Lalaith has posted a few things over on Untwisting again. I figured I should get them taken care of BEFORE I have a newborn. =) (Any day now!)
So first up: Wet and Wild (That's a nail polish brand and a joke.)
There's not really a whole lot here. It was an interesting bit about some of the odder claims of differing religions, but the argument is basically this: "Because all these religions have some seemingly ridiculous claims, they must all be equally ridiculous." Sure, it's an interesting thing to think about, but like that commercial is so fond of pointing out: "It's only weird if it doesn't work." In other words, it's only ridiculous to say that Balaam's donkey spoke to him if the donkey DIDN'T actually speak to him. It's only ridiculous to say that chickens can't fly if, in fact, chickens CAN fly.
So really, it's just kind of a think about it thing, which personally, I'm all for thinking things through. It really wouldn't be smart, if you're speaking to someone of a different religion to start bashing their beliefs or their mental capabilities in light of those beliefs. That's just not gracious and I'm pretty sure that EVERYONE has SOME belief that's ridiculous - check out those commercials some more and see how superstitious people get for the sake of their sports. So advice accepted - don't worry yourself over the weirder parts of someone else's religion. Everyone has weird beliefs.
Moving right along: Gay Rights in the Work Place
I was expecting a little bit more from the clip, but whatever. So here's the thing about this particular issue. Freedom for a company means freedom to discriminate - between whoever and whatever they want. They shouldn't be forced to buy equally from different suppliers/factories; and they shouldn't be forced to have a certain number of both genders, of different races, of different sexual orientations. That's not freedom. If I OWN something, that means I have control over it. So if the government says that I can't limit who I want to hire to these specific things, then really, it's the government who owns it - I'm just managing it.
Now, don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying that there is something morally wrong with that. My point is that, currently, that's not the way our country operates. It's slowly taking control of things more and more; but the fact that this issue is coming up is proof that right now, that's not how things are (at least in whichever state it was where that pastor spoke).
I'm not morally obligated to pay different people the same amount for the same job. I'm morally obligated to keep whatever deal I make with each person. I'm not morally obligated to treat people equally; I'm morally obligated to treat people lovingly. Fair does not mean equal; it means just. Equal treatment is often very unjust because people are not equal (if we were, we'd be clones).
Personally, I don't see this as a moral issue; this is a freedom issue. Giving up freedom is not morally wrong. Keeping freedom is not morally wrong. I like my freedom. If I had a vote there, I would vote against such a proposal - not because it's going to ruin the nation or something - because I think it's my right to hire or not hire people based on whatever I want. Age, race, height, gender, sexual orientation, etc. It's MY business; they work FOR ME. So I should get to decide. BUT, if the government says, "Uh uh. Now I get to decide." Then, that freedom isn't mine anymore, and I'm a law-breaker if I ignore that. And breaking the law IS a moral issue.
Freedom is not the problem; the problem is sin, and laws can't fix that problem.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
A Few Notes
It's been kind of quiet lately, so I thought I would write a bit about what's been on my mind the past few weeks. My church is having a mini-series on the Trinity which has been just wonderful, and God keeps giving me these new and beautiful little insights. It's been thrilling. =D
During this mini-series, the topic of Creation was addressed - why did God create if He was sufficiently satisfied within Himself? The answer is because God was not just sufficiently happy, but overwhelmingly happy. God was so pleased amongst the other Persons of the Trinity that it overflowed into Creation. He was so immensely satisfied that it poured out of Him in creativity and action.
In two weeks, the topic of the sermon is going to be about how we as Christians are to imitate the relationship of the Trinity within our relationships, how we are to show the same kind of love and care for the people around us, how we are always supposed to put others first because we love them. The greatest example we have in our human relationships is marriage. It's the most intimate, the most open, the most complete.
And there's a parallel that only it has. Out of the love and joy of intimacy that God had within the Trinity came Creation. Out of the love and joy of intimacy that two people enjoy within marriage come children. It's the overflow of love, of fully giving one's self to another.
Isn't that incredible? God gave us a tangible example of why He created, and somehow we tend to miss it entirely. Sometimes we even go so far as to think that God was lonely or lacking in some way. God was so much the opposite of lacking and THAT is the entire reason that He created. The whole thing just kind of blows my mind.
Another thing: I was reading a book tonight by Matt Chandler called The Explicit Gospel, and that specific part was on a very familiar topic - the severity of God and how much we deserve it. There was a certain sentence that caught my attention though; he wrote, "And let's be honest: nobody has just a sliver of pride." My first reaction was to give a little laugh to myself in agreement. Pride - it seems to be the all-pervasive sin, the starting point of every other thing. We elevate ourselves above God; we put our desires first; we trust ourselves more.
The next thought was rather a happy one though, something that I've known for a long time, but somehow never thought of in quite this way before: There will be no pride in eternity. There have been many sins that I have struggled with, that I still struggle with, but none so formidable, so stubborn as pride. Pride sneaks in everywhere. Pride appears when all my actions are right, when my words are right. Pride can hide in the most pious of ways.
But one day, it will be gone, rooted out entirely, demolished by the completion of the salvific work that Christ began at Calvary. One day, there will be no more of the Romans 7 struggle. And that inspires all kinds of feeling of joy, longing, and awe.
"What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
I will look upon His face,
The One Who saved me by His grace
And when He takes me by the hand
And leads me to the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day, that will be!"
During this mini-series, the topic of Creation was addressed - why did God create if He was sufficiently satisfied within Himself? The answer is because God was not just sufficiently happy, but overwhelmingly happy. God was so pleased amongst the other Persons of the Trinity that it overflowed into Creation. He was so immensely satisfied that it poured out of Him in creativity and action.
In two weeks, the topic of the sermon is going to be about how we as Christians are to imitate the relationship of the Trinity within our relationships, how we are to show the same kind of love and care for the people around us, how we are always supposed to put others first because we love them. The greatest example we have in our human relationships is marriage. It's the most intimate, the most open, the most complete.
And there's a parallel that only it has. Out of the love and joy of intimacy that God had within the Trinity came Creation. Out of the love and joy of intimacy that two people enjoy within marriage come children. It's the overflow of love, of fully giving one's self to another.
Isn't that incredible? God gave us a tangible example of why He created, and somehow we tend to miss it entirely. Sometimes we even go so far as to think that God was lonely or lacking in some way. God was so much the opposite of lacking and THAT is the entire reason that He created. The whole thing just kind of blows my mind.
Another thing: I was reading a book tonight by Matt Chandler called The Explicit Gospel, and that specific part was on a very familiar topic - the severity of God and how much we deserve it. There was a certain sentence that caught my attention though; he wrote, "And let's be honest: nobody has just a sliver of pride." My first reaction was to give a little laugh to myself in agreement. Pride - it seems to be the all-pervasive sin, the starting point of every other thing. We elevate ourselves above God; we put our desires first; we trust ourselves more.
The next thought was rather a happy one though, something that I've known for a long time, but somehow never thought of in quite this way before: There will be no pride in eternity. There have been many sins that I have struggled with, that I still struggle with, but none so formidable, so stubborn as pride. Pride sneaks in everywhere. Pride appears when all my actions are right, when my words are right. Pride can hide in the most pious of ways.
But one day, it will be gone, rooted out entirely, demolished by the completion of the salvific work that Christ began at Calvary. One day, there will be no more of the Romans 7 struggle. And that inspires all kinds of feeling of joy, longing, and awe.
"What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
I will look upon His face,
The One Who saved me by His grace
And when He takes me by the hand
And leads me to the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day, that will be!"
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