CXVII. The difference between knowledge and wisdom

There is a huge problem in this world today and the reason has finally come to light.  There is a difference between what we know as knowledge and wisdom.  But the world doesn't know the difference and worse yet, it fuses them as one and use them interchangeably.   When the world does this they lose out on the meanings of life and feel they are more superior than they actually are.

First of all what are these things?  Knowledge is just simply gathering of information and collecting details to understand a topic.  Wisdom is the practice of using the knowledge gained and finding ways to succeed with that information.  Most knowledge can be gained by books and studying. Wisdom can be gained by experience and observations.  Knowledge is intellect.  Wisdom is instinct. Knowledge is information.  Wisdom is common sense.

Someone can be very knowledgeable and very wise.  One does not take away from the other.  However, they also can both be lacking in an individual.  An example of this can be seen here:  Knowledge is knowing that electric currents have both positive and negative charged particles.  Wisdom is knowing not to put your finger in a light socket.  To have both of these is best.  To have neither of these will kill you.  To have the knowledge only takes you so far.  To have the wisdom even without the knowledge is a gift.

As dumb as that example was believe it or not there are people in this world that will not understand the difference.  Many people today (especially Millennials) do no have common sense.  That is society's fault.  We have been pushing math and science, which in and of themselves are great, onto our children without teaching them common sense along side these topics.  This age group gets all the information.  They have all the knowledge and think they know everything but when it comes to common sense they lack it all.

Our society doesn't value common sense anymore.  We teach gun laws.  We teach "love".  We teach using computers.  We teach history.  We teach physics.  But we do not teach common sense that is needed with these.  Such as we can pass any kind of gun law we want but if someone still doesn't understand why guns are here and when you should use them then it doesn't matter.  We can teach about love and what it means to people but if we don't teach common sense about what to do in relationships then it doesn't matter.  We can teach with computers but if we don't teach common sense about when you should use them (such as don't use them for every conversation) then it doesn't matter.

What we have done over the years is deny that common sense is of any value.  But common sense is something the human race has always needed to survive.  Where does wisdom come from?  It is supposed to come from our older generations.  This is why the Bible says in Job 12:12 that wisdom belongs to the aged.  And Proverbs 20:29 says the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.  But we disrespect our older generations.  Those who are "the greatest generation", the baby builders, are now the silent generation.  They are now pushing 80 at the least.  We shun them aside.  We make fun of their dementia and wheelchairs.  They have wisdom to pass on.

But the problem started with the baby boomers.  And baby boomers are the largest group of liberlas there are.  They threw away the wisdom their parents had and started down this road of knowledge only.  The technological age had begun.  They started to rely upon their own intellect and disregarded any wisdom, especially spiritual wisdom.  Liberalism stresses intellect or "knowledge".  They come into complete opposition of people of religion that stresses wisdom.  Granted some of the wisdom is misguided.  But the baby boomers became friends to their children instead of parents; allowing their children to "make up their own minds" for fear of interfering with their individuality or for fear of allowing spirituality coming into any conversation.  The Generation Xers are lost and have been skipped over to the generation that is so filled with "information" it consumes them.  The Millennials are eaten alive by their phones and social media.

Texting, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube...information, information information.  Knowledge (or what they think is knowledge) is all around them.  They soak it all in but they have no idea how to use that knowledge.  They think just because they have access to this information that they know it all.  One day their knowledge won't matter.  Maybe this why the Bible says that one day knowledge will cease in 1 Corinthians 13:8.  They will gain so much knowledge that it won't matter anymore.  In Daniel 12:4 it says that knowledge will increase in the end times.  But even with Bible scripture some know what it says but do not understand the wisdom behind it.

This is the last generation.  This generation has no clue about wisdom.  They don't want to hear it.  They think they know everything.

CXVI. Why do School shootings happen?

School shootings are not the problem.  They are a result of something bigger.

As with every new school shooting the two sides of the 2nd Amendment argument start to rear their ugly heads.  And it's the same argument each time.  One side says that guns should be regulated and we wouldn't have these issues if guns were off the streets.  The other side says that these things will still happen even if no one had guns and guns are the only things that stop the criminals.  Both sides are correct and both sides are idiotic.

These things will keep going on because we don't understand the problem.  Most are blaming the wrong things.   We fail to recognize that we are only treating the symptoms without addressing the disease.  Most don't even know the difference.  To every disease there are a few things we need to know about it.  There is a direct cause for the disease.  The disease shows symptoms.  Other factors come into play that affect the way the disease spreads. And then we have to deal with the results.  But just like any disease it could have been prevented if we know the cause.  Like most diseases it can be treated.  Like some diseases we can control the factors.  But once it gets this far, like no disease it can be stopped.

Here are the steps of the disease, in reverse order.

• The results---Death.  We have mass carnage that we have to deal with.  We have families that are torn apart.  We have children who are traumatized for life.  We have schools who feel unsafe and fear grips us.  Others get angry and start to blame the factors or symptoms.  We offer prayers.  We grieve.  And then we move on until it happens again.
• The factors---Blame.  We tend to blame these and feel as though dealing with these is the answer.  This is not to say that we should not be dealing with these because we should, but this will not solve the whole problem.  We shouldn't just blame these and feel justified.  Mental illness is a factor.  We live in a world that has fallen and mental illness is a result of that.  Bullying is a factor.  We live in a world where the stronger feel that they can control others through intimidation  Worshiping the famous is a factor.  We uplift those who are famous and want to be like them.  When others get attention it causes some to desire that infamy.  People get famous for the news they make.  Some even do it on social media and get paid millions of dollars for posting videos of how stupid they are.  That brings in the fact that social media is a factor.  It just adds into the infamy, bullying and worshiping that has already been mentioned.  And perhaps that biggest factor is how lazy we have become with parenting.  Adults who have children are no longer in the lives of their children.  They don't get  involved.  They don't ask.  They don't share in their feelings.  And they don't know what is going no in their lives.  Children have no guidance.  But all of these are results of the symptoms.
• The symptoms---Selfishness.  Guns are a symptom.  But it's not what you think.  The argument of "guns don't kill people, people kill people" and "yes, but if the person didn't have a gun then the gun wouldn't be a problem" is always brought up.  Look, both have good valid points.  If there were less guns then there would be less gun violence, period.  And yes, the gun in and of itself sitting there will not kill anyone. All should know about gun safety.  Blah, blah, blah.  Overall the gun is not the issue.  Freedom to own a gun is not the issue.  The issue about guns and what makes it a symptom is the fact that some feel the need to have a gun.  Guns have been around for 600 years.  It's only the last 50 years that the problem has been around and has escalated in the last 20 years.  The feeling we need to have a gun is the issue and a symptom.  The entitlement attitude is a symptom.  Some feel they need to have things and that they deserve things and the should have it now.  This causes self and instant gratification.  We become disrespectful of traditions, order, wisdom, and authority.  The main symptom is our selfishness.  But this selfishness is caused by the disease.
• The disease---Our culture.  We live in a world that has lost its purpose.  This disease has a cause.
• The cause---We lack love.  But even more we don't know what love is.  We have masked love as tolerance and acceptance.  We say that we love our partners, spouses, significant others, but too many times it's only lust.  We have so many distorted ideas of love that we feel love is only temporal.  Love is conditional.  We treat love as though it is okay to be apathetic.

The problem is that we think we can change the result if we find a cure.  But our cure to all of this is with anger and loud voices.  We can protest, write letters, run for office or whatever all we want.  We blame the factors by making wild claims and forget the other side.  We treat the symptoms by passing laws.  We get paralyzed by the results and settle for non-action.  We need to address the disease by acknowledging the cause.

The cure is true love.  True love is patient, kind, doesn't envy, doesn't boast, and isn't proud.  It's doesn't disrespect, or is self-seeking.  It is not easily angered.  It forgives.  It doesn't like evil but it rejoices in the truth.  It protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.  True love lays down its life for its friends.

Until we know this kind of love, the disease spreads.

CXIV. Millennial Christianity

There is definitely a generation gap when it comes to life in the United States. There are four prominent age groups in today's world. Strangely enough these generations are gapped due to worldly events. These events shape the value system and the direction the country goes when they are in charge. Each generation has an issue with the others. This has probably always been true throughout human history but the past 100 years has proven to be spiraling out of control.

The oldest, that are disappearing quickly due to natural causes is what many will call the Silent Generation, or the Baby Builders. Give or take a few years this generation are those born anywhere between 1914 and 1945. The events that define this generation are the two world wars. Those who were born in the era had their parents go to a world war; one that was supposed to "end all wars", one that included 3 continents for the first time in history, one that included machines as weapons, and one that saw the human race fight in the air for the first time. It was a time of change. The end of their generation saw them fight in their own war; one that was even worse, one that showed us how bad humans have become. We harnessed the power of the sun and almost wiped out a whole people. We saw governments rise to the extreme. We saw the world divide and the goodness of people was tested. This generation lived through the great depression. They know how to live on a budget and get through it if they could not afford it. They survived. They found fun wherever they could. They danced with swing music. They knew the value of work and how to persevere. They are the ones if you go to their homes they have stockpiles of items they feel they need and even some they do not. They value family. They sat at the table. They listened to the news on radio and discussed what they heard. They know what it is like to love a country and value its freedom. They remained loyal to values. Presidents born during this time period were Kennedy, Carter, and Bush. These were the last of the presidents who actually served a full-time stay in the military. They ruled with their values. They took their generation and tried to preserve it like the way they were taught. And most of all this generation loved God. They took the Bible literally. Many didn't question anything the word said. Unfortunately, they didn't understand what the word said either. But they tried.

The next generation, those who are in charge of the world today (and now you know why it is in despair) is what many will call the Baby Boomers, also as the Hippy "free-love" generation. Give or take a few years this generation are those born anywhere between 1945 and 1965. The events that define this generation is the beginning of the atomic era and ended with the start of the Vietnam War. Those in this era saw reasons for war change. It was fight for democracy and beat the bad guys. But this group only saw one thing--kill the Asian Communists, including that of the Soviet Union. They grew up in the scare of the Red devils. They did not know why they were fighting them. Instead of hearing the news on the radio, they started to see things from the TV set and things in life started to take on different meanings. Instead of hearing about war, they saw it with their own eyes. They started to question things that people fought for in the generation before it. Instead of surviving, they wanted to live more. They found ways to escape the way the world was going. Marijuana was rampant. They took time to find things they wanted to do instead of things they needed to do. The invention of the credit card, do it now worry about it later, became part of the lifestyle. They started to question everything in life. They did not like the way things had gone. They started to change everything. Politics, music, love, family, education, and things like that became less valued. You could hear sex, drugs, and anti-war messages in their songs.  They became more self-righteous. Tradition and authority were challenged. Their "do it now, worry about it later: attitude changed society. Divorce rates started to rise because those who were high in the '60s and '70s because they were loving the one they were with, now realized to survive they had to sober up, but when they did they realized they didn't love the one they were with. AIDs and other STDs were now prevalent because their lifestyles were starting the worrying part of their do it now attitude. Abortion rates grow due to the legalization of it in 1973, but the worse part is the reason they were doing it...hiding their past and their lifestyles, instead of taking the responsibility and owning up to what they do. Presidents born during this time period are Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump. And with that one can see why things are the way they are. They used drugs. They didn't serve full time in the military. They divided the country. The worst part is they changed the idea of God and His importance. They started to raise families in the absence of one moral standard. Because of this generation every thing started to have gray areas. Right and wrong started to be blurred. Raising a family now had "procedures" instead of values. They felt like they saved the world but only widened the gap between the savable and the non-savable.  To them the Bible and its values are not needed.  Humanistic ideas took precedent over any religious idea, hence the rise of new age and "spirituality" instead of actual faith.

The next generation, those who are the parental ages of today is what many will call Generation X, or the baby busters. It is a smaller generation.  Give or take a few years this generation are those born anywhere between 1965 and 1989.  The events that shaped this generation was the Civil Rights movement and it ended when the Wall fell. This is the last of those who would know what "the Wall" means. They stopped listening to the news and started to turn more towards entertainment.  The values of this generation will never be seen.  This is the lost generation.  Perhaps that is why they are called Generation "X".  They feel like they have had nothing.  Their parents divorced.  The end of this generation were children who had to start taking care of themselves.  Their baby boomer parents were too busy catching up on the work they should have been doing when they were younger.  Because of this they became self-centered and started to be introverts.  Music became angry because they hated things their parents did.  Heavy metal, rap, and punk music solidified their feelings.  Instead of working, they turned to parties and having fun.  They became skeptical of institutions.  They lost their faith on government, their parents, their education, and any value system.  They can't understand the difference between a job and a career.  There are no presidents born in this generation and perhaps never will have any.  This is the generation that has been skipped over.  They feel like they don't matter.  And in return things don't matter to them.  Marriage means nothing.  They would rather just live in the moment.  Their parents divorced, they don't even bother getting married.  They are lost in the transition of this world.  They went straight from "changing the world" to a "changed world".  This is known as the "me" generation.  They feel like they had to fight for themselves since no one else would.  They were crack babies.  Instead of marijuana they started to choose cocaine.  They worried about quantity and popularity rather than quality.  They were raised on McDonald's instead of home cooked meals because the family was breaking down.  They don't know how to be financially stable because their parents had the "do it now, worry about it later" attitude, so too many are stuck in credit debt.  They lost hope in God because their parents didn't raise them with any moral standards.  They are all over the place.  That generation feels like whatever happens, will happen.  They don't know what the Bible says because they weren't raised going to church.

The latest generation, those who are growing up and are now starting to find themselves in this world is what many will call the Millennials, even Generation Y.  Give or take a few years those in this generation were born between 1989 and will be over probably around 2009.  The events that define their generation is era of "peace" with the fall of communism to perhaps the Obama administration.  They loved him.  This group will be old enough to run for president next time.  But they will have thrown away the establishment politics completely.  People like Bernie Sanders will also not be able to exploit them next time with his promise of free stuff.  They will reject the Generation X candidates and go straight for people like Kanye West.  They don't value hard work.  They want things the way they want and cannot accept anything if it is not how they want it.  They feel entitled for everything.  They hide behind social media.  They don't listen to radio, or even use TV to get information.  They rely completely on the internet which of course has every kind of truth, lie, propaganda, micro and macro information there which can never be trusted.  If is not digital or high def then they don't want it, yet they are not willing to work for it.  The drug the use is heroin.  They cut themselves.  Thery self-mutilate.  They hate all authority.  They tend to give their views and if anyone else has an opinion they feel that opinion is wrong and you ca't tell them differently.  There is no safe place.  School used to be a safe haven, now shootings are everywhere.  They don't know how to talk to anyone since they hide behind their "profile" and "status".  Real relationships are non-existent.  They have no idea what a career is.  They think money should just be there for them or things should be free.  If it's not easy, they don't want to do it.  They have been told that whatever they do is ok.  They are winners for just trying.  They don't know how to handle trauma.  Everything to them needs drama are they don't feel anything at all.  They are on their phones for everything.  They don't even want game consoles anymore because they can get it on their phones.  School doesn't have to be with any human.  They can do all things on-line, even college.  They don't learn because the answers are out there on the internet already.  They have no motivation.  Teen pregnancies and abortions are down but teen sexual activity is up.  No one is really thinking about real lasting marriages.  They dream of it but they feel it is not a reality.  Family to them is anyone that will love them for who they are and who won't make them change.  This generation knows about God but they do know who He is.  They have a watered down version of scripture because their grandparents rejected God and their parents were never in church long enough to know anything.

What does this all mean?  Millennials are being raised by grandparents who can't control them.  The older generations are coming back to God but they can't accept all the Bible says.  This generation accepts all lifestyles because everyone is "ok".  They pick and choose what scriptures to listen to and those are the ones that make them feel good about themselves.  Liberal ideas will be the death of them and they don't know it, Conservative Paper #22.  Millennial Christianity is not the full gospel.  And because of this the truth is being suppressed by liberalism.

This is the same generation Paul was talking about in 2 Timothy 3:1-9,

• But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

Not one thing in the list above is inaccurate about the world we live in.  This is the generation Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 as being the last generation, the one who sees all the destruction. 

The youngest generation which is yet to be defined are still too young to know anything in this world.  As of this writing they are younger than 8 years old.  They will not have the chance to grow up.  

CXII. The opposite of Love is not Hate

Word association tests are used by many therapists to see how people feel or what their personalities are like to get answers to some issues they may be dealing with.  Usually people say the opposite of what the word is given to them.  Some other answers are of course acceptable because many can still see the association.  And then there are those weirdos who are not connected with reality and have some kind of strange response that makes the therapists think twice about them.  Such as:

WORD GIVEN	NORMAL RESPONSE	UNDERSTANDABLE RESPONSE	ABNORMAL RESPONSE
Black	White	Color	Neon
Day	Night	Monday	Tooth
Rich	Poor	Money	Polar Bear
Open	Close	Sesame	Clock
Boy	Girl	Scout	Duck
Smart	Dumb	Alec	Verb
High	Low	Dope	Blast

So, if someone did the test with you and gave you the word love, the normal response would be hate. An understandable response would be emotion. An abnormal response could be anything from Aardvark to Zyklon B.  But none of these answers actually tell us what the real opposite or even the real meaning of what love is.

The real opposite of love is not hate.  The real opposite of love is apathy.  Love is not just an emotion so it can't be hate.  Love is not just a feeling, so it can't be associated with food or items we say we "love".  Love defined in the Bible is found in 1 Corinthians 13.

• Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.

Although love is a noun in the essence of our existence, love is a verb when it comes to human interaction.  Love needs to be shown.  It requires action.  The only way to show love is through what you do.  So if that is true then the only way to not show love or to show the opposite of it is to not do anything---apathy.  Parents who neglect their children do not love their children.  Teachers who do not take time out to teach students do not love the ones they ignore.  Spouses who do not SHOW any love to their partner do not love their partner.

Here is the problem with the world.  Some think love is an emotion.  The problem with this is that emotions change with situations.  And when the situation is over they feel they have lost love and they replace it with another emotion.  Or they search for more emotional love and start the cycle all over again.  They will never be satisfied.  The world thinks love means having sex.  They go from partner to partner looking for something that can never be there.  They think love and marriage are interchangeable when they're not.  Younger people think it has to be part of relationship.  They give themselves away only to be hurt when they realize there is more to this world or that their partner no longer wants them in that way.  Guilt and loneliness sets in causing eventually feelings of self judgement and low self esteem.  The world thinks love is conditional.  No.  Love NEVER fails.  It will always be there.  It is there in times of trouble, pain, and disparity.  They try to change things about themselves to fit in.  They go through fads.  They try and "find themselves" because they can't understand that pure love is unconditional and forever but they can't slow down enough to see it, going from situation to situation.  The world thinks love is about tolerance.  No.  Tolerance means you do nothing about something.  And the opposite of love is to not do anything--apathy.  Many think tolerance and acceptance are the same thing but they're not.  You can accept someone for who they are, hence you are patient with who they are.  You are kind to them.  You do not dishonor them for who they are.  But tolerance on the other hand means you give into their actions.  That is apathy.

This is why many people get mad at Christians because we are not tolerant of certain actions, thinking we're not showing love.  No.  We have love and we should should it but intolerance is not hate.  It is just the idea that we do not have to abide by certain standards others want us to live by.  It's the same thing on the non-religious side, only they expect us to have to live by what they say.  They then preach that we are bigots for not tolerating what they do.  But Christians have the biggest hate because we are told to love and yet we neglect those who are hurting.  We see the "wrong doings" in their lives but we forget to see the person.  Christians do not show enough love.  We have the greatest example:

John 15:13

• Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Love is the only thing that will break down barriers.  Laws of man can not do it.

CXI. We live in a Football Mentality World

Watching ESPN from September through December and you see all kinds of news about football.  Even though the World Series happens in this time period and basketball starts in that time period, ESPN fills in air time with football stats.  Watching ESPN from January through April and you see all kinds of news about football.  The Super Bowl happens and the Pro Bowl happens.  Then commentators have to analyze the season with all the mistakes and plays and players issues.  The only thing that brings a lull into the situation is the three week intervention of March Madness. Again within that time period babseball season starts and hockey season and basketball season starts to heat up but we are still hearing all the latest football news.  Watching ESPN from May through August and guess what?  We're still watching all kinds of news about football.  After all, trades, signings, and mid-summer workouts HAVE to be mentioned, not to mention the all important 4 week pre-season events.  Again basketball playoffs, hockey playoffs, the All-Star summer classic happens in the same time period but once again the air waves are filled with football news.  Not to mention the other football game called soccer (but let's just talk about real sports).  It gets even worse when the Olympics are thrown in.  Oddly enough, out of the sports mentioned football is not one of the games held at the Olympics.  But they tend to use football announcers to help cover the sports being televised.  And it isn't more than 10 minutes that one of them will compare the game or match being shown to some football moment. 

 

Anyway, this is not a shot towards the game of football.  It is enjoyable, especially when The Ohio State Buckeyes rip into the team up north each year.  But this is a shot towards the mentality of what we have become as a nation and a people.  People love it; you could say obsessed with it.  The Super Bowl actually has the day named after it; Super Bowl Sunday.  We start the day at 8:00 AM with preshows and analysis of each team and how they got there and stories of their families and we uplift them to hero and demigogue status.  We are glued to the TV to see the commercials and the half-time show.  We throw parties and try to impress every one we know with what we serve.  Why are we so obsessed with the game?

 

It's because our society doesn't know how to stop and look at things.  We have forgotten how to take time out and appreciate things around us.  We are filled with hype all the time.  We want action.  We feel we have to be involved and connected at all times with everything around us.   In football every play involves each and every player, both offense and defense at the same time.  With each play there could be something that causes the crowd to change their demeanor and each play could be the play that creates the outcome.  And if this isn't enough stimulation at least there are cheerleaders in skimpy clothing and lots and lots of beer to consume.  So it is with our lives.  Why do feel the need to always be in the middle, or need to be part of the action?  No one is satsified with waiting for an outcome.

 

The problem is when we live our lives like that we tend to miss the things on the side.  We miss out on the little things that help make our life special.  We want immediate action.  We then tend to react to situations instead of thinking about the issue and working through them.  If it isn't immediate satisfying then we don't want to be a part of it.  And if we react right away it means we are responding to our feelings only.  And unfortunatelty, Christians have fallen into this mindset as well.  We are way too much part of the culture instead of driving the culture.  We fall into the traps of this world and get caught in the same problems.  We over react.  We act on impulse like animals.  We feel rage in the moment.  We lose the sight of the love that we are suppose to show.  And then we wonder why so much hate is in the world.

 

Metaphorically speaking we need more baseball thinking in life.  We need to be able to wait patiently "pitch by pitch" and to be able to assess our lives even in those down times.  Baseball is the only team sport that is not timed.  Football, basketball, and soccer all have their time run out on them.  Baseball is based soley on the opportunities to achieve its goals.  Imagine what life could be if we all just took the time to see the whole picture and not just rush to get things in before our time runs out.

 

How about a nice game of chess?

CVIII. The Wrong Message is Being Sent

This picture has been going around social media for a while now.  And although the idea behind the picture seems admirable and is laden with truth there is one big problem with it.  The wrong message is being sent while the real message is being missed.

The message being sent by this is that men are the cause of all sexual crimes, sexual dysfunctions, and sexual misconduct. This is misleading and actually hurts the case of a young female's insecurity about her body rather than helping it.

Before the argument and name calling starts let's get things straight first.  Men should be taken by their fathers and taught how to treat a female with all respect, honor, and value.  Are males sexist for looking at females and treating them as objects instead of humans?  Yes.  Should males be taught not to "over-sexualize" female body parts? Yes.  Is using "boys will be boys" a horrible excuse for allowing males to get away with their behavior?  Yes.  Is it right to judge a female based on what she wears and thereby treating her as though she has less value in life?  No.  Is it right for males to get away with rape based on a female's appearance?  No.  That seems to be the main points of the message but does this picture tell the whole story?  No.

The missing message is that we have a problem with our culture in general.  The problem with the message of this picture is that it does not train a young girl in how to become a respectable woman.  It only shows and tells her how to stand up against certain practices.  But it doesn't show how to do it in a right way.  It tells a girl to become rebellious only.  As if saying, "go ahead wear things that show your body in a way that is self-disrespecting in order to show a point".  That is not the right thing to do.  Young women should be taught to respect their bodies enough to be modest about it.  Young women should be taught to dress professionally in the work place.  And a s a younger woman going through her pubescent years should not be taught to flaunt it just because you have it.  Bottom line is if you do flaunt it then do not expect complete respect from young men.  This sign just shows how corrupted our society has come when it cares more about the freedom to show your skin than to learn how to respect yourself.  The dress code by schools is meant to keep this kind of drama out of the learning place and should be taught at home.  But parents are not doing their job.

Our culture needs to change.  Our culture needs morals again.  Okay, liberals, feminists go ahead and take all of this out of context and try to mock morality and call this chauvinistic and ancient thinking.  But if you do at least be courteous and uncowardly and let everyone know where you reposted this.

CI. Murder by Pride

Listening to a song by the band Stryper inspired this thought.  Here are the words to the song first of all:

Saturday night's a lie, I follow every cue
Sunday is sanctified, I smile and take the pew
Monday it's back to school - Am I learning, not at all
Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday I just crawl

Seeds that were growing have been dried up by my flesh
I walk the walk and talk the talk but where's the rest
I could have everything even what's behind the stars
But I built my prison without windows, without bars

Gotta fight, gotta stop living a lie
Gotta fall, gotta lay down and die
Gotta stand and run to the other side
Gotta live or it's Murder By Pride



 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puYaPMrcxm8&feature=player_embedded

www.stryper.com

 

Watching people, including the one in the mirror, and it's easy to see that we live for ourselves too much.  It seems like all we care about at times is how we feel or what makes us feel better about our life, our lifestyles, our thoughts, and our actions.   As the song says our seeds (our ways of life) have been dried up by the flesh.  The flesh causes us to be blind.  We start to focus on our own wants and desires of the flesh and this in turn causes us to lose focus on living right.  We build our own prisons.  We live secret lives.  We live lies.

When we live for ourselves we do these things:

• We challenge God's word and authority.  This causes us to think less of moral standards or even lose a standard to live by.  When standards of God are lost then humanity suffers chaos.  A world without Godly standards is called 'hell".
• We exalt ourselves over the wisdom of God.  Humanity that can't even control their own finances, marriages, and other issues in life think they can actually get away with making decisions without God or at least the wisdom He has passed on in the Scriptures?  What makes us think we are right?
• We feel we are the most important person in existence.  People do not listen to wisdom.  They feel just because they think it then it must be right.  Everyone has a closed mind or turn a blind eye to what they are doing because if they are proven wrong then they have to change.

All of these can be summed up into one word, pride. One being did that a long time ago and a special place has been created for him.  Pride came before his fall and pride will come before our fall.

 

Sometimes we have to put our own desires away.  When we live our own secret little lives we not only lie to the world but we lie to ourselves.  Yet, we keep going on living that way.  We have to stop living a lie.  Just because things feel okay to do or we no longer feel bad about some of our actions does not meant that we are living right.  We all need certain standards to live by.  Just because God's morals are not what we feel are for everybody does not mean His moral standards are wrong.  We may think it's okay to release our anxieties with alcohol, but it's not.  We may think it's okay to indulge ourselves with "feel good" activities because it has been accepted by the world, but it's not.  We may think our wrongful sexual desires are okay to pursue because it makes us feel good and wanted, but it's not.  We may think it's okay to get revenge or to react in a vengeful way because we feel people deserve it, but it's not.  Just because certain things make us happy and/or we do not understand why God says certain things are wrong does not mean we do not have to abide by His standards.  Sometimes we have to lay down our flesh and die to this world.  If we keep on living for the flesh then we let our pride murder us.

XCVII. Generation Y

If you do not know what Generation Y is here is a synopsis of the living generations are:

• Baby Builders born ca. 1918-1944 or roughly the ages 69-95
• Baby Boomers born ca. 1945-1968 or roughly the ages 45-68
• Generation X born ca. 1969-1992 or roughly the ages 21-44
• Generation Y born ca. 1993-2013 or roughly the ages 0-20

The age ranges will of course vary from historian to historian but this is close to what many would say.  The reasons these generations change is by what happens in history.  Such as 1918 was a new generation because that is when World War One ended and economic problems started to deeply set in until gradually the Great Depression hit.  These people save everything.  You go to their house and they warehouses of things from the past.  This can be accounted for the times when they were younger they had nothing so they were taught to save.  Tom Brokaw called this generation the Greatest Generation.  Now that is arguable but they knew how to survive.  They had faith in times of trouble.  They were patriotic.  They had moral standards.  Unfortunately, they are also very racist.  Archie Bunkers, if you will.  Not giving them any excuses but their parents came out of the Civil War reconstruction period.  It is not right but is was part of their life.  The year 1945 is a new start because oddly enough it was the end of World War Two.  And the joke goes when the soldiers came home they weren't lonely anymore.  These people complain about everything.  They are all about change.  These are your hippies.  They got recycling programs and told the world about the environment.  They opened the way for civil rights.  But they abused drugs and changed traditional values.  They got rid of "right" and "wrong" and replaced it with "what is right for you may not be right for me", thereby getting rid of moral standards.  The year 1968 is picked is because Nixon was elected.  Now at first that sounds like these people were born under a bad sign.  But what it means tot he world is a change in the Cold War.  Nixon although having many problems opened the doors to talks with the Soviet Union and "Red" China.  There is not much positive news for this generation.  This is why they are called "X".  They feel like they have nothing.  They will run out of money by the time they retire.  They are out numbered and out gunned by the Boomers.  They weren't taught values and were raised to be spoiled, hence the Brat Pack.  And the year picked that started this new generation (1993) is the year Clinton became president, the year the Boomers took over politics (a sad day in history).  Their values became law.  This generation is being raised by people who have no idea how to be parents, so they decide not to get married.  Ever seen Maury Povich?  Guess who they are?  Generation Xers having Generation Y babies.

 

Anyway, why all of this?  Here is a conversation that went on the other day:

 

Gen X:  Why didn't you show up the other day?

Gen Y:  I texted you and told you I wouldn't make it.

Gen X:  Why couldn't you make it?

Gen Y:  My friend called and wanted me to go with him.

Gen X:  But you told me you were going to be there so I didn't make any other plans.

Gen Y:  What's your point?

Gen X:  When you tell somebody you are going to do something and then you change plans like that it's like you are breaking a promise.

Gen Y:  So, people do it to me all the time.

 

Here is the point.  We have raised a generation of people who aren't sorry for anything, who have no recognition of consequences, and who have no logical reasoning whatsoever.  All they care about is their stupid phone, video games, and hand outs.  They are unmotivated, uncompassionate, and zombiefied.

 

With each generation we have gotten worse and worse.  We have fallen away from faith.  We live for nothing anymore, so there is no fight for life.  We have lost sight of what truly matters.  Hard work and respect are no longer earned but expected for no reason.  We only live for ourselves today.  We shoot people because we can't get our way or feel picked on.  We think our ideas are always better and our opinions are more important than others.  The words punishment and discipline are now negative words.

 

We need to get back to being disciplined--- will power and trained, survival for the soul.

We need to get back to respect--- to get it, you need to earn it, work for it, an award for our soul.

We need to get back to standards--- something to live for, a guide for our soul.

And yes, no matter scoffers say, we need to get back to God--- something to believe in, to save our souls.

 

Please do not focus on the definitions of the generations because there is so much more that can be said about each.  Do not miss the point.  We have destroyed ourselves by slowly moving away from spiritual matters.  We have lessened what the Word says, and that includes what the Church does.  We have lost the true meaning of what a relationship with God is and that means we lose everything.

 

You can try and disprove this but before you try please read:
http://ideasoftim.blogspot.com/2010/03/64-rationalize-liberal-thinking.html

XCIII. Darkness of Light

Ever notice when the lights go off your demeanor changes?  The first thing we do is our eyes open wider.  We start feeling around for location.  You feel lost.  You waves your arms around looking for safety zones.  You feel blind.  Some even get a little fearful, perhaps all of us do.  But after a while we start to get used to the darkness.  The feelings we had just minutes earlier start to subside.  The darkness isn't that bad of a place after all.   The darkness doesn't seem like darkness anymore.  But then when the lights come on we react by shielding our eyes, hiding from the light, if you will.  The light now becomes scary.

Same it is with life.  People are living in darkness, yet they are used to it.  They do not know the fear of the dark anymore.  The darkness to them is no longer darkness.  This darkness is of course an analogy for sin.  At first when people start to sin or are old enough to realize they are sinning, they are scared to do it at first.  This is why when we are teenagers we are afraid to try things that we know our parents would not accept.  N o one picks up a needle and injects themselves fearlessly the first time they see it.  No one cheats on their spouses and feels great about it the first time.  Sin grows on you.  It becomes part of your life.  And the more you do the easier it is to accept it as part of you. 

But when someone comes by and shows us the light, Jesus Christ, we shun away from it.  The truth, when it hits us right in the face, hurts.  Some at that point will hide from the light and will never accept it.  They don't want to face the light because they have gotten used to living in darkness.  Others will hide in the shadows.  They see the light but do not know how to adjust to it.  And still some will open their eyes and notice how dark their lives were.

The younger generation today may not have ever even seen the light.  They have never step foot inside a church or have never been told what truth really is.  They think that what is around them is the only way to live.  Abuse, neglect, and all other kinds of relationship problems is all they know.  The sins of the world are common.  Nothing matters to them because all they have seen is darkness.  Their parents guard them from the light because they have shunned the light.

The good news is once light appears there is no darkness.  As Christians, we are the light.  Unfortunately, there are so many Christians living in the darkness of the world they do not know what the light is anymore.  They have allowed the world's rationalizations to become their doctrines.  The lies from this world have become accepted as "what is right for you may not be right for me".  There are things that are wrong to do in this world.  They always have been and they always will be.  Time does not change values, people do.

 

Be the light.

XCII. Natural Rights

John Locke in the 17th Century said that all men have natural rights. There are two things that deal a blow to evolution with this statement.

1. Who gave them these rights? God did of course. Just being alive does not constitute power or freedom. A tree is alive but shares no power in this world, nor a fish, or bird. They can not speak. They can not reason. Therefore they can not know the difference. A fish will keep swimming. A tree will keep growing, and a bird will keep singing. Now mammals will show that they know the difference, yet they only have two responses, flight or fight. Love by a dog is actually the fight response. It stays and reacts to what is given to them. Humans are different. They can actually initiate the situation. They can respond, or not. They can reason, or not. They can speak. They have authority. Given by God. Yet to each fellow human they have responsibility, something else animals do not have. This responsibility means that some need protection from the powerful, hence rights.

2. What constitutes a human? At what point does man gain rights? Was it Neanderthal man? Was it Homo Erectus? Was it Australopithecus afarensis? Was it a primate of the first kind? Or was is algae? Is it fair to say since we all come from the same single cell organism that Homo sapiens are the only ones with natural rights? Yes. Because they are the only man created by God. The others are just figments of man's imagination (flawed science)they are not man; or they are just deformed humans (those who do not meet high standard visual desires of others).

Using science (deism and enlightenment) to show once again evolution is not a valid theory.

XCI. The History of Man (Short Version)

Chapter One.  The Big Bang

Before there was anything there was nothing, absolutely nothing.  No time, space, or matter.  Then all of a sudden with one breath of an intelligent designer created everything.

 

Chapter Two.  Evolution

The Intelligent Designer then started to design light and life.  With each new passing of the concept called "day" came a new design  Each day was now counted as time.  The idea of light came into fruition and was placed into the space.  Then life appeared from the earth.  Vegetation grew.  A food chain had been started.  Fruits, vegetables, and lush fields had been pulled from the waters.  Single-celled organisms pulsated and multiplied.  Then self-propelled life formed.  First came the fish from the waters, then birds from the air, then reptiles from the slime, and then mammals from the dust.  Finally a design called man also appeared from the dust of the earth but had within it the essence of the Designer which gave it the ability to survive and be the fittest.  This man was naturally selected to be the leader of all matter.  The whole design was completed and came from matter.  All of the known designs for science was now ready for studying.  Everything that can be discovered was placed into motion.

 

Chapter Three.  Revolution

Man saw the design and wanted more than just being the leader.  It wanted more.  It wanted to be more like the Designer.  It rebelled.  All the fruits and lush fields would now have to have a price to pay before man could attain some.  The Revolution failed.  Many now saw the Designer as a dictator and stopped following Him.  There has been revolution ever since, each one fails.  No one is perfect.

 

Chapter Four. A Brave New World

With the revolution came many changes.  Fields dried, man lied, woman cried, paradise died.  Years passed and things just got worse.  The Designer (dictator) chose one of the men and decided to redesign some things.  Although He kept the same design he allowed some changes.  The man he chose took all of the remaining life forms into a huge boat; some were perhaps babies.  Unfortunately, some had already been killed when the revolution happened.  Land shifted, waters crushed, bones were buried, debris floated.  Man was given a second chance to live in a brave new world.  But man would not listen to the Designer again.

 

Chapter Five.  Geneology

One family whose father was a man named Abraham stayed close to the Designer and His design.  Because of this man's faihfulness a promise to bring man back to the Designer was given.  A nation born out of faithfulness was brought forth to save the world from it's arrogant pride.  But even this nation fell into the same pattern that all other nations had.  Even though this nation would falter, the promise to save mankind would still be fulfilled.  But many would not listen.

 

Chapter Six.  Pax Romana

Time went on, nations rose and fell.  Then on a quiet night, a young woman gave birth and the promise came into fruition.  The Designer sent a piece of Himself to His design.   The baby grew in wisdom and stature.  When He became a man He taught of love, healed those who were broken, forgave the sinners.  He lived perfectly, but died humbly, and yet resurrected regally.  Even as the world mocked Him, He laid down His life and bled so the world could be forgiven.  He was tortured.  He was bruised.  He was beaten.  He was spit upon.  All for love of His father.  He was the Son of God, yet, many still did not listen.  Even though the ultimate act of love was demonstrated mankind refused to listen.  Instead, man tried to explain it with gnosticism, man tried to forget it during the dark ages, man tried to change it during the Renaissance, but the act of love remained the same.

 

Chapter Seven.  Growing Pangs

The world now, since it rejected the Son, is going through growing pangs.  Man hates man due to arrogance and ignorance.  Man kills man through war and stupidity.  Man destroys the environment through negligence and greed.  Man eliminates animals through insensitivity and sport.  Man thinks he is the new designer and distorts the original idea of the design.  Man blames the original Designer, still thinking He is a dictator and creates new rules saying the design is outdated.  Man hates dictator and still mocks the Son.  Matter is trying to show man that time is ending but man will not listen.  Time is showing man that matter will not last.  The rest as they say is history.  It repeats itself.  Man still denies the Designer.  And even now blames the Designer for all of the problems that man has created.  Man finds excuses about God and the relationship we are to have with Him.  God will soon finish His design and the pattern that He had thought of before time.

 

Chapter Eight.  Secundo Adventu Veniens

On another quiet night perhaps, the Son will return.  Jesus Christ will return and all those who listened to real history will go with Him to a new Paradise.

 

The End.

LXXVIII. Turn the Other Cheek?

Christians are sometimes seen as uncompassionate.  They are intolerant hypocrites who do not practice what they preach.  They say they love but preach hate.  But is this an accurate way of portraying the beliefs of Christians, especially when the topic deals with things that battle their morals?  Here are the results from last poll: If something does not fit in with traditional Christian standard beliefs, how should a Christian respond?

• 54% said, With understanding and compassion
• 27% said, Depends on the topic and/or person you are dealing with
• 9% said, With complete contempt and protest
• 9% said, Not caring one way or another
• 0% said, With full tolerance and complacency
• 0% said, Other

More than likely these answers were given by those who profess Jesus as their savior.  So keep that as part of the focus as you read.  Notice not one person said with full tolerance and complacency.  This is odd because if you look at the way the world is and how Christians act (not respond) then it seems like all they do is tolerate because over the last few decades Christian values have diminished in this country.  Some would say that is a good thing but it is not!  When we take God (the real God, not man's interpretation) out of the equation then we see more violence.  We see more abuse.  We see more depression.  We see more disruption.  We see more hate.   Too many people think Christians hate because they lack tolerance.  The big mistake here is those people think tolerance equals love.   Tolerance does not equal love.  Tolerance equals compromise.  Compromising kills truth.  It is okay not to put up with certain things.  Yet, the world tells Christians we need to accept everything or we are bigots.  Acceptance to everything is detrimental to society.  If we accept everything then EVERYTHING will be accepted.

Not caring one way or another is one step away from tolerance.  It leads to apathy.  When we become apathetic, we care less. When we care less, we hurt more people.

With complete contempt and protest is not the best choice either.  This causes the Christian to be viewed as hypocritical, and perhaps rightly so.  These people need to understand that everyone is at a different level in their beliefs and harsh words can actually condemn someone to a life filled with feelings of resentment towards God.  Yes, certain things need to be brought out to the open and some people need to be put in their place with unbridled truth.  But the words need to be consistent with the truth.  Contempt for the issue is completely acceptable.  Contempt for the person is not.

Nothing depends on the topic or person you are dealing with.  There are lines to be drawn.  There is absolute truth. http://ideasoftimreligion.blogspot.com/2009/11/xliv-youre-okay.html.  Now, there is a method to dealing with different topics and people but never compromise the truth.  See above.

The best way to deal with topics that go against the Christian belief is with understanding and compassion.  We need to realize people are different.  But also remember, truth is permanent and uncompromising.  We need to find a way to tell the truth without destroying people.

LXXV. Purpose in life

Many of us go on through life not understanding who we are or where we come from.  That is why one of the most talked about topics are God, the beginning of man and the universe, and life in general.  We are full of questions and it seems like we never get the real answer we want so we even start question our own existence and its importance.  Here are the results from the last poll:  Do you know what your purpose in life is?

• (35%) Yes. But I wish it was easier to do.  As expected this is the category where most people fall into.  They know who they are but they also know life is full of problems.  They wish it all could be easier but understand life goes on.  They don't quit.  They are morally sound people but struggle with day to day maintenance.  They survive because they see that there is a light at the end of each tunnel but they know that reaching that light is part of the process.
• (17%) Yes. I know exactly what I am supposed to be doing.  These are the people we all hate.  It seems like everything goes well for them and we get jealous.  But perhaps the reason why life goes well is because they know about their origins and who created them for a purpose.
• (17%) No. I haven't found it yet.  At least they are searching.  These are the people who read self-help books or those who are always willing to try new things even if they are dangerous.  But the main problem for them is that they are easily led to the wrong answers.  They will grasp onto the new ideas, fads, fashions, books, trends, or anything that makes them feel happier about who they are.
• (11%) No. I have no purpose in life.  These are the depressed people.  These are the ones who have emotional problems and end up in institutions (not to be looked upon with stigma).  They seek answers but when they get them they don't want to accept them because the answers seem too easy.  They turn to substances.  They turn negative.  They commit suicide.  They lose all focus on life.  They end up blaming others and even God for their dismay.
• (5%) Yes. But I don't do it.  These people are jerks.  These are the people who make life difficult because they do not do what they are supposed to be doing.
• (5%) No. I don't care.  These are the biggest jerks.  They are anti-social, serial-killer, lunatics who prey on others. 
• (5%) I don't care one way or the other.  Any understand these people?
• (0%) Other.  This option still is confusing but apparently wasn't needed this time anyway.

So what is our purpose?  If we look at this from a human standpoint, the most obvious answer is we are here to help each other.  Life is difficult.  We have different wants, desires, personalities, and coping mechanisms just to name a few.  We need help getting through this life.  When we see someone cry we comfort them.  When we see someone laugh we join them.  When we see someone who needs physical attention we tend to them.  The main point here is that we are not supposed to make life more difficult.  We are supposed to help as many as humanly possible.

However, we are not just human.  We are spiritual beings as well.  Our first and foremost purpose in this life is to prepare for the next one.  Whether you like it or not, you belong to God and His purpose for you is that you find Him.

LXVII. Technocracy

No, not technology.  You read it right.  Technocracy.  We live in a world that is driven by technology therfore making it a technocracy.  But what has this kind of life gotten us?  Locked into a world that is dependent on machines and cyber space.  How pathetic!  We are one generation away from the reality of the movie WALL-E.  Look at the last 5 years of what we have created for ourselves.

• Myspace
• Facebook
• Google
• Ipods
• Ipads
• Iphones
• Wii
• Playstations
• Netflix streaming

There is a commercial that is airing right now that is about a computer.  The ad goes on to talk about how great the speakers are.  They have surround sound good for movies, streaming, and gaming.  Now, what it does for Excel or presentations for work, no one apparently knows or cares.  When did play become more important than work?  Actually, that is the wrong question.  Play has always been equally important to the human race in terms of keeping sane.  But when did play become what we do?  When did work become something we don't want to do?  Too much play and we have become insane. 

When we shop for new computers, phones, or any other electrical gadget, we don't look at the hard drives and see how much memory these things have in order for us to get things accomplished.  We look at the hard drives to see how much games and applications that "connect" us to the world can be done on it.  People spend hours on that asenine (yes, asenine) facebook.  They spend more time with that than spening real time with real people.  People exercise today while sitting in front of a TV hitting a "tennis raquet" in the air.  Instead of talking to someone face to face with a problem, we text them.  People are losing relationships via text messages.   They break up and post it everywhere.  Aren't some things supposed to be private and kept between two people?  Instead of opening up a quiet book and relaxing we're pulling out the Ipad due to convenience.  Everything is for entertainment and nothing is for progress.

Why does any of this matter?  Who cares that we have become this way?  Because we are the human race.  We were created to be with each other.  We were created to connect with each other, not "connect" with each other.  We were made to be there for each other and walk with each other and talk with each other.  We were created to desire for relationship because in the end that is what we are supposed to have with God.  If we can't take the time out to spend real quality time with those we are supposed to beloving then how are we going to find the one perfect love from above?

There's an app for that seems to be the most over used phrase going on in today's world.  Can any of this be actually good or used for the good of everyone?  Sure.  A little play is good and healthy.  But we live in a totally different world.  A selfish little world.

LVIII. Stinkin Thinkin

Dr. Phil McGraw, made famous by appearing on Oprah, has a saying he uses when he hears someone not making rational decisions. The decisions people make may allow them to get what they want but in the end it has negative results. He calls it "stinkin thinkin". The following is pretty much a real conversation. It may not be verbatim but the idea is still easy to grasp onto. There is a little bit of stinkin thinkin, but the lesson comes from what you may not hear at first.

Teen: I am going to get my ears gauged.

Adult: Why?

Teen: So I can stand out and tell the world it is wrong to judge me.

Adult: (sarcastically) So you want to do this to get back at the world?

Teen: Yeah, in a way.

Adult: Why do you want to get back at the world?

Teen: I want to send a message to some people. People judge and it's all wrong to do so I want to do this to show they are wrong. I would like to get some tattoos too.

Adult: What did the world do to you that you want to get back at it?

Teen: Well, I just want to show that all people are different and that no one should judge anybody.

Adult: But if you do this on purpose, you force people into judging you. When you walk in for a job interview looking like that (with gauges) you already forced someone into making a judgement.

Teen: But that is what I am trying to show them.

Adult: You realize it is mutilation.

Teen: No it's not. It's just a way of showing who you are.

Adult: So when does piercing become mutilation, instead of decoration? What about piercing the tongue?

Teen: No. If they want to do it, it's okay.

Adult: What about splitting the tongue like a snake, like that one guy?

Teen: That's weird though.

Adult: So would you ever date a girl who split her tongue?

Teen: No I don't want to go that far.

Adult: Isn't that judging?

Stinkin thinkin. He couldn't hear or see that he was splitting hairs and doing the same thing that he didn't want people to do to him. Why would he do that to himself to begin with? Why would a child feel the need to "stand out" the way he wants to?

After hearing this conversation you learn it is not about decoration like just the piercing of an ear that has no feeling. You learn it is not about judging as the teen tries to say it is. You learn it is not about being your own individual. If you really listened to the teen you would hear what the teen is really trying to say. He said it right up front but tried to mask it as something else. It is about getting back at the world. Not the whole world, but his part of it. And the question then rises, what is so strange about his world that makes him want to mutilate himself? One place being pierced may be adornment. Two places may be individuality. But when you get multiple piercings then it deals with your mind set. The same with tattoos. Nothing is wrong with getting something that says who you are. If you get a tiger on your chest, okay. Mother on your arm. A rose on your derriere. Big deal. But when it starts to become an addiction, or when it starts to become an outlet for life, or to "show the world" something, then it is more about a problem in your mind or heart rather than art.

The problem is many people use these things as an outlet for pain in their life. They realize the pain they have inside will not heal with the life they have to live. So they hurt themselves on the outside because they know those will heal. And if they don't then they can always look at the scar and know that at least it's not on the inside. One of these actions leads to another. And many teens start to do other things besides piercing or inking. They turn to cutting. That is stinkin thinkin.

Take a look at the following video. Don't just watch. Listen. http://vodpod.com/watch/1527797-cut-by-plumb

We hear but we do not listen to those who hurt. We see but do not act. We watch but we do not learn. We are afraid to do anything because of the times we live in for fear of judging.

LVII. No More Heroes

Definition of Hero:  a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities.

But that definition still leaves a very important thing out of what a hero is.  That just explains what they do.  The Man of Steel, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Captain America, and Spider Man. What do they all have in common? They are known comic heroes in American culture. They all have special powers and/or abilities beyond normal capacity of a human being (flying, speed, suits of armor, climbing walls). They all have gadgets that they have created or that were made specially for them (fortress of fortitude, bat belt, lasso of truth). But these are not what makes them heroes.  All of this just explains the first part of the definition.  The second part is perhaps the more important.

All of the above did (and do) brave deeds.  They have enough courage to stand up to those who are defiant.  Their brave deeds cause stories about them to spread.  Fables, folklore, and legends are born with stories of great deeds.  But sometimes brave deeds are only brought on by the situation.  Not taking away from the bravery but there is even more to the definition of hero that needs expansion.

Noble qualities.  All of the above had something about their character that makes them heroes more than their special abilities, or even their brave deeds.  They all showed character above reputation.  They showed moral standard is more important than instant gratification.  There was something about them that made them put themselves last.  They chose to help others.  They chose to stand up.  They chose to be committed to their cause.  They chose to do what is right!

We don't have any more heroes in this world.  That does not mean that policemen, firemen, or soldiers are not of this nature.  They need to be respected, cheered, and helped in any way.  This is referring to the ordinary person.  The average person doesn't know how to be heroes anymore.  They don't know how because they don't know how to be unselfish.  They don't know about commitment.  We don't know how to do what is right.  Actually, that is not accurate.  We choose not to do what is right.  We choose to do the easy things.  We choose to do the thing that will benefit us the most.

The worst thing about all of this is we live as though there is no consequence.  We live without regard to anyone around us.  We think nothing we do affects anyone around us and that is the complete falsehood or rationalization of our actions.  Everything we do affects others.  If you physically interact with people, that is obvious you have affected them.  If you verbally interact with people, you have affected them.  We know this and we still choose to hurt others with our actions and/or words.  And by the way, words sometimes hurt worse.  Sticks and stones may break my bones but your words cut right through me.

But what people do not understand is that the things we do to ourselves, even though there is no interaction with others, still affects those around us.  You do drugs?  You just hurt someone.  You neglect you children by not paying support?  You just hurt someone.  You are full of hate?  You just hurt someone.  You can't handle commitment?  You just hurt someone.  No matter what we do our action whether done by commission or omission affect ourselves and others.  Everything we do has a consequence.  And here is the most important part of this whole thought.  Our actions are our own responsibility.  Stop blaming others for your whole life.

Anything that takes actual commitment and/or guts to follow through with has an easy way out. Or at least people take the easy way out. No one wants to fight for what is right anymore. If the Batman was real in today's time, he would have been sued by the ACLU. There is no such things as heroes today because we have wimped out of everyday life.