Singing

Singing is very different than talking. I, for one, love to sing at the top of my lungs. Many songs that I sing, which are not hymns, I have found have spiritual qualities. For instance, I love to sing along with U2 and Pink Floyd. Both of these artists point out the failures of man, and the needs of others, as well as the need of something more than materialism. I love to sing in church as well, and every time that I sing, I feel uplifted and closer to God. Song does put us on level ground with one another. Many people use song to express themselves. My husband can usually tell what kind of mood I am in by the music that is playing on the radio. He doesn’t even have to lay eyes on me to be able to tell. When I am down, I listen to uplifting music to pick myself back up.

Beautiful Day

U2

The heart is a bloom
Shoots up through the stony ground
There's no room
No space to rent in this town

You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
And you're not moving anywhere

You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace

It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away

You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination

You love this town
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you

It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day

Touch me
Take me to that other place
Teach me
I know I'm not a hopeless case

See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out

It was a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
Beautiful day

Touch me
Take me to that other place
Reach me
I know I'm not a hopeless case

What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now
Was a beautiful day

A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Psalm 100:1-2 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, Ephesians 5:19

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:1-2

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 5:13

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Psalm 150:1-6

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. Psalm 147:1

What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 1 Corinthians 14:15

I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:6

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, Acts 16:25

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Psalm 95:1

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. Psalm 71:8

Saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” Hebrews 2:12

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Hebrews 13:15

And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” Romans 15:9

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mark 14:26

I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, Psalm 144:9

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. Exodus 15:1

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. Psalm 33:3

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:30

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 2 Samuel 6:1-23

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him! As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God! But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him! Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:1-35

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. John 4:23 

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24

By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Psalm 137:1-9

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Psalm 47:1-9

Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Psalm 105:2

"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."

~ Og Mandino

Chapter 13: Creating: The Truth of Beauty

There are two main views of art in the Christian world. People either feel that art is dangerous because it “distracts us from our primary love for God” (157). Or, they feel that art is here for us to enjoy, and it is separate from the church. Others views agree that art and imagination can be “used and abused,” but serve “a distinct spiritual purpose in individuals’ lives and in the church” (158). It is important for us to remember that art and beauty comes from God, and God is the very essence of beauty (Psalms 27:4). Furthermore, according to Ephesians 2:10 we are all “God’s handiwork or compositions” (159). Tippens also reminds us that Jesus was an artist (carpenter) that saw beauty in everything around him. Also Tippens tells us that art can lead others to faith, and most art comes from the artists’ search for something beyond the physical world.

I agree that the ability to create art through film, books, music, singing, acting, drawing, and painting are all gifts from God. Like Tippens, I feel that the temptation to misuse these abilities can be dangerous. In American society, it is common for artists to move away from their original intention, transcendentalism, and toward art for the sake of money. This is why I agree with Tippens that the church should not shun the artists in the congregation. They should welcome the artists with opened arms just as they welcome everyone else. With much of the media in the world it is hard to see the beauty in everything. However, artists have the ability to imagine what the rest of us cannot. This makes them an invaluable asset to their congregation. We must be careful, though, to positively spark the creativity and imagination of our artists of tomorrow. After all, “the Bible itself is a majestic work of art” (165).

"Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good."

~ Vince Lombardi

William Blake

Garden of Love

I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And "Thou shalt not" writ over the door;
So I turned to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore;

And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briers my joys and desires.

London

I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.

How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new-born Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.

Songs of Experience

Infant Joy

I have no name
I am but two days old.—
What shall I call thee?
I happy am
Joy is my name,—
Sweet joy befall thee!

Pretty joy!
Sweet joy but two days old,
Sweet joy I call thee;
Thou dost smile.
I sing the while
Sweet joy befall thee.

Infant Sorrow

My mother groand! my father wept.
Into the dangerous world I leapt:
Helpless, naked, piping loud;
Like a fiend hid in a cloud.

Struggling in my fathers hands:
Striving against my swaddling bands:
Bound and weary I thought best
To sulk upon my mothers breast.

And did those feet

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land.

Blake shows contempt for society and the church. Blake must have felt that living within society’s boundaries restricted spirituality and individuality.

Struggling in my father’s hands, / Striving against my swaddling bands,” (“Infant Sorrow;” p. 95; lines 5-6) 

Although Blake’s father raised him to conform to society, he found it too constricting. Blake will strive if he breaks free from his rearing.

“I will not cease from Mental Fight, / Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand, / Till we have built Jerusalem / In England’s green and pleasant Land.” (“And did those feet;” p. 124; lines 13-16) 

Blake warns that no one can stop his mind. Blake’s “Sword” is his pen. He will continue to fight with words. Blake will not end his battle  until the views of England’s society changes.

“I went to the Garden of Love, / And saw what I never had seen: / A Chapel was built in the midst, / Where I used to play on the green. / And the gates of this Chapel were shut, / And “Thou shalt not” writ over the door; / So I turn’d to the Garden of Love, / That so many sweet flowers bore, / And I saw it was filled with graves, And tomb-stones where flowers should be; / And Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, And binding with briars my joys & desires.” 

The Garden of Love was once a beautiful, peaceful place where one could find God. The church has, now, turned its back on its people and  restricted them to the point of spiritual death.

“O Earth, O Earth, Return! / Arise from out the dewy grass; / Night is worn / And the morn / Rises from the slumberous mass.” (“From Songs of Experience;” p. 88; lines 11-15) 

Blake’s use of symbolism is rich in this verse. Blake calls for spiritual awakening throughout the land. He tells the reader to turn on their inner light. The time for dark times is over. Your inner light will aid in awakening others.

In our media-driven society, it is difficult for a person to show individuality. If a person acts different, doctors are quick to medicate them so they are like everyone else. People far too often use plastic surgery and bariatric surgery to change what makes them different. The media pushes conformity in similar ways Blake’s society pushed conformity.

"Carpe diem."

(Seize the day.)

~ Dr. Horace

Whitman and Dickinson

To understand the difference between Whitman’s and Dickinson’s views of nature, the reader must first understand how Whitman and Dickinson view themselves and their individual connection to God. According to Susan Belasco Smith, Whitman “fuses the self to the world” (113). He sees interconnectedness between God, humankind, and nature. Whitman believed we are all a part of God, everything exists in God, and God exists in everything.

In “Song of Myself” Whitman wrote, “I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked” (line 19). Not only was Whitman trying to shock the prudish people of his time, but also he was trying to have them understand the body is beautiful and sacred. When Whitman uses I, myself, or me; it must be understood that he does not mean the individual. Instead, he is saying I, myself, or me, who is one with God, all of humankind, and nature.

Unlike Whitman, when Dickinson uses the words I, myself, or me; she is speaking of the lonely, isolated individual. She felt hopeless and powerless in the world. When describing Dickinson’s view of self, Smith states, “the self is ultimately lonely, separate from nature and God, and constantly involved in conflict” (113). Due to her sense of powerlessness, Dickinson’s poetry is often filled with death, pain, and despair. In poem number two-hundred-fifty-eight, Dickinson writes, “Heavenly Hurt, it gives us – / We can find no scar, / But internal difference, / Where the Meanings, are –“ (lines 5-8).

Dickinson speaks of a spiritual pain in which one cannot ever escape. Although Whitman and Dickinson had such radically different views on the connection between God, humankind, and nature, it is important for the reader to remember both poets believed in a transcendent God, and they both saw the beauty in nature. It seems, however, their differences lie in the role of humans in the world. 

Smith, Susan Belasco. “Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson: Poetry of the Central Consciousness by Agnieszka Salska.” South Central Review. Vol. 4.4: Winter 1987: 112-115.

"Tough times never last, but tough people do."

~ Dr. Robert Schuller

Gerard Manley Hopkins

“God’s Grandeur”

THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
  It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
  It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;        5
  And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
  And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
  There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;        10
And though the last lights off the black West went
  Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
  World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

“The Windhover” 

To Christ our Lord

I CAUGHT this morning morning’s minion, king-
  dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
  Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,        5
  As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
  Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
  Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion        10
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

  No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
  Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.

“Carrion Comfort”

NOT, I’ll not, carrion comfort, Despair, not feast on thee;
Not untwist—slack they may be—these last strands of man
In me ór, most weary, cry I can no more. I can;
Can something, hope, wish day come, not choose not to be.
But ah, but O thou terrible, why wouldst thou rude on me        5
Thy wring-world right foot rock? lay a lionlimb against me? scan
With darksome devouring eyes my bruisèd bones? and fan,
O in turns of tempest, me heaped there; me frantic to avoid thee and flee?

Why? That my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear.
Nay in all that toil, that coil, since (seems) I kissed the rod,        10
Hand rather, my heart lo! lapped strength, stole joy, would laugh, chéer.
Cheer whom though? the hero whose heaven-handling flung me, fóot tród
Me? or me that fought him? O which one? is it each one? That night, that year
Of now done darkness I wretch lay wrestling with (my God!) my God.

Analysis

To Hopkins, God is the creator and the savior of man. He is the power, truth, beauty, and answer. Also to Hopkins, God is all around man, even if they do not notice Him.

“The world is charged with the grandeur of God. / It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; / It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil / Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?” (“God’s Grandeur;” lines 1-4) 

Hopkins uses an electrical current and oil as metaphors for the power, beauty, and majesty of God. The power, beauty, and majesty have been infused through the entire world. Most men do not see or feel the “grandeur” of God, though it is there. Because they do not see him, these men ignore God.

And for all this, nature is never spent; / There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; / And though the last lights off the black West went / Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent / World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings. (“God’s Grandeur”) 

Despite the destruction of the world due to the Industrial Revolution, nature still exists because of God. The beauty and power of God can be found in nature because it is an indication of God’s existence, more like a manifestation. God creates life even in the darkest recesses of the world.

“daylight’s dauphin” (“The Windhover;” line 2) 

Hopkins use of daylight is a metaphor for God. Daylight is known in many cultures as a giver of life, because without sunlight, life cannot be sustained. For Christians, God is the giver of life. Without God, life cannot be sustained.

Why? That my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear. / Nay in all that toil, that coil, since (seems) I kissed the rod, / Hand rather, my heart lo! lapped strength, stole joy, would laugh, chéer. / Cheer whom though? the hero whose heaven-handling flung me, fóot tród / Me? or me that fought him? O which one? is it each one? That night, that year / Of now done darkness I wretch lay wrestling with (my God!) my God. (“Carrion Comfort;” lines 9-14) 

Regardless of all of Hopkins’ suffering, he accepted God. His acceptance has made him happy and strong. Though he still suffers and questions his faith, God still rescued him, and beauty is still around him. God is his answer, his truth.

Hopkins’ poetry all seems to have the same underlying theme. The three poems assigned reflect man’s struggle with God. In “God’s Grandeur,” Hopkins admits that not all men are believers, and some who do believe, ignore God. These same assumptions can be made about man in today’s society. Paganism and Wicca are on the rise, as is the claims of Atheistic beliefs. These shifts in religious beliefs are evidence of man’s struggle with God.

"The best is yet to be."

~ Robert Browning

The Blind, the Deaf, and the Lame Summary

The author covers the references to the blind, deaf, and lame in order to gain an understanding of the historical beliefs as they pertain to people with disabilities. The Bible does not address mental disabilities.  Amos Yong states dualistic beliefs in “Disability” in Ancient Israel. Yong feels the Bible draws connections between the sovereignty of God and disabilities, and people with disabilities are to be cared for just as others who are marginalized are to be cared for. In ancient Israel, people with disabilities were considered unholy and imperfect. They believed disabilities were the result of broken covenants with God, and people with disabilities were not whole and could not be included in the kingdom of Yhwh.

In the next section, “Disability” and the Early Church, the early Church believed in inclusion only after healing. They felt that Jesus’ healing of those with disabilities meant people with disabilities should be pitied, and their future is secured by God alone. Jesus’ healings also led people to believe there was a direct connection between disability and sin. Therefore, many people associated disabilities with evil. Those with disabilities were marginalized and dependent on the grace of God in the gospels. However, it can be assumed the disabilities were only metaphors for the sins of man.

The next section, “Disability” in the History of Christianity, covers how the biblical accounts affected disability. Before Christianity in ancient Greece and Rome, most people with disabilities were included. Disabilities were treated as a family/civic matter. Not much was written about mental retardation in ancient writings, possibly due to high mortality rates, and the inclusion of people with disability. The ancient god of fire, Hephaestus, was crippled, but had magical powers. Therefore, many Greeks believed people with disabilities were thought to have amazing abilities. They often believed deformities were due to sinful parents, or omens, such as broken covenants with the gods. Therefore, they believed infants with deformities belonged to the gods. However, many with disabilities were still scorned, and Aristotle said deformities were caused by uncompleted pregnancies.

In the section titled The Patristic and Medieval Periods, we learn people with mental disabilities were included. For instance, Nicholas Thaumaturgos protected the feeble minded. Zotikos cared for discarded children who were to be put to death. A few Christians opened homes and hospitals for those with disabilities. Augustine believed God made the creatures of the world diverse to “manifest his glory and power” (31). Saint Dymphna was martyred by her insane father. Because her grave was a place of pilgrimage for those with mental disabilities, her resting place, Gheel, became known for its “tradition of caring for the mentally ill” (31). Hildegard of Bingen endured physical pains led to lack of mental maturation, which led to inspiration and service. Margaret of Castello completely gave herself to god after being abandoned by her family due to her disabilities. She performed more than two hundred miracles. Teresa de Cartagena was deaf by fourteen, and saw herself as an “admirable work of God” (33). She believed disability helps develop patience and other virtues. During this period, people believed that God is the creator of all things, even disabilities, disabilities are necessary to promote holiness, and the Church should help those with disabilities.

During the reformation and the early modernity, views on disability once again changed. Luther believed that people with disabilities were “mass[es] of flesh without a soul…the devil is himself their soul” (34). Therefore he believed people should drown or suffocate infants and children with disabilities. During the Renaissance, many believed deformities were cause by demonic activity. However, Paracelsus believed fools are restored by Christ, and they are not fools in their souls, just their minds, which makes them more pure. Paracelsus also believed after salvation, there will be no disabilities. Ambroise Paré believed there were twelve causes of deformities:

1) resulting from God, intended for God’s glory, 2) emanating from the wrath of God, 3) emerging from too great a quantity of seed, or 4)too little a quantity of the same, 5) being misshapened b the imagination of the pregnant mother, 6) by the narrowness/smallness of the womb, 7) by a traumatic pregnancy, or 8) by the mother’s fall, 9) deriving from other hereditary mechanisms or accidental illnesses, 10) rotten or corrupt seed, or 11) the improper mingling/mixture of seed, and 12) being changelings of the devil (36).

Paulus Zacchias identified intellectual defects as slow learners, who can be held accountable and can marry, fools, who can marry with permission from judges, but have difficulty learning, and stupid/mindless, cannot marry and exempted from penalties. John Locke believed humans are rational creatures. Therefore, those with mental disabilities are not human and incapable of reason. They are immoral and soulless; therefore can be killed as infants.

The final section covers the three notions of disabilities according to theology: 1) disabilities occur for God’s purpose, God creates all men, and people with disabilities are here to reveal God’s glory; 2) people with disabilities must trust in God, because suffering leads to holiness; 3) the Church must care for people with disabilities through charity.

The final section of Chapter 2 covers the new vision regarding theology and disabilities is required. Patty Burt, a person with mental retardation, has shown that through her disability, she was able to sort out what she learned from others and make up her own mind about religion. In religion, we are faced with a major dilemma. If we ignore conventional theology, we dismiss the views of people like Patty Burt. However, if we embrace conventional theology, we will be weighed down with ideas ingrained in historical tradition. Therefore, to move forward, we must reread biblical texts and look deeper for the positive representations of people with disabilities. Although the biblical stories are stereotypical, they also have a redemptive quality.

Yong, Amos. (2007). “The Blind, The Deaf, and the Lame: Biblical and Historical Trajectories.”  Theology and Down Syndrome – Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity. Waco: Baylor University Press.

"Once you choose hope, anything’s possible."

~ Christopher Reeve

War and Christianity

3 Positions on War

1. Obedience to government – patriotic monkey
Prosecuting war is one of the unfortunate, but necessary responsibilities of government
Romans 13 – Christians
Based in some kind of fairness
Benefit from blessing of government
Doesn’t require any thought

2. Pacifist position – non-patriotic monkey
Emphasizes the principle of non-violence
Requires no thought because the answer is always no
Grounded in the ethic of Jesus
“Those who live by the sword, die by the sword”
Sermon on the mount (turn the other cheek)
Long, deep history in Christian position

3. Just war position – most complex
Requires the individual to do some pretty deep thinking
Must decide whether the war is right or wrong
If it is Just, you must fight
If it is not Just, you must not fight

What makes a just war?
Why? What is the reason?
How? How it is going to be fought?

MUST PASS BOTH

Why?
Action of last resort
Must be for peace, cannot be an offensive war
What has happened in the last five years?
Some offensive wars are Just because of weapons of mass destruction
Pre-emption can be defended because technologies have changed
Cause of war must be Just
Save innocent lives
Cannot be economic gain

How?
Recognized authority that is fighting the war
War must be declared
Targets should be military
Doctrine of proportionality must accomplish more good than mayhem
Playing by the rules
If we are fighting for good reasons and passes why and how
Christians have an obligation to fight
Biblical criteria
God would not support a war that is not Just

PRO-WAR SIDE

Just war for Just cause
Authority – government
Proportionality
Distinguish between military and non-military targets
Civilian casualties are acceptable because the doctrine of double effect – civilian casualties are not the intended outcome
Are not going to war just to fight, but for peace

ANTI-WAR SIDE

Pacifism

Christian ethic – violence breeds violence
Love your enemies
Every war stems from a previous war
War is caused by the power and corruption of government (outside governments with outside interference)

Passive resistance

Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. (lived by the Jesus ethic)
Always another way to resolve conflict
Wars fought with words not weapons accomplish more in the end

Is it wrong for a Christian to be a policeman, soldier, etc?

How do you protect your family?

Just War – how do you claim peace through violence?

How does Christian love translate for you to kill people?

War is inherent to this world; it is inevitable?

Does god tell us and teach us we should go to war?

Isn’t it idealistic that war ends war?

Is war really inherent to the world?

World will be pretty corrupt, pretty fast if we were all pacifists
Just war is more idealistic because it depends on the government to justify war
The only way to stop men like Hitler, Hussein, etc. is to have bigger guns than them

"A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn’t see the clouds at all – he’s walking on them."

~ Leonard Louis Levinson

Sentencing for Sex Offenders

Morally speaking, most of us can agree that sex offenses are immoral acts. If not, let me clarify it for you: Sex offenses are rape; rape is immoral; therefore, sex offenses are immoral. Although all people have a right to do what they want with their own body, they only have this right if and only if what they choose to do with their body does not infringe on the rights of others. Because law requires us to be a minimally decent Samaritans, then sex offenders have violated the law. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, sex offenses occur “every one hour and three minutes.”  The U.S. Department of Justice reports that “1 rape occurs every five point six minutes” in this country, as of 2004. Most offenders do not spend a day in jail, and these sex offenders are living among us.  I will cover the statistics, how this affects citizens, the current legislation, the need for stiffer sentencing laws, and the ethics behind the need for stiffer sentencing.  I believe if we do not make stiffer laws for sex offenders, we are making our family members prey for such predators.  Many sex offenders are in the public when they should be in jail.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “209,880 sex offenses were reported in the U.S. in 2004.” Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime Report for 2004 states that “sixty-seven sex offenses were reported in Abilene.”  This report also states that “15,673 sex offenses were reported in the state of Texas in 2004.”  It was discovered in this same report that “ninety-three percent” of reported sex offenses in Texas were committed against children. The Texas Department of Corrections states that “fifty-seven percent of sex offenders in Texas are on probation and only forty-three percent of sex offenders in Texas are in jail.”  This seems to be a national trend.  According to a report released by the American Correctional Association, nearly “99,300 of 233,600 sex offenders are on probation or parole.”  This, too, is forty-three percent living in our communities.

Now that the numbers have been addressed, how does this affects American citizens?  Most people are unaware that the majority of those murdered by sex offenders are murdered by repeat offenders. Most repeat offenders are only sentenced to probation for their first offense.  Carlie Brucia from Sarasota, Florida was raped and murdered on February 1, 2004 by Joseph Smith, a repeat offender.  This was a senseless crime that ended a bright future of a young girl.  Had Smith remained in jail for his first offense, Carlie may still be living among us.

Surprisingly, there are fifty-two sex offenders in the 79605 zip code alone.  This is not including the rest of Abilene.  Of these, five are repeat offenders.  One of which was arrested four times for molesting seven, eight, nine, and ten year old girls.  Each of these four times he only received probation.  When he molested the fifth girl in 1996, (an eight-year-old) he finally received a twenty-year prison sentence. Unfortunately, he was released in 2004 after only serving nine years of his sentence.  It bothers me, and should bother you that this man lives only one block from an elementary school.

Now that the standard for sentencing has been addressed, I propose drastic changes in the sentencing of sex offenders. It is my proposal that a minimum sentence of twenty-five years for a sex offense with no possibility of parole be implemented.  This may seem drastic to many of you, but I feel that since a sex crime is a lifelong sentence for the victim, it should also be for the offender.  Most states have a minimum of twenty-five years for the third violent crime. In other words, they allow sex offenders to, more-or-less, get away with their first two crimes before they are taken out of society. These same states only require a sentence of probation for the first two offenses. Texas, unfortunately, is one of these states. With new laws, our family members can be better protected.  Parents would no longer have to live in fear that when their children walk out the door, they may never come home again.  Our safety and family’s safety must be the number one priority in this country once again.  The fact that the government has lost sight of this is very disturbing to many parents.

For this purpose, “Megan’s Law” was pushed through after the death of seven-year-old Megan Kanka. Megan was raped and murdered by a repeat offender, who was her neighbor. The law requires all sex offenders to register as such. Currently most states have a version of the federally mandated “Megan’s Law” enacted. However, it is not enough. According to Candice McLean in her article, “Offenders who do not register could face a 25,000 dollar fine and a year in jail” (24). There are questions that arise from such legislation. Do we value money over human life? If you cannot find the sexual offenders, how can you fine and arrest them? If we look at the ethics for sentencing of sex offenders, we may be able to find these answers.

The difference between sex offenders and the majority of the population is what we put value on. Most of us put a great deal of value on human life. Because this value is based on much more than pleasure, we have a non-hedonistic view of the world. Unfortunately, a sex offender puts a great deal of value in his own sensual pleasures. This gives him a hedonistic outlook on the world. In fact, most sex offenders are complete moral relativists. However, the majority of Americans are conventionalist. We see the world as whatever society thinks is right or wrong for society is right or wrong. As a society, we have decided that sexually motivated crimes are wrong. As a society, we feel that it is the responsibility of legislators and judges to protect us from such crimes. Current laws are not effective in protecting our children from sex offenders. In order to protect citizens, we need to keep sex offenders in jail and off of the streets. This will effectively create the most good for the most people.

From a deontological standpoint, keeping sex offenders off the street is the right thing to do. The assumption is that long term placement of sex offenders in prison violates the offender’s autonomy. Why should this not be the case? The offender has done the same to the victims. It is right to keep the offender away from other potential victims. The Kantian system may dictate that we are treating the sex offender as a means to an end. I would agree, but from a more pluralistic stance. Taking the sex offender off of the street is for the betterment of the community. No longer would we have to live in fear, and no longer would a victim be re-victimized.

I am using a Christian Pluralistic Deontology to prove that the removal of sex offenders from society is for the betterment of society. Scripture tells us that a man who rapes a woman that is married or betrothed shall be put to death. A man that rapes a virgin that is not betrothed is responsible for the permanent welfare of the woman that he had raped (Deuteronomy 22:13-29). Leviticus 18:6-18 speaks out against incestuous relations, which is the case of most molestation cases. 2 Samuel 13:11-22 tells the story of Amnon and Tamar. Amnon had forever disgraced his sister Tamar, which he had raped. “And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman” (2 Samuel 13:20).  The previously mentioned verses of scripture support how heinously brutal sex crimes are. They support the inaction of stiffer sentencing requirements. What America is doing today is not enough.

Because Jesus told us to love our enemies and to love our brothers, I am not proposing death for the sex offender. The cliché “two wrongs do not make a right” stands firm in this case. After all, death is the easy way out. A sex offender should have to live with the consequences of his actions. Mandatory jail terms for a minimum of twenty-five years would be in everyone’s best interest. Especially in the way the prison systems are run today. Prisoners are allowed Internet access, cable television, access to a gym, three square meals a day, mental and medical health care, and a free high school and college education. It is a far cry from the death that was implemented to sex offenders in the past. The only thing they loose is their freedom to prowl the streets and commit more sex crimes. Twenty-five year jail sentences are also in the best interest for society. Law-abiding citizens will be more apt to live a less fearful life. Such stiff jail sentences would also deter other offenders from committing such crimes. To that end, these sentences could also deter repeat offenders. As one can see, there is not much of a downside to a proposed twenty-five year jail sentence for sex offenders.

Our main conflicting duties are those of “do no harm” and “respect for autonomy. Is there a value on the life of the victim? Yes. Is there a value on the life of the offender? Yes. How do we decide which is more valued? If we run stiffer sentencing for sex offenders through the prima-facie duty system, this is how it would look:

1. Do No Harm – Stiffer sentencing works on both sides of the issue. It does not harm the sex offender; instead it gives him all of his basic needs for survival. On the victim side, stiffer sentencing gives the victim more time to heal. It also protects others from a repeat offense. For a matter of fact, stiffer sentencing protects the sex offender from a repeat offense as well. If the offender is behind bars, then he is unable to commit another sex offense. 
2. Beneficence – Stiffer sentencing protects the population as a whole.
3. Tell the Truth – Does not apply unless either side is not being honest about the sex crime.
4. Promise Keeping – Legislation has been put into place to protect the citizens. Prosecutors and judges have taken a vow to uphold such laws. If they let a sex offender escape from justice by releasing them back on the streets, then they are not upholding their end of the promise.
5. Respect for Autonomy – Stiffer sentences for sex offenders respects the autonomy of the victim. If the offender is released on probation, the victim may shut down and live in fear. They may become a prisoner in their own homes because of such fear. The “do no harm” duty trumps the respect of autonomy of the sex offender. If a sex offender is only sentenced to probation, then the judge responsible for sentencing the sex offender has done harm to the current victim as well as future, potential victims. In essence, because the sex offender has violated the first duty, “do no harm,” he has trumped our duty to respect his autonomy. Taking away the offender’s autonomy is for the greater good. If we remove his autonomy, we preserve the autonomy and rights of others.
6. Justice – With respect to the victim, stiffer sentencing is the just thing to do. Once a victim of a sex crime is molested, they relive the crime on a daily basis. They normally have nightmares for the rest of their lives; these nightmares re-victimize the victims. Opposition to stiffer sentencing for sex crimes state that current legislation re-victimizes the offender, and they should not have to relive their crime for their entire lives. This is not a just attitude. If the victim must live with the consequences of the crime, so should the offender. When looking at the fairness point to stiffer sentencing, we must realize that some sex offenders get prison sentences for their first offences. Other sex offenders do not. Sex offenders with low socio-economic status and from minority groups do receive longer and tougher sentencing than others. There are certainly exceptions to the rule, such as Michael Jackson. His money bought him a defense team that found him non-culpable for his crimes. Like crimes should always have the same sentencing. If one man is sentenced to twenty-five years for a sex crime, then all sex offenders must get twenty-five years as well. This premise also meshes with the principle of universalizability. 
7. Reparations – “The time should fit the crime.” We have all heard this cliché, and must expect it to hold true when it comes to our legislative and judicial systems. Again, if a victim has to permanently deal with the consequences of the sex crime, then so should the sex offender.
8. Gratitude – The victims and the majority of the population will be grateful for the added protection that taking sex offenders off of the street provides. 

Sex offenders obviously do not have a sense of what is right and wrong. To many of them, the sex crimes and other crimes they commit are ethical. For instance, Ted Bundy stated, “Is your life more to you than a hog’s life to a hog? Why should I be willing to sacrifice my pleasure more for one than for the other? Surely, you would not, in this age of scientific enlightenment, declare that God or nature has marked some pleasures as ‘moral’ or ‘good’ and others as ‘immoral’ or ‘bad’?” (Pojman, 30). To Bundy, the sex crimes he committed were ethical. Like Bundy, the opposition to current sex offense laws feel that the laws are unethical. They fear that Megan’s Law may cause vigilante style crimes to be committed against the offenders. In the article “Double Punishment,” “The problem, writes Sheppard, who teaches journalism at Auburn University, is that while publishing the information may alert residents to potential dangers, it may also encourage vigilantism. This is the exception rather than the rule.” Sexual predators also state that the proposed laws can result in vigilante style crimes that could be committed against them while they are incarcerated. Such crimes may include rape and murder. However, the Doctrine of Double Effect supports current sentencing and proposed sentencing. Both actions are intended to protect society as a whole from violent sex offenses, which is a positive intention. An unfortunate, and unintended consequence could be, but would not always be retaliative crimes. Offenders also feel that a national registry violates the Double Jeopardy clause in the Fifth Amendment. Many Americans disagree. Fran Koopmans, the grandmother of five-year-old Jessica Koopmans, states, “If they’re that evil, they don’t deserve privacy. I think they should be fixed. If it’s against their rights, that’s fine. Why should only the guilty have rights?” (McLean, 25). Jessica was raped and murdered by a repeat offender.

To sum up, changing laws can help there be a bigger gap between the sex offenses committed.  They can help us to protect our families.  Perhaps you are now more aware of the lack of laws protecting our families.  Now that you have the numbers and how this directly affects you and your family; it is hoped that you, too, can see the need for stiffer sentencing laws.  As you have read, it is unethical to allow sex offenders to walk freely among innocent people. It is the responsibility of citizens to stand up and do something about the need for stiffer sentencing for sex offenders.  Write to your congressman, state representative, and governor to try to get these laws changed.  One voice alone may seem weak in the middle of a crowd.  However, all of our voices together can be strong and heard, even in a large crowd.

Works Cited

Clayton, Susan L. “Most Sex Offenders on Parole, Probation.” Corrections Today. Apr. 1997: 16.

Gibeaut, John. “Defining Punishment: Courts Split on Notification Provisions of Sex Offender Laws.” ABA Journal. Mar. 1997: 36-37.

McLean, Candice. “Too Evil for Privacy.” The Report. 9 Jul. 2001: 21-25.
“Megan’s Law: Pointing the Finger of Blame.” Economist. 15 Feb. 1997: 27-28.

Pojman, Louis P. Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong. 2006. Thomsom Wadsworth.
“Sex-Crime Laws Draw More Flack.”  Christian Science Monitor. 13 Aug. 1998: 3.

Sheppard, Judith. “Double Punishment.” American Journalism Review. Nov. 1997.

Texas Department of Public Safety. “Crime In Texas: The Texas Crime Report.” 2004. <https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/soSearch/default.cfm>

"Don’t make me walk when I want to fly."

~ Galina Doyla

Robert Browning

Porphyria’s Lover

The rain set early in to-night,
       The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
       And did its worst to vex the lake:
       I listened with heart fit to break.
When glided in Porphyria; straight
       She shut the cold out and the storm,
And kneeled and made the cheerless grate
       Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;
       Which done, she rose, and from her form
Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,
       And laid her soiled gloves by, untied
Her hat and let the damp hair fall,
       And, last, she sat down by my side
       And called me. When no voice replied,
She put my arm about her waist,
       And made her smooth white shoulder bare,
And all her yellow hair displaced,
       And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,
       And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair,
Murmuring how she loved me — she
       Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour,
To set its struggling passion free
       From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
       And give herself to me for ever.
But passion sometimes would prevail,
       Nor could to-night's gay feast restrain
A sudden thought of one so pale
       For love of her, and all in vain:
       So, she was come through wind and rain.
Be sure I looked up at her eyes
       Happy and proud; at last I knew
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise
       Made my heart swell, and still it grew
       While I debated what to do.
That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
       Perfectly pure and good: I found
A thing to do, and all her hair
       In one long yellow string I wound
       Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
       I am quite sure she felt no pain.
As a shut bud that holds a bee,
       I warily oped her lids: again
       Laughed the blue eyes without a stain.
And I untightened next the tress
       About her neck; her cheek once more
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:
       I propped her head up as before,
       Only, this time my shoulder bore
Her head, which droops upon it still:
       The smiling rosy little head,
So glad it has its utmost will,
       That all it scorned at once is fled,
       And I, its love, am gained instead!
Porphyria's love: she guessed not how
       Her darling one wish would be heard.
And thus we sit together now,
       And all night long we have not stirred,
       And yet God has not said a word!

Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister

Gr-r-r — there go, my heart’s abhorrence!
   Water your damned flower-pots, do!
If hate killed men, Brother Lawrence,
   God’s blood, would not mine kill you!
What? your myrtle-bush wants trimming?
   Oh, that rose has prior claims —
Needs its leaden vase filled brimming?
   Hell dry you up with its flames!
At the meal we sit together;
   Salve tibi! I must hear
Wise talk of the kind of weather,
   Sort of season, time of year:
Not a plenteous cork-crop: scarcely
   Dare we hope oak-galls, I doubt;
What’s the Latin name for “parsley?”
   What’s the Greek name for Swine’s Snout?
Whew! We’ll have our platter burnished,
   Laid with care on our own shelf!
With a fire-new spoon we’re furnished,
   And a goblet for ourself,
Rinsed like something sacrificial
   Ere ’tis fit to touch our chaps —
Marked with L. for our initial!
   (He-he! There his lily snaps!)
Saint, forsooth! While brown Dolores
   Squats outside the Convent bank
With Sanchicha, telling stories,
   Steeping tresses in the tank,
Blue-black, lustrous, thick like horsehairs,
   — Can’t I see his dead eye glow,
Bright as ’twere a Barbary corsair’s?
   (That is, if he’d let it show!)
When he finishes refection,
   Knife and fork he never lays
Cross-wise, to my recollection,
   As do I, in Jesu’s praise.
I the Trinity illustrate,
   Drinking watered orange-pulp —
In three sips the Arian frustrate;
   While he drains his at one gulp.
Oh, those melons? If he’s able
   We’re to have a feast! so nice!
One goes to the Abbot’s table,
   All of us get each a slice.
How go on your flowers? None double?
   Not one fruit-sort can you spy?
Strange! — And I, too, at such trouble,
   Keep them close-nipped on the sly!
There’s a great text in Galatians,
   Once you trip on it, entails
Twenty-nine distinct damnations,
   One sure, if another fails:
If I trip him just a-dying,
   Sure of heaven as sure as can be,
Spin him round and send him flying
   Off to hell, a Manichee?
Or, my scrofulous French novel
   On grey paper with blunt type!
Simply glance at it, you grovel
   Hand and foot in Belial’s gripe:
If I double down its pages
   At the woeful sixteenth print,
When he gathers his greengages,
   Ope a sieve and slip it in ’t?
Or, there’s Satan! — one might venture
   Pledge one’s soul to him, yet leave
Such a flaw in the indenture
   As he’d miss till, past retrieve,
Blasted lay that rose-acacia
   We’re so proud of! Hy, Zy, Hine ...
“St, there’s Vespers! Plena gratiâ
   Ave, Virgo! Gr-r-r — you swine!

I was very disturbed when I read “Porphyria’s Lover.” I thought, “Oh my! I didn’t just read a poem about auto-erotic asphyxiation, did I?” Browning’s poetry is, by far, more different than anything else we have read. It is so violent. Browning feels that sin motivates people. According to Browning, Victorian times brought about a sense of moral decay. He was attempting to find an end to the struggle between morality and sensuality. There is also an outcry against religious instability found in Browning’s poetry. Overall, he was trying to make the reader more aware of the world in which they lived.

“That moment she was mine,…I am quite sure she felt no pain.” (“Porphyria’s Lover;” lines 36-42)

In order for the character to maintain the innocence of this moment of prohibited sex forever, he strangles the young girl. It is this fine line between sensuality and morality that the character struggles with.

“And this we sit together now, / And all night long we have not stirred, / And yet God has not said a word!” (“Porphyria’s Lover;” lines 58-60)

The character is still satisfying his senses by his play and embrace of Porphyria’s corpse. He tells us that his actions are acceptable because God has not struck him down. God has done nothing. Browning is prompting the reader to ask where The Church is when all of this immoral behavior is going on.

Text: “G-r-r-r – there go, my heart’s abhorrence!...would not mine kill you!” (“Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister;”)

This monk is having evil thoughts about Brother Lawrence. He has hatred in his heart. The character is thinking of killing Brother Lawrence. Browning is trying to get the reader to realize that even the most trusted members of The Church are not free from sin.

Stanza 9 of “Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister” (lines 65-73)

The monk even speaks of striking a deal with Satan in order to betray his brother. The speaker says, however, that he plans to betray Satan as well. A sin such as a monk making a deal with Satan is one of the worst sins that one could commit. This is a good example of how Browning is trying to get the reader to see the severity of the crimes committed by those in charge of The Church.

The visions that Browning gives us from his poetry are not only reflective of his era, but also reflective of ours. Browning’s use of monks throughout “Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister” allows the reader to see that not even the holiest of men are not free from sin. They cannot be trusted either. In today’s society there is also a distrust of clergy. In “Porphyria’s Lover,” we get a portrait of a murderer who likes to toy with the corpse of his victim. This is not unlike men such as Jeffrey Dahmer. The similarities between both societies are astounding.

"Life is either daring adventure or nothing."

~ Helen Keller

Osteen the Business Minister

Joel Osteen is working more on business, than being a minister. I found that his church has spent $90 million to renovate their church. Wow! When I think of that much money, I think about how many starving children could have been fed with that. Anyway, I found this quote from Osteen and thought you may find it interesting. “It's a message of encouragement. I always try to put a seed of hope into people's hearts. I'm not there to teach them doctrine necessarily, but to let them know that God is a good God, and has a plan for their lives. Hopefully, that will restore their faith, or draw them into faith. So I am absolutely trying to bring them to Christianity” (Osteen). I had difficulty finding much about the rules that we should adhere to as Christians, or what it truly means to be a Christian. I also found that Osteen was criticized by Larry King for not keeping his message clear. I agree that this kind of message is what Sider was criticizing.

“Meet the Prosperity Preacher.” 11 Oct. 2007. Business Week. 23 May 2005. <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_21/b3934014_mz001.htm>.

We need to all remember what Christ taught us before we are led astray.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. ~ Acts 4:32-35

"Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

~ George Bernard Shaw

Economic Discrimination

According to theorists, economic discrimination is “in studying labor markets: it is the presence of different pay for workers of the same ability but who are in different groups, e.g. black, white; male, female.” The outcome of economic discrimination often is the poor staying in poverty.

Phil Collins released “Another Day In Paradise” on his But Seriously album in 1989. The song addresses the homeless problem around the world. In 2001, Brandy and Ray J. did a cover on the song.

Another Day In Paradise

by Phil Collins

She calls out to the man on the street
Sir, can you help me?
Its cold and I’ve nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?

He walks on, doesn’t look back
He pretends he can’t hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice, it's another day for
You and me in paradise
Oh think twice, its just another day for you,
You and me in paradise

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she’s been crying
She’s got blisters on the soles of her feet
Cant walk but she’s trying

Oh think twice...

Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she’s been there
Probably been moved on from every place
Cause she didn’t fit in there

Oh think twice...


Pink Floyd released the song “On The Turning Away” on their Momentary Lapse of Reason Album in 1987. The song addresses the issues of poverty and the underlying oppression that occurs due to poverty. The last line in the poem gives the listener a sense of hopefulness.

On The Turning Away

by Pink Floyd

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we won't understand
"Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others' suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away"

It's a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting it's shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that we're all alone
In the dream of the proud

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?

Pink Floyd

"There will be sleeping enough in the grave."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Violence in Children's Literature and Cartoons

Upon careful observation of the cartoons and stories that today's young adults were raised with, the conclusion has been made that present cartoons are not actually as violent as what today's parents are all lead to believe. The cartoons being shown today are amazingly tame compared to those that the 80s generation watched as children. In modern day cartoons, a character pulling out a gun and trying to shoot another as we all have witnessed Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd doing on many an occasion is unheard of. Nor is the racism that has often been shown in these cartoons seen. Nowadays, a starving coyote chasing after a bite to eat and hurling over the side of a cliff in the process is no longer created. In many opinions, these cartoons never once provoked violence. In turn, they reflected the violence and feel of the country at the time they were made.

As far as children's literature goes, no other tales could be as violent as the ones collected by the Brothers Grimm. The original versions were thought to be too violent and vulgar for American audiences and were later cleaned up to become socially acceptable. Through research, a couple of the original versions of the stories have been chosen and will be summarized.

The earliest version of Sleeping Beauty found was in 1636 Italy. Sleeping beauty follows today's story line fairly close until Talia falls dead from catching a splinter of flax under her fingernail. Her distraught father adorned the home as if it were a crypt and left Talia alone. A king happened upon the home in hopes of finding his prized falcon that he lost while hunting. Instead of the falcon, he found the beautiful young girl, which he raped. The king also left Talia behind. Nine months passed, and her lifeless body gave birth to twins, Sun and Moon. The babes would suckle on the still sleeping girl until one slipped off her breast and sucked on Talia's finger freeing the flax. Talia awoke. Meanwhile, the king, still haunted from the memory of his pleasure, went out with some of his men to find the girl once again. He was elated to find that Talia was awake and the mother of his children. The king had the three of them moved to his kingdom where he would frequently visit them. The queen became suspicious of the king's deeds upon hearing the king call out "Talia" in his sleep. The queen forced a servant to tell her about Talia. Furious, she had the cook to serve the king a lavish meal made from his offspring. After the king's meal, the queen had Talia brought in and stripped. The queen told the king of the contents of his meal and ordered Talia to be thrown in a bonfire. The king cried out as he was sickened by the thought of having dined on his young children. He ordered the servant to let Talia go and to burn the queen in her stead. The king also ordered that the servant that had betrayed him along with the cook to be burned. In an instant, the cook's wife explains to the king that the cook could not murder the young children. She went to her home and retrieved them sparing her husband's life. Talia and the king later married, and they all lived happily ever after. The moral to the story is: leaving your sleeping daughters at home alone can result in her rape. However, Talia was pretty lucky in this story. Other fairy tale girls weren't so lucky.

Little Red Riding Hood was a French tale in which the earliest version was put to paper in 1697. This story pretty much stays along the story line that we all know today, however there are some gruesome, vulgar differences. Little Red Riding Hood was the most beautiful girl in her region. A wolf saw her on a journey to her grandmother's house to deliver a basket that her mother had prepared. He approached her and tricked her into telling her destination. The wolf took a short cut through the woods. He tricked the grandmother into letting him in and he devoured her. Upon her arrival, Little Red Riding Hood let herself in. She called out to her grandmother. The wolf answered that he was in the bedroom and felt ill. Little Red Riding Hood went into the bedroom, removed all of her clothing and crawled into bed with the wolf. They went through the entire 'what big' bit. However, instead of 'what big legs you have', she said, "what a big penis you have." He in turn said, "the better to have sexual intercourse with." They then had sex. Upon completion, they started back up with the 'what big' bit. She got to the teeth and he eats her. The end! That is it, no more. There was no hunter with an axe to rescue her and her grandmother. The moral to the story is: young women beware and leery of gentlemen that you do not know. They could be wolves in sheep's clothing.

Now, these stories did not cause people to become violent, instead they warned young women of the dangers of everyday life. Had the stories remained the same, could it be possible that the outcome of the violence in the world could be different. Young women today have no fear in them. They walk alone down city streets never to be seen or heard from again. If the stories remained as their originals, parents would be more leery of leaving their children at home alone. They would walk alongside their children in city streets. There would be less abductions and in turn a reduction of violence. Instead, today, young women are taught that they do not need anyone and can do everything on their own and by themselves. This is not an entirely bad message to put out to them. However, because our children are sheltered from the possibilities of violence in this world, they are being put at greater risk. Be honest with your babes and let them know what can happen if they do not take proper precautions. Also, make sure you always know where they are going and whom they are with. Fear is not a bad thing. It does not tend to make one weaker, in turn it can make you wiser. A wiser person is a stronger person.

Research done via An Underground Education by Richard Zacks.

"Life has no limitations, except the ones you make."

~ Les Brown

Feasting

Keep the Feast
Darryl Tippens

"Jeff Smith is a gourmet cook known to millions through his weekly television program "The Frugal Gourmet". Smith is a master chef, but he is also a fine theologian who understands the unique role of food in the Bible. 

As Smith explains, the Bible is filled with "food" talk, but the Bible is not talking about food. It is talking about theology, or "God" talk. The word faith is used about 275 times in the Bible...but the verb to eat is used some 800 times. Jesus never says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any one should open the door, I will enter and discuss existential theology with him." No, Jesus says, "I will sup with him." (Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast: Past, Present and Future New York, William Morrow, 1995, p. 3) 

When the Bible talks about food, it is almost always talking about something else more important. All of Jesus' appearances after his resurrection (except one) occur at a mealtime. What is the point behind this surprising fact? The meal is the place where friendship, covenant, and love are most evident in ancient Palestine. Truths are revealed at the table, as in no other way. (See Luke 24:28-35) 

Food is a "language" that reveals both God's goodness and our human frailty. The Bible constantly parallels our need for God (the Manna of Life) and our need for daily bread. Human hunger is a lasting reminder that we need something, and we need someone. As long as we know hunger, we can never delude ourselves into thinking we are self-sufficient. Food is a precious gift from God, a daily reminder of our permanent need for God. 

Jesus took out time to eat meals and attend festivals and weddings. He took time to go to the garden for prayer, and he met God in remote mountain retreats. He lingered over quiet conversations with just one person at a time, and he communed with his closest friends Peter, James and John. Daily nourishment, Jesus shows us, comes through communion with the Father and with our friends in the Faith."

I never really thought about feasting in the way that Tippens describes. It does, however, make sense. With a lot of the families that I know, there are two types. There is either the type that seems very close to one another, and then there is the type that does not seem to get along. The families that are typically close to one another are the ones who take the time out to sit at a meal uninterrupted. The other type of family seems to have people eating in different rooms than one another, or not at the same time. Often times it is because the parents say it is not worth the trouble. I, unfortunately, came from the latter. To this day my siblings and I do not seem to have the connection that I feel we should. I insist on my family in my home to actually sit at the table with no music, no television, and no telephones. If the phone rings, we do not answer it; that is what the machine is for. This is the one time of the day that we can all connect with one another and share.

"To change one’s life; Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions."

~ William James

A Testimony to Church and Community

The life led by Eberhard Arnold was truly an inspiration to many. In the first section of A Testimony to Church Community we are taught who Eberhard Arnold was and of the life that he led. Eberhard was dedicated to benefiting the poor and oppressed from a young age. At the age of sixteen, Eberhard fully made his commitment to doing the Lord’s work. He married in 1909. Shortly after, he had to move his family due to an illness of the lungs and larynx. This is when Eberhard began writing. His sister-in-law moved in with the family and became Eberhard’s secretary as well as the first member of their community. Though Eberhard was drafted and served a few weeks of service, he had a strong anti-war view fueled by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount particularly inspired Eberhard. He strongly believed that it is not possible to be both a Christian and a soldier. A short time later, Eberhard Arnold’s community began to grow. They were dedicated to educating underprivileged children. The community also educated others in the surrounding area from their many publications. The group’s efforts to live a peaceful, communal life were suddenly halted by invading Nazis. The community uprooted (children and youth first) and moved to Switzerland. While on a quest for a more permanent home for the community, Eberhard passed away as he underwent surgery on his broken leg. Before his passing, Eberhard left his community with inspirational words on his hopes for the future and continuation of the church.

I found the dedication of Eberhard Arnold to God very inspirational. He strove to find solutions to many problems facing his community. I believe that Eberhard took the teachings of Jesus very seriously. This is quite evident when he stated, “We must obey God rather than men.” Eberhard, like Jesus, strove to reach out to those who were marginalized. I like that Eberhard reached out to the youth in particular. His community’s dedication to educating underprivileged children is above all inspiring to me. After reading how willing Eberhard was to keep his community going no matter the obstacles that came their way, I was truly moved. I have learned from this short passage how dedication and determination in life through Jesus can touch and change many other lives.

In the second section of A Testimony to Church and Community, we get more insight to Eberhard Arnold’s views of God’s purpose. To Arnold, God’s main purpose is togetherness or unity. Arnold told us that we cannot achieve God’s purpose without knowing love. Only love prevails and God’s love is eternal. Love is kindness and fulfills the needs of others. Love is unconditional and warrants no return. This love sees through the sins of man, and still loves and protects. Arnold felt that God’s purpose is for us to realize that the creator, God, is not in nature. Nature is not a way to God, because he is greater than all of nature. In class, we have learned that God is creating again. He is creating togetherness. Arnold tells us that whoever walks the path of God shall be granted an eternal reward. Arnold warns us of the evils of material goods. To him, material goods must benefit God’s purpose. Arnold feels that man must rise above temptations in order to win God’s kingdom back; then, and only then, God will return to rule. Arnold also reminded us that God exists beyond man-made boundaries. He reaches the farthest expanses of the universe. We must become worthy of God. Arnold proposes unity as God’s purpose. Just as we have been learning inn class, Arnold sees the oneness of God and the oneness of man as this purpose. He tells us when we are in isolation, living the way we do today, we are unable to truly live. We will truly be alive once broken free from the shackles of our own existence, our own isolationism. When we accept God, we become free from struggle. The Kingdom of God is within us, no matter where we reside. This reminds me of Acts 2:5 where Luke tells us of the diversity of the followers of Christ. Next, Arnold understood that we all have sin, “the beast in us,” and it fights us every step of the way. He felt that we must turn our thoughts into actions and we must keep our thoughts beyond the flesh. We need to be less self-centered to find true freedom. This freedom will lead us to Christ. I feel Arnold was speaking of us finding our oneness with God. To Arnold, Christianity has lost a lot of the true meaning by making it for one person. He felt Christianity is not for the benefit of just one man, but for the benefit of all men. Arnold felt there would be no justice until those who do God’s will inherit the earth. Getting rid of weapons will not bring about peace. Only ending animosity toward one another will bring peace. Peace is found in unity with both Christ and man. We must remember that it is not right to kill a murderer, because this will make us as “impure” as the murderer. This entire section is like a guidebook to finding unity with God through unity with man. If Arnold is correct, then our wait has just begun. This is where our faith has to step in, because chaos consumes our world. We have segregated ourselves from one another for the purpose of self-preservation.

This section of Arnold’s A Testimony to Church and Community covers a variety of topics that all relate to the success of Church Community. These topics include: private property, true understanding, diversity, and social problems. The first thing that Arnold wants man to remember is that private property isolates man. It is the root of most of man’s evils. Capitalism is evil. A capitalist world does not fall because too many people are driven by greed. War is driven by love of the flesh, love of property, and love of self-preservation. Therefore, private property is inherently evil. The sun, the air, the water, and the earth are what keep us living. God gave it all to us. The sun belongs to all man, because it is beyond man’s grasp. However, the air, the water, and the earth are being privatized. The earth should belong to all men, but it is parceled among the many few. Prophets such as Jesus are pro-man therefore they must be anti-private property. Man should follow Jesus’ example and give up all their worldly possessions. Anything possessed by man is his curse. To receive full freedom from all rights and all privileges, man must not collect possessions. Unity is the key to life. It is a part of life. True unity comes from a communal way of life. This section of Arnold’s book reminds me of Acts 4:32-5:11. I think that the point that Arnold is trying to get across is that we all must put our trust into God. We must trust that God will take care of all of our needs. We must remember that if we are in unity with God, then we will be provided for. For a true community to work effectively, man must sacrifice everything including himself. This is what it means to love. This reminds me of Acts 15:1-35 where we learned that every man in God’s community must sacrifice many things that makes him an individual. They must sacrifice their culture and their ideals in order for the community to work.

Next Arnold shares with us that true understanding comes from “the spirit of Church Community” (Arnold, 30). Community begins with agreement on emotion, will, and thought. If the bond between a group raises the group to higher ground, then they will be able to see more. They will find fulfillment, and they will find something beyond humanity. What they will find is the Holy Spirit, which creates a new perception of reality. Each person in a community is just as important as the next. The Church is more than brick and stone. It is the people who dwell within its walls. Take the walls down; the Church should still thrive. While reading this, I am reminded of Peter’s vision where he learns that anything that God has made is not impure or unclean. He applied this lesson to people as well. He learned that every man was an equal to himself. Arnold then adds that the Church should be diverse. This section reminds me of the picture painted in Acts 2:5: “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.” It should reach beyond all nations under heaven and beyond worldly bounds. The Church should reach beyond time and space. It should be the power of God to reconcile all things. God has given the world diversity and his goal is to bring the diversity together as a working unit.

Also, Christ’s Community should alleviate all social problems. The New Kingdom must be free from common sin in order to find success. The laws of Christ must stand before the laws of man. All men must follow Christ’s law to bring forth community or The New Kingdom. All men must remember there is only one leader of any Church; that leader is God. No man can govern another. The purpose of the Church is not only to spread the word, but also to live by the word. I think if everyone were able to follow the advice of Arnold, our world would be a much brighter, safer world. However, since man is unable to let go of everything that makes him an individual, we are not able to find peace and alleviate all social problems. There are many of us within the community in the “waiting” process trying to live by the laws of God. Hopefully, one day, we can all come together and not have to wait any longer.

Throughout the poems of Eberhard Arnold, we find continuing ideas. These ideas include: community, unity, and oneness; love; peace; work; giving; waiting; and trusting. All but one poem fully paints a bright picture, until the end anyway. I will discuss that poem as you read on. I will tackle the more prominent idea in Arnold’s poetry, community. As I go on, you will see how community ties everything else together. I have learned from earlier readings that Arnold feels strongly about the idea of unity and community. Throughout his poems this idea, his message, comes up a total of eighteen times.

Arnold’s message is clear. We must remember that God is one, and through his word we envision the community. God is with us, and His Kingdom is near. His mission is to help us find fulfillment through community. If we become one, God will work through us. Because he works through us, we will be able to work together through community. Our work is to teach others to love each other. We must teach them that Christ is the love that fills hearts, and God is uplifting. As we work, we wait; and when we wait, we learn to trust God and to work as one. God is the trinity working together, so we too must work together. Through working together, new members will join together and complete our circle; then we will be a complete community because we will not only have a physical community, but also have a spiritual community. Only through a spiritual community will we be able to find peace. Peace will help us to be free from temptation; then and only then, God will reclaim the earth.

This message ties more closely to Acts than Revelation thus far. Again, I can see the story of Ananias and Sapphira in this message. We must learn to trust in God to help others find peace and community. However, in Revelation, we are told that God is one. So through this, again, you get the sense of unity. In the letters of John to the seven churches he has told them that they have lost their way. From losing their way, they have lost their sense of unity and community. I feel of all the poems the second poem is more closely tied to Revelation than the others. This poem actually reminds me of the letters. He tells the reader, you have lost hope. There is war and destruction because you are bound more to your country than you are to God. This has helped Satan to get a foothold among us. Temptation has overtaken the world which has given men great burdens. Men are not united to God and each other; they are united to their country and their possessions. However, there is a light among us; this light is God. He works through us to bring us together, and through this we will be united. Then God will be able to reclaim his Kingdom, Earth. Like John, Arnold is telling people, to wake up, to endure. He reminds them that they are forsaking Jesus, and they should not take the middle road. Arnold is trying to get people to know they are being seduced; and though they feel they are good Christians, they are more loyal to other ideas than to God and Christ. Arnold’s message has been very clear; the answer to God’s purpose is community. It is not only a physical community; it is also a community through spirit. If we wake up and accept this way of life, if we trust in God; we will find unity, love, and peace. Then, everything else will work itself out, and God will take his reign among us.

"Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God."

~ Mary Manin Morrissey

Losing Faith

I know it is common for people to lose faith in God when they have suffered greatly, and I fully agree that we all need sympathy at times. I know when I am hurting and someone tells me, “Well, it could be worse” or “You have been through worse things, why can’t you get through this,” I tend to get angry with them. I realize that worse things can happen, but it seems at times that I receive too much at once. It is very hard for us to understand why we suffer, or why some people seem to suffer more than others. Only God understands why. What I am sure of, though, is through my suffering and through my pain I have found strength. Furthermore, I look at this strength as a gift, no matter how I had gained it.

“That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Will He?

Will God remember me
When my time comes
Will he see my life
As a fulfilled one

©Pamela N. Brown

The Beginning of Life

Before we can argue whether abortion is ethical or unethical, we must determine when human life begins. There are two approaches to explaining when humans come to be, biological and theological. Through these methods we will learn that life starts from the moment of conception.

First, we will explore the biological answer to this complicated question. Webster’s Dictionary defines life as, “an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, and reaction to stimuli.” Biologists believe that all living things have these capacities in common; therefore, biologists believe life begins from the moment of conception. Professor Micheline Matthews-Roth of Harvard University Medical School states, “Each individual has a very neat beginning, at conception” (Just). From the moment a person is conceived, their genes have formed to mold the physical traits of the person. Within days, the brain and heart begin to develop. At eighteen days, less than three weeks, the heart starts to beat. At this moment, the mother may not suspect that she is with child. Not only has the heart started beating, but he also has developed a stomach, lungs, intestines, and eyes. At forty days, the five parts of the brain are developed, thus forming a central nervous system. Around three weeks after conception, limbs are developed, and at six weeks digits have formed. The baby, then, begins to suck his thumb. Next, the baby starts moving instinctively. Next, the baby begins to respond to touch. “At about 9 weeks, in response to a touch on the sole of his foot, he will curl his toes and bend his hips and knees to move away from the object” (Just). Eleven weeks is when all of the baby’s body systems are working. The child can swallow, breathe amniotic fluid, and acts as if he is crying. By the sixteenth week, the sex of the baby is evident. These first four months are when most abortions occur. At the same time, biology dictates that the baby is alive during the entirety of the first four months.

As has been noted, science states that life begins from the moment of conception. Now we will explore when theological doctrine and law in general states that life begins. First, many states consider a fetus a human life. In Memphis, Tennessee, Eric Laquinne Brown was given a twenty-year sentence for manslaughter because he killed his unborn child. In Little Rock, Arkansas, Erik Bullock and three acquaintances were convicted of capital murder for the murder of his unborn child. Numerous cases of people being convicted of murdering an unborn child have been reported across the United States. Therefore, numerous lawmakers, judges, and jurors feel that a fetus is a living being. Many respected religious officials agree. Jessee Jackson stated, “Anything growing is living.” Because a fetus is growing, it must be living. Jackson also states, “It takes three to make a baby: a man, a woman, and the Holy Spirit.” This view of life is common for most people of Christian faith. One verse gives Christians insight into God’s creation of man. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee” (Jeremiah 1:5). Psalms 139:13 and 16 reveal that God knew us and created us in His image before our conception. The belief that life begins at conception is not only a Christian belief. It is also a belief that is shared by other religions as well. Buddhists consider a fetus as a being that can achieve enlightenment; therefore it is a living being. Hinduism states that a fetus is a life with consciousness; therefore it must be protected. Hindus teach reincarnation and that the soul is reincarnated at the moment of conception. Islam also teaches that the moment of conception is when life begins. Respect for life is law in Islamic religion. Judaism teaches that all life including that of a fetus is blessed. With all of these religions, the preservation of life is sacred. To all of these religions only their God can decide when to take life away. Many people argue that life means the completeness of a being. To them we are not alive until we are born. Once we are born we are complete. “If completeness were the criteria for taking life we would all be dead. If you can justify abortion on the basis of emotional incompleteness then your logic could also lead you to killing for other forms of incompleteness – blindness, crippleness, old age” (Jackson). Biology and theology both agree, life begins at conception; therefore a fetus is a living being.

Works Cited

Jackson, Jessee. “How We Respect Life Is The Over-Riding Moral Issue.” Right to Life News (Jan 1977).

Just The Facts. 6 April 2007. < http://www.justthefacts.org/clar.asp>.

“Life.” Def. Webster’s Dictionary. New and Expanded ed. 1993.