America’s Greatness – Measured by $$?

Recently, I spent a great deal of time watching the HBO mini-series on the life of John Adams, who is admittedly my second favorite founding father (first is John Witherspoon).  In watching a review of John Adams’ life, and knowing that many founding fathers spent the end of their lives in debtor’s prison, I am wondering why we measure America’s greatness by her fortune.

Whether it is a discussion of how China runs our financial situation at the moment, or how Americans are deep in debt with no hope in sight, the focus of any conversation that revolves around “restoring America’s greatness” or “protecting America’s greatness” involves our financial might.  While sound finances are important, America’s great experiment has little to do with finances.  And, furthermore, those who feel that finances should dictate American policies have been seen as idiots, from the very beginning.  For example, Alexander Hamilton wanted to make America the world’s financial super highway.  He was an idiot, deserving of a bullet from Mr. Burr.  Exploiting freedom for financial gain is atrocious, but we’ve adopted a view in this country that freedom can only be measured by financial gain.  It’s a poor mix of Calvinism’s greatest flaws, greed and corporate consumer culture. 

Now that America is losing its grip on the driver’s seat of the world’s financial agenda, all of a sudden there’s a notion that America is going the way of Great Britain.  However, the flaw in this thinking is that this nation’s great accomplishment historically was the recognition that finances should never dictate policy. 

We’d have been more prosperous as a “nation” if we’d never thrown off the bonds of England’s great monarch King George. 

We’d have had more financial power if we’d kept our African population enslaved, and thus deserving of no wages. 

We’d have had more financial power if we’d kept the common man’s ability to organize a labor union at a minimum (or non-existant). 

And they, throughout history, we chose as a nation to go the less financially lucrative route.  And we grew in prestige as a result.  However, we are now faced with having lost our financial prowess because of our greed, and we are afraid that a poor America will surely become a powerless America.

CONCEPT

Let China have trillions of dollars married to its oppressive government.  Let Russia march back towards its Soviet oligarchy.  Let the Middle East ignore its people for the sake of oil.  But most of all, let America’s empty wallet let her regain her true self, beholden to freedom and not other master. 

Our prestige is not measured by our buying power or by our GDP; rather, America is measured by her dedication to freedom, and nothing more.

Scifi Movies

I like scifi, a lot.  I root for scifi, a lot.  So, when two scifi movies come out on the same weekend, I sorta shrug and get angry.  Pandorum and Surrogates are coming out this friday.  Bad, bad move by the studios who should know better.  Neither will make its money back.

Pandorum has Dennis Quaid, Surrogates has Bruce Willis.  Not sure who I’m rooting for, or if I’ll see either in the theater.  Probably Mr. Quaid, he seems more humble.  Plus, I was ready to do away with Bruce Willis ten years ago, but he just won’t die.  Sort of like foot fungus.

Surrogates has interesting ads, Pandorum has the guy from 3:10 to Yuma.  Pandorum reminds me of Event Horizon, which I really liked.  Surrogates reminds me that Bruce Willis got old.  However, Dennis Quaid was in the whorish “GI Joe” movie which I refuse to watch because they raped my sweet GI Joe memories.

Christianity, America, Government

Brett: so, here’s a question i have for you there’s one place in the NT where paul says that governments and rulers and such are ordered by God but everywhere else in the NT, including all of what Jesus says, it’s very clear that satan has authority over all the kingdoms of the world so… how can a believer look to government to help people? how can big government ever be a good thing, given Jesus’ words and the acknowledgement that all the kingdoms of the earth are under satan’s dominion and authority?

Constantine: Wow, good question

Here’s a brief answer because I have to leave – big government is bad, in part, because God never intended people to solve every little problem, that’s his job.  in the end, man can only solve minor problems, large ones seem to work themselves out with people taking the credit.  big government also puts itself in god’s place, which is bad.  however, man is supposed to put all things under the subjection of Christ, which includes government.  that does not mean that government is good, or that it can be perfect, but that it is up to men to make government look like what god would want it to look like, in which case it would “have” to be helpful (at least on some level)

truly, government is the worst avenue through which to help mankind, but it is an avenue.  Jesus is no fan of government, but what he really is no fan of is any institution which seeks to honor man’s desire over god’s law.  or god’s heart rather, not law.  Government is not a necessary evil any more than business is a necessary evil.  i would argue that when people say “government” they actually mean bureaucracy, which is totally wicked.  I think when we complain about government, we are not complaining about the post office so much, or the fire department.  what we hate is the waste of resources, the need to honor men who have done nothing but sit on their asses for fifty years and the inability to truly affect change without horrible compromises.  this does not just cover government it covers large corporations, churches, families, etc.

 Brett: when we complain about government, it’s because it has the ability to force us to behave a certain way, give a certain amount, support a certain cause or belief system, without our choice (other than relocating to a different country).

• if you don’t like a company, you don’t have to buy their products
•   if you don’t like a church, you can leave
•   the difficulty involved in leaving a government is significant

  especially one like the US, which taxes based on citizenship and not residency

i completely agree with your assessment of bureaucracy, but i think you’re assuming govt isn’t any worse than anything else  or at least, not inherently so

but i think i disagree. government can lock you up. govt can execute you. govt can tax you. govt can restrict your human rights. govt can restrict free speech. govt can interfere with businesses. govt can interfere with religion.

further, how can a Christian accept government as a solution at all when govt is clearly “old covenant”? like the (OT) law, govt can mandate behavior but not thoughts.

Constantine: it seems like you’re suggesting that either all government is evil or it should not exist. are you suggesting one of those.  because my challenge with that is that peter says that we are to be subject to the government, and that government absolutely has a purpose in god’s eyes (discipline)

Brett: i’m saying that govt (in one form or another) is useful, but that Christians should always have a healthy skepticism, and seek to limit govt’s power, since govt is, undeniably (imo, since Jesus himself said it) under Satan’s authority.    so looking to govt to solve the problems of the current age (as many Christians are doing now, which, off topic, i feel is a completely reactionary stance to having been used by the GOP the past decades) is not only unbiblical but extremely dangerous.

Constantine:  i agree for the most part. but…throughout american history, businesses (i.e. railroads), religious organizations (i.e. focus on the family’s james dobson), and other institutions have abused people in many of the same ways you suggest government can/does abuse people.  i agree that government should be limited, but i would also say that christians should use whatever they have available to them to help people, and unfortunately, that is the avenue many must use.  Please don’t think that I’ve joined others in praising Obama, I think he’s dangerously encroaching on people’s lives.

  that being said, we have to recognize two truths:

1. people get the government they deserve
2. we don’t live in a perfect world where government or people can be trusted

our society deserves a government that dominates it, because our society pays more attention to kanye west than iran’s nuclear arsenal.  while i don’t trust government, government is merely made up of many people.  

Brett: see, that’s where i think you have your head up your ass

 Constantine: and i trust non-profits, fortune 500 companies and mayor villaregosa about the same

Brett: so you’re saying that i deserve a totalitarian govt because my neighbors are idiots

  people are idiots

  we all are

 Constantine: i’m saying that vigilant people get small government

 Brett: we should all go to hell because we’re all idiots

  we should all have abusively large and corrupt govts because the average person doesn’t know better

  or doesn’t care

  no?

Constantine: that’s not exactly what i’m saying.  i’m saying that if you were to compare (in general) the founding fathers’ generation to our generation, you would see huge differences between intelligence, literacy, morality and so forth

 Brett: i don’t know that i buy that though.

 Constantine: that generation deserved a small government because generation worked towards extremely high levels of personal accountability

 Brett: that’s the argument that’s been repeated since mankind was conscious: that the past generations were better.  you’re saying that the personal accountability has decreased, and as a result, govt has grown.  that’s only half true at best.  there’s no better way to sap personal accountability than to have a big impersonal controlling structure

  look at EN/MSI

  or any big church

  there’s no personal accountability to actually share the good news, because you’re paying others to do it for you

me: let’s make a quick tangent:

1. you seem fairly emotional and you’re making me emotional as a result. 
2. i see an issue that we disagree on that goes beyond government and it warrants a different kind of conversation
3. that conversation is more suitable for face-to-face

  what do you think?

Brett: nah i’m not emotional

  i’m just curious

  really truly not emotional at all about this

the topic, yeah, a little. this discussion, no, just trying to learn from somebody i respect.

Constantine: i think we both agree that government is not the answer (that should be a bumper sticker)

Brett: i’m reading The Myth of a Christian Nation and i’m wondering what your take on it would be

Constantine: however, i think there are a few conversations we might need to have which cover where we are both coming from in term’s of god’s authority in our lives, how that plays out in a perfect world and how it plays out in the real world.  i think the revolutionary war happened more because of taxes than spiritual oppression, but that god had a purpose for the war that far surpassed economics.  i think god hijacks history for his purposes and man claims that it was his idea all along. and i don’t think the past was better, i think baby boomers should all be marched off a cliff and killed

the crowning achievement of that generation is fucking concert that happened in 1969, since then they’ve snorted all the world’s cocaine, used credit like idiots and stolen financially from their children and grandchildren

Brett: ha

what you just said though, that god had a purpose for the war, implies that America is special, blessed, better

  America is controlled by the govt. the govt is under satan’s authority…  that’s just what i’m seeking to understand, from a Christian perspective

Constantine: i’m not saying america is special, we’re just talking about america

•   i believe god used rome
•   i believe god is using the chinese government
•   etc.

  all to his glory

•  rome built the roads which missionaries traveled down
• china’s so greedy now that they aren’t paying enough attention to the chinese christians who will eventually overthrow the government. 

i’m suggesting that america’s not so holy, that god uses america in spite of most Americans.    the revolutionary war wasn’t the war of americans, it was the war of about 5,000 guys who were amazing leaders.  i’m saying that god’s agenda and ours is often different.  but, america is special in that far many more people in our country are trying to create a government god would want than in any othe rnation (or at least the largest percentage).  and just because some smart guy wrote a book that appeals to your intellect, it doesn’t make him right

Brett: i think you’d actually agree with the book. it’s written by an evangelical christian, for evangelical Christians.  i’m not the target market,   but i find it interesting,   but i disagree about the “trying to create a govt god would want than in any other nation”.  by your standards, perhaps yes.  but your standards aren’t god’s standards, imo. it’d be impossible for that to be the case. and i’m still not clear on how Jesus effectively saying that all govts are under satan’s authority plays into govts being used by Christians for good.    i’m not saying it’s impossible, i’m just not clear on where Jesus’ words stop applying to our govt.    though i think i’m just missing your intent.  that christians can use a govt under satan’s authority to do good…

  anyway

Waking Up

It’s been far too long. I’m going to make much better use of this blog from here on out.

Seems England doesn’t predict good things for us – http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090915/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_us_power

Seems the press isn’t done using the Great Depression to scare potential readers into looking at their advertisers crap – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/6190818/US-credit-shrinks-at-Great-Depression-rate-prompting-fears-of-double-dip-recession.html

Seems Craigslist still has hookers – http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0915091hotdate1.html

Is anyone shocked by any of this?

Frustration With Christian Language

Okay, so my pack of gum says it’s “Clinically” proven to blah, blah, blah.  Now, if something is clinically proven, that means it’s been proven in a clinic, which means nothing at all.  It also doesn’t suggest to what degree the product works, doesn’t explain whether it’s clinical test was an A+ or a D-.  So, when I see the word “clinically” it basically tells me “hey, stupid, come buy this and we’ll make you feel better.”

Likewise, “medically documented miracle” is a Christian term that makes me want to tear my hair out.  There is no giant file cabinet somewhere in Washington, D.C. filled all the “medically documented miracles” that have happened in America.  It’s something pastors use because they think their audience won’t believe them otherwise.

This is just a rant, but still….

Everyone Be Nice to the Economy

So, how’s the economy doing?

Bernanke said there’s a “good chance” the U.S. recession could end this year if the government is successful in getting financial markets to operate more normally again.

It’s unambiguously bad out there as the U.S. economyhas “fallen off a cliff,” to quote Warren Buffett.

The man who predicted the current financial crisis said the US recession could drag on for years without drastic action.

Maybe if we all just say really nice things to the economy it’ll get better.  Honestly, why do people talk about the economy like it’s this giant entity completely separate from humanity?  If people are in debt and don’t have jobs, how can the economy improve?  And if it does improve without people, what good is it?

Question…

Is it me, or do people seemed really too married to their principles? 

In this case, I mean Republicans who want thin government and even thinner government spending.  I understand the principle and I often agree with it, but what are we to do when people are losing their homes and jobs at an alarming rate?

Democrats do this as well, they’ve been demonizing banks as if idiots who bought homes they couldn’t afford are blameless. 

I just don’t know if we’re so in love with our principles that we’re willing to go hungry defending them.

Messiah Complex

Most ministers would say that people are designed with a God-shaped hole that can only be filled by Jesus.  They may try to fill it with work, drugs, other gods or something else, but only Christ can fulfill the void we are born with.

Most Christian story tellers I know believe in the three act structure of telling stories that pretty much mirrors life, death/burial and resurrection. 

Most Christians involved in politics believe that a political candidate with the right stances on gun control, taxation, immigration and so forth will come waltzing in on a white horse and will deliver consecutive terms where he (not she) cuts taxes forever and lets every American live their Christian life. 

The last paragraph was mildly sarcastic, but it seems Mr. Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, is being put on the pedestal that George W. Bush abdicated somewhere around late 2005 or early 2006.  In 1999 and 2000, George W. Bush was the Christian candidate who was going to lead Christian politics into the forefront of America.  He said his favorite political thinker was Jesus, said he prayed and read his Bible and was converted by the protestant pope Bill Graham.  He had all the makings of exactly what the church was looking for.

On this end of the 2000’s, most Christians have completely abandoned that though, thinking that Bush was either not up to the job or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  However, the concept that one political figure can solve the world’s problems (i.e. a political messiah) still permeates our thoughts.  This thought becomes paramount, rather than admit that it’ll take a wave of public servants in a variety of offices to bring the nation to a new era as well as highly educated and motivated Christians with a good idea of what’s going on in the world and what needs to be done.

I don’t know much about Mr. Jindal, in fact all I really know is that he’s not Jesus.  He can’t heal the sick, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, etc.  He may wind up being a decent political figure, but then again Dan Quayle was once the conservative Republican hope.  That’s right, we went from Dan Quayle to George W. Bush to Bobby Jindal (not to mention the others left along the roadside), and we still haven’t learned our lesson.  And, let’s be honest, Ronald freaking Reagan looks much better in hindsight than he did in office.  We sold weapons and assisted in drug smuggling during his administration (Iran Contra) and his cuts to public programs led countless people to roam the streets.

Why are we looking for a political messiah? Why aren’t people taking up the cross and running for small public offices and trying to fix what’s around them?  I have the same frustration with Christians who donate money to the 700 Club while their local church can’t fund youth outreach programs.  Go grassroots, look local and let the federal stuff take care of itself.  And, for the love of Jehovah, stop trying to resurrect Reagan and/or anoint every conservative candidate who comes down the pike.

President Obama and Lilly Ledbetter

How far should we as believers go in bringing equality?  How strongly do we believe in equal rights and equal protection under the law?  Should a woman make the same salary as a man?

That last question is a hard one for Christians to answer, especially Christian men, because we believe in traditional male/female roles.  In a world where farming is done by a tremendous minority and factory/manufacturing jobs are dwindling (at least in this nation) finding a balance between the salary of men and women is incredibly difficult.

President Obama signed into legislation something known as the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which allows women to claim past income they were denied simply because they were women.  It’s bad for business to be sure (unless you’re a plaintiff’s attorney), but it’s good for equality.  Question is, how much to believers actually believe in equality?

I like the idea, but it’ll probably be abused by plaintiff’s attorneys who are only looking to get their 33% of any settlement.  If the bill created arbitration boards and paid attorneys a flat fee to perform their duties, I might like that better, but allowing blanket claims seems to aid the plaintiff’s bar more than it aids women who were shut out of their income.

I wonder though, do we really and truly believe women should make as much as men?  Or, does our traditional view cause use to say we believe in it on the surface, but when we get down to it we actually believe that men need to make more money so they can provide for their families and women in the workplace is a real luxury?  Women, in all honesty, do tend to have the option (even in lower income families) to stay at home with their children rather than work.  Okay, option might not be the right word, maybe obligation.  If they have that luxury, shouldn’t men have the luxury to make a higher wage?  Isn’t it ridiculous for the law to ignore biology?  If we are clearly created differently, why can’t the laws reflect that?

Men and women, I think, aren’t equal.  Women are superior in some cases, and men are superior in others.  Equal is a blanket term, rarely applying to real world circumstances.  When a law lays down blanket interpretations of real life situations, it creates animosity.  However, how long are we going to progress as a nation before we confront the fact that men and women are of equal intelligence, and when it comes to sales, marketing, legal services, accounting (i.e. non-physical labor) a difference in pay is insane?

Sanctity of Marriage

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”
Ephesians 6:12 – KJV

Throughout history, with the exception of possibly the last two hundred years or so, the law has rarely been on the side of Believers.  And even in the time that Christians have had a bit of authority of how the law is written and carried out, the law has still persecuted us - whether it forced our African American brothers and sisters into bondage or prevented our sisters, mothers and daughters from voting.  When Christ first came to proclaim His Kingdom, the caesars and Roman senate used the law to martyr us and lock us up for decades.  The forefathers and foremothers of our faith were persecuted by the law. 

The reason for this, is that we believers answer to a different law, a higher law, if we are governed by any law at all.  Our faith is based on having a personal relationship with the Creator, a one-to-one daily walk with Jesus Christ, and so any laws that seek to govern us, to hem us in, simply has no use for us.  To our credit, in nations, kingdoms and empires where our faith has been outlawed or condemned, we thrive.  Underground churches in China, Iran, Sudan and other oppressive nations are vibrant churches, full of miracles, love and healing. 

Why is this important?  American Christians have abandoned the Creator for the creation, have left the bossom of Christ for the parchments of the law and are looking to men for justification rather than to Christ.  Specificially, American Christians are using the law to stop homosexual marriage.  There is the mindset that our nation is running toward a sinful nature and we must stand between the lemmings their cliff. 

I have two major problems with this:

1. If we adhere to rapture theology, if we believe that the world is getting worse and only Jesus on His white horse can save us, shouldn’t we be embracing the failure?  Shouldn’t the failure mean that Christ is closer to returning?  If not, then do we really, deep down in our hearts, believe that Christ intends for us to lose our inheritance (meek shall inherit the earth)?  Christians have schizophrenic theology, they on one hand believe the world is supposed to get worse and worse, yet complain when this happens.  It’s one or the other, Christ isn’t divided and our hearts shouldn’t be either.
2. Secondly, since when has using the law ever been effective?  Prohibition was a massive failure because it didn’t deal with the heart of the issue.  Drug laws that throw hefty penalties around aren’t exactly effective either.  We are called to focus on the hearts of man, not their actions.  And yet, we can’t help ourselves from trying to destroy a forest by cutting leaves.  The root of the issue isn’t homosexuality, it’s that people don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Here are some possible alternatives to passing laws to end homosexual marriage in our nation:

• Plant a church in San Francisco.  If Christians in California want to help homosexuals they should plant a church, serve at AIDS hospices, hang out in gay bars and learn to minister and love.  If we loved homosexuals as Christ did, they would meet Jesus and make their own decisions.  Instead, we have run to the law and are pushing people away from Christ.
• Open up a dialogue with homosexual organizations.  Public discourse is helpful, it could help homosexuals see our attitude and not just angry protests against gay marriage. 
• Have a Christian conference to discuss homosexuality so we could see whether or not all on the same page. 

This is a terrible stance we’ve taken, and it’ll push us away from God and homosexuals away from God.  Running to the law is running away from Christ.  Are we so unfaithful and untrusting of Christ that we feel only the state of California can protect us and them? 

Christian Nation

If 10% of the population is Christian, are we a Christian nation?  If that percentage of the population allowed the world fly towards sin by not praying and not believing, do they deserve to live in a Christian nation?