Heart and Soul - A Valentine's Day Poem

Heart and Soul - A Valentine's Day Poem

A poem for Valentine's Day. May you all have a very happy one!

Love, Hope, Peace,

Rising Tensions between the Left and the Right

Rising Tensions between the Left and the Right

It seems that everyone is trigger-happy these days. With the Christian Right arming itself to the teeth to “kill for Jesus,” even members of the Left are arming themselves in preparation for a battle. Those of us who are Centrists, who are walking the straight and narrow, or walking the razor's edge, are finding the razor getting thinner and thinner.

As a Christian myself, I do have weapons to defend my home, but I have no intention of attacking someone who does not attack me first. Unlike the masses who CALL themselves Christians, I try to live as Christ lived to the best of my ability. These other people who profess to “know Christ,” though, are going as far as carrying their guns to church. This preacher even had a church raffle to give away a handgun. A group called “Vision America” makes this statement:

Christian involvement in civil government is not optional. It is an essential part of our calling from God to be salt and light in a dying culture. God’s people in Christ must address the great moral issues now before the nation. The church has been entrusted by Almighty God with the tools necessary to reverse America’s moral decline and effect lasting change if only she will engage in this momentous struggle before it is too late!

Vision America exists to mobilize God’s pastors throughout this land to stand together as His faithful spokesmen once again.

There was a time when Christian preachers spoke out against direct involvement in politics and spoke out against greed. These days, though, they seem to be a part of the corporate mindset pushing hate, fear, and greed in the name of Jesus. The only thing they seem to address about morality and integrity is this:

Personal Decency and Moral Integrity

We believe God established human sexuality for the physical expression of love and commitment between a man and a woman in holy marriage. Apart from that divine intent, sexual activity becomes nothing more or less than the selfish manipulation of another human being for personal satisfaction or financial gain.

I guess as long as the greed doesn't involve sex, they consider it ok. Another group called Eagle Forum is pushing hatred of women and hatred of immigrants and other forms of bigotry thinly disguised as a pro-Constitutional group touting messages of God and a bible verse:

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.

The “Tea Party” movement seems to have joined in with these pro-Republican groups and seem to think that Sarah Palin would be a great candidate for President of the United States. All of the aforementioned groups are against things like health care, immigration, and public education. They're playing right into the hands of the corporations who don't want any of their profits to go toward any of those things. It's all to do with greed and has nothing to do with the good of “The People.”

With the Supreme Court ruling that corporations can donate as much as they want, being considered “people” under the Constitution, there is no more “The People.” It's all “The Corporations.” Live for the corporations, die for the corporations, and maybe soon be jailed for speaking out against corporations or corporate products. After all, corporations will be able to buy the politicians who make whatever laws they want passed. Perhaps they will have prayer in schools for the almighty dollar. “In Money We Trust” or, especially with the Tea Party movement, “In Gold We Trust” should be their logo.

In stark contrast to these “Christian” ideas are the words of someone you think they would listen to. Who would that be? Christ.

Matthew 6:24 (New International Version)

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Luke 18:18-22 (New International Version)

The Rich Ruler

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" 

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When it comes to how you treat foreigners, and the health care issue, Christians should consider the parable of the Good Samaritan:

Luke 10:25-37 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

 He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

In these people purporting to be Christians, I see nothing of Christ. I can't really consider them brothers and sisters in Christ because they seem to go completely against all that Christ stood for. If they forced me to take up arms against them, I might, because as much as I'd like to think that sticking a flower in the barrel of their guns would change their hearts, they've already shown evidence that they have no hearts. People like Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh, and others who have spoken against a poor people who were devastated by an earthquake or people like Andre' Bauer, a member of Union United Methodist Church, speaking out against the poor saying things likening the poor to animals and saying not to feed them because, “they'll breed,” (I'm not making this up:)

are leading people astray as Christian representatives. If one of these so called Christians came to my door armed, I fear I would have to answer the door armed myself. These people aren't right and they surely aren't Christians. I would not entrust the safety of my family to them. You're being foolish if you do.

I don't see everything that Obama does as being right, but I certainly see him trying to do more good than anyone from the Republican side that I've seen in recent years. They are NOT the Republicans I used to admire in my youth. These are greedy, hateful, bigoted, power hungry zealots who are trying to pass themselves off as Christians in order to gain support from those who relate to Christianity because of their affiliation with particular churches or who admire the preachers on TV who spout that Jesus will make you rich. These people are no better than the Muslim extremists who carry out bombings in the name of God. These people are wanting to wipe out whole peoples in the name of God using Jesus as an excuse. They've even gone as far as putting scripture verses on the weapons to kill the Muslims. They are trying to start a “Holy War” that is anything BUT holy. If people don't wake up soon, the razor's edge is going to get much thinner and even the best of us might slip off.

Copyright © 2010 Cal Jennings

The Corporate State

Borrowed from Lori

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

The early twentieth century Italians, who invented the word fascism, also had a more descriptive term for the concept -- estato corporativo: the corporatist state. Unfortunately for Americans, we have come to equate fascism with its symptoms, not with its structure. The structure of fascism is corporatism, or the corporate state. The structure of fascism is the union, marriage, merger or fusion of corporate economic power with governmental power. Failing to understand fascism, as the consolidation of corporate economic and governmental power in the hands of a few, is to completely misunderstand what fascism is. It is the consolidation of this power that produces the demagogues and regimes we understand as fascist ones.

While we Americans have been trained to keenly identify the opposite of fascism, i.e., government intrusion into and usurpation of private enterprise, we have not been trained to identify the usurpation of government by private enterprise. Our European cousins, on the other hand, having lived with Fascism in several European countries during the last century, know it when they see it, and looking over here, they are ringing the alarm bells. We need to learn how to recognize Fascism now.

Dr. Lawrence Britt has written an excellent article entitled “The 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism.” An Internet search of the number 14 coupled with the word fascism will produce the original article as well as many annotations on each of the 14 characteristics of fascism that he describes. His article is a must read to help get a handle on the symptoms that corporatism produces.

But even Britt’s excellent article misses the importance of Mussolini’s point. The concept of corporatism is number nine on Britt’s list and unfortunately titled: “Corporate Power is Protected.” In the view of Mussolini, the concept of corporatism should have been number one on the list and should have been more aptly titled the “Merger of Corporate Power and State Power.” Even Britt failed to see the merger of corporate and state power as the primary cause of most of these other characteristics. It is only when one begins to view fascism as the merger of corporate power and state power that it is easy to see how most of the other thirteen characteristics Britt describes are produced. Seen this way, these other characteristics no longer become disjointed abstractions. Cause and effect is evident.

For example, number two on Britt’s list is titled: “Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights.” Individual rights and corporate rights, at the very least conflict, and often are in downright opposition to one another. In the court system, often individuals must sue corporations. In America, in order to protect corporations, we have seen a steady stream of rules, decisions and laws to protect corporations and to limit the rights of the individual by lawsuit and other redress. These rules, decisions, and laws have always been justified on the basis of the need for corporations to have profit in order to exist.

Number three on Britt’s list is the identification of scapegoats or enemies as a unifying cause. Often the government itself becomes the scapegoat when the government is the regulator of the corporations. Often it is lawyers or administrators who take on the corporations. Often it is liberals who champion the rights of individuals, or terrorists who might threaten state stability or corporate profit. Any or all may become scapegoats for the state’s problems because they pose problems for corporations.

Other notable characteristics of fascism described by Britt which are directly produced by corporatism are:

< The suppression of organized labor (organized labor is the bane of corporations and the only real check on corporate power other than government or the legal system);

< Supremacy of the military (it is necessary to produce and protect corporate profits abroad and threats from abroad);

< Cronyism and governmental corruption (it is very beneficial to have ex-corporate employees run the agencies or make the laws that are supposed to regulate or check corporations);

< Fraudulent elections (especially those where corporations run the machinery of elections and count the votes or where judges decide their outcomes);

< Nationalism (disdain for other countries that might promote individual rights);

< Obsession with national security (anti-corporatists are a security risk to the corporate status quo);

< Control of the media (propaganda works);

< Obsession with crime and punishment (anti-corporatists belong in jail); and

< Disdain for intellectuals and the arts (these people see corporatism for what it is and are highly individualistic).

All of these characteristics have a fairly obvious corporate component to them or produce a fairly obvious corporate benefit. Even Britt’s last two characteristics, the merger of state with the dominant religion and rampant suppression of divorce, abortion and homosexuality produce at least some indirect corporate benefit.

In sum, it’s the corporate state, stupid.

As I have pondered what could be done about America’s steady march toward the fascist state, I also have pondered what can be done internally to stop it. The Germans couldn’t seem to do it. The Italians couldn’t seem to do it. The only lesson from recent history where an indigenous people seemed to have uncoupled the merger of economic power with governmental power is the French Revolution. The soft underbelly of consolidated economic power is that the power resides in the hands of a few. Cut off the money supply of the few and the merger between economic power and government becomes unglued. The French systematically took out their aristocracy one by one. It was ugly; the French couldn’t seem to figure out when there had been enough bloodletting to solve the problem.

The thought of an American twenty-first century French Revolution is ugly. But the thought of an American twenty-first century fascist state is far uglier. It would be a supreme irony that the state most responsible for stopping worldwide fascism would become fascist 60 years later. But far worse than this irony is the reality that an American fascist state with America’s power could make Nazi Germany look like a tiny blip on the radar screen of history.

For some years now we have lived with the Faustian bargain of the corporation. Large corporations are necessary to achieve those governmental and social necessities that small enterprises are incapable of providing. The checks on corporate power have always been fragile. Left unchecked, the huge economic power of corporations corrupts absolutely. Most of the checks are badly eroded. Is there still time to get the checks back in balance? Or will we be left with two unthinkable options?

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Good With God - Chapter V

Good With God

Chapter V

How to be Good With God (or Respecting the Beliefs of Others)

There are similarities between the major religions such as “walking the straight and narrow” which is referred to in Hinduism as “walking the razor's edge.” In researching a similar Buddhist teaching, I came across these things:

From the Hindus:

To walk the razor's edge...

"Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path,

difficult to tread and hard to cross."

Katha Upanishad: 3:14.

From the Christians:

Straight is the gate and narrow is the way..

The Narrow and Wide Gates

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 (King James Version)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 (New International Version)

Walking the Yogic Path

By Linda Shevloff

There is a Buddhist meditation practice in

which one observes the quality of every step, when

one observes the mind at every step. It becomes

clear that at every moment is a choice. We are

constantly creating our situations. In India this

process is known as karma. The effect of what we

do in one moment can be seen as the cause of the

next one. Even in our simplest undertakings and

intentions, every step is a choice. The concept

brings home the message that we are ultimately

responsible for our own lives. Personal freedom

from the sorrows and suffering of life comes

through awareness, and conscious choice

The concept of karma is mentioned by Christ:

Matthew 7:1-2 (New International Version)

Judging Others

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

As far as Buddhist meditation, the Bible also tells us to meditate, though many overlook the fact or misunderstand it or don't consider that meditation is supposed to be part of Judeo-Christian life as well:

Genesis 24:63 (New International Version)

He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.

Joshua 1:8 (New International Version)

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1:2 (New International Version)

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 39:3

My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

Psalm 48:9

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 77:12

I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Psalm 119:15

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Psalm 119:23

Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate

Psalm 119:27

Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.

Psalm 119:48

I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:78

May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts

Psalm 119:97

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

Psalm 119:99

I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

Psalm 119:148

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

Psalm 143:5

I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

Psalm 145:5

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

In the 60s and 70s, it became popular for Christian preachers to condemn meditation because the “hippies” were doing it and they opposed the war in Viet Nam. The churches preached “God Bless the Troops” and prayed for our boys to win and kill the evil Communists. They taught that the hippies were worshiping foreign gods and were evil.

It's true that many of the hippies were following the Dalai Lama because of The Beatles and other celebrities looking to him for the truth. What they didn't seem to realize is that what they were condemning the hippies and the Dalai Lama for were some of the very things that Christ himself taught.

Alright, so there are similarities between the major religions. That gives Christians a good place to start in respecting the beliefs of others. You can recognize that these people are religious people and worship their god or gods and compliment them on that fact as Paul did when he went into Athens:

Acts 17:22-23 (New International Version)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Alright. Now that's settled. But, how can you respect an Atheist? After all they don't even believe God exists! Shouldn't they be scorned and condemned because they don't even HAVE a belief in a God?

Think about it this way. Haven't you ever been in a situation where you have doubted that God existed? Have you ever prayed for the return of a love who has gone astray and they never returned to you? Have you ever prayed for a spouse to quit cheating only to be disappointed over and over again? Have you ever prayed for a loved one to quit drinking or quit using drugs only to be disappointed? Have you ever prayed for a spouse to quit abusing you and the abuse only got worse and worse? Have you every prayed for a sick or injured child of yours or someone close to you and the child died anyway? At those times, didn't you feel that God had abandoned you or felt that perhaps there wasn't even a God? Perhaps someone came to you and told you that these things happened because you didn't have enough faith in God or because you did something wrong against God. Similar things were said about Job, too, even though Job was not at fault for what he was experiencing. Consider how you felt at those times and you will be able to relate to how an Atheist feels about God and how an Atheist feels when you harp on him or her about being an unbeliever. Maybe you'll understand why Atheists are sick and tired of hearing about Jesus and God.

Most Atheists weren't born being Atheists. They looked at the facts, saw relatives or friends who prayed to God and who were continually disappointed, and decided that anyone who believes in an invisible entity must be missing a few brain cells. To them, if there is no evidence, it doesn't exist. Sometimes we as Christians put too much faith on God and don't do enough work of our own to make something happen and wonder why we fail. Sometimes, it would benefit us to look at some of the things we do in the light that an atheist looks at things. If things aren't working the way they should be, perhaps we need to reconsider what it is we actually believe and see if there was some flaw in our teachings or concepts we thought we had grasped. Perhaps there is a flaw in our technique or perhaps we have been depending on God to do too much in our lives. We can't always just “give it to Jesus” and expect God to do all the work. Sometimes we have to do the work ourselves.

Copyright © 2010 Cal Jennings

Christians Saying, "I'm Sorry"

We, as Christians, can't always be shining examples of Jesus in every aspect of our lives. At times we are going to face problems with which we don't know how to deal or cope. At times we may have an illness that causes us to become overly bitter. We might even just have a bad day from time to time. At these times, we may make a choice or say something that we normally wouldn't.

If we lie about it and try to deny that we did or said such a thing, we're not only creating another wrong, but are making ourselves appear hypocritical. It is better to be honest about the situation, about our feelings, or whatever the circumstance and admit our mistake.

Jesus was about truth and God knows that we're going to make mistakes. We are already forgiven, but it doesn't hurt us to ask His forgiveness. We should also ask the forgiveness of those whom we offended or did wrong, even if they're not receptive.

Some people feel it is wrong to admit their mistakes if they are in a position of power because it "shows a weakness." What it really does is show strength. You will gain the respect and admiration of your subordinates if you are honest rather than whitewashing your wrongdoings.

Yes, sometimes there is a price to pay for the wrong we've committed, but it is better to deal with them honestly and quickly than to let them go on until they've built into something huge and overwhelming. When we keep trying to hide what we've done, "interest" on the wrong builds and compounds, sometimes more quickly and more disdainfully than we might think possible. The quicker we can get things out in the open, the quicker we can put things behind us.

Sorry may be the hardest word, but sometimes it's the most necessary word in the human vocabulary. Don't say it unless you mean it, though.

Copyright © 2009 Cal Jennings