It has been a very disturbing couple of weeks. Tragic even. The Boston marathon attack is just another reminder that there really is evil in the world. And then people sending riacin in the mail. And of course it seems another school has a shooting, another jilted lover kills the other, and it goes on and on and on. Being a pastor, I end up talking with people who have lost direction and purpose in life, feel they are worthless, and have nothing to contribute to society. The problem is simple: we've forgotten where we've come from.
I'm not talking about geographically, but God-graphically. Our society has gotten further and further away from the truth of how we came to be. When you don't know or believe in God, the only other thing you can come to believe is that you have no purpose; you are an accident. Which is precisely the very thing that drives many to commit the crimes they do.
I'm not talking about getting our country back to be a "Christian nation"; I personally want the separation of church and state to be as fat and thick as possible. No, I'm not talking about corporately here...I'm talking individually. We each have to take responsibility for our actions and that starts with realizing that there is a God that we are ultimately accountable to.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:12, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold..." (TNIV) I think its safe to say that we are seeing the fruitage of this divine insight. The context of that particular chapter talks about the signs of the second coming of Christ. If you've stumbled upon this blog somehow, I urge you to think of what is going on around us and also you're eternal situation. We don't need more laws or more people telling us what to do. What we need is to find our way back to the One who loved us enough to create us--and not only that--but die for us as well. We have a deepening problem around us to be sure. But we have an even greater Solution. Seek Him. He can be found.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Whose standards are standard?
Morality. It is something that affects all, yet is fiercely debated by the individual. It is something that affects how we interpret the world around us, yet is something that is often attempted to push upon others. Who sets what is right and wrong? Is it something simply left for a majority vote...or could it be that the majority has no idea what is truly right and wrong just like the minority? Something to think about.
The news this week is that the Plan-B "morning after pill" should be available for "all ages". All ages; yep, that's what Judge Edward Korman from the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York said. All ages. Now I'm not going to get into the whole abortion debate (at its heart, that is really not what this is about), but I think this is a terrible idea. Whether or not you support abortion or not (and for the record, I think that if it is used as just another contraceptive it is murder) is not the issue; what the judge said--basically--in his ruling is that it doesn't make sense for a 17 year old girl to have access to the pill but not a 16 year old. Since the FDA deals in science and not in morality, there is no reason to deny one yet give it to another just because of a 1 year difference in age.
Ok. I'll bite. Is there a difference between a 17 year old and 16 year old emotionally? Physically? Mentally? Maybe not. But how about the difference between a 17 year old and a 14 year old? Or even a 13 year old? Think there might be a difference? The question shouldn't have to be asked. It's common sense...something that seems to be lacking in great proportions of our society today.
If you're going to use that argument that it should be available to all, then what--fundamentally--is the difference between a 21 year old buying alcohol and a 20 year old? Or an 18 year old buying cigarettes or a 17 year old? Science, right?
This is the problem when a society has completely turned its back on the acknowledgement that at the heart of each of us there is a desire to know there is ABSOLUTE truth. ABSOLUTE ethics. ABSOLUTE morality. This is not a "Christian" nation. Never has been, although I believe the time is right around the corner where it will be forced to be. We have become like Israel in the OT.
As a secular nation, we have gotten to the point where we all do as we see fit as well. Well, I guess there lies our problem.
The news this week is that the Plan-B "morning after pill" should be available for "all ages". All ages; yep, that's what Judge Edward Korman from the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York said. All ages. Now I'm not going to get into the whole abortion debate (at its heart, that is really not what this is about), but I think this is a terrible idea. Whether or not you support abortion or not (and for the record, I think that if it is used as just another contraceptive it is murder) is not the issue; what the judge said--basically--in his ruling is that it doesn't make sense for a 17 year old girl to have access to the pill but not a 16 year old. Since the FDA deals in science and not in morality, there is no reason to deny one yet give it to another just because of a 1 year difference in age.
Ok. I'll bite. Is there a difference between a 17 year old and 16 year old emotionally? Physically? Mentally? Maybe not. But how about the difference between a 17 year old and a 14 year old? Or even a 13 year old? Think there might be a difference? The question shouldn't have to be asked. It's common sense...something that seems to be lacking in great proportions of our society today.
If you're going to use that argument that it should be available to all, then what--fundamentally--is the difference between a 21 year old buying alcohol and a 20 year old? Or an 18 year old buying cigarettes or a 17 year old? Science, right?
This is the problem when a society has completely turned its back on the acknowledgement that at the heart of each of us there is a desire to know there is ABSOLUTE truth. ABSOLUTE ethics. ABSOLUTE morality. This is not a "Christian" nation. Never has been, although I believe the time is right around the corner where it will be forced to be. We have become like Israel in the OT.
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.--Judges 21:25.
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