I happen to be a big fan of quotes, because a good quote can perfectly express a belief, or an ideal that appeals to you. Sometimes, a quote can reveal very telling details about a person's motives or views.
Sometimes, the quote can reveal more than the person would want revealed.
Let me give you an example. In 1946, during the Nuremberg War Crimes trials, Nazi Germany's Reichmarshal Herman Goering had this to say:
"Why, of course the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."
Gustave Gilbert, German-speaking intelligence officer interviewing Goering: "There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."
Goering: "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
I thought about Goering's quote a lot during President George W. Bush's foray into destroying and punishing Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein. Rather apt, when you consider all those wasted lives - mostly Iraqi and U.S. lives. President Bush's motives - bringing democracy to Iraq - was noble, but flawed.
I'm not just picking on Republican presidents here. After all, the Vietnam War, with its 58,000 U.S. dead, really ramped up under Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. Both Johnson and President Richard Nixon ended up in the unenviable position of wanting to end the war, but unwilling to appear the loser.
But lose it we did, because we failed to realize that while North Vietnam was Communist, their nationalism was even stronger. Any country who invades and occupies Vietnam is in for a nasty lesson, as history has shown over the centuries.
Another lesson it provided was that a lot of conservative commentators really do not understand most Communist countries, nor do they understand the actual strength of nationalism.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Christians and Donald Trump
"As a Christian, how could you NOT vote for Donald Trump?"
That question was asked by a Christian friend to another friend, who is also a Christian.
That is a fascinating question, one that has replayed itself in my mind over the last few months.
It is also the wrong question.
The more accurate question is:
"As a Christian, how COULD you vote for Donald Trump?"
This question, I should point out, has really haunted me ever since the general elections in November. How could Bible-believing Christians vote for a man such as Donald Trump? When did narcissism, crude descriptions of consequence-free sexual assault, and rampant abuse and destruction of small businesses become the Christian ideal?
When a man's response to losing a verbal conflict with a woman is to make childish menstruation insults, why did a lot of Christians say, "OOOO, I've got to get me some of that!"
I can name a lot of faults here - and believe me, I will, either in this post, or others. After all, encouraging apparent criminal activity and apparently committing treason in the same action is either a sign of creative thinking or simply run the mill sociopathic behavior.
He made fun of a handicapped person, which gives the people of our country - especially our children - a lousy example to follow. Remember, the Bible tells us that we are a spectacle to the world - and the President of the United States is even more of a spectacle.
Then there's his congenital lying. This alone should actually be a deal-breaker for Christians, but I have learned, to my dismay, that a lot of Christians could accurately be called LILACS. Why? Because they lie like anything. Not only that, but IOIYAR is a functioning fact of life nowadays.
What is IOIYAR? Literally, it means "It's O.K.if you're a Republican." That belief came into hard play during President Bill Clinton's infidelity issues (and were they ever prominent.) The general Republican reaction was disgust, moral reprehension and a desire to throw him under the earth.
You could've heard crickets chirp when a bunch of Republican congress-critter philanderers were outed all of a sudden. The reactions of Republican supporters (and Christian supporters, too) ranged from continued moral indignation at President Clinton to anger at how the Republican philanderers had their privacy invaded. After all, that was their business, not ours.
Now, there are a lot of Christian leaders who strongly recommended Donald Trump to be our president despite his strongly un-Christian actions and behavior. After all, Dr. Jim Garlow said that Mr. Trump was surrounded by Christians and that Hillary Rodham Clinton had some sort of leftist socialist platform. So obviously, Trump was the choice that Christians should and must vote into office.
For now, I will ignore Mr. Garlow's political ignorance and his willingness to be a false witness against Mrs. Clinton. I say "mister" instead of doctor because thanks to his actions during the campaign, he is guilty of conduct unbecoming of a doctor of divinity.
There are two arguments against Garlow's reasons: One Christian reason and one historical reason.
The implication that being surrounded by Christians and Christian advisors and leaders in effect makes you a Christian leader is not only weird, but unbiblical as well. I grew up in a Fundamentalist Christian church and our pastor mentioned many times that you cannot get other people into Heaven, nor can other people get you into Heaven.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6 (KJV)
I would love to see Donald Trump come to Christ, but his actions and narcissism make that a difficult hope.
Another implication from Garlow's comment is that by being surrounded by Christians means that Donald Trump can somehow be controlled. Donald Trump is comparable to a force of nature, and not controlled by others.
I am hoping and praying that this is the ONLY comparison that can be made with Adolf Hitler, but the Nazi leader was also like a force of nature, and totally uncontrollable. In 1933, Franz von Papen helped engineer Hitler's appointment to Chancellor of Germany on the belief that he could be controlled.
Von Papen was wrong, of course, as history shows. Hitler used von Papen as if he were a tissue and quickly shunted him aside.
Other examples of this exist throughout history, but Hitler's is the most prominent and had the most effects on the rest of the world.
To be honest, the belief that "we can control him" is almost always a conceit and a bit of hubris on the part of the followers. Besides, Donald Trump has more than enough hubris for everyone.
Also, the belief that he can be controlled is a trope commonly used in movies. Are the Christians who voted for him (including Garlow) really that genre dumb? This train wreck was in the making and it was so obvious to anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention.
Being a Christian doesn't mean that you don't have to make a decision, and it doesn't mean that you don't have to actually research and learn on your own.
It doesn't mean you have to be willingly dumb.
Letting someone else make your decision for you doesn't mean that you are a faithful Christian. It makes you a tool, and a pretty useless one at that. It also makes you a useless Christian as well.
Don't be a "sheeple". After all, you have to answer for what you do. Jim Garlow isn't going to answer for you, even if he led you to that decision. He will answer for himself.
Being a sheeple makes you little more than a slave, and about as useless.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
That question was asked by a Christian friend to another friend, who is also a Christian.
That is a fascinating question, one that has replayed itself in my mind over the last few months.
It is also the wrong question.
The more accurate question is:
"As a Christian, how COULD you vote for Donald Trump?"
This question, I should point out, has really haunted me ever since the general elections in November. How could Bible-believing Christians vote for a man such as Donald Trump? When did narcissism, crude descriptions of consequence-free sexual assault, and rampant abuse and destruction of small businesses become the Christian ideal?
When a man's response to losing a verbal conflict with a woman is to make childish menstruation insults, why did a lot of Christians say, "OOOO, I've got to get me some of that!"
I can name a lot of faults here - and believe me, I will, either in this post, or others. After all, encouraging apparent criminal activity and apparently committing treason in the same action is either a sign of creative thinking or simply run the mill sociopathic behavior.
He made fun of a handicapped person, which gives the people of our country - especially our children - a lousy example to follow. Remember, the Bible tells us that we are a spectacle to the world - and the President of the United States is even more of a spectacle.
Then there's his congenital lying. This alone should actually be a deal-breaker for Christians, but I have learned, to my dismay, that a lot of Christians could accurately be called LILACS. Why? Because they lie like anything. Not only that, but IOIYAR is a functioning fact of life nowadays.
What is IOIYAR? Literally, it means "It's O.K.if you're a Republican." That belief came into hard play during President Bill Clinton's infidelity issues (and were they ever prominent.) The general Republican reaction was disgust, moral reprehension and a desire to throw him under the earth.
You could've heard crickets chirp when a bunch of Republican congress-critter philanderers were outed all of a sudden. The reactions of Republican supporters (and Christian supporters, too) ranged from continued moral indignation at President Clinton to anger at how the Republican philanderers had their privacy invaded. After all, that was their business, not ours.
Now, there are a lot of Christian leaders who strongly recommended Donald Trump to be our president despite his strongly un-Christian actions and behavior. After all, Dr. Jim Garlow said that Mr. Trump was surrounded by Christians and that Hillary Rodham Clinton had some sort of leftist socialist platform. So obviously, Trump was the choice that Christians should and must vote into office.
For now, I will ignore Mr. Garlow's political ignorance and his willingness to be a false witness against Mrs. Clinton. I say "mister" instead of doctor because thanks to his actions during the campaign, he is guilty of conduct unbecoming of a doctor of divinity.
There are two arguments against Garlow's reasons: One Christian reason and one historical reason.
The implication that being surrounded by Christians and Christian advisors and leaders in effect makes you a Christian leader is not only weird, but unbiblical as well. I grew up in a Fundamentalist Christian church and our pastor mentioned many times that you cannot get other people into Heaven, nor can other people get you into Heaven.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6 (KJV)
I would love to see Donald Trump come to Christ, but his actions and narcissism make that a difficult hope.
Another implication from Garlow's comment is that by being surrounded by Christians means that Donald Trump can somehow be controlled. Donald Trump is comparable to a force of nature, and not controlled by others.
I am hoping and praying that this is the ONLY comparison that can be made with Adolf Hitler, but the Nazi leader was also like a force of nature, and totally uncontrollable. In 1933, Franz von Papen helped engineer Hitler's appointment to Chancellor of Germany on the belief that he could be controlled.
Von Papen was wrong, of course, as history shows. Hitler used von Papen as if he were a tissue and quickly shunted him aside.
Other examples of this exist throughout history, but Hitler's is the most prominent and had the most effects on the rest of the world.
To be honest, the belief that "we can control him" is almost always a conceit and a bit of hubris on the part of the followers. Besides, Donald Trump has more than enough hubris for everyone.
Also, the belief that he can be controlled is a trope commonly used in movies. Are the Christians who voted for him (including Garlow) really that genre dumb? This train wreck was in the making and it was so obvious to anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention.
Being a Christian doesn't mean that you don't have to make a decision, and it doesn't mean that you don't have to actually research and learn on your own.
It doesn't mean you have to be willingly dumb.
Letting someone else make your decision for you doesn't mean that you are a faithful Christian. It makes you a tool, and a pretty useless one at that. It also makes you a useless Christian as well.
Don't be a "sheeple". After all, you have to answer for what you do. Jim Garlow isn't going to answer for you, even if he led you to that decision. He will answer for himself.
Being a sheeple makes you little more than a slave, and about as useless.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Monday, January 23, 2017
First Bean Dish Question
All you Right-Wing Conservative Christians who voted for Donald Trump, I have a question for you.
How does your lentil stew taste? Still taste good?
Just asking.
I'll check back later.
Peace be unto you.
How does your lentil stew taste? Still taste good?
Just asking.
I'll check back later.
Peace be unto you.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Third Fiction Post
This is something that came to my mind after reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I think that her book, along with Stephen King's The Stand, ignored something oddly important...
The submarine sailed under the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge as it approached the Hudson River. Neither of the two officers, nor the enlisted man with headphones on his head said anything as the ship sailed closer to Manhattan Island.
"It's so quiet," one of the officers, a woman, said as she looked up at the bridge's underside. "It's like everyone's...gone."
"They are," the other officer, a man, said, and looked through his binoculars. "At least, most of them are."
The woman swallowed and and shook her head. "I expected it to be like Norfolk - a lot of derelicts floating around."
"I know," the male officer said and sighed. "So did I."
Just then, the enlisted man asked, "Captain? Should we tell the Palermo to join us? Her CO is anxious for his ship to be with ours."
The male officer frowned, but nodded. "Tell him to bring his ship in, but to maintain our speed and stay aft of us. I'll give him further orders as I need to."
"Aye, sir," the enlisted man said, and spoke into his mouthpiece.
The female officer cringed as a breeze blew over them from Manhattan itself. She shuddered from the smell of the rotting dead and asked, "Should we even try to salvage anything from the city, sir?"
The captain sighed again and said, "I don't know. I don't think so, myself. Even at a ninety-nine percent mortality rate that CNN said the flu had, New York City would still have nearly eighty-five thousand people roaming around in it - in a state of total anarchy." He looked at the enlisted man. "Tell the Palermo to keep their crew inside, and away from the portholes. Also, tell their bridge crew to remain inside the bridge. Then, let's get down below ourselves. The last thing we need is anyone being injured - or killed - by someone taking potshots at us."
The submarine moved into position to pass Liberty and Ellis isands on their port side, and Governors Island on their starboard side...
I need a break from politics right now, though I have a feeling that it won't be a long one.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
The submarine sailed under the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge as it approached the Hudson River. Neither of the two officers, nor the enlisted man with headphones on his head said anything as the ship sailed closer to Manhattan Island.
"It's so quiet," one of the officers, a woman, said as she looked up at the bridge's underside. "It's like everyone's...gone."
"They are," the other officer, a man, said, and looked through his binoculars. "At least, most of them are."
The woman swallowed and and shook her head. "I expected it to be like Norfolk - a lot of derelicts floating around."
"I know," the male officer said and sighed. "So did I."
Just then, the enlisted man asked, "Captain? Should we tell the Palermo to join us? Her CO is anxious for his ship to be with ours."
The male officer frowned, but nodded. "Tell him to bring his ship in, but to maintain our speed and stay aft of us. I'll give him further orders as I need to."
"Aye, sir," the enlisted man said, and spoke into his mouthpiece.
The female officer cringed as a breeze blew over them from Manhattan itself. She shuddered from the smell of the rotting dead and asked, "Should we even try to salvage anything from the city, sir?"
The captain sighed again and said, "I don't know. I don't think so, myself. Even at a ninety-nine percent mortality rate that CNN said the flu had, New York City would still have nearly eighty-five thousand people roaming around in it - in a state of total anarchy." He looked at the enlisted man. "Tell the Palermo to keep their crew inside, and away from the portholes. Also, tell their bridge crew to remain inside the bridge. Then, let's get down below ourselves. The last thing we need is anyone being injured - or killed - by someone taking potshots at us."
The submarine moved into position to pass Liberty and Ellis isands on their port side, and Governors Island on their starboard side...
I need a break from politics right now, though I have a feeling that it won't be a long one.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Hatred Is Not An Option
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
I John 4:8 (NIV)
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.
"Anyone who loves their brother or sister is in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
"But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them."
I John 2:9-11 (NIV)
Anymore, lately, it seems to be open season for hatred, and open season on those you hate. I think that there's a couple of things that need to be said first and foremost.
One, hatred is a luxury you cannot afford.
Two, hatred is not a family value.
Hatred is very much an expensive luxury. Since God is love, it separates you from God, and why any believer would want to be separated from God is beyond me.
What should you do when you have to deal with someone who makes your blood boil? Or, what if you don't deal with them personally, but you still become infuriated just thinking of them?
Pray for them. And by that, I don't mean that you should pray for their suffering and death. I mean that you should pray for their profit, blessing and good health.
I'm serious.
On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us a guide on what we should do.
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, AND HATE THINE ENEMY.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
Matthew 5:43-44 (KJV)
Much like the Ten Commandments, this is NOT a suggestion, and it is not easy. But, as the Lord pointed out later in the chapter, what profit is it if you love and pray for someone who already loves you? While seeking a profit should never be your motivation, we do indeed profit from loving and praying for our enemies.
It is so easy to hate one's enemies, and when you succumb to the hatred, you do no good for them, nor do you even pray for them. You do no good for yourself, either. When you're in the public eye and you refuse to pray for your enemies, that can have nasty implications. It can "legitimize" hatred, and it can cause other people to stumble.
Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentioned that committing adultery in your mind is the same thing as actually doing the deed itself. It applies to hatred itself, as well. One wish of people who hates an enemy (or enemies) is that they die. In my opinion, when you hate someone and wish them dead in your mind, you have murdered them in your mind.
That casts the "Pray for Obama/Psalm 109:8" bumper stickers and T-shirts in a totally negative light, doesn't it? FYI, those bumper stickers and T-shirts are evil. You should think about the message you promote even unconsciously. Even if you don't mean to, when you're a believer and you promote a message that requests that God judges and kills President Obama, you are playing with a very dangerous fire.
For the record, President Obama, his wife Michelle, and Hillary Clinton are Christians. When you pray for the president's divine judgment/death, not only are you coasting a violation of U.S. federal law, you are begging God to strike down a brother in Christ.
Why, in God's name, would you do that? Why are you not convicted? Why would you risk having God give it back to you? After all, a curse can and will backfire. Why even take that risk?
Do not waste your time - or mine - telling me that people who vote for Democratic Party candidates, or are members of the party itself are not Christians. You do not get to make that decision.
Can you show me where in the Bible it says that Democrats are not Christians?
I won't hold my breath.
Now, you probably know that I did not vote for Donald Trump in the November general elections. I am not happy about his victory over Hillary Clinton.
But I do NOT hate him. I cannot hate him. I cannot afford to hate him. I like to think of it the way John Wayne did concerning John F. Kennedy's election to the presidency in 1960.
"I didn't vote for him, but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job."
Donald Trump is my president, and I want him to do a good job, and I will pray for him.
Note this, however. I resolve to never wear a "Pray for Trump/Psalm 109:8" T-shirt, nor will I have a bumper sticker declaring the same.
An interesting question to close the post with, however. If Hillary Clinton had won the presidency in November, how long would it take for a Psalm 109:8 T-shirt or bumper stickers focused on her to come out?
How many so-called Bible-believing Christians would be sporting such a slogan on their chests and vehicles?
If you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ and sport such a T-shirt or bumper sticker, your witness says more about you than you should be comfortable with.
Peace be unto you.
I John 4:8 (NIV)
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.
"Anyone who loves their brother or sister is in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
"But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them."
I John 2:9-11 (NIV)
Anymore, lately, it seems to be open season for hatred, and open season on those you hate. I think that there's a couple of things that need to be said first and foremost.
One, hatred is a luxury you cannot afford.
Two, hatred is not a family value.
Hatred is very much an expensive luxury. Since God is love, it separates you from God, and why any believer would want to be separated from God is beyond me.
What should you do when you have to deal with someone who makes your blood boil? Or, what if you don't deal with them personally, but you still become infuriated just thinking of them?
Pray for them. And by that, I don't mean that you should pray for their suffering and death. I mean that you should pray for their profit, blessing and good health.
I'm serious.
On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us a guide on what we should do.
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, AND HATE THINE ENEMY.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
Matthew 5:43-44 (KJV)
Much like the Ten Commandments, this is NOT a suggestion, and it is not easy. But, as the Lord pointed out later in the chapter, what profit is it if you love and pray for someone who already loves you? While seeking a profit should never be your motivation, we do indeed profit from loving and praying for our enemies.
It is so easy to hate one's enemies, and when you succumb to the hatred, you do no good for them, nor do you even pray for them. You do no good for yourself, either. When you're in the public eye and you refuse to pray for your enemies, that can have nasty implications. It can "legitimize" hatred, and it can cause other people to stumble.
Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentioned that committing adultery in your mind is the same thing as actually doing the deed itself. It applies to hatred itself, as well. One wish of people who hates an enemy (or enemies) is that they die. In my opinion, when you hate someone and wish them dead in your mind, you have murdered them in your mind.
That casts the "Pray for Obama/Psalm 109:8" bumper stickers and T-shirts in a totally negative light, doesn't it? FYI, those bumper stickers and T-shirts are evil. You should think about the message you promote even unconsciously. Even if you don't mean to, when you're a believer and you promote a message that requests that God judges and kills President Obama, you are playing with a very dangerous fire.
For the record, President Obama, his wife Michelle, and Hillary Clinton are Christians. When you pray for the president's divine judgment/death, not only are you coasting a violation of U.S. federal law, you are begging God to strike down a brother in Christ.
Why, in God's name, would you do that? Why are you not convicted? Why would you risk having God give it back to you? After all, a curse can and will backfire. Why even take that risk?
Do not waste your time - or mine - telling me that people who vote for Democratic Party candidates, or are members of the party itself are not Christians. You do not get to make that decision.
Can you show me where in the Bible it says that Democrats are not Christians?
I won't hold my breath.
Now, you probably know that I did not vote for Donald Trump in the November general elections. I am not happy about his victory over Hillary Clinton.
But I do NOT hate him. I cannot hate him. I cannot afford to hate him. I like to think of it the way John Wayne did concerning John F. Kennedy's election to the presidency in 1960.
"I didn't vote for him, but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job."
Donald Trump is my president, and I want him to do a good job, and I will pray for him.
Note this, however. I resolve to never wear a "Pray for Trump/Psalm 109:8" T-shirt, nor will I have a bumper sticker declaring the same.
An interesting question to close the post with, however. If Hillary Clinton had won the presidency in November, how long would it take for a Psalm 109:8 T-shirt or bumper stickers focused on her to come out?
How many so-called Bible-believing Christians would be sporting such a slogan on their chests and vehicles?
If you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ and sport such a T-shirt or bumper sticker, your witness says more about you than you should be comfortable with.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
A New Year Begins
2016 is over and, as usual, I ask myself where did it go?
As I get older, I ask myself that question more and more.
For many years, I neglected to make any resolutions, excepting the resolution to make no resolutions. But I think I'll be different this year.
I resolve to read the Bible every day, even it's only a devotional reading.
I resolve to pray every day, and try for several times a day. After all, I don't live my life through my strength, but through the Lord's strength. My strength, my wisdom, my will, is as nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ. May I always remember that.
I resolve to help others when I can, and to avoid judging anyone. By judging someone, I can justify - in my mind, that is - that I can look down on them. No more of that evil.
I resolve to remember that when I meet someone who annoys or angers me that I don't know what their life or situation is like. Pray for anyone. Pray for everyone.
I resolve to write - daily - even if it's just a paragraph or two. After all, the late Franz Kafka once said that a writer who doesn't write is someone who courts insanity.
I resolve to think once - twice - thrice - about a purchase before I actually buy something. A lot of what people buy really isn't necessary - or good - to buy.
I resolve to do better on my slow eating experiment. I want to see success from this and enjoy the side benefits of it, as well.
I resolve to clean up my clutter this year. When you are overwhelmed with stuff, it's difficult to enjoy what you have.
More resolutions as I think of them.
Peace be unto you.
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