outright that our tax code is not fair. Apparently our luxuriantly wealthy Mr. Buffett pays a lower tax rate on his money than his secretary or house cleaner does and, to his own admittance, that’s just not right. I would agree.
Our American value of “justice and liberty for all” should also mean fair and equitable taxation to all as well. As we all know, death and taxes will always be with us. But we need not casually accept unnecessary deaths nor should we tolerate unfair, unjust, or unequal taxation. If the tax code is not fair, we need to make it so.
To avoid correcting and adjusting the tax code because it may mean that someone’s taxes may go up (while others’ may go down), in the name of a political battle cry that says “we will not raise taxes,” is just not right and runs contrary to a core purpose of our elected officials, which is to manage our country’s fiscal affairs wisely, honestly, and justly.
Instead, what is happening, regarding the management of our national economy, is that Wisdom is being thrown out for the sake of political maneuvering, Honesty is being cast down for the sake of political posturing, and Justice is being trampled upon for the sake of special interest benefits.
I’m neither an economist nor am I an entrepreneur, but from a “man on the street” layman’s perspective, it seems to me that big business and big money get all the breaks—Wall Street, National Banks, and International Corporations—while the little guy pays the price. It’s the history of humanity, the history of the haves over the have-nots in every empire throughout the ages.
However, this nation was founded on the premise that all are equal. We are supposedly a classless society; that is, we believe that all should have an equal and fair shake and be given an equal opportunity to “make it.” There is to be no privileged few who are to receive huge social benefits from our tax system without also paying its fair share for those benefits. In short, the rich are not to be given more social, economic, or political rights and privileges than the middle or lower classes, just because they’re rich. This should especially be true with regard to the nation’s tax code.
Among other things, our economy needs a fair and balanced tax code, healthy and wise regulation, checks and balances with transparent accountability, and politicians who are not in the pocket of special powerful interest groups who have the money and means to buy their votes. Nevertheless, I realize that we do not live in a perfect world. Politicians need money to get elected and re-elected. Money and political power go hand and hand.
Meanwhile the average person on the street is the one that needs real representation and consideration. Most of us are too busy trying to make a living (if we can) to follow every twist and turn of a representative’s vote. Worse, we are so often too gullible. We are too easily persuaded by catchy sound-bites and patriotic ditties that our politicians throw at us (in that sense we are partially to blame). That is, we vote with our emotions rather than our heads, and politicians know this. Yet we are supposed to be a government “of the people, for the people, and by the people.” “We the people…,” I think not. In reality I think “we the people” are being left behind to fend for ourselves while the “haves” got it and intend to keep it.
Our American value of “justice and liberty for all” should also mean fair and equitable taxation to all as well. As we all know, death and taxes will always be with us. But we need not casually accept unnecessary deaths nor should we tolerate unfair, unjust, or unequal taxation. If the tax code is not fair, we need to make it so.
To avoid correcting and adjusting the tax code because it may mean that someone’s taxes may go up (while others’ may go down), in the name of a political battle cry that says “we will not raise taxes,” is just not right and runs contrary to a core purpose of our elected officials, which is to manage our country’s fiscal affairs wisely, honestly, and justly.
Instead, what is happening, regarding the management of our national economy, is that Wisdom is being thrown out for the sake of political maneuvering, Honesty is being cast down for the sake of political posturing, and Justice is being trampled upon for the sake of special interest benefits.
I’m neither an economist nor am I an entrepreneur, but from a “man on the street” layman’s perspective, it seems to me that big business and big money get all the breaks—Wall Street, National Banks, and International Corporations—while the little guy pays the price. It’s the history of humanity, the history of the haves over the have-nots in every empire throughout the ages.
However, this nation was founded on the premise that all are equal. We are supposedly a classless society; that is, we believe that all should have an equal and fair shake and be given an equal opportunity to “make it.” There is to be no privileged few who are to receive huge social benefits from our tax system without also paying its fair share for those benefits. In short, the rich are not to be given more social, economic, or political rights and privileges than the middle or lower classes, just because they’re rich. This should especially be true with regard to the nation’s tax code.
Among other things, our economy needs a fair and balanced tax code, healthy and wise regulation, checks and balances with transparent accountability, and politicians who are not in the pocket of special powerful interest groups who have the money and means to buy their votes. Nevertheless, I realize that we do not live in a perfect world. Politicians need money to get elected and re-elected. Money and political power go hand and hand.
Meanwhile the average person on the street is the one that needs real representation and consideration. Most of us are too busy trying to make a living (if we can) to follow every twist and turn of a representative’s vote. Worse, we are so often too gullible. We are too easily persuaded by catchy sound-bites and patriotic ditties that our politicians throw at us (in that sense we are partially to blame). That is, we vote with our emotions rather than our heads, and politicians know this. Yet we are supposed to be a government “of the people, for the people, and by the people.” “We the people…,” I think not. In reality I think “we the people” are being left behind to fend for ourselves while the “haves” got it and intend to keep it.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Putting America Back to Work or Critiquing Obama’s Speech
Since no one is perfect, a little constructive criticism/feedback is always good. It adds value, improves performance, and grows a person, especially if the person is receptive, teachable, and appreciative; and especially if the criticism is fair, honest, and with good intent. This is why highly successful businesses and institutions have evaluation feedback systems in place—they monitor how they’re doing and invite constructive feedback so as to tweak their performance and do better.
It’s too bad that positive, constructive feedback, fair and honest criticism with good intent, does not happen in the world of politics. What happens instead is a total castigating of one’s opponent—it would seem that everything that one’s opponent does, says, plans, promotes, encourages, or supports is not only wrong, but deplorable, even dangerous for the nation, if not downright evil.
Is President Obama the perfect president? No. But neither is he the devil in disguise. He is neither absolute good nor absolute bad. But as the nation gears up for another presidential election for 2012, starting with the Republican primaries, watch and listen. We are going to constantly hear how absolutely bad, deplorably wrong, even almost how evil Obama has been for our country. We are going to hear how he ruined this nation, how he misguided it, how he went too far and yet not far enough, how he did too little too late and yet took on too much too soon, and so-on and so-forth. It’s as if we are dealing with absolute good verses absolute evil. One’s opponent is always the evil one while the campaigner is the knight in shining armor, all angelic like, representing all that is good and pure.
It would be nice to hear some honest, fair, and wholesome criticism for a change? Spell out the differences, be specific and exact in terms of various viewpoints and opinions regarding economic choices, social policy, and national and international issues, but quit trying to paint your opponent as the devil incarnate—all bad, all evil, all wrong.
Obama made a speech last Thursday (September 8, 2011). Effectively he said, let’s put America back to work, create jobs and pass this bill now, sooner rather than later, and he had some specifics ways and means to make the proposal work for the nation. Sure, not all agree with the specifics. But, here’s the thing, a stubborn and recalcitrant opponent will oppose everything he said just for the sake of making him look bad, appear weak, seem foolish, and insure he loses. But such a response is not looking after the nation’s interests. It’s looking at one’s own political advantage, seeking only to gain the upper hand in political marks and influence. And that is what is deplorable.
America, let’s tell our politicians that we want real bi-partisan solutions and not one-upmanship grandstanding or brinkmanship politics. We have a two party system for good reason. It keeps a party from going too far, check and in balance, at least to some degree. Both sides have their good points and both have their bad. It is up to us to demand the best of both sides. It is also up to us to recognize that extremism is always bad. Too hot, too cold, too short, too long, too hard, too soft, just doesn’t cut it. We need a proper balance.
For example, we are not necessarily asking for absolutely “no tax increases,” but we do want fair and equitable taxation. We do not want total none regulation in the world of business and finance, we want wise and just regulation that appropriately protects the powerless and vulnerable. We want a balanced budget, but we don’t want to put half the nation out of work in order to get it. We accept the fact that we’ll have to borrow for awhile in order to make the budget work for us. We want to be a strong nation but we don’t want wasteful and unaccountable spending on defense, just because it’s the military. We want and need a solid and stable infrastructure—good roads and bridges, highways and waterways, effective sewage plants and dependable energy, and so we must find a way to pay for it. (And here, we really have no choice; if a house needs plumbing or electrical repair the homeowner must find a way to pay for it or the house becomes unlivable. So be it.)
These things are really not that hard to figure out. If our politicians would stop politicking and start doing their jobs, maybe we could all get back to work.
It’s too bad that positive, constructive feedback, fair and honest criticism with good intent, does not happen in the world of politics. What happens instead is a total castigating of one’s opponent—it would seem that everything that one’s opponent does, says, plans, promotes, encourages, or supports is not only wrong, but deplorable, even dangerous for the nation, if not downright evil.
Is President Obama the perfect president? No. But neither is he the devil in disguise. He is neither absolute good nor absolute bad. But as the nation gears up for another presidential election for 2012, starting with the Republican primaries, watch and listen. We are going to constantly hear how absolutely bad, deplorably wrong, even almost how evil Obama has been for our country. We are going to hear how he ruined this nation, how he misguided it, how he went too far and yet not far enough, how he did too little too late and yet took on too much too soon, and so-on and so-forth. It’s as if we are dealing with absolute good verses absolute evil. One’s opponent is always the evil one while the campaigner is the knight in shining armor, all angelic like, representing all that is good and pure.
It would be nice to hear some honest, fair, and wholesome criticism for a change? Spell out the differences, be specific and exact in terms of various viewpoints and opinions regarding economic choices, social policy, and national and international issues, but quit trying to paint your opponent as the devil incarnate—all bad, all evil, all wrong.
Obama made a speech last Thursday (September 8, 2011). Effectively he said, let’s put America back to work, create jobs and pass this bill now, sooner rather than later, and he had some specifics ways and means to make the proposal work for the nation. Sure, not all agree with the specifics. But, here’s the thing, a stubborn and recalcitrant opponent will oppose everything he said just for the sake of making him look bad, appear weak, seem foolish, and insure he loses. But such a response is not looking after the nation’s interests. It’s looking at one’s own political advantage, seeking only to gain the upper hand in political marks and influence. And that is what is deplorable.
America, let’s tell our politicians that we want real bi-partisan solutions and not one-upmanship grandstanding or brinkmanship politics. We have a two party system for good reason. It keeps a party from going too far, check and in balance, at least to some degree. Both sides have their good points and both have their bad. It is up to us to demand the best of both sides. It is also up to us to recognize that extremism is always bad. Too hot, too cold, too short, too long, too hard, too soft, just doesn’t cut it. We need a proper balance.
For example, we are not necessarily asking for absolutely “no tax increases,” but we do want fair and equitable taxation. We do not want total none regulation in the world of business and finance, we want wise and just regulation that appropriately protects the powerless and vulnerable. We want a balanced budget, but we don’t want to put half the nation out of work in order to get it. We accept the fact that we’ll have to borrow for awhile in order to make the budget work for us. We want to be a strong nation but we don’t want wasteful and unaccountable spending on defense, just because it’s the military. We want and need a solid and stable infrastructure—good roads and bridges, highways and waterways, effective sewage plants and dependable energy, and so we must find a way to pay for it. (And here, we really have no choice; if a house needs plumbing or electrical repair the homeowner must find a way to pay for it or the house becomes unlivable. So be it.)
These things are really not that hard to figure out. If our politicians would stop politicking and start doing their jobs, maybe we could all get back to work.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
9/11, Our 10 Year Anniversary
Shock, sadness, grief, anger, hatred, revenge, surprise, astonishment, vengeance, fear, horror, relief, pride, battle cry! These are the many thoughts and feelings that went through minds and hearts when our New York Twin Towers were struck on 9/11/2001.
We are now coming to the tenth year anniversary of 9/11 and we remember. Memorial services, TV and radio specials, site visitations, and moments of silence are all part of it. We pay our respects, remember our lost, and honor the many who gave their lives in service to land and country.
Ten years! A full decade has now gone by. We’re all ten years older. 2001 wedding couples are now celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. 2001 newborns are now ten-year-olds. Five to nine-year-olds back then are now well into their teens. And those who were teens back then are now twenty something year olds, some have married and may even have their own set of children by now. Time has passed. A lot happens within a decade.
So, in terms of 9/11 we probably should ask: what have we learned, what have we done since then, and how are we doing, ten years later?
How do we answer that last question, ‘how are we doing’? I suppose it depends on what we mean by the question. For example, financially speaking (jobs and the economy) we’re not doing so well. What about militarily and defense wise? Are we more secure, do we feel more secure? We’re certainly paying a hefty price for it.
But given the loss that we suffered back in 9/11 are we a better nation for the experience? That is, have we grown in maturity, have we become wiser perhaps even more spiritual, for example? Are we stronger – emotionally – as a people? Are we more at peace within ourselves? Are we more balanced, do we have more internal equanimity, have we become a more fair and just society as a result of 9/11? Or, are we more frustrated than ever, bitter, angry, unsettled, distraught, lacking peace and stability? My sense is that, as a people, it’s the latter, especially respecting the effects of 9/11.
As a direct result of 9/11 we have started two wars for which we did not fully count the cost, and there is still no sign of closure within sight. Many more American lives have since been lost, crippled, or maimed, and the financial cost of these wars (in the trillions of dollars) will be with us for decades to come—and for what exactly? What are we after? Is it justice, revenge, security, payback that we are after? Have our wars brought the closure that we needed and wanted, given our 9/11 loss?
I submit that we are not doing well internally as a people, as a nation, because of the way we chose to respond to the attacks in the first place. We responded with a hot-blooded knee-jerk reaction wanting immediate vengeance. Was it worth it, starting these two wars? Sure, almost ten years after the fact, we finally got Osama Bin Laden, but by then it was an anti-climax, a small ripple in this huge war wave we started.
And so now we are angry at the loss of jobs and the continuing downturn of our economy. And doesn’t the cost of these two wars that we’re in, have something to do with our huge deficit? Of course it does. And now, instead of fixing problems, our politicians would rather use every issue as a platform for making ideological statements rather than stepping-up-to-the-plate to make smart and effective social economic policy. Frustrated and distrustful of our government, we are divisive, defensive, accusatory, mean spirited, and non-cooperative.
In short, we are NOT doing well, internally. We are not at peace within ourselves. We do not seem to have grown wiser. It seems that we now lack that old fashion depth of spiritual character that we describe as being a people of peace, patience, kindness, goodness, respect, gentleness, faith, hope, and love. Why? Perhaps it’s because we chose to take revenge and trust in military might rather than trust in the mercy and grace of God to do what is right and good.
In this tenth Anniversary of 9/11 might we not do well by reflecting on God’s admonishment to His people as told through his prophets and apostles?
Psalms 33:12-19
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven; he beholds all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts alike; he considers all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”
Romans 12: 17-21
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay says the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Zechariah 4:6
“This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
We are now coming to the tenth year anniversary of 9/11 and we remember. Memorial services, TV and radio specials, site visitations, and moments of silence are all part of it. We pay our respects, remember our lost, and honor the many who gave their lives in service to land and country.
Ten years! A full decade has now gone by. We’re all ten years older. 2001 wedding couples are now celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. 2001 newborns are now ten-year-olds. Five to nine-year-olds back then are now well into their teens. And those who were teens back then are now twenty something year olds, some have married and may even have their own set of children by now. Time has passed. A lot happens within a decade.
So, in terms of 9/11 we probably should ask: what have we learned, what have we done since then, and how are we doing, ten years later?
How do we answer that last question, ‘how are we doing’? I suppose it depends on what we mean by the question. For example, financially speaking (jobs and the economy) we’re not doing so well. What about militarily and defense wise? Are we more secure, do we feel more secure? We’re certainly paying a hefty price for it.
But given the loss that we suffered back in 9/11 are we a better nation for the experience? That is, have we grown in maturity, have we become wiser perhaps even more spiritual, for example? Are we stronger – emotionally – as a people? Are we more at peace within ourselves? Are we more balanced, do we have more internal equanimity, have we become a more fair and just society as a result of 9/11? Or, are we more frustrated than ever, bitter, angry, unsettled, distraught, lacking peace and stability? My sense is that, as a people, it’s the latter, especially respecting the effects of 9/11.
As a direct result of 9/11 we have started two wars for which we did not fully count the cost, and there is still no sign of closure within sight. Many more American lives have since been lost, crippled, or maimed, and the financial cost of these wars (in the trillions of dollars) will be with us for decades to come—and for what exactly? What are we after? Is it justice, revenge, security, payback that we are after? Have our wars brought the closure that we needed and wanted, given our 9/11 loss?
I submit that we are not doing well internally as a people, as a nation, because of the way we chose to respond to the attacks in the first place. We responded with a hot-blooded knee-jerk reaction wanting immediate vengeance. Was it worth it, starting these two wars? Sure, almost ten years after the fact, we finally got Osama Bin Laden, but by then it was an anti-climax, a small ripple in this huge war wave we started.
And so now we are angry at the loss of jobs and the continuing downturn of our economy. And doesn’t the cost of these two wars that we’re in, have something to do with our huge deficit? Of course it does. And now, instead of fixing problems, our politicians would rather use every issue as a platform for making ideological statements rather than stepping-up-to-the-plate to make smart and effective social economic policy. Frustrated and distrustful of our government, we are divisive, defensive, accusatory, mean spirited, and non-cooperative.
In short, we are NOT doing well, internally. We are not at peace within ourselves. We do not seem to have grown wiser. It seems that we now lack that old fashion depth of spiritual character that we describe as being a people of peace, patience, kindness, goodness, respect, gentleness, faith, hope, and love. Why? Perhaps it’s because we chose to take revenge and trust in military might rather than trust in the mercy and grace of God to do what is right and good.
In this tenth Anniversary of 9/11 might we not do well by reflecting on God’s admonishment to His people as told through his prophets and apostles?
Psalms 33:12-19
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven; he beholds all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts alike; he considers all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”
Romans 12: 17-21
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay says the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Zechariah 4:6
“This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Monday, August 29, 2011
Disasters and More
Does is seem as if the world is experiencing more natural disasters and with more intensity, than ever before? It certainly does. If so, what does it mean?
Are we in the “End Times” or not?
My observation is that there seems to be two extreme positions to this question.
On the one side are those who roll their eyes with the “Here we go again” smirk on their face who laugh at all Believers and doomsday predictors. As the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 3:4) warned us, they say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” In other words, what they’re saying to us is: “You’ve been predicting the return of Jesus for centuries now. Where is he? Get over it and get real. He’s not coming back. Deal with it.”
On the other extreme side are those who get out their flow charts, point to specific historical dates and timelines, events and characters, and match them up with Biblical prophetical statements and presto, they are able to predict the exact day if not hour as to when to expect Jesus’ arrival and the end of the world as we now know it.
For those of you who don’t believe, I admit. We believers have sometimes made ourselves look ridiculous. We have been arrogant in our self-righteousness and we have been foolish in our assertions at times. So, we have lost credibility with you. We are no longer taken seriously and so neither is the faith, to which we bear witness, taken seriously.
On the other hand, the non-believing position cannot really claim superiority. Those who refuse to believe in God have a de facto belief in humanity’s knowledge and understanding as the measure of truth and reality.
Without God in the picture natural disasters and catastrophic events are merely happenstance happenings of nature. There is no meaning behind the stuff of nature, its actions and reactions and its consequential results. It just is and it just does. And though we humans may impose meaning upon it, it virtually means nothing in the end; for, there is no Infinite Powerful Sentient Being undergirding nature with self-conscious intent and purpose. For humans to impose meaning upon the universe, from our miniscule and finite position in the universe, is to simply kid ourselves about the nature of Reality. It’s like saying, “Let’s pretend our lives have meaning and purpose,” when in fact we know it doesn’t. That is to say, “Frankly my dear, Nature (the Universe) doesn’t give a damn!” whether we live or die or whatever.
Within this kind of philosophical world-view of Reality, we must become our own gods. We pick and choose what we desire and where we will go with Nature, how much and how far we will take ourselves on this Starship we call Planet Earth. We rule, use, exploit, and abuse her at will. We’re ever increasing our attempts to master and control Nature, fighting the elements, building and rebuilding. Having gone to the moon and back, we even hope to conquer Mars someday.
But, bring God into the picture and we are dealing with a totally different kind of Reality. A Reality with God in the picture has intent. If someone does something that is offensive to us, the first thing we ask is this: “Why did you do that?” It is a question of intent or purpose. It makes a hell of a difference to us, whether an action was accidental, where we attribute no blame and no fault, or intentional, where we attribute responsibility of guilt, blame and fault. Which is it?
Having said that, consider this quote from the book of Psalms (102:25-28): “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away; but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.”
And again the Apostle Peter reminds us (2 Peter 3:10-12): “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?”
As for me, I look forward to Jesus’ Second Coming. I am ready for a New Earth and a New Heavens, where there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, pain and suffering, which is contained in the promise of His Second Coming. Maranatha!
Are we in the “End Times” or not?
My observation is that there seems to be two extreme positions to this question.
On the one side are those who roll their eyes with the “Here we go again” smirk on their face who laugh at all Believers and doomsday predictors. As the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 3:4) warned us, they say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” In other words, what they’re saying to us is: “You’ve been predicting the return of Jesus for centuries now. Where is he? Get over it and get real. He’s not coming back. Deal with it.”
On the other extreme side are those who get out their flow charts, point to specific historical dates and timelines, events and characters, and match them up with Biblical prophetical statements and presto, they are able to predict the exact day if not hour as to when to expect Jesus’ arrival and the end of the world as we now know it.
For those of you who don’t believe, I admit. We believers have sometimes made ourselves look ridiculous. We have been arrogant in our self-righteousness and we have been foolish in our assertions at times. So, we have lost credibility with you. We are no longer taken seriously and so neither is the faith, to which we bear witness, taken seriously.
On the other hand, the non-believing position cannot really claim superiority. Those who refuse to believe in God have a de facto belief in humanity’s knowledge and understanding as the measure of truth and reality.
Without God in the picture natural disasters and catastrophic events are merely happenstance happenings of nature. There is no meaning behind the stuff of nature, its actions and reactions and its consequential results. It just is and it just does. And though we humans may impose meaning upon it, it virtually means nothing in the end; for, there is no Infinite Powerful Sentient Being undergirding nature with self-conscious intent and purpose. For humans to impose meaning upon the universe, from our miniscule and finite position in the universe, is to simply kid ourselves about the nature of Reality. It’s like saying, “Let’s pretend our lives have meaning and purpose,” when in fact we know it doesn’t. That is to say, “Frankly my dear, Nature (the Universe) doesn’t give a damn!” whether we live or die or whatever.
Within this kind of philosophical world-view of Reality, we must become our own gods. We pick and choose what we desire and where we will go with Nature, how much and how far we will take ourselves on this Starship we call Planet Earth. We rule, use, exploit, and abuse her at will. We’re ever increasing our attempts to master and control Nature, fighting the elements, building and rebuilding. Having gone to the moon and back, we even hope to conquer Mars someday.
But, bring God into the picture and we are dealing with a totally different kind of Reality. A Reality with God in the picture has intent. If someone does something that is offensive to us, the first thing we ask is this: “Why did you do that?” It is a question of intent or purpose. It makes a hell of a difference to us, whether an action was accidental, where we attribute no blame and no fault, or intentional, where we attribute responsibility of guilt, blame and fault. Which is it?
Having said that, consider this quote from the book of Psalms (102:25-28): “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away; but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.”
And again the Apostle Peter reminds us (2 Peter 3:10-12): “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?”
As for me, I look forward to Jesus’ Second Coming. I am ready for a New Earth and a New Heavens, where there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, pain and suffering, which is contained in the promise of His Second Coming. Maranatha!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Measure of Success?
Are you a success? I mean are you personally successful? I mean, is your personhood a success?
Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that says, “He who dies with the most toys, wins!”?
I beg to differ. Sure, it’s said with tongue in cheek. Still, we live as if it were ever so true, as if real success were measured by money, size of house, make, model and speed of car and so forth. It’s dead wrong.
Neither money nor power is the measure of true success. We’d like to think so because these things are tangible, measurable, and they do turn heads, eliciting great admiration and respect, and jealousy. But such outer success is as permanent as one’s youthful good looks.
To measure real success we’d have to look at what’s going on within us, in our person—our heart and soul, our spirit. That’s where the real quality of success lies.
For example, do you have a great career, nice house, sporty car, and great reputation but still find yourself bitter, angry, resentful, sad, depressed, lonely, and/or mad at the world? Do you have everything that advertisements tell you that you should have and then some, but still find yourself being envious and jealous of others? Are you always comparing yourself with others? Are you proud, arrogant, greedy, selfish, dismissive and judgmental of others? Do you think yourself better than others but fear that others won’t or don’t notice how gifted you are?
A truly successful person is one who has learned to be at peace within one’s self, to be content. A successful person is one who has learned to love deeply and is greatly loved in return. A successful person is one who has gained respect not for the wealth and riches he or she commands but for one’s genuine authenticity, trustworthiness, integrity, honesty, humility, fairness, and goodness. A successful person is a balanced person, inwardly secure, and is not threatened by those who are more talented and/or gifted than he or she is. I submit that few of us know this kind of success—partly because few of us aim for that kind of success.
But when an economy turns sour and people lose their jobs, the difference between outward success and inward success begins to surface. Stripped of our jobs, income, and career identities, we begin to ask ourselves who we really are. Do we have value beyond things, cars, houses, and investments?
We do.
But without a job and steady income it sure doesn’t seem like it.
Perhaps we have been measuring our self-worth by a wrong set of standards.
It might help to remember that at the end of the day, when the twilight of our life is at hand and we are leaving this earth, it won’t be the amount of money that we’ve earned and collected over a lifetime that will matter. Nor will it be the amount of property and the size of our investment portfolio that we leave to the next generation (though the beneficiaries will very much be concerned about those things). Nor will it be our public personae, whether we have successfully made celebrity status in our particular field of expertise or career choice.
No, what God will look at is our inner person, what kind of person did we become over all the years given to us? God will measure our success by the quality of our heart and soul. God will see the fruit of our life, not the things of our life. Fruit as in: peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. How successful are we in those terms?
Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that says, “He who dies with the most toys, wins!”?
I beg to differ. Sure, it’s said with tongue in cheek. Still, we live as if it were ever so true, as if real success were measured by money, size of house, make, model and speed of car and so forth. It’s dead wrong.
Neither money nor power is the measure of true success. We’d like to think so because these things are tangible, measurable, and they do turn heads, eliciting great admiration and respect, and jealousy. But such outer success is as permanent as one’s youthful good looks.
To measure real success we’d have to look at what’s going on within us, in our person—our heart and soul, our spirit. That’s where the real quality of success lies.
For example, do you have a great career, nice house, sporty car, and great reputation but still find yourself bitter, angry, resentful, sad, depressed, lonely, and/or mad at the world? Do you have everything that advertisements tell you that you should have and then some, but still find yourself being envious and jealous of others? Are you always comparing yourself with others? Are you proud, arrogant, greedy, selfish, dismissive and judgmental of others? Do you think yourself better than others but fear that others won’t or don’t notice how gifted you are?
A truly successful person is one who has learned to be at peace within one’s self, to be content. A successful person is one who has learned to love deeply and is greatly loved in return. A successful person is one who has gained respect not for the wealth and riches he or she commands but for one’s genuine authenticity, trustworthiness, integrity, honesty, humility, fairness, and goodness. A successful person is a balanced person, inwardly secure, and is not threatened by those who are more talented and/or gifted than he or she is. I submit that few of us know this kind of success—partly because few of us aim for that kind of success.
But when an economy turns sour and people lose their jobs, the difference between outward success and inward success begins to surface. Stripped of our jobs, income, and career identities, we begin to ask ourselves who we really are. Do we have value beyond things, cars, houses, and investments?
We do.
But without a job and steady income it sure doesn’t seem like it.
Perhaps we have been measuring our self-worth by a wrong set of standards.
It might help to remember that at the end of the day, when the twilight of our life is at hand and we are leaving this earth, it won’t be the amount of money that we’ve earned and collected over a lifetime that will matter. Nor will it be the amount of property and the size of our investment portfolio that we leave to the next generation (though the beneficiaries will very much be concerned about those things). Nor will it be our public personae, whether we have successfully made celebrity status in our particular field of expertise or career choice.
No, what God will look at is our inner person, what kind of person did we become over all the years given to us? God will measure our success by the quality of our heart and soul. God will see the fruit of our life, not the things of our life. Fruit as in: peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. How successful are we in those terms?
Monday, August 15, 2011
Taking a Real Vacation?
Are you on vacation? I bet not.
I bet that you only think you are on vacation and that you’re just going through the motions.
Oh yes, you are away from your desk. You have driven or flown and traveled with your family to some hot summer spot. The kids are playing, you’re doing a lot of eating-out and sightseeing and so, of course, you have convinced yourself that you are on vacation. But you’re not.
Why not?
Because a real vacation begins in the mind, moves from the heart, and energizes the spirit. And for most vacationers, that’s just not happening.
HOW TO TAKE A REAL VACATION
1. Be There. Hello! Are you there? Where’s your mind wandering off to, work, contracts, deadlines, negotiations, networking, cost evaluations, the bottom line? STOP! Tell your mind to vacate the work premises. Truly turn it off and get away and be there with wife, son, daughter, family, and friends. Turn off, tune in, and tone down.
2. Decide whose vacation this is—yours, mine, or ours? Is this vacation for you and your spouse or you and the kids’ or all of the above? Decide upfront, here and now whose vacation this is and own it. If this vacation is mainly designed for the kids, then keep it that way and be faithful to them for their sake. Focus on them. Be there for them and with them. Listen to them. Discern their wants and desires before they even have to tell you, if you can. Contrary to the way you may feel, they want more than your money and the gadgets and thingamajigs that you can buy them. They want YOU, your attention, your understanding, your approval, your presence, your love. If it’s a vacation for just you and your spouse, well, don’t be distracted. Need I say more?
3. Decide your spending limits ahead of time but allow for unexpected splurging for the pure joy of it. Don’t dig a money hole, that is, do not turn your vacation into a frightening debt experience, come this Halloween season. Plan, save, budget, and enjoy within the limits of your affordability. But plan to spend and to spend with a free heart and fearless indulgence. If you’ve prepared well (we’re talking about money management here, which is a whole different subject) you should be able to enjoy yourself with utter abandonment according to your financial boundaries and limitations. Yes, it can be done.
4. Don’t rush. Slow down and focus. Don’t try to do it all. Don’t come home needing a vacation from your vacation. This means you’ve tried to do too much, too quickly, and with too short of time. Be realistic with your vacation time, which includes time for traveling to and from, dealing with jetlag, and other time consuming expenditures such as waiting in line for your favorite ride or eating spot. Since you can’t see it all, taste it all, grab it all, or take it ALL in, choose carefully and allow plenty of time to take in and absorb those once in a lifetime experiences that build the kind of memories that you truly want to savor.
5. Decide ahead of time if this is an action vacation or a more passive vacation. Do you want to DO or BE on this vacation? Be clear as to what you want to “accomplish” in your vacation. For some a great vacation means doing a lot of walking, hiking, diving, surfing, boating and what not, doing things. For others a great vacation means simply “being” in the moment, sitting, observing, contemplating, reading and/or singing along to their favorite music. Everybody is different, even among family members. It’s best that the family negotiate this one through, ahead of time, and plan accordingly.
A real vacation should serve to re-energize you, giving you an opportunity to strengthen your most important relationships, family and friends, and should provide your heart and soul with a refreshing and renewing spirit. It won’t just happen. You must prepare and plan for it. Begin by simply turning off all your electronic gadgets that keep you tied to your office or desk, your company or business. You are on vacation, so keep that boundary sacrosanct for the sake of your own sanity and for the pleasure of your family and ENJOY!
I bet that you only think you are on vacation and that you’re just going through the motions.
Oh yes, you are away from your desk. You have driven or flown and traveled with your family to some hot summer spot. The kids are playing, you’re doing a lot of eating-out and sightseeing and so, of course, you have convinced yourself that you are on vacation. But you’re not.
Why not?
Because a real vacation begins in the mind, moves from the heart, and energizes the spirit. And for most vacationers, that’s just not happening.
HOW TO TAKE A REAL VACATION
1. Be There. Hello! Are you there? Where’s your mind wandering off to, work, contracts, deadlines, negotiations, networking, cost evaluations, the bottom line? STOP! Tell your mind to vacate the work premises. Truly turn it off and get away and be there with wife, son, daughter, family, and friends. Turn off, tune in, and tone down.
2. Decide whose vacation this is—yours, mine, or ours? Is this vacation for you and your spouse or you and the kids’ or all of the above? Decide upfront, here and now whose vacation this is and own it. If this vacation is mainly designed for the kids, then keep it that way and be faithful to them for their sake. Focus on them. Be there for them and with them. Listen to them. Discern their wants and desires before they even have to tell you, if you can. Contrary to the way you may feel, they want more than your money and the gadgets and thingamajigs that you can buy them. They want YOU, your attention, your understanding, your approval, your presence, your love. If it’s a vacation for just you and your spouse, well, don’t be distracted. Need I say more?
3. Decide your spending limits ahead of time but allow for unexpected splurging for the pure joy of it. Don’t dig a money hole, that is, do not turn your vacation into a frightening debt experience, come this Halloween season. Plan, save, budget, and enjoy within the limits of your affordability. But plan to spend and to spend with a free heart and fearless indulgence. If you’ve prepared well (we’re talking about money management here, which is a whole different subject) you should be able to enjoy yourself with utter abandonment according to your financial boundaries and limitations. Yes, it can be done.
4. Don’t rush. Slow down and focus. Don’t try to do it all. Don’t come home needing a vacation from your vacation. This means you’ve tried to do too much, too quickly, and with too short of time. Be realistic with your vacation time, which includes time for traveling to and from, dealing with jetlag, and other time consuming expenditures such as waiting in line for your favorite ride or eating spot. Since you can’t see it all, taste it all, grab it all, or take it ALL in, choose carefully and allow plenty of time to take in and absorb those once in a lifetime experiences that build the kind of memories that you truly want to savor.
5. Decide ahead of time if this is an action vacation or a more passive vacation. Do you want to DO or BE on this vacation? Be clear as to what you want to “accomplish” in your vacation. For some a great vacation means doing a lot of walking, hiking, diving, surfing, boating and what not, doing things. For others a great vacation means simply “being” in the moment, sitting, observing, contemplating, reading and/or singing along to their favorite music. Everybody is different, even among family members. It’s best that the family negotiate this one through, ahead of time, and plan accordingly.
A real vacation should serve to re-energize you, giving you an opportunity to strengthen your most important relationships, family and friends, and should provide your heart and soul with a refreshing and renewing spirit. It won’t just happen. You must prepare and plan for it. Begin by simply turning off all your electronic gadgets that keep you tied to your office or desk, your company or business. You are on vacation, so keep that boundary sacrosanct for the sake of your own sanity and for the pleasure of your family and ENJOY!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Slutwalk, Anger, Blame, and the Freedom to Be
As a male, I will never fully understand or be able to fully empathize with a woman’s perspective. There is no unisex, there are men and there are women, and we are different. Nevertheless, whether male or female, all humans understand the need for personal safety and assume the right to have their personal boundaries and their dignity and honor respected.
Yet, as a male, I also recognize that women all over the world are generally given no fair share of the respect that they should have a right to expect. A mere casual look at the state of women in the world as a whole should confirm this statement. All over the world women are beaten by their husbands, used by men, overworked, underpaid, and relegated to second class status in terms of power and influence, economic freedom and independent decision making processes. It’s an undeniable reality and a fact: women (and girls—teens) are regularly abused and sexually objectified and victimized by men.
It is no wonder that Michael Sanguinetti’s remark sparked a rage reaction that turned into defiant international demonstrations called SlutWalk! This is what he said: “I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this, however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” He said this while speaking to a law class at the University of Toronto. Talk about a classic foot in mouth statement! I understand that he did apologize later. Still, the cat was let out of the bag and the damage done.
This SlutWalk movement, if we can call it that, is fraught with multiple layers of issues: sexuality and sexual expression and sexual norms, gender relations and gender equality, social norms and social justice, religion and ethics, freedom of speech, and so forth. That is, it’s not about what it’s about, as if it were merely a question of the way a woman is free or not free to dress. The dress statement was simply a catalyst, igniting a much deeper social, political, cultural, and religiously explosive dynamic.
It would be too simplistic to say that ALL women are angry and that ALL men are clueless. But that’s how it seems. Still, it should be safe to say that we do have a problem. We men and women have a problem with each other. We’re apparently still at war. The battle of the sexes is not over. We are not acting like partners in this world. We’re acting like enemies on opposite sides of a field, winner takes all. And that’s our mistake. With such an approach, one side loses while the winning side just buys time before the losing side attempts a counter attack to regain the upper hand. And so, the war goes on.
Even religious faith and dogma (and not just in Christianity) has been used and continues to be used as a justification to keep women in a second class, lower status position under male dominance. Again, it is no wonder that women are so angry.
So, let us keep in mind the following realities while we engage with, and tackle these issues:
First: We are connected. Remember the point of the Butterfly Effect? Nature, life, people, we are all interconnected. Directly or indirectly, what I do does in fact affect you. What you do will indeed affect me. Therefore, no man or woman actually has an unqualified and absolute right to say “I have a right to do whatever I want because it’s my life to live as I want.” We are social beings connected and interconnected to other human beings—parents to children, grandparents to grandchildren, siblings to each other, teacher and student relationships, employer and employee relationships, etc. etc. Thus, all human beings must take into account the effect that their actions will have on other human beings—in terms of what they do and say, and yes, even in terms of how one may dress.
Second: This is not a perfect world. Evil is real. Bad people do bad things. There are thugs and robbers, murderers and rapists, racists and bigots, and haters and destroyers of everything that is good and right. Let’s not be naïve. Yes, we may have the right to walk the city streets at night alone and unprotected and dress anyway we want, but in some streets it is just downright stupid to do so. We must be realistic and smart about our personal freedoms, our rights and privileges, as to when, where, and how we express them.
Third: All societies and cultures have their set of norms, social rules and expectations as to how people ought to act and behave both in public and private places. Rules and norms may change and be modified over time but they are always there. Generally speaking, it is always safer to stay within these norms than to stretch or break them. One should be quite clear and self-aware when one pointedly chooses to break social norms. It may be “cutting edge” behavior, “pushing the envelope” as it were, but that’s all the more reason why one should also expect strong reactions and not look for total sympathy and/or respect when you do deliberately disregard generally accepted rules of behavior and etiquette.
Fourth: All human beings have to answer to someone. This is similar to the first principle (we are connected). We are accountable for our actions. None of us are absolutely free to do whatever we want. If it hurts, destroys, damages, misleads or misdirects others, oppresses or causes harm to another person, we are responsible and must be held accountable for our actions and our words. And it’s a two way street. There are such things as “temptation,” “seduction,” “inducement,” “allurement,” and “entrapment.” All actions have their motive and purpose—intention; therefore all actions must be held to account.
Fifth: All human beings are sacrosanct. We owe it to each other to honor and respect one another, men and women, men toward women and women toward men. This means respecting personal boundaries, physically and relationally, respecting another’s personal space—body and mind, emotion and spirit— so that “Do not touch me,” means exactly that, and “No!” means stop. Slavery is over. We do not have the right to command, control, or force others to do our bidding against their will, as if we own them.
Sixth: It is a Power issue. Men use their greater physical strength, social, political and even religious power to continue to dominate women around the world. This is why many women are “up in arms” and see this as a “fight.” They want justice, freedom, and a share in the power.
As to the specific question of one’s clothing, consider this: if dress were really neutral, why do we have such sayings as “Dress for success” or “This is a black tie event”? We dress certain ways for weddings and funerals and other ways for special events and occasions like a Beach party or Halloween party, for example. So yes, the way we dress always conveys something of a social statement and seeks to elicit response—has impact.
Yet, as a male, I also recognize that women all over the world are generally given no fair share of the respect that they should have a right to expect. A mere casual look at the state of women in the world as a whole should confirm this statement. All over the world women are beaten by their husbands, used by men, overworked, underpaid, and relegated to second class status in terms of power and influence, economic freedom and independent decision making processes. It’s an undeniable reality and a fact: women (and girls—teens) are regularly abused and sexually objectified and victimized by men.
It is no wonder that Michael Sanguinetti’s remark sparked a rage reaction that turned into defiant international demonstrations called SlutWalk! This is what he said: “I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this, however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” He said this while speaking to a law class at the University of Toronto. Talk about a classic foot in mouth statement! I understand that he did apologize later. Still, the cat was let out of the bag and the damage done.
This SlutWalk movement, if we can call it that, is fraught with multiple layers of issues: sexuality and sexual expression and sexual norms, gender relations and gender equality, social norms and social justice, religion and ethics, freedom of speech, and so forth. That is, it’s not about what it’s about, as if it were merely a question of the way a woman is free or not free to dress. The dress statement was simply a catalyst, igniting a much deeper social, political, cultural, and religiously explosive dynamic.
It would be too simplistic to say that ALL women are angry and that ALL men are clueless. But that’s how it seems. Still, it should be safe to say that we do have a problem. We men and women have a problem with each other. We’re apparently still at war. The battle of the sexes is not over. We are not acting like partners in this world. We’re acting like enemies on opposite sides of a field, winner takes all. And that’s our mistake. With such an approach, one side loses while the winning side just buys time before the losing side attempts a counter attack to regain the upper hand. And so, the war goes on.
Even religious faith and dogma (and not just in Christianity) has been used and continues to be used as a justification to keep women in a second class, lower status position under male dominance. Again, it is no wonder that women are so angry.
So, let us keep in mind the following realities while we engage with, and tackle these issues:
First: We are connected. Remember the point of the Butterfly Effect? Nature, life, people, we are all interconnected. Directly or indirectly, what I do does in fact affect you. What you do will indeed affect me. Therefore, no man or woman actually has an unqualified and absolute right to say “I have a right to do whatever I want because it’s my life to live as I want.” We are social beings connected and interconnected to other human beings—parents to children, grandparents to grandchildren, siblings to each other, teacher and student relationships, employer and employee relationships, etc. etc. Thus, all human beings must take into account the effect that their actions will have on other human beings—in terms of what they do and say, and yes, even in terms of how one may dress.
Second: This is not a perfect world. Evil is real. Bad people do bad things. There are thugs and robbers, murderers and rapists, racists and bigots, and haters and destroyers of everything that is good and right. Let’s not be naïve. Yes, we may have the right to walk the city streets at night alone and unprotected and dress anyway we want, but in some streets it is just downright stupid to do so. We must be realistic and smart about our personal freedoms, our rights and privileges, as to when, where, and how we express them.
Third: All societies and cultures have their set of norms, social rules and expectations as to how people ought to act and behave both in public and private places. Rules and norms may change and be modified over time but they are always there. Generally speaking, it is always safer to stay within these norms than to stretch or break them. One should be quite clear and self-aware when one pointedly chooses to break social norms. It may be “cutting edge” behavior, “pushing the envelope” as it were, but that’s all the more reason why one should also expect strong reactions and not look for total sympathy and/or respect when you do deliberately disregard generally accepted rules of behavior and etiquette.
Fourth: All human beings have to answer to someone. This is similar to the first principle (we are connected). We are accountable for our actions. None of us are absolutely free to do whatever we want. If it hurts, destroys, damages, misleads or misdirects others, oppresses or causes harm to another person, we are responsible and must be held accountable for our actions and our words. And it’s a two way street. There are such things as “temptation,” “seduction,” “inducement,” “allurement,” and “entrapment.” All actions have their motive and purpose—intention; therefore all actions must be held to account.
Fifth: All human beings are sacrosanct. We owe it to each other to honor and respect one another, men and women, men toward women and women toward men. This means respecting personal boundaries, physically and relationally, respecting another’s personal space—body and mind, emotion and spirit— so that “Do not touch me,” means exactly that, and “No!” means stop. Slavery is over. We do not have the right to command, control, or force others to do our bidding against their will, as if we own them.
Sixth: It is a Power issue. Men use their greater physical strength, social, political and even religious power to continue to dominate women around the world. This is why many women are “up in arms” and see this as a “fight.” They want justice, freedom, and a share in the power.
As to the specific question of one’s clothing, consider this: if dress were really neutral, why do we have such sayings as “Dress for success” or “This is a black tie event”? We dress certain ways for weddings and funerals and other ways for special events and occasions like a Beach party or Halloween party, for example. So yes, the way we dress always conveys something of a social statement and seeks to elicit response—has impact.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Next Election let’s Vote Out all Extremists
Too hot, too cold, too small, too big, too high, too low!
Extremes just don’t work.
Salt is good, but too much salt ruins everything. Honey is sweet, but too much honey is sickening.
Too much of any good thing is a bad thing and too little of any good thing results in weakness, neediness or want.
Too much ruins, and too little weakens a cause.
“Moderation in all things” is a good motto to live by. Don’t you think?
Extreme positions are not only unrealistic but harmful.
Extreme positions are often held with haughtiness and arrogant self-righteousness. Not good! Furthermore extreme positions are usually neither practical nor productive nor positive in their effect, non-effective at best or badly effective at worse.
Art and architecture, song and dance, poetry, prose or drama, and the Beauty of Nature all avoid extreme imbalance and excess.
Thus, an “All or Nothing” approach in negotiating outcomes just doesn’t cut it.
There is always give-and-take.
A healthy life is a balanced life, work and play, leisure and exercise, wake and sleep, action and rest.
Congress needs to practice this simple motto.
Seek balance. Avoid extremes. Be moderate in all things. Do what is healthy for the nation’s economy, which means avoiding extremes.
A centered, balanced and moderate, Congressional Representative is a good thing.
Next election, let’s vote out all extremists and vote in solid moderates who will be constructively practical and balanced.
Extremes just don’t work.
Salt is good, but too much salt ruins everything. Honey is sweet, but too much honey is sickening.
Too much of any good thing is a bad thing and too little of any good thing results in weakness, neediness or want.
Too much ruins, and too little weakens a cause.
“Moderation in all things” is a good motto to live by. Don’t you think?
Extreme positions are not only unrealistic but harmful.
Extreme positions are often held with haughtiness and arrogant self-righteousness. Not good! Furthermore extreme positions are usually neither practical nor productive nor positive in their effect, non-effective at best or badly effective at worse.
Art and architecture, song and dance, poetry, prose or drama, and the Beauty of Nature all avoid extreme imbalance and excess.
Thus, an “All or Nothing” approach in negotiating outcomes just doesn’t cut it.
There is always give-and-take.
A healthy life is a balanced life, work and play, leisure and exercise, wake and sleep, action and rest.
Congress needs to practice this simple motto.
Seek balance. Avoid extremes. Be moderate in all things. Do what is healthy for the nation’s economy, which means avoiding extremes.
A centered, balanced and moderate, Congressional Representative is a good thing.
Next election, let’s vote out all extremists and vote in solid moderates who will be constructively practical and balanced.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wanted: Integrity!
When was the last time you said, “She has integrity” or “He is a man of integrity,” and meant it?
Are you a person of integrity? Does it matter to you whether or not you are?
Here’s a casual definition of the word: integrity = honesty, moral rectitude and/or soundness.
When applied to a person it refers to a person’s soundness of character. If a person has integrity, he is a ‘man of his word,’ for example, or she is ‘sound and trustworthy.’ A person of integrity is true, transparent and dependable in his/her relationships with others, for example, neither a backbiter, nor a betrayer, nor a liar or a cheater.
A person of integrity is sound not only with respect to his/her relationship with others, but is sound with respect to his/her beliefs and convictions and seeks to live in a manner that is consistent with his/her principles and values.
In short, a person of integrity is…
Integrity matters. If a thing is sound and whole, is dependable, and true to its purpose, it has integrity. It works as it is meant to work and does what it’s meant to do. It is good.
If a nation is to be sound and strong it too must have integrity. But a nation’s integrity is no better than its people. It matters whether or not you and I are persons of integrity—at home, in school, at work, or in our judicial and political chambers. How we conduct personal and public business, how we make decisions—as to motive, purpose, and desired outcomes, matters. We should always ask ourselves, “Does this have integrity?”
How much integrity do we have in the present politics of our economic decision making process that’s going on right now? What are the true motives behind the stalemate? Are our politicians really concerned for what’s best for this nation or are the desired outcomes purely political? Are the ends justifying the means?
In politics, integrity does not necessarily mean that one does not make compromises or refuses to negotiate and accommodate. It does mean that one does not sacrifice the public good for personal and political gain. In this present economic climate, it seems that the best thing for both political parties to do is to make an agreement that is fair, just, and balanced for the nation as a whole, and to stop catering to the hard right or far left and to stop pandering to any other special interest group. But no, it seems that both parties are rather more worried about election 2012 than they are about the economic strength of this nation—and that myopic concern lacks political integrity.
Are you a person of integrity? Does it matter to you whether or not you are?
Here’s a casual definition of the word: integrity = honesty, moral rectitude and/or soundness.
When applied to a person it refers to a person’s soundness of character. If a person has integrity, he is a ‘man of his word,’ for example, or she is ‘sound and trustworthy.’ A person of integrity is true, transparent and dependable in his/her relationships with others, for example, neither a backbiter, nor a betrayer, nor a liar or a cheater.
A person of integrity is sound not only with respect to his/her relationship with others, but is sound with respect to his/her beliefs and convictions and seeks to live in a manner that is consistent with his/her principles and values.
In short, a person of integrity is…
- Is true to his word (say what you mean, mean what you say).
- Is reliable, consistent, dependable, and trustworthy.
- Is moderate, reasonable, balanced; is teachable and correctable.
- Is neither stubborn nor close-minded, neither proud nor arrogant, neither recalcitrant nor intractable; is humble.
- Is non-secretive or deceptive but open, transparent, and rightly accountable.
- Is respectful and considerate of others beyond his/her own circle of friends and connections.
- Is fair and just toward all, especially the powerless, disenfranchised, oppressed, and abused.
- Is as concerned for right processes as for right ends (the ends do not justify the means).
- Is purposeful, doing what is good, right, and beneficial, adding value and building community rather than undermining and destroying it.
Integrity matters. If a thing is sound and whole, is dependable, and true to its purpose, it has integrity. It works as it is meant to work and does what it’s meant to do. It is good.
If a nation is to be sound and strong it too must have integrity. But a nation’s integrity is no better than its people. It matters whether or not you and I are persons of integrity—at home, in school, at work, or in our judicial and political chambers. How we conduct personal and public business, how we make decisions—as to motive, purpose, and desired outcomes, matters. We should always ask ourselves, “Does this have integrity?”
How much integrity do we have in the present politics of our economic decision making process that’s going on right now? What are the true motives behind the stalemate? Are our politicians really concerned for what’s best for this nation or are the desired outcomes purely political? Are the ends justifying the means?
In politics, integrity does not necessarily mean that one does not make compromises or refuses to negotiate and accommodate. It does mean that one does not sacrifice the public good for personal and political gain. In this present economic climate, it seems that the best thing for both political parties to do is to make an agreement that is fair, just, and balanced for the nation as a whole, and to stop catering to the hard right or far left and to stop pandering to any other special interest group. But no, it seems that both parties are rather more worried about election 2012 than they are about the economic strength of this nation—and that myopic concern lacks political integrity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)