The Merry-go-round of Life

Over 2 years since I've been here, and frankly it means I'm not as healthy as I need to be. Something about solitude, writing, expressing my thoughts, and just forcing myself to look around and think about issues causes me to be better. I'm working through quite a bit right now and am having a hard time with church, organized religion, and exactly what do I think about God. Not just sitting but working through all of these things is once again forcing me to make them my own and not just take the easy road and spout out someone elses line about who I am, or why I am this way. You patience is appreciated, ~mhb

Politicians will steal your Soul

First off this is not a rant about Ms. Bachmann, because frankly I don't care. But with all the press she has received lately, and the articles I linked in the previous post she is the easiest person to use as an example. Not to mention she is a politician who makes no qualms about allowing her faith to directly influence her political decisions (which I find odd considering America was heavily founded on religious liberty and the separation of church and state).

After reading the a fore mentioned article, I'm terrified. The thought of Michele Bachmann (or any similar candidate) becoming president terrifies me, and here are some of the most pointed reasons.

1) Her desire to make her religious beliefs the basis for laws passed, and decisions made. Now I'm all for policy makers allowing their religion to give them a solid moral compass that is then is one of the available tools used when decisions are made. I get really scared when someone believes certain actions are right/wrong and then begins to make decisions that affect our whole country based solely off that belief. In this particular case there are several that can be pointed out: Creationism taught in schools; Abortion; American blindly supporting Israel as a state.

Now this may come as a surprise to many people, because I suspect there are very few people who actually read my blog and even fewer who are not of a Christian background, but I don't want Christian beliefs at the center of our nations policy making. That only paves the way for other religious beliefs to be the center at a future date and time, and I'd rather live in a country that has actual religious freedom. One where my beliefs are as valid as any other and we can all live in the beauty that exists when people find worth in differences as well as similarities.

2) She is a true politician, twisting the facts to say/support what she needs them to say/support. I wish it wasn't true, I wish people would just say the truth and let people connect with them that way, but that isn't politics and that doesn't win elections. From what I've read and heard out of her campaign she preys on people who don't think for themselves, or are so bound up that their view of America/politics/religion is right they can't see past their noses. She uses her "conservative faith" as a platform to reach constituents, and I frankly find that offensive. I feel like she is hijacking Jesus the same way the terrorists on 9/11 hijacked the whole of the Muslim faith. Because just as I don't believe what Bachmann believes, there are thousands of Muslims that don't believe in blowing up buildings to get their point across.

I'm just tired of hearing Politicans use their religious beliefs as a basis to keep freedoms from others. Just because we disagree with someone doesn't mean they don't have the right to make that decision. Bachmann claims to support liberty, but I don't see that in her stance against Gay Marriage, which seems to me to be supported by the Constitution, and a legal rather than religious issue.

So yeah, I pointed out Bachmann quite a bit, but this extends to all politicians. Huckabee, Obama, etc...

I think it is time we examine why we support any of the politicians in Washington, and consider removing them. The establishment seems to have forgotten who they answer to, and quite frankly we haven't called them to answer in a very long time. The corrupt flourish while the honest voices are downed out.

As a Christian the wicked are in power, and the orphans, widows and aliens in the land are being forgotten. There is no perfect government, and when Israel was given a King the Lord said it was what they wanted not what he wanted. When Christ came he didn't stir up political revolution, but a revolution of the heart that found itself in opposition to the Caesars Regime. I find myself in opposition to the current Regime and helping to elect another Caesar doesn't seem like the answer.

In solitude

So took today as a day to myself. I cannot even being to explain how important these are for me, and how few of them I've had since April 4th. It is with the pushing of my wonderful wife and dearest friend (who both know me better and love me more than I deserve from anyone) that I finally made it a priority.
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So here I am, simply recovering and picking up the pieces that have fallen to the side. Hopefully today is enough to get me through. It has allowed me much needed time to think and read, and be astounded. So check out these 2 links, and then stay tuned for another post in a few hours.

Could you be Michele Bachmann?

Well written article on Ms. Bachmann

grace and peace
~mhb

Back Again

Been a while for me since I've been around here. Feel like I'm just starting to head back down the road of being a healthy person. I find it interesting that we never see how sick we are until we start getting better, and even then many times we only allow ourselves to feel better before we are off the medication again instead of staying with the prescription till we are cured. So here's to being sick and getting better; to taking the whole prescription twice a day for 30 days so there is no chance of that nasty bug rearing its ugly head again.

So over 2 years since my last post and I'm still thinking about some of the same things. In fact I see some of these things as being more toxic to the current state of Christianity than just about anything out there.

First off we have the whole dispute over Israel and the Presidents proposal that they move their borders back to pre-1967 lines. Now if you were raised in a very conservative, evangelical, baptist home this may strike a very negative chord, I know it used to with me. There is a very toxic view that Israel needs to be somehow protected because they are still the Chosen of God and "those who bless Israel I will bless and those who curse Israel will I curse." But if we start quoting the OT we have to use it all, most importantly the parts about Israel taking care of the orphans, widows, and aliens in their foreign land because they are aliens in the Lords land. Not to mention Israel broke the covenant with YHVH and was eventually destroyed both Northern and then Southern Kingdoms; which lead to Christ (the New Covenant, see Jeremiah 31:31).

It seems in fact that as Christians we should be more concerned with caring for the oppressed and persecuted, the down trodden and ridiculed, the broken and beaten, the orphans and the widows. Not to say Palestine is perfect or doesn't do horrible things but then again so does Israel and as Christians we should be absolutely appalled. Father forgive us.

If you have doubts concerning the validity of the above statements please read Ephesians, most notably the 2nd chaper verses 11-22. The whole 2nd half of chapter 2 is about Christ combining the 2 (Gentiles and Jews) into one new man, preaching peace. And peace is something completely lacking in and around Israel.

Westboro Baptist Church has Hi-Jacked Christianity like the 9/11 terrorists Hi-Jacked Islam. I think it is about time we take it back from them. Sure they get tons of press for being ignorant assholes, but perhaps we could get tons of press for being kind, loving, intelligent, Christians that are NOTHING like WBC. In fact I love what one town did Small Town Boycotts WBC

Grace and peace,
~mhb

The Christians Weep for Gaza

Two weeks since Israel launched its "Attack on Hamas," aka... "War on Gaza;" and I have seen very little international outcry against this. Yes from the French, and of course from the Muslim countries, but not from the Christians and I would think our voice for peace would be the loudest and the first. It seems to me as if we have lost the truth along the way, that we forget "Violence paid back with Violence," is the system of this world but we have been saved from that and are under the authority of another system. We are called to repay Violence with Peace, ALWAYS. There are those who disagree and that is fine, but I challenge anyone to tell me of a time when Christ would pay back Violence with Violence. I can think of none and no one I have ever talked to has ever found one, and since I am seeking to pattern my life after him does it not follow that I would never pay back violence with violence.

I wonder where all the Peacemakers are? Why does the world not turn to the Christians when war breaks out, to come teach the factions about peace? Why are we not the experts on peace in this world, after all our Lord is the Prince of Peace, came to bring Peace, and seeks to restore the Peace that was in the beginning.

There is also the small matter of Israel not even being close to the chosen of God any longer, and how the heresy dispensationalism only furthers the case of the Zionist Jews.

Peace be with you,
~mhb

The $700 billion dollar band-aide

The past few weeks have bore witness to some of the most important events in World History. Most notably the U.S. economy being in what some say is the worst shape since the Great Depression, but also the nomination of Obama as the Dem Presidential Nominee. Oddly enough I find the economy to be the most interesting subject to me at the moment, and have spent several long hours thinking about this proposed "bail-out" more like "temporary patch-job."

From what I know of economy, which I admit extends to only that which I learned in intro to business and those things I have picked up along the way, a Capitalist economy such as ours is proud of the fact that government isn't involved in the economy other than to provide some regulation, but most of that is done by private regulating entities. When the government does get involved it evolves into socialism or even communism, or as we may yet see some crazy hybrid of socialism and free market capitalism. Regardless, the system, in theory, is supposedly capable of existing completely without interference from the outside. The supply and demand within the system will set prices, risks can be taken and somewhat managed, but eventually someone will overstep their bounds, fall and be taken over by a stronger company/entity behind them. Very much like natural selection meets the Riches.

The current issue is that the Government would like to patch up this mess that a few over zealous companies got themselves into. Bush wants to play doctor, perhaps because he wasn't good at playing president. Instead, Bush/Congress/Who ever else is involved, need to get the best economic minds together and figure out a solution to keep the building from crumbling, but not be afraid to knock down a wall or two if remodeling is necessary. Yes it displaces the occupants for a bit, but in the end we all have a beautiful bay window to stare out of.

I'm not concerned with Social Security, seeing as it won't be there for me any way. What I am concerned about is seeing our economy be taken over by the government, and the risk takers who not only lost, but got expelled from the game be taken care of instead of having to pay the natural consequences of their actions.

let me know if you agree or disagree, this is all quite interesting to me.

~mhb

Tin Roof Rain

Today is what I consider to be one of the greatest days of the year. Today the temp dropped about 20 degrees from yesterday and there has been a light rain falling since the early morning. The perfect day for napping on a couch, with the window open and the cool air blowing over you. All in all it signifies the beginning of fall, which is my favorite season.

~mhb

From Slaves to Task Masters

I have often wondered how some people view Israel under a separate covenant from the rest of the world, aka gentiles. It seems quite aparrent to me that Christ came to fulfill the convenants, and create a new one, one that included not just all people but all of creation.

It also intrigues me how Israel could Have once been the single group of people chosen in all creation to be the ones most blessed by YHVH, and in turn be the ones to bless creation, and yet now they have turned into the haters of their enemies, the ones who persecute the alien in their land.

Israel: The Persecutor