We work hard, pay our taxes, budget responsibly, and spend within our means. Why can’t our federal govt be responsible adults like us? Same goes for the state govts.
There is a constituency for everything. And legislators gain power by allocating money.
Example. Everyone, including people in Iowa, know that ethanol is useless, harmful, expensive and does no one on earth ay good. Except the agricultural corporations in Iowa.
Who’s going to tell the truth about it?
Donna asked last night:: Chas, so what was his scriptural backup for the point that “We … don’t try to affect” the world around us ?
Good question. Diserves an answer.
His point was the last portion of Philippians 3:3 “”rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.”
There is no scripture that says that we do not try to affect the world around us.
Nor is there any scripture that says that we should change the world around us.
Except for the “salt and light” discussed previously.
The NT apostles did not try to change laws about emperor worship. They sufferred the conswquences of disobedience. They did not try to change the customs of sacrifice to idols. They disassociated themselves from it. Etc.
Yet, historically, the culture has changed when Christianity became part of it. Sometimes by enforcement.
The British dis-allowed the culture in India about throwing the widow into the dead husband’s funeral pyre.
W. Wilberforce legislated against slavery in England.
Lottie Moon worked agains the binding of women’s feet in China.
All of that, and others, were beneficial outcomes of Christians affecting the non-Christian world.
My position? I see our culture going the way of Sodom and Gomorrah. Likely with the same eventual outcome. I want to prevent, or at least retard that progression. I have kids I worry about.
I will do my little bit to affect this progression. I support businesses and politicians that think the way I do.
Bottom line? It doesn’t change my thinking or actions at all. I always did that.
“According to a Defense Department-approved “sexism course,” the Bible, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence all contribute to modern sexism.
Those three cherished texts all count as “historical influences that allow sexism to continue,” according to a presentation prepared by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, whose mission is to give a “world-class human relations education.”
According to the course, the Bible has “quotes” which can be interpreted as sexist by readers.
The Declaration of Independence is also an historical cause of sexism, as the document refers only to “all men” — not “men and women.””
And the same goes for the Constitution. I guess the oath to defend said Constitution is sexist too. Oh well, it’s not like this administration defends it anyway. Assaults it is more accurate. 🙄
“Eight former Atlanta public school educators were ordered on Tuesday to serve between one and seven years in prison for their convictions on racketeering charges in one of the nation’s largest test-cheating scandals.
The lengthy prison sentences, unusual for educators, contrasted to the treatment of two defendants in the case also found guilty by a jury this month. Both accepted responsibility under a deal with prosecutors that spared them significant time behind bars.
Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter gave three of the 11 educators convicted in the scandal 20-year sentences, with seven years to be served in prison and the rest on probation.”
“Erasing wrong answers was part of the cheating by the educators under pressure to meet test targets, prosecutors said during a nearly six-month trial.
Student achievement helped the former principals, teachers and administrators to secure promotions and cash bonuses.”
Thanks Chas. I’d say that being salt and light (to the extent that believers and the church is doing that) will always change the world around them through the gospel — and that this is a good thing.
So in that sense, it’s something that really must come from the bottom up, not from the top down (as in trying to first impose “correct” laws). As hearts and minds change, so do a nation’s leaders and laws to reflect those beliefs.
The problem we have currently is that our leaders and laws reflect the people at large today — a people adrift, a people who are becoming increasingly unclear about good and evil, for the most part.
“The Declaration of Independence is also an historical cause of sexism, as the document refers only to “all men” — not “men and women.””
Almost all of us on Wandering Views remember when “Man” or “Men” meant people as opposed to dogs or cats. Yes, it also meant male not female. It was easy to tell the difference by the way it was used. I know you too can tell the different meanings.
Today using “girl” instead of “woman” is too often just an excuse to start a fight by a Feminist. That same “Feminist” will never know she didn’t get a job because of picking that fight. I know of one such instance.
I am currently reading “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Eric Metaxas. It had a quote which is pertinent to Chas’ conversation about affecting the world.
“Thus we were approaching the borderline between confession and resistance; and if we did not cross this border, our confession was going to be no better than cooperation with the criminals. And so it became clear where the problem lay for the Confessing Church: we were resisting by way of confession, but we were not confessing by way of resistance.”
I would recommend this book to all. I am about 3/4 of the way through it. It is fascinating how the Nazi government was able to manipulate the people. Never forget.
Bonhoeffer is an excellent book about a great man.
I heard about the teacher sentencing yesterday and was astonished–someone actually being held accountable? And such a tough sentence. Here in California you can kill teachers while texting and driving and you only get two years . . .
Wandering Views 
There is a constituency for everything. And legislators gain power by allocating money.
Example. Everyone, including people in Iowa, know that ethanol is useless, harmful, expensive and does no one on earth ay good. Except the agricultural corporations in Iowa.
Who’s going to tell the truth about it?
LikeLike
Donna asked last night:: Chas, so what was his scriptural backup for the point that “We … don’t try to affect” the world around us ?
Good question. Diserves an answer.
His point was the last portion of Philippians 3:3 “”rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.”
There is no scripture that says that we do not try to affect the world around us.
Nor is there any scripture that says that we should change the world around us.
Except for the “salt and light” discussed previously.
The NT apostles did not try to change laws about emperor worship. They sufferred the conswquences of disobedience. They did not try to change the customs of sacrifice to idols. They disassociated themselves from it. Etc.
Yet, historically, the culture has changed when Christianity became part of it. Sometimes by enforcement.
The British dis-allowed the culture in India about throwing the widow into the dead husband’s funeral pyre.
W. Wilberforce legislated against slavery in England.
Lottie Moon worked agains the binding of women’s feet in China.
All of that, and others, were beneficial outcomes of Christians affecting the non-Christian world.
My position? I see our culture going the way of Sodom and Gomorrah. Likely with the same eventual outcome. I want to prevent, or at least retard that progression. I have kids I worry about.
I will do my little bit to affect this progression. I support businesses and politicians that think the way I do.
Bottom line? It doesn’t change my thinking or actions at all. I always did that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The new PC Pentagon is at it again….
http://dailycaller.com/2015/04/13/defense-department-the-bible-constitution-and-declaration-of-independence-all-perpetuate-sexism/
“According to a Defense Department-approved “sexism course,” the Bible, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence all contribute to modern sexism.
Those three cherished texts all count as “historical influences that allow sexism to continue,” according to a presentation prepared by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, whose mission is to give a “world-class human relations education.”
According to the course, the Bible has “quotes” which can be interpreted as sexist by readers.
The Declaration of Independence is also an historical cause of sexism, as the document refers only to “all men” — not “men and women.””
And the same goes for the Constitution. I guess the oath to defend said Constitution is sexist too. Oh well, it’s not like this administration defends it anyway. Assaults it is more accurate. 🙄
LikeLike
Prison sentences for the teachers and administrators in Atlanta who were caught in a major cheating scandal.
http://news.yahoo.com/pleas-mulled-former-atlanta-educators-test-cheating-scandal-120733406.html;_ylt=AwrBJR8ROi1VG0YAVUTQtDMD
“Eight former Atlanta public school educators were ordered on Tuesday to serve between one and seven years in prison for their convictions on racketeering charges in one of the nation’s largest test-cheating scandals.
The lengthy prison sentences, unusual for educators, contrasted to the treatment of two defendants in the case also found guilty by a jury this month. Both accepted responsibility under a deal with prosecutors that spared them significant time behind bars.
Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter gave three of the 11 educators convicted in the scandal 20-year sentences, with seven years to be served in prison and the rest on probation.”
“Erasing wrong answers was part of the cheating by the educators under pressure to meet test targets, prosecutors said during a nearly six-month trial.
Student achievement helped the former principals, teachers and administrators to secure promotions and cash bonuses.”
LikeLike
Thanks Chas. I’d say that being salt and light (to the extent that believers and the church is doing that) will always change the world around them through the gospel — and that this is a good thing.
So in that sense, it’s something that really must come from the bottom up, not from the top down (as in trying to first impose “correct” laws). As hearts and minds change, so do a nation’s leaders and laws to reflect those beliefs.
The problem we have currently is that our leaders and laws reflect the people at large today — a people adrift, a people who are becoming increasingly unclear about good and evil, for the most part.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So perhaps the pastor’s point was that we don’t start “there” — with trying to change the world. We start, as we always must, with the gospel.
And as the world becomes evangelized, the world changes. … It’s happening in many other countries around the world as we speak.
Maybe in ours again, too, someday — although we surely appear to be in a valley of sorts right now. 😦
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The Lord will have to intervene with power before it will “be ours again”.
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Hi AJ,
“The Declaration of Independence is also an historical cause of sexism, as the document refers only to “all men” — not “men and women.””
Almost all of us on Wandering Views remember when “Man” or “Men” meant people as opposed to dogs or cats. Yes, it also meant male not female. It was easy to tell the difference by the way it was used. I know you too can tell the different meanings.
Today using “girl” instead of “woman” is too often just an excuse to start a fight by a Feminist. That same “Feminist” will never know she didn’t get a job because of picking that fight. I know of one such instance.
LikeLike
I am currently reading “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Eric Metaxas. It had a quote which is pertinent to Chas’ conversation about affecting the world.
“Thus we were approaching the borderline between confession and resistance; and if we did not cross this border, our confession was going to be no better than cooperation with the criminals. And so it became clear where the problem lay for the Confessing Church: we were resisting by way of confession, but we were not confessing by way of resistance.”
I would recommend this book to all. I am about 3/4 of the way through it. It is fascinating how the Nazi government was able to manipulate the people. Never forget.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bonhoeffer is an excellent book about a great man.
I heard about the teacher sentencing yesterday and was astonished–someone actually being held accountable? And such a tough sentence. Here in California you can kill teachers while texting and driving and you only get two years . . .
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