CVII. Legalizing Marijuana

A couple of years ago the question about the legalization of marijuana was asked on the sister site that deal with politics that is now in hiatus.  California (who else) got the ball started with the process of legalizing it.  Back in November Colorado became the latest battleground.  And on the day that it became legal thousands of people flocked to the state to buy their share.  Of course they probably never thought about the fact that they had to smoke it there because you can not take illegal substances across the state line.  But they are pot heads so they probably were not able to think about that anyway.  This time the question is based more on the morality of the issue.  What do we do with marijuana?  Do we treat it like coffee and cigarettes?  Do we treat it like alcohol and medical drugs?  Or do we treat it like cocaine and heroine?  After all everything that has been listed here is still a drug and "has its purpose".  But where is the line drawn about it usage?  The answer to the poll is repeal the laws, create new ones that put a huge restriction on it.  Here are the actual results to the poll about the legalization of marijuana:

17 % said, It was about time, even for recreational use.

4% said, It was needed to stop drug lords/crime.

17% said, Medical use only.

21% said, It's no big deal. It's just like alcohol.

17% said, It needs to be monitored VERY strictly.

21% said, It needs to be repealed.

Some Christians think it should be legalized for the following reasons (none of which are valid nor rational):  it takes the money power out of the equation, we can't force our morality on others since we have free will, or there is nothing wrong with it.  Pathetic answers.  It won't take the money out of it since now they can get away with bringing a lot more into the country and will have a bigger market.  Plus they will just move on to harder drugs to sell and then what do we do with those drugs?  There is something wrong with it.  Anytime we put things into our body that alter who we are is wrong.  Medical reasons?  Fine, then put it in a pill and get a real prescription for it.  Some will argue that alcohol kills more brain cells that marijuana, but that is like saying could you please only cut two of my fingers off instead of three.  It still kills.  Some will say it is not that addictive.  The government says it is but some psychologist are on the fence:  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201012/is-marijuana-addictive.  Think about it.  If it is a drug that people feel the need to fight for then guess what?  If they took coffee off the market, people would fight for it.  If they took soft drinks of the market...hmmm, New York. 

So what about the third reason Christians would agree about it?  We shouldn't create laws that force people to listen to a moral issue?  There are laws against us all the time and they don't hurt anyone.  Is there a two-way street here?  But perhaps there is truth about creating a law against it.  If it illegal then people due to their disobedient nature will want to try it.  Restricting it won't reduce the usage of it.  Look what happened to alcohol.  Either way there are alcoholics.  Same with marijuana.  There will be people using it no matter what.  And that brings us to the main issue.

Actually the main issue isn't should we legalize it or not.  The issue is why are people feeling the need to have it.  And the answer to that is because our society is immoral.  We feel the need to live in fantasy worlds.  We can't take reality so we escape it.  We live in a world that only cares about feeling good instead of doing good.  If we look at those who support the legalization we get a better picture at how dumb it is to do so:  http://www.pinterest.com/theinsider/celebs-who-support-marijuana-legalization/.  Most on the list are unrespectable people living questionable lives.  Don't judge?  It is not a matter of judging.  It is a matter of knowing right from wrong.

But here is the main problem with legalization.  If no one is held accountable then people can use it recreationally at their leisure.  Doctors, pilots, teachers, bus drivers, presidents (wait, never mind) will be coming to work more high.  Without any boundaries the children of today are bot going to know the difference between helping your body or abusing your body.  And then we will wonder why so many kids want to commit suicide and feel they have no purpose in life.  Not all marijuana users will use cocaine and heroin.  But all heroin and cocaine users started with marijuana.  Fact.  We are now getting to a point where it is becoming more and more accepted as part of our culture.  Nothing seems to bother us anymore.  As a teacher there are signs everyday of the culture inside the schools that show lack of motivation for anything in life.  And marijuana is usually a part of those kinds of students' lives.  Nice future we have built for them.

Until the culture changes, until we can turn people's thoughts around, until we can get people to understand that there are consequences for all of our actions, until we get society to believe in hope again, marijuana should remain illegal, or at least come with many restrictions.  And Christians, do what is right.

CVI. The Great Debate

On February 4, 2014 the debate of our times took place in Petersburg, Kentucky.  A modern version of the Scopes Trial, if you will took, place between Bill Nye, an American student of science and educator and television personality and Ken Ham, an Australian student of science and founder of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum.  It was cordial with both sides addressing each other with respect and allowed each side to completely have their own time.  The debate was of course between evolution and creation and focused on the topic of "can creationism be considered viable science?".  That calls to mind the poll that was taken here a few months ago and that basically describes what the actual underlying topic was about.  Can God be proven?  Here are the results:

• 50% said Yes. But faith is also needed with science.  This is the correct answer.  Faith and science can go hand in hand.  They were never meant to be opposite of each other.  But the problem is in today's world as Ken Ham stated in the debate the world has drawn a wedge between them and makes it look like they can not coexist (paraphrased).  Science was created by God, i.e., He set laws in motion.  Gravity, speed of light, elements, and life forms were all from Him.  Our faith tells us more though.  Science we use to prove things.  Faith we use beyond what we can prove.
• 12% said Faith is all you need to prove God.  This being a Christian site and many of the followers are Christian makes it simple to understand many would pick this option.  But this is a biased opinion and in not viable to "prove" God.  Faith is all you need to see God but not to prove the physical existence of Him, especially since He is spirit.
• 6% said Yes. He left scientific evidence for us.  If this was the case then all would believe.  Yes, there is a lot of evidence that points to a Creator (more later for that point) but some things it takes the spirit of God to understand.
• 0% said No. Science refutes God.  Absolutely not.  The only ones who would say this are those who have been blinded by their own humanism thinking they have enough intelligence for the whole world, while not admitting it.  Those who would have chosen this option try to make believing in God a matter of rationality.  As in if you believe in God then you are not a reasonable person.
• 0% said Doesn't matter.  Then why the debate? Why is faith and science always clashing.  Why do people get so offended and uptight when discussing these two topics at the same time?  If anyone picked this one it's because they do not care about anything.  If you do not care about where you came from then you would not care about what you are doing or where you are going.
• 12% said Not sure. Understood.  This topic for those who are neither strong in their faith nor rely upon scientific fact will look at both sides and struggle with it.
• 18% said Other.  These people are crazy.  What would be a 3rd option?  They won't be back to read this anyway.

Bill Nye and many others have a hard time with the faith part.  This biggest obstacle it seems is finding evidence without the Bible or using any faith.  One of his major points that he kept coming back to was how he "as a reasonable" man can see how creation is a viable theory to how we got here.  What people like him do not understand is that when they try and use reason they they themselves are using their own personal faith.  All they do is replace creationism with humanism.  They rely upon man's fallibility to explain an infinite universe.  In the debate he brought up how the universe shows signs of being older than the what a literal interpretation of Genesis says.  For example:  How could  light from a planet that is 13 light years away be seen by human eyes if we have only been in existence for 6000 years?  Here is where faith comes.  But, it will be foolish to those who try to disprove God.  When God created Adam, He created him fully developed, not as a child.  Adam was a man with a fully developed body, brain, and could take care of himself.  If there was a doctor and would have been able to do an operation on him he would have found that Adam would have appeared to be a man of maturity even though he was only 1 day old.  The same it was with the universe.  God created the universe with all the laws of science in place.  The first words were "Let there be LIGHT".  And light was everywhere throughout the universe, in place, spread out farther than we will ever know, even perhaps passed the 13.4 billion light years we assume.  Was there a big bang?  Sure.  Out of nothing, in one split second all that we know and beyond came into being already in place and fully developed.  This was one of the main points Bill Nye could not answer when questioned.  What was it before the big bang.  He said, he did not know.  There is the most compelling evidence for a Creator.  Something had to start the big bang.  There had to be something before there was all of this.

 

The one thing that Bill Nye could not do during the debate was refute the existence of God.  And no scientific study nor any scientists will ever be able to do that.  At one point in the debate he argues the Bible and its authority calling it an ancient book.  Funny how he and his like rely on other old things but not this one.  Arguing against God may not have been the topic but rest assuredly it was one of his goals:

http://www.glennbeck.com/2013/09/16/bill-nye-religion-is-the-enemy-of-science.

 

This is not to say that Ken Ham is correct on everything.  However, since he does not deny the existence of a Creator then his starting place in finding all the right answers has more authenticity.  It is when he adds his own personal feelings and ideas that it becomes no better than the secular sceince field.

Science should be embraced.  The scientific method can and should be used when all possible.  But when there are no answers that science has to offer and an ancient book has aldready been written years before any scientific discovery had been made explains it all then that is where faith comes in.
 

For more about evolution and a more accurate understanding of creationism, read the following Thoughts:

http://ideasoftimreligion.blogspot.com/search/label/Evolution
http://ideasoftimreligion.blogspot.com/search/label/Creation

LXXXIV. The Dreaded Slippery Slope

Coming up on the election season (October through election day) we will without a doubt see all kinds of commercials that will try and persuade our thinking about the opposing candidate.  This is called propaganda, an action usually saved for dictatorial leaders who by any other means can not get elected legally or morally.  There is one type of propaganda that is probably used more than the rest and that is called Slippery Slope.  Slippery Slope: A tricky precarious situation, especially one that leads gradually but ultimately to disaster.  Such as:  If this one candidate gets elected grandma may be thrown over a cliff.  Although most slippery slopes are used only to put fear into the other side of the argument many slopes are real and need to be taken seriously.  If one uses drugs one may get addicted.  Slippery?  Yes.  Slope?  Yes.  Real?  Yes.  If one goes outside in the cold one may get pneumonia.  If one plays with fire, one may get burned.  Other slopes come in catch phrases and cliches.  Give an inch...take a mile.  This is a big one since it rings true with people's values and what they want.  If we give into certain things how much more will we want something else?  What a slippery real slope!

With all that said there are two main sets of values, liberal and conservative.  Sure there may be an in between person as a whole but that person will tend to be one way or another depending on the topic.  If one is completely in the middle on everything then that person just doesn't care about anything and that person will get nowhere in life.  Another slippery, but real slope.  Being a Christian though shouldn't we have a certain set of values that do not waiver?  Shouldn't we have a set of values that do not allow slippery slopes?  Last month's poll:  Which set of values is closer to what a Christian should have?  Here are the results.

• 47% said, Conservative
• 4% said, Liberal
• 38% said, They are equally important
• 9% said, Neither, no one should be limited in their values

The comment section of http://ideasoftim.blogspot.com/2008/08/7-liberalisms-failures.html explains what a typical conservative view is:

1. Sanctity of Life- stopping the act of abortion
2. Morality System- based on Judeo-Christian values
3. Preserving the Constitution- the original ideas, not the reinterpretation of it
4. Strong Military
5. Family Oriented- Nuclear family traditions
6. Market System
7. Low Taxes
8. Small government
9. Preserving American way of life.
10. Death Penalty- for heinous crimes

There are other issues of course. There will be variants of agreements. But if one disagrees with most of the above or thinks a clarification of or acceptions made to the above are needed then a conservative they will not be.

 

Over the years these values have been slipping down that slope and have been losing their value in American way of life.  And then we wonder why on www.realclearpolitics.com that about 66% of us think we are headed in the wrong direction.  Stop the slope.  Bring the true conservatism back.  Some will of course say that if we did that then we will have digressed thirty years and will have lost all kinds of progress made with civil rights movements.  This did not say bring the conservatives back, it says conservatism.  Follow this slippery slope.

 

Radio:  1920's  music and books and plays acted over the air waves, all family-oriented

Radio:  1960's music about drug use and promiscuous sex on air all the time but at least disguised

Radio:  1990's Howard Stern...

 

TV:  1950's family-oriented, I Love Lucy didn't even show them in same bed.

TV:  1970's family-oriented, Mike and Carol in the same bed after extending family

TV:  1990's NYPD Blue, first nudity shown on air

TV:  2010's  Jersey Shore (joke), On Demand, Pay per view

 

Movies:  1950's no rating system

Movies:  1970's G, PG, R

Movies:  1990's G, PG, PG-13, NC-17, R

 

We could go on and on about topics where the slippery slope actually was real.  So to say that the slippery slope is just a scare tactic and only extremists want these changes is inaccurate.  It happens.  Religions will hold less value soon.  Marriage is already being changed.  Taxes are being used for the wrong problems.  Abortion is being more widely accepted.  There is no more shock value because we are becoming used to it and immune to the slope.  Liberal values are that slippery slope.  They just keep sliding and opening what they think are opportunities and freedoms, but what they lead to is law suits and chaos.  Liberal values are not needed for liberalism has no set standards.  Maybe having a few liberal ideas are okay to have (but no one has shown any yet) but Christians need conservative values and need to vote for them.

Obama is not that vote.

LXXXI. Cult of Personality

Many "religions" speak of Christ. Even religions that are not compatible with Christianity often speak of Jesus. But this does not mean that these religions are correct. What does the Bible say the main ideas of Christianity are? The following are just small pieces of what Christians believe but are the most important and perhaps explains Christianity:

1. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Now the Bible does not use these words specifically but do not get bogged down with that. There are things called concepts. Psalm 139:7-12 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
2. Jesus was fully man and fully God. Jesus was God but He was also man. He felt the same things do. He knows what the flesh is all about. But He is also God because only He can forgive sins. John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. John 10:30, I and the Father are one.
3. Jesus was the Son of God (as man) and came to die for all mankind. How could He be the Son of God yet God at the same time? Think of it as when you give something of yours to somebody. It is from you, it is of you, it shows who you are. Now try and put yourself in that place. That is why you are not God (L. Ron Hubbard). You can't do it. But God manifested Himself into the flesh and was called Jesus. The second part is the important part here. 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed."
4. Jesus rose from the dead. Without this, our faith means nothing. If God can not raise the dead then there is no hope. Acts 10:40, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
5. Jesus will return for those who believe in Him. If He does not return then His promise is a lie. If He is a liar then no one should believe in Him. John 14:2-3, My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
6. Jesus is the only medium, or mediator, between God and man. Now that does not mean the only messenger of God. It means that there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus, no other being. If someone claims they are the only one to interpret things or the only one who knows God then they are delusional. 1 Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus.
7. Solo Scriptura. This idea is that the Bible alone is the sole authority by which we live. It trumps tradition and any other liturgical ideas. The Bible was written by the Apostles and fathers of the Church in 1st century AD. When John wrote the final words, the Bible can not be added to.

Beyond these that are mentioned is mostly about comfortability and practice. Such as the type of music or to use music at all is strictly based on opinion. Should leaders be called priests, pastors, ministers, or elders is also another issue that is just based on comfort or opinion (semantics), for all who are called to Christ are ministers (those who serve). Now some issues are based on translation and are open for discussion such as is water baptism necessary or just a sign of obedience. And the answer is, yes. Because as long as someone believes in Jesus then it is a personal relationship with Him. Does communion really become the body and blood of Christ or is it just a symbol of what He did? The answer is, yes. Because it really doesn't matter what you believe. If you take communion with the right heart and mind then God will honor that. If it becomes God then great. If not then you still took it with Him in mind. All that was commanded here its that you do it in remembrance of Him. These issues should not distinguish between a practitioner of Baptist or Methodist or anything else, although people do overstate these differences, and that is a shame. But if one deviates from the seven points above then they could be considered a cult.

Here are the results of last month's poll: Which of the following groups that speak of Christ, one way or another, would you consider a cult?

• 100% said, Christian Science. This should not be confused with Scientology, the bogus religion created by L. Ron Hubbard and his book, Dianetics, which was actually just a science fiction book. One major problem for this group is that they put so much emphasis on Mary Baker Eddy. It is like her words have authority, see #6 and #7. But the major problem is that CS do not believe Jesus was God. They even think He went out of His way saying He wasn't by always referring to God as the Father. See #2. For more information about CS here is the link. http://christianscience.com/what-is-christian-science
• 77% said, Mormonism. Humanitarians? Yes! Pacifists? Yes! Great people? Yes! True Christians? Well they have a special book called, the Book of Mormon, written by Joseph Smith. Smith found these writings on a plate in North America. He was the only one who could dictate what the plates meant. And like CS the LDS do not say that Jesus is God but only the Son of God. See #2, #6, and #7. For more information about LDS here is the link. http://www.lds.org/?lang=eng
• 77% said, Jehovah's Witness. They are also pacifists who believe all violence is wrong which is great. But they are another group that specifically denies that Jesus is God. They even use the same scripture in point #2 above but they say it is an analogy. This group was started by Charles Taze Russell. They have created their own literature called the Watch Tower claiming they are the prophets of God, see #7. They believe that the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation is a specific number of prophets for the end times. Oddly enough there are about 115,000 JW today in the world, almost the number. They also believe in a literal 1000 year reign but that reign will only be those who are part of this 144,000. For more information on JW here is the link. http://www.watchtower.org/
• 66% said, Deism/Theism. This just means that they believe in God but not an active one. One that just lets the universe run its course. See all the above. For more on Deism, read about John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu and someone's modern description because it is not an organized religion. http://www.moderndeism.com/html/deism_defined.html
• 55% said, British Israelism/Christian Identity. They also may be known as the Worldwide Church of God, not to be confused with local churches of God. This group believes that European/American/Caucasians are what is known the lost tribes of Israel. When the Israelites were taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar and were then released this group thinks instead of going back to Israel they went to places in Europe. They claim to know their ancestry and have long lists of people who may or may not have lived. They hold all beliefs of mainstream Christianity. But they believe that only those who have European blood in them are called to be with God. All of those who are not white, do not have a soul and therefore can not be saved by God. See #3. England is the new throne of David and again they can trace the lineage of Queen Elizabeth back to David. This is the same belief that started apartheid in South Africa and the ideas behind eugenics.
• 16% said, Catholicism. The only major problem with the RC is when they pray. Many times they call to saints to stand in for them thinking they can get away with lifestyles by asking a saint to help. See #6. But the difference here is that they do pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Not perfect people but do adhere to all 7 points.
• 5% said, Messianic Jews. Not one deviation from all seven points. The people who said this are just upset with religion. The only major difference is that this group finds their Jewish roots and uses them to gain a more clear understanding of who and why Jesus is.
• 5% said, Protestantism. Not one deviation from all seven points. The people who said this are just upset with religion. yes. There are differences among themselves but they should not be separated from each other.
• 44% said, Other. Explain. Seventh-Day Adventist? Unitarian?
• 0% said, None, all roads lead to God. This is correct. No one should have said this.

What is a cult? A cult is any belief system that takes away the importance of Jesus Christ and what He did. Out of the groups that are mentioned, only three agree to all seven points. You be the judge.

(Note:  This was originally posted on Bible Lessons but was moved due to nature of content)

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.

LXVIII. To Be or Not To Be

Here are the results from last month's poll:  What are your feelings about euthanasia?  Totals were added from two different sites.  Comments to follow soon.

• It should only be used on animals (34.6%)
• It should never be used (23.1%)
• It is a humane way of letting someone go  (15.4%)
• Should be done if there is no chance of survival  (5.8%)
• Other (21.2%)

LXVI. The Addict

Why do people allow substances, feelings, actions, thoughts, or desires to overtake them?  What causes people to turn to lifestyles they would not have normally turned to given any other circumstances?

Here is an interesting article, http://www.hbo.com/addiction/understanding_addiction/index.html?current=0.  Perhaps the answers can only be answered by those who have had addictions.  But here are the results from last month's poll:  Which of the following causes more people to have addictions than the rest?

• 37% said Emotional instability.
• 37% said Spiritual weakness
• 25% said Bad decisions.
• 0% said Physical illness, a disease.
• 0% said Genetics
• 0% said Bad childhood.
• 0% said Other.

First if all what needs to be remembered as you read is that addictions are not just about drugs.  There are plenty of forms of addictions.  There are drugs, alcohol, work, sex, money, power, crime,  and others.  All of the above cause pain in our lives, even the ones that no one voted for.  The problem is not in the circumstances that shape our lives of pain.  The problem is in the reaction to that pain.  Some choose to seek new relationships.  Some seek a higher power.  Some seek medicinal treatments.  Some seek physical pleasures or mutilation.  These actions can cause addictions and could put many people on a path to destruction.  We all have some sort of circumstance in our lives that could or have formed into some sort of addiction, so we all can have opinions on this topic.

Those who have emotion instability are usually ones that have had some sort of relational problem in their life.  They have been hurt by someone in their life.  Betrayal, abuse, and neglect (traumas) are usually not absent in cases like these.  This one could be added to the choice of bad childhood and perhaps that is why no one chose the answer.  They move on from relation to relation.  They can't seem to find that someone who will take them away from all of the pain they have suffered in their own mind.  When that person can't take the pain away they move to another person.    This relation does not necessarily mean one that involves sexual action.  This could be friends.  They can't seem to keep the same friends over time.  It could be parents.  Children start to look for other father or mother figures to have someone in their life.  If they can not find the "perfect" relationship they look for a way to cope with that relationship by finding an outlet.  That outlet becomes the addiction.

Oddly enough, no one said that genetics are a leading cause of addiction.  But as stated in the article posted here 60% of alcoholics have had alcoholism in their family history.  But maybe we recognize that even though our family has had problems it doesn't mean that we will.  And it definitely doesn't mean that we have to follow those footsteps.  But you can see this as being true.  If babies can be born addicted to crack they can be born addicted to other things as well, or at least predisposed. 

No one said physical illness or bad childhood either. Physical illness can cause addiction by either someone trying to relieve the pain they have in their live. They over use the prescriptions such as many celebrities do. Or they are being so stressed out by some situation they feel like they have nothing else to lose. Probably the reason why no one said bad childhood is because it would be a redundant statement. Starting down a road that has plenty of bad decisions probably can not be pinpointed where it all started such as in your childhood. Besides one has to start making your own decisions and not blame the past for all the mistakes made.

The article has another page that talks about myths of addictions.  Two of the myths are myths, in a way, that is.  Science treats addiction as a disease.  It's not a disease, but a sickness.  But a sickness of what?  The mind.  The substance or action plays on the mind of the individual and the individual can not break free from this thought and thereby causing the person to make irrational decisions, changing the individual into someone they are not.  The doctors try and treat the disease by using other forms of medicine.  This is the myth that is a myth.  The article said that many (when appropriate) are given medicine to curb their instincts, their brain functions back to normality.  But then that means they will have to rely on the new medicine to stay functioning.  That is better than the alternative but it doesn't cure the problem.  The other myth-myth is that addicts are not addicted to all drugs.  That is true for the most but there is an underlying factor here that is not mentioned.  During an AA meeting at a rehabilitation center, after the prayer of serenity was said and all formalities out of the way, one patient said that he was glad he didn't escalate into other drugs and that he didn't start to substitute one drug for another.  Meanwhile the room was getting foggier and foggier because everyone in the room had an average of about nine cigarettes in the hour meeting that was observed.  Nicotine is a drug too.  The man was substituting one for another but didn't realize it.  That could be an example of how addictions are treated with other "medicines".  The other myths seem highly accurate.

But the over all problem that causes addictions is the over all worldly problem of having spiritual weakness.

People turn to physical solutions when the real solution lies in the spiritual world.  Places like AA, thank God for AA, even acknowledge that people have to recognize there is a higher power.  But even as great as AA and other rehab centers are, there still needs that openness to not just accepting a higher power but embracing a higher power.  Accepting a higher power is fine, but what is needed is a full surrendering to the higher power, because if you don't then you are still fighting the sickness.  And yes, the higher power is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

LV. Political Activists

The two things they say you are not supposed to discuss with friends and family are religion and politics.  But this thought (and site) brings them together into one.  Here are the results to last month's poll:  Should Churches be politically active?

• (27%)  No. Because our battle is not with flesh and blood.  This is the most important thing to remember.  No matter what happens in this world the most powerful force is to go to God with any and every issue.  But God does not say that this is where it should stop.  Many Christians wimp out by saying the above.  Actually in all reality those who answer this are probably Christians who have a hard time dealing with the fact that there thoughts do not coincide with Biblical views.  It is their way of reconciling their own thoughts with their spiritual life.  Hint:  it doesn't always work, nor is it always correct. 
• (27%)  Yes. But only on certain issues.  This is probably the best non-biblical answer.  See next answer for explanation.
• (22%)  Yes. No matter what.  Perhaps this one needs to be looked at a little more.  Some issues that do not deal with any spirituality are not needed to be endorsed or opposed by the Church, such as gun control.  This is not an issue that deals with the Church so why get involved as an organization?  Abortion?  Yes.  Marriage laws?  Yes.  Taxes?  Sometimes.  Freedoms of individual liberties?  Sometimes.  Religious freedom?  Definitely.  Candidates?  Yes.  Judges and certain laws?  Yes.
• (18%)  No. Because it would violate "separation of church and state".  This one is controversial because no matter what you say someone always misinterprets the issue and the amendment to the Constitution.  See http://ideasoftim.blogspot.com/2010/08/67-life-liberty-and-pursuit-of.html and the see the comment section as well.
• (4%)  No. Because then they would have to pay taxes.  This has to be the answer that people picked because they are trying to be sarcastic or are angry with the Church.  Churches should not have to worry about paying taxes.  Even Jesus said that we need to pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar.  They are a non-profit organization and should be treated like any other non-profit organization.  But since when does profit making constitute if you can be political or not? Private homes are non-profit (most of them).  Are they not allowed to be political?  Boy Scouts, YMCA, Salvation Army, and other organizations should be allowed to be political.  The old saying goes that if you don't like something you don't have to do it.  If these groups become political then you do not have to support it.

The Church whether people like it or not has been, is, and always will be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to politics.  Those who are Christian need to embrace this fact.  Not to abuse the power of the Church such as what was done by the Catholic Church during the age of feudalism, and not to force others into becoming all conformed like the practice of russification by Czar Nicolas I of Russia but to be the driving force of the culture so that the country can return to God and a higher morality system.

LI. Divorce

Some famous quotes about marriage were meant to be a joke but some really tell how we feel about it in today's world.

1. Marriage is a three ring circus, engagement ring, wedding ring, suffering.
2. Marriage is an institution. Who wants to be institutionalized?
3. The woman cries before the wedding; the man afterward.
4. Marriage is neither heaven nor hell; it is simply purgatory.- Abe Lincoln
5. Bigamy is having one husband too many. Monogamy is the same.
6. Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence..A life sentence.
7. Marriage means commitment...but so does insanity.

But perhaps the most famous is a line by Red Skelton: "marriage is the number one cause of divorce"  Why do people feel this way?  Here are the results of last month's poll: How do you feel about divorce?

• (28%) It's bad but I can think of worse things.  Maybe there are worse things but sometimes tragedies are caused by the smallest of events.  It only takes a spark to get a fire going.  Explosives come in small packages.  The Grand Canyon was supposedly carved by the Colorado River.  Obama was elected as president.  All of these started out as small things but grew into rather large objects or obstacles.  It may not be the worse thing but it causes all kinds of havoc on our culture and lives.
• (28%) If it is needed then do it. Sometimes you can't help it.  The question is, "why is it needed?".  If it is for marital unfaithfulness people have the right, even biblical right, to do it.  Unfaithfulness comes in more than just sexual outbounds.  You promise to love, honor, and cherish.  Abusing your partner is a breaking of this vowel.  The one who is being abused has every right to walk away.  The one doing the abusing has every obligation to change and heal the marriage before the other does walk away.  Disagreeing with someone, economic problems, children, and/or boredom are not reasons to get divorced.  They would be excuses, or shall we say rationalization!
• (25%) It's one of the worse problems we face today.  Very accurate.
• (10%) Other.  Please someone explain.
• (7%) Marriage is the main cause of divorce.  Those who answered this one are mostly joking.  It's those who do not say these things but show them are the ones who are in jeopardy.

When did divorce become so rampant?  It has always been around but when did it become so accepted as a part of society?  Another quote about divorce is that 50% of marriages end up in divorce.  That number is actually now lower this decade than last.  Divorce started to rise in this country back in the 1970's.  Perhaps it was because in the 60's people were more worried about free love than true love.  Songs and slogans of the time really show what we thought.  "If you can't be with the one you love then honey love the one you're with" (Nice message).  Make love, not war.  Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll.  These are just to name a few.  The problem is the one they were loving at the time was one they fell in love with while they were stoned.  Then when they had to come down off that high in the 70's they realized the one they loved wasn't the one they were with.  So by the time they hit 30 years of age they got divorced.  Hence the divorce rate sky rocketed in the 80's.  And those who got married in the 90's saw the examples their parents gave them and decided divorce wasn't that big of a deal.  And now that they are having kids in the 21st century, marriage isn't that important because 50% get divorced anyway so they don't even bother getting married.  Results?  Children born out of wedlock and hurt because they want both of their parents in their life.  Men run away from their responsibility since they didn't make any commitment.  Hearts are left broken and lying on the ground only to be trampled by the next one who promises (empty) to fix it.  People are left economically ruined due to all the lawyers, foreclosures, abandonment of children.  The Heritage Foundation says:  "Married families play an important part in promoting economic opportunity: children raised by never-married mothers are seven times more likely to be poor when compared to children raised in intact married families."  Divorce kills.

Where there's marriage without love, there will be love without marriage- Ben Franklin.

XLIX. My Show Place

It's the rage of the whole country and culture. It's man's new best friend. It's America's new national past time. It is social networking at it's greatest achievement. It is neo-voyeurism. And we're hooked on it. And it is quite disgusting that it has done these things to us. Yet, we let it go on because we have become so complacent with the things we do, nothing disturbs us and nothing we do (especially on a personal basis) seems to be wrong. Facebook. Myspace. Twitter. Even blogs. The desocialization of society has begun. Maybe Wall*E isn't that far fetched from reality. Here are the results from last month's poll: How do you view things like Facebook and MySpace?

• 3% said these things are great. How in the world are these things great? Because they get info out to people? So can a TV, radio, newspaper, and hmmm... a phone. Because it can get a lot of information fast to a lot of people? So what?
• 53% said these things can be great but can be abused. "Can be" is the most important phrase of this choice. Anything has the potential to be a good thing.
• 32% said these things are abused more than being used for beneficial reasons and need to be monitored. More than not. Don't people know that most sex crimes start with the smallest of imagery and then lead up to worse things? Ask NBC when they do their Dateline episodes on Internet stings and pedophiles.
• 10% said these things are detestable and need to be abolished. Well at least some people know how to think.

It may be a passing phase that the world is going through but it doesn't seem like this type of community service is going away anytime soon. In fact it looks like it may usher in a whole new way of life; the kind of life where no one really has to deal with anyone else except through their avatars. TRUE STORY: There was a young child who was addicted to this stuff. The parents decided they had to ban their child from using it and they felt like it was a bear trying to get the child to understand why it was not needed. But the parent was doing the same thing. It is kind of hard to teach a child these things when so many adults are doing it and the adults are thinking they need to do it too. It's just another thing in this life that says "look how important I am. I have a Facebook account".

Cell phones, blue tooth ear pieces are the same way. Sure they can be used for positive things but in reality they are something to showcase who we are, hmmm...something prideful maybe. Something that takes us away from important things in life. If they are used as a witnessing tool fine, but that is not what we (99.99%) do it for and we know it. It's not just Facebook. It's our whole culture. You walk into Walmart and see people with blue tooth in their ears. And you think to yourself, "how important do you think you are that you have to answer that thing in Walmart? I mean if it was Macy's or something, okay, but you're in Walmart". Now that is kind of facetious but when you look deeper at the person, watch how they hold themselves when they have this thing on. They seriously take on a superiority complex attitude. Why can't they just have a phone? And of course they have to have it on "ring" so people can hear them when they get a call instead of vibrate. This is a pet peeve. But it does remind us of the culture we live in. Anything to bring attention to ourselves. But the Facebook thing...some will say it's a way to keep in touch with friends. That's why there are phones. If it's a friend from high school, and if you don't have their phone then apparently they weren't that close to them anyway.

Posting things twitter-like? Who cares if someone is eating at that time? And then the teenager way of doing it...posting things they don't think anyone will see. They hide their parents from seeing by hitting the hide button on their personal settings page. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Parents don't know what their own child is saying, or worse yet, they do know and don't care.

There is an addiction to these things. This following commercial seems harmless and is trying to be humorous but in reality is it really portraying how pathetic we have become?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQR67HXVt14. Notice everyone has their phone out while they are supposed to be in communication with the one they are with. This is actually quite sickening if you think about it. Our society has deteriorated because no one knows how to talk to each other. Could it be this bad as the commercial shows? have we gotten that dependant upon this little thing called the cell phone (mini-macro-world-communicator-entertainer)? Students in school don't know how to handle each other anymore when they walk down the halls together because they don't know how to actually talk in a correct way. Conversations are shortened to IDK, LOL, ROFL, NVM, BTW, WTF, OMG. So when real crisis happen, no one knows how to deal with it, because typing something won't cause the problem to go away. Students don't do homework anymore because they are talking on Facebook all night long.

It causes impatience, neglect, disappointment and even bullying and sexting. Nicely done. Parents don't even listen to their kids anymore, they're too busy downloading pictures and playing with apps.

BTW, Blogs? Same thing. Get a life. Those who blog must have nothing else to do with their life. That is why this writer has three. See the point?

It' not the technology that makes these things bad. It's the availability for anyone of any background to use that makes these things bad. Even Christians who have problems dealing with addictions can make these things have a negative impact on their witnessing. Some people may celebrate the name of Christ on their site and then in their photo sections have a picture of people in compromising and promiscuous positions. If you are a Christian and are not using it for real witnessing but for your own pleasure then you have lost all credibility to being a witness. And if you are one of those people, then shame on you.

XLIII. Influences

People come into our lives for one reason: to influence it. Whether we want them to or not they do. With each new face we see either in passing or in acquaintance we are changed. But which ones change us the most? Here are the results from last month's poll: "What influences the most?"

• (51%) Church/Religion.
• (22%) Family.
• (14%) Friends.
• (5%) Music/Art/Reading.
• (2%) Personal interests.
• (2%) Something else.
• (0%) Politics/Government.
• (0%) Celebrities (all kinds).
• (0%) World Issues.

It seems the ones that influence us the most are the ones that shape our beliefs. Things that go on around us such as those in our environment apparently really do not influence us as much as we say. If we are upset with the way things are going on in the world it won't change who we are. And there is a biblical concept with that. Happiness is external. Joy is internal. We may not like the way things are going but if we have the right belief system then those things can not harm us. Zero in this poll back that up by saying world issues, although may bother us when we here it, do not change who we are. Neither do politicians nor celebrities as well. Which is kind of strange because who do politicians get to endorse them thinking that it will change who votes for them? Celebrities! And the pomposity of some celebs who think if they say something then others will follow. Take Alec Baldwin who said if George Bush won in 2004 then he would move to Canada. The only good thing that Alec Baldwin has ever done was play in Betelgeuse, and even in that role he played a dead man. No one cares what you say Alec, or you Susan, or you Barbara. All of these said similar things during the 2000 campaign as well. And unfortunately, they are still American citizens living in the US. I guess they are just as much as liars filled with empty promises as liberal politicians.

Eighty-seven percent are influenced by those we grow up with or shape our beliefs. This is why it is so important to fill your minds with positive thoughts and beliefs. This is why a morality system is needed. Not one that changes with every new world issue or newly elected leader who promises change, but one that is solid and never bends or breaks, one that stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

• The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.

Sorry atheists, church is still one of the biggest influences in our lives. You can keep your personal interests (2%) and teach your own children but stay out of the rest of our lives.

XL. Nature of Man

The time period known as the Enlightenment was technically started by the scientific revolution and the likes of Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, and Rene Descartes. But there were others of this time period who thought of human nature not just science and math which those who are mentioned were. These people were called Philosophes and one of the most influential and first of these thinkers was an an Englishman, Thomas Hobbes. He believed that man is naturally selfish. And because of this selfishness man could not be trusted with certain things, so a strict government was needed to ensure man would not destroy himself due to his evil nature. But another Englishman, a little time after Hobbes, was John Locke who said man is naturally free and this is why man has war. He is searching for the solution to stay free. Both had lived through the English Civil War and saw things they never wanted to see again. But are either one of these men right in their final assumptions? Here are the results from last month's poll: What is human nature like? (Note: this poll had been somewhat manipulated by certain atheists who read this blog. Which is fine, the results of this poll do not make any one right or wrong)

• 50% We are neutral with the ability to be either good or bad.
• 26% We are naturally bad since we are born into sin.
• 10% We are naturally good since we are born innocent and can only sin when we reach the age of accountability.
• 8% We are naturally good since God created us.
• 4% We are naturally bad since we have the ability to sin.

To answer this question we have to take it with different views.

Let's start with physical evidence. How do we enter this world? Do we live like Orkans (Mork and Mindy)? Do we start by being hatched, fully grown with the potential to do harm to half the population because we are large creatures? No. We are born small. We are born with no protection. We are born naked and vulnerable. We are helpless human beings who need nurturing and discipline. We are born innocent, free of the world's troubles until we hear, see, touch, smell, and feel what the world offers us.

Mental evidence. Do we know what we want when we are born? Do we know what we want when we get older? Do we ever know what we really want? If we had everything we needed would we still try after certain things? Or do we only want these certain things because the world puts it in our minds that we need them? Go back about 100 years ago. What would be considered needed? A stove, a house or roof over our heads (which would include bed and all household items), perhaps some mode of transportation. But now what do we consider needed? A cell phone! Not just one that calls people, but one that can take pictures, maybe even video. One that can hook you up with the Internet, watch movies, play games, and have "apps" for everything you can think of. A house! Not just one with beds and a roof, but one that no one can afford because that is what is being built everywhere so someone can make money. And since we have to keep up with the Jones' then a two bedroom house won't do. A car! For the same reason as the house. And for all of these things we are willing to go into debt beyond our own means of paying any of it back.

Emotional evidence: We all need some sort of love. The original account of love is between man and God. God also created an earthly love between man and woman. But when people can't find love in either of these two ways they have to start creating different kinds of love to fulfill their emotional needs, thereby creating different lifestyles.

Spiritual evidence: Going back to the original relationship, man and God. Of course the more appropriate way is to say God and man. But over time man has decided he doesn't need God and has tried to force Him out of every aspect of life and then wonders why He never helps in times of need.

What does any of this mean? We are born innocent. We are born with the ability to do right and wrong. We have the ability to live a perfect life as in the example that Jesus gave. But since we are flesh, we are imperfect beings and that allows sin to enter. Do we have to choose sin? No, but we do. Why? Because of the things around us that tempt us and we try to push away God and Godly things.

We are born naturally good and innocent (keep reading)! God created us and He creates nothing evil. Yes, He gave us flesh, to interact with the physical world; to allow us to have pleasure in this life with all five senses. But our true identity is not of this world. We are spiritual beings first! We are good! If we were born neutral then we are born without the Spirit of God and that is not what happens. God has given each and everyone of us a spirit to live our lives by. But we choose the easier route; the one that our minds and bodies can get pleasure out of the most (Pleasure is not the problem, desire for the wrong type of pleasure is). If we are born bad, then we are saying that God created all of us to die in hell first, and then only sent Jesus to save us. And that is not the case. We were created innocent. We were created to live for Him. We have the ability to sin because of free will, something He gave us to show how much He loves us. This free will has been tainted by those who do not live by their spirit but by the flesh. This caused the world to die, Genesis 2-3.

We are innocent until we take the first step in the wrong direction and disobey God with our own desire, hence the age of accountability. We all reach this age and it is at this moment we die. Paul said all fall short of the glory of God. But that doesn't mean man is naturally evil, but that God knows man needs help. So, He sent Jesus Christ to help. Sorry atheists, the evidence speaks for itself.

XXXVII. Go out into All the World

One of the biggest commandments we are given in the NT is found in Matthew 28:19-20. Most people would know these verses as the Great Commission. Now Jesus said that the two Commandments that are most important are Love God and your neighbor, which are summaries of the Ten Commandments found in the OT. But how do we show love for our neighbor? Sure, don't lie about them, don't covet what they have, don't murder them or steal from them. But what is the greatest thing you can do for them? Show them Christ. How? The following is a result from the latest poll, "How Should We Witness?""

• 71% said our lifestyles should be an example
• 65% said in everything we do should be a witness
• 60% said through charity
• 40% said through sermons and church
• 37% said something else besides the choices
• 31% said by mail
• 28% said through politics
• 17% said through church activities only
• 14% said door to door
• 2% said we shouldn't try and leave them alone

This was actually quite sad to see these results. At least 4 of the choices should have been 100% with maybe even one more. If you are a Christian, you are called to live a life that is an example. Be holy for He is holy, 1 Peter 1:16. If your life is not an example of what Christ called you to be then you are NOT witnessing. You are destroying. This goes for choice #2 as well. In everything you are to be witnesses. This goes beyond just your reputation. This is about your character. The difference is this: Your reputation is about what people think about you when they are around you. Your character is what you do even when they are not around. Are you still the same person? In everything be a witness. If you can't witness to yourself how are you supposed to witness for Him? Of course we will all fall short. We will all sin and not be perfect but that doesn't mean we have the freedom to not care and not try. We are called to give to charity. We are supposed to be good stewards of our money and one of those ways is to care for others. This is different than being forced into charity. We are supposed to give with a cheerful heart out of our own discord. Only 40% said be witnesses through sermons. Yet, most of the church today is focused on seekers. How can you focus on those who are wanting to know more about Christ if you do not have a sermon that tells about Christ? Now church is more than just the sermon and the sermon should have something in it that makes even the mature Christian think and want more. But too many sermons and programs deal with "40 days of purpose" and "how to be a better person". If you teach about Christ these points will be hit anyway. Why have a six week program called "if you only had 30 days to live"? Last time this was checked, 30 days is shorter than six weeks. Teach Christ and the rest will follow. These are the ones that should have been 100%. Ashamed.

Mail, politics, and door to door. Three things that probably bug people to either see or talk about or have happen to them. But are they witnessing tools? Yes! However, if you get something in the mail that does not spark your interest or seems like it is just junk mail, do you actually read it or throw it away in the nearest recycle bin? Exactly. Are churches spending way too much money on mailing and advertisement through the mail? Perhaps not because a life is worth it, but maybe create something more readable and interesting to the public. People can't stand politics in discussion and many think it should not be used with religious ideas. But we are also called to a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Now this is not exactly what this verse means but it still can be used as an example. We are a "nation", a universal nation of believers. We need to take a stand against the ideologies that take a stand against Godly values. We need to be active and vote for those who lift up Christian morals as well as a sound policy, not just for those who give empty promises of change and economic prosperity. What is wrong with door to door evangelism? People are always going door to door trying to sell things such as window replacement, newspaper circulation, lawn care and stuff. They have a product they believe in and want to show people. What happened to this idea in witnessing? We are too complacent in our own homes and think all of that should happen in the church. If we can't get them into church then that idea will not work.

Who knows what the 37% of other would be so if you have an idea let all of us know. And the 2% who said leave them alone are probably my friends who do not believe in God yet still go to all of the Christian blogs and websites to argue their case. Which actually is a good thing because maybe we are all they have which is another reason why we have to be a good witness.

XXXV. The Tithe

Last months poll asked: What effects your attitude the most about giving to the church financially? Most churches like all of the other institutions dependent upon finances are hurting economically. But the church should be different. First of all it is not an organization like so many leaders try and make it. It is an organism! It lives and breathes. Secondly, the church is not dependent on the product. It doesn't have to sell anything to survive. Third the church is also not dependent upon any advertising. All of these of course financially speaking. The church is commanded to give as an Old Testament law. One tenth of all we own is supposed to go right back to God. Abraham set up this action in Genesis 14:20 before it became a law.

• 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Abraham did it out of faith. Then when the Israelites left Egypt, many had no clue what faith really was so God put into law for them to understand. And from here on is was etched in stone.

• 30 A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.

Remember a tithe is a tenth of what you have. But there are other references needed to understand what the tithe really means. It's not only a tenth of what we own, but it's the first tenth of what we own. We are given examples of what this means when we see Cain and Abel. Cain gave his portions to the Lord, but Abel gave his first portions and the Lord blessed him.

We are also given a promise of what happens when we tithe. Malachi 3:8-12

• 8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
• 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.
• 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
• 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.
• 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

If we do what we are supposed to do then the body of God (Christ) will flourish. So why is the church in economic problems like the rest of the world? Here is the result of the poll:

• 35% say that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Nothing hinders them. They give their tithe.
• 30% say that something is getting in the way but it was not a choice given.
• 20% say they do not like the programs that are going on with their local congregation.
• 5% say the church is only worried about money.
• 5% say giving isn't just about finances.
• 5% say they can't afford it.

All of the above are either misinformed about what they do or are excuses not to give. Even if 35% do what they are supposed to do and the rest only do half then the church wouldn't be in the economic situation it is in. God has promised this! So, there must be more to it. The New Testament also talks about giving. But it goes into more detail in a way. The Old law also in Deuteronomy tells us we need to give according to the portions the Lord has blessed us. So if we make a lot then we should give a lot. But the New "law" says we need to give so much that our left hand doesn't know what our right hand has done. And since we have freely received stuff then we should freely give. Jesus also says that even though money is not the most important part of giving in Matthew 23, He says that we should not forget the law about it. Paul later tells that we should give according to our hearts. But our hearts are supposed to be filled with compassion for others. So why is the church still in economic despair? How about those excuses? The 20% who say that they do not like the way the church is running programs is not a valid reason. If they do not the way that local congregation is running then they need to give it somewhere else. The 5% that say the church is only worried about money is only showing selfishness and the fact that they do not know what the church actually does. This type of person is the one on the fence who wants to believe but can not find it within themselves to do so. So, they look for an excuse of not to give. This is also why some will fall from the curch because they get focused on the the money over the substance of what church is really about. The 5% that say giving is not only about finances is true but do not miss the law of giving! Give with a cheerful heart, money is part of the "game of life".

But even if these would be valid excuses the leadership needs to take these things into account. If 20% are not giving due to the fact that the church is not doing what it is supposed to be doing. Then why not look at that and see if changes are needed? Sometimes leadership gets bogged down with treating the church as an organization. But as it has been said before, the church is NOT an organization, it is an organism! If 65% are not giving or doing what they are supposed to be doing then maybe the leadership needs to look into that and be more open about the finances and how we are supposed to treat it. The 5% that say they can't afford it do not know what they actually can or can not afford. Maybe they have never tried it. These are also the ones who are young in their faith.

Ahh...faith. It comes back to this again as it started with Abraham. Giving is about faith. When you give have faith in what is done. Have faith that God will keep His promise.

XXXII. Only Mature Christians Read

Not many people did the poll this time around (lowest in site's history). But what was told was that most people who read this site has been a Christian for quite some time. Everyone who answered has been a believer for at least 10 years. That is okay but if you know someone who has questions, steer them this way. If you read this site then please take 5 seconds to do the poll.

XXX. What do you want?

Here are the results of the latest poll; What would you like to learn more about from your studies?

• (61%) More about the deep stuff no one ever teaches about. People want more. There is so much more to the Christian life that we do not know. There is so much more that God wants us to know that we do not explore. There is so much in the Bible that we do not comprehend. There is so much more that we can learn that we do teach. Why are we not there? It could be the culture we are in. We are bombarded with anti-Christian issues and ideas that turn people off. We are lazy. We are selfish. And there are a slew of other reasons. But the main reason here is church leadership. Too many places have leaders that don't teach. Their focus is more on getting programs going that will bring people into the church. There is a problem with that. See Thought XXVIII for that explanation. The people who said this answer are the core of the church. They are done with the milk. They want substance but the church leaders aren't giving it to them. And when asked why they aren't getting it, the answer from the leaders is usually along the lines of "well, you should be teaching others yourself". That is true but then there is no growth for them.
• (55%) More about why we believe what we believe. This goes to show that no one knows what their faith is all about. They believe things about the Bible and church and all of the things that go with being a Christian. But, they have no idea how they got there. Why do they actually believe in something? They were either raised that way or had a mentor that didn't explain everything to them. The person who answered this is probably someone ready to become part of the core of the church but feels inadequate in their beliefs to become it. Another failure of leadership. Equip the new Christian with some background. Let them know how to defend their faith. Scripture tells us we need to be ready in and out of season.
• (44%) More about Christ and his relationship with us. This should have been higher. This is the backbone of your faith. This is the treasure that we seek, or should seek. Maybe those who didn't answered this are satisfied with their faith. Never become complacent with your faith. Always grow. Or maybe those who did answer this are the new Christians who want to know more. But then that means 56% need to step up and teach. Either way this number does not show a positive side except that there are some who want to know Christ deeper.
• (33%) More about the history and books of the Bible. This is probably the more mature Christian. They want to know the background of what they are studying to try and put things into a different perspective.
• (22%) More about getting through life's trials. Although we need to know these things it doesn't look like many want to keep talking about this subject. Then why do we keep having sermons and Bible studies in our small group settings based on this?
• (11%) More about Church related issues. This is probably answered by someone who has an issue with the way things are ran at their church. They want to see if things are Biblically sound in their actions.
• (5%) More about the end times. Maybe this issue has been beaten to death and people are tired of it so no one wants to discuss this anymore. And then again it could be a plot of satan to get the Church unprepared for what's coming. You be the judge.
• (5%) Something else. Let us know what that something else is. Maybe this number will raise. You answered it now respond to it.
• (0%) More about the beginning of time. Is it that unimportant? Is Genesis not important?

Now you see the results. It's time for you to comment. Are these correct assumptions and observations?

XXVIII. What's a good size for a church?

What is the perfect size for a church? Keep in mind this is not referring to the Spiritual temple, which is you! It is referring to a physical building of worship.

Here are the results of the latest poll conducted from February 28 to April 10 which asked, "What is the perfect size for a church?".

• 48% said 100-500 people
• 36% said it doesn't matter
• 8% said 0-100 people
• 8% said 1000 or more people
• 0% said 500-1000 people

Assumptions and observations:

1. Those who picked 0-100 are the traditionalist Christian. Someone who likes small groups in order to get to know all the people. They are afraid of growth because it disrupts the flow of familiarity. It could also be because these people are control freaks who like to maintain control over situations. If the church congregation gets too big they lose control over certain issues. And that really frightens them. The pros for a small church: some have already been mentioned. There is the familiarity and closeness of people. Everybody knows everybody else. There is a sense of comfort. Nothing really changes so you know what to expect. You can see when things start to get out of hand. The pastor of the church can deal with everyone. This is his flock and he can take care of 100 people or less. The cons of this size are: No growth. people become complacent with what they have become. There is no movement in the community. They tend to stay in their own doors. The leaders become almost dictatorial. Too many of them are related which can cause bickering. Sometimes the church from the outside looks unfriendly. Those who attend have been there forever with very few new Christians.
2. Those who picked 100-500 are your suburban mainstream congregations with city influence. They are more open to change. They are a little more laid back than the traditionalist. They see the necessities of what has always been done but they are willing to incorporate new ideas to keep it growing. Pros: It's still small enough for a comfort zone. You can get into small groups yet still feel like you are part of the church as a whole. If there are any changes you feel a part of it. People need you to do your part. It is still small enough to where elders can function and help the pastor without stepping into his visionary gift. Cons: changes mean people changes as well. It becomes a revolving door for Christians. They like it at first but can't grasp on to the changes as they happen so many tend to leave and come back only to leave again. Only the core will stay with some new Christians in attendance. But that means you have a mature congregation.
3. Those who would have picked 500-1000 are your suburban non mainstream congregation. This church is all about change. Pros: They are on the verge of doing something drastic. They are well respected and have made a name for themselves. People hear about the great things that are happening at the place. Small groups take and form their own ministries because there are enough people of similar interests to make an impact. Cons: There is nothing really stable about this church. The constant change forces people to make a decision, either stay and wait it out or leave. Most who stay are either in leadership or they are new Christians who like the fast pace environment. But this leaves an immature congregation. You tend to lose your identity in the church. Yes you are apart of a small group but you seem less valuable as a whole. And many types of people start to feel segregated against. This is probably why no one picked this size.
4. Those who picked 1000 + are those who apparently are leaders of their congregation. They want to see numbers. Not so they can get a reputation but so they feel they are doing what they are called to do. They feel more like an evangelist instead of a pastor. They want to feed a community not just a flock. Pros: You have mass tons of people who can work. The money that comes in to these places can change the world. They have programs for everybody. Cons: The megachurch mentality. A feeling of superiority, like everything they do must be right since they are so large. The leadership gets lost into the crowd. No one knows who is making the decisions about the church. All identity is lost.
5. Those who picked it doesn't matter are probably those who aren't leadership per se but are still close to where all the action is. They are the ones who do the ministries or are really involved with them. They get angry or at least depressed when people don't follow their ideas. They don't understand why people argue about issues. They just want to see action and be a part of it.

Keep in mind, the size of the church probably doesn't really matter. What matters is, are you impacting your community? Maybe a church of 100 is a good thing because the community is only 1000 people in size anyway. But then again maybe a large church is good because it's a place where anyone can go and get some kind of program for them. Then again maybe 100-500 is best because you have the best of both worlds. If you grow too fast then start more sister churches in other communities. If you don't grow so fast then stay around and learn.

XXI. Eleven O'Clock and all is...

Results of December's poll:

16% think that the end of the world is within ten years. Hmmm...a president's term is 8 years. Oh, well. Is the world that bad that God will say He has had enough of what we are doing to His creation? Is it 11:00 PM? Thank God we're not on daylight savings time yet. There may be still time for some redemption and repentance.

66% think we're not going down that path yet but we're getting closer. Is this the last generation? Maybe we're not dead yet but have we shot ourselves in the foot.

16% think we're still quite a way's off. The next 200 years will be the tell tale.

0% think though we have more than 200 years. Any atheists here?

Could it be that we have ran ourselves out of existence? Are we the next major species that will become extinct due to our lifestyles? Time is ticking.