Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
A Christian Nation
The United States is a Christian nation.I've always felt a little uncomfortable with this statement. First, calling objects or things "Christian" is kind of weird. If a country can be christian can a table be one? A house? My Nintendo blesses me each day with good feelings and fun, maybe it's a christian?
Below are a few of my thoughts on the subject. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Full disclosure, I am a card-carrying Christian.
Laws
I think it could be argued that the laws of a country identify what it values and what it believes to be important. People, either directly or through our representatives, decide what the laws should be. It's the consensus of all adult persons on what is right and what is wrong.
Below is a list of the Ten Commandments. I have struck through the ones that are legal here.
6. You shall not murder.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness.
The list of above gets even worse when you take into account Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, where he clarifies that lusting counts as adultery, and that hating someone counts as murder.
Also, there are no laws saying that one must be a Christian or any religion for that matter.
People
There are a lot Christians in the US. According to Gallup the country is about 74% Christian, which is a lot. But it's also not everyone. That leaves a solid 26% of people who don't accepts the tenants of Christianity.You could argue that Christians, Jews, Muslims, and a lot of other people share the same morality. We all think murder is bad, right? But that's not Christianity. Christianity is Christ.
If there's one thing we believe and that you'll hear a lot about in church is that following Jesus isn't about following a set of rules, but about a relationship with a saviour. So while we might all agree you shouldn't steal things, a Christian this does not make.
Should the US Be a Christian?
Coming from a Christian, I can tell you that it's hard to do. The rules are kind of tough and most of the time it's more concerned with your inner self than your outer. Or, as my wife would say, it's the thought behind the gift. Not the gift itself.
There are things a Christian has to do that a country cannot. Turning the other cheek. Giving everything to follow Jesus. Not murdering.
If another country attacked us we wouldn't be too happy with the president if he said, no, sorry guys, I'm going to turn the other cheek. Or if someone steels our coat to give them our shirt as well (not sure what the country equivalent of that would be). Our country would be over ran and ransacked in a week.
History is full of countries that tried to be christian. Each one is a dismal failure, with the religion being coopted to control people and take power. It ends up making both the country and the religion look very, very bad. The Crusades and Inquisition are not bright spots in the history of the faith.
Thanks for reading.
Steve
Monday, September 25, 2017
Kneeling for the National Anthem
Kneeling during the national anthem as a sign of protest. If you haven't heard about it you've been gleefully living under a rock, free from the cares of wondering what a football player thinks.
Below are what I thinks.
The Flag
What does the flag mean to you? Chances are if we asked 50 people this question we might get near 50 answers. The flag is a symbol and what that symbol means to you is influenced by what people under that flag have done.
To a WWII veteran the flag may stand for enduring freedom and the war against fascism.
To a Native American the flag may stand for broken promises. rape, murder, and the destruction of your homeland.
Great things have been done by people carrying the flag. Terrible things have been done while
carrying the flag.
No one group has a monopoly on what the flag means. Not the military, the government, the ACLU, not anyone. If you choose to see it and think of the military that's fine but assuming everyone does and should is wrong. Conversely, seeing it and thinking of repression and hate is wrong as well.
Football
Remind me again why we even sing the national anthem at a football game. Also remind me why anyone cares what a football player thinks about anything besides football.
I go to work everyday and not once has anyone ever played the national anthem and asked me to stand. Yet these guys go to work in sports entertainment and are asked to do so and if they don't, well, here we are.
I have never understood why people care what celebrities think. Actors are good at acting, not deciding healthcare policy. Football players are good at football, not the complex idea of what freedom means. Yet we have pages of news following these people and their views on such things. I would guess that most people know more about what Colin Kaepernick thinks than they do their congressperson - and they probably know nothing about what their statehouse rep thinks.
Let's stop caring what these people think and start caring about what our elected officials think.
Freedom
Does not standing for the national anthem negate the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom? Is this taking Freedom of Speech too far, akin to yelling 'fire' in crowded theater? Are some things so sacrosanct that they cannot be disrespected? These are serious questions that I would like for people to answer.
I am a Christian and in Christianity blasphemy is a sin. I will never say the Lord's name in vain. But for someone who doesn't believe I am of the opinion that it is their right to blaspheme as much as they wish.
Freedom of Speech is a tricky one. It's great when people use it to agree with you but hard when they use it to disagree.
Take some time to really think through what Freedom of Speech means.
Thanks,
Steve
Below are what I thinks.
The Flag
What does the flag mean to you? Chances are if we asked 50 people this question we might get near 50 answers. The flag is a symbol and what that symbol means to you is influenced by what people under that flag have done.
To a WWII veteran the flag may stand for enduring freedom and the war against fascism.
To a Native American the flag may stand for broken promises. rape, murder, and the destruction of your homeland.
Great things have been done by people carrying the flag. Terrible things have been done while
carrying the flag.
No one group has a monopoly on what the flag means. Not the military, the government, the ACLU, not anyone. If you choose to see it and think of the military that's fine but assuming everyone does and should is wrong. Conversely, seeing it and thinking of repression and hate is wrong as well.
Football
Remind me again why we even sing the national anthem at a football game. Also remind me why anyone cares what a football player thinks about anything besides football.
I go to work everyday and not once has anyone ever played the national anthem and asked me to stand. Yet these guys go to work in sports entertainment and are asked to do so and if they don't, well, here we are.
I have never understood why people care what celebrities think. Actors are good at acting, not deciding healthcare policy. Football players are good at football, not the complex idea of what freedom means. Yet we have pages of news following these people and their views on such things. I would guess that most people know more about what Colin Kaepernick thinks than they do their congressperson - and they probably know nothing about what their statehouse rep thinks.
Let's stop caring what these people think and start caring about what our elected officials think.
Freedom
Does not standing for the national anthem negate the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom? Is this taking Freedom of Speech too far, akin to yelling 'fire' in crowded theater? Are some things so sacrosanct that they cannot be disrespected? These are serious questions that I would like for people to answer.
I am a Christian and in Christianity blasphemy is a sin. I will never say the Lord's name in vain. But for someone who doesn't believe I am of the opinion that it is their right to blaspheme as much as they wish.
Freedom of Speech is a tricky one. It's great when people use it to agree with you but hard when they use it to disagree.
Take some time to really think through what Freedom of Speech means.
Thanks,
Steve
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Columbus Day
If you haven't heard, things at Akron City Council went bananas over a proposal to rename Columbus Day to National Indigenous People's Day. Read all about it here.
Here for your enjoyment are my two cents on the subject.
Columbus Sucked
In grade school you're given a children's understanding of Columbus.
In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue
You learn the names of the ships. You're taught that Columbus was a bold explorer that knew that the earth was round (everyone thought the earth was round, since the ancient Greeks), etc. etc.
But that's for children. When you get older you learn that Columbus was a wretched human who murdered for profit. He killed and abused the natives. Not to mention he was eventually hated and despised even by his own countrymen. One writer notes that Columbus fell so far out of favor that the lands he discovered ended up being named for a map maker instead of him.
Columbus brought the eastern and western hemispheres together permanently, for better and for worse. But the rest of his life ruins and taints this accomplishment forever.
Italian Heritage
The holiday itself was started by Italians to celebrate Italian heritage. To this I say, great! But why in the world would you pick someone like this to represent your culture? Were Mussolini and Caligula holidays already taken?
No historical figure is perfect but there are many more Italians who have a solid history and represent your country much better.
Heck, the writers of the Ninja Turtles were able to find FOUR awesome Italians to name their
characters.
Italians, step up your game. Pick someone else.
America's History is Messy
We just have to admit it. Our history is messy and not always nice. We as a country have done some really terrible things that fly in the face of everything we say we stand for.
A mature country should be able to look at its past, acknowledge both the good and bad, and be able to reconcile and move forward. We can learn from the mistakes of our past and do better.
Columbus, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and more were all great men. They also had great flaws just like the rest of us. Denying that makes us look like simpletons and makes these people into poorly written comic book characters instead of the complicated, enduring people they are.
We don't have to throw out the baby with the bath water. Our country has great values and has risen to the occasion many times. Let's work towards doing that more and doing bad less. The start of this could be to stop honoring someone who did many terrible things and honoring those who did good.
Steve
Here for your enjoyment are my two cents on the subject.
Columbus Sucked
In grade school you're given a children's understanding of Columbus.
In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue
You learn the names of the ships. You're taught that Columbus was a bold explorer that knew that the earth was round (everyone thought the earth was round, since the ancient Greeks), etc. etc.
But that's for children. When you get older you learn that Columbus was a wretched human who murdered for profit. He killed and abused the natives. Not to mention he was eventually hated and despised even by his own countrymen. One writer notes that Columbus fell so far out of favor that the lands he discovered ended up being named for a map maker instead of him.
Columbus brought the eastern and western hemispheres together permanently, for better and for worse. But the rest of his life ruins and taints this accomplishment forever.
Italian Heritage
The holiday itself was started by Italians to celebrate Italian heritage. To this I say, great! But why in the world would you pick someone like this to represent your culture? Were Mussolini and Caligula holidays already taken?No historical figure is perfect but there are many more Italians who have a solid history and represent your country much better.
Heck, the writers of the Ninja Turtles were able to find FOUR awesome Italians to name their
characters.
Italians, step up your game. Pick someone else.
America's History is Messy
We just have to admit it. Our history is messy and not always nice. We as a country have done some really terrible things that fly in the face of everything we say we stand for.
A mature country should be able to look at its past, acknowledge both the good and bad, and be able to reconcile and move forward. We can learn from the mistakes of our past and do better.
Columbus, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and more were all great men. They also had great flaws just like the rest of us. Denying that makes us look like simpletons and makes these people into poorly written comic book characters instead of the complicated, enduring people they are.
We don't have to throw out the baby with the bath water. Our country has great values and has risen to the occasion many times. Let's work towards doing that more and doing bad less. The start of this could be to stop honoring someone who did many terrible things and honoring those who did good.
Steve
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