I don't want to tell people which state and national candidates and propositions to vote for next week, because voting is an individual responsibility. There are people voting for the wrong reasons, some who are unsure or confused, even people who are not voting at all, and yet it is still a personal decision for all, and that must always be respected in a free country.
But I do have a question and this question goes out to the American people, even though only a few will actually read it. I guess my question is really one to myself, but one that I suspect many more people must be asking themselves as well.
Why are there so many sick and poor people in America?
Why are children and adults suffering and dying with no health care coverage? Why do I see so many mentally sick people sleeping on lawns in Seattle? Why are there elderly, retired people having to go back to work? Why are moms having to ration food for their kids? Why are there so many orphans in the foster care system? Why are grown men with families losing their jobs? Why is this war in Iraq so prolonged and unsuccessful? Why are there so many people who can't afford the gas they need to get to work?
I know that there will always be problems even in prosperous nations, and there is much worse suffering in other countries today, but ours seem overwhelming at the moment.
I can not blame our government, nor special interest groups, the mega-corporations, the religious community, nor ignorant people. I can only blame myself, because I am the only one that I can affect a change.
“Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.” ~ Bertrand Russell
How is it that I have never before felt the pain of the people in my own city? I don't know exactly how I can help. I only know that I want to do something... anything... much more than my pathetic and meager charity of the past.
“When we grow old, there can only be one regret - not to have given enough of ourselves.” ~Eleonora Duse
I have to confess that I am a soccer mom. This is not in the sense, however, that I taxi kids, soccer balls and shin guards all over town, and bake cupcakes for the team. Volunteering is not something that comes easy for me, and sadly I don't always make it to all of my kids' games.
But I do love to play soccer with my kids. When it's not raining, my four kids and I look like a small mob walking through town on lazy afternoons, bouncing our soccer balls and sometimes losing them into the street while holding up traffic. Eventually we find a field and a soccer goal that is not already stolen. After we tag it for ourselves, the family pet dog, a German Shepherd, runs free all around the park terrorizing squirrels.
And we are not much nicer to each other. We call a game that we usually play, "Every man for himself" and it is executed exactly how it sounds. Each player is his or her own team. After the goal keeper kicks the ball out to the field, somebody tries to get possession of it, then dribble past everyone else, including the keeper, for a hard-earned goal. Kids can be counted on to make sure nobody cheats when we're keeping our own score. This is a successful way for them to learn math in fact.
One can also be sure that the monster-like worst comes out in all of us during this game. Chloe, my youngest child, is perhaps the most ferocious of us all. She creates her own fouls after pulling arms, shoving torsos, and kicking shins. And then she stomps off in a powder puff of rage when her victim gets a free penalty kick and consequently a goal. Of course, she wants to keep playing the game so the rage only lasts a couple of seconds.
Sensitive 7-year-old Brian is no better when he gets a minor hurt, as he curls into the shape of a human soccer ball, crying big tears of self-pity, until somebody finally picks him up and moves him off the field so that the rest of us can keep playing. Jonah is the best player out of all of us, except he knows it and hogs the ball, showing off tricks such as pull-backs, scissors, Maradonnas, cross-overs, and reverse cross-overs. "C'mon, play the game!" complain the rest of us.
Ezekiel is the official captain on his club soccer team and that makes him no less bossy at home. He would make us all run laps for most of the game if he could. And this soccer mama doesn't have a much better age to responsibility ratio. I readily show my frustration toward anybody that tries to ruin the fun, including the pet dog when she bounces through the middle of the game for her own amusement.
How is one to deal with all of this joy-robbing sinfulness? It is especially disturbing for a mother who wants nothing more than to see her children transition into happy adults, and she can not help but feel that she went direly wrong somewhere if they do not.
So, we look to advice and fortunately, or not so fortunately, we have available an overdose of parenting handbooks on the market, from the strict, beat the pulp out of the child mandate, to the philosophy of allowing the child to do whatever she wants, all the time. And we have the kid results to prove these ideas.
Yesterday I was appalled as I read about the Patriarchal/Matriarchal Dysfunctional family that is controlled by the father, who is the head of the home, or the mother, who demands nothing less than their religious ideals, so much that they isolate and imprison their children at home even until they get married. These homeschooled children never learn to socialize, and many of them can still be found at home well past the age of 30 years old. This is a scary extreme.
But I witness kids of the other extreme just as well. These are the fat kids or the ADHD kids at the park with Fruit Loop stains around their mouths, and perpetual runny noses. They throw mud, wood chips, and rocks at other kids, and they happily demolish their playmate's sand castles. They leave home at the age of 15 when their friends teach them how to drive a car, and only return when they want their laundry washed, or a new car for their birthday.
Neither child ever grows up, and according to new research discovered by cellular biologists, while hereditary genes play a role, DNA is actually "programmed" by a child's environment. This means, that for most children, home and school life will determine how the child turns out as an adult. I suppose it's something we already knew but it's nice when that theory is proven by science.
Parents, while they might lean toward one extreme or the other, are a combination to some degree, and I am no different. In my personal quest to raise my children right, I have to admit that my kids have almost been like rats in lab experiments as I toss and turn, and apply new methods, trying to figure it all out. Even with all of the training books, there are just not a lot of good role models out there.
In all of my trial-and-errors however, I am realizing that I have actually learned a few things - mostly what does not work - but learned lessons nonetheless. The two principles that do work, because they always work in every situation, is the principle of love and the principle of truth or discipline. They are really one principle because one is not what it is without the other.
The two extremes of childhood result in receiving lots of discipline without love, or vice versa. But like I said, love is not love without discipline, and so on. So the principle is completely missing in the extremes. The difficulty for the parent is figuring out the balance, or really in applying both aspects of it equally, when dealing not only with their children, but with their own faults especially.
Back to the soccer playing, my kids and I learned that there has to be some rules if we're all going to be able to enjoy ourselves. The term "rules" has a bad reputation these days, because it has been so forced upon us in the past, or not lovingly enforced at all. But it is really the only way for the game to work. Also, the breaking of the rules of the soccer game has to have consequence, such as penalty kicks, running laps, or everybody sarcastically ganging up on the evil-doer. "Nice work Mom. Can't we just play the game?"
For the ages of my unschooled kids, a range between 7 and 11 years old, I love the time out punishment, mostly for the fact that my kids absolutely hate it. If one of my kids moves or talks while he or she is in time out, they all know that the dreaded time will only be prolonged. I'm not sure how well this would work for a child that goes to school. Much of their lives are already one big time out, since they are confined to their desk or their classroom, and can not talk to their neighbor unless it is a group activity. But for my kids, the time out rule is torture at its finest.
One of our goals as an unschooling family is that we use our freedom to learn to appreciate all of the small but enormous wonders of life, good and bad, that is all around us, right in front of us, and in us, every day. This helps us learn what is truly worthwhile for each of us personally. Another thing I am learning as a parent is that I can simply just live my own life - not too focused on my kids, but not forgetting to happily include them in my thoughts, hopes, dreams, sorrows and frustrations either. This teaches them to be independent.
Us parents have the gift of desiring things to be right, but we can also worry too much. Is my child speaking properly? Does my child have the right math teacher? Is my child spending too much time with the "wrong" friend? The worries are evident in other areas of life too. Does my tie match my suit? Did my guests enjoy my dinner? Do my friends say nice things about me when I am not around? And our children only learn to become worrisome parents themselves one day. The opposite is true of the parent who doesn't care or appreciate life at all. But both have the same result - unhappiness.
Worries or carelessness will rob the life right out of us. There are too many faceless people at the park. There are too many of us not really living in the freedom of our potential. Our faults deaden us in our tracks rather than provide the opportunity for us to happily grow. We can actually be thankful for our weaknesses, even brag about them, as long as we are acknowledging them and their consequences. This is because it is only through our mistakes that grace can be manifested - the grace necessary for children to grow into adults.
It was simply through playing the soccer game, and allowing ourselves to fail and experience the consequences that my kids and I learned how to love the game, and keep it going for the time allowed to us. Who knows all of the different ways that the freedom of life can be applied to each of us personally. Even challenges to our freedom can serve as a greater motivation to seek after it. Let's take what freedom we have, and live true to ourselves.
Although the abortion issue is just one of many concerning this coming-up-fast presidential election, it is a strong one and possibly a determining one for voters, including the minority group of undecided voters which may make up 5-12% of the electorate. Even if swing voters are not registered to vote in a swing state, exactly how they fill out their ballot may be important to themselves personally, to their conscience, no matter which political issues take precedence over others.
Abortion is a key issue for running candidate Senator Obama who has been accused of using semantics to win substantial votes from Catholics and moderate evangelicals. If elected president, Senator Obama plans to decrease the abortion rate not by passing a law against it, but through reforms aimed at sex education and family planning. Another claimed intention is to increase welfare support for unwed mothers, but would this only be a motivator for increased unwanted pregnancies?
With Senator Obama's undeniable support for women's rights, his plans for reform may only complicate the dependency upon abortions, and this creates a challenge also for pro-life democrats. However, supporters claim that Senator Obama is simply following the mandates of the overall democratic party, as well as complying with the demands of the American majority. Simply put, he is representing the American people, which is exactly why the American people ought to elect a president.
For those who are losing sleep over the abortion atrocity, it is because of the heavy weight of life, and the loss of life. What some of us may not realize is that all kinds of people, including pregnant mothers as well as pro-choice advocates may also be losing this kind of sleep. Perhaps, just like the undecided voters, there are citizens who are undecided on the current abortion issue as it affects the country of America.
To add to the complexity, it is also quite possible to be torn between the juxtaposition of pro-life and the support of life. One might not be able to comply with abortion, but that person can not join the pro-life group either. Some pro-lifers, in stating their cases, have accomplished only a ringing in the ears for their listeners. My friend Garrett opened my eyes to this truth and, with his permission, here are his words:
"It seems to me that anti-abortion people all focus on notifying parents and on the twisted corpses of dead babies. I think this is terrible.
I wish anti-abortionists would embrace a more holistic view of their "Choose Life" slogan. I wish that they supported single moms in having their babies, that they supported babies given up for adoption with health care and education, with parks and animals and dreams of a better tomorrow. I wish they supported all life, always. So often I see them protecting inutero life and ignoring all assaults on life after birth has happened.
It's really hard for me to stand with a group that 'supports life' until birth, a group that often judges unwed-mothers, judges children born into challenging economies and social strata. Many of the choose lifers seem so happy to look down their noses at certain people, to not hire them, to imprison them (and sometimes kill them for crimes), to send them off to war. How can this sort of oppression be compatible with a Choose Life philosophy?"
Garrett also testifies that life is the first freedom, a concept that he learned from a Catholic priest in a church ministries seminar. So he says, "I do believe that if I had the freedom to all material possessions, but were to lose my life, it would be worth nothing. Life is the first freedom, the one that is needed before any other is worthwhile."
When fighting for someone else to see our point of view, we may make assumptions and unwittingly bring about the opposite effect, actually creating an impenetrable barrier for our acquaintance to pass. Debating is a delicate operation, and yet we sometimes stomp all over a person's thoughts, beliefs and their very soul as if they were made of heartless metal.
This does not mean that we should withhold the truth as we believe it for the sake of avoiding confrontation. The person who does this is only living half of a life. But while truth may cause a sting, even an unbearably sharp sting, it's intention is to liberate, to result in life, or the rescuing of life.
Fear and insecurity has motivated many of us to lash out in bitterness, accusations, rashness, judgment and hypocrisy. We can trust that these kinds of words make little progress. Still, there are troubling times, and there are always issues with which to be desperately concerned.
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) says: "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." All people can dispense of fear through a spirit of love and truth. What is love and truth for the Christian? God will be faithful to one day deal with each and every wrong in our country, and yet because of Jesus Christ, he is also able to bestow love where compassion and mercy are due. He accomplishes both of these things to some degree now but the fulfillment will be in the afterlife.
American citizens may still not see eye-to-eye with each other on the abortion problem, but through relationships, seeds are planted, consciences are further awakened, and love and mercy can take form.
One can never be sure of the extent of the wandering forest of decision and indecision that embodies another person's mind. Sometimes when we think we finally understand a controversy, another facet of the facts are disclosed to our own thoughts. Another point of view comes along, either deepening the darkness or shedding the light of truth, with growing shades of inbetween.
Romans 12:18 (NASB): "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." As the abortion battle and the election battle rages, is it possible to live in peace with each other? In other terms, can we wander together without sacrificing our fundamental beliefs? I believe that the answer is not only yes, and not only that it is the only way to solve these dilemmas, but that we can all learn something vital along the way for ourselves; and those lessons, similar to life itself, are priceless.
According to Guttmacher Institute, about 42 million abortions are performed every year worldwide. In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed in America, down from 1.31 million abortions in 2000. Although the abortion rate is slowly decreasing, 4 out of 10 pregnancies are currently terminated through induced abortion.
There are no reliable statistics of abortions performed before 1973, when abortion was legalized in America, but it is safe to say that the abortion rate was significantly lower. There were about 800 reported abortions in 1965.
Many American citizens, including liberalists, pro-choice activists and Democrat presidential candidate Senator Obama, claim that they would like to see the abortion rate continute to decrease. In order to do that, reforms such as those that provide affordable and accessible contraception have been proposed and some have already been placed in action, which would account for the current decrease in statistics. Will such reforms continue to decrease the abortion rate to some acceptable amount, or should reforms be abandoned altogether by re-enacting the law against abortion to make a more significant decrease? America is divided over this issue.
In my post regarding current American governing ideals, I have explained one principle of a republican democracy: In order for individual citizens to experience freedom, there must be an absence of excessive governmental control over society because this only creates overdependent individuals. True freedom includes independent freedom. This means that laws should not be passed for such things as universal healthcare (as a requirement for all), for compulsory public school attendance, for access to personal information, for search and seizure without a warrant, what books one must read to enter college, where one can use their cell phone, how they walk their dog, whether or not one can dye their hair, what one can eat, wear, or scratch, etc.
In order for all peoples to experience religious freedom there must also be a separation of church and state. This means that the government should also not interfere with personal moral decisions of the citizen that does no physical harm toward other living beings, or their property. So, the government should not pass a law for or against issues such as same-sex marriages, homosexuality in the military, a law for or against prayer in public schools, a law for or against pornography on the internet, prostitution, euthanasia, suicide, alcohol or substance abuse, what one can eat, wear, or scratch, etc.
Unfortunately, many citizens and government lawmakers have fought to pass all kinds of laws restricting personal choices from inhaling marijuana, landscape laws for your home, pet laws, helmet laws, seatbelt laws, jaywalking laws and the list goes on and on. Everybody wants a new law for something, just to help us feel a little more safe and secure. Not only have we lost much too many of our freedoms, but we are continuing to lose them every year at a considerable rate. But, as stated in my last post, this is ultimately the fault of the citizens of America for handing over our freedoms, or for being distracted with fighting for the wrong ones.
It is true however, that we elect certain government officials in order for them to fulfill certain responsibilities. In order for a democracy to be successful, for citizens to live in freedom, there must be laws that are passed that protect human life and property. Therefore, there must be laws against such things as kidnapping, child molesting, rape, manslaughter, homicide, domestic abuse, food and drug mislabeling, and burglary or theft, etc.
(This may or may not include the potential for harm toward life and property. It depends on the amount of potential threat that an act might possess. Kitchen knives can be used as a murder weapon, but this does not mean that they should be outlawed. The statistics of innocent fatalities due to drunk driving accidents may (or may not) demand a law against drunk driving however.)
This is where the controversy of abortion comes into the story. Is abortion a personal choice that the government should continue to withdraw from? Or does the government have a responsibility to protect human life? The answer is an emphatic "both" since it both involves a woman's body and a separate human being.
Since the issue involves a woman's personal body, the government can not seek to control the decisions she makes for herself. Therefore, any facts related to her moral decision are nullified. This would include these facts: any kind of morality for or against murder, any emotional trauma as a result of her decision, whether or not the abortion is used as a form of contraception, whether or not the pregnancy was unplanned or unprepared for, or whether or not the child would be adopted into a loving home of the numerous waiting parents who cannot conceive, etc.
But, these other facts are also nullified for making a law: whether or not the child would be raised in an abusive home, whether or not the child would be placed into the extremely disorganized foster care, whether or not the woman's birth control failed, whether or not the woman was raped, or the pregnancy was the result of incest, nor whether or not women who have not had abortions can fully understand a pregnant woman's dilemma. It would not even include whether or not abortion is legal.
As far as government intervention is concerned, we can not pick and choose which moral issues can decide whether or not a law should be passed. All of these factors, plus unmentioned others, have absolutely nothing to do with a law against abortion, because they involve a personal decision of whether or not to abort a baby. It is a mother's personal choice. And a democratic government should not intervene in personal choices. This is why social reforms for decreasing abortions will not work effectively. Personal choices require personal responsibility, not dependence upon the government.
However, there is another side to the issue that must be addressed. Concerning the unborn zygote/embryo/fetus, a separate though dependent human being, which also describes a born baby or child, the government not only has a right to intervene in the protection of its life, but government officials in any country are actually held responsible to do their governing job of keeping these 42 million unconsenting innocents from being destroyed each year.
Homicide is a moral issue, and one has a free choice for whether or not to take the life of another person. The morality of the issue is not the ultimate reason why there is a law against it. Whether more murders would be committed each year, or inhuman means would be utilized, or it is fully understandable why a person was killed, or if it was the best thing for that victim also does not determine the law against murder. The protection of the life of human being is the sole reason why this law is in effect and why an overwhelming amount of citizens support it.
If America is any kind of a republican democracy, the American lawmaker only has one responsibility concerning the issue of abortion and that is to re-enact the law against it. The government also has only one reason for this law, and that is to protect the lives of the innocent.
Self-defense is a moral issue as well as homicide, and the government can have no right to say if one must choose or not choose to use a gun, nor pass a law for or against the possession of firearms. In the same way, abortion clinics can not be outlawed. They can be available for the case of self-preservation, if the mother's life is at risk from the pregnancy. A court case would decide whether or not an abortion is a justified act, but the current majority of cases are not.
Citizens, and especially religious citizens, are the ones that are responsible for instituting reforms and assistance that would decrease the choices for abortion. Mothers facing this issue are unaware of many facts surrounding abortion. And again, this should not determine whether or not the lives of these unborn babies should be protected.
But for those of us who have not given up hope for a democracy, for the freedom for ourselves and our fellow citizens, we now have a responsibility to take this moral burden off of the government so that it can do its job of passing the right laws and vetoing those that infringe upon our independence. We can do this through numerous ways: political activity, making the facts known, caring for an unwed, pregnant mother, teaching our sons and daughters about relationships, pregnancy, abortion and responsibility, through donating to orphanages or through organizing the foster care system, or through adoption.
Instead of sitting around fighting
over all of the facts concerning abortion, let us each do our part in
not only decreasing abortions but also assisting teenage girls and
pregnant women, lending a listening ear to those who are confused,
living the example of a happier life, or in short, let us each make our
personal contribution to the effective rescuing of innocent lives.
There is much fret and worry regarding the upcoming American presidential election. Even if our preferenced candidates win the race, will they be able to fulfill their promises? Will our country see a signficant and desperately needed change? Will it change in the right direction? What is the right direction and who will ultimately decide it?
Here is a quick course in modern day political science concerning America. A society that is ruled by direct or pure democracy is one in which the majority of the citizens make decisions for the benefit of that society. The citizens pass and veto laws and conduct trials (such as in the case of the jury system.)
A constitutional republic is one in which a subset of the people, ones who specialize in such things as economy and foreign relations, replaces the monarch, and are elected to represent and serve the society with its powers restricted to constitutional law. These elected officials pass and revoke laws, and make major decisions, such as whether or not to enter a war.
America's two largest political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, could technically balance each other to form a true representation of the majority of the people. But today, the both parties have lost much sight of democratic ideals; therefore, the citizens no longer rule the country in practicality, and the vote no longer contains much influence.
Who is now in control of the country of America? Power over the minds of the people is open for grabs and there are different entities fighting for that control. Two major powers have been and are: the media, such as major news networks, and also the Christian church, including the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant offshoots. But currently there are two even greater powers that control the minds of the people and those are: Adam Smith, the general founder of capitalism and Karl Marx, the main originator of socialism.
These two sets of social economic theories have permeated our society to such a degree that we do not realize the amount of control that they exercise over the every day life of the average citizen. These social ideals have power over the media as well as many religious institutions. It is believed by some that they have moved us even further away from the kind of democracy that we might all peacefully enjoy where problems could actually be rectified and freedom would be enjoyed.
The problem with capitalism, or materialism as a more understood term, is that money replaces our freedom. The individual or the corporation controls society so that he/she/it can obtain an even greater profit. There is very little concern for the lower class, the poor, the weak, or the uninformed except to use them as pawns to win the market competition.
For socialism, the main issue is that the government assumes too much control over the individual. The government will provide certain services such as healthcare, welfare, transportation, public broadcasting, libraries, etc. in exchange for physical or mental control over the population. A good example of this is government controlled education. It is through the requirement of compulsory attendance to a state-run, public school (unless one can afford a private school which often exemplifies the same structure) that a group of leaders, or the government, controls the minds of that society.
Each theory, when in control, actually has the opposite effect and strengthens the power of the opposing side. For example, capitalism creates a needy lower class which creates a widespread need for welfare, which provides dependents for capitalists to cater to, which creates social problems in which everybody relies on the government to solve.
Both theories possess the major issue of diminishing the freedom of the people and replacing it with either the power of the wealthy, or the control of the government. In a democracy, the majority of the citizens through an electoral vote would instead be the deciding factors for the direction or the benefit of the entire country. In a republican democracy, where citizens vote on the most qualified representative, the citizens would still possess the general rule over themselves with the benefit of those who specialize in governing.
America is not a real democracy. We are not even a republican democracy. We are a country distracted with fighting between capitalism or socialism. We could blame-trigger all sorts of political leaders, social organizations, industrialism or even the weather, but the ultimate blame goes to all of the people of America.
It is because we no longer want to do things for ourselves. We have asked industrialism to feed our materialism while we become their job slaves. We have asked government to give basic things to us for free and we have become dependent on welfare. We have asked the church to take away our guilt and then we have become disillusioned with it, and we have asked the media to distract us from our personal problems while becoming prisoners to commercial TV. We have invited others to take away our freedom in the pursuit of the American dream, and they have taken it.
The only way of reversing this direction for our country is if a progressive amount of people take responsibility for their own lives and the lives of our fellow citizens. This can be done in more ways than there are individuals but typically a person who believes in democracy is one that lives in personal freedom as much as possible - not enslaved to anything but using all things for our personal health and well-being, as well as for the benefit of the world. Such a person might start a home business selling organic produce from local farms. This person would elect knowledgable officials who will act for freedom rather than for her personal opinions. And this person would be active in charity rather than relying on the government or the church to play that role.
In this sense, America has retained some of its appreciation for democracy, for it is possible, albeit very difficult, for people to live in freedom if the personal desire is great enough. It is doubtful that we would see a large change in our country since we have become so dependent on capitalism and socialism, but it is nice to know that there is some amount of freedom in order to apply this to our personal lives.
Like this mystery worshipper who is not helping the church's reputation at all of being just another corporate business, I was thinking along similar lines of writing reviews about these different churches that I've been visiting, like someone would critique a movie or restaurant. First of all, I'm not sure that I would be qualified for such a task and secondly, I could really see that idea going south at some point. In fact, after checking out a couple more churches that have caught my interest, my church visiting days will probably be over.
Yesterday, I had the honor of joining my fellow believers of the Presbyterian (PCA) kind at Grace Seattle. Besides the Lutheran churches, the Presbyterian churches may be the closest Protestant church to the church mother of us all, the Catholic Church. (I don't think that Episcopalian churches consider themselves to be Protestant.) So I was looking forward to the formality of traditions with memories of times past with liturgies that include such things as Lectio Sacra, or sacred reading of the Scriptures, as well as confession of sins and the singing of hymns, along with a live orchestra.
I was also anticipating that sense of holiness in church, or a time and place set apart as a sort of refuge from the rest of every day life and the cares of the world. The only problem was that, yesterday, I brought my two 7 year old kids - my two 7 year old unschooled kids - and children's church was not available for the second Sunday morning service. That was fine, except that my kids didn't bring their backpacks filled drawing materials and other such things to keep them quiet and busy during church.
We went to the nursery to ask if we could borrow a couple of quiet toys during the service. "We don't have any quiet toys, but you are welcome to take whatever you wish" we were told. Brian gathered all of the transportation vehicles that he could carry along with his Bible, and Chloe happily found a bin full of children's books. Since there was only one child present and two nursery workers, and since my kids were only a couple years older than the age specified for the nursery, we asked if my kids could stay. But rules were rules and they were sorry but they would not be able to accommodate us.
As the congregation filled, and latecomers with expressions of "sorry that I am late!" hurriedly found their seats, I realized that this was going to be a very long church service. This was not only because my kids, as quiet as they tried to be while illicitly playing in church, and the people around us were clearly annoyed, but because I was bored out of my mind.
We began with the confession of sin which I thought was interesting because I am usually led to some kind of confession during or after a sermon. I love that bittersweet conviction of the Holy Spirit that awakens me to my personal wrongs and leads me to a liberating repentance, but like the unpredictable wind, I never know just when this is going to happen. As hard as I tried, it wasn't going to happen yesterday as I read through the liturgy out loud along with the rest of the assembly. Bible verses and hymns that I love so dearly, that contained words that have deeply changed my life, that have faithfully brought me an undying peace and happiness, were for some reason just words, as much as I wanted it to be otherwise. Something was desperately missing. But what?
When Protestant churches reformed from the Catholic Church, and as they still continue to reform, ever dividing and multiplying to become more culturally relevant, post-post modernistic, down to earth, closer to home, etc., traditions are replaced or abandoned altogether. I am thankful that we still have remants of the likes of the Old Testament tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacraments as the Catholic Church continues to live on through the ages. But there have been revolts and reforms away from it for a reason.
When Jesus came to earth in human form, he said that the law is no longer only written on tablets of stone, but it is written on our hearts. This means that the law can become something delightful, something we love and adore. It no longer condemns us because our sins have been paid for, through Jesus. We are no longer under the old covenant of law but under a new convenant of grace. For a Christian, old things have passed away and this new covenant is found within us, just as the kingdon of God is within us (Luke 17:21).
Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law and the need for a sacrifice to atone for sins. In his death, he became law, sin and death for us so that we can now live in the newness of an abundant life. Religion was now not only observed one day of the week but every day of the week, organically, in every day life. Jesus taught his disciples about heavenly truths as they passed the wheat field or the fig tree or the fishing boats. He observed tradition in every day life such as eating a meal together with this disciples. And people have continued to gather together on hillsides and in homes to hear the teaching of God's truth or for fellowship long after Jesus' ascension to heaven.
Although the law of the Old Testament still plays a very important role, sometimes I think we make the privilege of observing the Sabbath much grander than is really necessary. I can't say that one Christian church is better than another, except that the love and truth of God seems to be more present in some than others at different time periods. But wherever the truth of God is preached, and the majority of churches in fact do contain this element, it is possible to worship God in any of them together with other people, but then again, it is possible to worship God anywhere.
Yesterday during the sermon on Exodus Chapter 1, I started looking around the room. Ah, faces! Now that was interesting. I didn't care that I was staring at people. There was a variety of apparel but many people dressed according to their facial appearance - sober, and serious. We they truly worshipping God? One woman had her eyes closed with a barely present smile on her face. She looked as though life had been especially relentless toward her, and she was making her escape toward peace in that moment. One elderly gentleman noticed my glancing and he smiled back at me. He seemed happy to be there.
My attention then turned to my kids. As Brian was flying his airplanes and driving his cars, Chloe was looking at the pictures in her children's books. There were retro illustrations of happy families worshipping together in their homes, with pictures of Jesus smiling, and angels hovering about them.
Chloe was sounding out the words in her picture book before she turned to me and whispered loudly, "Mommy, this is the most boring church we have ever been to!" I felt that the time was overdue to make our own escape. So after placing the toys and books back in their proper place, we left before church was over and we walked out into the fresh, free air. In a minusule way, it might've felt like that glorious, independent day of high school graduation, unconfined at last, but.... now what?
My kids wanted to know what I thought about the church, so we talked about that a little, as well as other important things such as why do planes have wings if they have an engine, and is that what angels really look like? Overall, I am grateful that there are so many different kinds of churches for people to gather together, to seek God, his always applicable truth and to be able to love those things together. But I am mostly glad that God's life-breathing truth is found everywhere I go, in my heart.
Note: a significant update was made to this post since it was first written.
Well, I was going to share my favorite recipe of roasted pumpkin seeds today but I've had something else on my mind that might be a tad bit more pressing - something that's been pulling and twisting my brain in opposing directions, complete with knots, since the beginning of this Presidential election in the grand ol' United States of America.
Republican advocates are now campaigning with ads concerning running candidate Senator Obama's view of abortion, and his openly pro-choice statements which includes the fact that he plans to defend the rights of women "by passing the Freedom of Choice Act as president."
The Freedom Of Choice Act, if passed, would establish the right to abortion as a fundamental right, such as the right to vote, and would override any other federal, state or local law concerning abortion. Senator Obama has also ensured that he would elect a Supreme Court Justice(s), should the occasion arise during his presidential term, that would be "true to the core tenets of Roe. vs. Wade."
No matter where we stand on the abortion issue, let's think this through and attempt to get as well-rounded an understanding as possible to either help us decide or confirm our intended vote on November 4th.
From a scientific, medical and a dictionary definition of life, a zygote/embryo/fetus is in fact alive. It possesses a metabolism, growth and reaction to stimulii. It has been argued by religious specialists that an unborn fetus is not only alive, but also possesses a soul (as opposed to something else that would be alive without a soul, such as a plant.) Pro-life activists also say that abortion not only infringes upon the right to life for an unborn fetus, but abortion devalues the quality of life of the mother who experiences traumatic guilt and regret either immediately after the procedure or later in life.
Most people agree with these statements no matter where they stand on the abortion issue. For those who don't, I haven't researched the routes they take in the conscience to get around this evidence. But, from what I can tell from the general public, most people would agree, including democrats, pro-choice advocates, as well as Senator Obama, that to decrease the amount of abortions (as well as teen pregnancies, rape, incest, STD's, etc.) would be a good thing.
Pro-choice activists, who are commonly not pro-abortion, say that there should be no law infringing upon the sacred right of a woman over her own body.
Adoptions are lengthy and difficult, and women will continue to abort their babies anyway, even if there is a law against it, by travelling to a different state or country where it is legal, or through illegal means. Just as the epidemic of alcoholism today is a result of the Prohibition, laws against abortion would eventually result in an increase in the rate of abortions, an increase in the rate of unsafe, "back alley" abortions, an increase in poverty, an increase in crime, and the general overall health of women would greatly decline.
Looking at human freedom rights from another perspective might shed more light on this subject. Parents would not want their freedom to spank children through loving discipline taken away as a result of the fact that many parents abuse their children. Child abuse is a moral wrong, written on the conscience mind and children's rights must be protected. However, for the government to intervene on this issue by passing a no-spank law with the consequence of a jail or prison sentence, this would be taking away a human right from the parent. Although there is a fundamental difference between spanking children and annihilating children, there still remains a parental human right of freedom that must be considered.
Pro-life activists say that abortion is equivalent to murder. Instead of comparing the laws of the Prohibition with the laws of abortion, what if we compared the laws of murder with it. Would murder decrease if its laws were abolished? That would be doubtful, and the government would be failing at its responsibility to protect the physical lives of the innocent. Plus, I wouldn't feel very safe at night.
Those who are fighting for the law against abortion say that the right of the innocent though dependent child should override the right of the woman over her body and her baby, and this is where the controversy occurs.
Personally, I am so very grateful to the fact that people are taking a stand to save the lives of human beings, as well as fighting for basic human rights in legislature. Both sides will agree that the right to life and the right to quality of life is valued and important. It would be a tragic day if death became so commonplace in America that people stop fighting for life, which would describe certain countries in the world today.
One of the things I learned from my Presbyterian pastor, when I was attending his church a few years ago, is that instead of shunning or avoiding friction at all costs, we can actually embrace it. Friction can serve us in an infinite number of ways. It can force us to think, it can remind us of the complexity of issues (there's always another side) and it can increase our knowledge and understanding.
Our freedoms in America can be so easily taken for granted. Let us never lose the freedom of speech and the right to argue. At the risk of allowing people to make wrong decisions, which is what the Creator allows with his creation, freedom is imperative if there is going to be any saving lives of the innocent and the lost.
Where would that place me on the abortion issue? I am anti-abortion like most people. Should a law be passed for or against abortion in order to decrease abortions? If abortion is the taking of the life of another innocent person, then a law should be passed to protect the right to life for the unborn child, whether abortions would increase or decrease.
If Senator Obama is elected president, will the Freedom of Choice Act be passed? This is doubtful because there are too many opponents. The President of America, nor each individual state's choice of making abortion legal or illegal, nor Senator Obama's signing of the Freedom of Choice Act, nor the president's choice of supreme court judicials will ultimately decide this controversy.
If America is any kind of democracy, then the people of America will decide the fate of unborn children. Since the general American consensus is that life has value, I trust that this issue will continue to enlighten us in the right direction, one way or another. Meanwhile, we can be thankful for the checks and balances that were put in place in our government by our wise founding forefathers. While corrupt or incompetent men may rule the system, citizens will still have a voice.
Abortion is one issue to consider in the upcoming presidential election, but it is not the only issue. No matter who becomes the next president of America, I hope that Americans will continue to fight for freedom, and I trust that God remains sovereign.
For the biblical support of why a Christian does not have to fear that the electing of a certain political official "... will result in widespread immorality and rampant perversion", please refer to my friend Jason's very informative blog and comments.
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." ~Thornton Wilder
I'm not sure if thankfulness could cure diseases, but it should be somewhere near the top of all of our lists for healthy living - along with hydrogen peroxide, but that is for another blog.
Worry or stress, fear, regret, arrogance, envy, nervousness, hopeless, sadness, lust, bitterness. There are plenty of circumstances in life that can cause the kind of emotions we would all like to avoid. And these damaging emotions, especially if they take root in the soul, will wreak havoc not only on our physical health but our entire spiritual well-being.
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~G.K. Chesterton
Thankfulness is different than optimism. An optimist might place stock in the best future outcome to such a degree that reality is forgotten. (A pessimist does the same thing except assumes the worst will happen.) Hope, like thankfulness is a good thing, but sometimes people hope for things that are also not based in reality. It doesn't help us to ignore reality because reality will continue to knock on the front door until it is faced. Thankfulness as opposed to optimism looks at what one already has in possession, even if the only thing is the breath one is breathing.
Giving thanks results in all things good. It causes the mind to clear, enabling good decision-making. It can help us to smile and laugh when we forget about smiling and laughter. Sometimes it's all we need just to change our heavy mood. It softens us toward others. And it can open up a whole new beautiful world to our eyes.
"Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things." ~Horace
Although one can be thankful any time, even though thankfulness can take any form, and although we can be thankful for literally anything, the best results occur if gratitude has become a habit. Everyone has their own way of forming a habit. For me thankfulness is becoming a habit as I sit down every day to eat a meal with my kids.
Saying grace can be a timeless and honorable tradition. I would love to witness a God-fearing, Baptist kind of man standing up to humbly pray in his deep voice before the rows of his submissive family seated at their candle-lit dinner. Maybe he would lift his hands and his eyes to the heavens. Or maybe he would read a scripture from the King James Version Bible. Or perhaps he would read a hymn from an antique hymnal.
"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." ~H.U. Westermayer
But for myself and my four kids, saying grace before our meals wasn't having the effect I wanted, and there was too much fighting over who didn't close their eyes for the prayer anyway. We love to pray, but we were too easily falling into a heartless routine day in and day out, so instead we came up with the idea of just listing the things for which we are thankful to God. I guess this borrows a little something from celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, except for every day of the year.
My oldest son, Ezekiel, always wants us to perform this drama in an orderly manner, going around the circular table one by one, and he would get very frustrated if somebody went out of turn. But, this is inevitably what would happen. Somebody would say one happy thing, which would remind someone else of another good thing and pretty soon we're all blurting out thoughts, stories, dreams, etc. while getting progressively louder so we can hear ourselves. The exception is Ezekiel, though, who is hanging his head in his hands of frustration, until someone playfully knocks him upside the head.
This doesn't happen all the time though. Sometimes we sit down for breakfast and most of us are still mostly asleep or a best friend is moving away, or breakfast is cold and burnt. And we just sit there in silence, with blank stares. I figure we could just start eating if nothing comes to anyone's mind but usually somebody will come up with something such as, "I'm glad it's raining so I don't have to mow the lawn today." We all nod in agreement, thankful that someone was able to say something at least.
"Gratitude is the memory of the heart." ~Jean Baptiste Massieu, translated from French
You would think that we would run out of things to be thankful for, and sometimes the same thing gets gets claimed over and over again for a while at our house, but kids are especially good at creatively coming up with the obvious. "I'm thankful that Sable (our dog) has food to eat too, so she can be alive." Or their thanksgiving moves over to the realm of anything that makes them excited: "I can't wait for soccer practice today, because I'm gonna score a goal in our scrimmage." That's fine, as long we remember that everything is a gift in some shape or form, and that we can still be thankful for playing the game if a goal was not scored.
Sometimes I just want everyone to hurry up with their thanksgivings because I'm in a hurry to get finished with dinner, but those are the days that everyone has an extra amount of blessings in their life. This is when our fun, little tradition is sometimes a reminder to me. It reminds me to slow down and to be calm. Nutritionists say that prayer or meditation or anything that can get us to relax before we eat goes a long way in helping to digest our food. Somebody even wrote a book called The Slow Down Diet as a means for weight loss. Interesting.
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~William Arthur Ward
It's good to feel thankful. It changes us more powerfully than one would expect from just a mere emotion. Expressing it through prayer to the gracious Creator will equally influence our souls. Or, saying "thank you" to the person who was the carrier of the gift can also awaken much happiness.
Thankfulness causes us to see details and to see them from an eternal perspective. Maybe it really is a type of cure-all, one that can't be patented and over-priced, but is free and readily available to every human being. Being thankful can be such a cliche, and also one of those things which we take for granted, but that just means that thankfulness can also be one more blessing for which to be thankful.
I am going to attempt to speak to both a Christian audience and a Non-Christian audience at the same time, with the same words on the same subject - and the subject is: going to church. Should Christians go to church? What about Non-Christians? Should we all just go to church together?
It feels strange to attempt to bring these two groups together, especially over a religious matter, and yet I feel a little honorable too since I have peacemaker tendencies. Still, maybe this is similar to what the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation felt when it first invited running presidential candidates of America to roast each other over dinner. How nice, though, for participants to feel some kind of connection where one might not normally be found, even if only for a short amount of time.
Let us first scrape for some common ground concerning churches. Both sides agree that there have been problems great and small within the Christian church in general throughout history, and in fact that there are many problems today. There are some who may not see these unattractive issues, or others who can not admit that they exist. I think that one can safely say however, that there is an overall general consensus by everyone that the church has not been the greatest of successes in the world.
Christians might feel out of place at a secular group function, or when religious mockings abound over Thanksgiving dinner, and yet a Non-Christian would equally feel like an outcast when visiting a church with Grandma and hearing their damnation upon sharing the communion bread and wine, or grape juice. What does communion exactly represent anyway? Many people don't know, whether they have a religious background or not.
As is often the case with two opposing social units, such as Christians and Non-Christians, one party may not realize that the other party realizes that in fact, there are problems. Or both parties may realize that the problems are so blatantly obvious to the entire world, that it drives a deeper wedge between the two groups.
Some Christians will fight tooth and nail to defend the church, usually a specific church, and with the same amount of fervency, some Non-Christians will murder it to pieces with very descriptive terms. These are extremes on the outskirts however. Notwithstanding that fact, here are just a few reasons why Christians and Non-Christians alike might find it difficult or even impossible to visit or attend church on a regular basis:
- The Bible is boring, full of contradictions, is culturally irrelevant, and its miracles are hard to accept.
- What social good has the church done for the world?
- It is not easy to make friends at church except with people who have ulterior motives.
- Churches fight with each other over trivial matters; there are too many church divisions.
- Christians can be very judgmental; the church is full of hypocrites.
- The church often acts like a high-powered business corporation; its main focus is "Mo' Money".
- There are too many spoken and unspoken rules at church.
- It's the same sermon every week.
This is not the half of them and yet if this were all one was to hear about church, this list would make a very compelling argument. If one has already been to church, or has had a negative encounter with a Christian, or has any other preconceived idea about church, the list becomes even more compelling. But, as logic always tells us, a well-rounded story is the best story. What's the other side?
Since church is supposed to be grounded on the truth found in The Holy Bible, the best reason to not attend church would be the fact that one is not able to accept the Bible as truth. This would be a valid reason except that all truth is hard to accept. The counterfeit is much easier because it can be made to look normal and attractive. The truth on the other hand can not change to fit anyone's ideals.
It might surprise all of us to find out just how much truth the general public accepts every day that is actually rooted in the Bible. Be a good neighbor; don't worry be happy; basic human rights; healthy food; the mind, soul and spirit; do not murder; a fitting word at the right time; bad company corrupts good character.... The Bible is worth reading for its common sense and wisdom alone.
Christianity has survived all the way through the ages since its beginning and many people will attest to its validity, even though it must also be accepted with an element of faith, just like any truth. I could say to you "This purse is brown." But you might say, "Yes but it is more of a brownish tan" and you would have to trust that brownish tan is exactly how you think of brownish tan in case someone else comes along and says "No, it is brown with a pinkish tone" in which case we might both change our minds, placing more faith in the person's knowledge who came along than our understanding of brown. The truth that the purse is brown didn't change but our understanding of the truth might go through several layers of changes.
Miracles, prophecies and some very strange stories in the Bible can be difficult to grasp, but this does not necessarily discount the Bible either. Truth can be more bizarre than anything we have ever personally experienced - stranger than fiction. Even science admits that it can not explain everything and that there is some kind of unobservable energy force behind everything that grows or changes. Since there is so much that we don't know, no one has been able to fully discredit the miracles in the Bible. Just because something is not fully understood does not prove that it is not true.
What about the Bible's contradictions? Life is full of paradoxes: we might feel hungry when the stomach is full; a person might laugh even when the heart is sad; and here in Washington State, the weather changes so much that it can be sunny while it is raining. There are reasons for these seeming contradictions; these reasons make a concept more fully understood. The Bible makes use of paradoxes, and other apparent contradictions can be impressively explained here.
Even if we are not open to the possibility that the Bible could contain truth, it would be completely absurd to write it off without first having given it a fair shot. What if it IS true? What if there IS an afterlife? What if there IS a very real heaven and hell? What if God IS our creator? What if Jesus IS the son of God? How could anyone sleep at night without being 100% confident that the Bible is or is not true with all of its specific claims? One must have these things reconciled in the mind. Going to church until one's mind is made up will help one to eventually sleep at night, if nothing else.
The Bible has something to say about every area of life: the mind, the body, the heart, the spirit, the spirit world, relationships, social structures, governments, morality, character, happiness, depression, alcohol, world history, music and songs, poetry, words, principles, family life, work, and church, etc., etc. Going to church can be one way of learning about life itself, or finding a helpful answer to a personal decision or dilemma.
Why NOT go to church? In America, we have more choices of Christian churches than we have for breakfast, including all of the different cereal brands. Do you prefer contemporary or traditional? Conservative or liberal? Lots of love or lots of intellect? Cream and sugar, or black? Eggs and toast or Lucky Charms? You can attend five days a week or much less often. Some churches are healthier than others. If you don't like one church, you can always try another. If you find one where you feel at home, you can always discard some of what you hear in a sermon, and log away the rest. Everybody does this, whether it's to their detriment or for their wise benefit.
Concerning the less than reputable reputation of Christians and Christian leaders, it is very understandable why a person might dread Sunday mornings, but it is still not an adequate reason to avoid church. First of all, not all people encountered at church are Christians, and you don't have to be friends with everyone anyway. Secondly, all people are still restrained to their human form. This means that they have not yet been made perfect so they will say hurtful things and they will pretend to be a little further along in their journey than reality would show. Everyone begins at a different place and at a different time - some are battling issues they faced in their past and others are naturally humble and kind. Yet this is exactly how it should be, since perfection always requires a process, and so that all sinners can fit right in somewhere.
Christians are guilty of many things including stupidity and cruelty, and yet they have also done a remarkable amount of good for the world throughout history, both within the organized church and outside of it. This includes the founding of missionary services, hospitals, charities, legislation to protect human rights, wisdom for everyday life, inspiration, hope, and compassion. There is no possible way to count all of the ways that the Church and Christians have changed the world. Being a part of a church may therefore mean contributing to a large influence on the world with the goal of spreading goodness, health and happiness, even if that goal is not always greatly accomplished.
Many people view the church as narrow-minded and legalistic. There is some truth in this viewpoint. Mathew 7:13 (BBE) says, "Go in by the narrow door; for wide is the door and open is the way which goes to destruction, and great numbers go in by it." Accepting and advocating all of Christianity can be extremely difficult for both the believer and the non-believer, and then it requires an all or nothing commitment. It has a narrow gate and the majority of people have not, and will not ever enter it. The ones who do enter it will continue to encounter life difficulties (except now with a purpose.)
There is a narrowness and there are some rules to follow but is this necessarily a fault? A mother would not allow a baby who is learning to crawl somewhere near the busy street with speeding cars, but once the baby grows and learns to walk alone, all kinds of freedoms are opened to that person that otherwise would not have been available. It's true that too many boundaries will cause a rebellion against them, but a lack of rules altogether will bring all kinds of chaos, not freedom.
The commandments of God are more often misunderstood than not. God gives people commands because He knows the far-reaching pain, heartache and destruction that will occur if certain rules are not obeyed. He says "Do not lie" because a liar will be mistrusted and lose friends. Coveting brings further discontentment and misery. Committing adultery can destroy a family unit. There are many more freedoms and promises than there are commands in the Bible and each command has the intention of leading persons away from heartaches and toward inner joy and freedom. Although some Christians may say otherwise, or give a different impression, all persons, saved and unsaved, have a free choice whether or not to obey these very helpful commands.
There is a command in the Bible (Hebrews 10:25) that tells us to go to church. Church is basically some sort of assembly of people in order to hear the teaching of God's truth and to worship God together. The Bible has a generous set of guidelines to make a church what it is intended to be, yet provides plenty of diversity for societies, cultures and time periods as well. Sometimes a church is nothing more than another business institution, with a greed for money instead of using its finances to help people, but ultimately God knows that there are serious issues at church, and yet He still commands people to go.
God has chosen all true Christians, the body of Christ, to be his messengers and there is something very special about them. They go to church to be reminded of all the great and precious promises given to them for this life and the life to come. True Christians can be found at almost any established Christian church, usually serving and worshiping God in some capacity, although they might be difficult to find in some churches, and we don't always recognize a real one anyway. Just as there are many misconceptions about Jesus, so are there about true Christians. But true Christians are often beautiful to encounter and this is another reason to go. They shine a lovely light when the darkness of life is weighing us down.
So, just as one does not have to experience the joy of giving to others, one does not have to attend church, but really, there is nothing else in this world that compares to adoring God or goodness together with other like-minded people. The requirements to making it a pleasurable experience rather than a fateful one is to love the church as much as we love ourselves and, do not expect more from it than we would want someone to expect from us. This would be the golden rule - another contribution from the Bible and Christians who have spread its truth to the world.
If the Bible is true, if God can be trusted, and if inner joy is a good thing, then yes, Christians should go to church. If there is any possibility that the Bible is true and if certain truths can save people from a ruined life on earth and destruction in the afterlife, then yes, Non-Christians should go to church too, to make sure of their decision. On the flip side, each person, whether religious or not, always makes that personal choice for themselves.
If while exercising a freedom, we experience guilt, problems, damaging addiction, heartbreak, abnormal stress or unhappiness, then this is not freedom at all. True freedom results in an inner, lasting joy. By this little test, we can gauge whether or not we are living in freedom or pseudo-freedom, otherwise known as slavery.
