Thursday, September 27, 2007

Today on CNN

I don't want to be a downer but this time it's inevitable and, for some reason I believe, necessary.

This is what I found on a casual stroll through CNN's website today. I think I want to throw up. It's very doubtful anyone will want to follow the links to the articles but I'm putting the respective link up anyway.

Two young girls (under the age of 10. 10! YOU SICKO) were videotaped being sexually assaulted. Police have identified one, they are searching for the other. May the innocents get their justice; I hope he rots. (just one more reason I know there is a God- so many times I could care less about certain members of homo sapiens and would even rejoice at their death and dance on their grave (were they so lucky to have one) yet it is evidenced by that very presence of hatred that something stronger than that, something akin to a father's love, must exist. If I so feel loved all the time, then that love must cover them as well. Ooo I hate that so much! I want them to be hated, spit on, shunned, tortured, I want their very being to be despised. It speaks volumes to me that even the least have a chance. I want that God.)

Young children at a daycare center were found to have their mouths taped shut in order to silence them. This happened in Russia as well; Iraq orphanages were almost worse. This could be a sign you are not in the career field you need to be, ladies (although the word I'm thinking of rhymes with "witches.") Thankfully I am not God and so He can bestow mercy and grace upon you creeps; hopefully they realize how blessed they are that vengeance is the Lord's and not mine.

A young pup had to be euthanized after it was found nearly burned to death. Someone had doused the animal in gasoline and set fire to it. I would include animals in the innocents, we were given dominion over the earth, an entrusted dominion. We were placed in care of it, not to abuse it at will. The Michael Vick case is still all over the news so he's not included in this list as everyone already knows about it.

Everyone also knows about Warren Jeffs. At the age of 14 I was innocently working on chemistry homework, playing in the band, and babysitting. I was not being raped. No one ever deserves to be treated as having no soul and no heart (unless you are any of the aforementioned assailants), how can one look into another person's eyes and steel themselves against the creation inside? We are a selfish people, fixated on our own desires of success, all at the expense of (hmm, have I mentioned them before?) the innocents.

This young woman tried protecting herself. She had a restraining order issued against him. Yet someone insisted that their interests were superior to all else and she died because of it. Death happens and it happens to all of us. I hope whoever killed her realizes this and takes it in fully, as I've mentioned before, whoever you are, you might get on your knees and repent. I have not the heart to tear you apart thanks to Someone Who cares about you.

Monks are protesting in Myanmar and the government doesn't like it
. So what do they do? They beat and kill 9 of the protesters. Someone has the government scared. I read a quote in Money magazine this morning, so Myanmar, listen up.
"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know."
--Harry Truman
Pay attention to what happens when you try to force your people to listen. Pay attention to the countries that are successful. Pay attention to what happens when unsuccessful countries work with violence to dominate. It. Never. Works. Any country that does not send the message that citizenship in the country means provision and protection, will have its inhabitants fleeing. If they're not safe at home, then where? AND QUIT WITH THE MURDER! Where was your grandmother when you needed a good spanking? Oh yeah, you probably did away with her too!

Touching on the above subject, 50+ people died in Iraqi insurgent attacks. They were all someone's relative, someone's "someone," and fear and selfishness killed them. How meaningless life would be unless someone cared about them. Someone Who would ensure they were loved, that they weren't just another number on the death tally. People, you've been forewarned, you have no idea Who you are messing with. He is mercy and love and justice (although so many times, the mercy and love give him a passive connotation. On the flip side, man's ideas of His justice have given Him the picture of hostility and ruthlessness and of choosing sides.)

I'm done for now. I've worn myself out.


Monday, September 24, 2007

Practiced Christianity- Worship

I cannot enjoy corporate worship as presented (note the "presented") by the stereotypical Protestant (low) church. In fact, I believe it would not be an understatement to say my spirit even rebels against said corporate worship. My soul desires raw, unpracticed, unscheduled, unrehearsed, and unaffected worship and praise of my Lord and Savior. I want a childlike worship of Christ, not a mature worship that is praised for its skilled performers and talented musicians. This includes those who would stand up at the altar and insist all attendees rise and lift their hands towards the Lord. Does not the Lord desire for us to be real before Him?

The Lord is neither pleased with a deceitful heart, no false humility. He created me to be as I am, a glorious creation as I am, and I cannot deny Him the praise He is due (and that which I long desperately to give) from an honest and true heart. To deny Him the praise which is unique to myself and only that which I can give is to blatantly disregard my God and flout my sinful nature, my prideful nature. Any praise and worship that is motivated only by pride, the careful examination of the actions of my peers, and the desire to impress is nothing short of utter rudeness and complete disobedience.

There is something to be said for the embarrassment of one's pride and the complete dismissal of pretentiousness as one's heart is brought before the Throne.

May I never be content with drinking milk like a child or speaking like one, but may the heart of a child and a childlike faith never be far from me.

Anselm

Apparently I relate best to one of the most brilliant minds of the Catholic Church in theology.

Sweet!

Wait a sec... I'm not Catholic!

As it is, this is quite interesting to me as I have never been one to delve deep into theology, although as a Christian I am automatically a theologian. Mayhap it is time to find out where I truly stand with regards to all of this.

Here's the Wikipedia entry on Anselm


You scored as Anselm, Anselm is the outstanding theologian
of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as
having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God
becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You
should read 'Cur Deus Homo?'

Anselm


100%

Charles Finney


73%

Karl Barth


60%

Jürgen Moltmann


40%

Martin Luther


40%

Augustine


33%

Friedrich Schleiermacher


33%

John Calvin


33%

Paul Tillich


33%

Jonathan Edwards


0%

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Branded Slavery

So this guy in the UK decides to take a year's sabbatical from shopping for name-brand only merchandise. Quite frankly, I rarely ever, EVER, buy anything because of the brand. I only make purchases based on #1- Do I need it?, #2- Do I like it? If #1 isn't relative (i.e. jewelry, various accessories) then I head straight to #2.

There are allegiances to certain brands, Crest, Propel, Trader Joe's, and Skippy, that I have to say are based on their ability to perform (*chuckle, just had an image of a performing peanut butter), their ability to walk the walk and talk the talk.

This guy, while going to extremes that I'm not sure necessarily apply to myself, does raise some good concerns. It's an interesting article if you're bored- another one of the plethora of articles raising concern over how the earth is treated and how we as humans can do something else better.