Is it an accomplishment to NOT believe in something? Is anti-faith harder than Christian faith? Do you deserve recognition for thinking it's more likely that circumstance and luck created an entire universe instead of believing in an all powerful God?
Evidently, yes. The Wilson County, Tn fair has decided that their annual God and Country day which previously offered discounts to individuals who brought a bulletin from their church service, now says that discount is offered to atheists as well. So if you believe and go to services, you get a discount. If you don't believe, you get a discount. But if you believe and don't go to services, you pay full price.
As a Christian I am constantly amazed at the hypocrisy of non-believers. Yes, that's what I said. Because atheists will pitch a fit if their child is asked to sit quietly while other children around them pray. Atheists hate to spend money that reads, "In God We Trust." Atheists won't recite a Pledge of Allegiance that includes, "One Nation, Under God..." Yet atheists will stick their stickers on the back of their car proclaiming the ignorance of Christians. Little dinosaurs chewing on an ichthus. A Darwinian ichthus with feet and teeth that reads, "reality bites." Bill Maher on HBO who constantly rails against evangelical Christians and their religious crutch.
Yet Christians are said to be intolerant. Christians are said to be bigots. Christians are said to be arrogant and pushy. Some are these things, that's true. And unfortunately I believe that people like that are not parallelling the life of Christ or His teachings.
In my sincerest effort to be objective, I will still side with the pushy Christian over the pushy atheist because of one simple difference: motivation. The motivation of the pushy Christian is the (hopefully) sincere love of another's soul and concern over where they will spend the eternity in which the Christian believes. Their motivation is love. The motivation of the pushy atheist is the destroy the belief system of another. To reveal their perceived ignorance and enlighten them to a life where death is the ultimate end and hope rests in what you accomplish only in your job or procreation. Their motivation is malicious.
Why does my belief offend you atheists? If I believe in God and Christ and therefore attempt to live a life of mercy, grace, peace and love, how does that negatively affect your life?
Consider two extremes.
If all the world were believers in God and Christ and practicers of a Christian faith, how bad would the world be? Would their still be nuts? Sure. Misdirected zealots who misapply scripture or flat misunderstand it are nothing new. But most people would be trying to serve their fellow man and work with them to achieve a common goal of heaven.
If all the world were atheists how good would the world be? The motivation to serve others would have to be completely altruistic. There would be no goal to achieve other than that of a temporary life that would end in around 70 years. But the prevailing motivation would be Freud's "id" part of the personality. Self-serving, self-pleasuring, animalistic motivations that have very little regard for others except that which is chemically created by brain function controlled completely by chance.
So here's my proposal. If you wish to be an atheist, so be it. As a believer I don't want you to be a non-believer. I want you to serve God and work toward a heaven I believe exists. But I won't force your belief because I know I can't make you believe in anything. So leave me and my beliefs alone. Don't feel like some intellectual police force whose sole mission is to enlighten anyone you believe to be ignorant or unintelligent. Go your way and I'll go mine. I'll remember you in my prayers.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Debunking the Myth of the Evil U.S.A.
The United States is a great country. And I can prove it. The following is a selection of four stories about this country that I pulled off FoxNews.com. I know FNC is a right wing, rah-rah, channel and website. As a Republican, I don't even watch their stuff because it's so right-wing blinded that it borders on silly.
But I know the United States is a good place full of mostly good people. I know that as the world's last remainging superpower we recognize our moral responsibility to help those in around the world.
Example 1:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354677,00.html
The US gives more to the World Food Program than any other country in the world. "Whoopee," you say. Here's what you don't know though: The United States gives five and a half times MORE than the entire European Union. And the EU gives the second most of any group in the world. So yeah, the US gives more than anyone. But the news is that we give overwhelmingly more than anyone. And by the way, OPEC countries are criticized for giving next to nothing.
Example 2:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402708,00.html
We are in a long war of words and sabre rattling with Iran. So when Israel, our Mid-East ally, wants weapons to destroy Iran nuclear facilities, which would benefit us and others. We told Israel no. Do we care about Iran? Maybe we care about their people or maybe we just want to avoid provoking them. Either way, if we were as evil and unfair as the world makes us out to be, we would have equipped them like a bionic Rambo.
Example 3:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402982,00.html
We have begun shipping humanitarian aid to Georgia after Russia's six day invasion. In fact, we started helping before Russia even left. Watch and see how many other countries join us.
Example 4:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402403,00.html
European racism. This particular example involves an ill-conceived photo of the Spanish basketball team striking "slant-eyed" poses. Nice fellas, real nice. But I'm not looking at the Spanish basketball team and assuming all of Europe is racist. That would be ridiculous. I also know that FIFA felt the need to make several PSAs regarding racism at soccer matches. That black players are often called awful things like "monkeys" and the dreaded "n-word" in European soccer venues. That speaks to the lowest of the low in European citizens, but the point is that racism is an unfortunate sickness that knows no borders. In the current US presidential elections there's a thought that if Barack Obama doesn't win the election it will be because we unenlightened Americans are racist. For many Americans, that will be their sole motivation for casting a vote against Obama and that is as sad as it is sinful and wrong. But when Europe derides the US for its racism, they might do well to remember the words of Jesus when Christ said, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove teh speck out of your brother's eye."
The US has political problems, violence problems, and race problems. But rather than be villified by the rest of the Western world, we should be recognized as being like many other countries and often times, much better at being giving, caring, and responsible human beings. So enough with the myth of the big, bad US.
But I know the United States is a good place full of mostly good people. I know that as the world's last remainging superpower we recognize our moral responsibility to help those in around the world.
Example 1:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354677,00.html
The US gives more to the World Food Program than any other country in the world. "Whoopee," you say. Here's what you don't know though: The United States gives five and a half times MORE than the entire European Union. And the EU gives the second most of any group in the world. So yeah, the US gives more than anyone. But the news is that we give overwhelmingly more than anyone. And by the way, OPEC countries are criticized for giving next to nothing.
Example 2:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402708,00.html
We are in a long war of words and sabre rattling with Iran. So when Israel, our Mid-East ally, wants weapons to destroy Iran nuclear facilities, which would benefit us and others. We told Israel no. Do we care about Iran? Maybe we care about their people or maybe we just want to avoid provoking them. Either way, if we were as evil and unfair as the world makes us out to be, we would have equipped them like a bionic Rambo.
Example 3:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402982,00.html
We have begun shipping humanitarian aid to Georgia after Russia's six day invasion. In fact, we started helping before Russia even left. Watch and see how many other countries join us.
Example 4:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402403,00.html
European racism. This particular example involves an ill-conceived photo of the Spanish basketball team striking "slant-eyed" poses. Nice fellas, real nice. But I'm not looking at the Spanish basketball team and assuming all of Europe is racist. That would be ridiculous. I also know that FIFA felt the need to make several PSAs regarding racism at soccer matches. That black players are often called awful things like "monkeys" and the dreaded "n-word" in European soccer venues. That speaks to the lowest of the low in European citizens, but the point is that racism is an unfortunate sickness that knows no borders. In the current US presidential elections there's a thought that if Barack Obama doesn't win the election it will be because we unenlightened Americans are racist. For many Americans, that will be their sole motivation for casting a vote against Obama and that is as sad as it is sinful and wrong. But when Europe derides the US for its racism, they might do well to remember the words of Jesus when Christ said, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove teh speck out of your brother's eye."
The US has political problems, violence problems, and race problems. But rather than be villified by the rest of the Western world, we should be recognized as being like many other countries and often times, much better at being giving, caring, and responsible human beings. So enough with the myth of the big, bad US.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Best Plea Bargain Ever
An Oregon man has arranged the best plea bargain I've ever heard.
So what did he win?
Freedom? No.
A shorter sentance? No.
A cushy view from Plum Island, ala Hannibal Lector? No.
What he won was chicken. Fried chicken. KFC and Popeyes fried chicken with all the fixin's. But before you think the man made a mistake, understand that's just what he got BEFORE the sentencing. After sentencing he got more.
What did he get after the sentencing?
A private room? No.
Conjugal visits from Hugh Heffner's harem? No.
What he got after sentencing was an Italian feast. Pizza, calzones, lasagna. This man is a murderer after my own heart! Fried chicken one day, Italian cuisine the next. Are you kidding? For someone who knows good and well he's guilty and deserving of his sentence to save the good state of Oregon trial cost in order to get a break from jail food for a couple days....that's tearjerking.
Now somebody get this guy a mint.
So what did he win?
Freedom? No.
A shorter sentance? No.
A cushy view from Plum Island, ala Hannibal Lector? No.
What he won was chicken. Fried chicken. KFC and Popeyes fried chicken with all the fixin's. But before you think the man made a mistake, understand that's just what he got BEFORE the sentencing. After sentencing he got more.
What did he get after the sentencing?
A private room? No.
Conjugal visits from Hugh Heffner's harem? No.
What he got after sentencing was an Italian feast. Pizza, calzones, lasagna. This man is a murderer after my own heart! Fried chicken one day, Italian cuisine the next. Are you kidding? For someone who knows good and well he's guilty and deserving of his sentence to save the good state of Oregon trial cost in order to get a break from jail food for a couple days....that's tearjerking.
Now somebody get this guy a mint.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Reason #423 Not to Go To Cali
LL Cool J may be going back to Cali, Cali, Cali...but I wouldn't. There is no place I know of, especially no place in the United States, that is as riddled by natural disasters than California.
Weekly on the national news California is battling wildfires because it only rains once every three years. When there is rain Californians are dealing with massive mudslides that take out houses. Regardless of whether or not there is a current drought or mudslides, there is always the impending threat of an earthquake. It is on a coast, so I suppose a hurricane would be possible, though I can't remember one every hitting the West Coast.
BUT, now this. A piece of land in Southern California was measured to heat up to 812 degrees Farenheit. To put that in persepective, the surface temperature on the planet Mercury reaches only 800 degrees. And (in case you've forgotten those science projects with the styrofoam and fishing line) is the planet closest to the sun. Yet in Southern California a piece of land was HOTTER THAN MERCURY!
Scientists don't yet know why the land is superheating. Likely something is burning deep underground and making it's way to the surface through cracks (which are abundant in Cali) causing the heat and the smoke.
My thought is that California is geologically our closest state to hell.
No, I don't really mean that.
Weekly on the national news California is battling wildfires because it only rains once every three years. When there is rain Californians are dealing with massive mudslides that take out houses. Regardless of whether or not there is a current drought or mudslides, there is always the impending threat of an earthquake. It is on a coast, so I suppose a hurricane would be possible, though I can't remember one every hitting the West Coast.
BUT, now this. A piece of land in Southern California was measured to heat up to 812 degrees Farenheit. To put that in persepective, the surface temperature on the planet Mercury reaches only 800 degrees. And (in case you've forgotten those science projects with the styrofoam and fishing line) is the planet closest to the sun. Yet in Southern California a piece of land was HOTTER THAN MERCURY!
Scientists don't yet know why the land is superheating. Likely something is burning deep underground and making it's way to the surface through cracks (which are abundant in Cali) causing the heat and the smoke.
My thought is that California is geologically our closest state to hell.
No, I don't really mean that.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Female US Soldiers Raped at Alarming Rate
Women serving in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by a fellow
soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq.
This is a very sad quote from the LA Times article I've linked above. But one thought went through my head when I heard this story yesterday, "Duh."
I don't mean to be crude or uncaring, because I'm not in the least. Rape is deplorable. Rapists should be prosecuted and jailed as long as possible because the act shows a complete lack of humanity.
When men are in combat situations, in country, what's something they are deprived of? I'll give you a hint, it's a God-given, basic human desire. That's right, it's sex. And while someone is away from their spouse, girlfriend, or what-have-you for 12-15 months at a time, that is something that they are deprived of.
So our sex-deprived soldiers take extreme measures to satisfy this need. In Vietnam it became common for US soldiers to spend time with local prostitutes or even to father children by Vietnamese women. Some of which they married, some of which stayed behind.
From my understanding, rape was common when soldiers were invading another country that they rape the women. Much of that was simply violence, but that's what a war zone is all about. And now these men have another avenue to quench both their violence and their need for sex.
That's not justification. And it's not a backhanded argument against women in the military. It's just a theory of mine as to why this is common. God willing it will stop.
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