What is the dream? The Dream is that we realize the truth found in Scripture and stated simply by our founding fathers: that all men are created equal.
Created by who? MLK said it was "God Almighty." That's the thing. This isn't about what the government who gave us freedom. It was God. In fact, Dueteronomy warns us that governments oppress people. And they still do.
MLK's dream was for racial justice. This still doesn't happen. Whites are "evil rich people." Blacks are "dangerous criminals." Everyone else is here illegally. Yes, prejudice is everywhere.
MLK also said "Don't blame our white brothers." As he pointed out, many white people where there marching with them. Racism isn't a White issue, or a Black issue. It's a sin issue. That's right, sin. God said in Christ there is no difference between race or gender. We're all equal in sin, and made equal again if we accept God's grace and repent of those sins. We need freedom that is found in Christ Jesus. This includes Americans and non-Americans, rich and poor.
Today we are still fighting these battles. Democrats keep people locked in ghettos and in chains of government dependence. Republicans ignore people. Both parties act their way because all they care about is taking power, and not about the people that they step on to get that party.
Some say "We're doing better. We have a black president." We're doing better. But that's not why. MLK wanted people judged by content of character, not race. Voting for someone because he's black is the same as not voting for him because he's black. The fact that race is noticed is still racist. I've made no secret that I agree with little that Obama does, but those disagreements are philophical, not race. Being a minister, baptizing whites, blacks, hispanics, you just celebrate because they're people that matter to God.
I have a dream where all people realize God's love and treat each other just as that: people.
Showing posts with label poor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poor. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
ObamaCare hits home
I hate to say "I told you so." Especially when it's bad. But I told you ObamaCare sucks. It destroys jobs.
My mom just found out yesterday (Monday) that she has a difficult decision. She can either have Health Insurance, or a job. That's right. Because Obama's regulations, my mother's insurance has skyrocketed. The school that she works for is voting Thursday to get rid of insurance for the teacher's aides. She's been at that job for 27 years, and has been told she either has to retire before the vote on Thursday, or she has to go without insurance, knowing that she can't afford ObamaCare, which she is required by law to have.
That's right. She has just entered government enforced poverty. She either can have insurance or an income. Her thought is she might be able to get an income, but she absolutely cannot get insurance. So she has to leave a job which she loves to afford health insurance.
And she's not the only one effected. Other aides that were hired after a certain date are not only losing their insurance, but also their hours. Since ObamaCare not requires employers to provide insurance for those who have more than 30 hours, and companies still can't afford to provide benefits, then not only do these people not have insurance, but have less income. That's what happens when idiot politicians like Obama and Pelosi who have never held a real job or done anything in real life make decisions for the rest of the country. They had excellent intentions, but reality is simply different. The road to hell, and national poverty, is paved with good intentions.
My mom just found out yesterday (Monday) that she has a difficult decision. She can either have Health Insurance, or a job. That's right. Because Obama's regulations, my mother's insurance has skyrocketed. The school that she works for is voting Thursday to get rid of insurance for the teacher's aides. She's been at that job for 27 years, and has been told she either has to retire before the vote on Thursday, or she has to go without insurance, knowing that she can't afford ObamaCare, which she is required by law to have.
That's right. She has just entered government enforced poverty. She either can have insurance or an income. Her thought is she might be able to get an income, but she absolutely cannot get insurance. So she has to leave a job which she loves to afford health insurance.
And she's not the only one effected. Other aides that were hired after a certain date are not only losing their insurance, but also their hours. Since ObamaCare not requires employers to provide insurance for those who have more than 30 hours, and companies still can't afford to provide benefits, then not only do these people not have insurance, but have less income. That's what happens when idiot politicians like Obama and Pelosi who have never held a real job or done anything in real life make decisions for the rest of the country. They had excellent intentions, but reality is simply different. The road to hell, and national poverty, is paved with good intentions.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Stop Digging-The Problems
There's an old saying. When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. You cannot get out of the hole by digging out the bottom. That just puts you deeper into a hole.
We are in a sixteen trillion dollar hole. That's a sixteen with TWELVE ZEROS behind it. It's an addiction to spending. When we have a trillion dollar deficit each year, not including interest on the debt, we have a problem. Yet the infamously hypocritical and stupid Nancy Pelosi said that people are lying when they say we have a spending problem.
So I guess GSA execs spending tax dollars on clowns, gambling, and alcohol isn't a problem. Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to make an aquatic treadmill for shrimp (yes, I said shrimp) to run on so we can see what it looks like isn't a problem. Paying bloated salaries to members of congress who don't even read the bills they pass isn't a problem.
According to a survey done over the weekend, 83% of Americans say we have a spending problem. The 17% that don't must all work for the government. We have record waste and fraud each year, and Nancy Pelosi has the gall to say that we don't have a problem.
President Obama will admit roughly that we have a problem. His problem is he thinks the solution is to dig faster. Spend money on bridges. Spend money on special interests. Spend more money. He calls it a stimulus.
Only we've tried that. Over. And over. And over. Bush tried it, and Obama called it stupid. Then Obama walked into office and said "Hey you know that thing that didn't work? Let's try that." That's INSANE!!! Einstein said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." Congrats to both Democrats and Republicans. You are insane. He's even said that he's going to raise the tax on gasoline to give us more spending. Because, you know, paying more for gasoline really helps low income people like you and me.
On another note: the minimum wage. I am big on social justice. I want to help the poor. But I'm also a pragmatist. That means I do things that work. Raising the minimum wage sounds good, in theory. That's why we raised it $2.00 a few years ago. That's why he wants to raise it $2.00 again.
The problem is it doesn't work. Yes, you bring home more money (unless you work for tips. Or on commission. Or on a salary. Pretty much, it screws most people because we aren't hourly like the unions.). But that tank of gas costs $2 more. That trip to McDonalds with your family? $2 more. Everything from food to gas to utilities goes up, more than you raise did. Plus, businesses don't hire as many workers. That's just what we need right now, higher prices and less jobs. Again, I love the idea behind the higher minimum wage, but in practicality it hurts those you are trying to help. Ideals don't pay the rent here in the real world. What actually works is if those few dollars we do bring home go further, but that involves reducing the debt. Short term pain equals long term solutions, just like it does in personal finance. But that's never going to happen, because those that work in Washington won't deign themselves to step foot in the real world.
We are in a sixteen trillion dollar hole. That's a sixteen with TWELVE ZEROS behind it. It's an addiction to spending. When we have a trillion dollar deficit each year, not including interest on the debt, we have a problem. Yet the infamously hypocritical and stupid Nancy Pelosi said that people are lying when they say we have a spending problem.
So I guess GSA execs spending tax dollars on clowns, gambling, and alcohol isn't a problem. Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to make an aquatic treadmill for shrimp (yes, I said shrimp) to run on so we can see what it looks like isn't a problem. Paying bloated salaries to members of congress who don't even read the bills they pass isn't a problem.
According to a survey done over the weekend, 83% of Americans say we have a spending problem. The 17% that don't must all work for the government. We have record waste and fraud each year, and Nancy Pelosi has the gall to say that we don't have a problem.
President Obama will admit roughly that we have a problem. His problem is he thinks the solution is to dig faster. Spend money on bridges. Spend money on special interests. Spend more money. He calls it a stimulus.
Only we've tried that. Over. And over. And over. Bush tried it, and Obama called it stupid. Then Obama walked into office and said "Hey you know that thing that didn't work? Let's try that." That's INSANE!!! Einstein said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." Congrats to both Democrats and Republicans. You are insane. He's even said that he's going to raise the tax on gasoline to give us more spending. Because, you know, paying more for gasoline really helps low income people like you and me.
On another note: the minimum wage. I am big on social justice. I want to help the poor. But I'm also a pragmatist. That means I do things that work. Raising the minimum wage sounds good, in theory. That's why we raised it $2.00 a few years ago. That's why he wants to raise it $2.00 again.
The problem is it doesn't work. Yes, you bring home more money (unless you work for tips. Or on commission. Or on a salary. Pretty much, it screws most people because we aren't hourly like the unions.). But that tank of gas costs $2 more. That trip to McDonalds with your family? $2 more. Everything from food to gas to utilities goes up, more than you raise did. Plus, businesses don't hire as many workers. That's just what we need right now, higher prices and less jobs. Again, I love the idea behind the higher minimum wage, but in practicality it hurts those you are trying to help. Ideals don't pay the rent here in the real world. What actually works is if those few dollars we do bring home go further, but that involves reducing the debt. Short term pain equals long term solutions, just like it does in personal finance. But that's never going to happen, because those that work in Washington won't deign themselves to step foot in the real world.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Political Points
Allow me to make a few bullet points about current issues.
Why does it matter?
Hillary Clinton said during a recent congressional hearing "Four people are dead... What does it matter [who did it and why]? We need to figure out what happened to keep it from happening again."
She answered her own question. She took some unfair flack from the "What does it matter?" comment. In context, it wasn't as bad as some tried to make it seem. She wasn't saying that the four dead didn't matter, only that the false information linking it to a youtube video didn't matter. The fact that they refused requests to provide more security didn't matter. The fact that there was a CIA report and a separate military report saying that they were ordered to stand down didn't matter.
That said, she did answer her own question. Why those things matter is because if it could have been stopped but wasn't because it was politically inconvenient matters. The fact that it was deemed too dangerous to send in the FBI to investigate while the New York Times walked through the facility matters. If there was neglegence on behalf of whoever and it lead to four dead it is the same as pulling the trigger. It is murder. And even ignoring that, you can't fix a problem you don't know about. So covering up the problem doesn't help.
Debate?
President Obama said recently that we could have a reasonable debate if people would stop disagreeing with him. I hate to tell you, but a debate it where people present two opposing viewpoints and defend them to each other. In other words, you can't have a debate without people arguing with you!
Higher taxes do not mean higher revenue.
Seems simple, right. Raise the tax rate and you raise more money. Fair share, and all that. California has the highest rate of personal income and corporate taxes. To alieve their financial problem, they're raising taxes again. This means more revenue right? Wrong. Higher taxes means more people are moving their businesses to where taxes are less. In Texas, more people paying in means much more revenue than higher taxes would bring. It's exponential growth. It's even simple multiplication. Go back to high school and do some math.
Semi-automatics aren't what you think.
There is a push to ban semi-automatics. This is because people don't know what they are. Semi-automatic means that if you pull the trigger once, it sends one bullet (as opposed to revolvers, where you have to click the hammer back before you pull the trigger). People are confusing semi-automatic with sub-machine gun. A sub-machine gun is where you hold the trigger and it empties the clip.
Assault weapons aren't what you think.
Assault weapons aren't sub-machine guns. The fact is, assault weapons don't include automatic weapons. They include specialty weapons. For example, a sub-machine gun is legal, but a sub-machine gun with a scope isn't. A shotgun is legal, but a shotgun with a pistol grip isn't. This is the same thing as the illegality of switch-blade knives. Switch-blades aren't more dangerous than any other knife. They aren't easier to conceal. They just look scary. So assault weapons are scary looking guns.
Assault weapons bans don't stop Newtown.
No assault weapons were used at Sandyhook. The guy used two pistols. The proposed weapons ban doesn't stop that massacre.
The reason for the Second Amendment.
For right or wrong, whether you agree or not, our founding fathers put in the second amendment to defend the rest. Freedom and security are opposites. The point of the Bill or Rights, and that one in particular, is that government can easily take away the rights of the people. Guns allow the people to defend themselves. This is exactly what the Arab Spring was about. People were throwing rocks while being shot at. Dictators, whether solo or parlamentary, can easily arrise. The founding fathers didn't want that, so they guarenteed us the right to defend ourselves from all threats, whether personal (like a break in) or national (like a rogue government or invading enemy).
Weapons bans don't work.
I know. You've already got your mind made up about this one, but hear me out. One of the fathers of the Sandyhook victims put it well today. He said that by doing what he did, the madman was already breaking the law. Adding a new law for them to break doesn't matter nearly as much as enforcement of current laws.
By the way, I can't believe I have to explain this but I do. The City of Chicago, the President's home base, has the strictest gun laws. They also have the highest gun crime. And their violent gun crime went up 18% last year, the only major city in the US to see an increase. And Mayor Immanuel needs to butt out. As soon as the massacre happened, he came out and said he was against putting armed police officers in each school. In the mean time, he sends his kids to a private school with armed guards. If he believed what he was selling, he'd send his kids to public school with yours. He should smell what he's shovelling and leave the rest of us alone. Because basically what he's saying is that he doesn't care about protecting your kids, because you are poor.
Why does it matter?
Hillary Clinton said during a recent congressional hearing "Four people are dead... What does it matter [who did it and why]? We need to figure out what happened to keep it from happening again."
She answered her own question. She took some unfair flack from the "What does it matter?" comment. In context, it wasn't as bad as some tried to make it seem. She wasn't saying that the four dead didn't matter, only that the false information linking it to a youtube video didn't matter. The fact that they refused requests to provide more security didn't matter. The fact that there was a CIA report and a separate military report saying that they were ordered to stand down didn't matter.
That said, she did answer her own question. Why those things matter is because if it could have been stopped but wasn't because it was politically inconvenient matters. The fact that it was deemed too dangerous to send in the FBI to investigate while the New York Times walked through the facility matters. If there was neglegence on behalf of whoever and it lead to four dead it is the same as pulling the trigger. It is murder. And even ignoring that, you can't fix a problem you don't know about. So covering up the problem doesn't help.
Debate?
President Obama said recently that we could have a reasonable debate if people would stop disagreeing with him. I hate to tell you, but a debate it where people present two opposing viewpoints and defend them to each other. In other words, you can't have a debate without people arguing with you!
Higher taxes do not mean higher revenue.
Seems simple, right. Raise the tax rate and you raise more money. Fair share, and all that. California has the highest rate of personal income and corporate taxes. To alieve their financial problem, they're raising taxes again. This means more revenue right? Wrong. Higher taxes means more people are moving their businesses to where taxes are less. In Texas, more people paying in means much more revenue than higher taxes would bring. It's exponential growth. It's even simple multiplication. Go back to high school and do some math.
Semi-automatics aren't what you think.
There is a push to ban semi-automatics. This is because people don't know what they are. Semi-automatic means that if you pull the trigger once, it sends one bullet (as opposed to revolvers, where you have to click the hammer back before you pull the trigger). People are confusing semi-automatic with sub-machine gun. A sub-machine gun is where you hold the trigger and it empties the clip.
Assault weapons aren't what you think.
Assault weapons aren't sub-machine guns. The fact is, assault weapons don't include automatic weapons. They include specialty weapons. For example, a sub-machine gun is legal, but a sub-machine gun with a scope isn't. A shotgun is legal, but a shotgun with a pistol grip isn't. This is the same thing as the illegality of switch-blade knives. Switch-blades aren't more dangerous than any other knife. They aren't easier to conceal. They just look scary. So assault weapons are scary looking guns.
Assault weapons bans don't stop Newtown.
No assault weapons were used at Sandyhook. The guy used two pistols. The proposed weapons ban doesn't stop that massacre.
The reason for the Second Amendment.
For right or wrong, whether you agree or not, our founding fathers put in the second amendment to defend the rest. Freedom and security are opposites. The point of the Bill or Rights, and that one in particular, is that government can easily take away the rights of the people. Guns allow the people to defend themselves. This is exactly what the Arab Spring was about. People were throwing rocks while being shot at. Dictators, whether solo or parlamentary, can easily arrise. The founding fathers didn't want that, so they guarenteed us the right to defend ourselves from all threats, whether personal (like a break in) or national (like a rogue government or invading enemy).
Weapons bans don't work.
I know. You've already got your mind made up about this one, but hear me out. One of the fathers of the Sandyhook victims put it well today. He said that by doing what he did, the madman was already breaking the law. Adding a new law for them to break doesn't matter nearly as much as enforcement of current laws.
By the way, I can't believe I have to explain this but I do. The City of Chicago, the President's home base, has the strictest gun laws. They also have the highest gun crime. And their violent gun crime went up 18% last year, the only major city in the US to see an increase. And Mayor Immanuel needs to butt out. As soon as the massacre happened, he came out and said he was against putting armed police officers in each school. In the mean time, he sends his kids to a private school with armed guards. If he believed what he was selling, he'd send his kids to public school with yours. He should smell what he's shovelling and leave the rest of us alone. Because basically what he's saying is that he doesn't care about protecting your kids, because you are poor.
Monday, January 7, 2013
2013 finances
So I've been in the job where I'm at for just a few months shy of five years. It that time, my paycheck has gone up by one forth. Here's the thing though. In that time, gas prices have doubled. Groceries have doubled. Meals out more than doubled. Health care may double this year alone.
Now, because of my job I have to eat out. A lot. And my work doesn't reimburse these. I have to at the beginning of each year designate part of my paycheck toward meals, and that amount gets withheld for expenses. In other words, it's like I don't get paid that amount, but can use it to pay for those meals. They are completely tax defered.
That said, if you look at my income and subtract this expense, each year I in effect make less money.
During the debates, President Obama said that inflation was a sign of a strong economy. Then our economy is awesome, because it is getting harder and harder for middle class Americans to pay our bills. Inflation may not effect wealthy politicians, but it's driving the middle class into the poor house.
So let me say this to all politicians. Stop spending us into the poor house. As our debt climbs, the dollar devalues, and it becomes harder for people to cover their bills. So both parties, stop screwing around with our lives and cut the crap from the budget. We can't afford your "help" anymore. I hope you vote not to raise the debt cieling, because all that does is dig a deeper hole. You should work on solutions instead.
Ok, rant over, for now.
Now, because of my job I have to eat out. A lot. And my work doesn't reimburse these. I have to at the beginning of each year designate part of my paycheck toward meals, and that amount gets withheld for expenses. In other words, it's like I don't get paid that amount, but can use it to pay for those meals. They are completely tax defered.
That said, if you look at my income and subtract this expense, each year I in effect make less money.
During the debates, President Obama said that inflation was a sign of a strong economy. Then our economy is awesome, because it is getting harder and harder for middle class Americans to pay our bills. Inflation may not effect wealthy politicians, but it's driving the middle class into the poor house.
So let me say this to all politicians. Stop spending us into the poor house. As our debt climbs, the dollar devalues, and it becomes harder for people to cover their bills. So both parties, stop screwing around with our lives and cut the crap from the budget. We can't afford your "help" anymore. I hope you vote not to raise the debt cieling, because all that does is dig a deeper hole. You should work on solutions instead.
Ok, rant over, for now.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
DNC opening
The DNC opened with a historic occassion. The national debt rolled over $16,000,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. This is from a man who once promised to cut the deficit in half, or said that we shouldn't re-elect him. This is from a man who said adding half the amount that he has added in three years, over an eight year period, was irresponsible and unpatriotic.
I do have to pause for a moment and defend an unfair attack on the President, however. When asked to grade himself, he said "incomplete." Conservatives jumped on this, as an incomplete grade in school is terrible. But what should he say? "A. I've done everything that I know how to do, so elect the other guy." Or should he say "F. I'm a complete failure, so elect the other guy." Incomplete is the best answer to a bad question. It says, "I have more that I want to do, so give me another shot." It's the best answer. It's the question that's bad.
Now with that out of the way, let me continue. The first theme of the DNC is "We belong to the government." I think that this is supposed to be a loose JFK reference, but instead of doing "for your country" this is doing "for the government." I'm sorry, but we are supposed to be "by the people for the people," not "by the government for the government." We don't belong to the government. Unique among all the peoples of the earth, WE THE PEOPLE govern. Government is a necessary evil, not a good. In Deuteronomy, government is a curse, a sign of disobedience from God. I'm not saying anarchy is better. I'm saying that if people had true integrity, government would be obsolete.
I should also point out that the Democratic platform unveiled at the DNC shows Obama's true view of Israel, by withdrawing support of them. Obama has isolated us from Israel, believing that a middle-of-the-raod position might help with negotiations with Iran in others, perhaps removing bias? I don't know. What I do know is Rosevelt said "Speak softly and carry a big stick." But they believe that speaking softly requires reducing the size of the stick. (Though according to Biden, Obama has a "big stick." Think of that as you try to go to sleep tonight.)
Something that I've learned, though it sounds cliche, is true. Obama believes that the greatness of America is something that we should apologize for (because he believes that Robin Hood is the ultimate sign of goodness, specifically the taking from the haves). What I, and many others like me believe is that the greatness of America is something that we should STRIVE for. This is us, as a nation, having, so that instead of others taking, we can give, to ensure that what we give is used wisely.
Obama and Biden want to say that they care? They care about taking from you to give to those that they supposedly care about. But neither gives significantly to charity. I give a little over twelve percent of my income to charity, giving my support to where is does good, not where is will get me votes. If they truly believed what they preach, they would show it with their checkbooks.
I do have to pause for a moment and defend an unfair attack on the President, however. When asked to grade himself, he said "incomplete." Conservatives jumped on this, as an incomplete grade in school is terrible. But what should he say? "A. I've done everything that I know how to do, so elect the other guy." Or should he say "F. I'm a complete failure, so elect the other guy." Incomplete is the best answer to a bad question. It says, "I have more that I want to do, so give me another shot." It's the best answer. It's the question that's bad.
Now with that out of the way, let me continue. The first theme of the DNC is "We belong to the government." I think that this is supposed to be a loose JFK reference, but instead of doing "for your country" this is doing "for the government." I'm sorry, but we are supposed to be "by the people for the people," not "by the government for the government." We don't belong to the government. Unique among all the peoples of the earth, WE THE PEOPLE govern. Government is a necessary evil, not a good. In Deuteronomy, government is a curse, a sign of disobedience from God. I'm not saying anarchy is better. I'm saying that if people had true integrity, government would be obsolete.
I should also point out that the Democratic platform unveiled at the DNC shows Obama's true view of Israel, by withdrawing support of them. Obama has isolated us from Israel, believing that a middle-of-the-raod position might help with negotiations with Iran in others, perhaps removing bias? I don't know. What I do know is Rosevelt said "Speak softly and carry a big stick." But they believe that speaking softly requires reducing the size of the stick. (Though according to Biden, Obama has a "big stick." Think of that as you try to go to sleep tonight.)
Something that I've learned, though it sounds cliche, is true. Obama believes that the greatness of America is something that we should apologize for (because he believes that Robin Hood is the ultimate sign of goodness, specifically the taking from the haves). What I, and many others like me believe is that the greatness of America is something that we should STRIVE for. This is us, as a nation, having, so that instead of others taking, we can give, to ensure that what we give is used wisely.
Obama and Biden want to say that they care? They care about taking from you to give to those that they supposedly care about. But neither gives significantly to charity. I give a little over twelve percent of my income to charity, giving my support to where is does good, not where is will get me votes. If they truly believed what they preach, they would show it with their checkbooks.
Monday, April 2, 2012
And now for some truth... on oil.
Obama and Biden have been LYING lately, for political purposes. "Oil drilling is at an all time high," but even their own graphs show the peak starting before he took office, based on permits issued by the Bush administration, and drilling on private land that does not require federal permits. They have not increased oil one drop.
"We need to end subsidies." They don't receive subsidies. Not one. Farmers get subsidies when food production is high, paying them not to produce. Oil companies? They get a corporate tax break. It's called a "manufacturer's credit." It's the same tax break GE, Ford, or any other manufacturer gets. What do they make? Gas.
"Ending the tax subsidies will help the poor." You mean the subsidies they don't get (see above)? No, it will help those that pay the bulk of the taxes, aka the richest 1 percent. In fact, it will hurt the poorest (as that lack of tax credit goes straight to the consumer's cost), because more of their welfare or Social Security checks will go toward paying for gas. And groceries (which are hauled by trucks, therefore their expenses go up). And it will further hurt places like the Gulf Coast, which in addition to losing most of thei jobs due to Obama policies, will also suffer from down tourism, as gas prices go so high less people will vacation, costing them tourist trade and further destroying their local enonomies.
"They made too much profit." They get a percentage of every dollar, so as prices go up, so do their profits. It's called economics. That percentage is standard, regulated by the government. For every dollar of gas, the local station gets less than a percent. The gas company gets a larger percent. The oil importers (like the Saudis) get their cut. But who get's the largest percentage? The Federal government. They put a high sales tax on gasoline. Really, really high. States also have their tax, but from every dollar, the Federal government gets the largest cut. Obama's solution to high gas prices? "Let's increase the size of our cut." He simply doesn't understand that the money has to come from somewhere, namely, the consumer.
I truly don't believe that Obama and Biden are maliciously deceitful (though I do believe Nancy Pelosi to be a generally malicious human being). I think they are that ignorant on how the real world works. That's why law professors and legislators make lousy presidents, from either party.
"We need to end subsidies." They don't receive subsidies. Not one. Farmers get subsidies when food production is high, paying them not to produce. Oil companies? They get a corporate tax break. It's called a "manufacturer's credit." It's the same tax break GE, Ford, or any other manufacturer gets. What do they make? Gas.
"Ending the tax subsidies will help the poor." You mean the subsidies they don't get (see above)? No, it will help those that pay the bulk of the taxes, aka the richest 1 percent. In fact, it will hurt the poorest (as that lack of tax credit goes straight to the consumer's cost), because more of their welfare or Social Security checks will go toward paying for gas. And groceries (which are hauled by trucks, therefore their expenses go up). And it will further hurt places like the Gulf Coast, which in addition to losing most of thei jobs due to Obama policies, will also suffer from down tourism, as gas prices go so high less people will vacation, costing them tourist trade and further destroying their local enonomies.
"They made too much profit." They get a percentage of every dollar, so as prices go up, so do their profits. It's called economics. That percentage is standard, regulated by the government. For every dollar of gas, the local station gets less than a percent. The gas company gets a larger percent. The oil importers (like the Saudis) get their cut. But who get's the largest percentage? The Federal government. They put a high sales tax on gasoline. Really, really high. States also have their tax, but from every dollar, the Federal government gets the largest cut. Obama's solution to high gas prices? "Let's increase the size of our cut." He simply doesn't understand that the money has to come from somewhere, namely, the consumer.
I truly don't believe that Obama and Biden are maliciously deceitful (though I do believe Nancy Pelosi to be a generally malicious human being). I think they are that ignorant on how the real world works. That's why law professors and legislators make lousy presidents, from either party.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Not a Fan
I've been reading a great book by a man that I've come to highly respect over the years. The book is Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman.
What I like about the book is that is looks at the passages that we ignore, and ask the questions we are too afraid to ask. Like, "What if Jesus was serious?" What I mean is we glance over the passages that make us uncomfortable in favor of those that make us happy. We like to pick and chose our own happy, soft version of Jesus. We like "let the little children come to me" better than "Woe to you, unbelieving and perverse generation." We like "Love your enemy" better than "Narrow is the gate, and few find it" or "if you want to follow me, you must give up everything." We like "blessed are the poor" better than "Sell all your possessions, give them to the poor, and then follow me."
See Jesus made a few things clear. First, not everyone goes to heaven. We don't like that. We want everyone to go to heaven. Well, maybe not Hilter, but I want to go without actually having to obey God. But in fact, with that whole narrow gate thing, Jesus was saying that very few people get to heaven. Second, we must obey Him. We want to say "I believe in God," but God wants us to obey him too. People throughout the gospels ask "What must I do to be saved?" In other words, what's the bare minimum I have to do to be saved? Jesus answered like "Love God with everything that you are, and love your neighbor as yourself." He answered like "Obey everything I commanded." (we like to change this to "I'm a good person. I never killed anybody.") Third, Jesus said we have to give up everything to follow him. Just read Luke 14. Jesus makes it clear that there are NO EXCUSES. It's all or nothing. Jesus will not share us.
See, we want to draw a line. It's ok if I sleep with this person. We're in love. Jesus told me to forgive, but he doesn't know what I've been through. We're supposed to not be greedy or materialistic, but this is America. That's just how things are. Our definition of sin is that we don't hurt anybody. Steal from a corporation, not a person. Have all the one-night stands we want. Who cares? But see, when we do those things that aren't any big deal, we pick those things over God. Even if their good things, like work or family. If they take priority, they are sin.
So if very few are going to make it to heaven, how do we ensure that we are one of the few? Reading this book is a good place to start. Also visit http://www.notafan.com. And chances are, if you're offended by all this talk, then you're a fan. You need to check this out more than anyone.
What I like about the book is that is looks at the passages that we ignore, and ask the questions we are too afraid to ask. Like, "What if Jesus was serious?" What I mean is we glance over the passages that make us uncomfortable in favor of those that make us happy. We like to pick and chose our own happy, soft version of Jesus. We like "let the little children come to me" better than "Woe to you, unbelieving and perverse generation." We like "Love your enemy" better than "Narrow is the gate, and few find it" or "if you want to follow me, you must give up everything." We like "blessed are the poor" better than "Sell all your possessions, give them to the poor, and then follow me."
See Jesus made a few things clear. First, not everyone goes to heaven. We don't like that. We want everyone to go to heaven. Well, maybe not Hilter, but I want to go without actually having to obey God. But in fact, with that whole narrow gate thing, Jesus was saying that very few people get to heaven. Second, we must obey Him. We want to say "I believe in God," but God wants us to obey him too. People throughout the gospels ask "What must I do to be saved?" In other words, what's the bare minimum I have to do to be saved? Jesus answered like "Love God with everything that you are, and love your neighbor as yourself." He answered like "Obey everything I commanded." (we like to change this to "I'm a good person. I never killed anybody.") Third, Jesus said we have to give up everything to follow him. Just read Luke 14. Jesus makes it clear that there are NO EXCUSES. It's all or nothing. Jesus will not share us.
See, we want to draw a line. It's ok if I sleep with this person. We're in love. Jesus told me to forgive, but he doesn't know what I've been through. We're supposed to not be greedy or materialistic, but this is America. That's just how things are. Our definition of sin is that we don't hurt anybody. Steal from a corporation, not a person. Have all the one-night stands we want. Who cares? But see, when we do those things that aren't any big deal, we pick those things over God. Even if their good things, like work or family. If they take priority, they are sin.
So if very few are going to make it to heaven, how do we ensure that we are one of the few? Reading this book is a good place to start. Also visit http://www.notafan.com. And chances are, if you're offended by all this talk, then you're a fan. You need to check this out more than anyone.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
That was a long one
I wanted to write about last week. I put in 70+ hours organizing a charitable event. We cleared out a church building last week, and let people bring in donations. This wasn't money. This was stuff. Lots and lots of stuff.
We all have lots of stuff, more than we need. The shame is, many people have less than they need. A lot less. So we collected stuff, as if we were having a yard sale. We sorted stuff. We asked others to donate stuff. Many people even gave up things that they still used, knowing others needed things worse than they did. And yes, we did have people bring in stuff that was stained or broken, but we had others who sorted through and removed items that were too poor of quality for those in need.
Then, after a week of sorting and collecting, we had a fleet of vehicles and an army of volunteers arrive. We loaded up four large trailers, plus every truck, SUV, van or any other vehicle we could find (my station wagon was filled so full that I could not see out the back window, and I had to create space to see out of the passenger side exterior mirror).
Once we arrived Friday night, we set everything up in an hour and a half, due to our army of volunteers actually growing in size.
Why did we do it where we did? We did it in a community center with a gymnasium. It is larger than the church building that we used, and moreover, it is located in the "bad" part of town. The facility was actually the local Boys and Girls Club. But I'll come back to this more in a minute.
Saturday morning, we got there an hour before we opened the doors for our "Free Community Yard Sale." Already the line encompassed the parking lot. The ladies in the front had arrive hours before that. When we did open the doors, we had instructions in both English and Spanish. "We will provide you with one bag" (they were white, kitchen-sized trash bags). "Please fill that, and take anything else you can carry, remembering to leave some for others who need things as well. Also, please return at noon and take more." We had 580+ of the poorest of our community take advantage of this.
How did we know we were helping the right people? The Sunday before, we had another army of volunteers walk the streets of the "bad" end of town, and tape flyers (English on one side, Espanol on the other) to the houses there. We also got a local elementary pass them out to their poorest students (the schools always have the best grasp on this) and of course the local Boys and Girls Club. This targetted measure (as opposed to a newspaper add) meant we got the people there that we wanted to be there. And we took it to them, since many were not able to come to us (we actually had many volunteers help people carry things to bus stops or even to their front porches, since most were too poor to afford transportation. Had we not taken the stuff to them, we would have missed those who needed most).
The bottom line is this is about social justice and unconditional love. Instead of throwing money into programs that don't work, we gave people what they needed. We had stories of people who got clothes for job interviews, coats for their kids, or Christmas presents for grandkids. These are things people couldn't afford on their own. We even helped the local BGC, since we were in their facility. We donated snacks that they sold to raise money, and were recruiting people to send their kids there. We did not make the mistake of doing what many churches do, make them come to us and sit through a half hour explanation of the Bible that no one listens to. Why is this a mistake? It says to them "We only care about converting you. We don't care about you." That's not what those that do such things think, but that is what they hear. In contrast, we wore bright orange shirts, with a our church name and motto (Love God. Love One Another. Love the World) on the front, and "Because God cares, we care" on the back. It let them talk to us, and showed them unconditional love. We don't love them on the condition that they become one of us. We love them period. Interestingly, this gives them the opportunity to become one of us without feeling pressured to. It is counterintuitive, but it works.
The important thing is now, what can you do to meet a concrete need in your community? This may not work were you are, but something will. Find it.
We all have lots of stuff, more than we need. The shame is, many people have less than they need. A lot less. So we collected stuff, as if we were having a yard sale. We sorted stuff. We asked others to donate stuff. Many people even gave up things that they still used, knowing others needed things worse than they did. And yes, we did have people bring in stuff that was stained or broken, but we had others who sorted through and removed items that were too poor of quality for those in need.
Then, after a week of sorting and collecting, we had a fleet of vehicles and an army of volunteers arrive. We loaded up four large trailers, plus every truck, SUV, van or any other vehicle we could find (my station wagon was filled so full that I could not see out the back window, and I had to create space to see out of the passenger side exterior mirror).
Once we arrived Friday night, we set everything up in an hour and a half, due to our army of volunteers actually growing in size.
Why did we do it where we did? We did it in a community center with a gymnasium. It is larger than the church building that we used, and moreover, it is located in the "bad" part of town. The facility was actually the local Boys and Girls Club. But I'll come back to this more in a minute.
Saturday morning, we got there an hour before we opened the doors for our "Free Community Yard Sale." Already the line encompassed the parking lot. The ladies in the front had arrive hours before that. When we did open the doors, we had instructions in both English and Spanish. "We will provide you with one bag" (they were white, kitchen-sized trash bags). "Please fill that, and take anything else you can carry, remembering to leave some for others who need things as well. Also, please return at noon and take more." We had 580+ of the poorest of our community take advantage of this.
How did we know we were helping the right people? The Sunday before, we had another army of volunteers walk the streets of the "bad" end of town, and tape flyers (English on one side, Espanol on the other) to the houses there. We also got a local elementary pass them out to their poorest students (the schools always have the best grasp on this) and of course the local Boys and Girls Club. This targetted measure (as opposed to a newspaper add) meant we got the people there that we wanted to be there. And we took it to them, since many were not able to come to us (we actually had many volunteers help people carry things to bus stops or even to their front porches, since most were too poor to afford transportation. Had we not taken the stuff to them, we would have missed those who needed most).
The bottom line is this is about social justice and unconditional love. Instead of throwing money into programs that don't work, we gave people what they needed. We had stories of people who got clothes for job interviews, coats for their kids, or Christmas presents for grandkids. These are things people couldn't afford on their own. We even helped the local BGC, since we were in their facility. We donated snacks that they sold to raise money, and were recruiting people to send their kids there. We did not make the mistake of doing what many churches do, make them come to us and sit through a half hour explanation of the Bible that no one listens to. Why is this a mistake? It says to them "We only care about converting you. We don't care about you." That's not what those that do such things think, but that is what they hear. In contrast, we wore bright orange shirts, with a our church name and motto (Love God. Love One Another. Love the World) on the front, and "Because God cares, we care" on the back. It let them talk to us, and showed them unconditional love. We don't love them on the condition that they become one of us. We love them period. Interestingly, this gives them the opportunity to become one of us without feeling pressured to. It is counterintuitive, but it works.
The important thing is now, what can you do to meet a concrete need in your community? This may not work were you are, but something will. Find it.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Speech
Obama said in a speech yesterday why he wants to help the poor. "when I drive down the street, I don't want to have to see homeless people." Really? That sounds like when I was a kid and New York offered to pay homeless people to move to New Jersey. Why? Because they didn't want to see them.
A firm in Florida is receiving gov't funding to give capes to people on unemployment. Why? They said it will make them feel empowered. Because apparently jobless people in Florida are four years old.
So once again I must say: the government does not help the poor. They don't want to, because then those people won't be dependent on the government. That's why it is up to the church. So if you are reading this, do something to help someone.
A firm in Florida is receiving gov't funding to give capes to people on unemployment. Why? They said it will make them feel empowered. Because apparently jobless people in Florida are four years old.
So once again I must say: the government does not help the poor. They don't want to, because then those people won't be dependent on the government. That's why it is up to the church. So if you are reading this, do something to help someone.
Monday, October 25, 2010
That's the way you want to play? Bring it.
Lately I've been stressed out, burned out, and insecure. I've been seeing the negative in everything, and complaining about all of it. I just haven't felt like myself.
Saturday, I had this amazing opportunity. My church organized a free yard sale in the poor section of the community. We didn't expect them to come to us. We didn't attach strings (like making them sit through a two hour presentation on the gospel before they could take anything). We just tried to show love without conditions. Because love can change the world.
While we were organizing this and after, one person kept making comments to me and to others about how I wasn't helping. He said this because while he was folding clothes, I was in my office working. While he was here Friday, I (on my only day off) went grocery shopping, did laundry, and went to pick up a guy who wanted to help but needed a ride and lived over a half hour away.
You see, my job is mainly a behind the scenes guy. As I write this, I am waiting for a sermon MP3 to format to load on the church website. So I did up front things, behind the scenes things, and was here in evenings when this guy wasn't. So when I was on this high, I was also low.
Well, yesterday, I had an epiphony. If you've never read the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, I highly recommend it. It is a personal favortie of mine. It is about restoring genuine masculinity as God intended it. It is about being a warrior, carrying on the fight. As you would imagine, this has become a defining imagery for me.
Anyway, one thing he talks about is that each man has a Wound. This Wound is the place where his heart has been pierced, and his strength has been stolen. (Women, reading and understanding this will help you understand the men around you.) Really, every man has the question on his heart. The question can be worded many ways, and in the same way, now words can fully express it. "Am I enough? Am I strong enough? Am I man enough? Do I have what it takes?"
In some way, this question has been answered "no." My dad was a large, physically impressive man in my childhood. He had a strength to match his great size. He had me work construction with him. I learned a lot of things that way. But I also got my Wound. Dad always wanted me to lift more than I could carry to help him. And he always wanted me to hurry faster. I would be moving as fast as I could burdened with a heavy load, and he would say "my dead grandmother can move faster than that."
What I learned was that because I was smaller and weaker, I was not enough. I had to work harder. Since then I have been trying to work harder, being the first to volunteer and trying to prove to everyone that I am not lazy.
That's what I realized yesterday. For six weeks, Satan had plunged his dagger into the weak spot in my armor AND I DIDN'T NOTICE. Once I realized that, it was as if a great burden was lifted from me. Now, I've got the dagger out, shield up, and I'm ready to do some beating down with my sword. I'm ticked. I'm angry. I'm ready for the fight.
On a related note, this is why I have a hard time accepting gifts, praise, or affection. I feel that I have to earn everything. And I feel that I can never work hard enough to earn anything. For example, my dad would yell at me all day, then tell my mom how hard that I worked and he is proud of me. That screwed me up.
When I fell away from God for a time, it was largely because I was trying to earn grace, which is a free gift from God, and I wouldn't accept anything free. That's why our free yard sale made a difference in the community. It was utterly free, without conditions or strings. So do something nice, something free, for someone that you care about. And if it is me, don't be offended if I struggle with accepting it. It is not a lack of gratitude. It is a lack of feeling worthy on my part. Don't mistake it for humilty either. Insecurity can be just as pride filled as anything.
Saturday, I had this amazing opportunity. My church organized a free yard sale in the poor section of the community. We didn't expect them to come to us. We didn't attach strings (like making them sit through a two hour presentation on the gospel before they could take anything). We just tried to show love without conditions. Because love can change the world.
While we were organizing this and after, one person kept making comments to me and to others about how I wasn't helping. He said this because while he was folding clothes, I was in my office working. While he was here Friday, I (on my only day off) went grocery shopping, did laundry, and went to pick up a guy who wanted to help but needed a ride and lived over a half hour away.
You see, my job is mainly a behind the scenes guy. As I write this, I am waiting for a sermon MP3 to format to load on the church website. So I did up front things, behind the scenes things, and was here in evenings when this guy wasn't. So when I was on this high, I was also low.
Well, yesterday, I had an epiphony. If you've never read the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, I highly recommend it. It is a personal favortie of mine. It is about restoring genuine masculinity as God intended it. It is about being a warrior, carrying on the fight. As you would imagine, this has become a defining imagery for me.
Anyway, one thing he talks about is that each man has a Wound. This Wound is the place where his heart has been pierced, and his strength has been stolen. (Women, reading and understanding this will help you understand the men around you.) Really, every man has the question on his heart. The question can be worded many ways, and in the same way, now words can fully express it. "Am I enough? Am I strong enough? Am I man enough? Do I have what it takes?"
In some way, this question has been answered "no." My dad was a large, physically impressive man in my childhood. He had a strength to match his great size. He had me work construction with him. I learned a lot of things that way. But I also got my Wound. Dad always wanted me to lift more than I could carry to help him. And he always wanted me to hurry faster. I would be moving as fast as I could burdened with a heavy load, and he would say "my dead grandmother can move faster than that."
What I learned was that because I was smaller and weaker, I was not enough. I had to work harder. Since then I have been trying to work harder, being the first to volunteer and trying to prove to everyone that I am not lazy.
That's what I realized yesterday. For six weeks, Satan had plunged his dagger into the weak spot in my armor AND I DIDN'T NOTICE. Once I realized that, it was as if a great burden was lifted from me. Now, I've got the dagger out, shield up, and I'm ready to do some beating down with my sword. I'm ticked. I'm angry. I'm ready for the fight.
On a related note, this is why I have a hard time accepting gifts, praise, or affection. I feel that I have to earn everything. And I feel that I can never work hard enough to earn anything. For example, my dad would yell at me all day, then tell my mom how hard that I worked and he is proud of me. That screwed me up.
When I fell away from God for a time, it was largely because I was trying to earn grace, which is a free gift from God, and I wouldn't accept anything free. That's why our free yard sale made a difference in the community. It was utterly free, without conditions or strings. So do something nice, something free, for someone that you care about. And if it is me, don't be offended if I struggle with accepting it. It is not a lack of gratitude. It is a lack of feeling worthy on my part. Don't mistake it for humilty either. Insecurity can be just as pride filled as anything.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Priveledge
Privilege is one of my biggest pet peeves lately. It seems to permeate everywhere. It is this "I deserve it" mentality. Let's look at some examples from recent memory.
Edit 6/12/11: In light of recent events, check out part 2.
Washington: Politicians honestly believe that they are better than everyone else. They don't care what promises they make, because the rules don't apply to them. Charlie Rangle is a great example. He's on the finance commitee, but is being brought up on ethics charges for tax evasion. If that was me, the IRS would have taken me for everything I am worth. Him? Well, his response is "I'm not going anywhere." He deserves to be there, and you should vote for him because he deserves to be there.
Even with the Health Care thing. Virtually everyone was opposed to it, but Pelosi, Obama, and insiders of both parties have this "father knows best" mentality and passed it anyway. If you are so stupid that you cannot understand that paying more for crappier health care is good for you, well, who cares? They don't.
Finances: So stupid. I know a family that the dad works two full time jobs and walks to work. The wife stays at home and sits on her rear, but has to have the car just in case she wants to go somewhere. She spends money like its going out of style. She won't cook, so the family goes out to a different all-you-can-eat buffet each night. She doesn't bathe her kids, so they smell. Her grandmother comes over once a week to make sure the teenage son showers each week, and cleanes house while the mom sits on her enormous rear. I was one of many people who helped this family move recently, and the mom sat in her recliner and watched us work.
Plus, I know two families who ask us to pray for their finances, but take frequent vacations because "they deserve it." After all, their lives are so bad they need these vacations. Maybe if they would WORK and STAY AT HOME their finances wouldn't be in bad shape. God has already provided what they need, so I won't pray for that anymore until they are willing to obey. No one deserves a vacation. It is a luxury that most of the world can't afford. If you can, do it. But it is not right for your kids to suffer because you feel the need to drive to Colorado for a fishing trip.
Same with the housing crash. People deserved that house they couldn't afford. How dare that bank expect them to honor that contract! They knew they couldn't afford it, so the bank should have known that they couldn't and not expected them to pay.
The church: This one makes me the sickest, and I have been dealing with the most lately. I am constantly harassed by people who don't want to serve, but wish to have more fellowship events where they can sit with the same friends they sit with on Sunday. They deserve it. And they don't like all these new people coming, because they don't "know everyone anymore."
In essence, they are saying "we're full. They rest of you have to go to hell now." If they want to know what they deserve, it isn't the church they want. THEY DESERVE TO BURN IN THE FIRES OF HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY. Eternal loneliness and torture for forever. If we EVER forget that even for a second, we spit in the face of God, call the death of Jesus worthless, and tell the Holy Spirit we don't need him and don't want him interfering with us.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to send people to the Hell I deserve because I'm too lazy to get off my fat butt and serve another human being with the kind of love God showed me. They don't deserve it, but God does. The Holy One, God Almighty, the LORD is the ONLY one who deserves anything good. If he is willing to give up his rights to come to earth and be rejected and tortured to death by the people he came to save and then turn around and forgive them, then why can't we give up our "rights" that only exist in our own minds?
Edit 6/12/11: In light of recent events, check out part 2.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Stupid again
Some of the people that I made the "Stupid" blog entry returned to haunt me. I thought the deal was over.
Here's what they say: anything Jesus said about the Kingdom of heaven/God was only about the afterlife. What? Are you serious? I looked this morning, and found TWENTY-ONE references to the Kingdom refering to this life IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW ALONE. The other new Testament authors have the same understanding. Read Luke/Acts (origonally a two-volume work). Luke especially understood that Jesus idea of the kingdom and of life was about the outcasts. Jesus went to those that you "aren't supposed to." He went to the lepers (those suffering from contagious disease that people feared and hated. Anyone thinking AIDS?), the tax collectors (corrupted Jews collaborating with the enemy to steal from their own people), prostitutes (yeah...), women (outcasts of all societies of the time), children (same), Gentiles (that other race, whether it be white, black, hispanic, asian, etc.), the disabled (which in that day were considered cursed by God).
Jesus didn't say, "I'll stay here and let them come to me." He WENT to THEM. His idea of the kingdom was that his followers would go to the poor and the outcast. He sought them out. He looked for ways to help them. Go to biblegateway.com sometime and search for the Kingdom. Jesus said constantly "The kingdom of heaven is like..." and he talked about a Kingdom that seemed small and insignificant, but spread everywhere.
Here this, no matter your perference of the kingdom of this world (Obamacrat, Blue Dog, GOP, Tea Party, etc.) it is still flawed. Maybe God's kingdom is flawed here too, but we have seen the Perfect, and strive to achieve the example He set. If your loyalty is to any version of the kingdom of this world, you will still learn that it is temporary and flawed. At the end of things, it will "burn up like chaff." That isn't a threat. It is a "poof and it's gone" type of thing. You can argue, you can plead, it doesn't matter. So you can either strive for the world, or you can bring the Kingdom down to the world. Your choice, but I advise the latter.
Here's what they say: anything Jesus said about the Kingdom of heaven/God was only about the afterlife. What? Are you serious? I looked this morning, and found TWENTY-ONE references to the Kingdom refering to this life IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW ALONE. The other new Testament authors have the same understanding. Read Luke/Acts (origonally a two-volume work). Luke especially understood that Jesus idea of the kingdom and of life was about the outcasts. Jesus went to those that you "aren't supposed to." He went to the lepers (those suffering from contagious disease that people feared and hated. Anyone thinking AIDS?), the tax collectors (corrupted Jews collaborating with the enemy to steal from their own people), prostitutes (yeah...), women (outcasts of all societies of the time), children (same), Gentiles (that other race, whether it be white, black, hispanic, asian, etc.), the disabled (which in that day were considered cursed by God).
Jesus didn't say, "I'll stay here and let them come to me." He WENT to THEM. His idea of the kingdom was that his followers would go to the poor and the outcast. He sought them out. He looked for ways to help them. Go to biblegateway.com sometime and search for the Kingdom. Jesus said constantly "The kingdom of heaven is like..." and he talked about a Kingdom that seemed small and insignificant, but spread everywhere.
Here this, no matter your perference of the kingdom of this world (Obamacrat, Blue Dog, GOP, Tea Party, etc.) it is still flawed. Maybe God's kingdom is flawed here too, but we have seen the Perfect, and strive to achieve the example He set. If your loyalty is to any version of the kingdom of this world, you will still learn that it is temporary and flawed. At the end of things, it will "burn up like chaff." That isn't a threat. It is a "poof and it's gone" type of thing. You can argue, you can plead, it doesn't matter. So you can either strive for the world, or you can bring the Kingdom down to the world. Your choice, but I advise the latter.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
A Job, A Calling
How do you like you job? Most people hate theirs, but they have to pay the morgage? I have once heard some ask, "If you could do anything, with money not being an issue, what would it be?"
I love my job. I speak on behalf of a non-profit organization. We raise money to help needy kids and their families. This month we're partnering with an organization who helps women. They try to give those considering abortion to see that there is hope. They can keep the child. Moreover, it helps those who decide to keep the child. For those that do not, they provide group counciling for those overwhelmed with grief and guilt.
We've collected school supplies for needy kids, and collected food for other things. We've given heaters to Social Services for the neediest in our community. Weekly I read to a boy who has trouble. We also organize family activities. Recently, we hired a new staff member to work with kids in areas of education. Volunteers spent the last two weeks fixing up the house they were moving into. It involved way too much of my time, and was a big pain, but it's over now.
Point is, I like my job. It's fulfilling and I make a difference. If you hate your job, consider a change. If you won't, find a place to get involved. Boys and Girls Club is one that I have partnered with that makes a real, genuine difference.
I love my job. I speak on behalf of a non-profit organization. We raise money to help needy kids and their families. This month we're partnering with an organization who helps women. They try to give those considering abortion to see that there is hope. They can keep the child. Moreover, it helps those who decide to keep the child. For those that do not, they provide group counciling for those overwhelmed with grief and guilt.
We've collected school supplies for needy kids, and collected food for other things. We've given heaters to Social Services for the neediest in our community. Weekly I read to a boy who has trouble. We also organize family activities. Recently, we hired a new staff member to work with kids in areas of education. Volunteers spent the last two weeks fixing up the house they were moving into. It involved way too much of my time, and was a big pain, but it's over now.
Point is, I like my job. It's fulfilling and I make a difference. If you hate your job, consider a change. If you won't, find a place to get involved. Boys and Girls Club is one that I have partnered with that makes a real, genuine difference.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Health Care
Ok, I have a few minutes to weigh in on this. There's a lot that could be said. I think it would be apparent where I would land on this issue. But I might surprise you.
Let me start by saying I think this thing has problems. First of all, a health care bill that includes a government takeover of student loans? What does that have to do with anything? It seems this has provisions that have nothing to do with health. It bothers me that in the name of providing for those who can't provide for themselves, they did many things that have nothing to do with caring for people. In fact, after Obama's signing of the bill into law, the white house press secretary admitted that it had nothing to do with health, but with redistribution of wealth. No one has any idea what is in the thing. They didn't read it. They just passed it.
Or we could move into how it was passed. There was some strong arming, with the president mocking the Tea Party Movement (named after the Boston Tea Party, the start of the American revolution), calling them the Tea-bag movement. The President mocking Americans? How about the State of the Union, where Obama said people that are against it just don't understand it, basically calling his opposition stupid.
That I can get over. Realistically, I think Obama is an idealist who is standing up for what he believes in. I respect him for that, even if I don't always agree with policy or his tactics. What I CANNOT stand is congress. Many were given MILLIONS in campaign contributions if they would vote for the health care bill. That's called BRIBERY where I come from. This is the most corrupt, immoral congress in the history of America. They don't care about what they believe in, only about who will line their pockets. Many in Congress should be prosecuted. Almost all, regardless of party, are corrupt to the point that it is time to be sent home. We need public servants, not people who think the public exists to serve them. Republicans for years manipulated Christians to make them vote in fear of abortion. They didn't care. They did nothing to stop it. The Religious Right in response became anti-democrat on any issue. The democrats have oppressed the "minorities" as well as Republicans, because if they convince them "we'll take care of you" then of course the poor will vote for Democrats, but if they actually got a leg up, well, then they won't need us anymore so they might stop voting for us, so we have to keep them down.
Here's the bottom line. Congress is corrupt and worthless. I believe that the time of America is over. I just hope that our economy lasts long enough to help build up Haiti or rebuild Chile. If you want to talk about a "right" of health care, what about the right of clean drinking water? We will spend trillions on "health care" (when incidentally, if you walk into an emergency room, you will get the health care you need) when if we spent only millions everyone in the WORLD could have clean drinking water. Do you know what the number 1 cause of death of children under 5 is? Diarrea caused by unclean, diseased drinking water. Diseases like Malaria, polio, and TB also ravage third world contries, when they are COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. They want government funded lyposuction, but others don't get the basic right to live.
Let me start by saying I think this thing has problems. First of all, a health care bill that includes a government takeover of student loans? What does that have to do with anything? It seems this has provisions that have nothing to do with health. It bothers me that in the name of providing for those who can't provide for themselves, they did many things that have nothing to do with caring for people. In fact, after Obama's signing of the bill into law, the white house press secretary admitted that it had nothing to do with health, but with redistribution of wealth. No one has any idea what is in the thing. They didn't read it. They just passed it.
Or we could move into how it was passed. There was some strong arming, with the president mocking the Tea Party Movement (named after the Boston Tea Party, the start of the American revolution), calling them the Tea-bag movement. The President mocking Americans? How about the State of the Union, where Obama said people that are against it just don't understand it, basically calling his opposition stupid.
That I can get over. Realistically, I think Obama is an idealist who is standing up for what he believes in. I respect him for that, even if I don't always agree with policy or his tactics. What I CANNOT stand is congress. Many were given MILLIONS in campaign contributions if they would vote for the health care bill. That's called BRIBERY where I come from. This is the most corrupt, immoral congress in the history of America. They don't care about what they believe in, only about who will line their pockets. Many in Congress should be prosecuted. Almost all, regardless of party, are corrupt to the point that it is time to be sent home. We need public servants, not people who think the public exists to serve them. Republicans for years manipulated Christians to make them vote in fear of abortion. They didn't care. They did nothing to stop it. The Religious Right in response became anti-democrat on any issue. The democrats have oppressed the "minorities" as well as Republicans, because if they convince them "we'll take care of you" then of course the poor will vote for Democrats, but if they actually got a leg up, well, then they won't need us anymore so they might stop voting for us, so we have to keep them down.
Here's the bottom line. Congress is corrupt and worthless. I believe that the time of America is over. I just hope that our economy lasts long enough to help build up Haiti or rebuild Chile. If you want to talk about a "right" of health care, what about the right of clean drinking water? We will spend trillions on "health care" (when incidentally, if you walk into an emergency room, you will get the health care you need) when if we spent only millions everyone in the WORLD could have clean drinking water. Do you know what the number 1 cause of death of children under 5 is? Diarrea caused by unclean, diseased drinking water. Diseases like Malaria, polio, and TB also ravage third world contries, when they are COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. They want government funded lyposuction, but others don't get the basic right to live.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Pat Robertson, world's most vocal idiot
This week, there was a 7.3 earthquake in Haiti, virtually leveling the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Hospitals are gone. Within 24 hours of the quake, the Red Cross in Haiti was completely out of supplies. Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere. They have nothing to start with. Now, their buildings lay in ruins, and they have no ability to repair those hospitals and schools without help from the outside world.
God, help me to serve you in a way that will benefit the people of Haiti. I want to be your hands in that country. Help me not to just offer prayers, but be willing to obey.
In light of the great need (to help, I recommend working through World Vision or IDES; they are reputable and have experience in disaster relief), many are pulling together to help, as they should. Soon, people will make fake charities, preying on people's generosity. Over and over again throughout the Bible, God condemns those who do wrong to the poor (especially in the prophets, proclaiming destruction upon those who have done so. Read Amos). Amos 5:12 "For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts." (NIV) God PROMISES judgement on those who prey upson the poor. If that is you, you have been warned.
God, You will be faithful to your promises. Great and terrible will be your wrath on those who oppress the poor and refuse to repent. God, help me to turn from the ways in which I oppress the poor. Be gracious to me, teaching me and all who do this wrong to turn from our sin to your righteousness.
In addition to these warnings, let me know express my feelings about Pat Robertson. If you don't know, he said that the earthquake was a curse, because they supposedly made a pact with Satan to throw off the rule of Napoleon. So, to you, Pat, I say:
You wicked fool! How dare you, oh one of great senility, speak in such evil and ignorance! You blame the poor for being oppressed! You blame them for Satan's evil. Even if the pact was made, Ezekiel 18:20 says, "The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father , nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him." (NIV) God would not hold them cursed for the sins of their fathers! Woe to you, who sits in your chair as if it were a throne, wearing your fine suit like a kingly robe. You drive a car as the Caesars drove chariots! You live in a mansion, like a palace of old! Woe to you, for you proclaim judgement and oppress the poor by your words. Worse, you lead others to follow you! Great will be your judgement when you stand before God. Repent!
For anyone else who would read this, do not hold Christians accountable for Pat Robertson. He is the violation of what we believe. He is a Pharisee, a hypocrit. He claims to hold to our religion, but does not practice it in any way. He is a blight, a disease. He causes my stomach to turn.
God, help me to serve you in a way that will benefit the people of Haiti. I want to be your hands in that country. Help me not to just offer prayers, but be willing to obey.
In light of the great need (to help, I recommend working through World Vision or IDES; they are reputable and have experience in disaster relief), many are pulling together to help, as they should. Soon, people will make fake charities, preying on people's generosity. Over and over again throughout the Bible, God condemns those who do wrong to the poor (especially in the prophets, proclaiming destruction upon those who have done so. Read Amos). Amos 5:12 "For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts." (NIV) God PROMISES judgement on those who prey upson the poor. If that is you, you have been warned.
God, You will be faithful to your promises. Great and terrible will be your wrath on those who oppress the poor and refuse to repent. God, help me to turn from the ways in which I oppress the poor. Be gracious to me, teaching me and all who do this wrong to turn from our sin to your righteousness.
In addition to these warnings, let me know express my feelings about Pat Robertson. If you don't know, he said that the earthquake was a curse, because they supposedly made a pact with Satan to throw off the rule of Napoleon. So, to you, Pat, I say:
You wicked fool! How dare you, oh one of great senility, speak in such evil and ignorance! You blame the poor for being oppressed! You blame them for Satan's evil. Even if the pact was made, Ezekiel 18:20 says, "The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father , nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him." (NIV) God would not hold them cursed for the sins of their fathers! Woe to you, who sits in your chair as if it were a throne, wearing your fine suit like a kingly robe. You drive a car as the Caesars drove chariots! You live in a mansion, like a palace of old! Woe to you, for you proclaim judgement and oppress the poor by your words. Worse, you lead others to follow you! Great will be your judgement when you stand before God. Repent!
For anyone else who would read this, do not hold Christians accountable for Pat Robertson. He is the violation of what we believe. He is a Pharisee, a hypocrit. He claims to hold to our religion, but does not practice it in any way. He is a blight, a disease. He causes my stomach to turn.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Chivalry
If you haven't figured out by the name of the blog, I love the ideals of chivalry. One of the primary tenants of the oath of chivaly was justice. Included in justice is the idea of helping the oppressed. This idea has been lost in America. In America, we have this idea of you get what you deserve. We oppress the oppressed.
This is true in politics. Republicans want to ignore the poor and help the wealthy get wealth (even if the idea is that the rich can create businesses, they exploit small business owners in favor of their mega-corporate sponsors). Democrats wish to profit off the poor, by getting them to vote for them, then giving them a pitance of welfare and elemenating all opporunities for them to get ahead. Look at the schools in the inner city, in the same areas that supply democratic voters. I was in one tonight, packing lunches so that these poor ghetto kids can actually eat on weekends. In the mean time, the rich school down the streets got grants for millions in an unnecessary remodel.
This is also true internationally. Americans spent 450 Billion dollars (Billion with a B) on Christmas every year. For 10 million dollars (Million with an M) every human being could have access to clean, sanitary drinking water. This would cut childhood fatalities in HALF.
The average woman or child in a third world country spend 5 hours A DAY getting water. And the water that they get is usually from stagnant bogs and pond, and is so disease ridden it is deadly. They are forced to make the choice of dying from lack of water or from drinking what water they have. How would you like to make that choice for you and your children? How would you like to choose from what you watch them die?
And because this is 5 hours a day, and they are very ill from what water they do have access to, they are unable to participate in what little educational opporunities are available to them. Bono said, "We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies." Yet, despite the ability to do so, WE DO NOTHING.
Where is the justice? This is one night who won't stand for it. I have done what I can for now. I will try to continue to do more. I do not want to stand by while not doing what I can to provide justice for the poor. We have the ability to do so much. There is more to do than I can possibly do alone, but as long as there is no justice for the oppressed, I will do what I can.
Recommended resources: World Vision and Richard Stearns The Hole in Our Gospel.
This is true in politics. Republicans want to ignore the poor and help the wealthy get wealth (even if the idea is that the rich can create businesses, they exploit small business owners in favor of their mega-corporate sponsors). Democrats wish to profit off the poor, by getting them to vote for them, then giving them a pitance of welfare and elemenating all opporunities for them to get ahead. Look at the schools in the inner city, in the same areas that supply democratic voters. I was in one tonight, packing lunches so that these poor ghetto kids can actually eat on weekends. In the mean time, the rich school down the streets got grants for millions in an unnecessary remodel.
This is also true internationally. Americans spent 450 Billion dollars (Billion with a B) on Christmas every year. For 10 million dollars (Million with an M) every human being could have access to clean, sanitary drinking water. This would cut childhood fatalities in HALF.
The average woman or child in a third world country spend 5 hours A DAY getting water. And the water that they get is usually from stagnant bogs and pond, and is so disease ridden it is deadly. They are forced to make the choice of dying from lack of water or from drinking what water they have. How would you like to make that choice for you and your children? How would you like to choose from what you watch them die?
And because this is 5 hours a day, and they are very ill from what water they do have access to, they are unable to participate in what little educational opporunities are available to them. Bono said, "We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies." Yet, despite the ability to do so, WE DO NOTHING.
Where is the justice? This is one night who won't stand for it. I have done what I can for now. I will try to continue to do more. I do not want to stand by while not doing what I can to provide justice for the poor. We have the ability to do so much. There is more to do than I can possibly do alone, but as long as there is no justice for the oppressed, I will do what I can.
Recommended resources: World Vision and Richard Stearns The Hole in Our Gospel.
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