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.

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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

 

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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.


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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."

The Bickering

Debate and                                                    Not                                                                                   

Dialogue Three

The Bickering

Characters: Mr. Match Mooting and Quibell Gainsay

"What a lovely day."
"Lovely? It's raining," said Quibell.
"But a light rain."
"Well, my hair will frizz."
"It looks pretty even when it frizzes as you say."
"Get real. Why are you so happy about a rainy day?"
"It is the day the Lord has made," said Match.
"Well yes, if you say so."
"Still you do not believe."
"You know I don't believe or disbelieve."
"Like sitting on the fence do you?"
"That sounds like a personal attack. Supposedly, you don't like those."
"It is just a question. Sorry if I offended you."
"Okay. But you're wasting your time. You can't prove God exists," said Quibell.
"You can't prove he does not. But do you believe anything is true?"
"It's true that you are a pain and that you babble about what you can't prove."
"More concretely, is it true that you live on Bond Avenue?"
"You know I do. That's factual. This man in the sky of yours is doubtful."
"So you know something to be absolutely true. You acknowledge that," Match questioned.
"Certainly. Don't be ridiculous. I know where I live."
"You have admitted absolute truth exists."
"Wait. Don't twist my words."
"I did not."
"I can see Bond Avenue. You're trying to get me to believe in something I can't see."
"We do not need to know if something exists for it to exist." Match said.
"What do you mean?"

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"People did not always know that molecules exist."
"That's scientific. It's been proven."
"True. But they existed without our knowledge."
"Certainly. They are material in nature."

"Where did molecules come from?"
"I don't know. Evolution, I guess."
"Really?"



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"Fossils then. Fossils are proof of evolution."
"Fossils do not take place in an order of simple to complex. The record is shown as a column. The fossils do not happen in that order. "
"So you know more than scientists." Said Quibell.
"I am summarizing from scientists. Students are fooled into believing this is actual data. But it is a column presenting the fossil record in a false manner."
"What do you mean?"
"The fossils at the base are the same as animals today. It is not simple to complex like they say."
"You really are presumptuous."
"But the vertebrates make a case as I remember."
"An exception and very fragmentary. They say that life sprang from a common ancestor or ancestors."
"What's the problem? It's science. That's you're problem."
"The Cambrian System shows a quick burst of life. Quickly, with the omission of common ancestors each phylum is created."
"I don't believe you. The ancestors will be found."
"Who is believing something without proof now?"
































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It's Relative Only Because

Debate and Not                                                

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Dialogue Two

"It's Relative Only Because"

Characters: Mr. Ishbak Knot and Mr. Match Mooting

"It is relative only because it happened to you."
"What's that you're saying? Of course, it happened to me."
"You're argument that morality is relative," said Match.
"Look here. He filched my car."

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"Maybe stealing is bad is not part of his moral paradigm."
"That's absurd. Everyone knows stealing is wrong," said Ishbak.
"Not when we get to pick and choose and discard some of the commandments."
"There you go again. Sneaking God the Invisible into the discussion. Can't you function without you're pretend friend?"
"Yes. I can function without a pretend friend? But I'm not pretending when I mention God or his commandments."
"Rubbish," opposed Ishbak.
"The theory of relativity applies to science, not morals. Do you not agree, now that he has your car? You said stealing is wrong," countered Match.
"God has nothing to do with it."
"True. He has no hand in theft."