TEOTWAWKI. Apocalypse, Gathering

Given the massive strife here in the US, and the evil blossoming from the Middle East, and all the dystopia and apocalyptic shows and movies, I sometimes wonder. I’m not so concerned about the apocalypse, but TEOTWAWKI, The End Of The World As We Know It. 

Will Europe still be Europeans, will we have anything even close to privacy with all the government and corporate surveillance, will the hatred exhibited by Black movements (Black Lives Matter, New Black Panthers, Black Panthers), White Supremacy and the racist clash between the two result in a race war?

The meme for Comic Book based TV shows. I’d hate to live in the DC world. Good guys teaming up and arguing with each other, blaming themselves for things they have no control over, bickering, while the evil guys are focused and kicking ass. In the Marvel world much the same. 

In movies, film scholar Kristen Thompson: “…twenty-five disaster movies appeared throughout the eighties. But in the nineties fifty-six disaster movies were released… From 2000-2009 over sixty apocalyptic films were released, and about the same 2010-2016. 

Incessant doom and gloom. Incessant race and cultural conflict. Incessant climate doom and gloom, we’re all going to die soon. Much of the angst is because of all the divisions between groups, male against female, race against race, governments doing terrible and stupid things, corporations doing terrible and stupid things. What do we turn to? More government, more breaks for corporations, more riots, more technological surveillance, and more political failure. Just doubling down on what got us here in the first place. Before when we talked about apocalyptic events, they were religious or spiritual. All those things mentioned earlier, are all secular. Yet we keep turning to secular solutions.

The idea of this arose out of the sermon today, based partially on Isaiah 56:1-2.

1: This is what the Lord says:

“Be just and fair to all.

Do what is right and good,

for I am coming soon to rescue you

and to display my righteousness among you.

2: Blessed are all those

who are careful to do this.

Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest

and keep themselves from doing wrong.

Gathering on the Sabbath, whatever day you select, shows the answer is in gathering together. At our jobs we have all races, all religious backgrounds and beliefs and work together just fine. Gathering together on the Sabbath, looking beyond secular solutions, to corporately share something outside that secular life we experience daily, has the answer. More technology, business and government don’t. 

Just for starters, if every person that calls himself/herself a Christian actually gathered with other Christians on the Sabbath, how calming that would be? 

Apocalypse means unveiling, revelation. From that we know that on the other side of it, will be revealed good news; it is an ending to all this horribleness and divisiveness. Our not going to experience that, the gathering to reconnect with each other outside of the secular, leaves us almost entirely with the secular and solutions that don’t work. 

At the center of any Sabbath gathering is the Eucharist, Communion, sharing at the table, sharing bread and wine. Nothing is more important than doing this every time Christians come together. That gathering for that ritual, brings us all so very close together, brings a calm. 

Personally, I’m not a calm man, and this centering every week is vital to me. If it’s vital to one, then that means it vital for many, and I hope for all. All Christians going to Church would have a profound impact on the conflict and hatred rampant in the world. There are about 247 million people in the US that claim to be Christian. Think of the calming effect on the nation if we all went to Church. That experience moves out into the secular world. We know this “apocalyptic” time looks to gloomy and ultimately destructive because no one, including Christians that don’t gather, can see beyond the secular. They can’t see God’s heavenly creation beyond: can't see what is revealed. 

Think how much conflict and hatred would be reduced, if millions more that professed Christian faith, would gather together. How helpful that it would be to be just and fair to all, and do what is right and good, and know that Christ will come to rescue us, and see heaven and righteousness, and how blessed all of those that do this thing would be.

Pie in sky? I think not, but Christ in the sky, revealing Good News? I think so.  

Thoughts at Year's End

My thoughts at the end of the year. I haven’t written since mid-year. I notice when I write so infrequently both my thinking and speaking diminishes in quality. I get wrapped up in video. Good stuff too, mostly. I got Curiosity Steam with endless documentaries. Great way to keep up with science stuff. I read Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything, which was, like everything he writes, exceptional. It’s very much a history of science, and I liked going to Curiosity Stream and watching a documentary and see what he was writing about.

My reading this year was light. I finished the year reading Al Michael’s memoir. Great stuff, highly recommended. There were some Kevin Kearny mysteries, a couple religious books. Ivan Doig, one of my all-time favorites; read his last book he wrote before his death, Last Bus to Wisdom. A great finish to a great writing career. The list of my reading is off to the right. Noticing my reduced reading this year, and the lightness of the fare, I recognize the need, indeed the desire, to increase the literary, theological, philosophical stream. I’ve already started reading The Hemlock Cup [Socrates, Athens, and the Search for the Good Life] by Bettany Hughes. It’s not so much a book about Socrates or philosophy, though it’s there, but a history that gives a sense of place. What it was like to live in Athens in those times, and fleshing out some of the main characters. I’ll also be indulging in The Daily Stoic [366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living] by Ryan Holiday.

I have a lot of Cicero and Demosthenes downloaded; been sitting there for a while. Time to follow up on the intention, and actually read them. I’ve read bits and pieces of them, but not gone full in. The idea here is to immerse myself in that time, ancient western civilization. I've done this type of thing before, had a focus for a year. Not exclusively, but mostly. The Stoics very much have my attention. If there was ever a dismissed, overlooked, oversimplified group or philosophy, this is it.

There were no standout movies for me. Maybe "The Intern" with De Niro. It was a surprising and charming movie that actually praises men and the traditional man. I was surprised by it. The Sci-Fi was fun and met expectations, “Ben Hur” and “Risen” were solid religious movies. Movies I’ve seen too, off to the right. Spent a lot of time streaming vids. Binge watching. That’s something that needs to be modified. More time in the Kindle, less on the screen.

Politically the year was exhausting, in case you haven’t noticed. The hatred and violence spinning totally out of control. The vitriol. Who woulda thunk Trump would take it? Clinton, besides not being a likeable person, got buried in all her lies. Trump has hired a lot of good people, but also quite a few Bushies and RINO’s. The prayer is I hope they don’t get Trump to be “sensible and moderate” like them. Leftism. It’s a disease. How many staunch Conservative, TEA Party people, get to Washington and belly up in the Sea of Lies and Cowardice?

Church. Had my struggles this past year plus. As a reminder or to inform you that don’t know me, I’m a member of the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. The national and regional leadership is all in on Statism, and has put worshiping at the altar of the State ahead of worshipping God, and align themselves with those wishing to destroy the Church and cripple Christianity as much as possible. That’s pretty much a big thing outside of my sphere, so all I can do is pray that God will intercede and they’ll once again put God first, and politics and the State way down where it belongs. I also had some personal confrontations that religiously and emotionally crushed me. There were many that surrounded and showed me true Christian love and support, and buttressed me until I recovered.

Now I’ve been asked, and accepted, to take a major leadership position in the Church at a level I’ve never done. I like being a small occasional voice of influence. This for sure will be different from the leadership positions in my jobs that I’ve had and have.  I’ll have a good mentor, and many have come to me and said to let them know if there’s anything they can do to support me. I have a good pastor, good mentor, and a loving, caring church. How things transpire.

I traveled a lot last year. Trips to Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Colorado River, La Sal Mountains, Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Wind River Mountains, and the topper was the Grand Tetons where I floated down the Snake River. While in the Tetons I saw mileage signs that Yellowstone was only eighteen miles away! Making plans for 2017.  

I won’t be going to so many places this year. Tetons and Yellowstone and some daytrips around here. Nevada has lots of cool places away from the city. This coming year will be my year of being monastic (more than usual), studious (more than this past year) and Stoic (not the wrong way people understand it). And of course, do those things to improve my Christianity. My faith has never waivered. Christ is within me. We all can do better.

Unlike many it seems, 2016 was a good year for me. I wish all healthy happy holy 2017.

Anslem, Nietzsche, Goodness, Nihilism & The Good News

Anselm

I wrote in a  previous post here about how we Christians are responding to the incessant attacks on Christians and our Church. Mostly we respond as victims, the zeitgeist of victimology infecting even us.

I recently read an article by a guy, T L Jernigan ("On Anselm's God & the Virtue of Existing"-Touchstone), contrasting St Anselm and Nietzsche. The ideas here are his, I take no claim to them, only my response to the article.

 Nietzsche we all know said God is dead. Anselm we don’t know so much about. He was the 11^th Century Archbishop of Canterbury. His main thing was to prove the existence of God by combining science, logic and reason with experience and knowledge of the Divine.

He said, God is good, so reality is good. I remember a sermon or reading from awhile ago, that said at each stage of creation, God saw it was good. So what could be better than good?

Anselm: “We believe that you are the thing than which nothing greater can be thought…it is the one thing to have something in the understanding, but quite another to understand that it actually exists…And certainly that than which nothing greater can be thought cannot exist only in the understanding. For if it exists only in the understanding, it is possible to think of it existing in reality, and that is greater.”

Existence is good. It’s great in fact!

Then here comes Nietzsche, who considered existence horrible and horrid. It’s something inflicted on us.

Nietzsche: “Oh wretched, ephemeral race, children of chance and misery, why do you compel me to tell you what it would be most expedient for you not to hear? What is best of all is utterly beyond your reach; not to be born, not to be nothing.” Jeeeeez, sad to be him.

Life is tough, and maybe some sometimes would like it to end. Augustine thought: “while [the suicidal man’s] error make him believe that he will no longer be, his nature makes him wish for rest, that is to say, an increase in being. It is why, since it is impossible not to love being, the fact that we are must not be a reason for us to show ingratitude toward the goodness of the creator.” (Being and Nothingness) I'll just bet you Nietzsche loved persons and sometimes even life. I would suggest he loved life so much he spent his life trying to understand and explain it. Volumes worth!

Sometimes we just need a break. We need to lie beside still waters. God provides it when we need it. Nietzsche isn’t wanting a rest, he wants it all to end. Nihilism. Would one expect anything else when one thinks God dead? With God dead there is no redemption, no rest, only endless suffering.

Now we live in a Nietzschean world. Euthanasia is good. Abortion is good; what better than to snuff out existence before a soul is aware of it? Suicide is good, we’ll even murder you while telling you you’re committing suicide.

A universe created by goodness, surrounded goodness, inhabiting goodness. We are created in His image, and it is good. I’ll be anti-Nietzschean, thank you very much. I think one of the things that moved me out of Buddhism is that it’s nihilist. From nothing to nothing. Ultimately I couldn’t accept that.  

John Paul II: “…the first and basic good for every creature…All other good derive from this basic good. I can only act while I am. Man’s multifarious works, the reasons of his genius, the fruits of his holiness are only possible if the man-the genius, the saint-comes into existence.”

I came from these ideas in the article heartened, and know that we mustn’t fall into Nietzschean thinking that life is horrible at its base, and it’s best if we snuff it out however we can. Sorry for the sad man, he’s a bad man.

We can’t whine as Christians, bemoan our plight; especially here in the New Amerika where it’s lawsuits, harassment and government suppression and threats, and we aren’t getting slaughtered like in the Middle East, or imprisoned/murdered like in China.

To back into our Christianity with just a taint of Nietzschean nihilism, or defeatism is to exhibit a weakened faith, a not serious belief of redemption. Not a serious knowledge that Life is Goodness and that God will not forsake us, Christ will return, and all we have to do is live scriptural, Spirit-filled lives.

Witness sensibly by showing understanding and talk to people from their perspective using their language, be careful of our words, listen to them (you have two ears and one mouth), be of service. James: “If you are wise and understand God’s ways prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” By this way we can take control of the helm and move the ship of humanity back to God, by sharing the Good News.

Rethinking How We Christians Respond to the Majority Secular Society's Attacks and Bigotry

I get this sense of doom, about Western Civilization, America’s constitutional republic, and Christianity. The end game is here, we’ve past the tipping point, we’re past the point of no return. The goodness of all these things have their foundation in Christianity. I read a comment a few months ago that Christianity has been in worse positions, and we will survive this too.

We bemoan that traditional religious practices and churches are fading away. Well, there are a lot of them still going strong; let’s acknowledge that. For the rebels among us, what could be more rebellious or revolutionary than being a practicing, churchgoing Christian these days? Nearly half or more of Americans are hostile to and attack Christians. Much of it is government sanctioned.

I get so caught up reading, writing, talking about this hostility that until the past few days I hadn’t thought about the antidote. I rail about the zeitgeist of victimology, and it dawned on me that constantly laying out the attacks and things against Christians, that I was seeing myself and fellow Christians a victims. That’s not good.

I ask myself, who or what are examples of how to maintain one’s religion during times of persecution (though now in Amerika persecution is exercised through prosecution). Think about what practicing (or Orthodox) Jews have put up with; way more than we Christians, even taking into account the things ancient Christians suffered.

Those Jews were and are practicing their faith, living their principals, acting in accordance with Scripture. We Christians must do the same. A majority of Jews in America have put the State, worshipping it, before God. It looks to me that some, maybe a majority of American Christians have done the same (which I've railed about several times in this blog). Yet Jews through pogroms and the Holocaust remained steadfast. Scriptural Christians must do the same.  

I started this essay about the sense of doom because so much is aligned against us. Part of the answer is from a Theodore Roosevelt speech, and many have heard this part:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

A must read if you’ve never read the whole thing here "Citizenship in a Republic".

Christians must be in the arena. We must be sure too that we live by Holy Scripture. Spending ourselves in a worthy cause does no good if we don’t live according to Holy Scripture, we only leave ourselves open to critics.

Our religious liberty is partly diminishing because we aren’t standing up to criticism and attacks. Those external forces attacking us are a part of it, but our playing the victimology card is not any part of the answer. The victimology card is what much of our culture plays now.

From scripture, James has some helpful observations. “Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”

When we deviate from Scripture: “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever. And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.”

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also,
“If the righteous are barely saved,
what will happen to godless sinners?”

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

I have friends saying what’s the point of the fight? Major jerks gain wealth and power, which is always true since forever. But we have a constitutional republic here, and if enough of us reject the ‘we are doomed’ victimology, not all those voted into public office will be of the sort we have now. If enough in our personal lives publicly walk the Christian walk, we will influence enough people to turn this mess around.

What we are experiencing, mostly from outside the Christian community (and a little from within by those who listen to Screwtape), from James: “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

Pretty much describes our culture and politics doesn’t it?

Let’s change how we respond to that meme.

Peter: "For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed.
Once you were like sheep
who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
the Guardian of your souls."

And this is the way, tough as it is, to turn this hot mess around.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “It is more sensible to be pessimistic; disappointments are left behind, and one can face people unembarrassed. Hence, the clever frown upon optimism. In its essence optimism is not a way of looking at the present situation but a power of life, a power of hope when others resign, a power to hold our heads high when all seems to have come to naught, a power to tolerate setbacks, a power that never abandons the future to the opponent but lays claim to it. Certainly, there is a stupid, cowardly optimism that must be frowned upon. But no one ought to despise optimism as the will for the future, however many times it is mistaken. It is the health of life that the ill dare not infect. There are people who think it frivolous and Christians who think it impious to hope for a better future on earth and to prepare for it. They believe in chaos, disorder, and catastrophe, perceiving it in what is happening now. They withdraw in resignation or pious flight from the world, from the responsibility for ongoing life, for building anew, for the coming generations. It may be that the Day of Judgment will dawn tomorrow; only then and no earlier will we readily lay down our work for a better future.”

Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

Domenico Fetti The Sacrifice of Elijah
Before the Priests of Baal

It’s quite clear in scripture there is one God. The apostles saw Him in Christ. If one believes in God, though I prefer ‘if one knows God’, then that is all the same God. Jesus said “He who sees me sees Him who sent Me”, and “He who has seen me has seen the Father”. The disciples, and others, saw “Him” eventually.

What prompted this are Christians not using discernment and seeing Allah and God as one in the same. I see “Allah” much as the ancient prophets saw false gods. In 1^st Kings, there’s the showdown between Ahab and Elijah. Elijah had Ahab get all the people of Israel together with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah. Elijah stood before all these and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!’ But the people were completely silent.”  

Muslims claim Allah and the Christian God are the same because both are descendants of Abraham. Think of this. Did Allah have a Son? God provided his only begotten Son. Did Allah sacrifice any part of himself for our salvation? Allah only sent a prophet, Mohammad.

Jesus was sacrificed. Painfully, and for a specific purpose. This sacrifice is not recognized in the Koran. Jesus is only a human prophet to Muslims.

Muslims can turn to God, to Jesus Christ for salvation. They have an option, “if the Lord is God, follow Him!’ Allah is as much a false god as Baal. Don't think Christians would want to take the option of turning to a false god. 

Question is, if Muslims think it okay to slaughter Christians, to force them to worship their false god, how is it possible that god is the same as the Christian God? The apostles, the prostitutes, the tax collector and others that saw Christ, saw Him for what He is, and did not need to be forced. It is revealed. And we can see Christ revealed to this day, because he is a living Christ. And please Atheists, Secularists and anti-Christian bigots, don’t go back hundreds of years and say stuff about those Christians that forced people to convert to Christianity. You have a problem if you have to go way into the past to prove a point. The people that did that went against scripture, the Word of God. That was then, this is now. Christianity experienced a reformation, and have an improved understanding of scripture since then. Islam is stuck in the 6^th century. No reformation.

Christians must make a distinction between the false god Allah, and the true God, manifested in Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself for our salvation. And we must talk and teach this, and be clear, so Muslims, Secularists, Atheists and anti-Christian bigots have this revealed to them, as Elijah revealed Baal and Asherah as false gods to the people of Israel. 

Reflections on the Past Year, Personal, Cultural, Political and a Prayer for This Year

It’s fortunate this past year was mundane for me. Nothing terribly impactful, painful, or upsetting. Those things in the small circle that I directly influence or am influenced by was ordinary and comfortable for the most part.

An exception was at work. I really had no direct experience with Millennials as a group until this past year. Heard stuff on the peripheral but didn’t pay much attention.  I was given a new team. Part of my job as a team leader is to critique work and offer ways to improve. Most of this group were Millennials, and every bad thing I had heard about them proved true. This is the first time I disliked people as a group. Up to now there’s been dislike of certain individuals (and I’m sure vice versa), since I think it improper to lump people together for judgement or criticism. Millennials though, are so indoctrinated, so much a product of groupthink, they are essentially all of the same mold. With observing them, an individual must stand out and show there is something unique about them for me to see uniqueness. This just turned the way I relate to people on its head. They don’t take criticism at all, even when it’s worded, ‘this is what we can do to improve on this kind of situation’. They have zero respect for experience or authority. They are the smartest people in the room. Anything anyone has to say, other than praise (mostly unfounded) is rejected without consideration.

They expect to be only adored and praised, regardless. I send out motivational and life improving observations daily. I was providing feedback to a Representative and I said this issue ties right into a motivational observation I had sent out recently, and she said, “I don’t read them, I don’t need any motivation, maybe you do, but I don’t.' Here’s a woman in the middle of middle age, is on the edge of obese (for me a health issue), and does average work in an entry level job. She has shown no interest in improving her position or quality of work/life. This is what stunned me. All but a couple of people of about sixteen were like this.

Working with them, I’ve found they have no idea of history before the day they were born, no interest in anyone or anything beyond what directly impacts or influences them, have no interest in current events except maybe for the Kardashians or the Housewives of Wherever. Apparently there’s several Housewives of Wherever shows. They actually talk about these things, and importantly, as if there’s universal truths or insights into human behavior or something on these and similar “reality” shows.  When I’ve actually offered up a true universal truth, from thousands of years of observation of human behavior, it’s rejected as stupid or untrue. I’m stunned.  

I’m getting an inkling now of what the generation following them is like, and it’s even worse. There’s culture and social writers saying there’s a change, they’re more inclined to traditional modes of behavior or belief systems. Don’t know what those guys are looking at. College students getting University Presidents fired because they don’t like something allegedly said, “safe zones” where they don’t have to hear any alternative ideas to what their professors have indoctrinated them to believe. There’s a building at some university called “Lynch” which is the name of one of the founders of the university. They want the name of the building changed because “lynch” is, well, racist you know.  There are petitions of remove the 1^st Amendment, most specifically the freedom of speech part. Only they should be allowed to say what they want. The myth of white privilege. Universities are founded on the back of slavery and white privilege. It’s too stupid and crazy to continue. The “adults” should expel these knuckleheads. It costs a huge amount of money (the cost of Leftist greed, not an improvement of education) to go, and this is what the outcome is?

I’m so convinced this is the tipping point of Western Civilization in general and America specifically.

Part of the tipping point is a US President that has opened the borders, imports people from countries that are enemies of the US with no effective vetting process, illegally granted amnesty to millions that have invaded this country. He makes anti-Christian statements, but pro Muslim statements. He is an anti-Semite, and sides with terrorist groups against Israel. He has demonized Christians, Whites, Conservatives and Republicans, making race relations even worse that they were in the 1960’s. Hillary Clinton has violated dozens of laws, lied about them, been caught and still no trial, yet still getting massive support from the main stream media and her political party. Anyone else would be on trial or in prison by now. Bill, a serial abuser and exploiter of women, probable rapist, is given a pass. Black celebrity Bill Cosby did the same thing and is getting pounded, by the Leftist Jurassic Press and good Leftists everywhere. And there’s worse this president is doing, and in his last year of office it’ll be a full on blitz to destroy as much as he can that is good about America; its energy production, and the 1^st Amendment, race relations, foreign policy to name a few.  

Wacko Leftists and Islamist terrorists killing people, and it’s a gun restriction problem. I say wacko Leftists because reading the backgrounds of the mass killers, I don’t see any of them members of the TEA (taxed enough already) party, any church going Christians, no Conservatives, no Republicans, yet the Jurassic Press always starts out finding a way to blame one of these groups; often stating there are ties to those groups, then burying the retraction. Speaking of murder, Planned Parenthood is caught murdering babies and selling body parts and not only given a pass, but getting more government funding. Passed by Republicans no less. That and their supporting amnesty and open borders with the Democrats. And the Republican Establishment wonders why they don’t have the support of Republicans in flyover country? Good grief. Is there a measurement for how dumb those guys are? 

This is heading in a direction I hadn’t intended so I’m pulling it back.

Movies I saw this past year. It was a weak movie year. Zombies and vampires and teddy bears oh my. My fav observation about Zombie movies I make, (given how I think about the Millennials and the following generation) is they are so popular because they identify with the characters. (Brain dead except for motor movements.)  “American Sniper” was amazing, reverent and touching. The usual demented Leftists called it a movie praising murderers. The colossally fat, stupid one percenter Michael Moore leading the charge of insensitivity and stupidity. Saw the new “Star Wars”, and while it was fun, it was also overly PC. Small slender woman kicks ass on men that are trained in fighting and combat, that are bigger than her, flies spaceships for the first time better than trained pilots, knows more about the electronics and the engine of the Millennium Falcon than Hans Solo who’s ship it is and has been flying it for years and years…yeah yeah yeah. Had the same problem with the new “Mad Max”. Hardly anything to do with Max, most everything to do with the female character the story was actually about. “Bridge of Spies” with Tom Hanks I thought was good. I’ve read several reviews since by conservative reviewers that reviewed it as one of the worst of the year. Apparently I watched something different with the same title. “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” was splendid fun and I hope there are sequels, but for some reason I doubt it. My favorite movie was “Kingsmen: The Secret Service" which was stylish, clever, fun. Saw it when it came out and have streamed it twice since. Fun fun fun. “Unbroken” was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Highly recommended. Bond movie was fun, but it’s time to fire Daniel Craig. He bad mouthed the movie, the production, the character. He’s made $millions upon $millions then criticizes the US, our lifestyle and our politics. Time to go hypocritical ingrate. Saw the “Age of Ultron”, a mistake. Super tired of all the comic book characters brought to life.

It turns out the most creative film is TV series. “Justified”, “Major Crimes” Agatha Christie’s “Perot”, and I know I said I’m fed up with comic book stories, but like “Gotham”, “Arrow”, “Flash”. For “reality” shows, “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives”, “Fixer Upper” (love love love that couple!), and a few others. “Blue Bloods” is amazing, especially since the family lives up to Christian values and ethics, has a family meal every week, prays together, is smartly written, and just enjoyable. All that and it has survived several seasons.

Read a few books. Best among them “Christianity & Liberalism" published in 1923 about how Liberalism is becoming the new religion in many churches. Sound familiar? "Jesus - A Pilgrimage” by SJ James Martin…fabulous Journey in the Holy Land. If you haven’t read Martin, pick him up. "Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World", we need to recognize God in the ordinary. Down to earth religious writing. Read some mysteries. Most fun book of the year was “Ready Player One”. Clever fiction, Dystopic future, with gamers, bad guys and the story is chock full of 1980’s references which is the most fun part. Easy read and highly recommend.

The list of what I read and saw at the movies is in the right column. Oh, by the way, if you want a good chuckle with classic rock ‘n’ roll, stream the “Minions”. A hoot!

For the upcoming year, I pray our church prospers and all get along, I don’t have to take any more grief from Millennials at work (I’m off that team, but we have many of that generation working here). I pray that the slaughter of Christians in Africa and the Middle East by IslamoNazis is stopped, that the imperialism of Putin/Russia is stopped, and Christians in this country stand up to the Secularists and the Democrat Party to protect freedom of religion. I pray Ted Cruz is elected President.

I pray for the health and happiness of all who desire it. Sadly there are many that find pleasure in misery. I pray these attitudes and beliefs that bring that on, is banished from their souls, and they find what is good in life, friends and liberty. 

Leftist "Feelings" vs What Works

When I was way young and liked a book or movie, got all excited about it, I was often stunned that someone didn’t like it. I just couldn’t believe how misguided, uninformed, dumb etc. a person was that didn’t have my taste or belief. “What’s wrong with these people”?

Of course I’ve grown up and out of that. When people ask me about a book, movie, restaurant, I’m reluctant to say they’ll like it. I’ll critique, but not think to push the idea that the person asking will like it. The exception is if it’s a good friend of a long time and I know their tastes.

That’s what I see Leftists as; immature people that don’t understand that others don’t want to live in a Statist world, top down control of economics, class, culture.  They don’t understand or accept there are valid differences of taste and opinion. If one doesn’t think like them there is something wrong with the person that thinks differently.

I get frustrated and sometimes angered when Leftists are presented with cold hard facts and refuse to accept them. Show unemployment stats from the Labor Department that we don’t have 5% unemployment, it’s much higher…well, how can you possibly believe that? Published emails and leaked reports that “global warming” studies were modified to support the idea that we humans are raising the temperature of the planet don’t change their ‘feeling’ that there is global warming. When the false statement that religion is responsible for more deaths than any other entity, and one tallies those slaughtered by governments in just the 20^th century is proof positive of the lie, well, how could one believe that? It just doesn’t feel right.

That slaughter was brought about primarily in Europe. They love Statism there; the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleonic domination by France, now the European Union. Centralized obedience to self-important knuckleheads that leak out of ivory towers with a lust for power and a rejection of those things that we know work. They reject what works for what makes them and their supporters feel good. So the Left here sees Europe as superior to the US since it ‘feels’ it is enlightened.

What ties that together is conformity. Groupthink. Europe is good despite its bringing us World Wars, Communism, Hitlerism, Nazism, Fascism, Stalinism, Socialism and all the rest of the Statist isms. All these claimed to be for the people, they’ll take care of them with universal health care, family leave, help the poor, and in fact they don’t. Claiming these perverse ideologies are feel good thoughts somehow make them superior to people desiring Liberty of thought and action. It feels good to support, top down, Statist conformity, to have socialized medicine, poverty programs and all the rest. No responsibility there, someone else is legislating that, so nothing personally has to be done.

Part of this is generational too. I came of age in the late 1960’s -1970’s. Marxist ideology ruled the day, along with sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll. Protest and speak against cops, corporations, capitalism, religion, and the rest. Most of us still ended up not only working for “the man” but becoming “the man”. That boomer ideology was brought into the institutions, weakening the things that created the most successful civilization in history.

We have ended up crony capitalism as bad as the day when railroads were stretching across America, or JP Morgan essentially bailing out the government…now the government bails out banks and financial institutions. Payoffs and payouts because a rejection of accountability, responsibility, rejection of Christianity and the embracing of Secularism, and the resulting top down Statism. Legislation is being passed, forced upon regular people that actually work and produce something. Legislation now is more about values and attitudes, enforcing intolerance and prejudices that produces conformity, rather than law that keeps people safe, structured and ordered.

Media, entertainment, education, government, business, even Church (both Protestant and Catholic) have devolved and embraced the Leftist “if it feels good do it” uniformity and conformity. Coming back around to my opening, all this conformity lends itself to groupthink, that differences are not to be tolerated, and speech must curtailed to fit the Leftist view of the world, in all human endeavors.

Like the immature young, how can you not like what we like? How can you not believe global warming is real, that Whites are all racist, that White cops are running around killing unarmed black men, that Christianity is evil, that government is good and the solution to the world’s ills? Thus the “safe zones” on university campuses that protect the literally young from any kind of different thought. It doesn’t feel good to have someone express a different idea. It doesn’t feel good to be criticized. It doesn’t feel good take responsibility for a mistake. It doesn’t feel good to be accountable.      

I was once a Marxist that actually read and wrote about Marxism, was a political and cultural Leftist, and believed in my mind of minds, heart of hearts, this was Truth. I was a practicing, church going Christian from childhood through teenage years. I left that, then I thought I was a free thinker. Then I realized that I only knew the world based on what people that thought like I did said. I knew politics only by what fellow Leftists said and wrote. I knew the “news” only by what Leftist journalists wrote. I knew Christianity only by what Leftist/Secularists said and wrote. I returned to Christianity in my 40’s, began to understand what works, and now because of that, I’m a free thinker. It set me free. Set my soul free, my heart and my mind free.

At this point I understand Leftists/contemporary Liberals can’t be convinced of anything, regardless of the realities of our world, with provable evidence and facts. They don’t believe in a free society, a people based republic, free thought, free expression. Liberalism is a secular religion that is being offered and accepted as a replacement for traditions that work, Christianity and the personal discipline, sacrifice and personal responsibility that comes with it.

With Liberalism/Leftists it’s what feels good, not what is real and works, that passes for thought.

Moving Out of Snuggly Christianity

I’ve written in the past few posts (just scroll down) about how the church I belong to at the national level has embraced Secular Statism and placed its beliefs, orthodoxy, and aggressive intolerance before Christ and Scripture. The “leadership” of my, and several other mainline Protestant domination's, have jumped to the racist, environmental, gender, central command government model, and that includes attacking Christianity and Jews.  

I’ve wondered for years, given that governments usually end up slaughtering Jews, how and why do they side with government ahead of Yahweh and Torah. It’s because they have made government their religion, and more specifically Statist Atheistic government, their religion. Now western Christians are doing it. I hear stuff being said by Christians, in and out of church saying the darndest things. I’ve got to wonder, if they have read scripture, or if they have do they understand any of it, or if they do, do they believe it.

I hear them side with gay marriage, multiple genders, speech against traditional marriage, pro-abortion, and equality of result in life (in the name of fairness). I have to wonder, if people identifying themselves as Christians professes belief in these things, why?

Fear of the politically correct groupthink crowd? Have they put cultural acceptance ahead of God? Have they put political expediency ahead of God? I can understand, and even acknowledge that kind of thinking, wrong as it is. What is disconcerting are Christians that do put Christ front and center in their lives, yet remain silent or just acquiesce to the hatred, intolerance and bullying.

To those I say, it’s time to speak up, speak back to, challenge. Of course there will be push back, name calling….homophobe, racist, bigot, and the rest that we get thrown at us. This isn’t as bad as what Jesus, the Disciples, Paul and the martyrs experienced. This isn’t ancient Rome, though we do have our self-important politicians and cultural celebrities, our circuses to distract us from the horrors of our civilization brought upon us by those very same people.

If we state what we should, that is from scripture, we will, to be sure, be called out of touch, bigots, haters, insensitive, narrow-minded, intolerant, and all the rest. But like the early Christians, we must speak the truth.

The truth is this. That God created Man and Woman. When Man and Woman come together they become one flesh. From that marriage come children. Those children are sacred human lives, including when they are still in the womb. Made in the image of God. Marriage is sacred, sexual morality as is should be was stated two thousand years ago. This comes from traditional, scriptural, Christian orthodoxy. If we accept that and state it, we are rejecting the zeitgeist, the secularist statist humanist view, and it is more and more at our peril.

Christians must do as Christ commanded, “If anyone wants to be my disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me”. Seems to me there are less and less Christians willing to take up that cross. We’ve been accepted without challenge for a long time. We are all snuggled in our comfort.

Why do so many allow this? Comfort to be sure; so is it that many think they really don’t have to work at their Faith, take the effort to maintain, grow and defend Christianity?

If we are truly disciples we must witness, proclaim the gospel as true. We must be willing to be attacked and insulted. Are you willing to stand with Christ?

Don’t believe it when the forces assembled against us say we can’t win, God is dead, Christianity is dead, the traditional family is dead, traditional marriage is dead, the sanctity of human life is dead, we are only to stand in the judgement of other men and their anti-humane, Godless laws, rules, and punishments.

Only God can judge. Only God’s laws are true and just. Not the people arrayed against the Gospel Truth, Christians and our Churches.

Are you for speaking the gospel? For witnessing God’s word? Stand on the side of truth. Stand with Christ. Have Christian integrity. Walk the talk, live the walk, speak the truth.

Like the early Christians, it’s time to start living outside our comfort zone. We’ll experience discomfort, but at least won’t be eaten by lions or slayed by gladiators.

Step out of the comfort zone. Speak the gospel Truth.    

   

The Indiana Kefuffle and the Government & MSM Movement to Destroy Christianity

Usually I let the bullying Left, the Democrats and the rest, that want to throw out the Constitution, not let me get so pissed off. This Indiana thing has lit my rockets! The Left have governors of other states trying to do economic damage to Indiana. The Jurassic Press is doing what they always to, and celebrities (just shut the hell up and sing or act) spout off without having a clue. Jocks too. What the hell does Barkley know about the law? Has he even read the damn thing? Highly doubt it. I haven’t heard him say he has. What the hell? Those Leftist governors whose own states are in a mess should shut the hell up too. Then again, Leftists don’t believe in States’ Rights, only centralized government, so they feel free to join in.

So we have extreme Leftist totalitarians of old, which headed up the Federal Religious Restoration Act over 20 years ago, including anti-Semite, anti-Christian racist Barry Obama that signed the Illinois’ Restoration act; and a bunch of other Leftists that were for it before they were against it. The answer these haters of Christians and the Law have is that the Indiana law has language that is anti-gay. What a giant tank of horse manure. There is no such language. There’s no aggression, only protection of 2,000 plus year old belief systems. Good grief.

What’s really set me off are Christians that buy into this. It’s obvious the homosexualist movement has been running Christian businesses out, destroying lives. None of this would be happening if they went to where they would get the services they wanted, and not try and destroy, like kids breaking toys, when they didn’t get their way. I say homosexualist movement because it’s not about civil rights, it not about discrimination, it’s not about love, it’s not even about who you’re pokin’. It’s about being anti-Christian, anti-Semite, anti-traditional, and anti-business. It’s all about bringing down everything that works, destroying lives, to empower government.

What’s setting me off about Christians thinking like this, is they are putting Government before God, before scripture, and rejecting the teachings of Christ and the Apostle Paul. These “Christians” are entering that arena like American Jews, that don’t even bother to identify themselves as Jews, and put the government first, before Torah and God. Even though it is governments that have slaughtered millions of Jews throughout history, over 70% of American Jews vote Democrat, the Party of Big Government oppression. The anti-Semitism of that Party stuns me, and the virulent anti-Semitism of this president is scarier than just about anything I’ve seen or experienced.  

The other thing about this is the underlying current in all this Indiana kerfuffle, that to believe the Leftist hype is to believe that Christians inherently are anti-gay, hate gays, don’t support gays. If you claim to be a Christian, you had best rethink your position on this, or renounce Christianity, because lies, destruction and an all-powerful central government is what you worship. Not God.

The Federal Government and nineteen states have had this legislation for up to twenty years and not a peep until now. The Restoration laws have never ever been used to discriminate against gays. But Christians are having their lives destroyed, and want some protections. Not exactly working, because many Christians have lost their livelihood and have had lives destroyed in states that do have the Restoration law in place (plus the alleged protection of the Federal Law).

Just lies lies lies lead by anti-Semite, anti-Christian Barry Obama, his political Party, and his sycophant press that writes fiction to protect their secular Savior, the false prophet Obama, instead of Jesus Christ, whom they hate.

Ultimately this is about the government lead anti-Christian movement. Any totalitarian government, knowing history, knows to finally triumph, it must marginalize, if not destroy, Christians and Jews.