My son was telling me about a boy in his Religous Education Class. “Dad, I think there’s something wrong with him. When he talks, he stutters. It takes him a long time to get the words out. He says something like ‘Y-y-y-y-ou d-d-d-d-on’t have t-t-t-t-to read the B-b-b-b-b-ile to go to heaven. All y-y-y-y-ou have t-t-t-t-o do is b-b-b-be good..” I said, “Ya, it does sound like he struggles a bit with his speech.” But I was more struck by what the boy said, and less about how he said it. It seems saying what he did say was a bit advanced for a 10-year-old. It sounds more like he heard that from someone older than him, maybe an adult.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
God Is God
I believe in the Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior for two reasons: hope and peace. Hope because I have three children, a wife, friends, family, and a soul. I have hope when my 19-year-old daughter goes out with her friends on weekend night that she returns safely home. Hope that my 13-year-old daughter will stay on track with her rock-steady grades and bubbly attitude. Hope that the adventure- or crisis-of-the-day for my 9-year-old son at school is something I can laugh about. Hope that my wife forgives me when I am thoughtless and selfish and away from home too many nights in a given week. Hope that my dad, who suffers from a lung disease that will eventually kill him sometime soon, not sure when, not tomorrow probably, but not sure when, will make peace with God before he dies.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
The Case For a Marriage Amendment
The democratic process so cherished by our country produces laws and legislation to protect "natural law." Natural law is that law about right and wrong which we all inherently know. We are born with it. It's an equalizer among all of us - regardless of our faith, even if we've never step in a church. It's not what people already know, but also know that they know it.
We have laws that protect the natural laws of human relationships. The physical realm is the basis for this natural law of human relationships. Something that is physically unnatural cannot be made natural through some other means. And allowing natural law to be extended when the basis for the extension is of itself unnatural, is irresponsible. Given all this, how can anyone disagree that homosexuality is simply physically unnatural?
What else do we know through natural law? What we know is that it is unnatural for persons of certain ages to marry. It is also unnatural for persons of the same bloodlines to marry. Pedophilia is unnatural. We also know that children raised by homosexual couples is unnatural.
What is it we've been doing up until this time with this notion of marriage? Have we've been wrong? Have we now grown to a better understanding of a marriage union? Does a true union no longer need to be so exclusive? The issue before unfortunately is that what most of us found to be natural and inherently true now needs to be in print, in plain black and white. Because natural law is now under attack, a very organized one at that. We cannot think that this is going to go away. We need to act. To allow the current ambiguity to remain in our marriage statutes would be simply unnatural. Rarely does broadening a definition (or leaving it subject to intepretation that could lead violating natural law) ever improves anything. Ambiguity and subjectivity are our enemies. They are the loop holes of misguided tolerance.
We all know that life is a collect of tradeoffs and a series of cause and effect. Water evaporates off the surface of the ocean which creates clouds and leads to snow and rain. It's easy to understand this cause and effect because it's scientific. Saving money for college costs and retirement means less short-term disposable income. A commitment to an exercise program allows you to lose weight at the expense of some other activity. It's easy to understand these types of tradeoffs because they have a personal impact. There are always tradeoffs - either made or otherwise.
However, it's seems harder to recognize cause and effect as it relates to homosexuality. We claim it's personal. There are claims that it affects no one else. I do not condone the harrassment of any degree of persons who have freely chosen a lifestyle that I find unnatural. I believe people should be allowed to live and face their own consequences. Unfortunately though, while engaging in homosexual behavior is a personal choice, to state that is has no consequences is simply untrue and a lie. Just ask a marriage counselor, or a child psychiatrist, or a police officer, or an emergency room nurse or doctor. How many marriages have been ruined? How many children's lives have been impacted? How many people have died? How have medical costs risen? Sure, the same questions can be asked about divorce. But bringing that topic into this discussion is a only a distractor whose sole purpose is to derail getting at the real facts. Divorce has it's own set of problems which is another topic in and of itself.
We have laws that protect the natural laws of human relationships. The physical realm is the basis for this natural law of human relationships. Something that is physically unnatural cannot be made natural through some other means. And allowing natural law to be extended when the basis for the extension is of itself unnatural, is irresponsible. Given all this, how can anyone disagree that homosexuality is simply physically unnatural?
What else do we know through natural law? What we know is that it is unnatural for persons of certain ages to marry. It is also unnatural for persons of the same bloodlines to marry. Pedophilia is unnatural. We also know that children raised by homosexual couples is unnatural.
What is it we've been doing up until this time with this notion of marriage? Have we've been wrong? Have we now grown to a better understanding of a marriage union? Does a true union no longer need to be so exclusive? The issue before unfortunately is that what most of us found to be natural and inherently true now needs to be in print, in plain black and white. Because natural law is now under attack, a very organized one at that. We cannot think that this is going to go away. We need to act. To allow the current ambiguity to remain in our marriage statutes would be simply unnatural. Rarely does broadening a definition (or leaving it subject to intepretation that could lead violating natural law) ever improves anything. Ambiguity and subjectivity are our enemies. They are the loop holes of misguided tolerance.
We all know that life is a collect of tradeoffs and a series of cause and effect. Water evaporates off the surface of the ocean which creates clouds and leads to snow and rain. It's easy to understand this cause and effect because it's scientific. Saving money for college costs and retirement means less short-term disposable income. A commitment to an exercise program allows you to lose weight at the expense of some other activity. It's easy to understand these types of tradeoffs because they have a personal impact. There are always tradeoffs - either made or otherwise.
However, it's seems harder to recognize cause and effect as it relates to homosexuality. We claim it's personal. There are claims that it affects no one else. I do not condone the harrassment of any degree of persons who have freely chosen a lifestyle that I find unnatural. I believe people should be allowed to live and face their own consequences. Unfortunately though, while engaging in homosexual behavior is a personal choice, to state that is has no consequences is simply untrue and a lie. Just ask a marriage counselor, or a child psychiatrist, or a police officer, or an emergency room nurse or doctor. How many marriages have been ruined? How many children's lives have been impacted? How many people have died? How have medical costs risen? Sure, the same questions can be asked about divorce. But bringing that topic into this discussion is a only a distractor whose sole purpose is to derail getting at the real facts. Divorce has it's own set of problems which is another topic in and of itself.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Cause and Effect
We live in a very ordered world. The sun rises and the sun sets; seasons come and go year after year; the date of Easter is set by a formula which uses the phases of the moon, for we can calculate along with tides, up and down every coast line in the world; water evaporates off the surface of the ocean which creates clouds and leads to snow and rain. It's easy to understand this cause and effect because it's scientific.
Saving money for college costs and retirement means less short-term disposable income. A commitment to an exercise program allows you to lose weight at the expense of some other activity. It's easy to understand these types of tradeoffs because they have a personal impact.
There are always tradeoffs - either made or otherwise.
However, it's seems harder to recognize cause and effect as it relates to homosexuality. We claim it's personal. There are claims that it affects no one else. How many marriages have been ruined? How many children's lives have been impacted? How many people have died? How have medical costs risen? Sure, the same questions can be asked about divorce. But bringing that topic into this discussion is a only a distractor whose sole purpose is to derail getting at the real facts. Divorce has it's own set of problems which is another topic in and of itself.
While engaging in homosexual behavior is a personal choice, to state that is has no consequences is simply untrue and a lie. Just ask a marriage counselor, or a child psychiatrist, or a police officer, or an emergency room nurse or doctor.
How can anyone disagree that homosexuality is simply physically unnatural? And isn't it true that unnatural acts by definition have a negative consequence that affect more than just a single person? Besides, we are not just talking about what two consenting adults due in the privacy of their home. We are talking about well-organized efforts on both sides of the issue that receive millions of dollars from donors to lobby politicians and the state and federal government. We are talking about corporate America that does not respect the views of people of faith in the workplace and yet still call it "diversity." We are talking about healthy Americans whose health insurance premiums and co-payments that help pay for domestic partner health claims. We are talking about organized efforts and outspoken gay teachers in schools that attempt to recruit teenagers or demand that a gay pride flag be flown along side flags from other countries. Unnatural acts always lead to terrible, terrible consequences
Saving money for college costs and retirement means less short-term disposable income. A commitment to an exercise program allows you to lose weight at the expense of some other activity. It's easy to understand these types of tradeoffs because they have a personal impact.
There are always tradeoffs - either made or otherwise.
However, it's seems harder to recognize cause and effect as it relates to homosexuality. We claim it's personal. There are claims that it affects no one else. How many marriages have been ruined? How many children's lives have been impacted? How many people have died? How have medical costs risen? Sure, the same questions can be asked about divorce. But bringing that topic into this discussion is a only a distractor whose sole purpose is to derail getting at the real facts. Divorce has it's own set of problems which is another topic in and of itself.
While engaging in homosexual behavior is a personal choice, to state that is has no consequences is simply untrue and a lie. Just ask a marriage counselor, or a child psychiatrist, or a police officer, or an emergency room nurse or doctor.
How can anyone disagree that homosexuality is simply physically unnatural? And isn't it true that unnatural acts by definition have a negative consequence that affect more than just a single person? Besides, we are not just talking about what two consenting adults due in the privacy of their home. We are talking about well-organized efforts on both sides of the issue that receive millions of dollars from donors to lobby politicians and the state and federal government. We are talking about corporate America that does not respect the views of people of faith in the workplace and yet still call it "diversity." We are talking about healthy Americans whose health insurance premiums and co-payments that help pay for domestic partner health claims. We are talking about organized efforts and outspoken gay teachers in schools that attempt to recruit teenagers or demand that a gay pride flag be flown along side flags from other countries. Unnatural acts always lead to terrible, terrible consequences
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Death Penalty: This Says It All
"Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who visited with [Stanley Tookey] Williams, said [Governor Arnold] Schwarzenegger decided 'to choose revenge over redemption and to use Tookie Williams as a trophy in the flawed system.'
'To kill him is a way of making politicians look tough,' Jackson said. 'It does not make it right. It does not make any of us safer. It does not make any of us more secure.'"
From CNN article "Warden: Williams 'frustrated' by execution's slow pace" posted Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Posted: 8:48 a.m. EST (13:48 GMT).
'To kill him is a way of making politicians look tough,' Jackson said. 'It does not make it right. It does not make any of us safer. It does not make any of us more secure.'"
From CNN article "Warden: Williams 'frustrated' by execution's slow pace" posted Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Posted: 8:48 a.m. EST (13:48 GMT).
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