The bailout… September 23, 2008
Posted by JP in Discussion, Politics, Stupidity, Venting.add a comment
Times are tough, no doubt. The financial markets are indeed in trouble and something has to be done.
The issues surrounding this problem are complex; the government (using the taxpayers money) is not equipped, nor should they be, to handle a bail out of the companies adversely affected by thier own greed and short sightedness, but they have to do something.
The markets are self-correcting, we know that, however the far reaching effects of that self-correction will be horrendously damaging to the economy. Not only will major companies fail, but the ripple effect throughout the economy would be devastating to many citizens - lost jobs as mortgage companies fail, lost housing buy’s and building would cost more jobs, the hit to the retail industry that many of us are already feeling would be exponentially amplified. Companies like Lowes and Home Depot would be very hard hit; layoffs, store closures, et al would damage the employment rate even further, and the subsequent loss of income for the average American would spread like a cancer.
So it is clear; something must be done, we cannot simply allow the economy to ‘adjust’ itself unaided.
However, what is also clear is that the operators of these companies which have placed the economy in such dire straights should not benefit from a bailout. CEO’s, COO’s, CFO’s (you name the acronym) should not personal benefit from one cent of taxpayer’s money. Save the companies, absolutely, but hold those responsible for the failures of these companies to a tight leash, and limited, extremely limited, benefit.
We are talking salaries and bonuses. If I run a company and through my efforts of mismanagement, that company teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, I should not expect, nor should I recieve, anything…
I hope and pray that congress takes this idea into consideration when hashing out the details of whatever ill-concieved bail out plan they come up with. No bonuses for the leaders of these failed companies. No high level salaries for these company officers. Limit them to a reasonable salary if they are staying in place, and put a caveat in the plan to keep those salaries limited until the companies in question pay back every single cent the government puts in their coffers.
Then the idea of regulation comes in…. I loathe the idea of the government regulating the ‘free’ market, but something has to happen, or these greed mongers and inept managers will do the same thing again; acting stupidly out of greed and destroying the lives of our citenzry.
He’s been reading my mail… August 5, 2008
Posted by JP in Discussion, Stupidity, Venting.add a comment
I have this theory about men and aging. We have two ages: the age we really are, and the age we are in our heads. Most men are almost always about 31 or 32 in their heads — just ask them. Even Mr. Burns from “The Simpsons” is 31 in his head. One of the most universal adult male experiences is of standing before a mirror and saying, “I’m sorry, but there’s been a horrible mistake. You see, that’s not really me in the mirror there. The real me is tanned, throws Frisbees, and kayaks the Columbia River estuary without cracking a sweat.”
The Christian’s purpose… March 23, 2008
Posted by JP in Bible Study/Reference, Discussion, Faith, Stupidity.add a comment
1Co 15:1-4 AND NOW let me remind you [since it seems to have escaped you], brethren, of the Gospel (the glad tidings of salvation) which I proclaimed to you, which you welcomed and accepted and upon which your faith rests, (2) And by which you are saved, if you hold fast and keep firmly what I preached to you, unless you believed at first without effect and all for nothing. (3) For I passed on to you first of all what I also had received, that Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for our sins in accordance with [what] the Scriptures [foretold], [Isa. 53:5-12.] (4) That He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold, [Ps. 16:9, 10.]
What is our purpose as the faithful of God? Rick Warren has a lucrative corner on the market of telling Christians about their ‘Purpose Driven Life‘, and while I cannot fault his work for it is indeed useful for many, I find it lacking in the preeminent explanation of what our purpose truly is.
I would not confuse purpose with ‘the meaning of life’, the two concepts are completely separate philosophically and the discussion about the ‘meaning’ of life could carry on for ages.
Definitively, ‘meaning’ refers to the significance of a thing, what is it that gives this life, our lives, significance; while purpose connotates something quite different: the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
What I am writing about is our purpose, as Christians. What are we Christians supposed to do with our lives? More importantly - what reason has God given us for our existence as His adopted heirs?
We can quickly go into ‘callings’, missions we feel led to lead, ministries we feel God has called us to lead, develop, participate in; or our roles in this world and in His Church. Make no mistake, many of us have such a calling; to be a participative part of the body of Christ. I would be that your Pastor has that calling, the worship leader in your local congregation, your Deacons, the lady who watches the babies during worship services, any and all who serve in some capacity in your congregation. There are missionaries who go to far away countries to minister to the indigenous peoples. There are those who have ministries which reach out to the imprisoned, the homeless, the invalids. There are those who minister to particular segments of our society which many of us do not know, or truly wish to know: drug users, prostitutes, gang members, etc.
All of these callings are certainly valid, and intended by Him for those whom He has called. However, all of these callings are secondary, albeit inclusive of, our overriding and undergirding purpose as those who’s abiding faith rests in Him.
We are to preach the Gospel.
On the return from the empty tomb the ‘Marys’ happened upon the risen Jesus who commanded them:
Mat 28:18-20 Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. (19) Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).
Paul tells us:
Act 20:24 But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God’s grace (His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy).
Paul, in his writings, speaks extensively of preaching the Gospel. In Romans 15 he writes that he acts in the priestly service of the Gospel of God:
Rom 15:16-18 In making me a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I act in the priestly service of the Gospel (the good news) of God, in order that the sacrificial offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable [to God], consecrated and made holy by the Holy Spirit. (17) In Christ Jesus, then, I have legitimate reason to glory (exult) in my work for God [in what through Christ Jesus I have accomplished concerning the things of God]. (18) For [of course] I will not venture (presume) to speak thus of any work except what Christ has actually done through me [as an instrument in His hands] to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed,
Are we not His priests, to do His work?
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul writes about his compulsion to preach the Gospel. He states that he feels compelled by necessity to do so:
1Co 9:16-18 For if I [merely] preach the Gospel, that gives me no reason to boast, for I feel compelled of necessity to do it. Woe is me if I do not preach the glad tidings (the Gospel)! (17) For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have my pay (my reward); but if it is not of my own will, but is done reluctantly and under compulsion, I am [still] entrusted with a [sacred] trusteeship and commission. (18) What then is the [actual] reward that I get? Just this: that in my preaching the good news (the Gospel), I may offer it [absolutely] free of expense [to anybody], not taking advantage of my rights and privileges [as a preacher] of the Gospel.
Can we say that God’s grace does any less for us? Do we receive His favor only to sit on it, horde it, or share it only at worship services with others who are already saved? Are we given the light of His saving grace only to hide it? Christ Jesus tells us this is not so:
Mat 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.
Indeed, the Gospel of Christ is our light, it is the lamp unto our feet and it shines the way to His presence for all mankind, are we not obligated, compelled, to share that light with the world? Christ tells us we are so compelled, Paul confirms this compulsion, and I say to you - our purpose as Chrisitans is to share the Gospel of Christ, and as Paul points out in Romans 15:18 we are to do so “by word and deed”.
Why do I point that out? “by word and deed”? It speaks to our function as ministers of the Word of God (and make no mistake about it, we are all ministers - servants - of His Word), not all of us are ‘called’ to preach or teach, but we are all called to witness.
Does this mean we should bang on the doors of strangers and ask them if we can share His message with them? Not really. Certainly some of us are suited and called to do so, but not all of us. Are we to stand on the street corner shouting His good news, or collar our co-workers at the water cooler and force them to hear our ‘testimony’? Not at all. Some of us may be so ‘called’, may be suited for such witnessing, but not all. Certainly there is much to sharing the Gospel of Christ which we can discuss. I may feel compelled to write about our obligations to prepare to witness, but let us leave this now with the most basic admonition: Our witness is in word and deed, which is expressed clearly and joyfully in one of my favorite sayings:
Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.
Football sucks… October 21, 2007
Posted by JP in Stupidity, Uncategorized.10 comments
I admit it. I am disgusted with football and I blame it on the devil’s incarnation of “Fantasy Football”.
Used to be that I could watch a game and enjoy the battle on the gridiron just for the spectacle of the sport. Now days I watch and root for teams I normally would not root for all because they have some of my fantasy players.
What really is getting to me though is my beloved 49ers. I do not know what has to happen to get the team back to winning form. Their demise started with the witch-hunt of Eddy Debartalo. One of the best owners in the NFL in my opinion. He had a team that he wanted to be a winning team and he put the money necessary out there to make sure they were a winning team (don’t get me started on the evils of high-paid atheletes though… I truly do wish the players played the game for the love of the sport and not the love of the dollar…)
Unfortunately, the football world in its infinite stupidity demonized the owner of an extremely successful franchise and removed him from ownership, and since that day the ‘owners’ of the 49ers have been playing the budget game, nickel and dim’ing the team to the point of oblivion. Whereever they think they could save a buck…. ugh!
I really thought this season would show a turn around; good quarterback, great running back, good defense and good coach, but the owners still have shortchanged the offensive line (for about the 6th year running…). I have to say; No quarterback, however good he is, can be successful if he is spending most of his time on the ground or running for his life.
Anyway. Today was another loss, and the season looks bleak, barring a miracle. And to top it all off - every player I’ve picked for my fantasy football team is hurt or non-productive. No matter who I put in the starting line up they either go out of the game or seem to fold. When I switch players because the guy on the bench had a better game last week, he ends up doing nothing during the week I have him play…
I swear, I truly do long for the days when I just enjoyed sitting back and watching the game…
Writing… October 8, 2007
Posted by JP in Stupidity, Venting.3 comments
Some blogging friends are posting some very interesting things these days. JoWiKi is delving into the art of actual writing and has what I consider to be, some measure of talent.
Sofyst is posting his normal stuff, seemingly off the cuff commentary and questions, yet his creativity and thought processes never cease to amuse and amaze me.
I’m slightly jealous that these two brothers are utilizing skill, talent, and thier minds and doing something creative and interesting in their blogs. I look at them and then look at my Mind and just have to shake my head an sigh… I remember the days when I had a trickle of creative juice flowing through my veins.
Sect leader convicted on rape-by-proxy charges September 25, 2007
Posted by JP in Discussion, Stupidity, Venting.3 comments
ST. GEORGE, Utah - The leader of a polygamous Mormon splinter group was convicted Tuesday of being an accomplice to rape for performing a wedding between a 19-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl.
Warren Jeffs, 51, could get life in prison after a trial that threw a spotlight on a renegade community along the Arizona-Utah line where as many as 10,000 of Jeffs’ followers practice plural marriage and revere him as a mighty prophet with dominion over their salvation.
I cannot express how sick I am that this unscriptural, sadistic, and adulterous practice still goes on. Nor can I express how relieved I am that the conviction will make a strong statement that such garbage will not go unchecked.
AIDS and the Church… September 25, 2007
Posted by JP in Discussion, Stupidity, Venting.add a comment
This past Sunday evening my wife and I were watching Extreme Home Makeover, the episode was about the Oatman-Gaitan family, a single mother with 3 adopted HIV+ children.
As ususal we cried through much of the show (that is one of the main reasons we watch - so we can get all weepy 
). However, in part of the episode there were some HIV+ children who were giving testimony about Camp Heartland and their lives because of it and AIDS. One camper gave her testimony and I was shocked, and more than slightly disgusted, to hear that she and her family had been asked by their Pastor to leave the church because this young girl was HIV+.
I started to think about this scenario - as a Christian with AIDS or HIV, you are basically faced with two options: You can be silent about your infection and basically live your life in a lie, or you can be open and honest about it and risk being discriminated against. Worse yet, you can be rejected by those who are obligated to demonstrate the love of Christ to their fellow human beings.
I’m wondering about other instances of such rejection and discrimination in the Church, how often has it happened and how do the leaders of the congregation justify the hypocrisy?
Democrats court evangelicals… September 24, 2007
Posted by JP in Politics, Stupidity, Venting.1 comment so far
No one expects miracles, of course. Conservative Christians started shifting to the Republicans as the “party of values” in 1979, when Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority. They were the most important bloc of voters in George W. Bush’s victories in 2000 and 2004. But the movement is not as cohesive as it once was. Many younger evangelicals are worried about issues beyond the traditional struggles over abortion, school prayer and gay marriage. They’re becoming vocal about the environment, AIDS, poverty and genocide—a newer set of “values” that Democrats are more comfortable addressing.
Change seems to be looming on the horizon my friends. For the good of the nation I hope, for the betterment of mankind…. I’m not sure. I consider myself to be a moderate in most things but years ago I switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party for a few reasons; fiscal conservative philosophies for the most part yet many other socio-economic considerations as well.
I’ve never considered myself a social conservative, being of the mind that the people should live their lives the way they chose to live, and the government should be around to assist in the things the populace could not do for themselves and keep their hands off most everything else. That plus the fact that after Ronald Reagan’s first term I had become unusually impressed.
What has always stuck in my craw were the one-issue voters; those who opposed or supported a candidate for his or her stand on one particular issue and disregarded the stupidity of the candidate in all other areas. I was approached outside of a Home Depot one day by a young man seeking to register people to vote. He came up to me and said:
If you are against abortion and for prayer in schools you can be a Republican. Would you like to register?
I considered taking the time to re-educate the young moron as to the historical ideals of the Republican Party and the reality of many different issues which face our nation and our government, but then I decided that getting my paint and supplies were more pressing, and walked away shaking my head…
I’m hoping times are changing. No longer does the Moral Majority dictate the focus and the direction of the Republican Party as it once did (Thank God), and no longer does the “if it feels good, do it - as long as we can tax you for it” philosophy of the Democratic Party rule their house. But even as lines are blurred, and new Republicans are seeking something a bit different and new Democrats are returning to the ideals of the Kennedy era Democrats, we still have to break the mindset of overriding issues in the determination of our candidates and place emphasis on well-rounded, productive expectations of our leaders.
I’m of the mind that those I elect to office should understand more than whether or not the majority wants to limit adult stem cell research and criminalize abortion.
I want them to understand that people are still dying of AIDS and the government has done nothing in 20+ years to change that. I want them to understand that millions upon millions of our tax dollars are going in aid to foreign countries and we still have children living on and starving on the streets of our own major cities. I want them to understand that I, and many like me, who seem to be living a comfortable life, are no more than two paychecks away from living on the streets ourselves, that a significant amount of my hard-earned money goes to pay for health care for me and my family instead of a college fund for my children. I want them to understand that the energy consumption in this nation is ridiculous, and that the tax monies I give them should not be going to support bloated autonomic (satanic) agencies like the Internal Revenue Service, but to find and develop other cleaner, renewable forms of energy.
Ultimately, I want them to understand that I make choices for the way I live my life and raise my children, and most of those choices are none of their business. I work hard and deserve to keep the money I earn. I willingly give to the government a portion of my salary so they can do the things for this nation that normal people cannot do, and that to date - they have failed to uphold their part of the bargain. They take too much, return way too little, and never get their asses off their politicking seats to address the real problems, choosing instead to ramble on about the same old tired ‘hot button’ issues.
Okay, I might be done ranting now…
Christian vs. Christ Follower August 21, 2007
Posted by JP in Discussion, Stupidity, Venting.6 comments
Special thanks to JoWiKi for posting this:
If I were inclined to become more computer literate I would have posted it directly myself, but I prefer to send people over to Jowiki and let him do all the work…
I have to say this about that: funny and illuminating.
I began to think of all the wonderful folks attending the ‘mega’ churches in my area, driving around in their SUV’s emblazoned with fish and bumper stickers, weaving in and out of traffic, riding your tail because you are doing the speed limit and they want to go faster. The ones that cut in front of you in the lines at the food court at the mall and give you dirty looks, who then chew out the cashier for being a bit too slow, and then sit down and start talking about ‘church’ business….
Anywhoo…. suffice it to say that as Christ followers we should: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.”
How many people does it take to change a light bulb? March 5, 2007
Posted by JP in Stupidity, Uncategorized.5 comments
Charismatics: Only one; Hands already in the air.
Pentecostals: Ten; One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
Presbyterians; None. Lights will go on and off at predestined times.
Roman Catholics: None; Candles only.
Baptists: At least 15; One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad.
Episcopalians: Eight; One to call the electrician, and seven to say how much they liked the old one better.
Mormons: Five; One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it.
Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your personal relationship with your light bulb, and present it next month at our annual light bulb Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.
Methodists: Undetermined; Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved — you can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Churchwide lighting service is planned for Sunday, August 19. Bring bulb of your choice and a covered dish.
Nazarene: Six; One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.
Lutherans: None; Lutherans don’t believe in change.
Amish: What’s a light bulb?
Pagans: Six;. One to change it, and five to sit around complaining that lightbulbs never burned out before those Christians came along.
Witches: Into what?
Evolutionists: One: but it takes eight million years.
YECs: 3; one to research scripture for light references, one to search for the appropriate ‘kind’ of bulb, and one to explain to the clerk that any variations in bulbs are micro-adaptation, not a fundamental change in bulb technology.
OECs: One, to search scripture until finding a verse that indicates the Lord God created all light, thus moving from doctrine to evidence, we find that the Lord put the light in the bulb, and the Lord is infallible, thus the darkness is a curse put on us by the Lord, in his might and love. Evolutionists should stop ignoring such evidence, and stop teaching electricity in the schools.
IDists: One; but with the understanding that an Intelligent Agent informed and inspired the creation and development of all bulbs, and created filaments.
Atheists: One; but they are still in the dark.
