My Fair Share?!!!

Got the notice about the imminent arrival of the Census forms in the mail yesterday. While just getting our own mail is often a wonder in our eyes, the wording of the notice was all too elitist and sadly a very familiar refrain of the big government believers and bureaucrats. If they want us and our community to get our fair share, they should just let us keep what we make. It's that simple!

The Census should have the following questions:

1) How many US citizens live in this residence?

That's it.

Government produces nothing and can therefore only distribute what it forcibly takes from the people. Of course, it must first take a cut for itself...

Quidquid Latine dictum sit situm viditur

One of my favorite things to learn about is me.  Not from the standpoint of examining each cuticle or new gray hair, but more along the lines of why am I here, how did I get here, etc.
Dum vivimus servimus.

With that in mind, being a Christian with a love of science can be a difficult thing these days.  On one hand you have people telling you we are products of a vast number of coincidences, in contrast to the Biblical writings that tell us we all made in the image and likeness of God.  Who are you going to believe?  Especially when we are told that the scientific community is basing the discussion on scientific facts and the religious community is only about proselytizing? 
Audiatur et altera pars.

Well, in my humble opinion, the real issue in this, as well as many other topics, is who controls the terms of the debate.  While there may be supporting science for both sides of a discussion, the side that controls the terms used and has a larger voice in the forum is usually considered right.  At the very least, they tend to get more votes...
Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor.

Specifically, in the Creationism/Intelligent Design vs. Big Bang/Evolution Theory debate, the anti-Biblical, we-don't-know-about-this-God-thing people (see how I spun that) happen to control the forum and the terms of the discussion.  And, because they have controlled the secondary and post-secondary education realm for the last century or so, they have shaped the minds of the next generation.  Guess what they chose to emphasize? :O
Discipuli nostrum bardissimi sunt.

This in turn, has meant that, whenever possible, any new discovery in practically any field of science has been spun to be an integral part of their side of the argument.  If it could not be made to fit their current ideology, it was hidden or dismissed as an anomaly or used to shape a new branch in their school of thought.
Condemnant quod non intellegunt.

Take for instance the aspect of the Earth's age: evidence regarding the regular decay of the electromagnetic field strength, lunar dust accumulation, polonium radio halos in granite, and atmospheric helium-4 levels would lead to extrapolating a sub-10000 year age for the Earth thereby obliterating the macroevolutionist argument.
Veritas omnia vincit.

So, conveniently, these and other incompatible items are not taught to science students by the accidental-existence intelligensia.  Instead, they will point at the gradation of organisms in systematics; the biogeographical distribution of the species; the existence of homologous and vestigial structures as viewed in anatomy, embyology, and molecular biology; and the presence of transitional forms and gradual sequences in the fossil record.  Oddly enough, these all are observances that rely on a worldview propagated in the most part by them; in other words they are inconclusive in and of themselves.
Circulus vitiosus!

I'll pause here for tonight because I have other papers to write.  I'll revisit this topic in the future because it eventually gets to the part of who I am and why I am here.
Disce quasi semper victurus vive quasi cras moriturus!

Dei Gratia, Deo gratias!

Look around and reach out

Decades ago, I used to listen to some raunchy groups - DKs, DM, et al.  These were never my "all time favorite" bands but they had some songs that appealed to my raucous, uninformed youth.  Most were nonsensical, crude, derogatory and just plain noisy.  Nowadays, they don't appeal to me except in a nostalgia for days gone by and a hope to fix things that I broke way back then.

More recently, the songs of my favorite bands/musicians tell me stories of real love, hope, and reverie - for the most part anyway.  Then there are those that appeal solely to my sense of humor and fun.  In any case, the lyrics are most important to me because I want to know what the artist is trying to convey.  (As an aside, they are not all slower than the songs of my youth.  The "old bear" still rocks out...)

The reason I bring up this change in tastes is twofold: as a reminder to my peers and elders that we are not now as we once were & as a caution to my younger friends that you still have changes to undergo.  Too often, the schisms in our world occur because experience forgets it own youth and the idealism it sought to bring to the world.  Then that aloofness is coupled with the impatience of the young to walk and talk with the wise, hopefully learning from them.

Generalizations about older people being wise and young people being impatient are just that - generalizations.  I know plenty on both sides that are exceptions to that rule, myself included.  Age does not necessarily bring wisdom and some youth are possessive of far greater virtue than their elders.

But if our communities don't communicate with each other (note the common root), discuss our history and work for a better tomorrow, the only thing that will change is that the divide will widen.  The cycle of mistrust and misunderstanding will continue until something drastic happens.

Bridging the gap in any relationship requires us to risk rejection, invest some time and persist in the reaching.  God only knows what improvements we can channel if we will listen and live beyond ourselves.

What does your friend look like?

Do they listen to all your hardships/whining/complaining without trying to steer you one way or the other?  Do they stoop and fetch for you and never ask you to do the same?  Do they function as your punching bag or insult target and never make the slightest effort to avoid your slander or abuse?

Some people do these things from an attitude of fear.  They don't know if anyone else will accept them, will want to be around them.  They may be looking for friend and getting only companionship.  They don't run away because they're not sure anyone will come after them.

Some people do these things from a feeling of despair.  They are beyond fear and feel unlovable; in some cases, the abuse they received is mistaken for love.  The attention they get is painful but not as painful as the silence on being alone.

Some people do these things out of love.  They will smile and tell you that you are still OK to them.  They will tell you that it's no bother.  They will tell you that it's not as bad as it looks or they didn't take it that way.  They will mask pain, disappointment, and suffering in hope that you will see what love can endure.

Love, unlike a friend, lasts forever; true friends will last a lifetime but only love is eternal.  Friends may never say "I love you"; friends will model love with their lives.  Because of love, friends don't seek superiority or advantage or intimidation over their friends; friends nurture, refresh, and encourage each other.

Friends can exemplify love, but it's up to us to recognize the love, accept the love, internalize the love.  Most importantly, friends are Jesus to one another.  Jesus was the epitome of love; He is love personified.  Jesus constantly reached out to those in need of healing, instruction, and forgiveness - even to the man who ordered His death.

Who has He sent to represent Himself to you?  Will you receive them?  Will you show Jesus to someone else?

Tilting at windmills...

I almost called this blog something else, but then thought better of it.  Not that this is important in any way shape or form to the remainder of the content of this blog, but I guess I've brought it up to try to illustrate a point.

I sat through a class today that didn't appeal to me, however I tried to participate in a meaningful way.  You may know what I'm talking about: the kind of class that has lots of truth to it, but then there's that 1-15 percent that is seemingly totally foreign to any conceptions of the truth with which you may be familiar.

When faced with that "Am I the only one here who realizes how wack this stuff is?" feeling, what do you do?  I feel as though I'm being attacked by people calling themselves the knights of truth, thinking that they look dashing in their suits of armor upon grand steeds, when all I see is the guy with the disused lance, old shield, and skinny horse.

In any case, I have resolved to make the best of things and esteem what I can from the class.  Not that I write the other part off completely; maybe it will make sense later in my life when I have more time to wax philosophical, having been freed from the "confining mores and judgemental perceptions" of my current paradigm.  (What can I say, I've read a lot of pscho-rational-double-babble-speak...)

Please pray for me...and for peace...and for justice...and for service...

Happy Birthday, Ron!

I have been blessed in my life to have a beautiful family, wonderful friends, and the opportunities to do things that others may never have.  I realize that and am immensely grateful to God because of His Divine Grace and Mercy!

As with most people, my acquaintances are numerous and my friends are a much smaller number by comparison.  I was fortunate tonight to share in a surprise birthday party for one of my favorite people in the world.  I know the world is a more wonderful place because his virtues are not hidden under a bushel basket.  His charity of time, effort and everything else he has is exemplary.

As I said tonight: " I have been blessed by the Master of All Good Scouts to know a good Scout."  

Happy Birthday, Ron!  And many more, I pray!

"Death Comes Unexpectedly!"

"Death comes unexpectedly."  Anybody who has seen the movie where Karl Malden's character yells that at the congregation probably knows that he wasn't preaching a funeral service or eulogizing anyone when he said it.  Nevertheless, this phrase comes to mind every time I attend a funeral.

Even in yesterday's case where the dearly departed was ill and bedridden for quite some time, the moment of the passing is practically never when we would prefer it (as if anyone would prefer a specific time for a loved one's demise) or even convenient (if such a word could ever be applied to such an occasion).  Biblically speaking though, I'm convinced that's what's intended.  We are not to know when our world will end so that we will practice eternal vigilance for our soul's sake.

While I know I'm not fully privy to the entirety of the Mind of God, I have it on good authority from the doctors and saints of the church that things are set that way for a reason.  This never knowing when the thief will come is a large reason we should live well according to the Father's Will.  Of course the primary reason is that we really, truly love God.

If you think about it, the unknown timing of our end frees us from the "housecleaning" mentality that is pervasive when we know guests are coming.  You know what I mean: "Uh-oh, the Bickersons are coming by and I still haven't cleaned the downstairs bathroom.  Their kids are incapable of finding the toilet with a GPS and spotlight!"  (Oddly enough, I actually had a discussion about that with some friends last night.)  If we keep our souls in good order, we have no need for a major housecleaning - maybe just restacking some books or light dusting, as it were.

Secondly, it should keep us from the "procrastination" modus operandi as well.  In this case, we know we have till next Wednesday to have our spiritual term paper ready, so we can wait till Tuesday night to start working on the outline.  And the weekend prior, we're gonna party like there's no tomorrow and there's no God.


"But Jack, aren't these really the same thing?" you might say... (If you did say that, are you all goosefleshy now?) I would posit that they are not the same  (Probably saw that coming.) The first scenario often leads to us being so heavenly minded that we're no earthly good.  We stay in a continual tizzy about the eventuality of dying that we never really live the mission that we are called to.  I'm not saying that we should be out there sinning and getting confessed to gain grace, but we should be out there, and if we, being human, are unable to keep from sin, the we should regularly get penitent and reconcile.  It's very cathartic.

In the latter case, we risk the sin of presumption. Simply put, presumption is the intention to take advantage of God's mercy by playing a game with the sacrament of penance and reconciliation after we have lived la vida pecador.  In this case, it's as if we are trying to fool God; however regretful we may seem at the time of our penance, the fact that we knowingly engaged in sinful activity without real remorse, and then would seek reconciliation presuming His forgiveness only really serves to separate us further from the Heart of Jesus.  In other words, He knows our heart and all its ways and you can't really expect  true forgiveness unless there is true repentance and a real willingness to make atonement.

Another danger of living this way is waiting too long, thereby dying in mortal separation from God due to some serious sin.  If that happens, the jig is up: you remain separated. There're no mulligans, do-overs, or u-turns. 

An equally bad situation awaits those who figure they can't know the end, don't think they can maintain a state of grace and eventually rationalize that they're shouldn't even try.  This despairing of the redemptive power of God is a rejection of His authority and Grace and often times leads to worship of other things and even suicide.  That rejection of God's gift yields the same separation mentioned in the previous paragraph - Hell.

Silly as it may seem, like the title character from the movie alluded to earlier, we can play the "Glad Game" when facing the tragedies that befall us and our loved ones.  In the case of death, it's a terribly difficult thing, especially for those close to us or those we believe pass too young.  Yet, when we reflect upon the goodness and light they spread to everyone they contacted, we should rejoice in the possibility of rejoining them with our Lord in the future. 

To that end we should all be praying fervently!