Reactions

Trump is doing two things that many on the left should support.  

He’s pulling troops out of Syria and signing a crime bill that will adjust sentencing for non violent offenders.  

I’m guessing that very few will be able to put aside their hatred of the man to honesty evaluate the actions.  

Can we know things?

I regularly hear people question our ability to "know' something, and see demands for "proof" of whatever is being discussed.   The ultimate questions being raised are really about how we "know" things and is it really possible to "know" things.   This is a small excerpt from a good answer to the questions of "knowing". 

"Third, being less than 100% certain doesn’t mean we can’t truly know. We can have

highly plausible or probable knowledge, even if it’s not 100%

certain. We can know confidently and truly, even if not absolutely or exhaustively.

The problem with global skeptics is they have set the standard for knowledge way too high, which ironically leads to the very skepticism they are engaging in!  There is no compelling reason to embrace the skeptic’s dubious assumptions"

http://www.paulcopan.com/articles/pdf/How_do_you_know_you%27re_not_wrong.pdf

Poor Jesus

This time of year, we hear many folx who use the birth narrative of Jesus as a means to advance a political agenda relating to the poor and homeless.  Specifically, the claim is that Joseph and Mary  were forced into the stable because they were "homeless".

The problem with this narrative is that it isn't consistent with the story.

In the story, Joseph and Mary were forced to leave their home in Nazareth and travel to Bethlehem due to a census.  The reason for the census was to imposed additional taxes on the people who lived in territory captured by Rome.  One could reasonably say that the "tax and spend" policies of the emperor and his subordinate government officials were the only reason why Joseph and his family were in Bethlehem.   (That and prophecy)

The reality of Jewish custom is that Joseph either had, or was in the process of building a home for his family in Nazareth, when a tax hungry government forced him to visit Bethlehem temporarily. 

The situation in Bethlehem wasn't that they were homeless, it was that the forced census (to tax people) had caused a temporary shortage of temporary lodging.  Similar to all the hotels in a town being full during a large event.

Finally, was Jesus "poor"?   Great question.  The simple answer is that we don't know.  It seems safe to say that his family wasn't "rich", but beyond that we really have nothing concrete on which to base any dogmatic claims.   We know that Joseph was a builder, but beyond that, not much. 

I don't deny that it makes a nice story, but I'm not sure the story squares with what we know.

Just in case people don’t actually read the post, I’m specifically referring to the birth narrative and the   condition of Jesus family at that point.  Clearly He laid aside riches and power unimaginable in the incarnation.  Just as clearly, during the period of His active ministry He had virtually no earthly possessions.  Those things are clear from the text.  It’s the part of His life where the text is  silent and fold want to impose an agenda that I’m speaking of.

Question

I'm wondering if anyone can come up with any circumstance where it would be appropriate for an 11 year old girl to dance at a nightclub full of heterosexual men and have them throw dollar bills at her?

Crisis

Both our local TV and newspaper have run stories over the last couple of days about a shortage of police officers, the newspaper headline called it a crisis.  

In the last couple of years, we’ve had a precinct house under siege for an extended period of time, complete with Molotov cocktails being lobbed over the fence, we’ve had large chunks of concrete dropped on cops from bridges, and a large percentage of the population who isn’t shy about referring to the PD as “racist”.    How can we forget the “fry em like bacon”

Given that reality, what would prompt anyone to seriously consider becoming a cop?   I’m sure there will be some folx who want to fill some diversity slots, but I can’t imagine any rational person signing up for what our local police have dealt with.  

Good luck filling those slots.

Untitled

“The older I get, the more I'm enamored with the fact that in the Christian message, the story of Bethlehem–leading to Calvary and to the empty tomb–is the only one that gives to us not only the answers, but even helps us justify our questions.”

Ravi Zachariahs

“the promise of love & grace in our lives is this: our worst day isn’t bad enough, and our best day isn’t good enough. we’re invited because we’re loved, not because we earned it.” 

Bob Goff

“Loving people means caring without an 
agenda. As soon as we have an agenda, it’s not love anymore.” 

Bob Goff 

“A moral standard must remain the same or it is not a moral standard”

G.K. Chesterton

“Jesus never promised to eliminate all of the chaos from our lives; He said He'd bring meaning to it.”

Bob Goff

What a crazy idea.

“Find someone you think is wrong, someone you disagree with, someone who isn’t like you at all, and decide to love that person the way you want Jesus to love you.”

What if this was our response to those on the other side of the political aisle?    What if we loved like Jesus, sacrificially, instead of swearing like drunken sailors?    

I can’t promise I’ll do this, I’ll certainly fall short, but it seems like an ideal to strive for.  

I can’t remember

Very often we’ll hear people who have left their Christian faith say something like, “I’ve been hurt by the church.”.   I believe I understand some of the pain that would lead someone to say that, but I disagree.

The Church doesn’t hurt us.   Broken, sinful, imperfect humans in the church can and do hurt us.  Sometimes grievously.  

I had occasion to think about this yesterday as a wound I thought was healed up, got opened yesterday along with the pain, came anger and bitterness.

The hurt and anger I feel is real and even somewhat justified, but I need to not blame the church, and I need to work on how I respond and forgiveness.

It sucks, but it’s where I am right now.

Movie Review, sort of.

I saw Bohemian Rhapsody last night and really enjoyed it.  Queen is a band that I casually listened to earlier in life, but have grown to appreciate more as I've gotten older. 

What struck me the most was watching this guy who had "everything", loving family, loving wife, talent, friends, success, literally all the things society says make us successful and happy.   Yet, he was so lonely and sad.  Watching him try to fill that hole with sex, drugs, alcohol, control, "friends" (really hangers on), while ignoring and mistreating those who cared about him really saddened me.

I honestly can't imagine the level of loneliness that would drive someone into such self destructive behavior, yet I know that one of my kids faces similar struggles, and it just breaks my heart to think about how difficult it is.

The last few years have been pretty crappy in my life, but I am constantly thankful for my family, my friends, my co workers, and my faith.  I'm especially thankful for the miracles I've seen and for seeing God show up in tangible ways.   I'm thankful that I don't struggle with the kind of loneliness and sadness that Freddie Mercury suffered, or the depression and anxiety that my son suffers from, yet it it tears me up to watch the destruction that those things bring to others.

I just need to keep praying that God will comfort those people who are lonely, sad, depressed, and anxious, and that I'll be sensitive enough to say and do the right things when I encounter people like that in my life.

Back to the movie.  I was surprised at how emotionally I reacted to seeing Freddie Mercury humble himself, mend his relationships with family, friends, and band mates in the aftermath of being diagnosed with AIDS.  While it's a shame that it sometimes takes something tragic to remind us of what's important, but I appreciate the restoration that they experienced.

I'm probably over analyzing this movie, but so what.  It's my blog and if I want to get overly sentimental, I  think I can.

Dan

After all the “Russian troll”, “bot”, “fake news” hullabaloo you’ve thrown up over the last few months, and your alleged doubts that I’m a “real person”, I had the following revelation.  The first specific mention of you on my blog, was in July of 2009.   I’m sure that wasn’t the first time we “talked”, so it’s safe to say that we’ve spent the last decade communicating via multiple blogs as well as via email.    At no time during that decade did you ever so much as hint that I wasn’t a “real person”.   When you offered condolences at my father’s sudden death you certainly appeared to be sincerely responding to a real person’s loss and pain.  When you’ve offered to pray for me, you appeared to be responding to real situations in the life of s real person.   A real person who you had an ongoing relationship with (not face to face, but a real relationship nonetheless).

So now when you say that you think I’m a “Russian troll” or any of the other attempts to dehumanize me after 10 years, I say it must be one of two things.

1.   It’s simply a tactic to dehumanize your opponent and to give you an excuse to delete comments that challenged you (while lying about the content of the deleted comments), and to dodge and avoid when it was convenient.

Or

2.  You are one of the most incredibly gullible, stupid people on the face of the earth if you got taken in for a decade.

Or

2a.   I’m the most amazing Russian troll ever (starting years before “Russian troll” was even a thing) and I led you by your gullible little nose for a decade.

Whatever the truth is, if you think that anyone believes that you honestly entertained the “Russian troll” notion seriously, your just lying to yourself.

I suspect that you’re thrilled with all the attention on you, and getting to “make me” accede to your silly demands.   I truly believe you are a real person with some really unhealthy needs for control and attention.   I hope that the perverse satisfaction you must be getting is worth it.

Finally, none of this would even be a particularly big deal if you hadn’t spent the majority of the decade we’ve known each other being so vociferous against lies, “slander”, and various other affronts to your perceived integrity.   As it so often does, it comes back to you applying the same standards to yourself as you do to others.

Thoughts after a long day.

I’ve been thinking a lot as I’ve watched people react to things over the past few days.  From the liberals who feel the need to trash Bush 41, to the conservatives who’ve trashed Lauren Daigle , to the ongoing parade of people spewing vile threats at D Loesch, to so much of social media.    What I’ve noticed is how many of those spewing vitriol claim to be Christian.    Some probably even think that Jesus would act like they do and say the things that they say.   I ask, “Really?”

I saw someone  who identifies as a progressive christian refer to Donald Trump as a “damned piece of s###”, in the context of “loving our enemies”.   I believe that when this person sees Trump,they literally see a “piece of s###”.    But I think that when Jesus sees Trump (even with all of his many faults, failures, and sins), the Jesus sees someone made in the very image of God who has intrinsic worth and value.   I’m pretty sure Jesus wouldn’t lead with “piece of s###”.

I’ve heard people say things like Jesus said some harsh things to the Pharisees, but most of those were descriptive, not demeaning.  “Blind guides and whitewashed tombs” we’re describing their leadership failures and their hypocrisy.    Even Jesus rampage through the temple courts wasn’t an attack on the people as much as their actions.   It was also a clear claim of divine authority.   Ultimately the problem with the folx who say “Well, if Jesus did it, it must be okay for me.” miss a couple of important points.   One, they don’t have the authority or sinless life that Jesus had.  Two, they ignore how Jesus actually treated people who were “ enemies”.    Tax collectors, Roman military officers, Pharisees, prostitutes, even Pilate, were treated with love, gentleness and respect.   Sure, Jesus didypull any punches, certainly called sin for what it was, but did it with enough love that the centurion that killed Him came away changed.    Jesus left people changed, and he didn’t start with “you’re a piece of s###”.  

If I want an example of loving your enemies, “Father forgive them, they don’t k is what they’re doing.”  seems a lot more Christlike than you “piece of s###”.

I don’t think any one of the people I’ve seen take the “POS” approach to loving their enemies, has any standing at all to call someone created in the very image of God a piece of excrement.

I get that we disagree, I get that it gets heated, but if you’re going to claim the name of Christ, why not act more like him when confronting your enemies on social media.

In closing, I’m sure I’m not innocent of this sort of thing, I try, but sometimes I fail.   Am I as bad as some, probably not, but I don’t think being slightly less hateful than the other guy is a major accomplishment.   I also don’t think I get points for not writing down what my mind thinks I should.

Love God, love other people just seems so much more worth pursuing than “XYZ is a damned piece of s###”

Ouch

This is what a progressive thinks of the DFL candidates for 2020.    

If the economy continues strong, Trump will be reelected. The Democrats (my party) have been in chaos since the 2016 election and have no coherent message except Trump hatred. Despite the vast pack of potential candidates, no one yet seems to have the edge. I had high hopes for Kamala Harris, but she missed a huge opportunity to play a moderating, statesmanlike role and has already imprinted an image of herself as a ruthless inquisitor that will make it hard for her to pull voters across party lines.

Screechy Elizabeth Warren has never had a snowball’s chance in hell to appeal beyond upper-middle-class professionals of her glossy stripe. Kirsten Gillibrand is a wobbly mediocrity. Cory Booker has all the gravitas of a cork. Andrew Cuomo is a yapping puppy with a long, muddy bullyboy tail. Both Bernie Sanders (for whom I voted in the 2016 primaries) and Joe Biden (who would have won the election had Obama not cut him off at the knees) are way too old and creaky.

I’d be shocked to see it be successful, but hopefully there will be an actual conservative from the GOP who can take Trump down in the primary.

Fortunately, up here in the People’s Republic, it doesn’t matter what the DFL runs, they’ll vote like sheep for the party.  

You don’t actually have to have read the Bible to spout theological wisdom

“The virgin birth story is about an all-knowing, all-powerful deity impregnating a human teen. There is no definition of consent that would include that scenario. Happy Holidays”

You just have to be a progressive,sex obsessed, psychology professor, with no idea what your talking about.  

Well said

“AMERICAN

An identity based not on gender,race,ethnicity or religion. But on the powerful truth that all people are created equal with a God given right to life,liberty & the pursuit of happiness.”

Who would have thought

 Who would have thought, that monomaniacal, irrational, obsessive, political hatred would drive someone who claims to be a Christian and to follow the way of Jesus Christ to the point where they would deny simple common courtesy to a fellow believer?  Who would have thought that it would be unreasonable to ask for an apology after it’s been demonstrated that someone has been intentionally, and repeatedly telling lies about another believer?  Who would’ve thought, a simple request to respect the privacy of one’s personal information, and not to share it with any third parties, would be so controversial.     Open till today, I certainly wouldn’t have, but I guess we’ll see what happens when one’s sense of respect, grace, honesty, and honor get sacrificed on the altar of political hatred.

Despite all of this, I decided to reach out and once again accede to the demands.   A look at history tell me this is likely a mistake, but I feel like someone needs to be an adult.  

I guess we’ll see if an apology is forthcoming, and what the next excuse to delete me is.

 Apparently, I’ve gotten my answer. The comment I left telling him that I had given into his demand, a comment left after I reached out to him in the manner he demanded, was deleted.  

Racist?

Can someone explain how the announcer on the Dan LeBatard show with the exaggerated, fake sounding, stereotypical “Mexican” accent isn’t racist?

My Team

I had to watch a situation unfold with the football team I’ve followed for years this past week and I’ve gone through a bunch of different phases as I’ve followed the news.

First,  surprise that someone who seemed like a pretty good guy, could have engaged in the behavior we saw on the video.

Two, wondering how Hunt could be that stupid.

Three, shock that the Chiefs moved quickly and decisively to do the right thing and release Hunt. Combined with the offer to work with Hunt to get the help he needs.

Four, hope that this wouldn’t ruin a great season for a bunch of other people, realization that the season should be secondary.

But, I saw a really interesting take today that really made me wonder.  

If feminism is really true, that there are no differences between men and women.  If gender is exclusively a “social construct”.   If men and women are to be treated equally in all things.   Why is this the exception?   Had a dude done what has been reported to Hunt, no one (except those who hold to a strict no excuses pacifism), no one would have batted an eye.

In a world where gender is a choice, where biological males physically dominate women’s sporting events and are celebrated for it, why is this the one exception?  

I was raised in a patriarchal society, and was told over and over again that it was completely beyond the pale to hit women.   That women and men were different.   But now I’m told that was all wrong, except in certain limited circumstances, which (coincidentally) happen to favor women.    Is it different if it’s a dude “transitioning” to a chick?

Personally I’ll stick to “you don’t hit girls”, and let the feminists, the trans’s, and the rest fight it out.

Oh, I’ll keep pulling for the Chiefs and contending that they handled this situation as well as they could have.

An exclusive gospel

I regularly see people expound a gospel that is directed to “the poor”.   I further see the term “the poor” defined in a way that includes only material wealth.   Now, given the reality of Jedus ministry as a whole, the entirety of the OT, and what we know of the first century Church, it’s absurd to suggest that salvation is only for “the poor”.  Further, given the lack of programs to eliminate poverty on a broad scale and Jesus’ own world about “the poor” always being “with us”, it seems both lazy and shoddy interpretation to take several texts out of context as a pretext to advocate secular government policy regarding poverty and immigration.  

The indisputable fact is that there is no way to state with 100% certainty that these prooftexts refer only to material poverty.   There is further no rational way to conclude that Jesus was spreading a gospel that excluded people based on such a transitory measure.  

The very fact that people are making these sorts of claims from the US, using an internet connected computer or smart phone means that those making the claims are excluding themselves from the gospel.      The fact that these arguments are usually made by people who emphatically deny the presence of rules in scripture, and who automatically dismiss any attempt except their own to proceed vide a biblical basis for things, can just be filed under evidence of embracing a double standard.

Finally, the fact that these claims are virtually always made in the context of reasons to make sweeping changes in government policy, seems to indicate the desire for some degree of progressive christian theocracy.