Monday, October 29, 2012

Debate Coverage and Voting

As some of us know, the debate coverage has been manipulated by the corporate owned media to try to fool us into thinking that there are only two candidates running for the office of president.  This is not true.  In fact, there is a whole slew of candidates running for the presidency, though some are not going to be on the ballot in some states.  That's right.  A whole slew!  Not half a slew or a quarter of a slew but an entire WHOLE SLEW.  I would tell you how many, but I ran out of fingers and toes when I was trying to count them.

Yes folks.  There are more than two candidates running for president.  Of course, most of you have already voted so it's probably too late to do any research and change your vote.  Most of you probably voted for Obama or Romney, either of which will yield the same results.  There will be more tax breaks for the rich, more wars, more spying on American citizens, a more militant police force, and most likely the stripping of any rights and liberties we have left.  Hurray for you for not "wasting your vote."

Me?  I'm most likely going to vote for Dr. Jill Stein.  I know that some who vote third party like Gary Johnson, probably because you want marijuana legalized or income tax abolished so you don't have the government paying for things like roads and education, but I find some of his  positions on the issues unrealistic and harmful.  Good for you for not voting for Obama or Romney, though.  At least you were that smart.

Being a Texan, I don't like Dr. Jill Stein's positions on gun control.  I think every God fearing Christian should be able to own as many M-16s, AK-47s, grenade launchers, tanks, and any other battle equipment as they can afford.  We may as well throw in nuclear arms while we're at it.  After all, there might be a chance that President Obama will get elected and we'll still have a black man in the White House.  They called it the White House for a reason, you know.  The only black people that should be in the White House should be indentured servants.  If Obama does get re-elected we will HAVE to revolt and you can't do that with water pistols.  Still, I agree with Dr. Jill Stein on most of the other issues so I reckon I'll vote for her.

I like to wait until election day to vote.  Why?  Well, you never know what new dirt might come out on the candidates at the last moment.  For instance, we could find that President Obama really IS a Kenyan Commie Socialist or that Mitt Romney really has 72 wives.  You know how those Mormons are... especially the ones who wear the magic underwear.  We could find that Gary Johnson is a German Nazi spy or that Dr. Jill Stein is... God forbid... a LESBIAN!  As for the rest of them, we'll never know because they don't seem to get any coverage at all.  There's a possibility that they're aliens from the planet Nibiru.

If you don't vote at all, you may be the smartest yet.  At least you won't be responsible for the cataclysm that will probably be caused no matter who you vote for.  If you think we're screwed now, just wait another four years.
 

 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Christians and Forgiveness


Christians and Forgiveness

I've noticed that Christians who have atheists or people of other 
religions as friends have been coming under attack lately.  While 
I know that many of my Atheist friends think that I'm insane for 
believing in an "invisible man in the sky," I could just as easily 
consider them fools for being so arrogant as to believe that 
science has all the answers when science clearly does not have all 
the answers for the human condition.  They may mock me for 
believing in material written by "ancient goat herders" and scorn 
me because I know the bible wasn't completed during the life and 
time of Christ and/or most of his Apostles, yet they fail to see that 
science is, in itself, imperfect.  After all, science once said that the 
earth was flat and new theories are continually being developed 
which replace old theories that they found to be flawed when they 
find something explainable by the old theories.  Still, I hang onto 
these friends because I love them dearly and would like that 
friendship to be eternal even though they believe that once you're 
in the grave, that's it.  Yes, that may be selfish of me, but I guess 
I'm sort of a Stan Smith from American Dad, though I don't go 
trying to destroy their lives to make them so miserable that the 
only choice they have is to turn to God.  That didn't work out so 
well for Stan if you know the episode to which I am referring.
I don't really hold much hope for any of them to change their 
positions since they have their heels dug into their beliefs as 
firmly as the Christian Right has their heels dug into the belief 
of spreading the love of God by bombing the tar out of those who 
believe differently than they do; however, I do hope that they can 
see that I'm sincere in my beliefs and will perhaps one day at least 
understand that I do appreciate them and at least understand 
where I'm coming from.

Some of them are straight, some are gay, and some are somewhere 
in between.  Some are rich, some are poor, and some of them have 
serious illnesses.  Still, I look at them as I believe that Jesus looked 
upon the "sinners" he encountered.  I may hate the sin but I love the 
sinner... something which my fundamentalist past didn't really teach 
me.  Sure, they may spout the words, but most fundamentalists seem 
to hate the sinner if they don't immediately accept Jesus into their 
hearts after they quoted them the "Roman Road" a few times.  As for 
my friends of other religions, I try to respect their views even though 
I may not agree with them on some of their points and practices.

Now, there are some people who are deliberately evil and try to 
deceive others on a regular basis.  Their whole purpose in life is
to try to make life miserable for others.  For them, there is little I 
can do but "shake the dust from my feet" and say a prayer 
that they might learn somewhere down the road.
Matthew 10:14
New International Version (NIV)
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to 
your words, leave that home or town and shake the 
dust off your feet.

I do stand up for my friends of other beliefs if I feel they are correct 
on a point.  Most religions, after all, have the same basic message of 
trying to teach others to be kind toward others.  It's generally the 
distortion by those greedy for power who twist the original meaning 
of the religion's figurehead or founder that cause atrocities such as 
war, torture, burning people at the stake, and beheading them.  That 
universal truth is generally along the lines of the following verse.
1 John 4:8
New International Version (NIV)
Whoever does not love does not know God, because 
God is love.

Another relatively universal truth is along the lines of this verse.
Mark 12:30-31
New International Version (NIV)
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart 
and with all your soul and with all your mind 
and with all your strength.’[a] 31 The second 
is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 
There is no commandment greater than these.”

Footnotes:
Mark 12:30Deut. 6:4,5
Mark 12:31Lev. 19:18

For those of us who truly follow Jesus, we have been given a new 
commandment.
John 13:34-35
New International Version (NIV)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. 
As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 
 35 By this everyone will know that you are my 
disciples, if you love one another.”

Sometimes this commandment is the hardest for us to keep if we 
are prone to hold grudges.  After all, are we expected to love those 
who have hurt us or deeply offended us?  In short, yes.
Matthew 5:43-48
New International Version (NIV)
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your 
neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell 
you, love your enemies and pray for those who 
persecute you, 45 that you may be children of 
your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to 
rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain 
on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you 
love those who love you, what reward will you 
get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  
47 And if you greet only your own people, what 
are you doing more than others? Do not even 
pagans do that? 48 Be perfect,therefore, 
as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Footnotes:
Matthew 5:43Lev. 19:18

Yes, as Christians, we are to love even those who have offended us 
so badly that we consider them to be sworn enemies.  That's not so 
easy to do... especially when you would love nothing more than to 
grab them by the throat and strangle them.  It may take some time 
to get to that point, but as you mature in Christ, you can learn to 
do just that.  It takes a lot of self-control and sacrifice, especially 
if the deed they did to you was the most painful thing you have 
ever experienced in your life.  Even if that act was so unthinkable 
in your mind that you can't fathom how they could have done such 
a thing to you.  Jesus gave us an example.

As Jesus hung on the cross after being mercilessly beaten and 
having thorns thrust into his head, he said something of great 
importance.
Luke 23:34
New International Version (NIV)
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they 
do not know what they are doing.”[a] And they 
divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Footnotes:
Luke 23:34Some early manuscripts do not have 
this sentence.

Even after all that was done to him even though he was innocent 
of the charges against him, he found it in his heart to forgive those 
who had wronged him so and put him to his death.  Having a spouse 
who cheated on you even with a relative or supposedly best friend 
is nothing compared to what was done to the Son of God/Son of 
Man, yet he saw fit to forgive them for sending him to his tortuous 
death.  Just as he did, we have to find it in our hearts to forgive 
those who wronged us, no matter how difficult it may seem without 
expectation of an apology.  After all, Jesus not only didn't receive an 
apology,  rather a guard shoved a spear into his side?
John 19:34
New International Version (NIV)
34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ 
side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of 
blood and water.

What was done to us may have been as piercing as a sword in 
the side to you, yet we are called to forgive those who wronged 
us just as Christ forgave those who wronged him.  It's a tall order, 
but we can do it.
Philippians 4:13
New International Version (NIV)
13 I can do all this through him who gives me 
strength.

Love, Hope, Peace, & Christ Be With You,

Cal-el