Cooking Lobsters

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Scientists say it's actually a myth that cooking a lobster by placing them in cold water, then very s-l-o-w-l-y increasing the temperature to boiling, kills them without them becoming aware of what is happening to them.

But it works very well for human beings, as to moral temperature.

There was another mass-shooting yesterday.  In our recent history, America has a mass-shooting every few weeks.  So far most Americans still perceive mass-shootings as wrong...though a great many Americans have adapted the political belief that it's a constitutional "right" that virtually everyone can have almost any kind of military firearm they want.

The N.R.A. and its followers go so far as to say everyone should...to protect themselves from mass-shooters.  "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," you know.  Never mind that "good guys" with a gun...and grudges (personal or political), mental problems, anger-issues, or personal problems...are most often the ones who become mass-shooters.

But my point isn't the gun-debate.  The point is that Americans are increasingly coming to accept that a mass-shooting every few weeks is normative.

When Charles Whitman went on a killing-rampage in 1966 (including some military-grade weapons in his arsenal), everyone in America was horrified at the outrage of his murders.   Even when children and teachers at Sandy Hook were massacred (again with military-grade firearms), not quite 5 years ago, most of us could still feel outrage at the evil of their murder.  Today, not really so much: every successive mass-shooting is lamentable...but isn't our attitude that that's just the way it is in our present-day society ?

Nothing better illustrates that political heat increases moral insensibility than the fact that Texas legislators put in place a law making it legal for almost everyone in Texas to own military-assault weapons on August 1st, 2016: the 50th anniversary of Charles Whitman's murderous rampage.  "Conservative" legislators wanted to "strengthen" Texans' "Second Amendment rights."

Under that strong "Second-Amendment rights" law, the most-recent Texas shooter seems to have legally possessed his murder-weapons.

Will the next mass-shooting (and I'm certain there will be one again, soon) shock us as much as the one yesterday ?  Will it be the one after that, or the next, or the one after the next, before it all comes to seem rather boring...or only notable as proof that our constitutional "rights" are secure and strong  ?


                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Finger-pointing

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

The Trump faction's knee-jerk response when they are caught doing wrong is to point their finger at someone else: usually Hilary, Obama, or Democrats.  They seem to miss a couple important things about using that childish tactic:

that "defending" yourself by claiming someone else did just as bad, or worse, makes a tacit admission you did wrong;

and moral law does NOT absolve us of our wrong-doing because other people did it too.


                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

New Prayer

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Father, you know everyone I want to bring before you in prayer.  You know their names, and my concern for them.  You know better than I do their needs.

Thank you for perfectly remembering each one, even when I momentarily forget a name or need.  Thank you for Your concern for them, Your desire even greater than mine that they be safe, whole, and in peace.  Thank you for your Presence with each of them, blessing.

Thank you for Your limitless power poured out for the abundant life and joy You unceasingly desire for them.

Father, Your will be done.

In Jesus' name.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Centenary of the Balfour Declaration

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

On November 2nd, 1917, the Foreign Secretary of the British Empire, Arthur Balfour, addressed a letter to Lord Lionel Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Great Britain.

"Dear Lord Rothschild:

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet:

'His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.'

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Association."

The Balfour Declaration later formed a basis for British policy in the Palestine Mandate, eventuating in British withdrawal from Palestine the day after the proclamation of the state of Israel on May 14th, 1948.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Terrorists

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

The greatest danger to America today isn't enemy armies in foreign countries.  Our greatest danger is “self-radicalized” enemies in America: those among us who believe to the lies of online propagandists, and act on them to do us harm.

The greatest danger to our country is people who WANT to believe llies that harm America.

Some want to believe the lie that God is pleased when they kill people. Many more want to believe the lie that God (haven't their "faith-leaders" assured them it's so ?) is pleased when a nation embraces lawlessness and pride; that following unrighteousness and lies will “Make America Great Again.”

Some enemies openly hate America.  The greater danger is the many more who pretend they destroy America from "patriotism."

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

What's Up With The Reformation ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

A blog-post I read this morning by Peter Corak, re-blogged at "Christianity 201," seems to me the best commemoration there could be of today's 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Whatever Luther's intent, whatever the effects of the Reformation in subsequent history...what was God's purpose ?  Is there any other "reason" threaded through world events and human history ?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I guess I don’t normally think of God as a seeker. Maybe that’s because I think of seekers as needing something and I don’t think of God as in need of anything. But while God has no need of anything, there are some things He desires. This morning I read of something the Father seeks. Of something that He’s actively pursuing–something, in a sense, He craves. Something, go figure, that I can provide.

'But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.'   ~ Jesus   (John 4:23 ESV)

"God is a seeker. And He seeks true worshipers to worship Him."

(Peter's meditation can be read in full at https://mymorningmeal.com/2017/10/10/seeker-friendly-2/)

 

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Calling Out Franklin Graham

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Donald Trump gave a speech at the United Nations last month.  In part, he said,

"The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.”

I'll admit, I've become so used to his appalling bombast that I don't even hear it anymore; or if I do, I just ignore it as meaningless, as Trump being Trump.

If I thought about his words at all, it was only about his attempted cleverness in denigrating Kim Jung Un as "Rocket Man."

Benjamin L. Corey's blog made me remember that words, even Trump's words, have real meaning.  Made me remember that Jesus said, "But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36, NIV).

Corey pointed out that Trump's speech (even if it was Jesus' definition of "empty words") was a threat to kill 25 million people.  That his words meant he would kill all the civilians in North Korea.  Kill all children and babies who happen to have been born in North Korea.  Incinerate all its citizens who hate the government of North Korea, as well as the brainwashed millions who love it.  Kill all North Korean truck-drivers, grandparents, Christians, housewives, foreign diplomats, nurses as well as soldiers, because of where they live.

Even for those who accept Augustine's "just war" theory, Corey pointed out, Trump's threats do violence to all Christian understanding of Jesus' teachings, and all that He calls Christians to be.

Franklin Graham evidently didn't get it, says Corey.  Graham seems to have missed what Trump's words mean, or what Jesus' words mean.  Graham's facebook comment on Trump's speech was

"Thank God we have a president who stands for truth and is not afraid to speak truth to the whole world. President Donald J. Trump's address today to the United Nations General Assembly may have been one of the best speeches ever given to that body. It made you proud to be an American. I hope you will join me in praying for this man, that God will guide and direct him. He reminded the world, 'If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph.' "

Corey's full blog-post is at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/formerlyfundie/franklin-graham-trumps-kill-speech-one-best-ever/.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Alienated from God's Heart

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

In our discussion of a Sunday-School class, a friend referred to justice and mercy as "God's middle name."

That seemed a perfect way to put it: that immediately and inextricably following the reverence due His Personally Being I AM, is His Personal BE-ING toward human beings.  As Jesus called our reverent following Him in that "Be-ing,", the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40).

It's been quite noticeable in our time that the qualities of "mercy" and "justice," literally God's Own heart toward mankind, have been marginalized in many parts of the Church, regarded as side-issues of interest to only a fringe-element of believers.  (My perception is that, in America, that attitude had its roots in the white evangelical churches of the South, as an attempt to disassociate their doing "church" from the black churches' involvement in the Civil Rights movement)

Most recently God's commands that His people practice mercy and justice have been further marginalized; indeed, reviled; by dominant Political Christianity characterizing that "fringe-element" as "liberal" Christians.  Not "liberal" in the normative meaning of "generous," by which we say God is abundantly liberal: but in the current narrow sense of Evangelicals' chosen political faction, "liberal" meaning "enemy," and "evil."

America's current political "Evangelism" marginalizes God's command to "do justice, [and] love mercy" (Micah 6:8);  and indeed, treats those as "enemy" teachings.

Could "Evangelicals" be any more alienated from God's very heart ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Weighing Trump

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Those of us horrified by Donald Trump have to be careful that we don't spend so much time and thought on his evil idiocies that he becomes the central figure of our lives and our world-view.  When we do, we become mirror-images of Trump's followers.

But worst of all, that would be to share Trump's hyper-inflated self-image of his own magnificent importance in EVERYTHING.  Sharing Trump's thinking in any regard is disgusting.  Concurring in his self-image would be

So I'll affirm, once and for all, that Donald Trump himself matters in human affairs and world history less than a pinch of owl-dung.  Human affairs and world history are the story of mankind's relationship with God, written by God.  Donald Trump is a transitory bit-player under God's stage-direction.


Contrary his own belief, Donald Trump is not the main character in that story.  Neither is Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama (both of whom I mention only because Trump seems to somehow think they are his rivals for the title of History's Most Important Person Ever: though I doubt Clinton or Obama either one thinks of themself in Trump's terms).

But Trump is not deterred, believing that his personal importance is proved by the fact he holds the highest office in the Greatest Nation in the World.

Trump has to affirm that about America.  It would diminish his personal sense of his own glory if "his" nation was anything less than the Greatest, Strongest, Most Wonderful, Richest, Most Powerful country that ever existed.  But those of us not in Trump's perceptual-thrall don't have to be, and shouldn't be, as delusional.

In the story God writes of human affairs and world history, there's no good reason to consider America anything more than another kingdom of men.  No reason to believe Trumpland is God's ultimate be-all and end-all for humankind.

Trump himself, and the fake-news "America" which he creates for himself, matter less than a pinch of owl-dung. 

But in a regard Trump seems not to recognize, both have significant weight on God's scale of mankind and his history.  On God's scale, Trump and his alternative-reality nation weigh in as a huge spiritual evil: man's self-pride vaunting itself against God.


                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Going the Wrong Way

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

When the teaching started going around that Christians should be involved in politics, I rejected it.  It was an obvious ploy by the "Moral Majority" of the late '70s to trump up Christian support for Republicans.  Having become a Christian during the Watergate days, I was deeply skeptical that Christians should take political "sides"...especially with the "side" that gave us the most corrupt and destructive government in our history...to that point.

I was...and am...impressed that Galatians 5:20 lists "factions" (Greek haireseis, literally, "dividings") as a work of the flesh.  It was hard to see how the "Moral Majority" and its (quickly-burgeoning) imitators were not such "factions," involving themselves as they did in the worldly power-mechanics of human governments.  New factions springing up is how politics works: but introducing a "dividing" in the Church wounds the Body of Christ.

I was also skeptical that the goal of worldly political power was one Christians should pursue: it seems a serious mis-reading of Jesus' mandate to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God.

The 1980 election confirmed my suspicions.  The major candidates were a staunch Christian and a self-proclaimed "conservative."  The "Christian Conservative" faction delivered its votes overwhelmingly to the "conservative."  It showed where the heart of that faction truly lay, and still does.

But my view has become a bit more Biblically-nuanced in the last 40 years.

I'm more convinced than ever that "Christian conservatism" is an unscriptural faction (unless I've missed some important admonition by Jesus that His followers be "conservative"); and that human political power has no part in enacting the Kingdom of God.  There is no scriptural mandate I'm aware of that we should seek first (or at all) involvement in the human politics of this world's kingdoms.

But that world is where our life takes place, and politics is part of that world.  If we believe Jesus is "Lord" of all things, He is Lord of all that world, and all its human activities, including politics.  It's not our priority to seek; but in their contacts with and responses to the world's politics, Christians should manifest Jesus' rule even that enemy realm.

And there's the problem.

A tourist in Ireland was driving cross-country, and had become lost on a country road.  Seeing a farmer working on his fence, he pulled to the side of the road, and called,

"Excuse me.  Is this the road to Dublin ?"

The farmer paused to look down the road...and turned to look down it the other direction.  Then he looked at the tourist.

"Aye, 'tis," said the farmer.  "But ye're goin' the wrong way."

American Christians' mandate is to manifest Jesus' Lordship, even in the world's political realm.  But for 40 years American Christians have been going the wrong way.