Back to that cowardly way of confessing without taking responsibility - we see other versions - like "I am sorry if I did something wrong..." ..or..."I am sorry if I offended you...". These are making it YOUR problem if YOUR think I did something wrong, and can count as an apology because I said I am sorry.
Of course, in some ways you indeed are sorry....
Anyway, another is one we've heard recently "I admit I had a lapse in judgement...". Close to a confession, but not actually saying I WAS WRONG.
Seems a good way to really confess is to say "I was wrong, I shouldn't have done that, I am sorry I did..."
An I am sorry if it offends you that I am pointing this out....I am sure the devil made me have this lapse in judgement and make an unfortunate choice...
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
On being mealy mouthed/
Somewhere in the 70's comedian Flip Wilson developed a tagline "the devil made me do it" as a routine in his appearances. This phrase quickly saturated the American lexicon, and became a more nuanced way of confessing "I did it, but its not my fault".
I have many children, and remember well when another version of this excuse-making entered our household. Entering the house after school, one would start explaining "you should have seen what the other kids got on the math test"....how many "f's" there were...as a prelude to the announcement she had a D or F, but it wasn't really her fault...
There are some more modern versions of this same "nuanced confession" tendency today. One is being "radicalized". As though an individual had little choice, he or she, like walking through a rain shower produces wetness, got "radicalized" by being in the presence of some nefarious teaching. The person didn't make choices, the person was "radicalized". The devil made them do it. Not their fault.
Another one relates to "desire". A person cannot help their behavior because of "desire". Often included in sexual behavior, in a way of excusing one from observing accepted moral behavior, the excuse "I was born with this or that behavior" really means "I like doing it, and my liking it trumps right or wrong" (or, in some cases, defines right and wrong). Of course it isn't hard to take this to its logical conclusion.
I suppose there are mitigating circumstances to all behavior, right or wrong. In addition, I am sure "right" and "wrong" norms morph with time and culture. Understanding that, it is still true that we make daily choices. As I grab a handful of chips in the middle of the morning, my desire overrides my knowledge of the effect on my waistline, the devil radicalizes my dietary choices, and I get fat. Shame. Imagine how skinny I'd be if I made the choice based on the righteousness of healthy eating.
I have many children, and remember well when another version of this excuse-making entered our household. Entering the house after school, one would start explaining "you should have seen what the other kids got on the math test"....how many "f's" there were...as a prelude to the announcement she had a D or F, but it wasn't really her fault...
There are some more modern versions of this same "nuanced confession" tendency today. One is being "radicalized". As though an individual had little choice, he or she, like walking through a rain shower produces wetness, got "radicalized" by being in the presence of some nefarious teaching. The person didn't make choices, the person was "radicalized". The devil made them do it. Not their fault.
Another one relates to "desire". A person cannot help their behavior because of "desire". Often included in sexual behavior, in a way of excusing one from observing accepted moral behavior, the excuse "I was born with this or that behavior" really means "I like doing it, and my liking it trumps right or wrong" (or, in some cases, defines right and wrong). Of course it isn't hard to take this to its logical conclusion.
I suppose there are mitigating circumstances to all behavior, right or wrong. In addition, I am sure "right" and "wrong" norms morph with time and culture. Understanding that, it is still true that we make daily choices. As I grab a handful of chips in the middle of the morning, my desire overrides my knowledge of the effect on my waistline, the devil radicalizes my dietary choices, and I get fat. Shame. Imagine how skinny I'd be if I made the choice based on the righteousness of healthy eating.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Back at-chya
Saw one of those sappy short flicks on FB that promoted giving and how life changing a single gift was, with the edict to remember and return. The return was also life changing, but, due to circumstances, was much larger than the first gift it was in response to. Despite the size, the impact on the recipient was similarly significant.
I remember 2 in particular - one gift of $20 and one other of $40. I also remember a couple of people (families) who loved me for no reason. I must ensure that, while I have little likelihood of returning to those individuals the impact their gifts made on me at the moment I received them, that the theme of my life be to have that same impact on others around me - that I don't measure the gift I give by the worthiness of those I give it to. For me, that can only be energized by the God who loves me being present in my moment-by-moment.
I remember 2 in particular - one gift of $20 and one other of $40. I also remember a couple of people (families) who loved me for no reason. I must ensure that, while I have little likelihood of returning to those individuals the impact their gifts made on me at the moment I received them, that the theme of my life be to have that same impact on others around me - that I don't measure the gift I give by the worthiness of those I give it to. For me, that can only be energized by the God who loves me being present in my moment-by-moment.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Turkey
So as we work feverishly to get the house ready for the Thanksgiving gathering and resultant feast I reminisce about a few Thanks I have.
Thanks for my life in West Virginia. It wasn't really something I planned very far in advance, but it is clear to me now after over 3 decades that God had it in mind all along.
Thanks for the permanent and inseparable love of the girl of my dreams. While I might have wished for something like it before I met her, I could have never known the truth of this kind of love in advance. It is unmistakable that this is one of God's greatest creations.
Thanks for my very large and growing family. When I see the crowd (18 kids with 21 grand children) I am in awe of how the mustard seed has grown.
Thanks fro good health. Thanks for a solid future that culminates with a meeting with a billion of so like minded people in the throne room of God. There will be no red or blue, liberal or conservative, no votes but one, no hunger or pain, just a never ending awe of being in the presence of the Absolute Monarch who gave more than I could ever to have me and my billion friends with Him.
Yes. Thanks Giving.
Oh...and thanks for turkey.
Thanks for my life in West Virginia. It wasn't really something I planned very far in advance, but it is clear to me now after over 3 decades that God had it in mind all along.
Thanks for the permanent and inseparable love of the girl of my dreams. While I might have wished for something like it before I met her, I could have never known the truth of this kind of love in advance. It is unmistakable that this is one of God's greatest creations.
Thanks for my very large and growing family. When I see the crowd (18 kids with 21 grand children) I am in awe of how the mustard seed has grown.
Thanks fro good health. Thanks for a solid future that culminates with a meeting with a billion of so like minded people in the throne room of God. There will be no red or blue, liberal or conservative, no votes but one, no hunger or pain, just a never ending awe of being in the presence of the Absolute Monarch who gave more than I could ever to have me and my billion friends with Him.
Yes. Thanks Giving.
Oh...and thanks for turkey.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
We're going to get you....
I've had a thought about the "blue lives matter" issue, where there is an outcry about the risks police take and the disrespect they experience.
First, I am enthusiastically in support of our police. I think the public needs to remember that a police officer goes to work every morning with his/her life at risk. Some more than others, these people have the often thankless job of protecting our safety as first responders.
This being true, there is a problem I think the police produce for themselves. The "gotcha" approach to the public can be seen most often when police hide their cars behind bushes, buildings, or landforms in "speed traps". As a matter of fact, I think this is the most common view I have of police officers, in others words, I see them doing this more than I see anything else.
While I certainly think that traffic laws are important, and I think that having police available to respond to traffic incidents, I also think that they do no favors for their image as the friend of the public when they set up ambushes for unwary members of the public doing 61 in a 50 mph zone.
It is common for drivers and passengers to respond to seeing them in their hideout with "oooh...look...a cop", as thought they've spotted the enemy. When there are kids in the car, this flows into the image that "cops" are some sort of enemy, we need to keep a lookout for them.
In addition to this public image problem, it seems to me that there is an inordinate proportion of law enforcement money spent on the "traffic cop", in manpower, fuel, vehicles, and effort. If, for example, there were no cops driving around spying out unwary citizens, think of the amount of manpower, fuel, vehicles, and effort that would be released for either force reduction or added into increasing the quality of response to or prevention of other crimes.
This, I believe, is achievable. In fact, I propose that what cops do hiding behind roadside obstacles could be achieved completely and 100% more efficiently by automation and sensors. Roadside speed detectors and cameras detect and record 100% of offenders, that line being set by the operator. If every single time you pass a certain point your speed is measured and you receive a bill in the mail when you violate, it is common sense you will obey the law. I suggest that this approach would enable us to increase speed limits to the average ACTUAL speed of traffic and bust all of the violators. It can also be used to enforce stop lights and other traffic laws that contribute to public safety. In fact, it seems logical that this approach would pay for itself as the increase in collections occur.
The result would be efficiency in using the human policing activities, and will reduce what appears to me a negative connotation of police officers as an "enemy" setting up an ambush. The manpower released by this approach can be redirected to public support policing activities where the public face of police officers is friendly, helpful members of the community we can all respect.
First, I am enthusiastically in support of our police. I think the public needs to remember that a police officer goes to work every morning with his/her life at risk. Some more than others, these people have the often thankless job of protecting our safety as first responders.
This being true, there is a problem I think the police produce for themselves. The "gotcha" approach to the public can be seen most often when police hide their cars behind bushes, buildings, or landforms in "speed traps". As a matter of fact, I think this is the most common view I have of police officers, in others words, I see them doing this more than I see anything else.
While I certainly think that traffic laws are important, and I think that having police available to respond to traffic incidents, I also think that they do no favors for their image as the friend of the public when they set up ambushes for unwary members of the public doing 61 in a 50 mph zone.
It is common for drivers and passengers to respond to seeing them in their hideout with "oooh...look...a cop", as thought they've spotted the enemy. When there are kids in the car, this flows into the image that "cops" are some sort of enemy, we need to keep a lookout for them.
In addition to this public image problem, it seems to me that there is an inordinate proportion of law enforcement money spent on the "traffic cop", in manpower, fuel, vehicles, and effort. If, for example, there were no cops driving around spying out unwary citizens, think of the amount of manpower, fuel, vehicles, and effort that would be released for either force reduction or added into increasing the quality of response to or prevention of other crimes.
This, I believe, is achievable. In fact, I propose that what cops do hiding behind roadside obstacles could be achieved completely and 100% more efficiently by automation and sensors. Roadside speed detectors and cameras detect and record 100% of offenders, that line being set by the operator. If every single time you pass a certain point your speed is measured and you receive a bill in the mail when you violate, it is common sense you will obey the law. I suggest that this approach would enable us to increase speed limits to the average ACTUAL speed of traffic and bust all of the violators. It can also be used to enforce stop lights and other traffic laws that contribute to public safety. In fact, it seems logical that this approach would pay for itself as the increase in collections occur.
The result would be efficiency in using the human policing activities, and will reduce what appears to me a negative connotation of police officers as an "enemy" setting up an ambush. The manpower released by this approach can be redirected to public support policing activities where the public face of police officers is friendly, helpful members of the community we can all respect.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Its Academic
There's an interesting story floating around about someone finding 65 million year old skin and feathers on a dinosaur fossil. Fact is there is soft tissue, and the highly unusual fact is those observing this fact still cling to the idea that it is 65 million years old.
Odd.
In searching for some discussion, I find 2 consistent themes - 1) if anyone dares to point to this find being more consistent with the Biblical account of a 6000 year old earth, that person is trounced on as a crazy flat-earther who is personally responsible for the Crusades., and 2) the insistence that it MUST be 65 million years old despite the clearly questionable find of actual flesh is the one card that is holding up the whole evolution house...
I suppose for those who won't let the discussion proceed (won't discuss what the answer could be if the dinosaur is NOT 65 million, rather it is thousands of years old) have a belief versus scientific observation, something that is often emotionally charged to those who believe int he Biblical account. ..non-academic and non-scientific. One look at the condition of King Tut's mummy, which was deliberately preserved 3 or so thousand years ago makes me, for one, question any flesh remaining identifiable for 65 million years...even when hermetically sealed...
I'll cling to the facts. God did it and He said He did just like He said. And, everyone will see the truth in the end (with knee bowed).
Just saying.
Odd.
In searching for some discussion, I find 2 consistent themes - 1) if anyone dares to point to this find being more consistent with the Biblical account of a 6000 year old earth, that person is trounced on as a crazy flat-earther who is personally responsible for the Crusades., and 2) the insistence that it MUST be 65 million years old despite the clearly questionable find of actual flesh is the one card that is holding up the whole evolution house...
I suppose for those who won't let the discussion proceed (won't discuss what the answer could be if the dinosaur is NOT 65 million, rather it is thousands of years old) have a belief versus scientific observation, something that is often emotionally charged to those who believe int he Biblical account. ..non-academic and non-scientific. One look at the condition of King Tut's mummy, which was deliberately preserved 3 or so thousand years ago makes me, for one, question any flesh remaining identifiable for 65 million years...even when hermetically sealed...
I'll cling to the facts. God did it and He said He did just like He said. And, everyone will see the truth in the end (with knee bowed).
Just saying.
Monday, November 2, 2015
At least I follow one of the Commandments
It is not uncommon to hear a person say "I don't necessarily believe in God, but I am a good person, and I follow the 10 Commandments", or something like that.
That's a nice attempt to have it both ways, and allows the intellectual to feel "superior" to the God who he or she might or might not believe in, that they don't have to believe in Him to meet the standard.
Trouble is, of course, is that the first 4 commandments demand an adherence to the belief in the God they claim to not necessarily believe in, so, it might be more accurate to say "...I follow the last 6 of the 10 Commandments".
Trouble with that is, of course, that number 5 is "Honor your father and mother", which, in the Biblical context, means to address them in the traditional position of authority, honor, and respect as "elders" versus "old people". When we look at our culture's warehousing of older folks, our pejorative view of them as "cute", and our scoffing at their old fashioned ways, number 5 is, at best, weakly adhered to.
Number 6, "shalt not kill" is pretty easy. As long as we ignore the 5 or 6 million babies killed in their mother's womb in America every year, most modern Americans can easily obey this admonishment.
Number 7, the prohibition against adultery, is easier to maintain in a society that has diminished marriage to a convenient tax advantage rather than a Holy Covenant. In fact, since we have defined marriage as a civil affair that people "fall" into, and ignore that those who sleep together in the same bed together might be "married" in what God meant, it is a little hard to define adultery...
8 and 9 are similar. Not stealing or lying is easy on the surface, most don't rob 7-11s or shoplift. However, the "white lies" of our casual public often include "estimates" on our taxes that favor us, taking advantage of mistakes on bills, and not giving to God what is His. We lie to our children as a matter of course in the "common sense" of our child rearing.
Funny 8 and 9 are together on the list, they are often interwoven in their commission in our society of self.
Finally, 10, not coveting...Maybe that'd one most people can claim adherence to. Coveting our neighbor's stuff might not be as direct as declared, unless you notice that everyone's house, car, and stuff looks like their neighbor's. Not sure who the first guy was, but our measure of success is less determining the consistent obedience of the God who Loves us and more the adherence to the standards declared in our neighbor's driveway.
So, in the end, the declaration "I follow the 10 Commandments" is more truthfully "Well, I don't kill people, which is one of the 10 Commandments", depending on your position on abortion. No wonder Jesus had to boil it down for the religious people in His day "The most important one (commandment) is this: 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second most important commandment is this" 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" (Mark ch 12, Good News)
That's a nice attempt to have it both ways, and allows the intellectual to feel "superior" to the God who he or she might or might not believe in, that they don't have to believe in Him to meet the standard.
Trouble is, of course, is that the first 4 commandments demand an adherence to the belief in the God they claim to not necessarily believe in, so, it might be more accurate to say "...I follow the last 6 of the 10 Commandments".
Trouble with that is, of course, that number 5 is "Honor your father and mother", which, in the Biblical context, means to address them in the traditional position of authority, honor, and respect as "elders" versus "old people". When we look at our culture's warehousing of older folks, our pejorative view of them as "cute", and our scoffing at their old fashioned ways, number 5 is, at best, weakly adhered to.
Number 6, "shalt not kill" is pretty easy. As long as we ignore the 5 or 6 million babies killed in their mother's womb in America every year, most modern Americans can easily obey this admonishment.
Number 7, the prohibition against adultery, is easier to maintain in a society that has diminished marriage to a convenient tax advantage rather than a Holy Covenant. In fact, since we have defined marriage as a civil affair that people "fall" into, and ignore that those who sleep together in the same bed together might be "married" in what God meant, it is a little hard to define adultery...
8 and 9 are similar. Not stealing or lying is easy on the surface, most don't rob 7-11s or shoplift. However, the "white lies" of our casual public often include "estimates" on our taxes that favor us, taking advantage of mistakes on bills, and not giving to God what is His. We lie to our children as a matter of course in the "common sense" of our child rearing.
Funny 8 and 9 are together on the list, they are often interwoven in their commission in our society of self.
Finally, 10, not coveting...Maybe that'd one most people can claim adherence to. Coveting our neighbor's stuff might not be as direct as declared, unless you notice that everyone's house, car, and stuff looks like their neighbor's. Not sure who the first guy was, but our measure of success is less determining the consistent obedience of the God who Loves us and more the adherence to the standards declared in our neighbor's driveway.
So, in the end, the declaration "I follow the 10 Commandments" is more truthfully "Well, I don't kill people, which is one of the 10 Commandments", depending on your position on abortion. No wonder Jesus had to boil it down for the religious people in His day "The most important one (commandment) is this: 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second most important commandment is this" 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" (Mark ch 12, Good News)
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