Presidential Debate 2016 Fair or Not?

Were NBC's questions to the presidential candidates fair and equal? Not really? The hard questions for Hillary Clinton weren't asked. Lester Holt didn't ask her about the email scandal, Benghazi, nor corruption in the Clinton Foundation.

Plus, many important issues like immigration, vetting refugees, building a wall, and supreme court justices weren't mentioned. Those questions weren't asked. Debates can't inform people about the candidates stance on important issues, if those questions are left out.

When the media doesn't use a balanced scale in questioning the candidates, it sets itself in a dishonest and hypocritical position. Dishonesty isn't lacking in politics. But the moderator should promote an honest debate by asking serious questions about serious topics to both candidates.

The moderator should not show bias towards either candidate. He shouldn't show preference for a candidate. Do you think that Lester Holt and NBC stood up to the test of being fair and treating the candidates equally? Be your own judge of that, but I don' think so.

Looting is Stealing

Looting doesn't solve problems. Its real name is stealing. Sometimes the looters are hurting their own ethnic group. That was the case in Ferguson, Missouri when two businesses owned by African American women were trashed and property taken.

Natalie DuBose owns Natalie's Cakes and More. It was damaged. She is in business now because of local people that came to lend a hand and donate and because of people that donated at Go Fund Me. The Fashions R Boutique owned by Juanita Morris was looted too. She also got help from donations at Go Fund  Me.

Here are some Bible quotes about stealing.

The 8th commandment: "Thou shalt not steal."

Catholic thought says that the 8th commandment is part of loving your neighbor as yourself.

Mark 10:19
"You know the commandments: 'Do not murder,' 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not give false testimony,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and mother.'"  Mathew 15:19
"For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies."

It is wrong to steal and destroy people's property. Destroying is like stealing because the robber is causing the owner to loose money. The building has to be repaired. The supplies have to be replaced. 

Though there may be problems in a community that need solving, rioting and looting aren't solutions to said problems. 

Let all Christians pray for peace and constructive solving of difficulties.

Word Police Misguided

Openclipart, johnney_automatic

At various universities, an official or a student group have made a list of words that should not be used. These words are deemed offensive to groups or individuals. Recently, the word "lame" was put on the list. Originally meaning someone that couldn't walk, then as slang it meant stupid, unoriginal, unsophisticated.

The problem with the word police is that they don't understand that meanings change with the times. It's a from the ground up usage change. It just happens among the people. Nothing can change that. We don't need mind control through word control.

But some people have been trying to do just that. Enter bias-free language books. Using words to hurt people is wrong. But this correcting of how people speak and write has gone to an extreme that is nauseous. These words police would do better if they put their energy and effort into something constructive.

Proverbs 16:24
 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."

Proverbs took care of the problem centuries ago. Just be pleasant in speech, then you won't say anything truly offensive. These days flagrant use of prejudiced or biased words is rare.

But the word police are obsessed to the point of being ridiculous. They have coined the term microaggressions. You know it's à la  1984 when it's considered offensive to ask someone where they are from because their name sounds foreign. Well, isn't it a microaggression to ask that question?

If people want to be concerned about language usage, how about being ashamed and offended by foul language and using God's name disrespectfully such as OMG or oh my god.

But trying to control pronoun usage and nitpicking commonly used words and phrases is beyond the pale.

Bible Mouth Tongue

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The Lord God said to have a pure mouth. There are many verses in the old and new testaments that comment on the good and bad uses of the mouth, tongue, ie; speaking. The Bible says it is a shame to use the same tongue to curse creation and praise the Lord. 

So a christian curses someone. That is a weakness he had before becoming a christian. But he still has this weakness and needs to renew his mind with God's word to stop cursing.

Romans 12:2

"Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God." 

How to Transform the Mouth

• commit bible verses concerning mouth to memory
• say verses out loud each day
• ask God to help you 

 If you memorize bible verses you can say them to yourself when you need to.
Your faith will increase by saying the verses out loud according to Romans 10:17.

Romans 10:17
"So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." You must be diligent in studying God's word. Through persistence you can use the word to cleanse your mind and heart.King Solomon said in proverbs to guard your heart.  Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life." Being the wellspring of life means that all that you say, do, and think comes from your heart. It is like a river flowing into tributaries. Ask Jesus to help your cleanse your mouth from gossip, slander, cursing, and using His name in vain. Psalm 141:3"Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips."

 Proverbs15:4

 " A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit."

James 3:10

 "Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so."
  The quoted bible verses and many others can help you guard your mouth, which is something we all need to do. 

"Nones," Leave Christianity, Religious Affiliation

A 2014 Pew Study says that 23% of the U.S. adults have no religious affiliation. But of these, 61% confess a belief in a higher power or God. These people are called "nones." It shows that "nones" are becoming more secular. Atheists and agnostics are in this group too. The designation comes from the none of the above category in the polls.

John T. Elson wrote the Time article "Is God Dead?' 50 years ago. He said that some seminaries and churches were dispensing with the concept of God as divine. But when the mystical is left out of the God equation, what is really left of God?

That's not to say that he believed God was dead. He coordinated a huge amount of research before he write the article. The 6-page article covered theological disputations and how some people's faith had changed.

 Reasons People Leave Christianity

Opulence erodes the feeling and thought of needing God and church. Riches, being comfortable, these things can be a distraction for people. This is why Jesus told the young man that told him he had obeyed the commandments from his youth to sell his stuff and give the money to the poor and follow him. The young man walked away sad. His heart was attached to his money.

Some people can handle money and put it in perspective better than others. Jesus knew that young man couldn't do it.

Some people have left because because they find it boring. Others because they say a church has become too flashy. Some can't put science and faith together and see they don't contradict each other.

I think we have to look into and beyond these reasons to conclude that we want to know God and that faith is important in our lives.

Dwight Longenecker posits in his article "American Atheistic Materialism: A Creed of Despair"  that materialists are left with just material reality, whereas, Christians have the material and the spiritual because the beauty of nature, all of God's creation and the magnificence  of God are theirs.

He goes on to say that what people need isn't the drive to make church more socially relevant, but returning to the deeper spiritual meaning. This is what people are hungry for.

Dwight Longenecker is quoted below from his article "American Atheistic Materialism: A Creed of Despair."

"return to mysticism and monasticism, contemplation, prophecy, poetry and prayer. Only then will the metaphysical well up within the physical, and only then will we turn from materialistic atheism—not by force of argument, but by the irresistible experience of beauty."

There are still more reasons why people leave church, but the dominant materialism of the U.S.A.  is certainly a prominent one. Longenecker is correct that it is a philosophy of despair. As he said everything alive in the material world will die and decay is its destiny, with only that to look forward to despair is inevitable, even if people try to hold back despair by more gain and fun.

Children's Remembrance Day, September 10, 2016,

The National Day of Children's Remembrance is September 10, 2016. Many places will have memorial services. This is the 4th annual remembrance day. There will be prayer vigils and speakers.

You can go to Prayer Vigil Locations and see where and the time of the events.

This annual day of respect and love for these aborted children is organized by Priests for Life, Pro-Life Action League, and Citizens for a Pro-life Society.

Wisdom Bible Meaning, Wisdom Above Gold

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What the world needs now is wisdom. Wisdom comes from God.

 Proverbs 2:6
 "For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding." 

We live in a chaotic world. The world's wisdom hasn't stopped the carnage, the hatred, the lust. Its wisdom has caused millions of babies to be murdered. Its wisdom has increased lust. It says sex outside of marriage is okay. The world is at war in diverse places and on edge all over.

Bible Meaning for Wisdom 
 
Dr. Charles Stanley stated in an interview with Craig von Buseck of CBN that "the Bible says that wisdom is knowing and doing what is right." That is a perfect explanation of  wisdom in the Bible. One gains wisdom from the Bible and lives accordingly. The application of the biblical knowledge is the real key to living wisely.

Proverbs 9:10  
"The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." It is a reverential fear. This means a profound respect for God, the word, and his sacraments. His word says that He favors obedience more than sacrifice. Being obedient brings wisdom as you see how this improves you. And when trouble comes, you have the Lord with you.

 To gain wisdom, you must want it. That means using self-discipline to study and live by what you learn. By applying biblical principles to your life, handling daily situations by what He says is right. You need to want to understand God's method of living and do that. It isn't just intellectual understanding.

Proverbs 16:16 
"How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver." 

Gold, silver, and money are limited to use in this world. Even their uses here are limited. Wealth won't give you wisdom. It can't save your soul. Yes, it has its uses, but pursue God and He will supply your needs.

Voter Fraud, Deception, and the Bible

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A synonym for fraud is double-dealing. If someone does something behind someone's back to deceive that is double-dealing. It is dishonest. 

Leviticus 19:11

11"You shall not steal; neither shall you deal falsely, nor lie one to another."  Job 27:4
4"Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, Neither shall my tongue utter deceit." 

The Bible says do not deal falsely. It also says do not speak deceitfully. The Heritage Foundation has indexed more than 400 cases of fraudulent actions, according to The Daily Signal. These include impersonating someone when voting, duplicating votes, buying votes, and stealing elections.

TheAntiMedia.org reported on voter fraud in 2016. See article at link below.

Election Fraud

 As Christians, we should pray for honesty concerning voting and for honest politicians and citizens.

Wall of Separation Between Church and State...This Phrase Isn't in the Constituion

That phrase isn't in the Constitution of the United States. It is in a statement by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Church in Connecticut dated January 1, 1802. Jefferson's phrasing was inspired by a locution of Roger Williams who founded the original Baptist church in the U.S.A.

Below is the locution by Roger Williams in 1644.

"[A] hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world,"

So Jefferson was inspired by a Baptist preacher when he wrote the separation of church and state phrase. Yet, it is quoted by atheists as if it promotes their cause.

See Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists at link below.
Jefferson's Letter 

The Danbury Baptists were worried about government interference in religious expression and practice and Thomas Jefferson understood this. They thought that "free exercise of religion" being in the Constitution might be construed as the government giving people that right and not as it being inalienable meaning given by God.  

According to David Barton at Wallbuilders.com, Jefferson enunciated several times that the federal government didn't have a right to regulate or impede religious expression. 

One such instance occurred in Jefferson's Second Inaugural Address, 1805. See quote below.

"In matters of religion, I have considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution independent of the powers of the general [federal] government."

The above quote can be found in A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897 and in Annals of the Congress of the United States of 1805.

In 1947, the Supreme Court made a decision in the case of Everson v. Board of Education. In their definition of the establishment clause of the First Amendment, they put this at the end: "In the words of Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intend­ed to erect a ‘wall of separation between church and state.' "

But consider that what they quote from Thomas Jefferson was inspired by diction of a Baptist preacher and Jefferson made statements that are contrary to the Supreme Court's concept of a wall of separation.

One more thought to consider: Roger Williams called the church a garden which implies peace and beauty and he called the world a wilderness. He saw the church as a place to be refreshed from the wilderness.

............

[O]ur excellent Constitution . . . has not placed our religious rights under the power of any public functionary. Letter to the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1808. This statement can be seen in Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert Ellery Bergh, editor.

Federal Register Regulation Concerning Bathrooms, Showers, and Lockers

Obama went around Congress again. He mandated that the showers, bathrooms, and locker rooms of all federal buildings are transgender territory. There are over 9000 federal buildings in the U.S.A. What a field day and evil playground has been opened to would be attackers of females because of this misguided order.

Evil people will always take advantage of any opportunity given to them to commit wrongdoing. How hard is that to understand?

The Nation Parks Service will also abide by this General Services Bulletin, as they had already said this past June that they would allow transgender usage of the opposite sexes restrooms.

What Obama has done with this new regulation published Thursday 08/19/16 is a big extension of his gender identity restroom policy. Where will the illogical mandates end?

The Bible and Public Restrooms; Issues of Purity, Modesty, Decency and Protection

The bible doesn't mention anything about public restrooms, but it does speak of purity, modesty, and decency.

Purity in thought is not thinking evilly. When men enter public restrooms open to all, some of those men won't be there because they think they are women, they will be there to foster impure thoughts, perhaps surreptitiously taking photos, or attacking women or girls.

In 2015 a man used his cell phone to take pictures of a woman in a Marshalls store in Oklahoma. He was taking pictures up her dress by sneaking a smart phone under it, as she leaned over to look at an item. Obviously, this wasn't in a restroom, but allowing men to use restrooms with females gives them leeway to take pictures and do even more harm.

At a Walmart, in 2015, in Henrico County, Virginia a man was caught taking photographs aimed up women's skirts. The husband of one victim trailed the picture snapper and saw him pulling the impure trick on another woman. The husband snapped a pic of his own capturing the man in this indecent action.

Again, if men that give in to lustful picture taking are stalking women, what an advantage a man of lewd intent or violent inclination has, when he can waltz into restrooms with females.

That they will take advantage of this opportunity has already been proven. See article link below.

Restroom Violence

The Bible addresses purity of heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." (Mathew 5:8)

This phrase means keeping your life free from sin and keeping your thoughts chaste. Attacking women and girls and taking vulgar pics of them reveals a heart of evil intention.

"O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?"  Jeremiah 4:14

This quote from Jeremiah points out that evil starts in the thoughts and that the heart must be cleaned. 

Jewishencyclopedia.com refers to the heart as"the seat of the emotional and intellectual life."

It also quotes Proverbs 4:23. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. iv. 23). It explains that this is a reference to moral, physical, and spiritual life.

When a heart is keep pure modesty will be one of its attributes. What is modesty? A definition of modesty by the Cambridge Dictionary: correct or socially acceptable behavior and clothes, representing traditional cultural values.

One hopes that it will not become socially accepted behavior to attack females in public restrooms. So, why give would be attackers an advantage? But the correct behavior starts with modest thoughts ie: purity of heart.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains modesty below. Note how it connects purity and chastity to modesty. Note too that it mentions how we look at each other, how we behave towards each other, and it mentions the dignity of people.

2521. Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person.  It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.

How one looks at another person, thinks about another person should guided by respect for human dignity. This is not the case with people that take lewd pictures and attack females. Let us pray that more people will be guided by respect for human dignity and by God's words concerning purity, morality, decency, and modesty.

No Freedom of Religion with Hillary Clinton as President

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America covers freedom of religion, press, and expression. Concerning religion it says that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

The rest of the First Amendment states: or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Redress means to set right according to Merriam-Webster. Oxford Dictionaries adds to the definition: an undesirable or unfair situation.

When peoples constitutional right to freedom of religion is defied or disregarded by the government, they have a grievance and a right to redress that grievance.

What does the free exercise of religion mean? Some people try to narrow free exercise of religion to only protect belief and your right to profess that belief. They say it does not protect actions concerned with that belief.

But the word exercise means to perform or apply a right according to the Oxford Dictionaries. So it does protect the right to apply your religious beliefs to your conduct. The last sentence could be construed to mean it is okay to do something violent, but that is not what is meant.

According to James Madison religious belief is "precedent, both in order of time and in degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society." Thus, he believed that this religious right trumped other rights and is is a cornerstone to all rights in a civil society.

Below is a quote from John Adams.

"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principals upon which Freedom can securely stand."

Does that quote sound like John Adams wanted the government stepping on religious freedom? No. and where else can freedom stand secure? It will not stand secure with a president that diverts from the First Amendment and says that it means freedom of worship, implying that is all there is to it. That is what Hillary Clinton thinks it means or what she wants you to think it means.

Here is a quote from Hillary Clinton from 2015 to Planned Parenthood.

"Rights have to exist in practice — not just on paper,” Clinton argued. “Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed."

Clinton is saying that the government should force people to change their beliefs and quit fighting for their religious freedom. That is unconstitutional, immoral and a voice of totalitarianism. 

   

San Benito Unified School District Tries Unlawful Overreach

In San Benito, California, parents that home school their high school age children, recently got a letter stating that home schooling isn't legal, but in 2008 it was established in court that it is legal.  The Home School Legal Defense Fund corrected them in a letter that it is considered a private school by law and is therefore a legal exemption to public education.

This is another instance of albeit a lesser part of the government, but still part of it that influences the minds and hearts of children, trying to interfere with the decisions of parents regarding their children. It is government overreach at the most basic level, trying to take parental control away.

God created the family and put parents in charge of their children. Let us fight to keep it that way.

NBA and North Carolina in Opposition Concerning Restrooms

The National Basketball Association has taken a stance against the North Carolina law that stops men from using women's restrooms, locker rooms, and showers. The NBA won't hold its All Star Game of 2017 in Charlotte because it thinks it is discriminating against the LGBT.

Whatever happened to common decency? Where has common sense gone? How does protecting the privacy and safety of women and girls harm anyone?

Western Journalism reported an alarming incident worth noting in defense of separate public restrooms. Its report of 5/14/16 explains that a man went into the women's restroom at Jason's Deli in Chicago and nearly choked an 8-year old girl to death. In the days of normal restroom usage, it is likely that someone would have taken notice of a man going into a women's restroom. Someone might have said,"Excuse me, but your going into the wrong restroom."

Someone saying that would probably have stopped him from going in the wrong restroom. If not, a stronger message from a manager could have stopped it. But in these abnormal days, he just waltzed in and attacked the little girl.

If it seems to some that just telling someone that he is going into the wrong restroom wouldn't have  stopped him, then let me explain that people used to be embarrassed when they almost went into the wrong restroom. Plus, it was an unwritten rule, a code of conduct that was followed, so anyone trying to balk the rule, would have been under immediate suspicion.

This isn't the only case and it won't be the last until public restrooms are designated by gender once again.

Cisgender: A Word of Confusion

The sexual revolution advocates have coined another word to try to explain their confused stance on gender. The word is cisgender.

A Yahoo search for "gender" yields pictures at the top of the page. The pictures are symbols of what, male and female, what else? But soon the pictures may be a hodge-podge of newly made symbols that reflect Western society's growing befuddlement.

Back to cisgender. What does it mean? Basically, it means normal. Some synonyms for normal are sane, natural, and standard. We already have the word normal and its synonyms in usage. Why was this new word coined?

This is the Wikipedia explanation for cisgender: "people whose experiences of their own gender agree with the sex they were assigned at birth."

Some people are confused, if we need new words to explain the norm. That people are born male and female is a biological reality. It is not a gender assignment. Gender cannot be chosen. Normal also means sane. Western socially is in dire need of a good dose of saneness.

Restroom Dispute: Detective Fired at Macy's

Do you believe we live in a world where there are restroom policies? Just a short time ago, and for the many years before then, people knew which public restroom to use. There was no problem.

But now there is a problem. Human beings that are physically men and their DNA will always say they are men are disturbing and frightening women and girls. But that is okay with Macy's. It isn't okay with Macy's to defend these innocent women and girls.

Apparently, it also isn't okay with Macy's to live your principals or religion. Javier Chavez says he was fired because he said men using the women's restroom was contrary to his Catholic faith. He did say he would enforce the policy, though he disagreed with it. Also, he wasn't informed of the new policy until after the incident.

New York State Law was violated and the First Amendment, when Macy's fired Mr. Chavez. Let's pray he wins his case.

Religious Freedom Advocates Are Sitting Ducks

You may remember the shooting gallery ducks at a state fair. Ping! The duck goes down. That's what it is like for Christians that live their faith while conducting business.

Washington state demands that all pharmacies sell abortifacient drugs. The Supreme Court didn't hear the Storman's case. Their pharmacy doesn't sell Plan B. They tell the customer where she can go to get it at thirty nearby pharmacies. As Archbishop William E. Lori stated in Our Sunday Visitor there isn't an access problem.

So what is the problem? The problem is the secularist movement that wants to revoke religious freedom as guaranteed by the constitution. But for the Storman family or other Christian business people to exercise their right of conscience doesn't revoke the right of a woman to get contraception. Said woman just needs to go a little farther down the street to get it.

That is not much to ask. It is a bit of inconvenience.

But Washington state's regulations of 2007 say that all drug stores must stock all drugs approved by the FDA. Ping! A pharmacist can refuse to fill the prescription, if another druggist is present that will fill the order. Ping! But a pharmacy run by Christians wouldn't allow the abortifacient in the store. The pharmacist isn't allowed to suggest another nearby drug store. Ping!

The Christian pharmacist rights to live his principals have been stomped. It is a bloody path.

Kickiing Against the Pricks or Goads

Kicking against the pricks was a saying well known to people in agriculture. The phrase was familiar to archaic Greeks and Romans and the Jewish people living under Roman rule. It was used to say that someone was struggling with a deity.

Pricks is derived from the Greek word Kentron. It means something is sharp. Laktizo is a Greek word meaning to kick or fight back.

The goad or prick was a stick with a pointed metal tip that the farmer used to prod the ox along while plowing. The farmer would poke the ox to steer it in the correct direction. The animal at times would struggle against the goad, which may it go deeper into the ox's skin.

Saul was persecuting Christians. Jesus spoke to him and ask why he was persecuting him and said it was hard for Saul to kick against the pricks. The expression insinuates that Saul suffered from persecuting Christians. We don't know exactly how, but maybe it bothered his conscience.

So when we fight against God, we are kicking the pricks and causing pain for ourselves. This is a good lesson teaching us to obey God. We need to remember, He is pointing us in the right direction.

Against Religion and Prayer, Joann Sfar

From Christianclipart.com

After the terrorist attack on Paris, in November of 2015, Joann Sfar requested that people stop hashtagging #PrayForParis. He emphasized that religion wasn't needed in Paris. People that tagged showed an alliance with Paris under siege reported U.S. News & World Report.

 The cartoonist has the right to free speech; he can make that request.

But it is sad and a sign of the times, when disliking prayer is on the rise. According to People.com, Sfar included an anti-religious missive in the post. He draws for a French newspaper that previously mocked Christians and the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, said usnews.com

Galatians 6:7 says: Do not be deceived: "God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

Those that mock God will reap the fruits of their mocking. Galatians warns against this result telling people not to be deceived. It's a warning that everyone should heed.

Godly, Devout, Pious

From Christianclipart.com

Godly, devout, pious. Theses words pertain to living a moral life and believing in God according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

The Greek word for godliness is eusebia. Strong's Greek Lexicon # G2152 explains eusebes means pious. The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines pious as having or showing a deep respect for God and religion.

The origin of devout is the Latin word devotus. It means devoted according to the Oxford Dictionary. Synonyms for pious are dedicated, reverent, godly, saintly, and churchgoing. Thus, someone who is godly, devout, or pious lives a moral life while believing in God. A devout person is devoted to God.

Some antonyms for devout are false, dishonest, disloyal, insincere, cold, and unbelieving. These opposites to devout mark the unbeliever's traits and attitude toward God.

Paul wrote in first Corinthians 15:32 about false teachers that were in the church at Corinth. They said that Christ did not rise from the grave. These teachers believed only in an earthly life. The false teacher's viewpoint about life damaged the belief of the people they influenced.

First Corinthians 15:33 says: "Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins morals." Associating with impious company will ruin our morals. The key word is deceived. Deception is a lie and Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). It isn't necessarily, a sudden bad influence, for we might resist for a while, but gradually give in to temptation.

Dutiful is not a popular word today. It means conscientiously doing your duty. One synonym for dutiful is respectful. The Christian has the duty to speak God's truth, which is The Truth, to people. Speak it when asked about your beliefs or when challenged. Speak out about sin. Speak out about abortion, adultery, taking God's commandments from court houses, taking crosses down, forbidding manger scenes on public property, taking pray out of schools, and generally removing God from the public's view. The aforementioned list of wrongs are disrespectful of God's word, Him, and the well-being of society.

A synonym for duty is ought. Ought is a word used to articulate moral duty. For example, we ought to obey The Ten Commandments. These commandments direct us towards our duty to God and people.

The Ten Commandments

Being religious concerns belief in divinity. Some synonyms for religious are devout, pious, holy, scriptural, churchgoing, pure, priestly, and believing.

Scriptural means something relates to scripture. It means in accordance with the scriptures which means in harmony with or conforming to. The Scriptures are the Old and New Testament. They are the word of God. A religious person in Christian terms is a person that believes and lives by scripture.

William McGuffey stated: "Erase all thought and fear of God from a community, and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole man."

The deep respect for God and religion as expressed in the word pious is the root foundation of society as it once was. The disastrous results of disrespect, irreligious attitudes, and unbelief  are obvious for anyone to see, if he doesn't stop up his ears and cover his eyes.

As we live in the today's world, what do we see but a disintegration of morals, an increase in selfishness, and an onslaught of sensuality as a floodtide.

Mother Teresa, Christopher Hitchens

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Christopher Hitchens was an atheist. That is well-known. Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun. That is well-known. Hitchens vilified her with unfounded accusations.

He made a documentary called Hell's Angel. The title is disrespectful. His arguments were controversial, lacking in truth,  and the uninformed believed him.

It isn't surprising that an atheist would attack one of God's great servants. Mathew 5:11 says: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me."

According to William Doino, Jr. at First Things.com, Hitchens never interviewed anyone that the Missionaries of Charity took care of for his documentary, yet he said he was defending the poor from Mother Teresa. He said she exploited them.

I looked at Hell's Angel. It is full of ad hominem assaults against her. An ad hominem appeals to emotions and prejudice. It doesn't appeal to reason nor the intellect. Another definition for ad hominem is to attack the opposition's character instead of answering his argument.

Hitchen's called Mother Teresa "a presumable virgin." That is an ad hominem attack. He attacked her character and her person.

Hitchens shows in his documentary, Mihir Bose, explaining why he thinks Mother Teresa was politically involved against abortion. She talked to Margaret Thatcher about abortion. When any country legalizes abortion, what is really a moral issue is made into a political issue. Mother Teresa was speaking from a moral stance.

Bose goes on to say that she is "part of the Western agenda, where the West is still part of the Third World." His statements come from a political attitude and within themselves show this to be true.

How can a non-believer understand that someone has a calling to help the poor? It is outside of their paradigm.

Hitchens also criticized her because she received awards from people for her charitable work. Is it her fault that many admired her charitable work? He stated that her rewards weren't from heaven. Being an atheist, he doesn't believe in heaven.

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve ( Colossians 3: 23-24.)" Mother Teresa was dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. How can an atheist understand that?

She was criticized for converting people to Christianity by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

 "It's good to work for a cause with selfless intentions. But Mother Teresa’s work had ulterior motive, which was to convert the person who was being served to Christianity. In the name of service, religious conversions were made. This was followed by other institutes, too." These statements were reported by the Times of India, as reported by the Washington Post.

Christ told his disciples to go out and convert all nations. Plus, notice the name of her order, The Missionaries of Charity. What does a missionary do? Convert. What does charity mean in the biblical sense? Love.

Mother Teresa understood that every person is precious to God. That is the principle she went by.

Lucifer is Coming, DC Comics, Supernatural, Fox Show

Apparently, the idea for the show is adapted from the DC comics title The Sandman. Lucifer Morningstar, is a character in the comic book. Comic books many times use mythology as a starting point for their stories. But the Bible isn't mythology and shouldn't be treated as such.

The problem here is using biblical characters in ways that put an unbiblical spin on the characters. In Supernatural, the TV show, the devil supposedly rises from hell to earth. The problem with that notion is that biblically speaking, he hasn't been cast into hell yet. He roams the earth like a roaring lion, seeking those he can devour (Job 1:7).

In 2009, tweets about the show Supernatural, saying that Lucifer is coming caused quite an uproar. This concerned the season 5 premier. Twitter got many complaints and removed the tweet about the devil.

In the upcoming Fox show called Lucifer, the character is depicted as bored. What? The devil never bores of his evil work. He hurries along trying to do as much damage as he can, while he has time. He will never tire of lying to people and causing evil to happen, and garnering lost souls for hell.

The premise of the show undermines the truth of the Bible. It twists God's word. It is spin at its worst! The description of the show also says that he is unhappy. This is ridiculous. He is the ruler of his unholy realm. He isn't sad.

The description of the show by Fox says Lucifer felt something that alarmed him. The writer questions whether it could be compassion or sympathy. This is his response to a savage murder. Wrong.



from clipartpanda.com

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44)."

The Bible says the devil/Lucifer was a murderer from the beginning. So, depicting him as compassionate is a mischaracterization. It's false as Lucifer is false. It says that he is the father of lies. That sums up his role in getting this disturbing show on TV for people to gobble up like sheep to a slaughter.

Fox also says he will be charming you through your TV.

"But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)." The serpent, also called Lucifer charmed Eve into committing the first sin, called original sin. Fox is telling you that he is charming and that's okay. It isn't okay. Be aware of this deceit.

Raca, Fool, Worthless

Raca is a contemptuous term. Jesus said in Mathew 5: 22 that someone that says raca to his brother is in danger of the council. That was the Sanhedrin that convened in the Temple in Jerusalem.

from clker.com

Obviously then, this is a serious matter, when one calls another raca. The 1910 New Catholic Dictionary quotes Saint John Chrysostom. This saint comments that it means, "despised, vile, dirty, poor." It quotes Saint Jerome thusly: in the sense of good-for-nothing. It also means foolish or intellectually inferior according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Apparently, that one word is many insults in one package. It also means empty-headed according to Strong's Concordance. An insult to someone comes from the speaker's heart. The bible contains many passages that talk about the condition of the heart. This name calling indicates that hatred is in the speaker's heart.

The root meaning of raca is to spit. We spit something out that tastes bad, or we spit out mucus. People sometimes spit on others, when they are mad.

Jesus talks about the sixth commandment: Thou shalt not murder. He expands into a more profound spiritual meaning that they hadn't heard before. He points out the grave problem of an angry spirit. It can lead to murder. He explains that anyone unjustifiably angry with someone is answerable to God. The Jewish community in the first century knew the ten commandments. They knew that murder is a sin and that a murderer is answerable to God.

Jesus exhorts that name calling is a sin. This is a refinement in the understanding of the law. It's an example of Jesus fulfilling the law. An unrighteous anger that causes someone to lob insults is the same anger that leads to committing murder. He clarifies the full meaning of the sixth commandment.

This attitude of anger lies in the heart. God searches the heart of man. The bad attitude is morally wrong. The intention of the heart, when someone insults another clearly comes from hatred. The feeling beneath the insult is the sin. It is the contemptuous feeling accompanying the verbal abuse that comprises the sin.

Thus, in Luke 24:25 Jesus isn't being inconsistent when he calls two of his followers foolish. According to Barnes' Notes on the Bible, the Greek word used is different than the insult word discussed. The one Jesus' uses means dullness in the sense that they hadn't paid enough attention to what the prophets had foretold about his death and resurrection.





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Paradigm Shift or Standard Fare

 

clipart from clker.com

A paradigm represents how something can be copied. It also represents ideas about how to do things and how to think about the world. The shifting of the morality paradigm has been happening since the sixties. One could argue since the fifties, but it gained a little speed then and more in the sixties. Now, the paradigm shift has become the standard fare.

Morality has taken a colossal beating compared to yesteryear. Immorality has become more the standard fare of these days. One wonders how far it can go.

The Bible tells us that Jesus said this in Mathew verse 22. "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." In verses 12 and 13 Jesus says that "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."

The increase in wickedness is obvious to anyone that has lived from the 1950's until 2016. Though some might not call it wickedness, they can hardly say that the general outlook on life hasn't changed or that the culture generally holds the same values. There has been a paradigm shift.

Jesus also tells us that many people's love will become cold. People will be more cold-hearted. Just take a look at the news and you can see that prediction coming true.

Homosexuality, divorce, fornication, and abortion are accepted as the norm. Of course, these things have always gone on, but the increase and the acceptance of immorality as normal, that is a paradigm shift.

Cursing in public, movies, books, and articles is accepted as the standard fare these days. Don't leave out political and corporate corruption that is downright zealous. Violence has increased in life, movies, and novels. Blatant sexual content in films and books and pornography gone rampant are big slices of today's fare.

For younger people this isn't a shift. It is normal. It's the way the world is. But which way will these young people go in a world without a moral foundation?

Not to give the impression that the world was perfect 60 years ago. But 1956 wasn't nearly as morally bleak as it is today. Bleak though it is, we aren't without hope, we have a solid moral foundation to learn about and stand on through reading the Bible and believing in Jesus the Christ.

Greed (1924) and Wall Street (1987)

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This is a reflection on greed. It's a comparison of how greed is portrayed in two films. Greed (1924) is a silent film. The movie examines the wickedness of greed and shows the corruption that greed engenders.

Wall Street (1987) on the other hand uplifts greed as a virtue. Gordon Gekko, a character in the movie, says "greed is good." A vice becomes a virtue. But a virtue relates to morality and a vice is immoral. It's an evil habit. That's a switcheroo! It's not a totally unexpected change in attitude, according to the Bible, but definitely unexpected by many people. The Bible says that in the last days people will call good evil and evil good. Bingo!

This concept of greed as a virtue was also popularized by Ayn Rand (1905-1982). This quote from Gore Vidal sheds light on her promotion of greed.

Ayn Rand’s “philosophy” is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society....To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.— Gore Vidal, 1961

Ayn Rand's books have had a tremendous negative influence on American society. She has affected even people that never read a word of her writings. Her ideas have filtered into popular culture, such as movies, and into society in general.

Conversely, the Eric von Stroheim film Greed, portrays the dehumanization of the characters that become greedy over money. This web of evil involves jealousy, lack of loyalty to a friend, alcoholism, violence, stinginess, and obviously, greed.

In the beginning of the twentieth century, a movie shows greed for what it really is. Close to the end of that century, a movie distorts what greed is.

How does this reflect on our societal values? Where are these values coming from? Which side of the divide do you stand on is the most pertinent question.


Clipart dividers from clker.com.

Clipart money bag from pdclipart.com

The Seven Deadly Sins: Greed

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We see examples of greed all around us. Some people aren't satisfied no matter how much wealth they accumulate. Their greed is never satisfied. Sports figures that want more money as if they don't make a lot of legal tender. Corporations going out of the country because of lower wages and no benefits for the employees.

Fast food corporations have subtly increased their profits by offering what? More. Supersize! Encouraging people to eat more unhealthy food. Of course, the companies increase their profits because it costs more than the normal size.

But gluttony is associated with greed in meaning too. So wanting to eat too much food each day is a form of greed. A form that all-you-can-eat and fast food restaurants have tapped into, weirdly, the greed on both sides feed each other.

It has become customary for stores to be open seven days a week. What's the point of that? Obviously, to make more money. Greed for money and lusting for power are tied together. People can be greedy for power.

Setting the business world aside, individuals can be greedy too. A person can envy what someone else has. That is a form of greed. Those greedy thoughts can be wrought by a poor or a rich person. One definition of greed is selfish lusting for something.

Having money isn't wrong. Greedily cheating people to get money and hurting people in any way to get it is wrong. Being stingy is wrong. Being envious of what another has is wrong. Greed is a sin.

Prosperity preaching involves greed. This preaching isn't biblical. God knows we need money in this world. He doesn't want it to be our god.

The Upset of Poise

Debate and Not                                            

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Dialogue Four

"The Upset of Poise"

Characters: Mr. Ishbak Knot and Mr. Match Mooting

"You upset Quibell, yesterday."
"Suppose I toppled her applecart."
"As a member of Philosophers of It All, I object."
"There is no rule against jarring another's thought. I daresay that is what the society is about."
"But about reality. Not about pretend. We aren't children," said Ishbak.
"I am a child of  the Lord."
"Will you never stop inserting God the Invisible into conversations?"
"No. We call ourselves Philosophers of It All and He made all of it."
"Despite you're delusional side, we like you too much to vote you out."
"Quite so."
"Besides, we hope to get you on the right path."
"The road of destruction is wide. Anyway, it is unbelief that is delusional."
"How so?"
"The antichrist will deceive unbelievers. It is happening now. They will not love the Truth and repent, and be saved. This means both the gospel and Jesus Christ."
 "I wish you had a real argument."
 "It is not that the unregenerate didn't hear the Truth or understand it according to Colossians. The Lord said that in the last days scoffers would come," said Match."
"I guess, you mean atheists, but we've been around for a long time."
"He infers that the rate becomes exponential as it is now."
"You can't prove that."
"A look at the news and the world shows an increase of scoffers, disbelievers, wars, and earthquakes."
"Earthquakes. Now you're delving into something solid. You should stay away from that. It's scientific."
"Yes it is and there were more earthquakes in Oklahoma in 2014 than the total for five years before that. Which was a small number. And 2015 saw more increase. Before 2014 there were few earthquakes in Oklahoma," said Match.
"So? That's just one state, and they drill for oil there."
"They do. Seismologists are documenting an increase the world over."
"Maybe we should keep you away from the news too. You're distorting it with your religious viewpoint. You're comparing the facts to a dystopian story. If you're figures are factual," said Ishbak.
"Seismic activity is measurable."
"But you're dystopian story has nothing to do with it."
"You mean the book of Revelation."
"There are many dystopian stories. Yours is just an ancient tale. By definition a dystopia is imaginary."
"Actually, it is a utopian story. Christ wins. The good wins."
"A utopia is an imaginary world too."
 "Usually, but the new world Christ creates will be real. What we have now is an increase in sin, therefore, evil is increasing."
"Oh Evel Kinevel! There isn't any such thing as sin."
"What do you call murder, theft, and lying?"
"Doing wrong."
"The Bible calls those evil deeds wrongdoing or sin."
"There you go retreating to the Bible."
"If someone steals your car, do you think that is a very reprehensible act?"
" Of course, we've talked about this before."
"Quite. That is one of the definitions of sin: a reprehensible act. See Merriam Webster."