Tonight I had a very passionate moment. Not in a romantic sense, but as in a "heated" discussion. A friend and I were talking about politics, and I usually avoid talking about such things with anyone anymore. It's not because I don't care, but it's because I care too much, and have not yet figured out how to talk about them without elevating my blood pressure substantially. I start shaking. It usually feels contentious. I feel SO passionate about what I believe that it's hard to control it. It's hard to keep enlightened. My "circuits" go haywire and it's hard to get them back in line.
The subject of our discussion was the topic of responsibility, although I never addressed it as such. In the thick of it, my friend said it's likely we'll never agree on these things, but I think it's just the contrary. We agree on so much, but she doesn't realize it, thanks to the perceptions of what "party" she thinks I belong to. I don't belong to any party, and I feel like the American two-party system is one of the greatest devices of the adversary. Because some people link themselves to a party, they often completely shut out the fact that so many of us agree on so many things. If we could forget the labels and talk about principles, we would get so much farther.
Principle one: agency. In the beginning of creation, we had a war over agency. Do we not all agree about agency? We all did, at one point, because that's how we got here. Two thirds of the hosts of heaven agreed that we wanted the option to choose to return to God the Father, while one third followed Lucifer's plan, to have our choices already made for us.
I don't know of anyone who enjoys slavery, or doing something because someone else demands it of them. Yes, some people like direction, but no one wants to be forced to do something they don't believe in doing. Agency is something so important God's children warred over it, and continue to do so.
Principle two: consequence. There are consequences for the decisions made with that agency. One of Satan's greatest tools is leading us to think there are no consequences to nature's laws, and there is no devil. Yea, sin a little, because there is "no devil", "no hell".
Principle three: responsibility. We are responsible for the consequences that occur when we utilize the agency that God has given us. God does not remove our agency, nor does He remove our responsibility.
So many of the issues facing those engaged in political debate comes from a multitude of perceptions on what we do with that agency. America is based on Judeo-Christian set of ideals and morals. It is not legal, ethical, or accepted to kill or steal. The other commandments of the 10 given to Moses seem to growingly become more "optional" to some. Adultery? Ah, why not? Bearing false witness? No harm, there, unless you get caught. Then there might be some shame, but people get over it. How about coveting? We covet ALL the time. It is a way of life. If it weren't, there would be no magazines glorifying Hollywood, no big deal the day after Thanksgiving, and little to no debt in our households.
Our society has become so twisted. At this point, there is no recognition of principle two or three. We want agency, because we get the quick fruits of our "labors". But we don't want the slow, real fruits.
We want sex, but many don't want a baby. So we fight over to legalize the consequence of the sex. We then get to "choose" what to do with the consequence. Kill it, or let it live? Our country has fought for decades over this one. Those who support life fight for it. Some who support "choice" fight to keep control of the ability to cancel the natural consequence, while others under their umbrella don't want that option taken away for others, even though they don't support it themselves.
We want our government to spend money on us, to support us, and to give us physical, emotional, and even spiritual security. We have "welfare", to take of the sick, afflicted, hungry and homeless. We have "social security", and trust that if we work hard, the government – our fellow man – will pay us to live, down the road. Some trust so much in this that they think they can quit providing for themselves because someone else will, when they hit an arbitrary age.
Where in scripture does it say that at age 65 we can quit providing for ourselves? Our families? Where does it say our bodies shall give out and be incapable of doing anything of use, beyond sitting on a beach chair in a yacht?
Where in scripture does it say we can have sex, and kill the baby if we don't want it?
Where in scripture does it say we can buy things we don't have money for, and then make someone else pay for it, to the tone of $16 TRILLION? This is the quickest, most preposterous slavery I have ever heard of. When GW Bush was in office, the Dems cared about the excessive debt of war. When Obama's in office, the Reps now care about the excessive debt of the recovery bailouts. Obama supporters blame Bush for getting us in the mess, and Bush supporters blame Barney Frank and Fanny & Freddie for pushing for poor people to be able to get loans they couldn't afford. It's clear we all agree we don't like debt and lack of consequences, unless it's our guy in the Oval Office. Then it seems ok.
Where in scripture does it say the other people who live near or around me are now responsible to pay my medical bills, if I by chance have some freak accident or life-changing disease?
Why is it your responsibility to buy me a cell phone, if I don't make enough income to call 911 if I have a medical emergency?
Why do the taxes of those who have jobs get to pay for your food stamps? Why do we have food stamps? Is it really that we can't afford food, or we can't afford the "needs" – cell phones, cable tv, trips to fast food joints, $3.59/gallon gas to take trips?
Christ tells us to be our brother's keeper, to love one another, to do unto others as we would have them to unto us. He did NOT tell us to force one another to do so. How will God look upon us if we force others to care for us when we can't care for ourselves? This is contrary to the agency which God gives us. But 51% of this country now feels it is appropriate to pass that "agency", that "consequence", that "responsibility" to the government – to our fellow citizens – to decide.
Quite frankly, I don't trust any of them to keep their genitals in their own pants, let alone decide what I can do with my own money, time, retirement, and womb. And I don't trust other Americans to hold them to any standard of decency to do the same either.
The only one I trust? God.
God help us.
The subject of our discussion was the topic of responsibility, although I never addressed it as such. In the thick of it, my friend said it's likely we'll never agree on these things, but I think it's just the contrary. We agree on so much, but she doesn't realize it, thanks to the perceptions of what "party" she thinks I belong to. I don't belong to any party, and I feel like the American two-party system is one of the greatest devices of the adversary. Because some people link themselves to a party, they often completely shut out the fact that so many of us agree on so many things. If we could forget the labels and talk about principles, we would get so much farther.
Principle one: agency. In the beginning of creation, we had a war over agency. Do we not all agree about agency? We all did, at one point, because that's how we got here. Two thirds of the hosts of heaven agreed that we wanted the option to choose to return to God the Father, while one third followed Lucifer's plan, to have our choices already made for us.
I don't know of anyone who enjoys slavery, or doing something because someone else demands it of them. Yes, some people like direction, but no one wants to be forced to do something they don't believe in doing. Agency is something so important God's children warred over it, and continue to do so.
Principle two: consequence. There are consequences for the decisions made with that agency. One of Satan's greatest tools is leading us to think there are no consequences to nature's laws, and there is no devil. Yea, sin a little, because there is "no devil", "no hell".
Principle three: responsibility. We are responsible for the consequences that occur when we utilize the agency that God has given us. God does not remove our agency, nor does He remove our responsibility.
So many of the issues facing those engaged in political debate comes from a multitude of perceptions on what we do with that agency. America is based on Judeo-Christian set of ideals and morals. It is not legal, ethical, or accepted to kill or steal. The other commandments of the 10 given to Moses seem to growingly become more "optional" to some. Adultery? Ah, why not? Bearing false witness? No harm, there, unless you get caught. Then there might be some shame, but people get over it. How about coveting? We covet ALL the time. It is a way of life. If it weren't, there would be no magazines glorifying Hollywood, no big deal the day after Thanksgiving, and little to no debt in our households.
Our society has become so twisted. At this point, there is no recognition of principle two or three. We want agency, because we get the quick fruits of our "labors". But we don't want the slow, real fruits.
We want sex, but many don't want a baby. So we fight over to legalize the consequence of the sex. We then get to "choose" what to do with the consequence. Kill it, or let it live? Our country has fought for decades over this one. Those who support life fight for it. Some who support "choice" fight to keep control of the ability to cancel the natural consequence, while others under their umbrella don't want that option taken away for others, even though they don't support it themselves.
We want our government to spend money on us, to support us, and to give us physical, emotional, and even spiritual security. We have "welfare", to take of the sick, afflicted, hungry and homeless. We have "social security", and trust that if we work hard, the government – our fellow man – will pay us to live, down the road. Some trust so much in this that they think they can quit providing for themselves because someone else will, when they hit an arbitrary age.
Where in scripture does it say that at age 65 we can quit providing for ourselves? Our families? Where does it say our bodies shall give out and be incapable of doing anything of use, beyond sitting on a beach chair in a yacht?
Where in scripture does it say we can have sex, and kill the baby if we don't want it?
Where in scripture does it say we can buy things we don't have money for, and then make someone else pay for it, to the tone of $16 TRILLION? This is the quickest, most preposterous slavery I have ever heard of. When GW Bush was in office, the Dems cared about the excessive debt of war. When Obama's in office, the Reps now care about the excessive debt of the recovery bailouts. Obama supporters blame Bush for getting us in the mess, and Bush supporters blame Barney Frank and Fanny & Freddie for pushing for poor people to be able to get loans they couldn't afford. It's clear we all agree we don't like debt and lack of consequences, unless it's our guy in the Oval Office. Then it seems ok.
Where in scripture does it say the other people who live near or around me are now responsible to pay my medical bills, if I by chance have some freak accident or life-changing disease?
Why is it your responsibility to buy me a cell phone, if I don't make enough income to call 911 if I have a medical emergency?
Why do the taxes of those who have jobs get to pay for your food stamps? Why do we have food stamps? Is it really that we can't afford food, or we can't afford the "needs" – cell phones, cable tv, trips to fast food joints, $3.59/gallon gas to take trips?
Christ tells us to be our brother's keeper, to love one another, to do unto others as we would have them to unto us. He did NOT tell us to force one another to do so. How will God look upon us if we force others to care for us when we can't care for ourselves? This is contrary to the agency which God gives us. But 51% of this country now feels it is appropriate to pass that "agency", that "consequence", that "responsibility" to the government – to our fellow citizens – to decide.
Quite frankly, I don't trust any of them to keep their genitals in their own pants, let alone decide what I can do with my own money, time, retirement, and womb. And I don't trust other Americans to hold them to any standard of decency to do the same either.
The only one I trust? God.
God help us.
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