The Terrible Power of Personal Truth

The tag line for the once popular American television series, “The X Files,” was “The truth is out there.” Sadly this is the tag line for life in the Internet age.

I say sadly because the truth is out there somewhere, but no one can be certain, beyond one’s own interpretation, what exactly constitutes the truth. Were this simply a scholastic exercise it would be fascinating. Unfortunately the alarming rate at which the truth is brought to us in contrasting forms leads inevitably to societal mistrust, distrust, and dissatisfaction. Individuals, causes, and governments have every opportunity, thanks to these societal ills and the easy access to the Internet, to guide the thoughts and feelings of the public.

Reporters covering the February 2014 eruption of violence in the Ukraine complained that it was very difficult to find the truth because both sides in the conflict were using modern technology to falsify events. One reporter said the government ignored or played down unrest during news broadcasts. Another discovered that a photo ostensibly featuring Ukrainian protesters linked arm in arm across the landscape in a display of solidarity had actually been taken during an event in Spain years earlier. It seems the end justifies the means.

Also disturbing is the increasing trend to cover events ideologically. Both the left and the right sift through reports from the field, printing or airing only those that support the outlet’s ideological underpinnings. With the nation split fairly evenly between conservatives and liberals this serves to widen the gap between the two sides. For the most part this leads to hate mail, insinuating tweets, and blogs feeding vitriol to the choir. But where might this lead?

One television commentator, after watching footage of the conflict in Kiev, asked the question, “Could this happen here?” Following the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere created an engraving that historians believe was less than accurate. His depiction of the event, with British soldiers in formation apparently under orders to fire into a crowd of civilians, was proof enough for those in Boston who were already predisposed to believe the worst of the British. Revere’s engraving, along with accounts by Sam Adams and others, fomented hostilities between Britain and the colony.

Today’s engravings are photo-shopped images, the accounts blogs by professed experts and impartial bystanders. The battle is already being played on the Internet, in the blogosphere, and in the twitterverse.

Love the Sinner

There are those who believe that homosexuality is not a sin. They may listen politely to arguments that the Bible insists that it is indeed sin, but then respond with “Oh, those references are to cultural norms of the times the books of the bible were written in. Those verses don’t apply anymore."

There are those who see homosexuality as a sin, and rail against those who practice it, and condemn them publicly. Their revulsion to homosexual behavior overwhelms them to the point that they elevate the sin so much that it seems worse to them than so many other sins.

I would suggest a third option.

Homosexual activity is sinful in the eyes of God. We cannot pretend that parts of the Bible do not apply anymore, or claim that anything we disagree with falls into the category of ceremonial law when it obviously doesn’t. But neither is it more sinful than adultery, fornication, or any other sin.  Sin separates us from God. In its bondage we are all equal.

I would not tell the homosexual community their activities are acceptable, but I would not tell them they are any less worthy of Christ’s love either.

And while its not our place to condemn the sinner, its not our place to accept the sin either.

Where are you, Google?

I have never really given any thought to Google as a corporation. I’ve used the Google web browser so often and successfully that for me, like many, Google has become a verb and a noun. Don’t know the answer to a question? Google it. When our son-in-law and I are talking and we can’t agree on the particulars of a given topic its not surprising to the family to hear us say to each other, “To the Googles!” as we whip out or smart phones and begin a web search.

But Google the corporation is much more than a web browser developer. Google has its tendrils wrapped around software and hardware for phones, computers, and your home. It had gross revenues of nearly $60 billion dollars last year.

The Menlo Park corporation, has a reputation for innovation not just in the marketplace, but in the workplace as well. Employees are encouraged to take time out of their day to enjoy the amenities installed in their headquarters, like billiards, ping pong, video games, and more.

But Google is not satisfied with being an influence on their employees. Google is intent on influencing society. In 2008, it publicly opposed Proposition 8 in California, which banned same sex marriage.  To prove they were serious Google donated $140,000 to the cause.

And now in a show of support for homosexuals in Russia, the Google logo has been decorated with the colors of the homosexual rainbow flag, ostensibly to show opposition to violence against homosexuals in the former Soviet Union.

Please note: I oppose the violence as well. While I believe the Bible teaches that Homosexuality is a sin, I also believe that since it is so we are to show compassion on those involved in it. I believe God’s word makes it clear: We may hate the sin, but we are commanded to love the sinner, regardless of the sin. Homosexuality is no more sinful than adultery or theft, or anything else that is contrary to the will of God for our lives. I would not condone mob attacks on adulterers or thieves anymore that I would on homosexuals.

But I want Google to answer this.

Where is their support for the thousands of Christians left homeless by rampaging jihadists in the Middle East and Asia? Where is the outrage over the thousands who have lost their lives simply because they do not worship Allah?

C’mon Google. As the old British saying has it,  “In for a penny, in for a pound.”

A Good Idea That Doesn't Go Far Enough

According to JTA.org, Legislation introduced in January by  New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver would ban state funding to colleges that help fund organizations that boycott in any country that has an institution of higher learning chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of NY.

Silver said it was in response to the American Studies Association’s boycott of Israel and its academic institutions. Some New York based universities have branches in Israel.

“Colleges should not use funds to support boycotts, resolutions or any similar actions that are discriminatory and limit academic opportunities,” he said.

JTA.org says,  “The bill, which currently has 48 sponsors out of 150 members, would cut funding to institutions that pay dues to groups such as the ASA or which subsidize travel to its conferences.”

Excuse me? When is it acceptable for institutions of higher learning to fund any organization with donated funds, regardless of whether or not the recipient is in the practice of boycotting anything? Whose money is being sent to fund these boycotts? Any organization that receives state or federal funding should not be allowed to give that money to anyone else. We should stop giving tax dollars to organizations that have so much money that they can give it away to other groups.

Nether should an organization give funds donated to it to another organization without expressed permission from the individuals making the donations in the first place. How about legislation that would make that practice a crime?

Read more: http://www.jta.org/2014/01/27/news-opinion/united-states/n-y-state-bill-ends-funding-to-schools-linked-to-boycott-groups#ixzz2rjNBaQll

Read more: http://www.jta.org/2014/01/27/news-opinion/united-states/n-y-state-bill-ends-funding-to-schools-linked-to-boycott-groups#ixzz2rjNaUOYr

Will this Turnabout be Fair Play?

Harvey Weinstein is a big time Hollywood producer. He has produced some of the most violent films over the past couple of decades, including Pulp Fiction, U want me to kill him?, Django Unchained, Sin City, and Kill Bill.

To be fair to Mr. Weinstein, he has produced family friendly movies like The Nutty Professor, Miss Potter, and Finding Neverland.

During his career as a producer he has made a boat load of money off violence on film.  By boat load I mean hundreds of millions.

Now he says he’s going to produce a film intended to make the National Rifle Association look like Satan personified. In an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN, Weinstein admitted that those who call him a hypocrite have a point.

Regarding the issue of guns he told Morgan, “As much as I want to ignore it, as much as I want to go on with my regular life, I can't shake it this time.”

Personally, I welcome his declaration to make the movie. It may mean he’s turned the corner on movie violence. That would be a good thing. If not, then as he says, he will deserve to be called a hypocrite.

As a gun owner, I will wait and see how much truth there is in his anti-NRA movie. I confess I will be very surprised if there’s much in it at all, beyond the usual knee-jerk reaction to gun violence that would have us restrict the rights of honest men and women in a way that will never, ever, stop violent criminals from committing violent crimes like the ones they’ve grown up watching in his movies.

The Real Evolution is in Science

Over the past 100 years, science has been used against the faith community to ridicule beliefs considered antiquated and anachronistic for these modern times we live in.

Evolutionists scoff at the notion of creation. Anthropologists make light of believing we are made in God’s image. Astronomers point to the stars as proof of the non-existence of God. And on a more personal level, scientists have pushed the idea that since we are nothing more than an elevated blob of tissue we have therefore no more rights on this planet than do birds, or whales, or the animals of the Serengeti.

Less of a right in fact, since whales, and many birds and African animals are protected and take priority over the rights of mankind in public policy.

But science is beginning to become inconvenient for some who have used it over the past 50 years to deny life to the weakest among us. As more and more people are given the opportunity to see an ultra-sound of an unborn child, as more and more children are rescued from troubled pregnancies at earlier and earlier stages of pregnancy, and as more and more is learned of the humanity of the unborn child, science is tipping the scales in the fight for children.

Its been over 40 years since the Supreme Court, using what was already dubious scientific findings, made abortion on demand the law of the land.

On January 22^nd tens of thousands will make a pilgrimage to Washington DC to remind our elected officials that science has come a long way since Roe v. Wade. Its time they did as well.

A Fortune to Give Away

According to Steve Jordan, writing in the December 29th edition of Omaha.com, Warren Buffet is not a success at everything. It seems there’s one thing he’s struggling with.

Here’s what Mr. Jordan has to say,

“Warren Buffett failed to make headway this year in his quest to turn his fortune over to charity. The 30 percent increase in Berkshire’s stock price this year is the culprit.
Despite his July donation of a record $2.6 billion worth of shares in Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the Omaha-based conglomerate he heads, the paper value of Buffett’s holdings increased during 2013 from $47 billion to $59.3 billion.”

How does one fail in a quest to turn one’s fortune over to charity? Did he accidentally misplace the decimal point on the check? Hello, Mr. Buffet, I think I know how to get rid of that fortune.

There are a lot of people out there that are worth a lot of money, and a great many of them give a great deal of it away to charities. Unlike Mr. Buffet though, a lot of people choose not to pass that information on.

The cynic in me is reminded of the rich man who, when Christ told him to give everything away, ended up walking away.

I don’t know Warren Buffet, so I can’t speak to the motives of his heart. Perhaps he wants to be an inspiration so that others will do the same. Personally, I think we're better off when we don't let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.