Television Programming

 Television Programming.  Interesting phrase.  Are we being programmed? I think so.  Recently, in this weird season of no new tv shows, I have been going back in time and watching some oldies.  I have made some disturbing observations about how tv has been shaping how we see the world. I've been spotting patterns across all the shows that are not actually true, but can seem true since "everyone" is portraying the same "facts." There are always rare exceptions, but I'm going to simply relay the patterns I've noticed. 

No sex after marriage.  It seems that every married guy talking to his single friends makes the claim that he doesn't have sex anymore since he's gotten married.  Is this true?  I'm pretty sure my married friends are all having sex still.  I feel that this "programming" is intended to destroy the man's desire for marriage.  It will push men further from wanting to participate in this foundational institution of society.  Kids growing up without a father in the home is basically the number one reason behind so many disfunctions in our society.  It is vital to have two parents.  Men who shun the idea of marriage, but still strive for sexual relationships are going to create more broken kids growing up with single parents.  

Men/Fathers are idiots. Dan Conner (Roseanne), Carl Winslow (Family Matters),... They seem to be good hard working men who are present in the home and good providers for their families, yet they get treated with contempt. Their wives seem to not respect them and that is passed on to the children.  I think this is another attack on marriage, this time directed at both sexes.  Why would a good man want to be treated like that?  Why would a woman want a man she doesn't respect?  Is that what marriage is supposed to be like?  

Parents are idiots. I lived with my sister and her kids when they were tweens, so I saw plenty of Disney channel shows.  I was disturbed by the representation of parents.  The kids showed no respect.  They didn't take their parents' advice seriously and usually there were no consequences to disobeying.  These shows aimed at kids showed young kids getting an idea and carrying it out, sometimes an idea so crazy it involved getting on an airplane without adults and going off on some mission.  Is that really what you want your children learning?  The one exception was Hannah Montana oddly enough.  She would often go against her father's advice, but when it wouldn't work out, she'd return to him and acknowledge that he was right.  If they all did that, I wouldn't be so concerned about the behavior.  We all know that kids will make bad choices, but if we don't show the negative consequences, they won't learn and grow.  I also noticed this in Harry Potter.  Kids constantly acting as if adults can't be trusted, we must take care of these problems ourselves.  They'd break all the rules, fight the monster, win, and get rewarded for it.  Another lesson I wouldn't be teaching children.  We want them to trust parents and teacher don't we?  We want them to know that adults are (usually) there to help and protect.  Kids don't know everything yet, contrary to their own delusional beliefs.  I would much rather they be shown examples of healthy relationships with the adults in their lives.  Show them they have so much to learn and seeking help from those further down the road is a good idea.  

Sheriffs are bumbling idiots. (I'm sensing another theme) I watch a lot of crime shows, so inevitably, at some point the star team ends up in some podunk country town and meets the local sheriff.  He or she is always portrayed as dumb and incompetent and the other agencies just run them over and take charge of the case because the sheriff has no idea what to do when an actual crime takes place.  I have just recently learned that in reality, the sheriff is elected by the people and is the highest law enforcement entity.  The sheriff is the one agency we can look to to protect us from an out of control government.  The others work for the state/federal governments.  The sheriff is the last line of defense for the people.

The supernatural is bogus. I think this one is ultimately the worst offense.  My favorite show ever is Castle.  He is always quick to jump to a supernatural explanation for a strange crime.  Aliens, mummies, zombies, vampires, demons, time travelers....  His cop partner always rolls her eyes and tells him "there's no such thing" and proceeds to find a natural explanation for everything. Russell Casse in Independence Day was mocked and ridiculed relentlessly for his assertion that he had been abducted by aliens.  Anyone who believes in the Christian God is either portrayed as a horrible person, or mocked for their outdated beliefs.  The idea is often put forward that religion was just a way for humans to explain their world and we have no need for it today because science can explain everything.  The single character I've seen that is a decent representation of a Christian is Shepherd Book from Firefly.  Every other one is molding the public perception to think Christians are awful and stupid.  Anyone who believes in anything supernatural is a crazy person.  

I believe this last bit of programming is the most dangerous because of its eternal implications.  People watch tv.  They get their knowledge from the tv. How often do we stop to think about what messages we are being fed?  I currently attend a church that deals in supernatural spiritual warfare.  I've seen many instances of demons manifesting and making a person move in ways that are not normal, or speaking in a weird voice.  I've seen enough to make me a believer.  I've also heard plenty of stories of what others around me have witnessed.  Werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters and such.  Yeah, I had a hard time wrapping my head around that too.  Maybe because of the "programming."  So why is this a big deal?  What if you are someone who has had an alien abduction experience or seen demons in your bedroom at night?  You can't tell anyone.  You've been programmed to believe that no one will believe you, you'll be laughed at, or maybe even locked in the asylum.  How will you ever get help?  There are people out there being tormented by demonic entities and they don't know how to make it stop.  I started talking at work about what I was learning at church and it was amazing how many of my coworkers approached me privately to share their own personal experiences.  It made me sad.  There are hurting people that are scared to speak.  

God is real, demons are real.  The tv is channeling deception into the minds of the world.  How do we break free?  We have to wake up and put serious thought into what we believe.  I would suggest starting with the Bible.  God's word will wash your brain out.  Also just look around you.  Pay attention to what is happening around you compared to what your tv is telling you is happening.  Talk to people.  Ask them if they've ever had any really weird experiences and then listen without mocking.  Have an open mind to hear about what other people think and what they've been through.  I think it will surprise you.  People are quite interesting and each is a unique gem.  

Truth > Feelings

In today's crazy world, it's becoming more and more obvious that people are being ruled by emotion.  Sadly, emotion is not a very good master.  Emotion is meant to be a tool.  Leaving it in charge just leads to heartache and misery.  But how do we stop the cycle and take control?

I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone that emotions are powerful.  We are all swayed by emotion all the time.  Sometimes that leads us into good situations, but all too often it leads us down roads full of pain and suffering.  My main point in writing is to lay out a case for taking control of emotions instead of justifying acting out on whatever we feel and calling it good.

Anger is a simple topic on this point.  I am sure we've all been overcome by anger at least once.  In that state, violence can rush to the surface and if we allow it to rule, we could lash out and hurt someone and potentially end up in jail over it.  The feeling is real, the power of it is strong.  Typically we have a personal standard of morality that tells us it's wrong to hurt another person, so hopefully we have learned how to reign in that rush of anger.  That's why they have anger management classes, to help people learn to control that impulse.  We seem to believe that anger can and should be controlled, kept within acceptable boundaries.

But then we move on to lust/attraction.  This topic has become quite muddled over the years.  As a society we've been losing a strong sense of right and wrong on this topic.  For the same reason as with anger, strong emotion, in this area we have justified it and tried to call it all acceptable.  It's already proving to be a slippery slope.  Where do we draw the line?  How do we decide what is right and what is wrong?  Why do we accept one kind of attraction and not another?

Managing one's feelings is important.  I think as a culture we still believe it's wrong to cheat on your significant other.  It still happens often, but I think we mostly disapprove of it.  Does being in a committed relationship mean attraction to others doesn't happen?  I've been told it still does.  According to some standards, if you feel like it, go for it.  No, we expect our partner to show self control and manage those attractions.  Love means choosing the one when there are other options according to Kris Vallotton.

What about a single girl being attracted to a married man?  She has strong emotions, so is it ok for her to flirt with him and try to get him to cheat on his wife?  What about same sex attraction?  Now it gets more muddled.  This has the potential to be consensual, so is it ok?  What about pedophilia?  It's an attraction, so can it be followed?  They can't help it...… can they?  It seems like we've begun to believe that if you feel something, it's real and you should go with it.  But where is that leading us?

The only answer I have is found in Jesus, the One they call Truth.  He gave us His Word that lays out acceptable behavior and tells us what will hurt us.  Then, as a good Father, He gives us tools to choose the right path.  I finally learned how to use those tools over the last few years.  I wish I'd learned them much earlier, it would have saved me so much misery.

I'm not going to go into what the Bible teaches about all these issues, I think that is pretty much common knowledge at this point.  You can look it up for yourself if you really want to know.  I mention it because that is where I get my truth.  That is the standard to which I want to conform my life.  As a kid I watched the people around me and saw that in the places they were in pain, it was usually linked to breaking one of God's rules.  I saw it so often that I concluded that God gave us rules so we wouldn't hurt ourselves or others.  I didn't see every single rule broken, but I saw enough to extrapolate that truth onto the other laws I hadn't encountered yet. I saw the value and the safety of the boundaries God set for His kids.

2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us we can "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."  I spent too many years not understanding how to do that. In my late teens I suddenly developed some crazy powerful feelings that I knew were wrong to follow, but I didn't know how to deal with them.  I was miserable, spending all my time focusing on the bad feelings, wanting to get rid of them, only seeing them grow and become all consuming, ruining my life.  Over 15 years I struggled with wanting to do the right thing by God, but instead remaining a slave to my feelings. I never acted out on these feelings, thank God, but they consumed me inside and caused me so much pain and suffering.

Eventually I met someone who was able to teach me what I needed to know.  I learned that the devil is a liar and seeks to destroy as many of God's kids as he can.  He whispers in our ears day in and day out.  We can easily think that those whispers are our own thoughts.  But the devil is a liar.  He's been doing this for a very long time and he's pretty good at it.  Twisting truth and provoking emotions.  I learned that the overwhelming emotions I'd been fighting were there because I'd believed his lies.  He had taken advantage of the wounds I'd received in life and he pushed me down roads I didn't want to be on.  If only I'd known.

It's easier to use another situation to explain the process of taking thoughts captive because the process was shorter and more clear.  I once found myself drawn to a married man.  Nothing extreme, just the giddy type of crush that a young girl might have on her basketball coach or something like that. My moral compass told me that wasn't ok, and I knew I had to go talk to my mentor friend who happened to be his wife.  Scary! (I learned early on that hiding sinful thoughts is a great way to get them to blow up and get out of control.  The light is always a good thing.)  The day before that talk, it finally occurred to me to ask God about what was going on.  He answered me more clearly than ever before!  It was deep!  He told me how He had put this man in my life to show me the pure love of a father, a brother, and a friend.  I hadn't had very good relationships in those areas so I was very untrusting of men. My dad abandoned the family to run off with the neighbor lady, my brother was great, but so much older, he moved out by the time I was 8, so our relationship wasn't all that close.  Boys at school were not nice to me....  I basically hated men.  God was drawing my attention to a good man so He could heal my heart.  That was a relief!  So over the next couple weeks, any time the "crush" type thoughts came up, I stopped them, took them captive, and then reminded myself what God had told me about this relationship.  After those 2 weeks, it was over.  I captured the lies and turned my eyes to obedience to Truth.

“but you see, just because we've been...dealt a certain hand...it doesn't mean we can't choose to rise above- to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted. to try to retain whatever essential humanity we can.” - Edward Cullen ― Stephenie Meyer, Twilight

I love this quote.  Yes, I know, it's Twilight...  But it is powerful.  I think it makes my point.  Morality and truth are constant.  We need something solid to stand on or it's too easy to let emotion and desire take us down destructive pathways.  If you're not familiar with Twilight, Edward is a vampire, part of a family of vampires.  They need blood to survive.  It's a base instinct to kill people.  But this family has taken a moral stand against that and has chosen to only survive on the blood of animals. Yes, their desire for blood is strong and real.  Yes, they could probably justify murder to fulfill their craving. But morality is a choice.  They have trained themselves to resist the deep desire for human blood by focusing on a higher truth that murder is wrong.

I like this quote because it's easy to transfer it to sexual desire. People think that is a deep pressing need that must be satisfied.  They seem to think they can't live without it.  But what about morality?  Where do we draw the line?  The Bible draws a number of clear lines on the subject. In crossing that line we risk going to far and ending up somewhere we never wanted to be.  Do you think first time drug users plan on ending up as the tweaker on the corner yelling at cars?  Sin only leads to destruction.  At what point in ignoring the law do you slip over that cliff and out of control?

So what if we have desires and attractions that if followed would be breaking God's law or maybe even civil law?  As I shared above, take those desires and talk to Jesus about them. Listen.  Let Him show you what His purpose is.  Maybe He'll show you heart wounds from your past and offer to heal them.  Maybe He'll point out lies you've been believing so you can renounce them and replace them with truth.  It's not always a quick and easy process, but I am proof it works.  My sinful desires disappeared as I went thought this process with Jesus.  I began to take control over my emotions and learn to live within God's boundaries for my life.  Boundaries are not slavery.  Boundaries are freedom! God is a good father and only wants what is best for His kids.  He has the best plan for our lives. Freedom and satisfaction are only found within the boundaries God has set out for us.

Guns & Violence & Jesus

I'm going to start off with the topic of guns/violence, since I started to talk about it in the previous post.  This is an issue where I differ from others in my various "groups."  I have to admit that I struggle with this one.  I can see and agree with two different stances.  I will try my best to just simply share my thought process here.  I don't totally have this one settled in my own heart and mind. (I'm not going to talk about the use of guns by other people, I'm approaching this from the angle of my own personal use, as I am the only person I can control)

The US Constitution acknowledges the right to bear arms in the 2nd amendment.  I get it.  It seems reasonable to me for people to have the right to protect themselves, their families, and their property.  I believe people have the right to hunt for their food, and when the nation was founded, that was probably a much more common use for a gun.  I believe the intent of the statement though was in regards to citizens enabled to stand against a tyrannical government, not hunting.  I do not disagree with the 2nd amendment in any way.

I love the book Ender's Game. (spoilers ahead)  The author dives deep into the thoughts of a super genius little boy.  At age 6, Ender is being bullied in school. He realizes that this bully won't stop because of kindness, or calm words, or any other method but a return of force.  So he fights back.  His intent is to not only win this fight, but all future fights as well. He goes all out and brutally beats the bully, going so far that the kid ends up dying.  I was intrigued by Ender's reasoning.  When it comes to certain individuals, or groups, or nations, they are so intent on murder, they won't be stopped by being nice.  That said, I do believe in trying diplomacy first.  Always try to settle issues before turning to violence.

I began thinking about foreign relations.  Islam is an ideology bent on world domination by either conversion or death.  The terrorists' idea of peace means that everyone is a Muslim.  So if someone refuses to convert, they are to be killed.  That kind of bully ideology isn't going to be changed by giving them money as some of our government agents have tried to do.  They haven't stopped.  This leads me to believe that they must be stopped from their rampant violent crusades by deadly force.  This seems to be the logical conclusion. To me, this seems like a justified reason to go to war.  

But.....
I am a Christian.  This leads me down a different path. Jesus didn't defend himself.  When they came to arrest Him, His friend Peter pulled out a sword and chopped off the ear of one of the soldiers. (He was probably aiming for his head)  Jesus didn't like this and put the man's ear back on and healed it.  He didn't defend Himself or fight back when they hauled Him off to be brutally beaten and crucified.  In His famous sermon on the mount, He challenged the idea of an eye for an eye, teaching instead to turn the other cheek and when forced to do something, go even further.  The example of Jesus does not line up with my human reasoning of justified defense or violence.

I realize the Old Testament is full of violent wars, but I have some different ideas on that as well. Some would suggest that all those tribes that Israel was told to kill off were made up of Nephilim.  The fallen angels corrupted the genetic line of man and therefore those people were abominations, not actual humans.  I've also heard a theory that God didn't actually tell them to go out and kill, but to let Him take care of them.  There are some stories where it is clear that God did the killing, no human assistance needed.  Jericho for one.  I read a book called Cross Vision by Gregory A. Boyd.  That's where some of these ideas came from. I don't totally buy into all that he said, not even recommending the book for anyone other than a mature believer.  I am just pointing to him as I ponder other ideas. Some of what he says makes a lot of sense.  God has been known to wipe out whole towns, (and once the whole earth) that had become so morally corrupt they were beyond repair. He is God.  He is Just. He is all knowing.  He gets to make those kinds of decisions, not me.

So where does that leave me?  Do I own a gun because I have the right?  No.  Do I get mad at fellow believers who do?  No.  Many of my good friends and respected leaders are gun owners who believe strongly in self defense.  Why not me?  I don't even kill bugs.  (except ants)  I hate to see any living creature hurt.  Yes, I realize that I do eat meat, but I don't like to think about where it comes from.  I don't believe I would be capable of shooting at a human being.  I think/hope I would be willing to sacrifice myself for another, but I can't imagine going so far as to kill a bad guy.  That seems too much like playing God to me.  I am not sold on the death penalty either.  Who am I to decide when someone's time is up?

A favorite exchange from the show Firefly... Shepherd Book is a preacher of sorts.  The crew is in a shootout and Zoe questions if his religion has something to say about killing people.  "Quite specific, it is however somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps."  I find this one quiet accurate.  If I had to, I would hopefully shoot to wound, not kill.

As I discussed my views with a friend, he asked a hard question.  He laid out a hypothetical situation where we were with another friend of ours and encountered a gunman with evil intent...  He asked, "what if I were shot, would you pick up my gun and defend our friend?"  My initial response was that I'd protect her and sacrifice myself, then I realized that would be pointless because once I was gone, he'd kill my friend anyway.  I guess we'd all be dead and in heaven, but our friends would be sad.  So maybe it's ok to get shot if we know we're saved.

What if you were thrown in the ring as a gladiator?  Is it ok to kill the other guy just because he's trying to kill you? Many would say self defense is a right. I think self preservation is a natural instinct, but as a Christian, we don't fear death.  Why prolong life if it means killing another person?  Stay alive just to be put through this horror again and again?  Why?  So, moving on, I don't think this scenario is too likely in this day an age.

That brings us to the topic of defense of others.  I pointed to how Jesus didn't defend Himself, but what about protecting the people around us.  That seems like a good idea in line with typical Biblical themes.  Jesus did rebuke Peter for defending Him, but was that an across the board standard, or just for that situation since Jesus knew this all had to happen?  The only other story that comes to mind is Jesus protecting the woman caught in adultery from the religious mob that wanted to stone her.  He didn't do it with violence though.

The story I think of is a more modern day tale.  The true story of the Machine Gun Preacher, made into a movie starring Gerard Butler.  As I recall, Sam Childers led a really rough life of crime and violence before getting saved.  He later went on a mission trip to Uganda and found his niche.  Sam learned of the LRA. Joseph Kony and his soldiers were kidnapping children and turning them into soldiers, forcing them to commit atrocious acts.  Brutal, disgusting, horrifying tortures inflicted on the communities he attacked.  This man decided he could use the skills he'd once used for evil to now protect the children, so he moved to Africa to protect an orphanage. The LRA was the kind of group that was only going to be stopped with violent force. The local army hadn't been able to stop him.  I can see no argument against protecting children from this kind of vile life destroying evil. The children are helpless.  It is our duty as adults to protect them from harm.  I find this part of the issue justified and right.

I think that is the extent of my pondering.  I enjoy having ethical debates with myself in the hours I spend driving around on my job.  I try to counter my own arguments.  I think through the conflicts in the movie I watched the day before.  I consider what might I have done? What is the right thing to do?  What might make doing the right thing more difficult?  I realize that in any given moment, making a quick decision is crazy difficult, so I like to think through as much as I can before that moment arrives. Fear is a powerful motivator, so if I were facing down a bad guy with a gun, would I grab my downed friend's gun and use it?  I don't know.

As I said, this is an issue that I still struggle in finding a solid ground for my values.  I hope and pray that I never have to make a choice like this, but if I do, God direct my moves.

How I Think About the Issues

Howdy!  It's been awhile since I wrote anything.  I've had so many things running through my head lately, topics too big to even think about writing out.  But I have to start somewhere.  So here goes...

I am a delivery driver, so I have a lot of time to do some deep thinking.  I like to think about current topics that are causing difficulty in our world.  I like to explore the "what if" questions.  I like to think about the suggested fixes that are thrown around and follow rabbit trails. I like to question the narrative.  I don't want to just blindly accept what I'm being told.  I like to think I have an open mind and am willing to at least consider other possible information.  I am aware that I cannot possibly know for sure about much of anything.  I'm not on the front lines, I'm not in the hospitals, I'm not in the President's private meetings...  I'm just looking at the information those in charge are giving us, and I'm applying my own personal knowledge and experience.  That's really all any of us can do.

So with that said, the point of my blog is to share my own thoughts on any given topic.  Public discourse these days is so volatile and pointless most of the time.  We can't get across all pertinent information in a meme or a Tweet.  The problem with actual discussion is that we often start in different places.  Successful debate requires some common ground, and when people start with wrong assumptions about the other person, or a completely different set of "facts," that common ground is difficult to find.  We've developed a system where the different sides have believed lies about the motives and beliefs of the other.  That doesn't allow for good healthy productive discussion.

I am going to try to sit down and write out my thoughts on a topic and hopefully others will read it and have a civil response to it.  It's difficult to explore every corner of a topic, so I would ask that no one extrapolate on what I've said to determine what I think on something I didn't mention.  If I didn't cover something, just ask me.  I also acknowledge that I don't know everything.  I can't.  I am working with limited knowledge, and I'm open to new knowledge that may alter my views.  If I don't know something, I can't include it in my thoughts.

To start, I want to talk about our assumptions.  When looking at a problem, I think we all want to start by finding the ideal result. Usually the two sides agree on the problem, but they don't always agree on the solution, so wild accusations start flying and nothing gets done.  So I want to look at the process on a topic.  I'm just focusing on the thoughts, not the actual issue.  This is just an example. Not all aspects are covered here.

Ex: Evil people are going into schools and shooting kids.  We don't want this to happen.
Now as we begin to try to solve this problem, I think we need to move from the ideal to the reality.  One solution that has been implemented is putting up "Gun Free Zone" signs.  OK, so let's talk about the assumption behind this solution. All people are good and law abiding, so everyone will obey this sign.  Um... Obviously that is not true.  Another solution some are suggesting is ban all guns.  This solution assumes that all people are bad and can't therefore be trusted with guns.  Again, the millions of legal gun owners who don't shoot people prove this assumption false as well.  It also assumes that criminals will turn in their guns.

So where does that leave us?  What is the truth about people?  Some personal beliefs come into play here.  I believe we all have a sin nature, so at base level we are selfish, but I also believe that we are capable of overcoming that selfishness to varying degrees.  We can make choices to put others first. We can sacrifice ourselves for another  This is the good in human nature.  The ability to overcome our worst qualities.  So I then believe that most people are mostly good.  I think the majority of the people I've met have good intentions and don't want to go around hurting others.  But there are a few that are allowing their evil side to rule, and those people are the reason we have these discussions.

A "Gun Free Zone" sign will work for good law-abiding people.  Background checks will work for people who haven't previously committed a crime. But somehow, felons are still able to get a gun, even just one day out of prison.  Not legally of course, and that is the point.  You can make all the laws in the world to stop law-abiding people, but by definition, criminals break laws.  After every shooting, the details emerge showing how many laws were broken, not even counting the murder laws.  Criminals break laws.

In seeking a solution, we must consider that there are many good people, and also a few bad ones.  We can ask people not to bring guns to school, but at the same time we have to be realistic and consider the possibility of encountering a bad person.  We have to have solutions in place for the low percentage "what if?"  We can't assume that all people are good, as well as also not assuming all people are bad.  We also can't assume a person is 100% good or bad either.  It just doesn't work that way.

Another angle to consider during the problem solving session is the "why?"  This one is much more difficult to deal with.  The shootings are a symptom.  The actual problem is deep and I don't think the secular world is capable of addressing it.  This part of the solution is on the church.  Psychiatrists and all those kinds of people can probably do some good, but ultimately, the issue is sin in the heart of man.  Government isn't going to do anything about that, so they just have to stick to the other parts of the problem.

I'm going to stop there because my purpose in this post is not to discuss the issue, but the thought process behind the solving of the issue.  I like to push people to think about how they think.  Ask the questions, find the motives and assumptions and apply them to the problem-solving.  We must be realistic as we search for ways to fix what is wrong in our world.

Please let me know if you liked what I've written here.  Share your own thoughts.  Thanks for stopping by.  Hopefully I'll be putting out more elaborate posts soon about the actual issues I'm thinking through.  😎

Free isn't Free

All this talk about Socialism lately has me spinning.  I can't understand why people support it.  It can't work.  Not when humans are involved.  You can't just have everything for free. 

When I learned about communism in school, back before the Cold War ended, I remember thinking that some of what they were teaching me sounded like the early New Testament church. 

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. Acts 4:32

But even as a kid, I had the smarts to consider that with a normal assortment of humans, this wouldn't work out well.  People are selfish.  I know I am.  The idea of everyone having what they need is great, and in small circles I think it could work, at least for awhile.  But people can't be forced to be good and generous.  There will always be someone who gets greedy, or someone who doesn't want to contribute.  I don't think that is a light bulb revelation.  Look around you.  

The news these days is full of stories of politicians or protesters demanding free stuff.  Healthcare should be free!  College should be free!  Housing should be free!  I should get paid more!  Everyone should get an income from the government!  --- But I don't see any of them acknowledging who should pay for it.  

The fact of the matter is, all those things they want for free require someone else to provide a service for them.  Should doctors work for free?  Should teachers teach for free?  Someone has to pay them to do the work you want to receive for free.  The protest is so lopsided.  "I deserve" drowns out "you deserve"  They want the government to pay?  Well, where does the government get its money?  Taxes from people who work for their money.  So bottom line is that these people want other people to do the work so they can get free stuff.  Not cool.  

I was watching The Orville last season, a Star Trek like show, and they visited a planet that resembled our current Earth.  They encountered the exchange of money and were a bit confused by it.  I never really thought about it before, but the Trek world seems to operate outside a monetary system.  Aboard the Starship, everyone has what they need, but everyone also works.  I question how plausible that scenario is.  How many of us would still go to our jobs if money was no longer needed?  If you were given everything you needed with no strings, wouldn't you rather hang out at home or with friends?  How could we maintain a livable society if people didn't have to work to earn things?  

There's a reason plumbers get paid a lot.  You have to up the reward to get someone to work with poop all day.  Basic logic.  The harder jobs are less desirable.  Incentive must be increased in order to fill many necessary jobs.  If we give everything for free, would anyone actually do these types of jobs or would garbage pile up in the streets and toilets overflow?  

I do realize there are people who need help, but I also recognize the value of earning your way.  I did get my college for free, but I also think I didn't value it.  We all know how many kids go off to college on someone else's dime and waste their time partying and don't value what they are being given.  "College is a fountain of knowledge and the students are there to drink." (I don't know who said this, I just heard it somewhere years ago) The students who pay their own way, or older adults who come back to school late in life tend to take it more seriously and actually get something out of it.  

Instead of just demanding that everything be free, I wish we could address why the cost is so high in the first place.  I just haven't seen anyone looking at that side of things.  Hospital stays are astronomically high.  We've all seen bills like this posted to social media.  I don't know how long this stay was for, but $72000 is beyond ridiculous for "room & board"!  I realize hospitals require a lot of money just to operate, so that is factored in, but I have trouble believing these kinds of totals are necessary.  Some say they bills are high because of malpractice insurance.  OK, could be, but can we deal with that?  Can we make better standards for what people can sue for?  I mean, there are known risks for any surgery right?  So to me that means you go into it knowing it could go badly and you agree to that risk.  You shouldn't be able to sue when a known risk that you were informed about happens.  If our judicial system could curb the ability of people to sue, maybe then the prices could come down.  Doctors get good salaries, and they should.  There is equipment to buy and janitors to pay, so I can understand the daily rate will be higher than a hotel, but I think we can all see that it's gone way beyond what is right.

Big Pharma is another one.  Why do they get to charge so much?  Seems like a mugging.  Your money or your life!  They tell people they need to take these expensive pills or they'll die / get worse/ live in pain etc.  They think it's ok to charge sky high rates because people will pay anything to stay alive? That's a problem. That is greed.  But Big Pharma gets away with anything because they have so much profit that they are lining the pockets of the politicians so they can continue on their merry way.  How can we stop that?  It's so wrong that these politicians are elected to jobs with a 6 figure salary, yet they still manage to make millions.  Pretty sketchy.  Being paid by anyone to influence the job they swore to do is evil.  I wish I knew how to stop political donations like that.  It's hard to expect the lawmakers to make laws against themselves getting more money.  

I struggle to find answers that work in my own mind.  I hate the idea of people dyeing or suffering because they can't afford care.  That is so wrong to me, but I don't know what to do about it.  I don't like the idea of forcing society to fork over more and more money to help others.  Now hear me, I'm not saying we shouldn't help the less fortunate, I'm saying we shouldn't force it. It seems we are being taxed more and more to pay for an ever expanding social welfare system.  

Many of us live paycheck to paycheck, unable to get ahead because of all the taxes coming out.  I understand the resentment of people who work so hard to barely survive as they look at those who don't work getting free stuff.  The system is broken.  Why should I work for my money and not be able to afford a smart phone and drive down the street to see those on government assistance getting them for free?  A smart phone is NOT a necessity! I lived with a flip phone until 2 years ago when my job required me to upgrade.  

This kind of thing is deepening the divisions in our nation.  Creating resentment and anger at the unfairness of people who get free stuff that isn't really free.  Someone else is paying for it.  I will admit I have pondered the idea of dropping out of work, shirking all responsibility and living off the system.  My conscience won't let me, but I do see the appeal.  Without an internal sense of right and wrong and fairness, why should people contribute to society if they can get their needs met for free?

That is where I see socialism going.  We've seen it throughout history, and still today.  There will always be greedy and selfish people who want to take what they want regardless of the cost to others.  We can't create a system that relies on the goodness of people.  Most people are good, but the few who aren't will ruin the whole deal.  We have to consider what is fair, and that is to make sure people are contributing in order to earn their way.  

If you're so concerned about the poor, what are you doing about it personally?  I know plenty of people are charitable.  If we had more in our paychecks because of less taxes, would we privately take care of all the issues we are currently asking our government to deal with?  I hope so, but it's hard to say.  

Taking God at His Word

I felt like I wanted to write out my thoughts on the kind of faith God has been challenging me to walk in.  It's been a journey that started 5 years ago.  God asked me to trust Him to provide for a basic need in my life.  I felt the challenge was to sit still and let Him do it, not run around trying to do it all myself.  That is not easy!  Let me tell you the story. 

I was living in Redding, CA.  I had moved there the year before and now was out of a home because I needed to bring my cats down to live with me now.  Some friends let me stay at their house for a few weeks and then I got an offer for a temporary place, just until the new batch of BSSM students showed up.  I was frantically searching all the ads for housing for months.  I think I actually started in January, knowing I would be needing a place soon.  I'm guessing I was in the temp home in June.  End of July, still no place to live and my deadline to be out is August 15.  Suddenly I felt like God was telling me to just stop.  Stop looking.  Stop answering ads.  Just stop.  Wait. Trust. 

My stress level went through the roof!!  Say what???  How can I find a place to live if I don't look and contact people?  But I was sure it was God, so I stopped.  It was not an easy season at all! 

But God showed up!  The deadline came.  I had all my stuff packed up and I was just sitting there waiting.  My homegroup friends were coming at 4:00 to get me, to take me back to their place if needed. Around 10:00 I got an email from someone I didn't know, asking if I needed a place to live.  Apparently she was someone I'd contacted a few months before.  I ran over to meet her roommates at noon and it was perfect!!  I didn't have to pay a pet deposit or anything!  So when my friends came to get me, I had a home to move to.  Yay God!!  It was a wonderful home for the next couple years of my time in Redding.  :)

This concept was on my heart.  After another trip to Uganda, I felt I was being challenged about my "rich man" status as an American.  We have so much here. We have so many options, so many back-up plans.  Lose your job?  Here's unemployment money.  Can't afford that new toy?  Here's a credit card.  Don't make enough money?  Here's subsidized housing...  You get where I'm going?  What if we didn't have all those safety nets?  The Ugandans don't.  I believe God was challenging me to get rid of the safety nets in my life. 

Money?  God says He is our Provider, so I stopped using my credit cards.  Working part time at Target is not a high income job.  But I decided to trust that He would make sure I had enough.  When my car broke down, the temptation came to use the credit card.  But when I settled in my mind to stick to what God had asked of me, the bill came back within my price range, or sometimes even free!  I always had enough. 

What about doctors?  God says He's our Healer, so what if I rely on Him alone?  Shortly after I moved to Redding I noticed a painful bump on my gum above my front tooth.  I went to a dentist (before this trust God process started) and was told I needed a root canal, but also a bridge replacement since the affected tooth was holding up one side of my fake tooth.  I said no.  I decided to believe God for healing.  I went in to the Healing Rooms at Bethel every week and got prayed for.  Did it get healed?  Well, it's still there, but 6 years has passed now.  The fake tooth fell out a few months ago, but I feel fine.  I haven't been to a dentist or doctor in years! 

The time came when I decided to move to a new city.  My best friend grew up there so she was trying to help me find a place.  She got me a home for about 3 weeks, then I had to be out because their son was coming home for Thanksgiving.  I believed God was leading me there, so I moved with only a short term home.  The time came, no permanent home, but another family in the church offered me a place temporarily.  After a week, I was able to go back to the first home.  Then shortly I was offered the home I'm in now.  Trusting God to provide was easier this time.

The more times I choose to trust, the more of His amazing Love and care I get to experience.  This verse above is the key.  This is His promise to His kids.  According to HIS riches, He will supply all our needs.

I actually believe that as long as we are stressing and striving to meet our own needs, He lets us.  I think that is why for some, it doesn't work out.  :(  That's just my opinion, but I don't really want to test that theory since the other way has been working out for me.  ;) So here's some more stories that might be called miraculous. 

When I returned from my 4th Uganda visit, I had been unemployed for about 9 months.  I was broke.  But again, I heard God say "wait."  Don't go looking for a job.  Here we go again!  Within a couple days of setting my heart to wait on Him, a friend from Redding contacted me, telling me that his boss was looking for a driver in my area.  I met the boss and was hired immediately.  The job paid more than I've ever made before, and was not very many hours of work.  Yay!  I suddenly had more than I needed financially and I loved the job!  This job gave me the ability to send a lot more to my Ugandan family than ever before, plus many other needs as I ran across them. 

When tax season rolled around, my "self-employed" status had not been fully explained to me, so I owed about $1000 more than I had anticipated.  With one month til tax day, I was not sure what to do.  I had started driving for Lyft and Uber, so I hit that hard, trying to make up the difference.  I had to pay my tax guy, so I started to reach for the credit card... But then I remembered.  In a step of faith, I paid the tax guy with a check instead.  By the time tax day came, I had paid my taxes, and also bought new tires at about $400!  I looked back and my driving had only earned me about $600 and that's before taking out all the gas money it cost me to do it.  So with less than $500 extra income, I still paid out $1600 above what I had thought I had!  I call that a math miracle!

That brings me to today.  My current situation is messy.  My employer has gotten about 2 months behind in paying me.  He bounced another paycheck and took over a month to return that money to me.  The bounce caused me to be unable to pay my quarterly taxes and with only one paycheck received since the bounce, I'm pretty broke.  People around me are telling me to quit, report him, sue him....  But I believe God is telling me to wait and trust.  So I keep working.  Then last week my car quit working.  My car is my job. I am a delivery driver.  So no income, no car.  Yes, I've been stressed out.  Yes, this is hard.  But I still believe. 

The bounced check happened on June 6, I received one check on June 18 and I got the check replacement cashed on July 20. (I'm supposed to get 2 paychecks/mo)  No bill has gone unpaid!  I've always had enough when the due date came.  I have food, I have gas in my car.  People started handing me money.  To date I have been given $600!!  I am blown away by God's people and their generosity toward me in my time of need!  The car repairs came to $610.  So, with my lack of income, barely able to pay my bills, God took care of this extra expense that hit me.  Wow! 

I had 2 different cars I was able to borrow while my car was out of commission.  Friends showed up to help me out every time I broke down!  I was blessed by the generosity of both time and money of my friends and family.  God supplies for our needs through His people some of the time, and through math miracles at others.  But the bottom line is.... He does supply all our needs.  I'm still in the midst of this struggle, but I have complete confidence in my God that He will take care of me!!

This last one is something He led me to via seeing 14:14 on the clock often.  This is one of my favorite promises. This is what I remind myself of every time the stress comes around. 

Be still.  

Rest in Him.  

Trust Him.  

He's got this!     

I Believe in Freedom

I believe in Freedom.  I believe that our Founding Fathers wrote up a brilliant framework upon which our nation would become great.  I believe they had freedom in mind as they did so.  As we approach the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, I find myself thinking about that freedom they dreamed of. 

We have a lot of laws these days.  A lot.  Do any of us know them all?  I wonder how many we break on a daily basis.  Some people look at laws as shackles, but I believe laws are meant to provide safety and freedom.  At least, that was their initial purpose.  I think we've left that path in some ways and begun to make laws to force people to do things against their own free will.  That is getting sticky. 

When I was in High School, I took a class that sent me back to my old elementary school to be an aide to a teacher.  The class was meant for those who were thinking of pursuing teaching as a career.  The schools had recently developed a new system and I found it to be a good way to do things.  They had thrown out all the old rules and instead had just one rule that would essentially cover all the old rules.  "No one has the right to interfere with the learning or safety of others."  I like it!  I have often considered this rule as I moved through life.  I think about it while I'm driving.  (Obviously we're not so worried about interfering with learning, but that word can be adjusted to fit the situation.)  Maybe in general we can just substitute the word FREEDOM.  Don't get in the way of someone else's freedom or safety. 

Freedom has to go both ways.  If I want freedom, I have to also extend freedom.  Too much of what happens in today's legal chaos is attempting to squelch the freedom of one group in favor of that of another.  It just can't happen that way, and that's where things get dicey.  Our "hot button" topics are usually ones where people have a different view of morality.  One person wants to make laws against behavior that others don't see as wrong.  It gets messy really fast. 

I think the most obvious issue is homosexuality.  I am Christian, so my Bible says it's a sin.  That isn't my opinion, it's what the book says.  (Whether the book is Divinely inspired or not or correctly translated is a separate issue.)  But as I believe it is, and I believe God is good, I hold the belief that when He calls something sin, we should avoid that behavior because it is harmful to us. 

So where does freedom come in?  If I stick to my belief that I have to extend freedom, then I come to the place where I have to say that if someone chooses that path, they are free to do so.  I'm not out trying to make laws to stop people from participating in homosexual relationships.  Yes, I know that some Christians are out there doing that, but I am not.  This is where intellectual consistency has to come into play. 

I believe God gave us freedom to choose.  Our choices have natural consequences, so we should try to choose wisely.  Contrary to popular belief, God is not sitting up in Heaven waiting to chuck lightning bolts at anyone who commits a sin.  That's just silly.  He gives us free will, and our choices decide how our lives play out.  So if God does that, shouldn't I do it too? 

It gets more difficult when some people decide to try to force their way on someone else.  It is tempting to fight back and try to hurt them or make laws to control them.  Just as they don't want us telling them how to live, we don't want them forcing us to do something that feels like participation in something we believe to be wrong.  We see it happening.  It isn't right.  Put the shoe on the other foot.  When these cake baking stories started hitting the news, I saw an interview with a lesbian couple who owned a t-shirt shop.  They spoke up in defense of the Christian cake bakers.  They saw the dilemma behind the decision.  They put up another example to show why they believed in the Christian baker's freedom to decline.  What if the Westboro Baptist "church" came in and wanted this lesbian couple to make shirts for one of their hateful anti-gay protests?  We must have the freedom to not participate in behavior we think is wrong. It is anti freedom to use the government to force someone to participate in something that goes against their conscience.  If their opinion is wrong, let the free market decide that.

In California currently there is a bill working thru the system that is wanting to make it illegal to sell resources with the intent of changing someone's sexual orientation from gay to straight.  They want to call it "consumer fraud," indicating that it isn't possible.  30 people spoke to the legislature who were formerly gay.  Considering what a super minority there must be of such a demographic, that seems like a pretty good number representing a particular idea.  Even faced with this kind of proof, the representatives are still voting for the bill.  I consider this a huge anti freedom move by the California legislature.  Freedom says that if someone wishes to change an aspect of their life to fit their personal moral code, they have the right to do so.  Whether the government believes that change is possible, or even necessary, should not even be considered.  We as individuals should be able to choose our own path, as long as we are not interfering with the freedom and safety of others.  Whether a person chooses to live as a gay or a straight should not be governed by human laws.   

I'm not perfect.  But I like to sit and ponder situations.  I like movies that present ethical dilemmas.  What would I do if. ...?  I think it is important to think about freedom and how we can better facilitate the freedom of others.  When I feel an injustice against me or someone like me, how can I maintain freedom for all while seeking justice?  I think these are important things to consider as we participate in this race we call human.