Think for yourself!

“Take the risk of thinking for yourself , much more happiness , truth, beauty, and wisdom will come to you that way ..” Christopher Hitchens

I do not understand why people today (worldwide) allow celebrities to dictate or even influence what they should believe, do, eat, wear and even who they should vote for. 

It was obvious the influence celebrities TRIED to have on the 2016 elections in the United States.  A lot of people allowed celebrities to influence their vote.  If you are a celebrity in the Philippines it is almost a guarantee you can win any political position you seek.  Your fame will outweigh your  need for the right qualifications nearly every time.

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask a celebrity, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly their opinions on life, and they are more than happy to give it to you freely.  I say this sarcastically.

I know I may seem a bit weird or a lot weird to some, but what celebrities think or say have never made me feel happy, content, hopeful, encouraged, or confident.  No I do not know the name of the MOVIE STAR in the latest movies I have seen and do not care to know.  All I care is did I like the movie or not. 

I do not care what these people think, none of whom I know personally, and all of whom live in a world that is so far out of my reach that we have remarkably little in common. If I and one of their domestic staff met in church or any public place I  would have more in common with their staff member than I would the celebrity.

The same is true of CELEBRITY preachers today.  I am not impressed or focusing  on the prophets and teachers and evangelists that millions of Christians come to follow, and worship, as being wiser, more righteous, and blessed than the rest of us.  I have actually have had people tell me, “They’re rich and well-known so that must be a sure sign of God’s favor.”  No, they just  have a charismatic personality and would be good at selling anything and they would make good con artist.  It could have come from the devil or God.  I have always believed this, but recently when Bishop Jake of Potter House in Dallas, Texas said in an interview that “SELLING Jesus is not all that difficult because it is a GOOD PRODUCT and when presented correctly it will SELL ITSELF.”  I take that to mean hurting and desperate people will fall for a line of hope every time if you are charismatic and have sales abilities.

When the Great Christians Leaders give their opinions on homosexuality, people listen, nod their heads, and say, “Prophet Pulpit said it, so it must be right.” When they promote boycotting a store, the believers do it because their Prophet Pulpit is always right.  After all who am I to question Prophet's? When sensible preachers meet with ecumenical leaders to share in a prayer service, some Christians wring their hands, wondering, “Why do they  do this? Pastor Pulpit said it was wrong. Do they not know that Catholics and Evangelical Protestants differ on fundamental issues? and that Jewish people and Christians differ on a REALLY major issue?

The followers of celebrity Christians do not have enough faith in God or confidence in himself to seek wisdom, considering themselves spiritually unqualified to process the tough issues facing people who live in the world today, after all that is what they have been told from the pulpit by these celebrity preachers.  They think if they do not listen to the celebrity preachers and priest they only have mass-media to give them direction in the 21st century.   What about the HOLY SPIRIT, PRAYER, the brain God gave them and their own personal experiences.

God did not call us to be robots of celebrities.   The world is filled, and has always been filled, and will always be filled with difficult issues — difficult because they involve people — and no smart little saying on television, Tweet, or email from any CELEBRITY is going to solve the world’s problems and we certainly should not allow them to think for us.  Some allow others to think for them because they are lazy and it is the easy way to avoid responsibilities.  Simply put not everyone wants to be wise. We actually have to work at becoming wise.

People need wisdom, and wisdom — unlike money, power, celebrity status, and fame is not out of reach of ordinary people. Wisdom is available for the asking, if we only would ask.  You do not have to be a genius to have wisdom.  I know lots of people with extremely high I.Q.’s that lack in wisdom (common sense) and others with little to no formal education that are VERY wise.  Wisdom and understanding are not something you purchase with tuition and class fees, it is a daily, lifelong process of growth.

I have a friend that constantly puts himself down because he looks for the possible negatives in relationships, decisions in general and especially business deals.  I think that is wise.  It means to me he is dealing with reality.  It does not mean he is ignoring the positives, it is only means he is trying to prepare or prevent the negatives.  Being a “happy go lucky” person is not wisdom.  Wisdom means being able to bear the good and the bad in mind simultaneously.

Proverbs 3:13 says, "Happy is the man (or woman) who finds wisdom and the man (or woman) who gets understanding." Proverbs 24:13–14 says, "My son (daughter), eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off." Proverbs 16:16, "To get wisdom is better than gold; to get understanding is to be chosen over silver." It is a matter of life and death.  The ultimate, eternal happiness that all people long for will only be found by those who first "get wisdom."

Wise people do not let others do their thinking and make their decision.  They listen to all advice and then seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and make their own decision.  

What do you believe and why?

What are some of your most deeply held beliefs or convictions? Why do you believe them? For most of us, our parents played a key role in shaping our beliefs.  Many of our beliefs have been shaped by personal experiences, teachers, peers, society, ministers and traditions.  They are not our original beliefs, but someone else’s.

What we believe matters.   What we believe can lead us down a path that leads to good or bad, success or failure, safety or danger, happiness or sadness, humility or pride and even love or hate.   One set of convictions or beliefs shapes those  that belong to the Ku Klux Klan or The Black Panthers or ISIS and another set of beliefs shapes those that belong to charitable organizations, support groups, community service that benefits all, etc.  What we believe really does matter.

From the earliest times Christians made attempts to summarize their essential beliefs the Apostle’s Creed is an example of that.  I know of no church organization that does not have a statement of beliefs and I know of no fraternal organization that does not have a statement of beliefs.  Beliefs matter!  They define our values, morals and relationships.  They shape our goals, ambitions, hopes, and dreams.  It is important we know what we believe in and be able to defends those beliefs.

Unfortunately we can be so rigid in our beliefs and convictions that we cannot listen to those with different beliefs or convictions.  This is especially true in the religious world.  Regardless of what we believe about God, humanity or our world, we will lack certainty and that lack of certainty should lead us to humility in our convictions and in our interactions with those who disagree with us.  How can anyone prove beyond a shadow of doubt  what they believe is absolute truth and that there is no other way?

I learned long ago that what I believed was sometimes flawed and not only hurt me it hurt others.  This is not going to set well with many, but there was a time that I believed if you did not accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you COULD NOT go to heaven.   Pastor Joel Olsten is criticized by many in the religious community because he will not state point blank that your destiny is hell if you do not accept Jesus Christ.  I am not God and God has inspired men in scripture to write, “My ways or not your ways”, I am not to judge, but leave that to Him, that He can do anything He pleases and does not need our permission. 

I once believe that abortion was an unforgivable sin.  I once believed people that divorced and remarried without jumping through the church's legal loops to get an annulment could not partake of the sacraments.  I once believed if you were not baptized you could not go to heaven and that babies who died before being baptized were in LIMBO.  I once believed in purgatory.  I once believed priest had a special power to represent God when it came to forgiving yours sins.  I once believed we needed to sacrifice Christ over and over again at every mass as if the one sacrifice on the cross was not enough.  I now do not believe any of those things.  Not only did I sincerely believe those things I taught them to others.  I believed them because that is what my parents believed and my church believed.  I did not know any different and did not think I had the right to question them.

What we believe has a significant impact on our lives.  Our beliefs influence who we marry , the career we choose, the way we see right and wrong, how we see our parent and our children, what we do with our time and money, and how we face adversity.  Those beliefs lead us to say no to many things we may have said yes to and yes to things we might otherwise have said no to.

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”  I believe Christians must believe there is a God, a Supreme Being, that created the universe.  How God created it may be open for debate, but it is essential that a Christian believe that God did create all things.  I believe Christians must perceive God not simply as a force of nature, but as an entity, a Being, that is both intelligent and powerful.

Men like Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, and Galileo, who, despite the church’s blunder in criticizing their conclusions, continued to maintain their faith in God.  I do think science and faith are compatible.  I also believe these men were far more intelligent than me.  There are some scientist that do not believe in God, but there is just as many that do.

 Jesus Christ is our defining story.  Jesus demonstrates who God is, what God is like, and what God’s will is for our lives. His life and ministry, His death and resurrection shape how we see ourselves and how we see the world.  Jesus Christ provides us with a different perspective on life.  Christians believe we were born with purpose, our lives have meaning and when our mortal body is finished, we’ve only just begun to live. 

Richard Dawkins (who I believe to be evil) once wrote, “We are survival machines—robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes.” But faith in Jesus says that we were made for more than this.  In fact, the pain and brokenness in our world are largely the result of our living as “robot vehicles” blindly focused on serving the self.  Jesus calls us to be authentically human, to love, give, serve, and rise above our selfish genes.  As we do so we not only make the world a more just and compassionate place; we find joy in the process.  I pity Richard Dawkins and I am willing to show him mercy because of his broken body that may influence his beliefs.  Regardless of what Richard Dawkins says about Jesus Christ or what anyone else may say I know Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for over 2000 years and I doubt that Richard Dawkins will be.   

When God sought to communicate His love for us, he sent Jesus. It was in His Son that God’s message came to us and became our defining story. Through Jesus, God was saying: You matter to me and I love you.  In Jesus, God showed that He cares about those who are lost and those who are made to feel unimportant.  He showed us compassion for the sick.  He showed us how to love, to forgive, to give, to serve.  In Jesus’ death on the cross God showed us the depth of His love and the price of grace. And in Jesus’ resurrection, God defeated our evil, hate, sin, and death! 

My church has put so much emphasis on Mother Mary that our people know little about the Holy Spirit.  Many Christians in our church haven’t been taught about the Spirit, nor encouraged to seek the Spirit’s work in their lives. As a result, their spiritual lives are a bit anemic and they are trying to live the Christian life on their own power and wisdom.  That is impossible!

What are the voices you listen to, and what are the powers that shape your life?  I find there are voices in my own life that would lead me to give in to hate, indifference, desire, pride, infidelity, selfishness, or greed. But when we listen to the voice of the Spirit and open ourselves to the Spirit’s active work in our lives, we find that we are led to a very different place and to become very different people.

The Spirit convicts us and quickens our conscience when we’re doing wrong. The Spirit, through persistent nudges, urges us to act selflessly in our care for others. The Spirit makes us long to be more than we are at the present and to become more like the people God intended us to be.  in Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  The Holy Spirit gives us these gifts and no where in the Bible does it say Mother Mary does. 

How different is this fruit than the fruit of our own hearts, and the culture around us.

The “Holy” and catholic (universal/unity) church.”  When many people view the church today, it looks neither holy nor catholic. It seems filled with hypocrites and judgmental people; in fact, this is one reason why many have turned away from “organized religion” and why so many young adults today say that they are “spiritual but not religious.”  Interestingly, these same young people have great admiration for Jesus, but far less admiration for His people, the church. They see neither holiness nor catholicity (unity) when they look at the most vocal Christians and the most outspoken churches today. 

The word holy in the biblical context means belonging to God, or “sacred to” God or “set apart for” God. You’ve likely heard it said that the church is not a country club for perfect people, but instead a hospital for broken and sinful people who are slowly being made well. We need to make sure the non-churched understand that we know that and stop pretending we are bunch of perfect people.  The church does not belong to us it belongs to God.  The next time you try and tell someone they are sitting in your seat at church remember that. The church is holy when we love Christ and seeks to be faithful to Him.  The church is holy when we are not attacking one another for interpreting a scripture differently. 

Christ tried to forestall the divisions among His followers by telling His disciples not to judge one another, and to love one another and forgive one another. Nevertheless, the church divided and continues to divide to this day.   Our belief in the holy, catholic church (universal/unity) is an ecumenical belief that all who call upon the name of Christ and seek to follow Him as Savior and Lord are, despite their denominational or nondenominational names, part of one universal church.  The Roman Catholic Church is a part of that one universal church, and so is the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, nondenominational churches, and all the rest.  What right do you have to say Catholics are not CHRISTIANS?  Does it make you feel more important than Catholics, more loved by God?  PRIDE!

I still believe in the importance of the church, but unfortunately at the moment I find that I cannot attend and that certainly has affected my life in a negative way.  I pray one day before I die I will be able to find a church that I can return to and feel at home.  I have not stopped looking.  People need to be able to express differences of opinion within the church and be respected and loved.  I knew that once in a church in Galveston, Texas and I will never forget it. 

Democrats/Liberals it is not the end of the world!

One of my good friends, a lifelong Democrat has texted me several times since the election asking if I still thought it was going to be alright.  I think he expresses the fears of many in our country after a stunning upset victory by Donald Trump, a victory that surprised even many of his own supporters.  I was and still am a supporter of President Donald Trump, although I did tell my friend a few days prior to the election that I really did not think he had a chance to win.

Forty-eight percent of voters are happy with the results of the election.  Many felt disenfranchised, fearful or frustrated over the last eight years.  Many, like me, felt we have been headed in the wrong direction as a nation for a long time.  To us this election brings the hope that Donald Trump can in fact, “make America great again.”

The other half of our country are still confused, disappointed, angry or hurt.   I realize many women are disappointed.  I am all for a woman to become President, but I want the right woman and I definitely do not believe Hillary Clinton was the right woman. 

There were many, like my friend, who saw the last eight years as a time of positive change and of course they are disappointed.  This is where the divide came between conservatives and liberals. Regardless of the number of times Hannity on Fox News reported all the negatives of the Obama Administration the Liberals did not and will not ever get it. The celebrities will continue to ridicule our elected President instead of getting behind him in an attempt to improve our country.  They are full of criticism and offer no solutions and I understand why.  The Democratic Party has always solicited the support of celebrities and put them on a pedestal while in office.  It has always seem to me that Republicans in general are more willing to live in the real world than a fantasy world.  That is why I left the Democrat Party during the Nixon campaign.

The pundits and politicians will continue to analyze the election results and the Trump Administration, seeking to tell us what they mean in the hours, days and years ahead.  But the questions for me are, Where do we go from here?  How does our nation come together?  And, to my friend’s point, Will it be okay?  It will be okay only if the media returns to journalism and presenting facts instead of personal opinions and the celebrities go back to being overpaid entertainers and stop attempting to be pseudo politicians.

I think it will be okay.  I liked Donald Trump’s acceptance speech and the spirit it conveyed; a lofty vision, a humility, a willingness to work together and a desire to represent all Americans.  I also appreciated Hillary Clinton’s concession speech, which was moving and which reflected, despite the disappointment and pain of loss, a hopefulness and confidence in America’s future.

I am willing to give President Trump a chance and unlike my friend I am not expressing disappointment that he has not performed miracles in less than a month.  Those opposing President Trump were willing to give Obama four more years to correct all his mistakes, but are not willing to give President Trump even his first one hundred days before condemning him.

It will be okay because we live in a democracy whose founding fathers wisely created a system of checks and balances in government that are meant to spread power across the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Presidents do not rule by decree, although some like Obama try, the majority seek to lead and influence, and if they are ineffective, they and their party are voted out.  It’s a good system that has served us well for more than two centuries.

It will be okay because, despite his shortcomings and unsettling rhetoric, Donald Trump has strengths that he brings to the presidency.  Strengths that to my knowledge NO president has ever brought to that office in our past.  We need to always remember no candidates are as bad as their opponents paint them, nor as good as they believe themselves to be.  I do believe President Trumps strengths in negotiating deals will serve him well in Washington and perhaps help find win-win solutions to challenging issues we face.

I believe it will be okay because my hope and faith has never been primarily in politicians and political parties, but in Jesus Christ.  You may think that is naïve, but I think it is far more naïve to listen and put faith in the bias media and the celebrities.

I personally am praying today for Donald Trump and his team. I pray that God will enable them, and prepare them and guide them as they prepare to lead our country.  Finally, I’m praying that we as Christians can be instrumental in bringing healing to the divisions in our country today, rather than making the divisions even wider.  We have a mandate to forgive, to love, and also to “speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves” and “to do justice, and practice loving kindness and walk humbly with God.”  This is a personal opinion I will give all for FREE - many including Christians have become to judgemental of others and have come to believe they have all the answers.

There are challenges and opportunities ahead of us.  But, the sooner we come together as Americans to face the challenges, to seize upon the opportunities and together, find a way to help our country live up to its potential the better it will be for us all. 

I honestly believe by 2018 we will experience the worse recession we have ever had since the Great Depression.  I pray not, but the wrong path has been traveled too long for any correction to be made to prevent it in just one year.  It is more important now than ever that we work together as one people and one nation seeking God’s guidance. 

Random Thoughts - Christmas

Well it is about time for all of us Christian to celebrate another pagan holiday. I have no problem celebrating Christ birthday, but if we are going to do so then why not do it at a more appropriate time.

Most people know that Christ was not born in December.  It snows in the mountains of Israel in December and no Shepherd would be carrying his sheep to the fields to graze.

There was a priest named Augustine, not Saint Augustine. He was sent on a mission trip and had tried to get Catholic Christians to stop celebrating the pagan holiday that came around December 25th.  He contacted Pope Gregory and said no matter how hard I try I cannot stop them from celebrating the pagan holiday. Pope Gregory replied basically, "If you cannot beat them then join them".

Guess what? A Christian holiday came to be at the same time as the pagan holiday and it was Christ-Mass (get it) Christmas. Now the Christians could celebrate the pagan holiday and it would be a Christian holiday. I am sure they thought they had it all figured out.

The Christmas tree is a carry over from the pagan holiday. They would cut down a large tree and burn the stump and have a bond fire.  The office party is a carry over from the pagan holiday. The people could drink alcohol during that time as much as they wanted. The mistletoe and holly is a carry over from the pagan holiday. During the  time of that pagan holiday they were allowed to have casual sex.

I first really became annoyed about how we celebrate Christmas when I moved to Davao, Philippine. On Christmas morning a priest and some altar boys came carrying a cross and crib with the baby Jesus in it (DOLL). I went to the gate and one of the young boys lifted the baby Jesus (DOLL) out of the crib so delicately and put it right in front of me. He said, "Father, you can kiss baby Jesus and you will be bless next year."  I gave them the donation they came for, but I did not kiss a DOLL!

The Catholic Church teaches against superstition, but out of cultural tradition it is allowed even if it goes against the Bible. Jesus Christ is no longer a baby He was 33 years old when He was crucified. I do not dress up like a baby on my birthday and I doubt if you do. No one pretends I am a baby on my birthday.  Many homes and businesses in the Philippines has statues of they baby Jesus in them and often have a candle burning by it. Folks that is not Jesus in 2016.

The nativity scene we Christians have is not even accurate according to scripture.

By the way the doll they brought to my house on Christmas morning had BLUE eyes and pale, pale skin that is not how Jesus would have looked - He was a Jew.


I have no objection to celebrating a holiday on December 25th. If families want to gather, have a meal, pray, and exchange gifts that is fine with me. I enjoy it myself. But, I think it is time we take CHRIST out of a pagan holiday that has been commercialized.

Random Thoughts - Generosity, Judging, Guilt

Are we generous people? I am not talking about random acts of giving (Salvation Army Christmas Kettle) or giving when you are motivated by someone or a particular cause. That is okay, but I am talking about having a generous heart.

Truly generous people do not give out of guilt.

If you do not give because you are afraid you will need it later you are not a generous giver.

Generosity is not a natural trait. It has to be learned. Children have to be taught to share.

Giving is a cultural thing in the United States because of Christianity.

Generous people are not emotional givers. They plan ahead how much they can give and who they will give it to.

Generous people do not give based on present cash flow.

Generous giving is not about how much you give. I use to get upset when people would talk about how generous Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey are. She has four or five mansions and he has a trust fund setup for his kid worth millions of dollars. What do you have? You may be more generous than either of them.

Generosity is not how many zeroes are at the end of your check it is about sacrifice and giving from the heart. It is not giving for a tax deduction. It is not giving for publicity.

I will give one example to demonstrate generosity. I once new an elderly lady we called Ms Honey. She gave $20 every week to help with our food ministry. She lived on a fixed government check. That $20 would be more generous than what Bill Gates or Ms Winfrey gives.

Truly happy people are generous givers. It is true more joy comes from giving than receiving. Try it and see.
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Have you ever thought "Thank God I am not like them". If you have (and I have) you are a hypocrite. A "holier than them" attitude is not what Christians are suppose to have.

Judging others pushes people away from Christ not to Christ. As Christians we are called to not be self righteous. We condemn ourselves when we judge others.

We should put away our magnifying glass when looking at others.

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We only feel guilty when we care. If we do not care about others we do not feel guilty.

Remember we are not what we did. We have all done things we regretted. But that does not mean we are a bad person.

If we want to stop feeling guilty we have to own what we did (admit it) and stop making excuses for doing it.

Sometimes to fix our wrong all we need do is say "I am sorry".

Our future is not necessarily limited by our past mistakes.

Sometimes we stay angry far too long because of our pride. We need to humble our self and say these three words "I am sorry" and most of the time the anger will leave.

Stop trying to live others life's - live your own!

Today I am going to just ramble or vent a bit. I hope you will excuse me for doing so. Last night I met with a child of a friend at their request to talk to her about her attitude. During the conversation I said, "Why is it your teacher gives you a glowing report. She says you are the best student in your grade in the entire school and you are the most respectful child she has ever met. She claims she can only describe you as excellent - perfect", but that is not how your parents describe you.

She replied, "I am not the same at school as I am at home".  The first time I met this child several years ago I told her uncle they are going to have problems with her. She is "intelligent" and she knows it. The things they believe is cute now is not going to be cute in a few years. Well my prophesy was correct.

At home she wants to do things when she wants to do them and not when she is told to do them. If you cross her she yells and walks off.  You get the "whatever" with the hand in the air pointed towards you. If you try and talk to her she plays the I 'am sorry bit' and cries to make THEM feel sorry for her. She has the technique of getting and doing what she wants down pat. She has no problems calling cousins and siblings stupid because they do not excel in school as she does.

I ask her, "Why are you not the same at school as at home? Why are you not the same everywhere? Are you telling me that sometimes you are a phony - fake? Her reply was, "I do not know why I am different at school".

During my 3 a.m. prayer session it hit me like a ton of bricks - Tom why are you not the same everywhere with everyone?

My answer was - I was taught that I am to meet the expectations of those I am accountable to. That is a lesson I wish I had not learned so well. It has at times made my life miserable. I really did not want to be the best at everything I tried. I wanted to do MY best, but not try to be better than everyone else. I did not want to compete. I wanted to be good, fair, just, humble, faithful and loyal, but I personally did not have a need to be perfect all the time and I wasn't no matter how hard I tried.

Many in my family tried to live their life through me. I was the only one to go to college even up to today. I was the only minister. I was the only business owner, except for two uncles and grandfather. I was certainly the only one to graduate cum laud. All I wanted was to be was a minister from age six.

I was told in the seminary (cemetery) that a good minister has to appear to have all the answers. After all that is why they pay you and come to you for advice. I felt inadequate because I did not and do not have all the answers and it took me about ten years to realize I could just tell the people "I do not know". That was hard because I personally felt I had failed them. The authority figures in my life had told me I would be a failure if people thought I did not know it all.

Then came the time when I began not to agree with everything the hierarchy of my denomination handed down for us to teach. Do I tell the people I do not  believe abortion is an unforgivable sin and if it is forgiven the bishop must forgive it? Do I tell them I believe that having children they cannot afford is a bigger sin than using artificial birth control? Do I tell them Christ was not born in the month of December? Do I tell them the Shepherds did not arrive when Christ was a baby in a manger? Do I tell them that infant baptism is a ritual and it is okay, but I really believe it is best to wait until the children can acknowledge their own baptism? Do I tell them that I do not believe once saved always saved? Do I tell them I thing the Church is wrong to deny Communion to divorced and remarried couples or gay and lesbian couples? Will I be honest with myself or meet the expectations others place on me. Eventually, I began to preference things that I really did not support with - "THIS IS WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES" and people in my parish knew that I did not whole heartily agree and then I would say other Christians believe -----.

Oh believe me when I say, it caused a lot of flack for me by some, but the majority supported me and did not want me to change. They were looking for truth and wanted to have the opportunity to pray, study and reason what was the truth. I would say the majority of Christians want to be TOLD what to believe.

Back to the beginning why have I spent my life trying to please others? All I really ever wanted was to please is God and myself. Why do I have to guard what I say so others will not be offended? What right do they have to impose their beliefs on me or what right do I have to impose my beliefs on them?

I sympathize with the gay and lesbian community. Their sexuality is between them and God as long as they obey the laws of the land (and lot of laws need to be changed) and they do not physically or emotional hurt others that is between them and God. What right do I have to judge them?

I do not want to anyone come back and say their actions emotionally offend me because it goes against what I believe God said - you should not be so emotionally weak. You can hold to your beliefs and let others do the same if you are really as faithful as you say you are.

I think a lot of Christians today have confused following God with trying to be God.

I am now getting nearer 80 every week and I frankly no longer care what others think of me and my beliefs if I feel I am right with God. I do not have to conform to anyone else belief system.  You have no right to judge me and I have no right to judge you. I can forgive the offences you did to me, but I cannot forgive the offences you did to others.  Only God and the ones you harmed can do that. By the way no other priest, bishops, cardinal or pope can forgive your sins either.

So in closing, I frankly do not care what you think of my of my political, personal or religious beliefs! I just want to be who God created me to be and please Him.

If you are allowing others to live their life through you or put demands on you to meet their expectations of what you should be or do my advise to you is make your own decisions and make yourself happy.

I just typed and did not worry about grammar or spelling or anything else. Please forgive me and do not nick-pick me. I actually have stupid people come back and say, "You were never a priest you misspell this or that or your grammar is terrible and you do not know where a comma, period or question mark belongs".  Hate to tell you priest are not perfect and they have the same bodily functions you do.  

Be careful insulting the United States - things change with time!

I do not think Putin has any grand scheme to confront America. I believe Putin’s policies have been aimed at boosting his personal image at home and Russia’s international standing abroad to deflect attention from the country’s grave and growing economic woes. In my humble opinion there is no ‘Cold War’ with the United States looming in the back of Putin’s mind. Third World leaders that think they can get even or insult the United States by playing up to Russia/Putin or even China are going to find themselves in a quandary.

Russian President Putin has criticized western nations for straying from their Christian roots. Putin’s statement, made during his state of the nation address this past December, contends that America has become a “Godless” nation.  What Putin actually said was: “Many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, including Christian values.  Policies are being pursued that place on the same level a same-sex partnership, a faith in God and a belief in Satan.  This is the path to degradation.”  This is quite a statement coming from a former KGB officer who faithfully served a nation that executed more than 200,000 clergy in the years between 1917 and 1937. But, what if he really believes what he is said to be true? My mother always told me even a broken clock is right two times a day. Many of Putin’s policies are more in line with Christian conservatives than with the liberal Democrat Party ideology or our adopted political correctness.

When Putin claims that religious conservatism represents the only way to prevent the world from slipping into “chaotic darkness” he is echoing the messages of thousands of pastors in American churches every Sunday morning, pastors who are concerned about our country doing precisely what Putin said it is doing: slipping into “chaotic darkness.”

Christians in the United States should ask themselves have liberals conspired with left wing academics to rewrite American history so that the Christian principals upon which the United States of America was founded have been expunged from the record and replaced by anti-Christian, anti-American tripe that focuses solely on our nation’s warts and blemishes?  American students today spend 12 years learning why they should be embarrassed by and ashamed of our country?

Christians in the United States should ask themselves have liberals become more tolerant of every religion in America except Christianity?  Is it not true that government and media tend to give Islam, Hinduism, moral relativism, and other religions a pass while they would like Christianity not to be mentioned and some would prefer it not to be tolerated?

Christians in the United States should ask themselves have we allowed liberals to conspire to transform public education in America into 12 years of left wing indoctrination that belittles and scorns Christians as Puritanical bigots while praising secular humanism?

Liberals have been successful in bringing about exactly what President Putin said has happened in the United States.  I don’t like the messenger, but I must admit the message is accurate.

I stated earlier that  Third World Leaders that find it amusing to bash the United States may find themselves in a quandary is a direct reference to this remark made by President Duterte, “"America has lost now. I've realigned myself in your ideological flow," he told business leaders in Beijing on Thursday. "And maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way." China, Russia and the United States do not want to be at odds with each other when it might lead to war. I believe President Duterte will find himself and the Philippines standing alone against the world. These three major powers China, Russia and the United States know there is nothing for any of them to gain if they go to war against one another. It would be suicide.

The outlook in the Philippines is murky; lots of Filipino officials are as appalled by their president’s remarks as anybody. But what isn’t murky at all is that President Obama’s faltering foreign policy has taken another serious hit. It is hard to think of another American president whose foreign policy initiatives failed as badly or as widely as Obama’s. The reconciliation with the Sunni world? The reset with Russia? Stabilizing the Middle East by tilting toward Iran? The Libya invasion? The Syria abstention? The ‘pivot to Asia’ was supposed to be the centerpiece of Obama’s global strategy; instead the waning months of the Obama administration have seen an important U.S. ally pivot toward China in the most public and humiliating way possible.

Obama’s efforts to balance a commitment to human rights and the niceties of American liberal ideology have made the world less safe for both human rights and for American security. As Russia, China, and Iran gain ground, foreign leaders feel less and less need to pay attention to American sermons about human rights and the rule of law.

Death squads and extra-judicial executions on a large scale: the Americans will lecture you but China will say nothing and still be your friend. The Russians will not only supply you the weapons they will help you bomb weaker nations if it will advance Russia. They will even help you bomb your own people if they disagree with the leader as they did in Syria.  Obama’s foreign policy is making the world safer for people who despise and trample on the very values that the United States once stood for. His lack of strategic insight and his inability to grasp the dynamics of world power politics have opened the door to a new generation of authoritarian figures in alliance with hostile powers.

Now in the final days of Obama’s presidency, Russia, Iran, and China are all stepping up their game. Putin has been humiliating and outfoxing Obama at one end of Eurasia; Iran has gone from routing Obama at the bargaining table to enabling its proxies in Yemen to fire on American ships. Xi now has a triumph of his own, with one of America’s oldest Asian allies insulting Obama at official events. Clearly, America’s opponents (and some of our allies) have reached the conclusion that this particular American administration is unable or unwilling to respond forcefully to provocations. But, Obama’s Administration is coming to an end and if not the next President soon a President will take office that will not allow the United States to be pushed around and that is when many Third World Countries will find themselves in a quandary.

I am a staunch Republican, I do not like Hillary Clinton regardless of the party she belongs to, but I sincerely believe Secretary Clinton is well aware of just how damaging the Filipino defection is in Asia; she helped develop the Obama administration’s Asia strategy and she knows that China’s challenge has just grown much more dangerous. She knows what a wreck the Middle East has become, and she is well aware that Obama will hand her a region that is in much worse shape than it was when Obama took office. She knows how Putin made a patsy and a laughingstock of Obama around the world, and she knows that Obama’s efforts to stabilize the Middle East by conciliating Iran have had just the opposite effect. She knows that even as Donald Trump’s poorly led, poorly conceived electoral campaign weakens, America’s enemies abroad are using every day of Obama’s tenure in office to weaken the foundations of America’s power around the world.

Should Secretary Clinton make it to the White House, her first and biggest job will be to stop and then reverse the deterioration in America’s global position that her predecessor permitted. She will have to convince both friends and foes that the President of the United States is no longer a punching bag, and that the United States of America is back on the stage. She will need, and she will deserve, the support of patriotic Americans in both political parties as she undertakes this necessary mission. President Obama’s mismanagement of foreign affairs is creating a genuine international emergency; the White House and Congress will have to work together to restore American prestige and stop the slide toward chaos and war.

The goal of all American’s now must be restore America’s prestige after eight embarrassing years!

They will know you are Christians by your LOVE!

I am a news junkie and it is hard for me not to listen and read the news daily. I also like the social media because I want to know what others are thinking. But, it is  getting difficult for me to read and listen to so called Christians espousing their hate, bigotry and hypocrisy these days, especially on social media. Many proclaim homosexuals cannot be Christians, well I have news for them they themselves are not Christians. 

Christians were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26).  Christians at the time did not call themselves Christians. The term Christian was created by none Christians to define a group of people that followed Jesus’ teachings. It may have even been a term used in a derogatory manner.  The non-Christians (pagans and Jews) noticed how the people that followed Jesus acted. They saw that these “Christians” tried to mimic the life of Jesus.  The title “Christian” was given to the followers of Jesus it was not a term they chose for themselves. The term “Christian” actually meant “little Christ.”

The Christians in Antioch were not known for their hate, venom, being judgmental,  religious pride and good theology. Instead, They were known for acting and behaving like Jesus Christ. I no longer believe that is true for many Christians today.

And they will know you are my disciples by your: rules, traditions, rituals, theology, right wing power, rhetoric, purity, denominations, your condemnation of those you think are evil, and your disgust of those who do not believe as you do.  I do not think that is what John 13:35 says, at least that is not what it says in my Bible. “And they will know you are my disciples by your LOVE” (John 13:35).

If you do not have unconditional love for others they will never know that you are a Christian no matter what you say or do.

What name would non-believers give us “Christians” today? I hate to think of the words that would be used to describe us today, but I am sure it would not be “Christian” - Christ like or little Christ.

If you are truly a Christian you do not have to tell people that you are. They will know by the way you live your life. They know you are by your love of ALL of God’s creation. Where did this idea come from that Christians can use words that make people hate them and in doing so Christ is proud of them?

Telling your gay co-workers they are destine for hell, you are destroying our society, you are trying to convert our children to your way of life, God hates you, God cursed homosexuals with AIDS, God is punishing us with storms because people are beginning to accept your life as normal and the list goes on and on and on - does not win souls to Christ and I do not think it makes you a Christian or a better Christian. Some Christians actually believe telling gays that God hates them is standing up for Christ.

I do not know where you stand on homosexuality or gay marriage and I do not care, but I think the response God wants us to share with those that differ from us is to tell them “God loves you.”  The same is true of how we feel towards Muslims. We cannot hate ALL Muslims because of the actions of a few Radical Islamist Terrorist. A man posted on social media following Peter Theil’s speech at the Republican Convention, “I hope the queer dies before he gets home”. If that is not Radical Christian Terrorism what is? People words like that are RADICAL CHRISTIAN TERRORISM!

Love is the proper (and only) response to ALL people, no matter what they believe or do, if we are followers of Jesus. If you want to represent Jesus to people, don’t do it by hating or condemning them and don’t use the line about how you “Love the sinner, but hate the sin.

How many Christians that are espousing this hate have stopped to think about the fact that the only people who really hated Jesus were the religious people. Those who were condemned and judged by the religious people loved Jesus and were accepted by Him. Could it be possible if the world hates you, but religious people love you, you might not be following Jesus. I pray that never comes to be a reality.

God’s love is UNCONDITIONAL love and it is getting harder to find Christians that have UNCONDITIONAL love.  I am beginning to believe those who love unconditionally, but do not claim to follow Jesus are closer to the Kingdom of God than those who claim to follow Jesus but only have conditional love. If God is love then it only makes sense to me that love must define the character of a Christian or anyone that believes in the one true God.

I have stated many times on this blog it is not what you say, post on social media or how many Bible verses you memorize or how often you attend church, take communion or attend Bible studies that makes you a Christian. Christianity is a lifestyle you choose and try to live 24/7, 365 days a year.

I do not care if you call me a Christian or not, but I do care if you cannot see Christ in me, for if you do not, I have failed my God. I refuse to sit back and say nothing and pretend what some are doing in the name of God (Christians and Muslims) against those that do not believe as they do is okay and that God called them to do it or that they are representing Christ on earth.  

We are divided as a Country and as Christians.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”  Abraham Lincoln is most known for that quote, but actually Jesus Christ said if before Abraham Lincoln even thought of it.  

Our Nation is more divided today than I have ever seen it in my lifetime. It is worse than during the turmoil of the 60’s when Vietnam and Love-Ins were festering topics.

How are we divided well let us count the ways: 

We do not listen to one another any longer. If someone does not agree with us we question their motivation. Immediately anyone who does not agree with our religion or our politics or our views in general are judged stupid and evil. We are no longer willing to have reasonable discussions and reach a consensus on what we have in common and work from there.

There was a time when Republicans and Democrats had difference in opinions on how the country should be run. But, we did not hate one another and try to destroy one another. We had political differences and that was it – simple.  The elections came and went and the losers accepted their loss and we moved on as one supporting the elected candidates. What is ironic is there are far fewer differences in the two parties than ever before and we do our best to destroy each other before and after the election and nothing productive is ever accomplished.

One only has to follow social media to see that we no longer have thoughtful, and respectful discussions. We no longer are interested in trying to win anyone over to our way of thinking, instead with our words we do all we can to turn them away by attacking their sincerity, intelligence and faith.

What happen to LOVE!  Mention homosexuality to some Christians and you will see the most vicious, vile rhetoric come from their heart and their mouths. The Orlando massacre shined a light on the bigotry of some lay and some ministers within the church. For example, “I wish one Saturday night a group of people would organize all around the country and go to every gay bar in America and kill ever single queer in there and that would stop them from leading our children and grandchildren astray”, “They were not afraid in that restroom in that queer bar in Orlando. They were too busy having sex to be afraid”, “My only problem with the dumb terrorist in Orlando was he did not kill them all.”  The list goes on and on and on and the people vow up and down they are CHRISTIANS.

I think some Christians are going to be shocked when they reach the Pearly Gates and find them padlocked. I do not think the words some Christians are using in speaking of homosexuals are the words God wants them to use.  

I realize some Christians say they are  tired of being made into the bad guys. They’re tired of being called the bigots, the haters, etc. I was told by one Christian,  “If I do not speak out loud and clear now to stop the homosexuals one day I may lose my right to do so.” I do not think it is the agenda of homosexuals to prevent Christians from believing as they wish or to take away their right to free speech, but it is their agenda to be able to speak and live as they believe. There are bigots on both sides of the issue and if you do not want to be called a bigot then do not act like one.

At the Indiana Statehouse, Rev. Ron Johnson Jr. of the Indiana Pastors Alliance addressed a roaring crowd: “We’re not here today because we’re angry. We’re not here because we hate people. “We’re actually here,” he said, “because we love Jesus.” He went on to say, “How can government force people to act against their religious consciences — against an unshakable belief that marriage is between a man and a woman?” Has the government ask any Christian to do that?  There are laws about discriminating in a PUBLIC business. The government has only ask that we respect the rights of others to believe as they want, just as the Christians opposed to homosexuality do. 

I heard similar arguments at my Grandmothers church, First Baptist Church of Pratt City, Alabama against integration and interracial marriages. The only words coming from his mouth that I agreed with was, “I’m not asking for special protected class status. I’m asking to be left alone, for crying out loud.” Rev. Ron Johnson that is all the gay community really wants.

For some evangelical Christians, who are led by ministers like the Indiana Pastors Alliance there is no compromise. Expanding the state civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes would effectively feel like a betrayal of their constitutional rights.

Not all Christians share their views. Some Christians agree with enacting nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, including a coalition of mainline Christian denominations and a group of 141 faith leaders who signed onto a letter of support. Bishop William Gafkjen, who oversees Indiana and Kentucky congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said he doesn’t feel that adding to the civil rights law threatens his religious freedom.

Christian’s are more divided today than ever before in my lifetime. There has always been some that thought if you did not belong to their church or denomination you could not go to heaven. There has always been some that thought they were the only ones that knew how to interpret scripture. But, there are some Christians today that are nearly or they are militant about their opinions.

If you believe me to be wrong then next Sunday after church start a conversation with those you just worshiped God with about immigration.  If one person does not explode like a stick of dynamite has been ignited in them - I would be shocked.  A recent National Public Radio report noted, “Immigration is shaping up to be one of the most contentious and emotional topics in the 2016 presidential race.”  Even among us Christians.

We seem to forget that all Americans have immigrants in their genealogy if they take time to go back far enough.  The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 banned racial criteria for immigration. From that time on, people would be admitted “on the basis of their skills and their relationship to those already here” and to find refuge from oppression. The problem is not immigration the problem is that our immigration laws are not being following by our politicians. The law never intended to allow illegal immigration into our country.

 There are approximately 11.3 million persons in the U.S. today without authorization—without some kind of Visa or Green Card. Of these, roughly half came here on a Visa or Green Card that has now expired, and half came into our country by crossing the border without authorization. The problem is not all immigrants the problem is illegal immigrants and whose fault is that they have freely crossed our borders and overstayed their visa’s without any repercussion. If I was from a depressed country and could get to the Promised Land legally or illegally I would. I would especially do so when the President of that country encouraged it. Now this is the question that will set fire under some - would it be legal or illegal today for the Jewish people to take the land of the Canaanites, which is now Palestine? Would the Jewish people at that time be consider illegal aliens today?

The Bible has many references to immigrants—in fact, foreigners, strangers, and aliens are mentioned more than 150 times.

In Leviticus, God says: “When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them. Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

The question of immigrants is complicated today by the extreme radical Muslims. I think the main solution to that problem is strict enforcement of our Immigration Laws. I am not convinced discrimination against any one particular group of people is the answer.

All people that desire to enter our country should be vetted and required to meet stringent guidelines regardless of their religion or country of origin.  I think people should prove they can contribute to the betterment of the United States in the future in order to enter and that seems harsh to a lot of liberal thinking Christians. I think there should be set time limits as to when they must demonstrate they have a command of the English language.  But, I am no longer for discrimination against a certain group of people.  I once was because I feared radical Islamic Muslims.

I disagree with many other Christians on taking in refugees. I am for HELPING and protecting refugees in their own homeland. I do not think as Christians we can stand by and not offer assistance, but to bring their problems to our shores when we already face so many problems I simply cannot support it. If we do allow them to enter the United States I think we have a Christian obligation to treat then as  fellow citizens of the United States.

TO BE CONTINUED

Christians wouldn't act that way - really!

Really: How do they act:

You have a “I love Jesus sticker on your bumper” and you pass me going twice the speed limit in a school zone.

I look in my rear view mirror and I cannot tell if you are pushing me or following me, but you do have a cross hanging from your rear view mirror.

You have a “What would Jesus do?” sticker on your rear window and I am sitting behind you watching you blow your horn and shoot the finger at someone taking too long at the stop sign.

You leave church an when you get to the parking lot you see someone has parked too close to your car and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is “Goddamn fool”.  I witness that two Sundays ago.

Its almost laughable when I see people at church (my neighbor) treating others as if they were mortal enemies. Gossiping behind others backs, silently and verbally wishing for their failure, and coveting their possessions.

There’s nothing wrong with a friendly debate among people of the same or different denominations…but when you end up telling me I am not a Christian because I am Catholic and insist on holding it against me…then you have forgotten what Christianity is all about.

When you post Bible verses on my email and go to church each week and I know you are married and using a singles site on the Internet. It makes me question if I even want to be a Christian.

How do you think you’ll ever be able to convince someone that they should investigate Christianity if their only interaction with Christianity is you and you demonstrate qualities even the unbeliever does not want to have.  Have you ever considered that you’re actually hurting Christ more than helping Him with how you treat others? Do you really think that showing up on Sunday and listening to the band or singing in the choir is going to bring others to Christ?

Christ said that you should “let your light so shine” so that others will want to come unto Him. Is your shining light a a red warning light to avoid Christians? Perhaps you are like a fire hydrant extinguishing any light that might be burning faintly within others.

If you call yourself a Christian…then just start loving others and overlooking their faults. Stop trying to make everyone else pay for their sins. God’s got that under control. Become an ambassadors of mercy instead of trying to replace God by being judge and jury. If you make that change you’ll never have to beg someone to listen to your message about Christ again.

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t see some conservative going on and on about how the Republican party is the party of “good Christian values” and everyone else (specifically liberals) is waging some kind of war on religion. Going to church doesn’t make someone a Christian. Christianity is based on a belief in Jesus Christ and one’s attempt to live their life based on the values for which He taught.

I have really noticed from the comments following the Orlando shooting on social sites and media sites how many conservative Christians base their devotion to their faith on how strong their opposition is to homosexuality.

These are some other things that I have really noticed over the last eight years -Prosperity minsters make all Christians sound like our religion is based on GREED. It seems some Christians believe Jesus Christi would have an AR-15 strapped to His back - that is not a Christian issue that is a political issue. Christians should be  teaching acceptance and tolerance of others, but many are not.  That we’re all humans and it seems some have forgotten that - we all sin.  That we should treat each other with respect and kindness - calling others derogatory names does not seem to fulfill that Christian obligation. Some of the comments certainly do not reflect love and kindness.  Many Christians seem to have forgotten that whole “love our neighbor” thing. Do we should think we should try and FORCE our beliefs on others and judge them stupid heathens if they do not agree with us - God does not - that is why God gave us ‘free will". God gave us the right to choose to believe or not believe. God said “fear not” why are so many Christians on social media sites expressing fear of those that do not agree with their beliefs – I have faith God will prevail. 

Our actions outside of church are what matters the most to others wanting what we claim to have.

It seems Christians complain as much as unbelievers

For the past two years it seems all I have heard in media and from friends is about the downward spiral of the secular culture. All I hear when I get around my Christian friends is about the U.S. presidential candidates, the turmoil over transgender bathrooms and in the last few weeks the tragedy in Orlando. I agree there are many problems in the world today, but society has always, since the beginning of time, faced many problems. It is good to think through and process the implications of these societal problems. But as believers in Christ I am beginning to wonder if we differ in any significant way from our culturally conservative, but unbelieving neighbors? It seems we complain as much as the rest.

It’s easy to complain about how society is disintegrating around us. It’s easy for us old enough to recall the 1950's middle-class America and imagine that everything would be better “if only we could go back to the nation we once were.” But Christians are called to be salt and light. It seems many Christians have no problem “being the salt”, but have some difficulty “being the light”.  We complain, criticize and judge as much as the unbelievers and offer few suggestions.

Do we still believe God is all knowing and is not surprised by any of the wickedness in the world? Do we still believe God is sovereign over evil and yes even using it for our good and the glory of his name? Do we still trust God? Have we given up hope - if we have we have lost faith in God.

Christians should be praying for our leaders, our nation, our families and neighbors. We should be trying to make wise and informed decisions with the help of the Holy Spirit. We should be willing to serve and to sacrifice. We should not be judgmental, prejudice, know it all bigots.

We are commanded to rejoice, even though, for a little while, we are grieved by various trials. For we are not without hope. We have an imperishable, perfect, unfading inheritance waiting in heaven for us. (1 Peter 1:4–6). God’s promises to us should make us different than the unbelievers that surround us. There is light at the end of the darkness, but I am witnessing some Christians who know the most about God, loving and doing the least – why? We should be doers, endeavoring great acts of love for others regardless if they believe as we do or not.

Griping, grumbling, whining, murmuring or belly-aching regardless of the word we use to describe it always has the has the same symptoms. The dictionary defines it as “an expression of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or discontent.” Complaining is the outward expression of discontent from within.

In the Old Testament God always considered complaining as an act of unbelief directed toward Him. When they complained about their circumstances, their type of food, and even at Moses, God was displeased because they weren’t thankful for what He had provided them. He was disappointed that they refused to trust in Him to provide, protect, and direct the order of their lives. “Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1). Do we think God views our complaining any differently? Regardless of whatever circumstances may cause discontent or dissatisfaction, complaining is always an expression of unbelief towards God.

Complaining is unbelief in God’s Word which says “...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). If we really believes that the Lord is in control of our life’s, and is working “ALL THINGS together for our good,” we will stop complaining and start thanking the Lord for the plan He is working together for us.

The Apostle Paul warned Christians to avoid the danger of complaining. “...nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). In this Paul indicated that complaining actually gives place to the Devil in our lives and opens the door to destruction by Satan (the destroyer). The Devil thrives in an atmosphere of complaining. Complaining can literally invoke a curse of destruction as it did in the lives of the Israelite's who were destroyed in the wilderness.

Complaining is common-place in the lives of unbelievers who have no trust in God, but Christians should be people of faith, filled with gratefulness and thanksgiving. 

Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord (which God hates - Proverb 6:16-19). Are we acting any different than unbelievers when we gripe and complain?

“What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Don't complain.” ― Maya Angelou

Maybe we should begin to ask ourselves if morality is declining or changing. It is false to say that over the centuries Christianity has not adapted to a changing morality – do we still own slaves, are women still property of men, do women not wear jewelry and makeup, etc.? THINK!

The tragedy in Orlando will define our Christian faith - love/hate

I am sorry, but I simply do not understand some Christians and I am a Christian. We preach ‘grace’, forgiveness, love, not to judge, compassion, humility and etc., but let something horrible happen in the Gay community or let a terrible act of Mother Nature happen and there are some Christians (a minority) that immediately start blaming the Gay Community.  I am saddened by some of the comments posted by Christians on public sites regarding the Orlando terrorist attack – they are totally without any ‘grace’.

I have read, “They got what they deserved”, “I am glad it was a bunch of queers and not black folks”, about the ones trapped in the restroom – “They probably forgot to try and knock a wall out because they were too busy having sex with each other”, “God got those that are destroying our children”, “May they all burn in hell” and “I wish he would have killed them all and someone would attack every gay bar in the United States.”

It is a great time to read Luke 13:1-5. 

Do you think God finds our self-righteous judgment of the Gay Community acceptable? We all sin and come short of the glory of God.  Our righteousness does not come by our deeds it comes through Christ paying our sin debt on the cross. Our heart  is not any less obstinate and wicked than those at the gay bar in Orlando.

If you think God takes delight in the death of the wicked (sinners) maybe you should read Ezekiel 18:23 and neither should those who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit take delight in their death.

If you believe the Bible states emphatically that homosexuality is a sin before you start talking trash about Orlando and the Gay Community read  Luke 13:34 - Weep over death and the widespread grief that accompanies it and  John 11:35 - But don't utter a word of condescending judgment — because your own sinfulness earns you no less than an eternity under God's anger.

Now is the time to help and pray for fellow human beings who have been hurt. The shooting was a hate crime against the Gay Community carried out by a radical Islamic terrorist, but more importantly it is a crime against human beings made in the image of God, and this should be the only reason Christians need to help those effected by this tragedy. Human beings were hurt and as a Christian, we are called to love and help our neighbor.

I am aware there will be some calling themselves Christians who will celebrate this tragedy. Westboro Baptist Church has already responded by saying, “God sent the shooter,” and, “God still hates fags.” Please do not join them.  If I believed these lies I could not serve the God I do.

As Christians, our marching orders are clear. Jesus tells us, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Our neighbors have been attacked, and we need to show love to them. Paul tells us that true love “does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:6-7). “The Lord is . . . not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

I would like to add I do not believe Christians are responsible for this happening as some in the media have claimed. The terrorist that carried out this act did not care what Christians believe concerning homosexuals. He was in no way influenced by Christian teachings. I also do not believe gun control was a factor regardless what gun laws we have he would have gotten his weapon of choice one way or the another. How we respond in this crisis is not a conservative or liberal issue, Democrat or Republican issues it is a CHRISTIAN issue.

Christians must be part of creating a world where the kind of hatred and intolerance which motivated Omar S Mateen simply cannot prevail. We should not listen to men like Pastor Steven Anderson. He said the victims deserved to die. This is the same man that ask Christians to pray that President Obama would die.

Just hours after American’s worst mass shooting came to an end, Steven Anderson, pastor at Faithful Word Baptist Church in suburban Phoenix, unleashed a sickening tirade in which he said the victims deserved to die. The man is a bigot, a lunatic, a bitter/angry man, with a poisoned heart and a disgrace to the Christian religion. As they all do he quoted different scriptures from the Bible that suited his needs and the Book of Leviticus as he tried to justify the terror attack at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. Let us not forget Leviticus tells us to kill our children if they talk back to us. Christians should not listen to these voices and not just react, but respond in love to this tragedy.

Is pornography as bad for you as some Christians say?

Pornography is any image, picture, statue, advertisement, writing, etc. whose purpose is to create sexual titillation. In modern Western culture, sex has become such a public topic that the lines between what is legitimate and what is illicit are harder and harder to define.  In fact, sexual images have become so prominent that what used to be considered soft pornography is now considered tame enough to be on prime time television. And while it used to be that people could only get access to it in magazines behind the counter and then only at certain stores it is now so pervasive that virtually anyone can access any kind of pornography through the most basic internet connection. Many now even question why some Christians think pornography is such a big deal.

I have to admit I wrestle with the question was it as big a deal as the church said it was after all my church believes masturbation should be made illegal and classified as a crime. I have thought those that did not want to watch it were not forced to, but then as I stated earlier that would mean you could not even watch television anymore or go to a movie.  I have said those working in the industry were not forced to do so, but again that is not exactly true anymore. A person’s economic situation can often influence them to do things they do not want to do. I have said if the all parties involved from the beginning to the end were consenting adults what’s the harm, but that is no longer true because it is easily accessible to children on television, Internet, movies, magazines, books in general and even billboards along the highways.

I was talking with my housekeeper this morning and ask, “What is wrong with our society today?”  There is corruption among religious leaders, politicians, government employees, corporations, lawyers, doctors, teachers, nearly every profession you can name. Maybe our moral compass is not longer working.

 Is it possible for a person (society) to become desensitized to just about anything? I now believe it is! I now live in the Philippines and encounter daily people who are the poorest of the poor and after nearly eleven years I am constantly amazed that they are happy people.  Sometimes I wonder if they even know how poor they are because they act as if they hardly even notice it. I helped a family move to Davao, Philippines and open a very small business. One day I was complaining our public water goes off every day for twelve hours are more. They began to laugh and I inquired as to why they were laughing. They replied, “Father, we have lived in the mountains all our lives and have had to carry water from a stream twice a day having running water twelve hours a day is a miracle to us.”

They say people who play violent video games often become so desensitized that even real violence is seen as no big deal. This technique is now even used by the military to desensitize young recruits. Pornography has become so prominent in our society that we hardly even notice it anymore – much less think of it as something bad and destructive. A great example of this is the many “soft porn” TV commercials advertising everything from lingerie to hamburgers. It is so prevalent that most people aren’t even embarrassed anymore when they encounter it.

Pornography is purely an object of self-gratification. In any area, when our life is focused on gratifying ourselves rather than accomplishing the purpose of God, we put ourselves in a position which is outside of our relationship with God. For a Christian this will always create ‘guilt’.

There is a Naturalist worldview that exists today and it has become prominent in our society. Naturalism accepts no moral absolutes. It totally denies that a God exists and therefore there is no such thing as a set of moral values which is given by a higher authority. That being the case, the only possibility which exists is for man to create his own values. There is no reason, then, for any kind of sexual expression to be considered wrong or bad – including pornography. This is the worldview of a large percentage of people in the industries which control much of the public discourse in entertainment, news media, and higher education.

The Naturalist worldview has seeped into the belief system of a large number of people in the world – INCLUDING - people who claim to be Christians. I confess I WAS guilty. Surveys by religious institutions reveal the lifestyle of the average Christian today differs very little from those who are not Christians. So, what we end up with is a large group of people who give lip service to Christian values, but who live as if they are Naturalists. It appears Christians may be looking at porn as much as non-Christians.

Our problem, as Christians, is that the values of the Naturalist have become such a part of the thinking of modern society that we have totally lost any sense of why pornography is bad and the addictive nature of viewing pornography has already entrapped a large number of Christians – even Christian pastors and other religious leaders.

We must recognize as Christians that sex is not a value-neutral issue. It was created by God for a specific purpose (enjoyment is one of those purposes) and only to be expressed within particular defined relationship. The production and use of pornography takes something that was created by God (sex) and employs it for a purpose outside God’s purpose.  Pornography turns sex into a human centered purpose. If the God of the Bible is truly the person He has revealed Himself to be, we must understand that we do not have the prerogative to take God’s things and use them in other ways. When counseling with people addicted to pornography I always ask them when Christ returns do you want Him to find you in front of the computer screen watching pornography. NO ONE has ever said yes, or it is okay with me. I have had a few say I do not want to be having sex when Christ returns – WHY NOT – God created sex.

 Sexual gratification outside of a committed relationship creates guilt for a Christian as I have stated earlier. I have always heard religious leaders claim it alienates a person from God. I have some problems with that because alienation means to make one hostile to God or God hostile to them or to take something away from one party and transfer to another. That seems to do away with ‘grace’.

I agree by definition, living in a manner which goes against the ways of God is sin, and I do believe sin creates a barrier between us and God (guilt). God’s purpose for mankind is for us to conform our lives to His purpose and ways. Those who participate in the production and use of pornography in any way are putting themselves in a position of opposition to the ways of God. I think God has the right to do as He pleases, but I do not believe God turns His back on sinners or gives up on sinners and pornography is one of many sins. God gives us the understanding of right and wrong and expects us to choose right.  The choice of whether or not we follow His direction is our own (freewill).

Pornography is bad because the industry itself uses people in ways which destroy them (self-image, self-esteem, health, morals) and turns them into objects of profit. Those who are working in the industry are not looking for ways to serve God, they are looking to make money and satisfy themselves. They do not see human beings as people made in the image of God whom He values, but as objects which can bring a handsome price. This self-centered point of view which denigrates humanity runs completely contrary to the way God designed things to be.

The final reason I think pornography is bad relates to those who view it. People who view pornography are also objectifying others for personal gratification, and doing it in a way that drags them down as well. Human beings are individuals whom God created with an inherent dignity and value. First of all, those who view pornography are setting themselves up for an addiction to something which requires looking at other people as objects of self-gratification. Secondly, they are devaluing the people they are looking at. This is all contrary to God’s purpose and ways.

As Christians, we should be living and expressing our own faith, our own belief system, not worldview beliefs. We should be living in a way that changes the hearts of individuals. We should be living in a way that serves to eliminate destructive influences.