PART ONE
We are on the precipice of a New Year. At the time of posting this particular blog, the coming New Year is only hours away.
Many will be celebrating the arrival of this New Year with party hats, noise makers, digital clocks, falling balloons, confetti, and more. But what does it mean?
As with every passing year, 2012 is a mixed bag. There are the usual ups and downs, including the extremes: lost loved-ones, grief, sorrow, pain, as well as the ushering-in of new-arrivals, joy, gladness, and gain. Success for some—desires fulfilled, dreams come true. And failure for others—fallen hopes and dashed dreams; new starts and false beginnings, good endings and bad finishes. And so it goes.
How does one face another year, especially if it is one filled with dashed hopes and failing dreams? Much of our ability to recover and rise from the ashes has to do with our attitude, our mindset and heart and our ability to face Reality—the Truth about ourselves and the world we live in.
This takes a good amount of courage. It also takes a great deal of humility, coupled with faith.
Why does it take humility? Because we need to acknowledge that we cannot control everything. We are not all powerful beings. We are contingent and dependent beings. There is a Greater Power beyond our little ole self.
Why does it take courage? Because: we need to face the truth about ourselves, and do so without becoming despondent. We have a great deal of faults and weaknesses that often add to our miseries and troubles. That is, truth be told, we are often to blame for much of the grief that we bear. Sadly, we usually choose to live in denial and avoid dealing directly with our terrible character flaws and weaknesses.
But, so as to not become despairing, we need also to keep faith and embrace the gift of grace; hence, our need of courage, humility, and faith.
PART TWO
But that is not all. Fundamentally we need perspective. We need vision. We need a way of seeing Reality so as to make sense of what is happening, what has happened, and what will happen.
You know all that talk about the Mayan calendar and the end of the world that was supposed to have happened on December 21st of this year? The hype on that could partly be explained by an intermingling and confusion of two distinctive perspectives on the meaning of time and our place in it.
To simplify, there are two views on time: The one is cyclical and the other is linear.
The Mayans had a cyclical view of time: as for example the four seasons, time goes around and comes around anew. Hence, for the Mayans, December 21st of 2012 represented nothing more than a marked renewal of a five thousand year calendar time cycle, such as we mark January 1st as the renewal of a twelve month yearly cycle.
However, the Mayan cyclical view of time was confusedly coupled with the Biblical linear perspective of time. In the linear view, time has a beginning and time will have an ending.
This is a teleological view of time: the understanding that final causes exist with a climatic purpose in mind. That is to say that phenomenon is guided by a Greater Power and that we are moving toward a certain end. The ending of time, in this view, is associated with great and dreadful apocalyptic events, which the study of Biblical eschatology is about: concerning last or final matters, as of death, judgment, and our future state.
I suggest we embrace the Biblical Linear view of time. I believe this view more practically and realistically explains and deals with our human condition (our mental, spiritual, and physical reality and needs) and thus also provides us with a real and tangible hope for the future, for this life and for eternity.
I am sure the reader has nothing against the person of Jesus, who is called the Christ (as opposed, perhaps, to the institutionalized church). Thus, read for yourself what Jesus says about time, life, death, suffering and pain, and His promise of something far better than we can now imagine. Jesus definitely advocates a linear view of time—time as we now know it leading to a definite and climatic ending.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Guns, School Shootings, and Public Safety: What’s the Answer?
Arm our schools?! Is this really the right direction to take? Become more militarized in our behavior, attitude, thinking?
The irony is that it is the NRA, which constantly barks about freedom and protecting our constitutional rights, that is advocating a direction that will make us look and act more and more like a Police State.
I have no interest in militarizing our schools with armed security guards. Neither do I have any interest in taking away the basic American right for a law abiding citizen to own a gun. I want to have both, rights and safety.
I want the confidence to move freely within our public and private domains—be it our schools, our places of worship, shopping centers, amusement parks, national monuments, or within our halls of government and justice—without fear of being gunned down and without the irritation and fear of being manhandled by security forces who are trained to distrust and question every action and motive of casual pedestrians weaving his or her way through these same public spaces, minding their own business.
What comes to mind is the old saying, “Locks on doors simply keep honest people honest.” Meaning, a determined thief or dishonest person will find a way to break in, no matter what, despite the locked doors. Likewise, most determined killers will find a way to kill. Still, we must make it as difficult as possible for intentional murderers to get their hands on assault weapons.
So of course we need security. Every town, community, and neighborhood requires a well-trained and well equipped police force. Nevertheless, I am troubled by this “Gated Community” mentality that we seem to be moving towards as a way of feeling safe and protected.
When we begin walling ourselves off by barricading our houses and militarizing our schools with uniformed or plain clothes security and police officers, we are no longer living freely. We are living in deep fear and distrust—restrictive, defensive, and reactionary—and we have given up control of our greater expanded living space, the community at large.
And that feeling of a loss of control is translated into a sense of physical vulnerability. Thus, we want to compensate that feeling of vulnerability with heavy armor. We run out and buy more guns, arming ourselves to the hilt, in order to feel safer. That, my friends, is a sign of weakness, not strength! It signifies community breakdown not community empowerment.
The strength we need is inner, spiritual, moral, emotional, and relational strength. We need the strength of a healthy community coming together, not a frightened and fractured community turning its defenses in on itself against its very own members.
We do need wiser and more effective gun management, gun control laws. We do need to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Good, reasonable, and effective laws affecting the types of guns sold and how they are sold and distributed can help us do this. But we also need to deal better with the overall human factor, as for example, caring better for our society’s mentally ill. For example, was Adam Lanza really a “Monster!”? Or, was he a dazed and crazed young man who needed some real personal, psychological treatment and emotional attention?
There is much to learn here. Will we take the time to really learn or will we simply jump into knee-jerk reactionary posturing and break into two camps, pro and anti-gun lobbying without getting into the deeper issues ravaging our society’s peace and safety?
The irony is that it is the NRA, which constantly barks about freedom and protecting our constitutional rights, that is advocating a direction that will make us look and act more and more like a Police State.
I have no interest in militarizing our schools with armed security guards. Neither do I have any interest in taking away the basic American right for a law abiding citizen to own a gun. I want to have both, rights and safety.
I want the confidence to move freely within our public and private domains—be it our schools, our places of worship, shopping centers, amusement parks, national monuments, or within our halls of government and justice—without fear of being gunned down and without the irritation and fear of being manhandled by security forces who are trained to distrust and question every action and motive of casual pedestrians weaving his or her way through these same public spaces, minding their own business.
What comes to mind is the old saying, “Locks on doors simply keep honest people honest.” Meaning, a determined thief or dishonest person will find a way to break in, no matter what, despite the locked doors. Likewise, most determined killers will find a way to kill. Still, we must make it as difficult as possible for intentional murderers to get their hands on assault weapons.
So of course we need security. Every town, community, and neighborhood requires a well-trained and well equipped police force. Nevertheless, I am troubled by this “Gated Community” mentality that we seem to be moving towards as a way of feeling safe and protected.
When we begin walling ourselves off by barricading our houses and militarizing our schools with uniformed or plain clothes security and police officers, we are no longer living freely. We are living in deep fear and distrust—restrictive, defensive, and reactionary—and we have given up control of our greater expanded living space, the community at large.
And that feeling of a loss of control is translated into a sense of physical vulnerability. Thus, we want to compensate that feeling of vulnerability with heavy armor. We run out and buy more guns, arming ourselves to the hilt, in order to feel safer. That, my friends, is a sign of weakness, not strength! It signifies community breakdown not community empowerment.
The strength we need is inner, spiritual, moral, emotional, and relational strength. We need the strength of a healthy community coming together, not a frightened and fractured community turning its defenses in on itself against its very own members.
We do need wiser and more effective gun management, gun control laws. We do need to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Good, reasonable, and effective laws affecting the types of guns sold and how they are sold and distributed can help us do this. But we also need to deal better with the overall human factor, as for example, caring better for our society’s mentally ill. For example, was Adam Lanza really a “Monster!”? Or, was he a dazed and crazed young man who needed some real personal, psychological treatment and emotional attention?
There is much to learn here. Will we take the time to really learn or will we simply jump into knee-jerk reactionary posturing and break into two camps, pro and anti-gun lobbying without getting into the deeper issues ravaging our society’s peace and safety?
Monday, December 17, 2012
Freedom! – For what, to what… from what?
Freedom is a core value, if not the foundational value of the American Way.
Politicians and special-interest groups often use the rally-cry of freedom to elicit support for their cause. They stir up our defense mechanisms by telling us that the government is about to strip us of our basic rights and freedoms, and tell us to vote for them as champions of freedom against perceived government overreach.
Fueling our fiery passions with a rally-call to freedom, the end result is that they slyly manage to keep us from doing our homework. Of course we want freedom! So, without giving serious consideration to the actual implications of their platform and agenda and its consequences, we rally behind them: “Yah, down with government; up with Freedom!!”
But what is freedom? What does it mean to be free? You think you know, until you are forced to, let’s say, explain its meaning to a fourth grader, a ten year-old. Then what do you say: “Freedom is to be able to do what you want, whenever you want, as you want—to do whatever we please.” I don’t think so.
Freedom has its rules, regulations and limitations. Freedom presumes knowledge and responsibility. Freedom assumes self-control and self-restraint. Freedom calls for respect and consideration of others. Freedom requires staying within certain boundaries. Freedom is never license to do as we please.
I am not free to play the piano. Why? Because, I have not learned the rules of playing the instrument—hand placement, finger movement, and chords, etcetera. That is, I am only free to play the piano and to become a pianist only when I am willing to learn and to submit to the given rules and ‘regulations’ for playing such an instrument. Likewise, I am not free to play the game of football unless I know and am willing to submit to the rules of the game. Freedom in life, and in society, is the same. It calls for the learning of, and the submitting to, life’s positive restrictions for individual and for community—truth, justice, equity, mercy, and love, for example.
And so, we are never truly free in life until we have learned to submit to the given rules and regulations that make for a positive, prosperous, good and just life. For example, the freedom to drink to excess and become addicted to alcohol and/or drugs is not real freedom. On the contrary, it is enslavement, which is ruinous and destructive to one’s personal life as well as one’s community. But learning to submit to the principles and dictates of self-control, moderation, and self-discipline, for example, provides the freedom to excel and grow into a real productive and fruitful human being within one’s community. In short, freedom demands that we submit to certain social boundaries and personal limitations in order to thrive as individuals and as a community.
Thus, freedom is not only a matter of being free from something but also being free to… to do and to be, to become. The environment, the community’s setting and context, society and culture must make it conducive for a free people to thrive and prosper. And that means a people’s willingness, as individuals and as a community, to admit personal limitations and accept a certain amount of social regulation, and to submit to the rules of the game, in order to assure that everyone has the potential to succeed.
Politicians and special-interest groups often use the rally-cry of freedom to elicit support for their cause. They stir up our defense mechanisms by telling us that the government is about to strip us of our basic rights and freedoms, and tell us to vote for them as champions of freedom against perceived government overreach.
Fueling our fiery passions with a rally-call to freedom, the end result is that they slyly manage to keep us from doing our homework. Of course we want freedom! So, without giving serious consideration to the actual implications of their platform and agenda and its consequences, we rally behind them: “Yah, down with government; up with Freedom!!”
But what is freedom? What does it mean to be free? You think you know, until you are forced to, let’s say, explain its meaning to a fourth grader, a ten year-old. Then what do you say: “Freedom is to be able to do what you want, whenever you want, as you want—to do whatever we please.” I don’t think so.
Freedom has its rules, regulations and limitations. Freedom presumes knowledge and responsibility. Freedom assumes self-control and self-restraint. Freedom calls for respect and consideration of others. Freedom requires staying within certain boundaries. Freedom is never license to do as we please.
I am not free to play the piano. Why? Because, I have not learned the rules of playing the instrument—hand placement, finger movement, and chords, etcetera. That is, I am only free to play the piano and to become a pianist only when I am willing to learn and to submit to the given rules and ‘regulations’ for playing such an instrument. Likewise, I am not free to play the game of football unless I know and am willing to submit to the rules of the game. Freedom in life, and in society, is the same. It calls for the learning of, and the submitting to, life’s positive restrictions for individual and for community—truth, justice, equity, mercy, and love, for example.
And so, we are never truly free in life until we have learned to submit to the given rules and regulations that make for a positive, prosperous, good and just life. For example, the freedom to drink to excess and become addicted to alcohol and/or drugs is not real freedom. On the contrary, it is enslavement, which is ruinous and destructive to one’s personal life as well as one’s community. But learning to submit to the principles and dictates of self-control, moderation, and self-discipline, for example, provides the freedom to excel and grow into a real productive and fruitful human being within one’s community. In short, freedom demands that we submit to certain social boundaries and personal limitations in order to thrive as individuals and as a community.
Thus, freedom is not only a matter of being free from something but also being free to… to do and to be, to become. The environment, the community’s setting and context, society and culture must make it conducive for a free people to thrive and prosper. And that means a people’s willingness, as individuals and as a community, to admit personal limitations and accept a certain amount of social regulation, and to submit to the rules of the game, in order to assure that everyone has the potential to succeed.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Dealing with Holiday Depression?
The Holidays can be hard on people and for various reasons.
Many dread the coming of the holidays because for them, the holidays mean the exact opposite of what they claim to be: For many, the holidays mean nothing more than hypocrisy, falsity, and fakery, all wrapped-up in tinsel and glitter. For many, instead of inviting peace and joy, the holidays bring in sadness and turmoil. Instead of inviting warmth and love, they usher in personal alienation and cold nights alone. The contrast is just too painful.
This is truly sad. I’d be depressed too, if that were the true essence of our holiday season.
The fact is: this world is a mess. And we suffer for it. There are the casualties of war, sickness, and poverty. There are the misfortunes of broken relationships, and the anguish of unrealized and unfilled desires and dreams. And there is the distress of our private personal agonies we dare not share.
And, on top of all that, there is the cold inevitability of our mortality—our eventual demise. Life ends. Good, bad, or indifferent, either we or our loved ones are forced to leave—when we least want it or are ready for it—and the finality of death cuts us off from everyone we love.
How then could we be of good cheer in such an environment, with such a reality, as that?
Well, that’s the point. There is hope. But first we must get beyond the tinsel and glitter and resist the crass commercialism and its call to indulge in base materialism as a means of escape, and reach back into the depths of the original Holiday meaning and embrace its core message.
The holidays used to be the high Holy-Days. These were special days in which society was to stop the daily grind, get off the treadmill and contemplate life’s trajectory. It was a time to reclaim the promises that God made to humanity and to remember how God has actually begun to fulfill those promises.
The birth of Christ, God’s Holy Anointed One, is the hope made real, of eventual peace on earth and goodwill to all. It is the securing of God’s promise of a new world to come, a world that is without pain, sorrow, grief, and loss, where death no longer reins. To us is born a Savior, who saves humanity from its own self-destructive ways, ways that have thus far only resulted in death and condemnation.
Yes, life is painful. Yes, we suffer. Yes, death cuts us off. It’s all so very depressing. But there is hope. So don’t be sad. Don’t fret. Be not discouraged. Take courage. Have hope. Keep the faith. There is more to this world than meets the eye. In Christ, the Messiah, we are guaranteed a coming of peace and goodness, justice and righteousness. In Him we will know, no more death and dying, no more pain or sorrow, no more loss. And that, my friends, is worth celebrating, worth having a Holiday over—whether you are presently poor or rich, sick or well, living or dying.
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and His Kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7 (Written roughly 700 years before Christ was born.)
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah [Christ], the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!” Luke 2:8-14
Christ was born. He lived... he died, and then came Easter and the power of His Resurrection! I am the resurrection and the Life, said He. And last He said, See, I am coming soon, my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22:12-13
Many dread the coming of the holidays because for them, the holidays mean the exact opposite of what they claim to be: For many, the holidays mean nothing more than hypocrisy, falsity, and fakery, all wrapped-up in tinsel and glitter. For many, instead of inviting peace and joy, the holidays bring in sadness and turmoil. Instead of inviting warmth and love, they usher in personal alienation and cold nights alone. The contrast is just too painful.
This is truly sad. I’d be depressed too, if that were the true essence of our holiday season.
The fact is: this world is a mess. And we suffer for it. There are the casualties of war, sickness, and poverty. There are the misfortunes of broken relationships, and the anguish of unrealized and unfilled desires and dreams. And there is the distress of our private personal agonies we dare not share.
And, on top of all that, there is the cold inevitability of our mortality—our eventual demise. Life ends. Good, bad, or indifferent, either we or our loved ones are forced to leave—when we least want it or are ready for it—and the finality of death cuts us off from everyone we love.
How then could we be of good cheer in such an environment, with such a reality, as that?
Well, that’s the point. There is hope. But first we must get beyond the tinsel and glitter and resist the crass commercialism and its call to indulge in base materialism as a means of escape, and reach back into the depths of the original Holiday meaning and embrace its core message.
The holidays used to be the high Holy-Days. These were special days in which society was to stop the daily grind, get off the treadmill and contemplate life’s trajectory. It was a time to reclaim the promises that God made to humanity and to remember how God has actually begun to fulfill those promises.
The birth of Christ, God’s Holy Anointed One, is the hope made real, of eventual peace on earth and goodwill to all. It is the securing of God’s promise of a new world to come, a world that is without pain, sorrow, grief, and loss, where death no longer reins. To us is born a Savior, who saves humanity from its own self-destructive ways, ways that have thus far only resulted in death and condemnation.
Yes, life is painful. Yes, we suffer. Yes, death cuts us off. It’s all so very depressing. But there is hope. So don’t be sad. Don’t fret. Be not discouraged. Take courage. Have hope. Keep the faith. There is more to this world than meets the eye. In Christ, the Messiah, we are guaranteed a coming of peace and goodness, justice and righteousness. In Him we will know, no more death and dying, no more pain or sorrow, no more loss. And that, my friends, is worth celebrating, worth having a Holiday over—whether you are presently poor or rich, sick or well, living or dying.
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and His Kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7 (Written roughly 700 years before Christ was born.)
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah [Christ], the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!” Luke 2:8-14
Christ was born. He lived... he died, and then came Easter and the power of His Resurrection! I am the resurrection and the Life, said He. And last He said, See, I am coming soon, my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22:12-13
Monday, December 3, 2012
Job Success: Getting and Keeping a Job
Today we all know that there is no guaranteed job security. One day you’re happily on the job, next day you’re sadly looking for a job, just like that.
Whereas one’s grandfather may have had, during his career, one, two, or three job changes at most. These days the new generation may be looking at eight, ten, fifteen, maybe even twenty job changes in his or her career. The times have changed.
So, how does one stay at the cutting edge of marketability for finding and keeping a job?
Here are some helpful hints.
1. Be adaptable. Learn to adjust to the work environment and to adapt to ongoing changes taking place. Always be ready and willing to learn new skills. Take initiative in doing so. Have a solid work ethic. That is, be not only willing to, but actually do put in an honest day’s work for your pay.
2. Develop transferrable work habits and skills. What are these? These are things like organizational skills, promptness and timeliness, problem solving skills, people-relational skills, reading and writing and communication skills. Whatever your job is now, if you develop these kinds of skills, you are sure to be more marketable for the next job that you may be looking for.
3. Do your present job well and thoroughly. Don’t take short cuts. Rather, seek excellence and become an expert at what you do. Take pride in your work. Do all that is required of you and then some. Know what your company’s policies, programs, and procedures are and work accordingly and even offer valuable suggestions that might improve these.
4. Be willing to take on further responsibility. Grow in your job. Take on leadership roles and develop leadership skills. Accept responsibility for yourself. Do not make excuses for your mistakes or a job poorly done. Own it. And then demonstrate by your extra effort that you can and will do better. Show character and heart.
5. When applying for a job, present yourself well. Dress well, even if it is a job that will not require you to dress up. Do your homework. Find out as much about the company for which you are applying. Know what they want, like, expect, and do. If possible, get a feel for the company’s culture and ethos before you have your interview.
6. And finally, become a lifelong learner. Be willing to sign up for continuing education courses that your company may offer. Become an adept student. Broaden your horizons. Read more. Make a lifelong effort in developing your whole person—mind, body, heart, soul and spirit.
Whereas one’s grandfather may have had, during his career, one, two, or three job changes at most. These days the new generation may be looking at eight, ten, fifteen, maybe even twenty job changes in his or her career. The times have changed.
So, how does one stay at the cutting edge of marketability for finding and keeping a job?
Here are some helpful hints.
1. Be adaptable. Learn to adjust to the work environment and to adapt to ongoing changes taking place. Always be ready and willing to learn new skills. Take initiative in doing so. Have a solid work ethic. That is, be not only willing to, but actually do put in an honest day’s work for your pay.
2. Develop transferrable work habits and skills. What are these? These are things like organizational skills, promptness and timeliness, problem solving skills, people-relational skills, reading and writing and communication skills. Whatever your job is now, if you develop these kinds of skills, you are sure to be more marketable for the next job that you may be looking for.
3. Do your present job well and thoroughly. Don’t take short cuts. Rather, seek excellence and become an expert at what you do. Take pride in your work. Do all that is required of you and then some. Know what your company’s policies, programs, and procedures are and work accordingly and even offer valuable suggestions that might improve these.
4. Be willing to take on further responsibility. Grow in your job. Take on leadership roles and develop leadership skills. Accept responsibility for yourself. Do not make excuses for your mistakes or a job poorly done. Own it. And then demonstrate by your extra effort that you can and will do better. Show character and heart.
5. When applying for a job, present yourself well. Dress well, even if it is a job that will not require you to dress up. Do your homework. Find out as much about the company for which you are applying. Know what they want, like, expect, and do. If possible, get a feel for the company’s culture and ethos before you have your interview.
6. And finally, become a lifelong learner. Be willing to sign up for continuing education courses that your company may offer. Become an adept student. Broaden your horizons. Read more. Make a lifelong effort in developing your whole person—mind, body, heart, soul and spirit.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Christmas Shopping: Make it Easier on your Wallet
A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver. – Thomas a Kempis
First, although you may hear this every year, it is so basic that it is worth repeating: make a budget and stick to it.
Avoid buying on credit. Do NOT get into debt over gift giving. There is no shame in simply admitting to yourself that you cannot afford spending over a certain limit. In general, we Americans must learn to live within our means.
Note how commercials often encourage you to buy on credit, “charge it,” saying things like: “You deserve it, you owe it to yourself, or you’ve earned it, reward yourself,” etc. These are psychological excuses to indulge yourself. Don’t do it! Remind yourself of the old adage: “If you can’t afford it; you don’t need it.”
Thus, decide how much you can afford. Then divide and spend accordingly. That may mean, for example, that some folks on your list will get $10.00 gifts while others will get a $25.00 gift or more. But you decide how to divide up the amount so that you can stick to your overall budget.
Also, try to go for meaning over expense. You can often speak through your gift, without spending megabucks, by buying handcrafted items or by putting together your own little gift package of small but significant and meaningful items. The ideal gift speaks from, and to, the heart—without causing you financial stress.
What about the Children?
Involve your children in Christmas shopping. They too need to understand that Christmas shopping and gift giving requires some planning and careful budgeting. Help them to make lists and to determine affordability. They will soon learn that there are limits to both giving and receiving. This may help them to realize that, contrary to what business/commercialism wants us to believe, Christmas is NOT about personal indulgence and getting everything and anything one wishes.
In these days of multiple divorces and remarriage, blended families, extended separations, and weekend parenting, avoid the temptation of using gift-giving as a means of buying a child’s love or respect for you. Remember, true love cannot be bought and bribing a child into respecting or even liking you will fail in the long run. Don’t go down that road. Give genuinely, appropriately, and meaningfully. No strings attached. A sincere but humble gift is far richer and far more effective than a lavishly expensive gift that simply says, “I’ve kept my end of the deal, now you keep yours.”
Likewise, contrary to the theme of Santa’s having a Good Child and Bad Child list, avoid threatening your children with the withholding of Christmas gifts as a form of punishment, or promising special Christmas gifts as a means of rewarding your children. Christmas should never become a bargaining tool for rewarding or punishing a child’s behavior. Such an approach to Christmas altogether misses the point.
You may want to do some research on the history and development of the St. Nicholas character (Santa Claus) to teach your children about the real spirit behind Santa’s gift giving—the historical “St. Nick” was concerned for the poor and needy. From there, you can easily segue into the actual Gift of God that is Christ our Lord, Savior for humanity—which is the real heart and soul of Christmas. See the Gospel according to Luke chapters 1-2.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to One and ALL!
First, although you may hear this every year, it is so basic that it is worth repeating: make a budget and stick to it.
Avoid buying on credit. Do NOT get into debt over gift giving. There is no shame in simply admitting to yourself that you cannot afford spending over a certain limit. In general, we Americans must learn to live within our means.
Note how commercials often encourage you to buy on credit, “charge it,” saying things like: “You deserve it, you owe it to yourself, or you’ve earned it, reward yourself,” etc. These are psychological excuses to indulge yourself. Don’t do it! Remind yourself of the old adage: “If you can’t afford it; you don’t need it.”
Thus, decide how much you can afford. Then divide and spend accordingly. That may mean, for example, that some folks on your list will get $10.00 gifts while others will get a $25.00 gift or more. But you decide how to divide up the amount so that you can stick to your overall budget.
Also, try to go for meaning over expense. You can often speak through your gift, without spending megabucks, by buying handcrafted items or by putting together your own little gift package of small but significant and meaningful items. The ideal gift speaks from, and to, the heart—without causing you financial stress.
What about the Children?
Involve your children in Christmas shopping. They too need to understand that Christmas shopping and gift giving requires some planning and careful budgeting. Help them to make lists and to determine affordability. They will soon learn that there are limits to both giving and receiving. This may help them to realize that, contrary to what business/commercialism wants us to believe, Christmas is NOT about personal indulgence and getting everything and anything one wishes.
In these days of multiple divorces and remarriage, blended families, extended separations, and weekend parenting, avoid the temptation of using gift-giving as a means of buying a child’s love or respect for you. Remember, true love cannot be bought and bribing a child into respecting or even liking you will fail in the long run. Don’t go down that road. Give genuinely, appropriately, and meaningfully. No strings attached. A sincere but humble gift is far richer and far more effective than a lavishly expensive gift that simply says, “I’ve kept my end of the deal, now you keep yours.”
Likewise, contrary to the theme of Santa’s having a Good Child and Bad Child list, avoid threatening your children with the withholding of Christmas gifts as a form of punishment, or promising special Christmas gifts as a means of rewarding your children. Christmas should never become a bargaining tool for rewarding or punishing a child’s behavior. Such an approach to Christmas altogether misses the point.
You may want to do some research on the history and development of the St. Nicholas character (Santa Claus) to teach your children about the real spirit behind Santa’s gift giving—the historical “St. Nick” was concerned for the poor and needy. From there, you can easily segue into the actual Gift of God that is Christ our Lord, Savior for humanity—which is the real heart and soul of Christmas. See the Gospel according to Luke chapters 1-2.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to One and ALL!
Monday, November 19, 2012
THANKSGIVING: to Whom, for What?
Thanksgiving weekend officially marks the beginning of the Holiday Season. First we give thanks, and then we jump into a rush of Christmas shopping while anticipating a New Year.
Yes, another year is quickly winding down.
But apart from those for whom Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season is a nice excuse for overeating, excessive partying, and binge drinking, to whom and for what are we exactly giving thanks?
To give thanks to someone is to acknowledge indebtedness. You received something, were given something that was not owed to you, something unearned by you, and therefore something that the giver was not obliged to give to you.
This is especially poignant and meaningful when the thing given was very much needed or wanted by you, but was neither within your own power to obtain nor something you truly deserved. It can be humbling.
Few of us relish such indebtedness—to be obliged to a gift-giver for something we could never have gotten on our own. It means that the gift-giver has the superior position, has the greater privilege or power or status over us. It means that we feel dependent, needy, and wanting. In such a position as that, we have a choice of either being secretly resentful or truly grateful to the gift-giver. Which is it, for you?
This is what Thanksgiving is really about—giving thanks to that Someone who has the superior position, the greater power and authority over us, that someone to whom we owe our very lives: “The God who made the world and everything in it, He who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.” [Acts 17:24-25]
So how do we give proper thanks to God?
First we simply acknowledge our indebtedness to God’s mercy and grace. Without God’s merciful ways upon our lives, we’d have nothing, be nothing, and do nothing of significance: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” [Acts 17:28] Without God’s grace upon us, we’d have no hope of God’s forgiveness let alone His kindness and goodness over us: “For by grace you have been saved, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9]
Secondly, understand that it is not a right but a gift. God owes us nothing. We owe God everything. God’s gift to us is exactly that: A gift!—unearned, undeserved, and unattainable on our own.
Thirdly, we give back to God our indebtedness of honor and respect to Him and we do so with our very own lives. We live and act and do in such a way that we honor Him, glorify Him, and demonstrate true gratitude to Him for what He has done and continues to do for us: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” [1 Corinthians 10:31]
Have a good and happy THANKSGIVING!
Yes, another year is quickly winding down.
But apart from those for whom Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season is a nice excuse for overeating, excessive partying, and binge drinking, to whom and for what are we exactly giving thanks?
To give thanks to someone is to acknowledge indebtedness. You received something, were given something that was not owed to you, something unearned by you, and therefore something that the giver was not obliged to give to you.
This is especially poignant and meaningful when the thing given was very much needed or wanted by you, but was neither within your own power to obtain nor something you truly deserved. It can be humbling.
Few of us relish such indebtedness—to be obliged to a gift-giver for something we could never have gotten on our own. It means that the gift-giver has the superior position, has the greater privilege or power or status over us. It means that we feel dependent, needy, and wanting. In such a position as that, we have a choice of either being secretly resentful or truly grateful to the gift-giver. Which is it, for you?
This is what Thanksgiving is really about—giving thanks to that Someone who has the superior position, the greater power and authority over us, that someone to whom we owe our very lives: “The God who made the world and everything in it, He who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.” [Acts 17:24-25]
So how do we give proper thanks to God?
First we simply acknowledge our indebtedness to God’s mercy and grace. Without God’s merciful ways upon our lives, we’d have nothing, be nothing, and do nothing of significance: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” [Acts 17:28] Without God’s grace upon us, we’d have no hope of God’s forgiveness let alone His kindness and goodness over us: “For by grace you have been saved, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9]
Secondly, understand that it is not a right but a gift. God owes us nothing. We owe God everything. God’s gift to us is exactly that: A gift!—unearned, undeserved, and unattainable on our own.
Thirdly, we give back to God our indebtedness of honor and respect to Him and we do so with our very own lives. We live and act and do in such a way that we honor Him, glorify Him, and demonstrate true gratitude to Him for what He has done and continues to do for us: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” [1 Corinthians 10:31]
Have a good and happy THANKSGIVING!
Monday, November 12, 2012
The Election Is Over: Now What? Or... Boehner, It’s Your Move.
Finally, it’s over! No more “Robo-Calls”!
Enough of party volunteers knocking at our doors, enough of hearing misleading ads, enough of fact-checks and righteous indignation to the contrary. Enough of ‘my way is better than yours.’ Or so we wish!
John Boehner and Barak Obama are already at it.
Both say that they want to reach across the aisle. Both say that they are working for the American people, not just one party, one side. And, both are already setting themselves up for gridlock, impasse, stalemate, or an out-and-out, head-to-head fight.
In other words, in this immediate post-election season, nothing seems to have changed.
However, math is math: Two plus two is four (2 + 2 = 4), and ten is greater than nine (10 > 9). That is to say: Numbers do not lie.
Boehner please take note. You need to give credit where credit is due. Obama won with a clear and unquestionable margin. And Obama’s economic campaign message was clear: we need to raise revenue as well as cut spending. That means, among other things, that the very wealthy need to pay more taxes. They can afford it.
Boehner, stop defending the super wealthy and start accepting the fact that we all must pitch-in what we can. And, the super wealthy are certainly in a position to pitch-in much more than they have, of late.
Boehner, stop treating the president as if he’s America’s second choice and a third rate president. Mitt Romney did NOT win the presidency. That means that Romney’s proposed economic policies were not acceptable to the majority of the American people. Hence, Obama’s economic policy proposals are. And remember: this particular presidential race was and is very much about the economy!
Yes, Boehner, it’s true that both sides can be guilty of digging in their heels and becoming obstinate and recalcitrant. But when Obama first came into office four years ago, Boehner, it was your side of the aisle that dug in its heels more tenaciously and more obstinately than Obama’s side ever did.
Boehner, with respect to economic policy, it is your turn to move toward the middle and work with and not against Obama and his side of the aisle.
Enough of party volunteers knocking at our doors, enough of hearing misleading ads, enough of fact-checks and righteous indignation to the contrary. Enough of ‘my way is better than yours.’ Or so we wish!
John Boehner and Barak Obama are already at it.
Both say that they want to reach across the aisle. Both say that they are working for the American people, not just one party, one side. And, both are already setting themselves up for gridlock, impasse, stalemate, or an out-and-out, head-to-head fight.
In other words, in this immediate post-election season, nothing seems to have changed.
However, math is math: Two plus two is four (2 + 2 = 4), and ten is greater than nine (10 > 9). That is to say: Numbers do not lie.
Boehner please take note. You need to give credit where credit is due. Obama won with a clear and unquestionable margin. And Obama’s economic campaign message was clear: we need to raise revenue as well as cut spending. That means, among other things, that the very wealthy need to pay more taxes. They can afford it.
Boehner, stop defending the super wealthy and start accepting the fact that we all must pitch-in what we can. And, the super wealthy are certainly in a position to pitch-in much more than they have, of late.
Boehner, stop treating the president as if he’s America’s second choice and a third rate president. Mitt Romney did NOT win the presidency. That means that Romney’s proposed economic policies were not acceptable to the majority of the American people. Hence, Obama’s economic policy proposals are. And remember: this particular presidential race was and is very much about the economy!
Yes, Boehner, it’s true that both sides can be guilty of digging in their heels and becoming obstinate and recalcitrant. But when Obama first came into office four years ago, Boehner, it was your side of the aisle that dug in its heels more tenaciously and more obstinately than Obama’s side ever did.
Boehner, with respect to economic policy, it is your turn to move toward the middle and work with and not against Obama and his side of the aisle.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Is Christianity only about Money, Power, and Power-Politics?
Recently I heard a critique made about Christianity that did not surprise me, though it did sadden me. Many people view institutionalized Christianity (including the Christian leaders who are at the head of the institutionalized Church in North America) as being interested only in Money, Power, and Politics.
People, especially the younger generation, are turning away from formalized ‘religion’ and are happily embracing their own personalized spiritual journeys. They feel no need for institutionalized religion. They have little respect for religious clergy. They have no interest in religious formalities. And they reject outright many traditional religious teachings, perceived to be as nothing more than outdated, irrelevant rules and regulations.
First I must note: There is nothing new under the sun. Every generation seems to be one step away from total disbelief and rejection of all traditional values and practices. The Elders of any given generation are always fearful that the up-and-coming next generation is about to throw away everything that their Elders dearly hold as sacred and holy. This was as true in 4th century BC Athens Greece, as in 4th century AD Rome, as it is today in 21st century America.
Nevertheless, the point is well taken. It certainly does look as if the only thing that today’s Christian leaders are worried about is whether they have sufficient money coming in to fill their coffers, and whether they have sufficient personal prestige and influence to sway the outcome in a political campaign to get what they want and to maintain political clout. This is not good.
This is why it is always good to go back to the root source of a religious movement and practice. For Christians that means going back to the person of Jesus.
I am a pastor. That means that I am a part of today’s institutionalized Christianity. I have a title, a position, an office, a salary, and all the quirks and benefits that go with said office and title. But that doesn’t mean that I have a corner on the market of spirituality or even godliness. Nor does it mean that people actually take me seriously. (Poor me—do I hear anyone playing a violin in my behalf?) But that’s the point. I am not the subject or object of concern. Jesus is? Is anyone listening to Jesus?
It’s about Jesus! It’s not about religious teachers, priests, pastors, preachers, prophets, patriarchs or popes. Pretty much everyone will agree that Jesus stands out in history. Jesus is special, uniquely different, a man above everyone in all generations. So, if you want to be mentored, taught, and guided by someone that knows, I mean really knows God—go to Jesus, directly!
Yes, institutionalized religion can be god-awful. But, the sad fact is, whenever two or more people get together out of a common belief, faith, or shared set of rituals and practices—you have institutionalized religion. We can’t help but to formalize and institutionalize what we believe and practice as our faith. The challenge is to keep it fresh and new. But that challenge does not only rest with us. God and God’s Spirit must have a role in our spiritual awakening, which brings me back to Jesus.
I dare you to call on Jesus and give Him a challenge. Seriously and sincerely challenge Jesus to come to you or to address you or to do whatever it may take, to get your attention—internally, spiritually, where your heart and soul are most open and vulnerable. If Jesus is what the Biblical Testaments claim Him to be, Jesus will answer.
People, especially the younger generation, are turning away from formalized ‘religion’ and are happily embracing their own personalized spiritual journeys. They feel no need for institutionalized religion. They have little respect for religious clergy. They have no interest in religious formalities. And they reject outright many traditional religious teachings, perceived to be as nothing more than outdated, irrelevant rules and regulations.
First I must note: There is nothing new under the sun. Every generation seems to be one step away from total disbelief and rejection of all traditional values and practices. The Elders of any given generation are always fearful that the up-and-coming next generation is about to throw away everything that their Elders dearly hold as sacred and holy. This was as true in 4th century BC Athens Greece, as in 4th century AD Rome, as it is today in 21st century America.
Nevertheless, the point is well taken. It certainly does look as if the only thing that today’s Christian leaders are worried about is whether they have sufficient money coming in to fill their coffers, and whether they have sufficient personal prestige and influence to sway the outcome in a political campaign to get what they want and to maintain political clout. This is not good.
This is why it is always good to go back to the root source of a religious movement and practice. For Christians that means going back to the person of Jesus.
I am a pastor. That means that I am a part of today’s institutionalized Christianity. I have a title, a position, an office, a salary, and all the quirks and benefits that go with said office and title. But that doesn’t mean that I have a corner on the market of spirituality or even godliness. Nor does it mean that people actually take me seriously. (Poor me—do I hear anyone playing a violin in my behalf?) But that’s the point. I am not the subject or object of concern. Jesus is? Is anyone listening to Jesus?
It’s about Jesus! It’s not about religious teachers, priests, pastors, preachers, prophets, patriarchs or popes. Pretty much everyone will agree that Jesus stands out in history. Jesus is special, uniquely different, a man above everyone in all generations. So, if you want to be mentored, taught, and guided by someone that knows, I mean really knows God—go to Jesus, directly!
Yes, institutionalized religion can be god-awful. But, the sad fact is, whenever two or more people get together out of a common belief, faith, or shared set of rituals and practices—you have institutionalized religion. We can’t help but to formalize and institutionalize what we believe and practice as our faith. The challenge is to keep it fresh and new. But that challenge does not only rest with us. God and God’s Spirit must have a role in our spiritual awakening, which brings me back to Jesus.
I dare you to call on Jesus and give Him a challenge. Seriously and sincerely challenge Jesus to come to you or to address you or to do whatever it may take, to get your attention—internally, spiritually, where your heart and soul are most open and vulnerable. If Jesus is what the Biblical Testaments claim Him to be, Jesus will answer.
Monday, October 29, 2012
It’s about the Economy!
It’s obvious that this election season is about the economy. What is not so obvious however is what about the economy.
Have you heard of David Cay Johnston? He’s written a few well-researched books on the workings of our nation’s economic practices. His book, Perfectly Legal, is about our tax system and how it has become a “subsidy system for the super-rich in America and how they’ve rigged the tax game on their behalf.” He also wrote Free Lunch, which is about taxes that we consumers pay to big companies without actually going to the government but are diverted to the company coffers, allowing them to profit at the expense of taxpayer and government. These are hidden subsidies.
And more recently he’s written, The Fine Print: how Big Companies use ‘Plain English’ to Rob You Blind. This book reveals how businesses are escaping the rigors of competitive markets by getting the “government to pass rules that raise prices, take away your rights as a consumer, literally put your life in danger, and allow them to, in various ways, insulate themselves from market forces, damaging the economy, making you worse off and explaining why, while wages have been flat for years, corporate profits have gone through the roof.” [See September 19, 2012 interview with Mr. Johnston at www.democracynow.org.]
Why is this kind of information not getting through to the American people? Why? Why do we remain ignorant and uninformed as to what is really happening with respect to corporate tax laws written especially to benefit huge corporations, effectively giving them government subsidies at the expense of tax-payers and consumers? Do we not care, do we not believe it? Or, is it that we think that there’s nothing that can be done about it? Or, is the media industry so much in the hands of these huge corporations that they cannot and will not provide us with old-fashioned honest-to-goodness, in depth journalistic investigation and coverage?
Either David C. Johnston is off his rocker, or this guy’s solid research is a wake-up call, challenging us to face the facts and demand some changes in our system.
In his interview with Democracy Now (democracynow.org) Johnston gives various examples of how we are being ripped off by corporate maneuvering. For example, he describes how our initial taxpayer investment in the “information superhighway” has been diverted (apparently we paid over a half-trillion dollars in rate increases to cable companies and telephone companies to get this superhighway service throughout the nation and yet we are 29th in internet speed and accessibility—and we’re the nation that invented the internet!).
He speaks of how state capitols have passed laws to reduce citizens’ rights for certain services. For example: Five states have repealed a 1913 law that had guaranteed Americans the absolute right to have a landline telephone at any address (as long as you pay your bill). Johnston says: “But basically, lobbyists, corporate lobbyists, have been getting—quietly getting laws and rules rewritten to favor business, destroy competition and act against consumers by taking away your rights.” Are we getting this!?
He speaks about how our big utility companies are being “hallowed out.” Apparently we are heading for a huge infrastructure disaster: “If you live in—half the states restructured their electric industry. Well, the utilities were allowed to pocket tens of billions of dollars of tax money that had already been paid, because nobody paid attention to the accounting on this.” He goes on to talk about gas pipelines endangering neighborhoods because companies are not being held accountable for safety plans or safety protocols and so-on and so-forth.
His point: economic “redistribution” is a bad word. Yet, that is exactly what is happening UPWARD to the wealthy, not downward to the poor. Money, our hard earned money, tax dollars from consumer spending is not going back to the consumer via better government services. Rather it is being redistributed to large corporations without the taxpayer benefitting at all. “We have created a–it’s part of how we are creating a privatized set of rules, sponsored by government, to redistribute upward,” says Johnston.
He adds: “From 1961 through 2007, the bottom 90 percent of Americans saw their income rise [a] little tiny amount. But if you’re in the top top group of America, the plutocrat class, for every dollar that each person in the bottom 90 percent got after taxes, you got $35.50—$36.50. Your taxes, if you’re in the plutocrat class, fell from a mid-40 percent range down to where Romney is, 15 percent or so. In 2009, we had six people, according to IRS data, who made over $200 million, who paid no income taxes.”
I have to say: Really!? If all this is true it is also outrageous. Yet, Johnston’s careful research says that it is in fact true!
So, it is about the economy. But there are more of us (middle class, average income earners) than there of them (wealthiest people/corporations)—so why are we allowing them to get away with this? Why do these facts not affect how we vote and who we vote for?
Have you heard of David Cay Johnston? He’s written a few well-researched books on the workings of our nation’s economic practices. His book, Perfectly Legal, is about our tax system and how it has become a “subsidy system for the super-rich in America and how they’ve rigged the tax game on their behalf.” He also wrote Free Lunch, which is about taxes that we consumers pay to big companies without actually going to the government but are diverted to the company coffers, allowing them to profit at the expense of taxpayer and government. These are hidden subsidies.
And more recently he’s written, The Fine Print: how Big Companies use ‘Plain English’ to Rob You Blind. This book reveals how businesses are escaping the rigors of competitive markets by getting the “government to pass rules that raise prices, take away your rights as a consumer, literally put your life in danger, and allow them to, in various ways, insulate themselves from market forces, damaging the economy, making you worse off and explaining why, while wages have been flat for years, corporate profits have gone through the roof.” [See September 19, 2012 interview with Mr. Johnston at www.democracynow.org.]
Why is this kind of information not getting through to the American people? Why? Why do we remain ignorant and uninformed as to what is really happening with respect to corporate tax laws written especially to benefit huge corporations, effectively giving them government subsidies at the expense of tax-payers and consumers? Do we not care, do we not believe it? Or, is it that we think that there’s nothing that can be done about it? Or, is the media industry so much in the hands of these huge corporations that they cannot and will not provide us with old-fashioned honest-to-goodness, in depth journalistic investigation and coverage?
Either David C. Johnston is off his rocker, or this guy’s solid research is a wake-up call, challenging us to face the facts and demand some changes in our system.
In his interview with Democracy Now (democracynow.org) Johnston gives various examples of how we are being ripped off by corporate maneuvering. For example, he describes how our initial taxpayer investment in the “information superhighway” has been diverted (apparently we paid over a half-trillion dollars in rate increases to cable companies and telephone companies to get this superhighway service throughout the nation and yet we are 29th in internet speed and accessibility—and we’re the nation that invented the internet!).
He speaks of how state capitols have passed laws to reduce citizens’ rights for certain services. For example: Five states have repealed a 1913 law that had guaranteed Americans the absolute right to have a landline telephone at any address (as long as you pay your bill). Johnston says: “But basically, lobbyists, corporate lobbyists, have been getting—quietly getting laws and rules rewritten to favor business, destroy competition and act against consumers by taking away your rights.” Are we getting this!?
He speaks about how our big utility companies are being “hallowed out.” Apparently we are heading for a huge infrastructure disaster: “If you live in—half the states restructured their electric industry. Well, the utilities were allowed to pocket tens of billions of dollars of tax money that had already been paid, because nobody paid attention to the accounting on this.” He goes on to talk about gas pipelines endangering neighborhoods because companies are not being held accountable for safety plans or safety protocols and so-on and so-forth.
His point: economic “redistribution” is a bad word. Yet, that is exactly what is happening UPWARD to the wealthy, not downward to the poor. Money, our hard earned money, tax dollars from consumer spending is not going back to the consumer via better government services. Rather it is being redistributed to large corporations without the taxpayer benefitting at all. “We have created a–it’s part of how we are creating a privatized set of rules, sponsored by government, to redistribute upward,” says Johnston.
He adds: “From 1961 through 2007, the bottom 90 percent of Americans saw their income rise [a] little tiny amount. But if you’re in the top top group of America, the plutocrat class, for every dollar that each person in the bottom 90 percent got after taxes, you got $35.50—$36.50. Your taxes, if you’re in the plutocrat class, fell from a mid-40 percent range down to where Romney is, 15 percent or so. In 2009, we had six people, according to IRS data, who made over $200 million, who paid no income taxes.”
I have to say: Really!? If all this is true it is also outrageous. Yet, Johnston’s careful research says that it is in fact true!
So, it is about the economy. But there are more of us (middle class, average income earners) than there of them (wealthiest people/corporations)—so why are we allowing them to get away with this? Why do these facts not affect how we vote and who we vote for?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Children are Children…Unless They Commit a Crime!
A fourteen year old participates in a robbery, someone is shot and dies. The State Prosecutor moves to try the teen as an adult. He (or she) could be a fifteen, seventeen, or even a twelve or thirteen year old, same difference. More often than not, the immediate and almost automatic response today is for prosecutors to attempt to try children and teenagers as adults when they have committed severe crimes, especially when it involves a death.
It stands to reason. There is extreme pain, much agony and grief over the loss of a loved one, damaging consequences that last a lifetime. This turns to anger and the desire for basic justice, if not out-and-out revenge. And so, prosecutors and Victim Advocates want no mitigating circumstances to soften the verdict or lighten the penalty. This is quite understandable. But it is a contradiction to our society’s values respecting the status of children and our society’s expectation of real, authentic justice.
Over the past 25 years, children are increasingly being prosecuted as adults and thus being subjected to very harsh adult sentencing. This ignores the medical/scientific fact that the mental/brain development of children and teens (yes, even eighteen and nineteen year olds) do not yet have the full mature capacity of adults. That is to say that youth do not yet have the developmental capability of exercising mature adult judgment. Yet when tried as an adult youth are being held accountable as if they were in fact complete mature adults, with an adult capacity for reasoning, emotional control, and mature responsible decision making. This is simply not the case.
There are clear guidelines for insuring that adults are competent before they stand trial and are subjected to criminal prosecution. This is not so with respect to youth and juvenile defendants—when their cases are moved to be tried as adults. Because of the nature of youth, young people cannot be fairly prosecuted as adults. This is why groups like the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) say that the practice of prosecuting anyone under the age of 14 as an adult should be totally banned across all states.
Yet, fourteen states in the U.S. presently have no minimum age for trying children as adults. In some states, children as young as eight have been prosecuted as adults. This is here in the U.S.! Some states have set the minimum age at 10, 12, or 13. For example, in the State of Florida a 12 year old boy is prosecuted as an adult and faces the possibility of life imprisonment without parole. Our state of Pennsylvania is one of many that have no minimum age for being prosecuted as an adult. This cannot be real and authentic justice.
According to EJI, “Some 10,000 children are housed in adult jails and prisons on any given day in America.” “As thousands of children have been transferred to adult courts for criminal prosecution, growing numbers of them have been automatically placed in adult jails and prisons.”
In the last three years, the Equal Justice Initiative has won three historic victories in the U.S. Supreme Court shielding children from death-in-prison sentences. Sentences of life-imprisonment-without-parole, for children convicted of most crimes, has now been banned by the Supreme Court. The Court also banned “mandatory life imprisonment without parole” for crimes committed by children. Yet, many states continue to have no minimum age for the adult prosecution of children, making kids as young as 8 to 13 vulnerable to imprisonment with adult sentences that can mean decades of incarceration.
If you want to help create a more appropriate and responsible system of justice for children who are arrested and face adult prosecution, please visit the Equal Justice Initiative website at www.eji.org for more information and news on the latest developments.
It stands to reason. There is extreme pain, much agony and grief over the loss of a loved one, damaging consequences that last a lifetime. This turns to anger and the desire for basic justice, if not out-and-out revenge. And so, prosecutors and Victim Advocates want no mitigating circumstances to soften the verdict or lighten the penalty. This is quite understandable. But it is a contradiction to our society’s values respecting the status of children and our society’s expectation of real, authentic justice.
Over the past 25 years, children are increasingly being prosecuted as adults and thus being subjected to very harsh adult sentencing. This ignores the medical/scientific fact that the mental/brain development of children and teens (yes, even eighteen and nineteen year olds) do not yet have the full mature capacity of adults. That is to say that youth do not yet have the developmental capability of exercising mature adult judgment. Yet when tried as an adult youth are being held accountable as if they were in fact complete mature adults, with an adult capacity for reasoning, emotional control, and mature responsible decision making. This is simply not the case.
There are clear guidelines for insuring that adults are competent before they stand trial and are subjected to criminal prosecution. This is not so with respect to youth and juvenile defendants—when their cases are moved to be tried as adults. Because of the nature of youth, young people cannot be fairly prosecuted as adults. This is why groups like the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) say that the practice of prosecuting anyone under the age of 14 as an adult should be totally banned across all states.
Yet, fourteen states in the U.S. presently have no minimum age for trying children as adults. In some states, children as young as eight have been prosecuted as adults. This is here in the U.S.! Some states have set the minimum age at 10, 12, or 13. For example, in the State of Florida a 12 year old boy is prosecuted as an adult and faces the possibility of life imprisonment without parole. Our state of Pennsylvania is one of many that have no minimum age for being prosecuted as an adult. This cannot be real and authentic justice.
According to EJI, “Some 10,000 children are housed in adult jails and prisons on any given day in America.” “As thousands of children have been transferred to adult courts for criminal prosecution, growing numbers of them have been automatically placed in adult jails and prisons.”
In the last three years, the Equal Justice Initiative has won three historic victories in the U.S. Supreme Court shielding children from death-in-prison sentences. Sentences of life-imprisonment-without-parole, for children convicted of most crimes, has now been banned by the Supreme Court. The Court also banned “mandatory life imprisonment without parole” for crimes committed by children. Yet, many states continue to have no minimum age for the adult prosecution of children, making kids as young as 8 to 13 vulnerable to imprisonment with adult sentences that can mean decades of incarceration.
If you want to help create a more appropriate and responsible system of justice for children who are arrested and face adult prosecution, please visit the Equal Justice Initiative website at www.eji.org for more information and news on the latest developments.
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Taliban are Wrong! Some beliefs are just not right!
In the Swat Valley region of Pakistan a 14-year-old girl by the name of Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head and neck. The Taliban in this region vowed to finish her off, proudly and arrogantly claiming responsibility for this atrocious action. A second innocent girl was also wounded in the shooting.
Why?
Apparently, at the ripe age of only 11, Malala began writing a blog describing life under the Taliban. In 2009 she began speaking publicly about the need for girls’ education. The Taliban vehemently opposes education for girls! About her shooting, a Taliban spokesman said, “This was a new chapter of obscenity, and we have to finish this chapter.” What was the so-called obscenity? …That Malala was promoting education for girls.
Indeed, many students moved out of the valley after the local Taliban issued an edict banning girls from school. And thus, Malala was shot while riding a bus on her way home from school, a school that was run by her father, Ziauddin.
This action by the Taliban throws into stark contrast our own casual Western idea of cultural and religious relativism where we proudly assert that all cultures and religions—including their belief systems, traditions, teachings, and practices—are to be equally regarded and respected as valid. To embrace such a premise is to say that this latest action by the Taliban must be acceptable, valid and correct, given the Taliban’s beliefs and traditions. After all, they are simply being consistent with their own relative cultural and religious beliefs and convictions.
Take note, it is not simply a religious question or issue. Stalin was anti-religion, and he was guilty of murdering millions of his own people before, during, and after the Second World War on the basis of his particular beliefs, values, and convictions. Thus, we must also accept his actions as valid and acceptable, if we are going to be true to our general Western assertion of cultural relativism—that says we must accept and respect all cultures and people-groups, including their governing authorities and organizing principles and values, as valid and equal to all and every other culture.
No! This is unacceptable! NOT all social, cultural, or religious authorities are good. And neither are all traditions, practices, teachings and beliefs right. The Taliban believe that they are in the right and feel justified in their action, shooting a 14 year old girl for defying their values, beliefs and teachings. They are proud of this action. They are self-righteous in their attitude regarding this action. And they are horribly and terribly wrong!
Is this not also what our own so-called “culture wars” are all about, here in the States: The question of what is right, what is wrong, and who is to say? We want to be cultural relativists. But in fact, in the end, when push comes to shove, we all call upon a greater authority, some greater power or some greater truth, that becomes our organizing principle for justifying or condemning or condoning our actions.
This is why it does not work to simply say, all cultures and belief systems are equally valid—why we neither can accept cultural relativism nor casually accept religious pluralism as if all religions were in fact equal. There are indeed significant differences between religions respecting their essential teachings, practices, and traditions. Thus, all cultures and belief systems must be measured by their deeds and consequences and results—including ours. No culture is perfect and no belief system is without error. In actuality we all reject and accept various aspects of different cultures and their belief systems, based on such principles as what is true, good, just, and loving for example.
We must have discerning minds and hearts. Within a multi-cultural, multi-religious, pluralistic and relativistic world such as ours, we just have to admit that there are some beliefs, belief-systems—ideals and values and their accompanying traditions and practices—that are just wrong. And we must be courageous enough to say so. And that means exposing our own beliefs and convictions which in turn may be challenged. Much has to do with how we handle our disagreements.
Thus, real open and respectful conversation needs to take place about truth and authority, beliefs and convictions, what’s good or bad and right or wrong between and among cultures and religions. Many strange beliefs and practices must be tolerated and accepted by a pluralistic and multifaceted culture. However, there are some that can neither be accepted nor tolerated. This latest action by the Taliban is one which we must not deem acceptable or tolerable, no matter how righteously justified they may feel that they are, according to their own particular set of beliefs and values.
Why?
Apparently, at the ripe age of only 11, Malala began writing a blog describing life under the Taliban. In 2009 she began speaking publicly about the need for girls’ education. The Taliban vehemently opposes education for girls! About her shooting, a Taliban spokesman said, “This was a new chapter of obscenity, and we have to finish this chapter.” What was the so-called obscenity? …That Malala was promoting education for girls.
Indeed, many students moved out of the valley after the local Taliban issued an edict banning girls from school. And thus, Malala was shot while riding a bus on her way home from school, a school that was run by her father, Ziauddin.
This action by the Taliban throws into stark contrast our own casual Western idea of cultural and religious relativism where we proudly assert that all cultures and religions—including their belief systems, traditions, teachings, and practices—are to be equally regarded and respected as valid. To embrace such a premise is to say that this latest action by the Taliban must be acceptable, valid and correct, given the Taliban’s beliefs and traditions. After all, they are simply being consistent with their own relative cultural and religious beliefs and convictions.
Take note, it is not simply a religious question or issue. Stalin was anti-religion, and he was guilty of murdering millions of his own people before, during, and after the Second World War on the basis of his particular beliefs, values, and convictions. Thus, we must also accept his actions as valid and acceptable, if we are going to be true to our general Western assertion of cultural relativism—that says we must accept and respect all cultures and people-groups, including their governing authorities and organizing principles and values, as valid and equal to all and every other culture.
No! This is unacceptable! NOT all social, cultural, or religious authorities are good. And neither are all traditions, practices, teachings and beliefs right. The Taliban believe that they are in the right and feel justified in their action, shooting a 14 year old girl for defying their values, beliefs and teachings. They are proud of this action. They are self-righteous in their attitude regarding this action. And they are horribly and terribly wrong!
Is this not also what our own so-called “culture wars” are all about, here in the States: The question of what is right, what is wrong, and who is to say? We want to be cultural relativists. But in fact, in the end, when push comes to shove, we all call upon a greater authority, some greater power or some greater truth, that becomes our organizing principle for justifying or condemning or condoning our actions.
This is why it does not work to simply say, all cultures and belief systems are equally valid—why we neither can accept cultural relativism nor casually accept religious pluralism as if all religions were in fact equal. There are indeed significant differences between religions respecting their essential teachings, practices, and traditions. Thus, all cultures and belief systems must be measured by their deeds and consequences and results—including ours. No culture is perfect and no belief system is without error. In actuality we all reject and accept various aspects of different cultures and their belief systems, based on such principles as what is true, good, just, and loving for example.
We must have discerning minds and hearts. Within a multi-cultural, multi-religious, pluralistic and relativistic world such as ours, we just have to admit that there are some beliefs, belief-systems—ideals and values and their accompanying traditions and practices—that are just wrong. And we must be courageous enough to say so. And that means exposing our own beliefs and convictions which in turn may be challenged. Much has to do with how we handle our disagreements.
Thus, real open and respectful conversation needs to take place about truth and authority, beliefs and convictions, what’s good or bad and right or wrong between and among cultures and religions. Many strange beliefs and practices must be tolerated and accepted by a pluralistic and multifaceted culture. However, there are some that can neither be accepted nor tolerated. This latest action by the Taliban is one which we must not deem acceptable or tolerable, no matter how righteously justified they may feel that they are, according to their own particular set of beliefs and values.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Stay of Execution for Terrance Williams? A Life View
There is no flawless justice system here on earth. That’s a fact. So, when it comes to justice and the death penalty, it is best to error on the side of Life.
Human error, prejudice, pride, ego, self-interest respecting one’s career, politics, the desire for fame and/or fortune, all of the above and more, are at play within attorneys, prosecutors, and even judges, when it comes to the practice of law, the pursuing of judicial processes, and the application of legal procedures. That is to say that justice, real bona fide, honest to goodness justice, can often be the last thing, if at all, that is on anyone’s mind within the judicial system and its procedures.
How else does one explain, for example, the fact that Terrance Williams’ initial prosecutors were guilty of withholding significant and important evidence in the original case, which resulted in Judge M. Teresa Sarmina (Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas) granting Williams a new hearing and a “stay of execution”? There is no doubt that Williams is guilty of murder; however, should he have received the death penalty? In light of extenuating evidence that heretofore had been deliberately withheld from the jury by his prosecutors, perhaps not.
Let’s be clear: When crimes are committed people are terribly hurt. Great loss is suffered, accompanied by much pain and heartache. Personal, emotional, and mental damage is done to the victim. Victim’s lives are forever changed in the wake of criminal action. And, the taking of life is the ultimate crime against humanity. Justice is wanted.
We can neither be naïve nor insensitive. We must not trivialize the impact of an offender’s criminal action against a victim. We respect the victim’s needs. And victims have many needs, the need to know ‘why me,’ for example, and the need to feel safe again, the need for healing, the need for restitution, among others; in short, the need for justice.
In the wake of a crime, society also has needs. Like victims, the community also has the need to feel safe and be secure. And like the victim, the community also has a need for reassurance and confidence that “it won’t happen again.” And so, society also needs to have justice.
But, even the offender has needs. Yes! Even the one who is guilty of committing a horrendous criminal act has needs that must be respected. For example, the criminal has the need to be treated humanely, not to be dehumanized. The criminal also needs to experience authentic justice. It ought to be restorative as well—for both victim and offender.
That is, what we all need and want is a humane and balanced system of justice that restores respect for life, sustains right over wrong, and allows for hope and renewal for all stakeholders in a crime—for victims, the community at large, and offenders.
In this nation, ‘we the people’ are the government. And as such, we need our government to have the same value and respect for life that we have for ourselves. And so we want holistic justice, justice that has integrity in all its procedures and processes, justice that is just in its means as well as in its ends. We want Restorative Justice, justice that gives people the opportunity to change and to find renewal and experience positive transformation.
Instead we seem to be going in the opposite direction. For example, we are building more prisons, not less. Over the years, we have been incarcerating more and more people even while the actual crime rate has either gone down or remained relatively the same. Why? Among other things it’s because we have chosen to support a one-size-fits-all, approach to our judicial system.
We have allowed fear and ignorance to dictate the processes and means of justice in our law courts, disempowering wise and discerning judges in favor of automatic laws that, by their very nature, being automatic as they are, have unjust and damaging consequences to both victim and offender.
Yes, we all want justice. We want goodness. We want what is right. We want what is fair. We also want what is healing and restorative. The sad fact is that, this knee-jerk reaction, seeking the death penalty for Terrance Williams, and others like him, guarantee us none of these things.
We cannot ignore the implication of this case. If we do not seek real and restorative justice for the likes of a Terrance Williams, it is only a matter of time before any one of us will wish that someone would have stood up for us, seeking authentic justice in our own case, when we feel we have been unfairly treated and unjustly handled by the system.
We demand better of our system. We, the people, seek and want a better way—holistic, healing and restorative justice that respects all stakeholders in a crime—victim, community, and offender—justice that provides the opportunity for offenders to change and transform and be renewed, and justice that assures peace, healing, and hope and security for the victim as well as the community at large.
Human error, prejudice, pride, ego, self-interest respecting one’s career, politics, the desire for fame and/or fortune, all of the above and more, are at play within attorneys, prosecutors, and even judges, when it comes to the practice of law, the pursuing of judicial processes, and the application of legal procedures. That is to say that justice, real bona fide, honest to goodness justice, can often be the last thing, if at all, that is on anyone’s mind within the judicial system and its procedures.
How else does one explain, for example, the fact that Terrance Williams’ initial prosecutors were guilty of withholding significant and important evidence in the original case, which resulted in Judge M. Teresa Sarmina (Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas) granting Williams a new hearing and a “stay of execution”? There is no doubt that Williams is guilty of murder; however, should he have received the death penalty? In light of extenuating evidence that heretofore had been deliberately withheld from the jury by his prosecutors, perhaps not.
Let’s be clear: When crimes are committed people are terribly hurt. Great loss is suffered, accompanied by much pain and heartache. Personal, emotional, and mental damage is done to the victim. Victim’s lives are forever changed in the wake of criminal action. And, the taking of life is the ultimate crime against humanity. Justice is wanted.
We can neither be naïve nor insensitive. We must not trivialize the impact of an offender’s criminal action against a victim. We respect the victim’s needs. And victims have many needs, the need to know ‘why me,’ for example, and the need to feel safe again, the need for healing, the need for restitution, among others; in short, the need for justice.
In the wake of a crime, society also has needs. Like victims, the community also has the need to feel safe and be secure. And like the victim, the community also has a need for reassurance and confidence that “it won’t happen again.” And so, society also needs to have justice.
But, even the offender has needs. Yes! Even the one who is guilty of committing a horrendous criminal act has needs that must be respected. For example, the criminal has the need to be treated humanely, not to be dehumanized. The criminal also needs to experience authentic justice. It ought to be restorative as well—for both victim and offender.
That is, what we all need and want is a humane and balanced system of justice that restores respect for life, sustains right over wrong, and allows for hope and renewal for all stakeholders in a crime—for victims, the community at large, and offenders.
In this nation, ‘we the people’ are the government. And as such, we need our government to have the same value and respect for life that we have for ourselves. And so we want holistic justice, justice that has integrity in all its procedures and processes, justice that is just in its means as well as in its ends. We want Restorative Justice, justice that gives people the opportunity to change and to find renewal and experience positive transformation.
Instead we seem to be going in the opposite direction. For example, we are building more prisons, not less. Over the years, we have been incarcerating more and more people even while the actual crime rate has either gone down or remained relatively the same. Why? Among other things it’s because we have chosen to support a one-size-fits-all, approach to our judicial system.
We have allowed fear and ignorance to dictate the processes and means of justice in our law courts, disempowering wise and discerning judges in favor of automatic laws that, by their very nature, being automatic as they are, have unjust and damaging consequences to both victim and offender.
Yes, we all want justice. We want goodness. We want what is right. We want what is fair. We also want what is healing and restorative. The sad fact is that, this knee-jerk reaction, seeking the death penalty for Terrance Williams, and others like him, guarantee us none of these things.
We cannot ignore the implication of this case. If we do not seek real and restorative justice for the likes of a Terrance Williams, it is only a matter of time before any one of us will wish that someone would have stood up for us, seeking authentic justice in our own case, when we feel we have been unfairly treated and unjustly handled by the system.
We demand better of our system. We, the people, seek and want a better way—holistic, healing and restorative justice that respects all stakeholders in a crime—victim, community, and offender—justice that provides the opportunity for offenders to change and transform and be renewed, and justice that assures peace, healing, and hope and security for the victim as well as the community at large.
Monday, October 1, 2012
No Room for Hate in God’s Law
There is a lot of hate in the name of God today. “All ___________ will go to hell!” “God hates all ___________! “May God destroy all ___________, infidels! (Fill in the blanks with notably despised people-groups and/or minorities). Sectarian hatred is alive and well today, as it was centuries ago. There is nothing new under the sun.
Yet, what is God’s greatest Commandment? When asked, Jesus gave this answer: “‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ Jesus answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,’” Jesus said. [Matthew 22:36-40.] In other words, love for God and love for one’s neighbor are two sides to the same coin/commandment. They are inseparable.
And, as if to make sure we would not wheedle-out of the second great commandment in favor of the first, Jesus added this admonition to the law of love: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” [Matthew 5:43-48.]
It is clear that God leaves no room for us to hate one another—we are not even to hate those who are out to destroy us—not even our enemies! (And how else would you define an enemy?) Yet over and over we see and hear spouting hatred, people spitting out mouthfuls of spite, hate, and cursing. Even religious folks, in the name of God, condemning to death and destruction, others of differing or opposing faith-communities.
Thus, the best test of true godliness, to discern whether a person or a group of people are truly of God, is to see whether or not they are loving, compassionate, patient, forgiving, merciful, and gracious to all. According to Jesus, these are the kind of people that truly reflect the spirit and heart of God.
In that light, most of us quite often fail to reflect a heart for God in our daily attitude toward others (including yours truly). But if we (religious folk) are to become the real and faithful lovers of God we want to be, we must demonstrate this by becoming men and women of goodwill to all others, whether they are good or bad, in or out, one of us or one of them, whether or not they are for us or against us. There is no getting around this truth, for it is part of God’s Greatest Commandment.
Yet, what is God’s greatest Commandment? When asked, Jesus gave this answer: “‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ Jesus answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,’” Jesus said. [Matthew 22:36-40.] In other words, love for God and love for one’s neighbor are two sides to the same coin/commandment. They are inseparable.
And, as if to make sure we would not wheedle-out of the second great commandment in favor of the first, Jesus added this admonition to the law of love: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” [Matthew 5:43-48.]
It is clear that God leaves no room for us to hate one another—we are not even to hate those who are out to destroy us—not even our enemies! (And how else would you define an enemy?) Yet over and over we see and hear spouting hatred, people spitting out mouthfuls of spite, hate, and cursing. Even religious folks, in the name of God, condemning to death and destruction, others of differing or opposing faith-communities.
Thus, the best test of true godliness, to discern whether a person or a group of people are truly of God, is to see whether or not they are loving, compassionate, patient, forgiving, merciful, and gracious to all. According to Jesus, these are the kind of people that truly reflect the spirit and heart of God.
In that light, most of us quite often fail to reflect a heart for God in our daily attitude toward others (including yours truly). But if we (religious folk) are to become the real and faithful lovers of God we want to be, we must demonstrate this by becoming men and women of goodwill to all others, whether they are good or bad, in or out, one of us or one of them, whether or not they are for us or against us. There is no getting around this truth, for it is part of God’s Greatest Commandment.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Wealth, Social Justice, and God
It’s well known among Christians who know their Bible that Jesus spoke about money more than any other topic. He did not favor the wealthy.
It was Jesus who said that it will be harder for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Why?
First of all, wealth and power go hand and hand. And, generally speaking, the more wealth one has, the more one uses its power to maintain and/or gain even more control over its access, use, investment, and production. It is no accident that over time wealth tends to accumulate into the hands of a smaller and smaller percentage of people within any given society at any given time in history—note how we Americans have gotten use to referring to the top one or two percent who have, and control, most of the money in our nation.
Politicians representing the wealthy will denigrate anyone who even appears to look like they are living off handouts from the government, yet many of our local, state, and federal tax laws and investment laws and employment laws, etc., actually favor big business, powerful industries, and their wealthy owners.
For example, how is it considered fair and equitable when a wealthy man like Mitt Romney pays no more than 15% on his income taxes while those who will never come close to making what Romney’s has made will have paid as much as 24% or more on their income taxes? Who is getting a handout here? Or how is it considered fair and equitable when a big corporation comes into a state with an agreement that they will have a state tax write-off for doing business in that state, as a so-called incentive to bring-in employment? Why should the tax payer pay for big business handouts of this kind?
God expects His people to be supportive of social justice and the equitable distribution of means and opportunity for all people to prosper and do well—not for the few to live in excess at the expense of the many.
Note the prophet Isaiah’s reproach: “Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land. The Lord of Hosts has sworn in my hearing: surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah.” [Isaiah 5:8-10]
Note the prophet Amos’ reproach: “Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way….” [Amos 2:6-7a]
Money, wealth, riches, is not evil or bad in and of itself. Nevertheless, money, and its power, is dangerously seductive. True, very few extremely-wealthy families believe that they are wealthy because they have directly mistreated or oppressed the less fortunate. However, God warns us. There is much more than meets the eye when it comes to why the wealthy have so much and the poor have so little.
Injustice is not just a matter of personal wrongdoing. Injustice is, more often than not, systemic, institutional, and social. Unjust tax laws, inhumane work conditions, unfair employment practices, inequitable banking and investment policies, a skewed and unfair distribution of, and/or access to, basic natural resources (like clean water and clean air or simple basic health care), these systemic imbalances, and much, much more help make the rich, richer, and the poor, poorer.
A Biblical principle and truth is that God expects His people to always be concerned for, care for, and give heed to the needs of the poor, the less fortunate, and the socially and economically oppressed.
It was Jesus who said that it will be harder for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Why?
First of all, wealth and power go hand and hand. And, generally speaking, the more wealth one has, the more one uses its power to maintain and/or gain even more control over its access, use, investment, and production. It is no accident that over time wealth tends to accumulate into the hands of a smaller and smaller percentage of people within any given society at any given time in history—note how we Americans have gotten use to referring to the top one or two percent who have, and control, most of the money in our nation.
Politicians representing the wealthy will denigrate anyone who even appears to look like they are living off handouts from the government, yet many of our local, state, and federal tax laws and investment laws and employment laws, etc., actually favor big business, powerful industries, and their wealthy owners.
For example, how is it considered fair and equitable when a wealthy man like Mitt Romney pays no more than 15% on his income taxes while those who will never come close to making what Romney’s has made will have paid as much as 24% or more on their income taxes? Who is getting a handout here? Or how is it considered fair and equitable when a big corporation comes into a state with an agreement that they will have a state tax write-off for doing business in that state, as a so-called incentive to bring-in employment? Why should the tax payer pay for big business handouts of this kind?
God expects His people to be supportive of social justice and the equitable distribution of means and opportunity for all people to prosper and do well—not for the few to live in excess at the expense of the many.
Note the prophet Isaiah’s reproach: “Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land. The Lord of Hosts has sworn in my hearing: surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah.” [Isaiah 5:8-10]
Note the prophet Amos’ reproach: “Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way….” [Amos 2:6-7a]
Money, wealth, riches, is not evil or bad in and of itself. Nevertheless, money, and its power, is dangerously seductive. True, very few extremely-wealthy families believe that they are wealthy because they have directly mistreated or oppressed the less fortunate. However, God warns us. There is much more than meets the eye when it comes to why the wealthy have so much and the poor have so little.
Injustice is not just a matter of personal wrongdoing. Injustice is, more often than not, systemic, institutional, and social. Unjust tax laws, inhumane work conditions, unfair employment practices, inequitable banking and investment policies, a skewed and unfair distribution of, and/or access to, basic natural resources (like clean water and clean air or simple basic health care), these systemic imbalances, and much, much more help make the rich, richer, and the poor, poorer.
A Biblical principle and truth is that God expects His people to always be concerned for, care for, and give heed to the needs of the poor, the less fortunate, and the socially and economically oppressed.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Jesus Would Not Support Such Riotous Behavior, I Doubt Muhammad Would Either
More riots, destructive behavior and even murder, because of offense taken, in behalf of the Prophet Muhammad, is this really what the prophet himself wants? Is this what God expects of His devotees?
Islam respects Jesus as a prophet of God as well. Does this kind of hateful riotous behavior come anywhere near close to what Jesus taught, modeled, and proclaimed as a prophet of God? No it does not.
Insult or not, offense taken or not, I don’t see that either Jesus or Muhammad himself would support such cold-blooded murder, the way that Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens was murdered, not to mention the other embassy staffers killed along with him. Because of this, I am appreciative of the fact that some Muslims have been brave enough to say as much, to say that this is not commendable nor representative behavior of true Islam and its faithful adherents.
Ambassador Stevens and the other individuals killed along with him had nothing to do with the film that caused the offense. Therefore, one can only conclude that such riotous behavior is a pretext for other concerns—social, economic, national, cultural, and political agenda—certainly not faithfulness and devotion to God and/or his prophet.
Jesus modeled love, compassion, mercy, and grace—even to those who would reject, abuse, and denounce him. Jesus looked to redeem the lost and wayward, not to judge, condemn and kill them. Jesus worked toward changing a man’s heart so as to save him from condemnation and death—not to gleefully gloat over His enemy’s (the God-offender’s) destruction for having done wrong.
It is a sign of greater strength and maturity to overlook an offense rather than to fly off the handle and do unjust harm and perpetrate general destruction to innocent bystanders because of an offense taken. It is a sign of mature faith and true holy and righteous living, when one who is offended behaves in ways that lead to restorative transformation of the offender rather than inciting further hatred by adding offense to offense. In that light, I hope to hear more Muslims speak out against murderous riotous behavior carried out in the name of God’s prophet, when offense is taken by adherents to Islam.
This is what Jesus’ life, actions, and teachings modeled when He faced God-offenders: an offering of restorative healing, an invitation to embrace transformation and renewal, an opportunity to make amends and enter into peace with God.
Following Jesus is more than an ideal. It is a commitment to a higher level of living and being. It is a call to be transformed and renewed into a new kind of person in Jesus. It is the saving of one’s soul and the renewing of one’s mind, and a call to holy, righteous and just living with love and compassion toward all, with the hope that even those outside of the faith—no matter how offensive they may be in their faithlessness—would one day yield to God’s love.
It would be disappointing to think that obedient followers of Islam have a lesser call than that.
Islam respects Jesus as a prophet of God as well. Does this kind of hateful riotous behavior come anywhere near close to what Jesus taught, modeled, and proclaimed as a prophet of God? No it does not.
Insult or not, offense taken or not, I don’t see that either Jesus or Muhammad himself would support such cold-blooded murder, the way that Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens was murdered, not to mention the other embassy staffers killed along with him. Because of this, I am appreciative of the fact that some Muslims have been brave enough to say as much, to say that this is not commendable nor representative behavior of true Islam and its faithful adherents.
Ambassador Stevens and the other individuals killed along with him had nothing to do with the film that caused the offense. Therefore, one can only conclude that such riotous behavior is a pretext for other concerns—social, economic, national, cultural, and political agenda—certainly not faithfulness and devotion to God and/or his prophet.
Jesus modeled love, compassion, mercy, and grace—even to those who would reject, abuse, and denounce him. Jesus looked to redeem the lost and wayward, not to judge, condemn and kill them. Jesus worked toward changing a man’s heart so as to save him from condemnation and death—not to gleefully gloat over His enemy’s (the God-offender’s) destruction for having done wrong.
It is a sign of greater strength and maturity to overlook an offense rather than to fly off the handle and do unjust harm and perpetrate general destruction to innocent bystanders because of an offense taken. It is a sign of mature faith and true holy and righteous living, when one who is offended behaves in ways that lead to restorative transformation of the offender rather than inciting further hatred by adding offense to offense. In that light, I hope to hear more Muslims speak out against murderous riotous behavior carried out in the name of God’s prophet, when offense is taken by adherents to Islam.
This is what Jesus’ life, actions, and teachings modeled when He faced God-offenders: an offering of restorative healing, an invitation to embrace transformation and renewal, an opportunity to make amends and enter into peace with God.
Following Jesus is more than an ideal. It is a commitment to a higher level of living and being. It is a call to be transformed and renewed into a new kind of person in Jesus. It is the saving of one’s soul and the renewing of one’s mind, and a call to holy, righteous and just living with love and compassion toward all, with the hope that even those outside of the faith—no matter how offensive they may be in their faithlessness—would one day yield to God’s love.
It would be disappointing to think that obedient followers of Islam have a lesser call than that.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Intelligence isn’t Everything, Belief is…
Have you noticed that there are very intelligent people on both sides?
Very intelligent people believe in God. Very intelligent people do not believe in God. There are intelligent Republicans and there are intelligent Democrats (yes, it’s true). No one side: left or right, conservative or liberal, faith or non-faith, has a corner on intelligence. (I might add of course that there are enough idiots to go around for all sides to claim their fair share of them.)
In actuality, we use our intelligence to explain, justify, and defend our thinking and our beliefs, usually after we’ve made a commitment to said cause, party, or belief. That is, intellectual reasoning, deduction or induction, is really not the primary motivating factor when we decide to commit ourselves to a particular cause or belief. Please note the word, “commit.”
People commit themselves to a cause, because of personal experience, feelings, relationships, and/or inner personal dynamics that feed into their thinking and reaction to a cause or belief. And so, people are passionate about their beliefs and positions mostly because of their personal commitment to it, they have become personal stakeholders.
For example, most people are either Democrat or Republican, not because they have first studiously and coolly analyzed the history of each respective political party and have carefully studied the party’s overall impact on the nation—analyzing its voting history, and its premises, programs, and policies—such study, if it ever happens, and the knowledge gained from it, usually comes after one has already committed him/herself to the party for reasons other than intellectual analysis.
The initial commitment is usually based on relationships, feelings, experiences, and the influence of others that one trusts and respects. Meanwhile, one’s basic assumptions and presumptions go untested, remain unquestioned and avoid analysis. Thus, intellectual defense, explanation, and justification (applied intelligence) follows commitment and rarely precedes it.
This is one reason why religious and political discussions become so heated and may ruin family dinner parties, or may even cause good friendships to breakup. One’s personal commitment, and therefore one’s person—one’s personal view of reality, truth, meaning, and relationships—is threatened by opposing positions or contrary committed belief-systems.
This is also why political-ads full of negative mud-slinging, half-truths, and outright lies against the opposing side, actually do work. In effect, we do NOT want real intellectual insight—truth, good reasoning, knowledge and understanding—what we want is reassurance. We want our chosen party to reassure us that our assumed commitment to a certain set of beliefs and convictions will hold firm—regardless as to whether or not they stand the test of intellectual scrutiny.
Thus, “Don’t confuse me with the facts!” is our real attitude. Facts do NOT speak for themselves. We interpret them according to our liking, our way of thinking, our presumptions and assumptions. And when we come across facts that do not add up with our beliefs or assumptions, we dump them for half-truths and innuendos that do support what we want to hear, what we already believe.
We all believe in something. We all assume. We all commit. But just how much real intellectual thinking goes into our beliefs, our assumptions, and our commitments? If we’re smart, I mean, if we really want good solid reasoning, thinking, knowledge, and truth to influence how we vote and what we support, perhaps we need to ask ourselves: By being committed to this particular position, party, place, or cause, what is it that I am not willing to see or accept—what are my blind spots?
Monday, September 3, 2012
Back to School Encouragement
Going back to school brings with it a mixed bag of feelings for both parents and children: excitement, dread, relief, fear, and hopeful anticipation. This is true whether it’s back to grade school, high school, or college.
How can parents help their children re-enter school, smoothly, constructively?
Extremes are always bad. So, first, be neither a hovering parent nor an abandoning one.
College age parents can be as bad as parents of kindergarteners and first graders.
So, don’t be a “helicopter parent,” hovering over your precious loved one as if s/he can’t breathe without your help. Give them space. Yes, even the little kindergartener may need some space, even while clinging to you with tears crying out “I don’t want to go!”
Certainly we are not talking about abandoning the child. Yes, your “presence” is needed and wanted. Yes, you need to “be there” for them. But remember to maintain appropriate limits for yourself with a healthy attitude of “letting go.” You’re there to release them not to cling to them or have them cling to you. So, “being there” does not mean doing everything for them, or taking control when they should be taking charge for themselves. “Being there,” means giving encouragement, guiding, advising, and reassuring, not taking-over.
You are the parent. Your child should not have to reassure you. Be a non-anxious presence. As the adult, you are to provide calm and steady confidence, where your child may have little. The child needs to look to you for reassurance that all will be well, not the other way around.
Place confidence in your child. Do not scold or harangue the child for lack of confidence or for being nervous and fearful. If your child lacks confidence, reassure him/her with your own confidence in him/her. Also remind the child that s/he not only has your support, but that of the school’s staff, teachers and administrators, as well. Help your child see the people in these roles as caring and supportive people whom they need not fear and need not view as “the enemy.” They are there to help. (And do verify ahead of time that this is exactly the attitude that the school has toward the children.)
Listen! Listen to your child’s comments. Observe! Body language says a lot. Ask and even probe a little, but do not force your child to confide in you. Respect your child’s growing boundaries. As much as you’d like to think so, your child is NOT an extension of yourself. Your child is a separate and distinct human being who will someday grow to become a full adult in his/her own right. Respect your children by really listening to them. Let them tell you what their concerns are rather than you always telling them what you think that they ought to be worried about. Good communication is always a two way street—even with (especially with) children.
And finally, be a lifetime learner yourself. If you want your child to do well in school, you also need to become a model student. Appreciate an open and inquisitive mind, and develop one yourself. Allow your children to question, wonder, doubt, ask, and discover. If your child asks you a question for which you do not have an answer, admit as much. Then, join your child in search for an answer. There is no shame in not knowing. However, there IS much shame in being exposed as a Great Pretender, trying to hide your ignorance or worse, acting as if you know when you really don’t.
Learn to learn, along with your child. In your own heart, remain as child in the realm of discovery and imagination. Your child will be inspired by your own thrill of seeking and learning. Show them that exploration and discovery offers a lifetime of excitement and can be richly fulfilling.
How can parents help their children re-enter school, smoothly, constructively?
Extremes are always bad. So, first, be neither a hovering parent nor an abandoning one.
College age parents can be as bad as parents of kindergarteners and first graders.
So, don’t be a “helicopter parent,” hovering over your precious loved one as if s/he can’t breathe without your help. Give them space. Yes, even the little kindergartener may need some space, even while clinging to you with tears crying out “I don’t want to go!”
Certainly we are not talking about abandoning the child. Yes, your “presence” is needed and wanted. Yes, you need to “be there” for them. But remember to maintain appropriate limits for yourself with a healthy attitude of “letting go.” You’re there to release them not to cling to them or have them cling to you. So, “being there” does not mean doing everything for them, or taking control when they should be taking charge for themselves. “Being there,” means giving encouragement, guiding, advising, and reassuring, not taking-over.
You are the parent. Your child should not have to reassure you. Be a non-anxious presence. As the adult, you are to provide calm and steady confidence, where your child may have little. The child needs to look to you for reassurance that all will be well, not the other way around.
Place confidence in your child. Do not scold or harangue the child for lack of confidence or for being nervous and fearful. If your child lacks confidence, reassure him/her with your own confidence in him/her. Also remind the child that s/he not only has your support, but that of the school’s staff, teachers and administrators, as well. Help your child see the people in these roles as caring and supportive people whom they need not fear and need not view as “the enemy.” They are there to help. (And do verify ahead of time that this is exactly the attitude that the school has toward the children.)
Listen! Listen to your child’s comments. Observe! Body language says a lot. Ask and even probe a little, but do not force your child to confide in you. Respect your child’s growing boundaries. As much as you’d like to think so, your child is NOT an extension of yourself. Your child is a separate and distinct human being who will someday grow to become a full adult in his/her own right. Respect your children by really listening to them. Let them tell you what their concerns are rather than you always telling them what you think that they ought to be worried about. Good communication is always a two way street—even with (especially with) children.
And finally, be a lifetime learner yourself. If you want your child to do well in school, you also need to become a model student. Appreciate an open and inquisitive mind, and develop one yourself. Allow your children to question, wonder, doubt, ask, and discover. If your child asks you a question for which you do not have an answer, admit as much. Then, join your child in search for an answer. There is no shame in not knowing. However, there IS much shame in being exposed as a Great Pretender, trying to hide your ignorance or worse, acting as if you know when you really don’t.
Learn to learn, along with your child. In your own heart, remain as child in the realm of discovery and imagination. Your child will be inspired by your own thrill of seeking and learning. Show them that exploration and discovery offers a lifetime of excitement and can be richly fulfilling.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Todd Akin’s ridiculous “Legitimate Rape” comment reveals how our Beliefs impact our Thinking and vise-a-versa
So, according to Todd Akin, women’s bodies have their own anti-pregnancy defense-mechanism in cases of real rape, i.e., ‘legitimate rape,’ or something to that effect. Uh, but wait, he’s apologized for that statement. Says he misspoke. But the damage is done and now his own party wants him to stand down and resign.
Akin’s comment was ridiculous. Did he really mean what he said? At the time he said those infamous words about ‘legitimate rape,’ he seemed to truly believe that he was speaking truth. And, apology or not, something was revealed in his thinking. Ergo, what we think, what we believe to be true, what we assume is right, what we take as real and factual, all has a direct impact on our actions, choices, attitudes, and behavior, and thereby impacts others as well; for we are all interconnected.
This creates a huge challenge for a diverse, democratic, and pluralistic society such as ours. How do we make good laws, if we can’t even agree on the moral foundations or principles upon which these laws should be based?
What is right and good, the best way to live? What is wrong and bad, the worst way to live? And how does one distinguish between the two? What is the measure of good and right action? Why, for example, does everyone agree in our society that rape is a very bad thing, while we are not at all in agreement that abortion is a very bad thing?
Is morality only culturally relative, simply a matter of personal choice, tied to a particular person, place, and time? Or is morality absolute and universal, to be applied in the same way, in the same manner, to everyone, everywhere, regardless of place, time, and person? Or is it a mixture of both: universal truths applied relatively, tailored to specific time periods and particular cases, places, and people?
Deciding whether one’s action is moral and just, is not always as easy as we’d like to think. When it comes to questions of morality and justice, as in so many other areas of life, simplistic—one size fits all—answers, seldom do justice. This is why we need law courts and judges, is it not? What we need is sound wisdom, insightful discernment, and good judgment—the capacity to discern and make right decisions in the face of conflicting choices or opposing sides. (Which begs the question, for what do we accept as the basis of sound, wise, and insightful discernment these days?)
This is why perhaps the tendency on both the far left and the far right is to seek authoritative power to become master over their opponents by legislative rule. That is, rather than seeking good sound-judgment and wise insightful-discernment on many conflicting issues, our present political approach is to polarize and vote for black-and-white authoritarian laws that strike down the individual and particular freedoms of all opposing perspectives and alternative viewpoints—e.g., ban all abortions of any kind, for whatever reason, whatever the cause, outcome, or means. Or, ban all handheld guns, everywhere, anywhere, for whomever, whatever the need or reason one wanted such a gun.
Opposing sides take godlike positions. The atheist, rationalist, agnostic unbeliever wants unyielding authoritative laws to protect his/her godlike status in being able to command his/her own life as he/she sees fit. Meanwhile, the devout religious believer, asserts his/her particular faith, his or her particular understanding and interpretation of God, as THE quintessential True Faith, and speaks as one who speaks for God, with Godlike authority—to whom all are expected to obey and submit. (I know, for I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Lord and Savior of all humanity, and believe that you also should receive Him and submit to His Lordship in your life as well. However, I also believe that it must be a free choice. That is, you must not ever be forced to become a Christian against your will, nor should you be forced to submit to the dictates of Christian teachings against your will.)
Still, we all believe in morality. We wouldn’t have laws against rape, robbery, and murder, if we didn’t. But where then do we draw the line between our differences? Why do some believe that abortion is not murder, while others of us do believe very much that it is the taking of precious life? We are not going to get anywhere by simply trying to outmaneuver one another at the voting booth. A 51% vote in our favor is not going to end the argument, battle, or disagreement as to who is right and who is wrong. We need to have a serious discussion about our rationale, our beliefs, and about the basis of our moral understandings. And then we have to find some way to respect our differences, live with our disagreements, while still maintaining integrity with our own convictions—and still remain a united nation.
Akin’s comment was ridiculous. Did he really mean what he said? At the time he said those infamous words about ‘legitimate rape,’ he seemed to truly believe that he was speaking truth. And, apology or not, something was revealed in his thinking. Ergo, what we think, what we believe to be true, what we assume is right, what we take as real and factual, all has a direct impact on our actions, choices, attitudes, and behavior, and thereby impacts others as well; for we are all interconnected.
This creates a huge challenge for a diverse, democratic, and pluralistic society such as ours. How do we make good laws, if we can’t even agree on the moral foundations or principles upon which these laws should be based?
What is right and good, the best way to live? What is wrong and bad, the worst way to live? And how does one distinguish between the two? What is the measure of good and right action? Why, for example, does everyone agree in our society that rape is a very bad thing, while we are not at all in agreement that abortion is a very bad thing?
Is morality only culturally relative, simply a matter of personal choice, tied to a particular person, place, and time? Or is morality absolute and universal, to be applied in the same way, in the same manner, to everyone, everywhere, regardless of place, time, and person? Or is it a mixture of both: universal truths applied relatively, tailored to specific time periods and particular cases, places, and people?
Deciding whether one’s action is moral and just, is not always as easy as we’d like to think. When it comes to questions of morality and justice, as in so many other areas of life, simplistic—one size fits all—answers, seldom do justice. This is why we need law courts and judges, is it not? What we need is sound wisdom, insightful discernment, and good judgment—the capacity to discern and make right decisions in the face of conflicting choices or opposing sides. (Which begs the question, for what do we accept as the basis of sound, wise, and insightful discernment these days?)
This is why perhaps the tendency on both the far left and the far right is to seek authoritative power to become master over their opponents by legislative rule. That is, rather than seeking good sound-judgment and wise insightful-discernment on many conflicting issues, our present political approach is to polarize and vote for black-and-white authoritarian laws that strike down the individual and particular freedoms of all opposing perspectives and alternative viewpoints—e.g., ban all abortions of any kind, for whatever reason, whatever the cause, outcome, or means. Or, ban all handheld guns, everywhere, anywhere, for whomever, whatever the need or reason one wanted such a gun.
Opposing sides take godlike positions. The atheist, rationalist, agnostic unbeliever wants unyielding authoritative laws to protect his/her godlike status in being able to command his/her own life as he/she sees fit. Meanwhile, the devout religious believer, asserts his/her particular faith, his or her particular understanding and interpretation of God, as THE quintessential True Faith, and speaks as one who speaks for God, with Godlike authority—to whom all are expected to obey and submit. (I know, for I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Lord and Savior of all humanity, and believe that you also should receive Him and submit to His Lordship in your life as well. However, I also believe that it must be a free choice. That is, you must not ever be forced to become a Christian against your will, nor should you be forced to submit to the dictates of Christian teachings against your will.)
Still, we all believe in morality. We wouldn’t have laws against rape, robbery, and murder, if we didn’t. But where then do we draw the line between our differences? Why do some believe that abortion is not murder, while others of us do believe very much that it is the taking of precious life? We are not going to get anywhere by simply trying to outmaneuver one another at the voting booth. A 51% vote in our favor is not going to end the argument, battle, or disagreement as to who is right and who is wrong. We need to have a serious discussion about our rationale, our beliefs, and about the basis of our moral understandings. And then we have to find some way to respect our differences, live with our disagreements, while still maintaining integrity with our own convictions—and still remain a united nation.
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Heart and Soul of Business is actually NOT Profit
Buyer beware!
Business is business.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.
Bull markets, bear markets, loan sharks, sell high, buy low.
And money don't grow on trees!
Henry Ford once said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” So, what is business supposed to be about if not to make money? That is, what is the heart and soul of business? Believe it or not, it is NOT making money!
A real business is in business to offer a service, to fill a need, to support and enhance the lives of people. The profit that comes from providing such service is the reward, so long as it is proportionally reasonable. Has the American business community lost sight of this basic economic truth?
There have always been loan sharks, robber barons, cheats, liars, and thieves, always will be. But that is not Main Street America. Business in Main Street America has always been about providing a service, making a living, not a killing.
A businessperson that says, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” while looking for his/her next victim is not doing real business. If all a businessperson does is come up with a solution, and then manufactures a need for that solution, no real business is being accomplished. There are a lot of fraudulent and manufactured schemes in the world of finance, having the sole purpose of taking people’s money away from them. It’s called scamming, not business.
If the so called bottom line—money, profit, net gain—is all that a businessperson has in mind, his heart is hardened and his soul is dead. Pity the one who does any business with such a one as he or she. But a business person who offers a product or service that people truly need and want, and does so with a genuine interest in his/her client’s best interest in mind. Happy and blessed are provider and buyer; for both have done well and will go home satisfied, knowing that they have served and have been served.
As Charles Dickens said long ago, humanity is our business. Wake up America! Let’s go back to the basics regarding the purpose of business. It’s not about naked profit, winner takes all. It’s about life. Remember the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life? The movie reminds us that the banker should be there to help couples save, invest, and to grow their families and homes. And in, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge’s transformation reminds us that money is not for selfish, greedy and miserly hoarding, but for investing in human lives, in their needs as well as in their visions and dreams, to make a better world not only for one’s self, but for one’s community, neighbors and friends.
That’s the ideal America, and that’s the ideal business-mindset. Profit is secondary. The primary goal of business, any business, should be to provide a service and fill a genuine need in a context of fair-trade and just exchange, to produce opportunity for better, healthier, and more wholesome living—so that all may grow and prosper in the areas that money cannot buy—family life, relationship building, child rearing, and inner growth—mind, heart, and spiritual development.
If you are a business person, keep in mind the following simple truths.
1. Money is neutral, neither good nor bad. However, money IS powerful and easily corrupts, and the love of money is truly the root of much evil that is done in this world. Do not let the love of money corrupt your heart.
2. You can’t take it with you. He who dies with the most toys… still dies! Naked you came into the world and naked you shall leave the world. Jesus said what good is it if you gain the whole world and forfeit your soul?
There is no bribing God. Having all the money in the world will be no protection against Judgment Day. (Do you really think there will be no Judgment on your life?)
Business is business.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.
Bull markets, bear markets, loan sharks, sell high, buy low.
And money don't grow on trees!
Henry Ford once said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” So, what is business supposed to be about if not to make money? That is, what is the heart and soul of business? Believe it or not, it is NOT making money!
A real business is in business to offer a service, to fill a need, to support and enhance the lives of people. The profit that comes from providing such service is the reward, so long as it is proportionally reasonable. Has the American business community lost sight of this basic economic truth?
There have always been loan sharks, robber barons, cheats, liars, and thieves, always will be. But that is not Main Street America. Business in Main Street America has always been about providing a service, making a living, not a killing.
A businessperson that says, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” while looking for his/her next victim is not doing real business. If all a businessperson does is come up with a solution, and then manufactures a need for that solution, no real business is being accomplished. There are a lot of fraudulent and manufactured schemes in the world of finance, having the sole purpose of taking people’s money away from them. It’s called scamming, not business.
If the so called bottom line—money, profit, net gain—is all that a businessperson has in mind, his heart is hardened and his soul is dead. Pity the one who does any business with such a one as he or she. But a business person who offers a product or service that people truly need and want, and does so with a genuine interest in his/her client’s best interest in mind. Happy and blessed are provider and buyer; for both have done well and will go home satisfied, knowing that they have served and have been served.
As Charles Dickens said long ago, humanity is our business. Wake up America! Let’s go back to the basics regarding the purpose of business. It’s not about naked profit, winner takes all. It’s about life. Remember the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life? The movie reminds us that the banker should be there to help couples save, invest, and to grow their families and homes. And in, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge’s transformation reminds us that money is not for selfish, greedy and miserly hoarding, but for investing in human lives, in their needs as well as in their visions and dreams, to make a better world not only for one’s self, but for one’s community, neighbors and friends.
That’s the ideal America, and that’s the ideal business-mindset. Profit is secondary. The primary goal of business, any business, should be to provide a service and fill a genuine need in a context of fair-trade and just exchange, to produce opportunity for better, healthier, and more wholesome living—so that all may grow and prosper in the areas that money cannot buy—family life, relationship building, child rearing, and inner growth—mind, heart, and spiritual development.
If you are a business person, keep in mind the following simple truths.
1. Money is neutral, neither good nor bad. However, money IS powerful and easily corrupts, and the love of money is truly the root of much evil that is done in this world. Do not let the love of money corrupt your heart.
2. You can’t take it with you. He who dies with the most toys… still dies! Naked you came into the world and naked you shall leave the world. Jesus said what good is it if you gain the whole world and forfeit your soul?
There is no bribing God. Having all the money in the world will be no protection against Judgment Day. (Do you really think there will be no Judgment on your life?)
Monday, August 13, 2012
Should Islamic, Sharia Law, be used in American Law Courts?
There is a growing tension and debate over allowing the dictates of Sharia Law as consideration for determining outcomes in our U.S. law courts, so much so that some states have enacted legislation banning the use of “foreign Laws” in their courts (e.g., the State of Kansas). Such anti foreign-law legislation is clearly aimed at banning the use of Islamic Sharia Law.
Muslim groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are arguing against such bans. They want the dictates of Sharia Law to be acceptable and applicable in our American court system, when deemed relevant to a case.
I am skeptical and distrustful. But let me be clear: I am NOT in favor of a militant attitude against Islam and its followers here in America. This is a free country. This country is based upon freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, and freedom of religion. However, I do have my concerns about the creeping-in of Sharia Islamic Law’s influence, its use and application here, within our American courts of law. Why?
I’ll give you a ‘for instances.’ Recently a man literally had his hand chopped off, for sheep-stealing (originally it was supposedly a stolen motorcycle). This astounds me. This cutting-off of the hand took place earlier this month, Wednesday, August 8th. It was as a result of the strict application of Islamic Sharia Law; now, today, in the year 2012. Yes, those who did the hand-cutting were Islamic extremists. And yes, this happened on the other side of the world, in Mali. Nevertheless, these Islamic extremists justified their actions on the basis of strict adherence to Sharia Law. Furthermore, a witness later testified, so I read, that after the Islamists cut-off the young man’s hand, they also put his arm in boiling oil. Google it, see for yourself.
“That was in Mali, not America. That kind of thing won’t happen here,” Islamic supporters of Sharia Law will say. Maybe not, but I have to wonder what will happen here, if acceptance and consideration of Islamic Sharia Law becomes more and more acceptable in our law-courts?
Now, I have to say that I know little about Sharia Law. I readily admit my ignorance. Still, I am greatly put-off by what I do see and hear, as to how Sharia Law is used, interpreted and applied by various Islamic adherents around the world. As I see it, the onus, the burden of proof, is on adherents to Sharia Law—to prove to me, to us U.S. citizens—that the application of Sharia law is not contrary to our own American law system, as to its premises, assumptions, values, and asserted truths—not the other way around.
In fact, the basis of Sharia Law has a very different set of foundational assumptions than do our American laws—especially with respect to religious authority, social justice and its practice, and social values and their implementation. As it is, we already have a two-way battle going-on between two conflicting world-view assumptions and authorities: the opposing beliefs between secular humanism on the one side and Judeo-Christian beliefs on the other. Sharia Law introduces a third worldview, a new meta-authority with its own set of foundational premises, assumptions, and propositions. And at the core, all laws are interpreted and applied on the basis of assumed foundational and universal propositional truths. For example, I know this much, under Sharia Law, women and men are NOT equal, and women do NOT have the same rights and privileges as do men. Period!
By writing this, I’m sure to be labeled as Islamophobic. These days, if you want to discredit a person’s opinion, all you have to do is say that he or she has a phobia about the issue, adding phobic to the end of the subject in question—oh, don’t listen to him, he’s just [in this case] Islam-o-phobic. To be phobic about something is to have an irrational fear of something. And that’s the dismissing point, to be irrationally fearful. And that’s my point. I don’t think that I am at all being irrational about this. My fear of Sharia Law makes a lot of sense in the context of today’s world. At this point, I am not at all convinced that the application of Sharia Law has any rightful place in the law courts of the United States of America.
Muslim groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are arguing against such bans. They want the dictates of Sharia Law to be acceptable and applicable in our American court system, when deemed relevant to a case.
I am skeptical and distrustful. But let me be clear: I am NOT in favor of a militant attitude against Islam and its followers here in America. This is a free country. This country is based upon freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, and freedom of religion. However, I do have my concerns about the creeping-in of Sharia Islamic Law’s influence, its use and application here, within our American courts of law. Why?
I’ll give you a ‘for instances.’ Recently a man literally had his hand chopped off, for sheep-stealing (originally it was supposedly a stolen motorcycle). This astounds me. This cutting-off of the hand took place earlier this month, Wednesday, August 8th. It was as a result of the strict application of Islamic Sharia Law; now, today, in the year 2012. Yes, those who did the hand-cutting were Islamic extremists. And yes, this happened on the other side of the world, in Mali. Nevertheless, these Islamic extremists justified their actions on the basis of strict adherence to Sharia Law. Furthermore, a witness later testified, so I read, that after the Islamists cut-off the young man’s hand, they also put his arm in boiling oil. Google it, see for yourself.
“That was in Mali, not America. That kind of thing won’t happen here,” Islamic supporters of Sharia Law will say. Maybe not, but I have to wonder what will happen here, if acceptance and consideration of Islamic Sharia Law becomes more and more acceptable in our law-courts?
Now, I have to say that I know little about Sharia Law. I readily admit my ignorance. Still, I am greatly put-off by what I do see and hear, as to how Sharia Law is used, interpreted and applied by various Islamic adherents around the world. As I see it, the onus, the burden of proof, is on adherents to Sharia Law—to prove to me, to us U.S. citizens—that the application of Sharia law is not contrary to our own American law system, as to its premises, assumptions, values, and asserted truths—not the other way around.
In fact, the basis of Sharia Law has a very different set of foundational assumptions than do our American laws—especially with respect to religious authority, social justice and its practice, and social values and their implementation. As it is, we already have a two-way battle going-on between two conflicting world-view assumptions and authorities: the opposing beliefs between secular humanism on the one side and Judeo-Christian beliefs on the other. Sharia Law introduces a third worldview, a new meta-authority with its own set of foundational premises, assumptions, and propositions. And at the core, all laws are interpreted and applied on the basis of assumed foundational and universal propositional truths. For example, I know this much, under Sharia Law, women and men are NOT equal, and women do NOT have the same rights and privileges as do men. Period!
By writing this, I’m sure to be labeled as Islamophobic. These days, if you want to discredit a person’s opinion, all you have to do is say that he or she has a phobia about the issue, adding phobic to the end of the subject in question—oh, don’t listen to him, he’s just [in this case] Islam-o-phobic. To be phobic about something is to have an irrational fear of something. And that’s the dismissing point, to be irrationally fearful. And that’s my point. I don’t think that I am at all being irrational about this. My fear of Sharia Law makes a lot of sense in the context of today’s world. At this point, I am not at all convinced that the application of Sharia Law has any rightful place in the law courts of the United States of America.
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