Hello, fellow students!
Today, I'm going to be talking about something I found the other day...something I just think is weird, sad, and exploitive--Toddlers in Tiaras, on TLC.
Okay, so if you've never heard of this, basically what they do is they go to "beauty pageants" that are designed for girls under ten years old. The parents (who pay butt-loads of money for gowns, travel, and makeup by the way) dress their girls up in the most ridiculous outfits, then send them up on a stage where the girls prance around and look pretty.
All this is fine and dandy...normally, I wouldn't care about this (except to make fun of the whole idea, of course), but when I saw the way that the moms literally worshipped the ground their kids walked on...that disgusted me.
One of the girls treated her mom like crap, saying stuff like, "MoooOOOm! You hurt me!", "Shut up, woman!", and "You're not supposed to PRESS SO HARD!!!" (something about nails). The worst part of this was that the mom just took it! She later said the following:
"Once her medication wears off I just.........run!"
That's not ringing any alarm bells at ALL?!?! The kid is in control? Talk about the degredation of America, but that's just wrong!
But you know what else was wrong? When some of these kids went up on the runway, they were wearing less than girls who perform on the Vegas Strip! I'm not kidding, in some states that would qualify as child pornography! And there's parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and great-aunts and great-uncles and God-knows-who-else watching this and cheering it on!?
I'm sorry, but this is a great sign of the sin of this country--when displaying underage children in skimpy clothing and allowing them control over their parents becomes a TV show that people are entertained by.
Just yesterday, the Enid Police Department talked to us about child pornography, and how illegal/just-plain-wrong it is. I don't think it's any coincidence that right after that chapel I heard about this stupid show. I sincerely hope that the people reading this realize how dumb stuff like this is, and work to change America's interests for the better.
Here's to the Sane,
--JesusFreak
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Aaaaannnd....Go!
Hello, guys! I'm back!
This post isn't serious in any way, it's really just me trying to get a rant out cuz I feel like it.
...starting...now!
Okay, so you know how we always get soooo worked up when people treat animals badly? Like when that one lady in Britain threw a cat in the trash and just walked away? Or when the girl in Sweden or wherever was tossing puppies into a river and acting like it was a sort of sport? Let's face it--when a cute/cuddly animal is in danger due to human cruelty, it's something we don't like to watch.
Why are humans cruel to animals? I think it's because sometimes humans get bored hurting each other and decide to practice hurting something else. Sadly, that something else usually ends up being cute and cuddly (i.e., a puppy). It's the same reason that after WWII (when we discovered that if war technology escalated any more, we could potentially fight ourselves to death) aliens became such a huge thing in Hollywood. The basic idea was simple--we found something that can kill a whole race, but we can't use it on us. Let's find someone who we all hate to use it on. I know, aliens!
But back to the animal cruelty thing...I'm all for stopping stupid people from hurting animals. I volunteer at the SPCA during the summer, and it twists my gizzard to see some people bringing in dogs that would rather be dead. But there's a point when I can't go any further.
Let me give you a hint..."animal rights".
Take a good long look at that phrase..."animal rights". I don't know about you, but that kind of puts animals on the same level as humans, don't it?
I mean, think about it--humans have "certain unalienable rights", such as Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, right? "Well," says PETA, "Shouldn't animals get the same thing?"
At first thought, it's OF COURSE! We want to be nice to animals, right? Animals deserve Life, Liberty (to an extent...defecation is strictly forbidden on my carpet), and the Pursuit of Happiness?
Sure. Tell that to the "Angus" Burger from McDonalds you had for lunch. Or maybe the unborn chickens you ingested for breakfast, along with that molecularly altered pig fat. Or how about the turkey you had for Thanksgiving? I don't think he's pursuing any happiness at the moment...
The point is, if we give up our dominion over animals (which GOD GAVE US, by the way), we end up giving up a lot of things we like, too. I like cows. I've got nothing against them. I'm all for being humane in treating them and all. But no "animal rights" activist is going to separate me from my steak.
(sorry, Chik-Fil-A)
From a Christian perspective...God specifically gave MAN dominion over the earth. If MAN is more important than animal, then why do we get so choked up when a shark gets caught in a tuna trawler's net accidentally, but we find it okay that thousands of human babies are murdered every year on purpose?
Also...in the Bible, Man (and Woman) are capitalized when talking about the human race in general (i.e., Man is sinful, Woman will bear child, etc.). A major hint that God doesn't put humans and animals on the same level is that while Man and Woman are capitalized, sheep, dog, pig, whale, and shark are lowercase...some food for thought.
Tidings of Comfort and Joy!
--JesusFreak!
This post isn't serious in any way, it's really just me trying to get a rant out cuz I feel like it.
...starting...now!
Okay, so you know how we always get soooo worked up when people treat animals badly? Like when that one lady in Britain threw a cat in the trash and just walked away? Or when the girl in Sweden or wherever was tossing puppies into a river and acting like it was a sort of sport? Let's face it--when a cute/cuddly animal is in danger due to human cruelty, it's something we don't like to watch.
Why are humans cruel to animals? I think it's because sometimes humans get bored hurting each other and decide to practice hurting something else. Sadly, that something else usually ends up being cute and cuddly (i.e., a puppy). It's the same reason that after WWII (when we discovered that if war technology escalated any more, we could potentially fight ourselves to death) aliens became such a huge thing in Hollywood. The basic idea was simple--we found something that can kill a whole race, but we can't use it on us. Let's find someone who we all hate to use it on. I know, aliens!
But back to the animal cruelty thing...I'm all for stopping stupid people from hurting animals. I volunteer at the SPCA during the summer, and it twists my gizzard to see some people bringing in dogs that would rather be dead. But there's a point when I can't go any further.
Let me give you a hint..."animal rights".
Take a good long look at that phrase..."animal rights". I don't know about you, but that kind of puts animals on the same level as humans, don't it?
I mean, think about it--humans have "certain unalienable rights", such as Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, right? "Well," says PETA, "Shouldn't animals get the same thing?"
At first thought, it's OF COURSE! We want to be nice to animals, right? Animals deserve Life, Liberty (to an extent...defecation is strictly forbidden on my carpet), and the Pursuit of Happiness?
Sure. Tell that to the "Angus" Burger from McDonalds you had for lunch. Or maybe the unborn chickens you ingested for breakfast, along with that molecularly altered pig fat. Or how about the turkey you had for Thanksgiving? I don't think he's pursuing any happiness at the moment...
The point is, if we give up our dominion over animals (which GOD GAVE US, by the way), we end up giving up a lot of things we like, too. I like cows. I've got nothing against them. I'm all for being humane in treating them and all. But no "animal rights" activist is going to separate me from my steak.
(sorry, Chik-Fil-A)
From a Christian perspective...God specifically gave MAN dominion over the earth. If MAN is more important than animal, then why do we get so choked up when a shark gets caught in a tuna trawler's net accidentally, but we find it okay that thousands of human babies are murdered every year on purpose?
Also...in the Bible, Man (and Woman) are capitalized when talking about the human race in general (i.e., Man is sinful, Woman will bear child, etc.). A major hint that God doesn't put humans and animals on the same level is that while Man and Woman are capitalized, sheep, dog, pig, whale, and shark are lowercase...some food for thought.
Tidings of Comfort and Joy!
--JesusFreak!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Lord Save Us From Your Followers: An Apt Title
Greetings, Comrades in the Fight for Civility!
Today's blog is about the poignant movie "Lord Save Us From Your Followers". The movie addresses a key point: Why is the Gospel of Love becoming synonymous with "breaking America in half"? Why is it that Christians are being labeled as ignorant, posh know-it-alls?
Well, it's pretty simple, actually: for the longest time we've had a generation of Christians in America who take the easy way out of the arguement. In any argument, there are always at least two simple ways to the end: the first ends up being an intelligent and civil discussion of two people's beliefs, and the second one is just two people yelling at each other with their fingers in their ears. Obviously, the second one requires the least effort, and sadly it's the option that many people have been taking recently. So it's no wonder that after a while, people just stop caring about God's message: the "debate" between Christianity and every other religion just becomes a huge mosh pit of "I'm right, you're wrong, that's it, I'm done".
The problem is, neither God, nor Jesus, nor any prophet or preacher or apostle in the Bible made a point of always being right about everything! In fact, if you want an example of our "modern" strategy of being right, take a look at the Pharisees. They were constantly arguing with Jesus on every point, giving Him hell left and right. It doesn't take a biblical genius to figure out that the Pharisees aren't the fluffiest loaves in the bread basket.
So the problem isn't the Gospel, it's the way it's being presented! We have sorely twisted the idea of "preaching the Gospel" into "standing at the pulpit and screaming abuse at sinners". God is a personal being, concerned with people, not numbers. If at my death I have nothing else to show God than helping one person know Him better, my life is worth no more and no less than the man who converts an entire country. St. Patrick and the homeless guy under the bridge who comes to church once a month are no different in God's eyes. It's time that Christians learned the most divine truth of all: people are people. The people that we look at as the "best" (the richest, the nicest, the best-looking, the purest) don't need much help, just like the healthy person doesn't need a doctor. It's the "poor", the "mean", the "ugly", and the impure who need God most. So it cheers my heart to see people going to those whom life has abandoned and engaging in conversation with them, loving them, and basically doing exactly what Christ did thousands of years ago. I can't believe it took two thousand years for us to figure out what we were supposed to do. Let's not waste the time that we have here--let's be friends with the friendless.
Until next time,
--JesusFreak
Today's blog is about the poignant movie "Lord Save Us From Your Followers". The movie addresses a key point: Why is the Gospel of Love becoming synonymous with "breaking America in half"? Why is it that Christians are being labeled as ignorant, posh know-it-alls?
Well, it's pretty simple, actually: for the longest time we've had a generation of Christians in America who take the easy way out of the arguement. In any argument, there are always at least two simple ways to the end: the first ends up being an intelligent and civil discussion of two people's beliefs, and the second one is just two people yelling at each other with their fingers in their ears. Obviously, the second one requires the least effort, and sadly it's the option that many people have been taking recently. So it's no wonder that after a while, people just stop caring about God's message: the "debate" between Christianity and every other religion just becomes a huge mosh pit of "I'm right, you're wrong, that's it, I'm done".
The problem is, neither God, nor Jesus, nor any prophet or preacher or apostle in the Bible made a point of always being right about everything! In fact, if you want an example of our "modern" strategy of being right, take a look at the Pharisees. They were constantly arguing with Jesus on every point, giving Him hell left and right. It doesn't take a biblical genius to figure out that the Pharisees aren't the fluffiest loaves in the bread basket.
So the problem isn't the Gospel, it's the way it's being presented! We have sorely twisted the idea of "preaching the Gospel" into "standing at the pulpit and screaming abuse at sinners". God is a personal being, concerned with people, not numbers. If at my death I have nothing else to show God than helping one person know Him better, my life is worth no more and no less than the man who converts an entire country. St. Patrick and the homeless guy under the bridge who comes to church once a month are no different in God's eyes. It's time that Christians learned the most divine truth of all: people are people. The people that we look at as the "best" (the richest, the nicest, the best-looking, the purest) don't need much help, just like the healthy person doesn't need a doctor. It's the "poor", the "mean", the "ugly", and the impure who need God most. So it cheers my heart to see people going to those whom life has abandoned and engaging in conversation with them, loving them, and basically doing exactly what Christ did thousands of years ago. I can't believe it took two thousand years for us to figure out what we were supposed to do. Let's not waste the time that we have here--let's be friends with the friendless.
Until next time,
--JesusFreak
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Jesus Camp: Good or Bad?
Salutations, fellow barn animals!
Today we're going to talk about the movie Jesus Camp, a documentary on a radical kid's camp that focuses around training kids to be "conservative, pro-life warriors of faith and love". The methods used by the people and the reactions the kids have are rather strange, but the ultimate goal is Biblically sound. So what do we think about this?
Let's look at the pros and cons of this camp:
Pros! :D
1. The kids are learning something about God on a personal level.
I can't tell you how many times I wish that my early childhood years had been spent on growing in and nurturing my faith with God. One of the most valuable things to do is make sure that kids understand what they're believing. Young kids sometimes don't really understand the bigger points of Christianity (complicated things, like predestination and such), but when they do it's huge, because it gets stuck in their brains forever. If you can teach kids from a young age how to experience God personally, it has a huge impact on their later life.
2. The kids are getting good thoughts put into their brains from the start of their lives.
In a culture where ads feature everything from naked women to dirty jokes and beer bottles, and where "kids" shows feature sexual innuendoes and other sundry references, getting a say in what your kids learn is pretty hard. It's good that someone at least is trying to make sure kids know what's right and what's wrong at an early age.
3. The kids are learning how to be radical in their faith.
One of the biggest problems facing Christians today is the fear of their faith. Lots of times we are afraid to do what's right because we fear what people might think of us. This is brought about most likely by early experiences as children where we do something right and people look down on us for it. It does my heart good to see that someone has the balls (pardon the expression) to get out there and teach kids that there's nothing wrong with believing something and being passionate about it!
Of course, with good comes the bad, so let's go to the...
Cons! :(
1. It comes off as sort of scary, almost cultish.
Something that the leader of this camp, Becky White, said really struck home to me: "If you look at every other religion or organization, you will see that they also go after the kids." And that's true--take a look at the Muslims. From an early age, Muslim kids rigorously learn and memorize the Koran daily, even if they're not in one of the infamous "terrorist breeding grounds". Does this mean that we should stoop down to the Muslims' level? Should we brainwash our kids into becoming broken records that spew what we want them to? It's the simple phrase "everybody's doing it" that leads into sin and debauchery. Why should children's ministry be separate from that unwritten law of the world?
2. The thoughts that kids get put into their brains might also be the wrong thoughts.
While the motivation behind the camp may be sound, caution should be taken with how and what is taught to the kids. Christianity is already a hard enough religion for many people to accept. I mean, look at it--the main teaching is that since some guy a thousand years ago was perfect and atoned for our sins, and because He loved us so much, we need to give our lives to Him and serve others, even unto death? That's not something that many people want to believe. Now, we could go the route that many people take, that is, sugarcoating it. But I am no fan of sugarcoating things. If the truth is there, and it's really as important as we say (which it is), the ugliness of the truth is something that shouldn't block us from telling it. But make sure that what you're teaching is really the truth. Don't make it too ugly. For instance, telling kids that they are warriors, and that the "sinful government" is the enemy, isn't a good idea. Government and politics, for all their faults, are preferable to anarchy. I would rather live under Communist rule than a society where every man is equal in power. Such a society only leads to destruction, and surprisingly, it leads to destruction faster than others.
3. Beware of false prophets.
One of the most basic principles in a person's mind is that he is sane. Without this realization, a man's life is meaningless. The single-most frightening realization for me is not that there are crazy people in the world; rather, that the utmost conviction in a crazy man's mind is that he himself is sane. You can tell someone who is doing something wrong a thousand times that they are doing it wrong, and human pride will usually tell them they're doing it right. Likewise, if you tell a radical teacher that they're not teaching their kids right, they will come back swinging with accusations and evidence of their own. Sometimes, the evidence is good, too. You can give Biblical evidence for the early indoctrination of kids, and make it sound good. Heck, I could give you a few verses and make you believe that God supports murder! The important thing to do is make sure that you're reading verses in context, and make sure that your principles are based on Biblical principles. And remember--Biblical principles are prevalent throughout the whole Bible, not just parts of it.
Well, that about does it for me today--hope you've come out of this with a more educated view on life, Christianity, and the human mind!
With love and Turkish Delights,
--JesusFreak
P.S. Here's a funny picture, because I'm a good person:
Today we're going to talk about the movie Jesus Camp, a documentary on a radical kid's camp that focuses around training kids to be "conservative, pro-life warriors of faith and love". The methods used by the people and the reactions the kids have are rather strange, but the ultimate goal is Biblically sound. So what do we think about this?
Let's look at the pros and cons of this camp:
Pros! :D
1. The kids are learning something about God on a personal level.
I can't tell you how many times I wish that my early childhood years had been spent on growing in and nurturing my faith with God. One of the most valuable things to do is make sure that kids understand what they're believing. Young kids sometimes don't really understand the bigger points of Christianity (complicated things, like predestination and such), but when they do it's huge, because it gets stuck in their brains forever. If you can teach kids from a young age how to experience God personally, it has a huge impact on their later life.
2. The kids are getting good thoughts put into their brains from the start of their lives.
In a culture where ads feature everything from naked women to dirty jokes and beer bottles, and where "kids" shows feature sexual innuendoes and other sundry references, getting a say in what your kids learn is pretty hard. It's good that someone at least is trying to make sure kids know what's right and what's wrong at an early age.
3. The kids are learning how to be radical in their faith.
One of the biggest problems facing Christians today is the fear of their faith. Lots of times we are afraid to do what's right because we fear what people might think of us. This is brought about most likely by early experiences as children where we do something right and people look down on us for it. It does my heart good to see that someone has the balls (pardon the expression) to get out there and teach kids that there's nothing wrong with believing something and being passionate about it!
Of course, with good comes the bad, so let's go to the...
Cons! :(
1. It comes off as sort of scary, almost cultish.
Something that the leader of this camp, Becky White, said really struck home to me: "If you look at every other religion or organization, you will see that they also go after the kids." And that's true--take a look at the Muslims. From an early age, Muslim kids rigorously learn and memorize the Koran daily, even if they're not in one of the infamous "terrorist breeding grounds". Does this mean that we should stoop down to the Muslims' level? Should we brainwash our kids into becoming broken records that spew what we want them to? It's the simple phrase "everybody's doing it" that leads into sin and debauchery. Why should children's ministry be separate from that unwritten law of the world?
2. The thoughts that kids get put into their brains might also be the wrong thoughts.
While the motivation behind the camp may be sound, caution should be taken with how and what is taught to the kids. Christianity is already a hard enough religion for many people to accept. I mean, look at it--the main teaching is that since some guy a thousand years ago was perfect and atoned for our sins, and because He loved us so much, we need to give our lives to Him and serve others, even unto death? That's not something that many people want to believe. Now, we could go the route that many people take, that is, sugarcoating it. But I am no fan of sugarcoating things. If the truth is there, and it's really as important as we say (which it is), the ugliness of the truth is something that shouldn't block us from telling it. But make sure that what you're teaching is really the truth. Don't make it too ugly. For instance, telling kids that they are warriors, and that the "sinful government" is the enemy, isn't a good idea. Government and politics, for all their faults, are preferable to anarchy. I would rather live under Communist rule than a society where every man is equal in power. Such a society only leads to destruction, and surprisingly, it leads to destruction faster than others.
3. Beware of false prophets.
One of the most basic principles in a person's mind is that he is sane. Without this realization, a man's life is meaningless. The single-most frightening realization for me is not that there are crazy people in the world; rather, that the utmost conviction in a crazy man's mind is that he himself is sane. You can tell someone who is doing something wrong a thousand times that they are doing it wrong, and human pride will usually tell them they're doing it right. Likewise, if you tell a radical teacher that they're not teaching their kids right, they will come back swinging with accusations and evidence of their own. Sometimes, the evidence is good, too. You can give Biblical evidence for the early indoctrination of kids, and make it sound good. Heck, I could give you a few verses and make you believe that God supports murder! The important thing to do is make sure that you're reading verses in context, and make sure that your principles are based on Biblical principles. And remember--Biblical principles are prevalent throughout the whole Bible, not just parts of it.
Well, that about does it for me today--hope you've come out of this with a more educated view on life, Christianity, and the human mind!
With love and Turkish Delights,
--JesusFreak
P.S. Here's a funny picture, because I'm a good person:
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