Wouldn't It Be Funny If Christianity was Really Right....

I know plenty of good Christians, folks who don't wear it on their sleeve, and who live good lives that Jesus would be proud of. The following commentary is reserved not for them, but for those other guys - I refer to them as Christians In Name Only (CINO).

Wouldn't it be funny if Christianity was really right? Because if it was, many CINOs would be surprised when they find themselves spending eternity in a fiery hell. You see, Christianity actually has many fine points, but the problem is that a significant number of people who call themselves Christians are anything but. The Bible says "judge not lest ye be judged," yet the judging often starts before these CINOs even leave the parking lot of the church each Sunday morning. It starts in the parking lot, but that is just the beginning. These folks spend so much time judging others during the week it is surprising they have much time left for anything else. When they are not judging, they go on to engage in their number one, favorite activity, that is, thinking they are superior to just about everyone they know and a whole lot of folks they haven't even met yet. One of the main tenets of Christianity is that you can be forgiven. But if you receive the precious gift of forgiveness, there is nothing much worse you can do than to continue committing the same sins over and over again. You see, it doesn't work that way. Even a small child who misbehaves knows that he or she might be able to apologize once, or even twice, for misconduct, but he or she knows they can't apologize every day for the same bad behavior, and expect to be forgiven. When someone tries to distort the Christian faith into some kind of perpetual "get out of jail free card," they have committed the ultimate sin. I am not sure why we were put on this earth, but I know if there is a God above, he did not put us here to judge others, or to feel superior to our neighbors. These two sins, perhaps more than any others, lead to war and hate and evil and suffering. On top of everything else, these CINOs seem to have a real problem with that "respect your elders" thing, since they are so busy wallowing in their own self importance and feelings of superiority. No big deal, it is just one of the Ten Commandants. Wonder what happens when someone ignores that one?

I just can't get the picture out of my mind of the looks on their faces when they get to the pearly gates and think they are going to heaven, then they learn the real price of their sins....priceless.

References:

Proverbs 16:18 - "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not lest ye be judged."

Exodus 20:12 - "Honor thy father and thy mother (respect your elders)"

Homeless, But Not Invisible

Well, my friend disappeared. I call him Ron the Homeless Guy (Ron is his first name, I just don't know his last name). When I first started staying in the Arlington, Virginia area in 2006, I occasionally noticed Ron amongst the many homeless folks in the area. He was African-American, about 40 years old, and always wore a heavy coat, even in the summer. His trademark, though, was the black hat he wore at all times. It looked like the hat from the Dr. Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat, except it was black. Ron never bothered anyone, he just stayed in the background. This changed for me on the evening of September 28, 2006 while I was watching the news in my apartment. I saw an incredible person, John-Michael Keyes, talking about the murder of his 16 year old daughter, Emily Keyes. Emily had been taken hostage at Platte Canyon High School in Colorado along with 6 other students by a gunman (this site will always try to avoid publishing the names of criminals in an effort to make sure they don't receive any notoriety). Emily managed to send a text from her cellphone to her family from inside the room when the gunman looked away - "I love u guys." As the crisis wore on, the gunman released several of the students, then told hostage negotiators that he would release no more and gave an indication he would kill the two girls remaining in the room. When the police entered the room, the gunman used Emily as a human shield, then shot her in the back of the head, killing her instantly. As I watched Emily's father talking on the news, I was floored by his words, "I challenge everyone listening to me to commit a random act of kindness in honor of Emily." I left my 8th floor apartment, went outside, and found Ron huddled in an alley on the side of the building. I asked him if he needed some help, and gave him a little money for food. (BTW, the Keyes family also formed a foundation in Emily's memory that can be found on the internet at: http://iloveuguys.org )

Over the next few years, I saw Ron almost every day I was in the DC area. I got to know him and his story. He fixed cars, but had not had any work in a long time. He had lived with his mother, but she died and he had nowhere to stay, so he stayed on the street. He talked to some local churches, and they sometimes gave him a meal, but they told him they would only help him longterm if he "accepted Jesus as his savior." Ron said he didn't feel that he could do that, so he continued living on the street. He had a kindness about him that is hard to describe. I helped Ron whenever I saw him, and we always had conversations about things like the weather (his favorite topic since he was so close to it).

One day during this past harsh winter, I had had a particularly difficult day. When I saw Ron that evening as I walked home to my apartment, I stopped and asked him if I could buy him dinner. Ron thanked me as I gave him a few dollars, and as I walked away, he called to me. I stopped and turned around. Ron had a look on his face like he understood the down mood I was in. He asked, "How was your day today?" I couldn't help but smile, and replied, "It just got a whole lot better, Ron." As I walked home I couldn't stop smiling, and also feeling a little ashamed at the self-pity I had been immersed in just a few minutes before.

Another shared experience I had with Ron related to his smoking. I often caught him smoking those little cigarellos I hadn't seen in years. Whenever I did, I would always say, "Ron, you need to quit smoking, those things will kill you." Ron always came back with the same reply, "That's the idea, Dave." Then we would both have a little chuckle.

As I said, this was a particularly harsh winter in DC. Not only was it very cold, but we had 3 blizzards with more than a foot of snow. I got very sick for the better part of 5 months. Whenever I saw Ron, I could tell that he was having a hard time with the weather. The last time I saw Ron, in January, he seemed to be doing okay. I gave him a CVS gift card, and wished him well. I wasn't around much for the next two months due to illness. When I returned to my normal routine in March, I never saw Ron again. This was very unusual since I had seen him almost every day for the past 4 years.

A few days ago, I finally bumped into the Arlington police officer who does foot-patrol in the Mall where Ron often hung out. I asked him about Ron, described him, and he said he had no idea who I was talking about. I realized that the police officer never had Ron on his radar, because he did not make any trouble. Ron was invisible to the police, and to many others. My last hope was the security guard at the bank in the back of the Mall. I saw him yesterday and described Ron to him. He said, "I know that guy, I help him out when I can." But he said he hadn't seen him since January either.

So, it seems that Ron has either passed away, or moved away. Interesting, and a little sad, that homeless people can be almost invisible in our society. But they still matter, and can have an impact on others, just like Ron did with me. I hope that he is okay, and finally got to a place with a little warmer weather. Good luck, Ron!

It Is Not Okay to Advocate Overthrowing the Government - In Fact It Is a Crime

It is a crime to commit sedition, or to advocate the overthrow of the Government. Following is the text of these two Federal crimes punishable by 20 years in prison. I will be conducting analysis of comments made by Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, and others to see if they have violated these laws. Of course, in the case of the above-named, since the statute requires that the person make their statements "knowingly and willfully," they may be able to defend themselves from criminal prosecution by claiming diminished mental capacity. More to follow...

Title 18, United States Code, § 2384. Seditious conspiracy

If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

Title 18, United States Code, § 2385. Advocating overthrow of Government

Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.

Words Do Matter!

Former President Bill Clinton made some insightful comments about the rising level of political discourse in the country, which is good, but cautions against losing the notion of those comments being offered without retaining a sense of responsiblity. The following summary comes from the AP:

Clinton alludes to 1995 bombing, says words matter

Apr 16, 7:04 PM (ET)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton warned of a slippery slope from angry anti-government rhetoric to violence like the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, saying "the words we use really do matter."

The two-term Democratic president insisted he wasn't trying to restrict free speech, but in remarks Friday he said incendiary language can be taken the wrong way by some Americans. He drew parallels to words demonizing the government before Oklahoma City.

On April 19, 1995, an anti-government conspiracy led by Army veteran Timothy McVeigh exploded a truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people.

"What we learned from Oklahoma City is not that we should gag each other or that we should reduce our passion for the positions we hold - but that the words we use really do matter, because there's this vast echo chamber, and they go across space and they fall on the serious and the delirious alike. They fall on the connected and the unhinged alike," he said.

"One of the things that the conservatives have always brought to the table in America is a reminder that no law can replace personal responsibility. And the more power you have and the more influence you have, the more responsibility you have."

Clinton made the remarks at events sponsored by the Center for American Progress Action Fund on the upcoming anniversary of the bombing.

He mentioned the rancorous fight over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Passage of the law elicited threats against some lawmakers.

"I'm glad they're fighting over health care and everything else. Let them have at it. But I think that all you have to do is read the paper every day to see how many people there are who are deeply, deeply troubled," he said.

He also alluded to the anti-government tea party movement, which held protests in several states Thursday. At the Washington rally, Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota railed against "gangster government."

Clinton argued that the Boston Tea Party was in response to taxation without representation. The current protesters, he said, are challenging taxation by elected officials, and the demonstrators have the power to vote them out of office.

"By all means keep fighting, by all means, keep arguing," he said. "But remember, words have consequences as much as actions do, and what we advocate, commensurate with our position and responsibility, we have to take responsibility for. We owe that to Oklahoma City."

President Obama Does the Right Thing, Again!

Can you imagine what it would be like to spend your entire life with your spouse, then, when he or she faces death in a hospital, you are blocked from being there with them? President Obama removed that awful possibility yesterday when he announced his new policy that hospitals receiving Federal funds are prohibited from banning same sex partners to be at the side of those partners when they face death and the most important decisions about healthcare. It is hard to believe, but there are still cases where partners have been blocked from being with their loved ones by hospitals as they lay critical and/or near death.

Here is a fascinating story in the Miami Herald regarding just such a tragedy:


Gay rights are human rights
BY JOANNA GROVER

Imagine having only five minutes to say goodbye to your dying husband or wife of nearly two decades. Imagine being a 10-year-old girl and being physically blocked from saying a last, ``I love you,'' to your mother, who is just down the hall at the hospital. This may sound unconscionable, but it happened, just as described, to the Langbehn-Pond family at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

As reported in The Miami Herald by Steve Rothaus, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed the lawsuit filed against Jackson Memorial Hospital by the family. (The Court agreed with the hospital's extreme position that they had no obligation to allow any visitors to any patients.) As a society, we should not dismiss it. Their story is about the fragility of human rights. It underscores how vulnerable and unprotected gay people are in society.

Lisa Marie Pond and Janice Langbehn were together for 18 years, the majority of their adult lives. They were two moms raising four children. They were a loving family.

In honor of their anniversary, Janice surprised her family with a cruise. On February 18, 2007 they boarded the Norwegian Jewel in the Port of Miami. Shortly after boarding, Lisa, a healthy 39-year-old, suffered a brain aneurysm and had to be rushed to a local hospital.

The admitting clerk and a hospital social worker refused to let Janice and the children see Lisa. Janice has stated that a hospital social worker told her ``that she should not expect to be provided information or access because she was in an anti-gay city and state.''

Doctors at the hospital told Janice that there was no medical reason why she could not be with Lisa. For eight grueling hours, she was repeatedly denied details and visitation. There should have been no doubt that Janice was Lisa's family, and the hospital had the legal documents with Lisa's directives.

Lisa was allegedly semi-conscious and responsive at the time of her arrival at Jackson and for several hours afterward. She had to be put in restraints because she did not have a family member with her. When a priest arrived to administer Lisa's last rites, Janice was allowed to spend five minutes holding her partner's hand.

This is a heartbreaking and inhumane story that highlights the need for tolerance and understanding over prejudice and discrimination. As a mother, a partner and a social worker, I feel deeply affected by this case particularly because the events mirror my own experiences. Coincidently, I was on that cruise with my family. It was an RFamily cruise sponsored by Rosie and Kelly O'Donnell to celebrate gay families.

Ten years ago, my life partner had a similar head trauma when we were on a family ski vacation in Colorado. She fell while snowboarding and suffered a subdural hemorrhage, the same head trauma that killed actress Natasha Richardson. The emergency-room nurse let me in without hesitation. It never crossed my mind that I might be denied access to my partner because we were gay. I was able to hold her hand as she asked me to make sure our nine-month-old son would be OK.

My partner survived. I am so sorry Lisa did not. I am horrified by what her partner and their children had to endure. She and her family will be forever in my thoughts and prayers.

Unable to make any progress with the inhumane gatekeepers at Jackson the night Lisa lay dying alone, Janice described going outside and screaming into the Miami night. I look out at that same night sky now and think of Janice.

These are Janice's own words from a speech she gave last year in California: ``No one should have been able to deny our children and [me] the ability to say goodbye to Lisa and let her know -- if only be holding her hand -- that she was so loved. That should not be a privilege in our country but a basic human right of every family regardless of how they define themselves.''

Governor Crist of Florida Stands Up for Public Education

Governor Crist (R) of Florida seems to have committed a rare act of political courage yesterday when he vetoed SB6, the education reform bill. He took this action although he is locked in a rough primary campaign with Marco Rubio for US Senate and this all but assures his defeat in that race.

SB6 was an unusually bad bill with 4 main issues:

1) Under the cover of tenure reform, it essentially eliminated tenure, and, in fact, eliminated all job security for new teachers hired in Florida. Teachers hired after July 1 would be on 12 month renewable contracts for their entire career. Existing teachers would suffer extreme cutbacks in their job security. This would almost assure teacher flight to other states or private schools.

2) Teachers would be evaluated and compensated based on "student improvement." This would allegedly have been calculated by end of year test scores, but the bill failed to establish a starting point. Kind of a basic math oversight.

3) The student tests do not exist, so each county school board was going to be assessed a 5% fee that would go to Tallahassee to develop the tests. In the case of already cash-strapped school districts, this could amount to as much as $150 million per year (Miami-Dade).

4) It was pushed through the legislature with almost no debate. One third of Republicans, and all Democrats, voted against it.

Polls have shown that up to 85% of Floridians were opposed to the bill, even Republicans were against it 3-1. However, Jeb Bush and other party leaders, including Bill McCollum who is running for Governor, were supporters, although no one knows why. They claim they are for the students, but the bill seemed to be just the opposite.

The St. Pete Times editorial on this issue is interesting:

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1087775.ece