It's important that my more faithful readers know why they never hear from me on my journal or anywhere else for that matter.
6:00am - wake up long enough to kiss wife goodbye.
10:00am - wake up
10:20am - eat
11:00am - bike
12:00pm - eat
12:30pm - shower
1:00pm - get dressed
1:30pm - ride to work
10:30pm - ride home and wake up wife long enough to kiss her goodnight.
11:00pm - shower
12:00am - 3:00pm - go to sleep.
repeat.
I could not have found a more prosaic way to say that.
"You're getting fed this lie that you're gonna live forever. You won't. Somebody will kill ya. Somebody will kill ya with a knife. You better make sure your abs are ripped, you got some good guns. You wanna look good for when you get stabbed with a knife." - Carl on Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Friday, August 20, 2004
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Pedal pedal pedal...
28 miles on 2 Pop-Tarts and 2 cups of coffee and I still average 17.3 miles per hour.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
It doesn't matter if you agree on everything
Remember the episodes of Transformers where Optimus Prime and Megatron would team up to fight a greater evil because they knew if they didn't it would be them both? I love those episodes.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Pong.
Quote:
"It's our responsibility to care for others and they should do the same if the need arises(Acts 2:42-47)."
Again, true. Something I can totally agree with. But this is scripture (as is all scripture) directed at Christians only. This should not be confused with our responsibilities as a society. There are very unspecific demands that God puts on government. See, there was a healthy intent in those scripture to properly serve God; these were decisions based on His divine Will. I just can't be convinced that is why the state does it.
Believe it or not, though, I see welfare and our loss of freedom as something that is being permitted by a Higher Power. I think that its very possible that at some point God saw that men were shirking their responsibilities and said, "Fine, your choice." Then, in response to their request, He gave the nation exactly what it wanted (comfort and stability).
But there will be a lesson learned. Give your free will to God, and He will give it right back to you. He is the only true freedom. Give your free will to the government, and no matter how good their intentions are at first, absolute power will eventually corrupt absolutely.
God gives people what they want if they push Him long enough. He will let us give the government all the control we want. In the Old Testament there was the "blessing" of King Saul. Against Saul's and God's wishes, Saul was thrust into the throne. The Isrealites wanted him on the throne, and even though God warned them of disastrous consequences, they put him there anyway. The result? A man who forgot about being king and spent the last part of his reign on a witch hunt for his General, David, trying to snub out the bloodline that would eventually bring our Messiah.
I think Christians are greedy. I think they completely forget about God's Will and focus on violating the first commandment. We can't demand the government give us our right to help back, we have to show we're worthy of it. Until that happens, there will be taxes, there will be welfare, and there will be Christians who think that there is some way out of it besides taking their responsibilities back by proving themselves once again worthy of them. What I hope to convince people is not really form a coup de tat, but instead to be revolutionaries in the Spirit. Use capitalism to our advantage. We have a nation built on the idea that if we offer a better mousetrap then the world will beat a path to your door.
We pray that God give us the blueprints to that moustrap.
Oh, one more thing. Reguarding the poor girl who only had jeans for church, isn't that just ha-ha-hilarious that the people of the church thought first to judge, instead of maybe chipping in to buy her a dress, like they did for that poor kid who stared going to EMBC. Churches have totally lost their sense of community.
"It's our responsibility to care for others and they should do the same if the need arises(Acts 2:42-47)."
Again, true. Something I can totally agree with. But this is scripture (as is all scripture) directed at Christians only. This should not be confused with our responsibilities as a society. There are very unspecific demands that God puts on government. See, there was a healthy intent in those scripture to properly serve God; these were decisions based on His divine Will. I just can't be convinced that is why the state does it.
Believe it or not, though, I see welfare and our loss of freedom as something that is being permitted by a Higher Power. I think that its very possible that at some point God saw that men were shirking their responsibilities and said, "Fine, your choice." Then, in response to their request, He gave the nation exactly what it wanted (comfort and stability).
But there will be a lesson learned. Give your free will to God, and He will give it right back to you. He is the only true freedom. Give your free will to the government, and no matter how good their intentions are at first, absolute power will eventually corrupt absolutely.
God gives people what they want if they push Him long enough. He will let us give the government all the control we want. In the Old Testament there was the "blessing" of King Saul. Against Saul's and God's wishes, Saul was thrust into the throne. The Isrealites wanted him on the throne, and even though God warned them of disastrous consequences, they put him there anyway. The result? A man who forgot about being king and spent the last part of his reign on a witch hunt for his General, David, trying to snub out the bloodline that would eventually bring our Messiah.
I think Christians are greedy. I think they completely forget about God's Will and focus on violating the first commandment. We can't demand the government give us our right to help back, we have to show we're worthy of it. Until that happens, there will be taxes, there will be welfare, and there will be Christians who think that there is some way out of it besides taking their responsibilities back by proving themselves once again worthy of them. What I hope to convince people is not really form a coup de tat, but instead to be revolutionaries in the Spirit. Use capitalism to our advantage. We have a nation built on the idea that if we offer a better mousetrap then the world will beat a path to your door.
We pray that God give us the blueprints to that moustrap.
Oh, one more thing. Reguarding the poor girl who only had jeans for church, isn't that just ha-ha-hilarious that the people of the church thought first to judge, instead of maybe chipping in to buy her a dress, like they did for that poor kid who stared going to EMBC. Churches have totally lost their sense of community.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Food + nothing = Lost souls.
What follows is a quote from yesterday's comments:
"Do you think it is easier to ask the church for help, or the government? Unfortunately I think it is easier to ask the government because the church is full of judgmental people. And I'll be the first to admit I am as guilty as anyone else. We draw lines down the church based on money, marital status, et al. With the government you're just another number to them, no one to judge really. That's not why I think welfare is good (I don't for the most part), but it's why I think Christian as a whole have no room to complain."
Very true. As a matter of fact, I would use those very same words. But let's take this from a different perspective.
I agree that people who turn to the church often feel alienated by a judging eye. But here's my issue; I don't think that eye is always that of the church itself.
You're right, if I can go to the government and get a paycheck, why should I go to someone who makes me feel guilty? I wouldn't, and I don't think anyone really would. But the next question is, just why do I feel guilty? The government asks you to prove that you're looking for work. What church entity does that? The church rarely ever makes you feel guilty for being poor by being judgmental. Maybe the guilt is coming from God. If someone feels guilty for asking a church for money when that is the only time they set foot in it, maybe they should use that as an inspiration to walk through the doors on a Sunday morning. However, I would agree that the instructions laid out in the Bible to feed the masses before you ever try to preach to them is not being practiced.
My next question would be this: Is it fair to make someone who will never live off of welfare pay for those who will? I do agree that it is my responsibility to help my fellow man, Christian or not. But there are plenty of people shirking their responsibilities out there, and are only held accountable by God Himself. When did it become the government's position to force me to adhere to my humanitarian responsibilities? I should want to help, and I do, and I think its wrong if you don't want to help your community. But no matter how wrong it is, who's right is it to force my hand?
Say everybody in my building wants the parking lot paved outside, but I never use it. They say to me, "will you chip in?" Should I? Maybe I should, at least for the sake of community. But if I don't, the punishment should be that I'm considered a pariah by everyone. It should not ultimately end up with me being hancuffed and fingerprinted, right? Same scenario, but with a more powerful entity. If I don't drive on the roads I still have to pay for the roads. If I don't send my children to a public school I still have to pay for the school. And if I don't, I'll be sleeping in a cage soon.
We as a society give up more and more rights for more and more stability and comfort and safety. The problem is we're giving up our freedom. The further we move away from the revolutionary spirit that started this nation, the more we are willing to give up to make sure we have a safety net. That's fine for some, I just with there was a clause to get out of it all. Live in this country without having to support things to which I normally would not lend myself.
I really think its too late, though. After two strong blows to the 10th amendment (The Civil War and The New Deal) I think that there is no turning back. We're not revolutionaries, we're lazy. George Orwell had it all wrong. Big Brother doesn't watch you, and he never will. There is no reason to worry about people's thoughts if you keep them happy enough. The only reason we revolted in the first place was because we were fed up with being told what to do. If we had stayed happy, we'd still have a queen. The fight is gone from us, and there really is no real freedom unless you're constantly fighting someone for it... even your own government.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." -- Thomas Jefferson
"Do you think it is easier to ask the church for help, or the government? Unfortunately I think it is easier to ask the government because the church is full of judgmental people. And I'll be the first to admit I am as guilty as anyone else. We draw lines down the church based on money, marital status, et al. With the government you're just another number to them, no one to judge really. That's not why I think welfare is good (I don't for the most part), but it's why I think Christian as a whole have no room to complain."
Very true. As a matter of fact, I would use those very same words. But let's take this from a different perspective.
I agree that people who turn to the church often feel alienated by a judging eye. But here's my issue; I don't think that eye is always that of the church itself.
You're right, if I can go to the government and get a paycheck, why should I go to someone who makes me feel guilty? I wouldn't, and I don't think anyone really would. But the next question is, just why do I feel guilty? The government asks you to prove that you're looking for work. What church entity does that? The church rarely ever makes you feel guilty for being poor by being judgmental. Maybe the guilt is coming from God. If someone feels guilty for asking a church for money when that is the only time they set foot in it, maybe they should use that as an inspiration to walk through the doors on a Sunday morning. However, I would agree that the instructions laid out in the Bible to feed the masses before you ever try to preach to them is not being practiced.
My next question would be this: Is it fair to make someone who will never live off of welfare pay for those who will? I do agree that it is my responsibility to help my fellow man, Christian or not. But there are plenty of people shirking their responsibilities out there, and are only held accountable by God Himself. When did it become the government's position to force me to adhere to my humanitarian responsibilities? I should want to help, and I do, and I think its wrong if you don't want to help your community. But no matter how wrong it is, who's right is it to force my hand?
Say everybody in my building wants the parking lot paved outside, but I never use it. They say to me, "will you chip in?" Should I? Maybe I should, at least for the sake of community. But if I don't, the punishment should be that I'm considered a pariah by everyone. It should not ultimately end up with me being hancuffed and fingerprinted, right? Same scenario, but with a more powerful entity. If I don't drive on the roads I still have to pay for the roads. If I don't send my children to a public school I still have to pay for the school. And if I don't, I'll be sleeping in a cage soon.
We as a society give up more and more rights for more and more stability and comfort and safety. The problem is we're giving up our freedom. The further we move away from the revolutionary spirit that started this nation, the more we are willing to give up to make sure we have a safety net. That's fine for some, I just with there was a clause to get out of it all. Live in this country without having to support things to which I normally would not lend myself.
I really think its too late, though. After two strong blows to the 10th amendment (The Civil War and The New Deal) I think that there is no turning back. We're not revolutionaries, we're lazy. George Orwell had it all wrong. Big Brother doesn't watch you, and he never will. There is no reason to worry about people's thoughts if you keep them happy enough. The only reason we revolted in the first place was because we were fed up with being told what to do. If we had stayed happy, we'd still have a queen. The fight is gone from us, and there really is no real freedom unless you're constantly fighting someone for it... even your own government.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." -- Thomas Jefferson
Monday, August 02, 2004
Kingdom-ideals in the real world.
I read it in another journal first. Kingdom-ideals in the real world.
Here's my problem.
Politically its always cast as taking care of the homeless. Helping the needy. Helping the children have a better life. It's all rhetoric. Its all based on the idea that the more you can force people to throw their money at a problem, the closer you come to a solution.
Wrong.
I've been told that before Roosevelt's New Deal, the church wasn't doing a good job. It had done its job pretty well in the past, but during the Great Depression, the church just couldn't cut it anymore. The government stepped in. Problem solved?
No.
The government fails even more than the church did. Sure, they help people, that's very true, but at the cost of no moral consequence. The government's success is based on the very idea that you can be helped with a problem without the benefits of being reminded just why you made it there in the first place.
And no, I'm not saying every hardship is caused by individual sin.
I'm not as idealistic as this all sounds. I don't believe that if you just left it up to the "people", they would solve all of the problems themselves. That is called communism. It's not like I'm saying there shouldn't be a government at all. That's called anarchy. But the problem I have here is the idea that if the state steps in, everything will be solved. The state has stepped in, and the problem is worse. And why is it worse? Because we have created a nation with no real conscience, and the only way to really fix the problems of the nation is to restore that conscience.
That is something the government can never do.
On a side note, I'm going to do something I never do, and that is publicly respond to a comment. The comment follows:
"However, if we are to tell her that she cannot have an abortion, we should then follow up with her after that baby is born and be sure that the baby is not abused or neglected. That is where I think we fall short both as a nation and as Christians. Is it worse for the baby to be aborted or to end up in a dumpster after being born in a bathroom?"
I totally agree. Totally agree. And its true that if the church were doing its job, that wouldn't happen as often. I guess that's really my point. The biggest problem in America today is that now even the Church sees the government as its savior. "Matthew 6:24 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. " Just who does the Church think is really going to save our nation?
Also, for those of you have never had a chance to discuss issues with the woman who left that quote, you're really missing out. She is one of the most savvy debaters I have ever had the pleasure of talking to.
Here's my problem.
Politically its always cast as taking care of the homeless. Helping the needy. Helping the children have a better life. It's all rhetoric. Its all based on the idea that the more you can force people to throw their money at a problem, the closer you come to a solution.
Wrong.
I've been told that before Roosevelt's New Deal, the church wasn't doing a good job. It had done its job pretty well in the past, but during the Great Depression, the church just couldn't cut it anymore. The government stepped in. Problem solved?
No.
The government fails even more than the church did. Sure, they help people, that's very true, but at the cost of no moral consequence. The government's success is based on the very idea that you can be helped with a problem without the benefits of being reminded just why you made it there in the first place.
And no, I'm not saying every hardship is caused by individual sin.
I'm not as idealistic as this all sounds. I don't believe that if you just left it up to the "people", they would solve all of the problems themselves. That is called communism. It's not like I'm saying there shouldn't be a government at all. That's called anarchy. But the problem I have here is the idea that if the state steps in, everything will be solved. The state has stepped in, and the problem is worse. And why is it worse? Because we have created a nation with no real conscience, and the only way to really fix the problems of the nation is to restore that conscience.
That is something the government can never do.
On a side note, I'm going to do something I never do, and that is publicly respond to a comment. The comment follows:
"However, if we are to tell her that she cannot have an abortion, we should then follow up with her after that baby is born and be sure that the baby is not abused or neglected. That is where I think we fall short both as a nation and as Christians. Is it worse for the baby to be aborted or to end up in a dumpster after being born in a bathroom?"
I totally agree. Totally agree. And its true that if the church were doing its job, that wouldn't happen as often. I guess that's really my point. The biggest problem in America today is that now even the Church sees the government as its savior. "Matthew 6:24 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. " Just who does the Church think is really going to save our nation?
Also, for those of you have never had a chance to discuss issues with the woman who left that quote, you're really missing out. She is one of the most savvy debaters I have ever had the pleasure of talking to.
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