tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193200511950135342024-03-05T19:10:54.714-08:00Hardly TolerableK.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-51613308083710356162017-09-01T15:18:00.000-07:002017-09-01T15:18:22.417-07:00Traitors: Lee and Washington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTlBFCiuglTI7pU6-44VyA9v3uCMEsTyfuOSPrpASkE0xOFmeGi3M1zJ7XcGSU0Mg7x7uL3x6wkGCHG2Qa46FdOVWDDmX6V47JJqvm9GJ713U56OoMVN2L6Jj-1M7gP3mCzfpNajbc_49/s1600/Lee+Washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="365" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTlBFCiuglTI7pU6-44VyA9v3uCMEsTyfuOSPrpASkE0xOFmeGi3M1zJ7XcGSU0Mg7x7uL3x6wkGCHG2Qa46FdOVWDDmX6V47JJqvm9GJ713U56OoMVN2L6Jj-1M7gP3mCzfpNajbc_49/s320/Lee+Washington.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: justify;">
I have seen quite a fee people on social media recently calling Robert E. Lee a traitor. While I agree with this accusation, I wonder if others follow their logic through.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; text-align: justify;">
If Lee is a traitor, then so is Washington. Lee betrayed his country (the US) and Washington betrayed his (Great Britain). Both men put aside their military uniforms of the country they had sworn an allegiance to defend and instead took up arms against their country, killing men that wore the uniform the<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">y once wore.</span></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: justify;">
If anything, Washington is one-step further a traitor than Lee, if only because he formally aligned himself with France, a most shocking and backstabbing move, France being the enemy above all enemies to Great Britain at the time.</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; text-align: justify;">
Perhaps the best thing to do is simply refrain from calling men like Lee and Washington traitors, especially since these men were, in all honesty, distinguished men of honor, and far greater men than any of us could hope to be in our lifetimes.</div>
</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-79970334497081550732017-08-31T10:47:00.000-07:002017-08-31T10:58:46.769-07:00Finding the Good in a Catastrophe<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivotcsddWzQkmyQM04vB55TysGYN5e7YH1v723t-RI7YmBDZOTMaHI_vggM0I8h7dmac0U5ECD7zQY-5ZFHcUDm33zMQQqKp8mmlR1H1CnOjTZk0302DCyIkP0pgAJv90rMC0zmMhPlgfR/s1600/Sea+Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivotcsddWzQkmyQM04vB55TysGYN5e7YH1v723t-RI7YmBDZOTMaHI_vggM0I8h7dmac0U5ECD7zQY-5ZFHcUDm33zMQQqKp8mmlR1H1CnOjTZk0302DCyIkP0pgAJv90rMC0zmMhPlgfR/s1600/Sea+Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="631" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivotcsddWzQkmyQM04vB55TysGYN5e7YH1v723t-RI7YmBDZOTMaHI_vggM0I8h7dmac0U5ECD7zQY-5ZFHcUDm33zMQQqKp8mmlR1H1CnOjTZk0302DCyIkP0pgAJv90rMC0zmMhPlgfR/s320/Sea+Storm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In Patrick O’Brien’s Napoleonic era, historical fiction naval
series, Captain Jack Aubrey begins most missions with a mixed crew; veteran
seamen, land lubbers, convicts, foreign seamen pressed into service. Strife is the norm. In each case Captain Aubrey confides to the
ship’s doctor and close friend, Stephen Marturin, how he longs for a
life-threatening storm or battle to occur.
This inevitably happens, drawing the crew close together and in turn
begin performing to Captain Aubrey’s famed standard of proficiency; no more
than one minute twenty seconds between broadsides. The external threat of a great storm or foe
forces the mixed crew to forget their petty differences and instead focus on
their common concern.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmnFYlhbQw-6VpCvlqKcbcB5jO_KjS6IUVCAWljzlVsjz9_xQkuRNOm5oKCqH_ItMb4a4zA8ppoFcDDeF1JjOdhcYWVTlq9zhEYux08S65C4tlO04-GMo_e9QxoYLbZ-mqmL4ojGyHyul/s1600/Forbidden+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="590" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmnFYlhbQw-6VpCvlqKcbcB5jO_KjS6IUVCAWljzlVsjz9_xQkuRNOm5oKCqH_ItMb4a4zA8ppoFcDDeF1JjOdhcYWVTlq9zhEYux08S65C4tlO04-GMo_e9QxoYLbZ-mqmL4ojGyHyul/s200/Forbidden+Island.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My favorite type of board games are of the cooperative variety
rather than the “every man for himself.”
A great example of this is <i>Forbidden Island</i>, which requires all of the players
to work together in order to escape from a sinking island. <i>Dungeons and Dragons</i> could be another example
of this style. The players quickly realize, some faster than others, that they need one another if they are to survive the threat. The players become imminently aware of their own vulnerability, cured only by relying on one another. I have noticed a greater
sense of bonding and camaraderie among the players walking away from these types
of games.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Natural disasters in real-life are world shattering. Nobody wants them. Yet, they do have an amazing way of fostering
solidarity among humans. The trivial
matters that divide us take a back seat when we are faced with a common,
external threat. It is in these moments,
working together, that humans are able to perform impressive feats. We become aware, if only briefly, what we can
accomplish together as a species. Therein
lies the problem, however; we are forgetful.
While catastrophes fortunately are temporary, so also is the boost to
our collective good will and ingenuity.
We forget and soon again focus on the trivial trial one foot before us. It is in this context that I say, thank goodness
for the next catastrophe, because I like the thought of firing three broadsides
in under two and a half minutes. Don’t
you?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-85954290981089499572017-08-21T13:32:00.000-07:002017-08-21T13:32:01.691-07:00Identity Politics and the Road to Authoritarianism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rcgJ-3641nHIURzdeC5Pb7vim8Q-ivNAe3h3XJ4k2Ryr1cZxKymyXdfTgjBb_iTadK4y2G6xZD3RwkuDPIeqsLRABIdrmg_xOitiO12r0nmQK86PcBSR1n0zVp33rJiXVhnqdMuHzNX1/s1600/Identity+Politics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rcgJ-3641nHIURzdeC5Pb7vim8Q-ivNAe3h3XJ4k2Ryr1cZxKymyXdfTgjBb_iTadK4y2G6xZD3RwkuDPIeqsLRABIdrmg_xOitiO12r0nmQK86PcBSR1n0zVp33rJiXVhnqdMuHzNX1/s1600/Identity+Politics.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Politics in America is becoming ever more polarizing. We are
expected to fall in one extreme camp or another. The collective is
king. “You are either with us or against us…and your silence is
agreement.” This is classic identity politics.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Identity politics
is a crucial step on the road towards authoritarianism. In order to
have complete obedience from a people, individual freedom of thought and
action must be placed in subjection to the desires of the collective.
Identi<span class="text_exposed_show">ty politics facilitates this
process by convincing individuals that they belong to a collective,
sharing mutual desires and concerns. To aid in this effort, flames of
fear and hatred, already inherent to the individual, are fanned in a
direction that suits the collective. The collective then claims to have
a solution, but only lacks the necessary power to make it possible.
Desperate for a solution, the individual willingly hands over their
freedom of thought and action.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_gjg" style="text-align: justify;">
The Jewish-German philosopher, Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), was a refugee from Nazi Germany. She spent the rest of her life trying help herself and others understand how everyday people can be complicit with atrocities that accompany totalitarian regimes. The result was her work titled, "The Origins of Totalitarianism." Roger Berkowitz is a scholar of Arendt's work and interviewed <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/what-philosopher-hannah-arendt-would-say-about-donald-trump/a-36766400">here</a>. In the interview, Berkowitz explains how we
are drawn to identity politics because we "actually prefer a lying
world of consistency that upholds our sense of purpose and meaning in
our movement and our identity, than the messiness of reality, which
actually makes us feel unmoored from any meaning and purpose in life."<br />
<br />
The Left's ongoing complicity with Trump and the Right in the
falsification of reality is hindering productive public discourse. As
the conversation continues to break down and drift from reality, the
more likely we will see a totalitarian ideology take power in our time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: justify;">
How do we fight identity politics? First, acknowledge one’s own fears
and hatred. Second, be on guard against collectives that will try to
use our fears toward their own ends. Finally, practice valuing and
respecting one another. This means we ought not to assume the worst in
one another. Through this, we rob the many collectives in the world of
their primary tool for gaining power.</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-76516649038425981052017-08-21T13:11:00.000-07:002017-08-21T13:11:05.926-07:00Is Our Military Force Structure Outdated?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSdnpkvUXb1JVERujf8q7x9NlQG_kEdyx8YKBQS5rFXktM6083blWfsyAjTXOszz_Gfi-8GSBNQu2Pf_6Vu5z9xIgmo1eKuRWSTKxnYlG7aor1BMWm3-j4lXTvrOJN-vCALzHWWkfWbxY/s1600/Force+Structure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="550" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSdnpkvUXb1JVERujf8q7x9NlQG_kEdyx8YKBQS5rFXktM6083blWfsyAjTXOszz_Gfi-8GSBNQu2Pf_6Vu5z9xIgmo1eKuRWSTKxnYlG7aor1BMWm3-j4lXTvrOJN-vCALzHWWkfWbxY/s320/Force+Structure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our military force structure once divided officer and enlisted based
on class; nobility vs. the commoner. That was great when men still wore
white tights, but we have since evolved beyond the taste of such
civilities. We eventually replaced the often out-of-reach trait of
nobility with higher education, our nation's version of an out of reach
trait for commoners. Not so any more. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The enlisted force is becoming more educated by the year. Many enlisted, most notably our se<span class="text_exposed_show">nior
enlisted, have bachelor’s degrees (31%) and master’s degrees (10%),
while 77% of company grade officers only have bachelor’s degrees. And
while these senior enlisted members bring far more experience to the
table (usually 3 times the number of years), they are still out-ranked
by the lowest of “wet-behind-the-ear” officers. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: justify;">
All of this has led some to begin questioning the legitimacy of
utilizing higher education as a distinguishing trait for organizing our
force structure. <a href="http://www.airforcetimes.com/opinion/commentary/2017/08/20/commentary-the-rank-structure-is-holding-us-back-its-time-for-drastic-change/">This article</a> goes even further by calling into question
the legitimacy of an officer/enlisted structure entirely.</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-15132073706941783412017-08-21T12:53:00.001-07:002017-08-21T13:12:49.925-07:00Total Solar Eclipse: No Mere Coincidence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGCfyLrgLrqIKYptMcS2kCqkj6o9i8Kvm50LPFX6OByB6Y1W1pMbMpO5q9ChW4QaEwOudWgpdeS3OcqCgI5H6fdItZ4LvaN5FmGY9OP1cCm0lRXntO1B6M5YnqbKJlfB6ESseVbXTgTaR/s1600/Eclipse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="486" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGCfyLrgLrqIKYptMcS2kCqkj6o9i8Kvm50LPFX6OByB6Y1W1pMbMpO5q9ChW4QaEwOudWgpdeS3OcqCgI5H6fdItZ4LvaN5FmGY9OP1cCm0lRXntO1B6M5YnqbKJlfB6ESseVbXTgTaR/s320/Eclipse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sun’s diameter - 1.3914 million km</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Moon’s diameter –3,474 km</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sun’s distance from Earth – 147.1 to 152.1 million km (varies throughout the year)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Moon’s distance from Earth – 406,662 to 356,509 km (varies throughout the month)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: justify;">
Despite the above vast sizes and distances, the Moon will appear
precisely the same size as the Sun in precisely the same location from
the perspective of Earth today. One might just consider this to be an
occasional coincidence. Consider for a moment, however, that this type
of phenomena to this level of precision happens nowhere else in our
solar system. As such, it is viewable from the sole location that
supports intelligent life.<br />
<br />
In addition, the phenomena occurs
during a time in that intelligent life’s history where they are able to
take advantage of the scientific treasure it bears, namely a greater
understanding of our star’s outer corona. This was not possible
centuries ago for two reasons; 1) the Moon use to be closer to our
planet, completely obscuring the Sun during an eclipse (and hence our
ability to study the Sun’s corona, 2) we did not have the technology
centuries ago to take advantage of such a study even if it were offered.<br />
<br />
The more we learn about our nearest star, the more we will come to
understand other stars and the universe in general. The more we learn
about creation, the more we learn about our Creator. This is called
“General Revelation” in fancy theological terms. We truly are in the
age of cosmic discovery, at the right place, at the right time. In
other words, consider today’s total eclipse our Creator’s way of saying,
“Look at this!” I consider that to be far too exciting to be a dull,
mere coincidence.</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-87415196161914342192017-06-01T17:43:00.000-07:002017-06-01T17:43:24.262-07:00Thoughts on the US and Paris Agreement<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="fbch3" data-offset-key="89vri-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Aqgp_Hz_QeDx70jWfLOQdrPgHPyN8Fi8Z2yiKfSojzY1iD3Y0zrK21Odin-Uj5zcx0u2XQBbQ9kImjyIu1DL6b_z6zTow1_TTYSaybh86FPTqNTl0LYt1UczIWO155baN3Np7AeeiCI7/s1600/Paris+Agreement+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Aqgp_Hz_QeDx70jWfLOQdrPgHPyN8Fi8Z2yiKfSojzY1iD3Y0zrK21Odin-Uj5zcx0u2XQBbQ9kImjyIu1DL6b_z6zTow1_TTYSaybh86FPTqNTl0LYt1UczIWO155baN3Np7AeeiCI7/s320/Paris+Agreement+Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="89vri-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="89vri-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The US pulling out of the Paris Agreement was a mistake, not because Man is the leading cause of global warming (of which I am still not convinced), but because it moved the US further into political irrelevancy on a global scale. </span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="89vri-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Look at China, the filthiest and grossest of polluters of all industrial nations (a living mockery of the Paris Agreement). Yet China remains with the Paris agreement. Why? Not because they care about the environment (they most certainly do not), but because they are playing the long game. They are patient, while Americans are impatient and pragmatic. </span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="89vri-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now Germany will begin to distance itself from the US and likely bolster ties with BRIC nations like India and China. Why? For one, Germany may be the only nation on the planet that actually cares about the environment for non-political reasons. The environment is a nationalistic passion of theirs, second only to their love of soccer. Second, the Germans smell death on the US Empire. They sense the change in winds, and its more than the grotesque flatulence of a certain US leader. </span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="89vri-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The US staying in the Paris Agreement would have been expensive economically in the near term. The US will find that backing out will have its own costs, which will have long term economic impacts of their own.</span></div>
</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-2131589430207843472017-05-23T16:47:00.000-07:002017-05-23T17:03:17.406-07:00Marriage Advice from a Crusty Sergeant<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I congratulated a young Airman of mine the other day on her wedding engagement. We talked about the difficulties married military couples face. The divorce rate in the military is almost double that of the civilian sector. One source of stress is the frequent moves. The average military couple moves 8.6 times over a 20 year career. I told her that my wife and I have moved 9 times in our marriage. Military couples also often marry young. I told her that my wife and I married when we were both 19 years old. Upon hearing that I had been married 17 years, she asked me if I had any advice. I told her it had a lot to do with our learning how to resolve conflict, lessons painstakingly learned together over the years. Here are a few of the things I told her. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t Hold Back</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the beginning of a marriage you both want to be really nice to one another. I myself would often hold back my thoughts and feelings when I was upset. That can only go on for so long before you eventually blow up. Ephesians 4:26 says, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Be upfront and honest with your spouse when something is concerning or upsetting you. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seek Good Counsel</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eventually you are going to get into an argument. When, not if, that happens, you may need to seek advice outside the marriage. Be careful who that counsel comes from. Your “best friend” may not be it (if this is really the case, you probably just need a new “best friend”). I have seen too many marriages struggle or collapse because of bad counsel from family or friends that really did not have the best interest of the marriage at heart. Proverbs abounds in the importance of surrounding yourself with wise counselors. Seek them out and identify them now before you need them. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Listen to The Meltdowns</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hear your spouse out. I came home from work one day and my wife was unexpectedly very upset with me. I could have said, “I’ll talk to you later when you’re not acting so crazy.” Instead, I got out a piece of paper and pen and said, “OK, fair enough. Let’s see what I can do to make things better. I’ll write down a list of things I can improve on.” She then broke down in tears and said, “I think I’m pregnant.” Was she acting emotional? You bet. However, all she needed from me was to show that I cared and was willing to listen to her. Proverbs 18:13 advises us that “if one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmbZsEWHPHmM_c8ck7hkVEJlRhVqzb9bO7H_jdRLYExv1Lpzxd8f2btBT_myITLtalYYFO1OjAexgH1HZPyDgVmeQHRhlGEb7cvN7XYvNmtI_WLCyEOSSvSBD-JhyphenhyphenWkIZqtNar3RtpcS1/s1600/Kevin+%2526+Allison+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmbZsEWHPHmM_c8ck7hkVEJlRhVqzb9bO7H_jdRLYExv1Lpzxd8f2btBT_myITLtalYYFO1OjAexgH1HZPyDgVmeQHRhlGEb7cvN7XYvNmtI_WLCyEOSSvSBD-JhyphenhyphenWkIZqtNar3RtpcS1/s320/Kevin+%2526+Allison+2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forgive and Forget</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Airman also happened to be a Christian. I told her to ensure that they keep Christ at the center of their marriage. I did not become a Christian until the third year of our marriage. Our second year was really tough and we almost got a divorce. I learned my need for forgiveness and how to forgive others. In marriage, there will be a lot of forgiveness going on; both parties are sinners after all. When you forgive your spouse, you cannot bring up their sin again. That is what I mean by “forget it.” Sin cannot be forgot as in you will never think of it again. You can, however, forget it by not harboring continued resentment or by bringing it up in unrelated arguments later on. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was only so much advice that I could give in a short conversation. This Airman, however, has a good head on her shoulders and I think she will help improve the poor marriage statistics our generation faces. </span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-26257825144376256982017-05-12T22:01:00.000-07:002017-05-12T22:01:15.705-07:00“The Moment”: Our Yearning to Be a Hero<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We cannot help but be inspired when we hear of the heroic deeds of others. We feel ourselves swell with pride as we imagine ourselves taking the same action in such a situation. The problem is day-to-day life is actually rather boring and mundane. We wonder when “the moment” may come when we can prove to ourselves and to others that we can be heroes, too.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the meantime, we wait for “the moment” to show our quality, fantasizing about scenarios where we will reveal our heroic selves. Here are a few possible scenarios.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Gunslinger” Scenario</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He is always carrying a sidearm. Everywhere. Why? Because he has been waiting for and expecting “the moment” to happen at any moment, hopefully in public. An active shooter. A robber. The exact means does not matter as long as he is able to finally use his weapon to put the bad guy down. He does not consider the possibility that he may actually make such a situation worse. Any why should he? He has gone over the scenario in his mind many times and it will go perfectly.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Prepper” Scenario</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I met a man in the military once that had a job that would not technically start until the nuclear apocalypse had started. Not until after nuclear weapons were in the air would his job begin, which would consist of keeping the government running in a post-nuclear holocaust world. Problem was, it had not happened yet. He had been training and prepping for years for this nightmare event. When I asked him how he felt about his job, his reply was “Sometimes I feel it would be nice to see the fruit of my labor.” He felt his work went unnoticed. I explained to him that his state of readiness is a deterrent for the enemy, which hopefully will prevent a nuclear holocaust from happening. He did not seem convinced. He was still looking forward to “the moment.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Your Crisis is my Crisis” Scenario</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You would think that it was his own wife or child that was in jeopardy. He has spread the news of the tragedy far and wide under the guise of caring for the victim. He talks an awful lot about how devastated he is. One would think that the event had actually happened to him. “The moment” has come, he believes, but all he has really done is hijack the attention of someone else’s “moment.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I’m Offended for You” Scenario</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has played the scenario out over and over in his head. He has his pet peeve, and boy, when someone in public offends another, he is going to make his pet peeve known. When “the moment” comes one would think that he personally had been offended, but he really is just offended </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the victim. He makes a big scene about it publicly and those witnessing the event walk away confused as to who the real victim was. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiohzpMJKIsPWMvTFoyvArJM4EiREytTnVG8bK21cQm6MuEu-hXei3XzzzJHOpAumqmlZk6OVegvJ5-1xyPb1gza1vWEwThbaVS_r5W6y_oNzUA_lZug7ejW4fS9Pr_9NfIF_JRobJ3pwh/s1600/FrodoandSamMordor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiohzpMJKIsPWMvTFoyvArJM4EiREytTnVG8bK21cQm6MuEu-hXei3XzzzJHOpAumqmlZk6OVegvJ5-1xyPb1gza1vWEwThbaVS_r5W6y_oNzUA_lZug7ejW4fS9Pr_9NfIF_JRobJ3pwh/s320/FrodoandSamMordor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">A common theme in the above scenarios is that not only are they looking for “the moment,” they also seek recognition in it. They also fabricate the moment. “The real moment” is a real trial, however. The heroes in all the stories worth emulating do not want or seek out “the moment,” but rather endure and overcome the trial because they must. When the moment really comes for us, it will come unlooked for. No, far from looking for it, we will want nothing to do with it. Consider Frodo and Sam in <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, for example.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">As great of a story <i>The</i> <i>Lord of the Rings</i> is, we do not need to look to fiction for real examples of heroes. Look at the greatest hero of all time; Jesus Christ. Even our Lord in “the real moment” said, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Should our real moment ever come, despite how much we will want to run, may we stand our ground. </span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-43045179706544847912017-05-01T21:36:00.001-07:002017-05-01T21:41:41.229-07:00Cause of the American Civil War<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The American Civil War was over slavery!” “No, it was over states’ rights!” Back and forth the two sides go, on and on. The American Civil war was actually over both issues. To help explain how this can be, I will use an analogy I once heard used by Dr. R.C. Sproul in his explanation for the cause of the Protestant Reformation. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Frequently the Reformation is described as a movement that revolved around two pivotal issues. The socalled ‘material’ cause was the debate over sola fide (“justification by faith alone”). The ‘formal’ cause was the issue of sola Scriptura, that the Bible and the Bible alone has the authority to bind the conscience of the believer.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTdBep-Ruxuz6-YHMLERlhwAjJHKLK1ZC_igbKhPrKUdy2SHIhIWiOJoqlqobxwyIKmtlYaQaDnai7wxMDTVPcvzVIOj1lGZV1BOC2mPeI9bPV4-Ck2p02uRi6iB46SZoGUnLChq5f2qz/s1600/Fort_sumter_1861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTdBep-Ruxuz6-YHMLERlhwAjJHKLK1ZC_igbKhPrKUdy2SHIhIWiOJoqlqobxwyIKmtlYaQaDnai7wxMDTVPcvzVIOj1lGZV1BOC2mPeI9bPV4-Ck2p02uRi6iB46SZoGUnLChq5f2qz/s320/Fort_sumter_1861.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The formal cause of the Civil War was over the issue of secession. The United States (U.S.) did not invade the Confederate States (C.S) because the latter was pro-slavery. The U.S. invaded the C.S. because the latter had seceded from the former’s union. Some may interject here that the C.S. started the war when it attacked U.S. property, e.g. Fort Sumter, that fell within the new borders of the C.S. This is a mute point as the mere act of secession already made claim to such property. (The picture to the right shows Fort Sumter flying a Confederate Flag in 1861.)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The material cause of the Civil War was over the issue of slavery. The material cause of an issue is easier to discern when one asks the question, “Why was the formal cause an issue to begin with?” In the Protestant Reformation, the formal issue (is a believer’s conscience bound by the Bible alone or by both the Bible and Church dogma) was only an issue because of the material cause (is a believer justified by their faith alone or by their faith and their works). Those that believed one is justified by faith alone did so on the grounds that they believed one’s conscience is bound by the Bible alone. In like manner, the formal cause of the Civil War (secession) was only an issue because of the material cause (slavery).</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take the American Revolutionary War (ARW) as another example. The formal cause of the ARW was also the issue of secession. Great Britain did not invade the British-American colonies because the latter refused to pay taxes, i.e. “no taxation without representation”. Great Britain invaded the British-American colonies because the latter rejected the former’s union. This formal cause (secession), however, was only an issue because of the material cause (refusal to pay taxes), taxes which were levied, mind you, to pay a down the debt incurred when Great Britain defended the British-American colonists from French aggression during the Seven Years’ War. In addition to these taxes, the colonists’ infamous smuggling practices were also finally put to a stop in order to drive goods away from the black market where it could be properly taxed. Interesting how when a people’s money is put at risk, whether it be stopping slavery, smuggling, or tax evasion, those people have a tendency to rebel. But perhaps that is a topic for another blog.</span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-20818598945147813152017-03-30T11:03:00.000-07:002017-03-30T11:03:00.580-07:00My 50th Blog Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I began my Hardly Tolerable blog 5 years ago at the recommendation of a good friend who has since past away. At that time, I expressed concern to him that I would soon have very few friends remaining on Facebook if I continued to assault them with my religious and political posts. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyvE4G82qgHLrMWwBTaDHtEsxZ3wRBgQdqKJQg7bvvCHWTwaRo8eCfnePP6c5DTZYrKE_il7qp7v8FOZA6SlhKV23u3yPxXjALhjZolZCojc2rkY5B3U08E81o_dx7Fcma1ZoGRAQ2lfS/s1600/Kevin+ST+Uniform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyvE4G82qgHLrMWwBTaDHtEsxZ3wRBgQdqKJQg7bvvCHWTwaRo8eCfnePP6c5DTZYrKE_il7qp7v8FOZA6SlhKV23u3yPxXjALhjZolZCojc2rkY5B3U08E81o_dx7Fcma1ZoGRAQ2lfS/s1600/Kevin+ST+Uniform.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This marks my fiftieth post since that time. To no one's surprise, I am sure, about 2/3 of my posts have been of a religious or political nature. The rest of my posts have touched on a wide variety of topics, such as history, military service, etiquette, pipe smoking, ancestry, and even satire. Satire was by far the most fun and I really hope to do more of it. However, in the words of wise Gandalf, "Who will laugh, I wonder?"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I thought it would be worth mentioning the top 3 most viewed posts over the past five years. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Coming in 3rd was <a href="http://hardlytolerable.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-clinton-case.html">The Clinton Case</a>, which was a political post about corruption in both the Republican and Democrat U.S. parties and the importance of laws applying equally to all citizens, to include the rulers. My guess as to the popularity of this post is that it involved a high profile candidate running for President.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My 2nd most viewed post was <a href="http://hardlytolerable.blogspot.com/2013/08/star-trek-convention-george-takei-and.html">Star Trek Convention, George Takei, and the 2014 Winter Olympics</a>, which was a short post of a political/theological nature. I would like to think that this post received so many views due to the really cool picture of me sitting in the Enterprise-D captain's chair while in a Starfleet uniform. I doubt it. The view count was likely due to the controversial nature about homosexuality in regards to religion and politics. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My most viewed post by far over the last five years was actually one written earlier this month; <a href="https://hardlytolerable.blogspot.com/2017/03/presbytery-judicial-center-of-gravity.html?showComment=1490888051315#c3648442505596859353">Presbytery: The Judicial Center of Gravity</a>. Surprisingly, this post was about Presbyterian church government. I thought this would be a very boring topic, but perhaps I did add a bit of controversy towards the end when I took a jab at presbyteries that fail to live up to their intended roles.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While I do not write blog posts for the purpose of receiving high view counts, it is reassuring to know that at least some people read them. I also find it interesting to discover what type of issues draw the most views. It seems that the very issues that I was concerned would lead me to lose friends on Facebook are the very issues that seem to draw the most view counts on my blog. Despite this, I plan to continue using my blog and leaving my Hardly Tolerable commentary here.</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-62279658103915690862017-03-29T13:41:00.000-07:002017-03-29T13:46:24.879-07:00The Sacraments: Mental Immaturity / Disability <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disclaimer: This blog post is my thinking out loud, and as such, I am open to comments, critiques, and corrections on the topic.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am concerned by what I have witnessed among Christian denominations that exclude individuals from participation in the Sacraments due to one’s inability to outwardly demonstrate faith in Christ, perhaps due to mental immaturity or disability. When I say “concerned,” I mean I come close to tears thinking about it, which for those that know me is saying a lot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Baptist circles, for example, do not baptize someone unless they have made a public profession of faith. Another example are Presbyterian circles (of which I belong), who tend to not allow someone to participate in the Lord’s Supper unless they have made a public profession of faith. Regardless of why participation in a particular Sacrament is being denied, the result is a very real exclusion, a setting apart of that denied person from the rest of the Body of Christ. That person must be reminded Sunday after Sunday that they are not like the others they sit next to. Why? Because they have not met their church leaders’ subjective standard of exhibiting an understanding of and faith in the Gospel. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the cases where one has been denied the Sacraments due to mental immaturity, i.e. children, I have often heard the explanation that the person has not yet reached the “age of accountability.” Not only am I unable to find such a concept in Scripture, this age varies subjectively from church to church. In the meantime, these children are forced to live in visible exclusion until they reach their church leaders’ prescribed magical age.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regarding mental disability, I have seen men and women with Down’s Syndrome, for example, be denied the Sacraments for the same reason; their inability to articulate an understanding of and faith in the Gospel, which many of these people will never be able to do.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe a person with Down’s Syndrome in the church has as much of a </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">right</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to the Sacraments as everyone else in the church. Yes, I wrote “right” and notice I also qualified that this person is </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in the church</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This means they are attending every Sunday and likely the child of a believer. This person is in all tense and purposes already part of the visible church and as such ought to receive the sign meant to be administered to the visible church; i.e. Baptism.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A person who has not yet met the local subjective “age of accountability” still has every </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">right</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to the Sacraments as everyone else in the church. Let us assume the following; the person is a child of a believer, has been Baptized, is a member of the visible church, and hears the Word preached every Sunday. Why should that church member be withheld from participation in the Lord’s Supper, the Gospel in visible form? We do not keep our children from hearing the Word preached prior to reaching an “age of accountability,” so why would we keep them from participating in the Gospel in visible form? The same goes for those with mental disabilities; if they have received the sign of Baptism, they ought not be denied participation to the Lord’s Supper, as if they are under official church discipline. In regards to “fencing the table,” I fear we are far too lenient with the sin of those without mental excuse and far too strict with those that are the most mentally tender and vulnerable. Shame on us!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps it would help if we considered the means of grace, which are prayer, the Word preached, and the Sacraments. We pray with and encourage those that are mentally immature or disabled. We preach the Word to these people in our church, as well. The Sacraments are effectual means of grace through the working of the Holy Spirit for those that have been given the gift of faith, which is a work of God, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> man. I caution that on the matter of the Sacraments, we too often sound more like Pelagians than proponents of the Gospel of Grace. May we administer all the means of grace in such a manner that truly magnifies the grace and mercy of God in the saving a people unto Himself.</span>K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-64554333900564957042017-03-22T09:37:00.002-07:002017-03-22T09:37:55.723-07:00U.S. Atmospheric Nuclear Testing Research Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMl31WFV4fmjES0E7_GY2pFRwS0HcN2usOemNk6FHmcipbBU7Brqp46otnlh34UltmHaqg9Lh4mFdFDRbw5tb-1lBZx637QBh9go0I2Jou6O0jREdTSYaoxB4oSHeINCjNhweLuMsiCqI/s1600/Housatonic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMl31WFV4fmjES0E7_GY2pFRwS0HcN2usOemNk6FHmcipbBU7Brqp46otnlh34UltmHaqg9Lh4mFdFDRbw5tb-1lBZx637QBh9go0I2Jou6O0jREdTSYaoxB4oSHeINCjNhweLuMsiCqI/s320/Housatonic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
No, that is not a picture of the Sun to the right. Rather it is what it would look like if a nuclear weapon detonated at night, 2 miles over your head.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
History will always associate the U.S. with the discovery, testing, and war-time employment of nuclear weapons. The U.S. conducted 219 atmospheric nuclear tests alone between 1945 and 1962. If one includes exo-atmospheric, underground, and underwater, there were 1,054 tests. Since 1962, most of the films that captured the atmospheric tests (over 10,000, as multiple cameras were used during a test) have been slowly decomposing, scattered across the country in high-security vaults.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While a dark topic, it is never-the-less important for a nation to preserve it's history. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWpqGKUG5yY">Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has therefore recently been authorized to collect and scan these films into digital form</a>. This takes a great amount of time, but a few are already viewable on YouTube. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the preservation of these films is valuable for posterity's sake, new things are now being learned with 21st-century technology that wasn't possible 55 years ago. As such, these films continue to contribute data to current and future weapon physicists. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><div style="text-align: justify;">
Housatonic (pictured above) was one of many tests as part of Operation Dominic in 1962. Housatonic was a low-altitude test delivered via airdrop and detonated at 12,100 ft, (just over 2 miles above the surface).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLvGO_dWo8VfcmG166wKRy5z-GlJ_OQND5&time_continue=30&v=L_jFQw78uzo">This is a link to </a>one of these new films.<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-13013916193562816432017-03-13T04:39:00.000-07:002017-03-13T05:30:37.997-07:00Presbytery: The Judicial Center of Gravity<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB7twPzaxi6ozwYOcCivkL8r658UO1vmGmD38je5Na31tRCcbs_-5GcIw0O98rYH2H2e8-_6G2A_Nfe1EAb11FnguBqFFUrOO7nZKQU74EFwV6pZdRmPnxoavLzRVk0YL0LxEnfTxI-6b/s1600/Jerusalem+Chamber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB7twPzaxi6ozwYOcCivkL8r658UO1vmGmD38je5Na31tRCcbs_-5GcIw0O98rYH2H2e8-_6G2A_Nfe1EAb11FnguBqFFUrOO7nZKQU74EFwV6pZdRmPnxoavLzRVk0YL0LxEnfTxI-6b/s320/Jerusalem+Chamber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was recently asked by a co-worker which church I attended in town. He was raised in a non-denominational church and still attended one, so he had many questions for me upon hearing that I am an elder in a Presbyterian church. I went on to explain what a Presbyterian was and the distinguishing characteristics from other denominations. My co-worker was most interested in hearing about Presbyterian church government as he found it to differ drastically from the independent, congregationalist style form of government he was use to. His congregation is subject to no external jurisdiction. There are no checks and balances between his local church and an external entity should an internal dispute arise. For example, should his preacher begin preaching heresy, there is no external entity to deal with the pastor. On the other hand, nor is there protection for his pastor should his congregation turn on the pastor.</span><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8b91482-c752-f5d9-9389-c2f276783cef" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Presbyterianism, there are three levels of courts to deal with disputes. The first level of court, or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">session</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, consists of elders elected by and from among the local congregation. In addition to the administration of sacraments, the session is responsible for resolving local disputes and, if needed, the exercise of discipline. This much my co-worker was vaguely familiar with in his own congregation. </span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What if the nature of a dispute boils over the ability of a session to handle? What if the integrity of the session itself is called into question by one or several members of the congregation? In such cases the regional church, or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">presbytery</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, the second level of court would address the issue. A presbytery consists of a pastor and an elder commissioned from each congregation over a predefined geographic area. This level of court is really the judicial center of gravity for Presbyterianism.</span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Occasionally, disputes are not resolvable even at the presbytery level. In these cases the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">general assembly</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, the third and highest level of court, would address the issue. This level of court consists of a number of pastors and elders from among each presbytery. While the potential power of a general assembly is great, it rarely flexes such might unless it is truly needed. Instead, a general assembly, acknowledging that the judicial center of gravity resides at the level of presbytery, provides counsel to a presbytery in which the dispute arose. In short, the general assembly tends to just tell a presbytery to man up and do their job with a bit of advice thrown in. I exaggerate only a little. </span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While biblical and the best form of church government available to fallible men, I told my co-worker that the Presbyterian judicial system only works as well as those running it. We are far from perfect. I have noticed recently the very issue of presbyteries not living up to their judicial role, although perhaps this has been an ongoing problem for years. Complaints are brought before presbytery and are ignored. Charges are brought forward only to be adjudicated without trial. Well meaning judicial committees and politically powerful clerks of presbytery are tempted to sweep issues under the rug as they may be viewed as an embarrassment if made known at the general assembly level. In some respects, this embarrassment is warranted as it is a testament to a presbytery’s failure to “do their job.” The result, however, is a tolerance for the intolerable, all in an attempt to maintain a false front of unity. The problem is that such false fronts and the neglect of judicial proceedings are more likely to only cause real fractures within a presbytery. Yet, that is why the general assembly exists; to provide presbyteries counsel and wisdom from a wider pool of individuals, objective in their discernment. May general assemblies keep presbyteries living up to their judicial responsibilities. The ultimate health and welfare of the visible church is at stake.</span><br />
<br />
<i>Note: The above picture is of the Jerusalem Chamber located in Westminster Abbey. The Westminster Assembly met in the Jerusalem Chamber from the Winter of 1643 until its dissolution in 1653. In this room the Assembly debated the form of Presbyterian church government in addition to the drafting of the <a href="http://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-westminster-standards/">Westmister Standards, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and other documents.</a></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-41934451477832747492016-07-16T00:50:00.000-07:002016-07-16T00:51:22.688-07:00Look Who's Back<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKF7Ht_AfSa3py0W1lAfesZAWR_8ulXZiXt2_Q2K8wJPuaiXKYKEVshZFDMiyVxiYtWecjPbtA4SCdFi93PdnZSiPYU0fzRms1HyTS8q-GYWLfZ1nw2oKRl-wVB4MfFTSpFa134g5ACRE/s1600/Er+ist+wieder+da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKF7Ht_AfSa3py0W1lAfesZAWR_8ulXZiXt2_Q2K8wJPuaiXKYKEVshZFDMiyVxiYtWecjPbtA4SCdFi93PdnZSiPYU0fzRms1HyTS8q-GYWLfZ1nw2oKRl-wVB4MfFTSpFa134g5ACRE/s320/Er+ist+wieder+da.jpg" width="313" /></a><span lang="EN-US">I just finished watching the new German film “Er
ist wieder da“ (translated “He is back“) on Netflix. While the film is in German, Netflix does
provide English subtitles for the linguistically-German challenged. The film can be found on Netflix by searching
for “Look Who’s Back.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Like all good satire, the movie utilizes humor
to great effect in the pursuit of exposing key weaknesses in contemporary society. The film is a fictional account of the mysterious
return of Adolf Hitler to 2014 Berlin. With
his last recollection being that of his Berlin bunker in May 1945, Hitler begins
exploring contemporary society. While
his interpretation of 21<sup>st</sup> Century society is amusing, the most
interesting parts by far were the interactions the actor had with real
bystanders. You see, the film was made
on the streets of Germany and many of the people “Hitler” interacts with are
not actors themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">I am not going to give any more details about
the movie because I would really rather you see it for yourself. However, I will say that the end does a great
job bringing everything around and leaving the viewer with some good “food for
thought.” While some (many?) will find
the thought of a Hitler satire to be distasteful (not unwarranted) I took the
moral of the story to be that the horrors that occurred from 1933-1945 under
Hitler’s reign were nothing special to him or that place or time; rather they
could all happen anywhere, anytime. Why? Because humans are sinful. Hitler (the real one), while I believe an
agent of Satan, merely tapped into the inherent sin of mankind. We have plenty of examples of such sin around
us today, which is what precisely makes this movie a “must see” right now; it
shines a much needed light on the very weaknesses that make our society ripe
for a leader to abuse. In the US, we see
leaders, and those that seek such positions, abuse power, shirk culpability,
and flaunt their immunity to the repercussions of their illegal activity. Others speak in ways that foster hate. Or do they just tap into it? The moral of the movie “Look Who’s Back” is
that the characteristics of a leader reflect more about those that follow them
than it does about the leader themselves.
In the movie, the character Hitler reminds another character that he was
elected by the people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">While the real Adolf Hitler is more than
deserving of the distain and contempt for generations to come, let us never
forget a nation’s leader is really a reflection of the people. Nothing could be more applicable to our
nation today as we head into a presidential election. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-60067447005947721582016-07-07T17:10:00.001-07:002016-07-07T17:11:57.779-07:00The Clinton Case<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhrK1fo9sL1Z8q-zoIVMRXTJ7OLt81sCe-rurHGlzybygXhyphenhyphenGULDFdWP8WeUD9fZi4618ma7AKWskhX4tsQLanIuoXkdYfzwLW0tFe74VZoDvJT3s64jGQJ_qeTR9Bh6Yj49UY6Kk8QTY/s1600/Animal+Farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhrK1fo9sL1Z8q-zoIVMRXTJ7OLt81sCe-rurHGlzybygXhyphenhyphenGULDFdWP8WeUD9fZi4618ma7AKWskhX4tsQLanIuoXkdYfzwLW0tFe74VZoDvJT3s64jGQJ_qeTR9Bh6Yj49UY6Kk8QTY/s320/Animal+Farm.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“All animals are equal, but some animals are
more equal than others.” This quote from
the book <i>Animal Farm</i> by George Orwell
is well known and yet few are actually familiar with the context. This quote appears toward the end of the book
and sums up the hypocrisy of the new animal government now run by the elite
pigs. In the story the pigs proudly
proclaim the equality of all animals and yet routinely demonstrate that the
true power and privilege is reserved for themselves, the political elite. This privileged Pig Class in the story engages
in illegal activity with impunity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">While <i>Animal
Farm</i> is mere allegory, it nevertheless highlights the gross defects in our
own government and the “Pig Class” that controls it. The most recent, high profile example of this
is the FBI’s decision to not prosecute Hillary Clinton for her grossly
negligent handling of classified information.
The typical punishment for such an act would be a fine and/or
imprisonment of up to ten years. Hillary
Clinton is not a typical “animal,” however; she is a well-connected member of
the Pig Class, those that currently run the government. As such, she enjoys certain exemptions from
prosecution from illegal activity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Our Founding Fathers sought to establish a
nation built upon and held together through laws, laws that applied to all
citizens, not just the Pig Class. Laws that
apply equally to all citizens are essential as they are “the strongest bonds by
which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together. It creates between them that communion of
interests and sympathy of sentiments, of which few governments have furnished
examples; but without which every government degenerates into tyranny.” (James
Madison, Federalist 57) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This is not a party issue, though it will be
made into one. Democrats will come to
the defense of Clinton and Republicans will attack her like wolves. Should Clinton have been a Republican, the
opposite would be the case. In either
case, the combined Pig Class of Republicrats would prevail and lawlessness
would win the day. “The Clinton Case” is
just one more brick laid in the ever growing Tower of Tyranny and such bricks will continue to be laid as long
as us common animals permit it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-30733505308843307622016-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:002016-06-18T19:56:14.547-07:00My Report on the 83rd GA of the OPC<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ICwMcUmK52az8qMHTXi6Ox1xFjzAvpk_IofmmIdFhOVY8hym9Earn9OrJdGxHro4Wsm4zh_dwgAGUyJgoHtgUTFISwJNDPZi9MBNeNpDAyjSGj5ynoC4n-onlxnrYmSvbM8ZvRWC5oiX/s1600/OPC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ICwMcUmK52az8qMHTXi6Ox1xFjzAvpk_IofmmIdFhOVY8hym9Earn9OrJdGxHro4Wsm4zh_dwgAGUyJgoHtgUTFISwJNDPZi9MBNeNpDAyjSGj5ynoC4n-onlxnrYmSvbM8ZvRWC5oiX/s320/OPC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Rev. Matthew Kingsbury and I attended
the 83th GA of the OPC as commissioners on behalf of our regional church, the Presbytery
of the Dakotas, at Sandy Cove Conference Center in North East, MD from June
8-13, 2016. The meeting of the GA also coincided
with the 80<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the OPC as a denomination. The GA is the governing body of the OPC and
the highest court of appeal in judicial matters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Assembly was addressed by delegates from denominations
with which the OPC enjoys fraternal relations. The delegates represented
denominations from Austria, Switzerland, Australia, Brazil, Canada, South
Africa, New Zealand, and several others here in the United States. The Committee on Diaconal Ministries
highlighted the opportunity for our deacons to attend Diaconal
Conferences. The Committee on Home
Missions and Church Extensions now provides updates on Facebook in an attempt
to provide churches with timely prayer request information about mission
works. There is also a monthly bulletin,
<i>Home Missions Today</i>, which is posted
on the committee’s website. The
Statistician reported that while total membership of the OPC reached 31, 191 members
this last year, a new record high, this is only a 0.22 percent increase from
the year before. While this stagnation
is concerning, we can give praise that God continues to gather in His own!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Assembly asked the Committee on Christian
Education to return to next year’s GA with recommendations on the preparation
of a “Modern English Study Version” of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which
would modernize the language of the catechism without changing its meaning. The Assembly agreed to move forward in
publishing the new Psalter Hymnal, a collaboration between the OPC and the
URCNA. The Committee for the Historian
reported that there is a book project in progress titled <i>Choosing the Good Portion: Women of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church</i>.
This anthology, scheduled to be
published fall 2016, will feature 52 essays highlighting the lives of dozens of
women in the OPC. We give thanks to our
Lord for the faithful service of these women over the last 80 years! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Assembly received a study report on the topic of
Republication, which will be distributed to presbyteries and made available to
interested parties for study. In light
of the report, the Assembly recommended that presbyteries examine a candidate’s
understanding of the covenant of works, the Mosaic Covenant, and the specific
topics enumerated in the report. May
this report be an aid in crafting more biblical shepherds charged with the
preaching of His Word to the flock!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The OPC Pension Plan will now change from a
trustee-directed plan to a participant-directed plan, allowing members the
flexibility to choose an investment allocation that best fits his unique
circumstance. A new Committee on
Ministerial Care will now be created, which will take over the duties of the
Committee on Pensions, oversight of the OPC Obadiah Fund, and provide advice or
resources regarding financial risk management and planning to OPC ministers. May these coming changes meet the temporal
needs of our ministers, who have so fervently labored after our eternal needs!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Praise God for His eternal faithfulness to His own as
we see the Gospel of Jesus Christ lived out through the many efforts of the OPC
and her fraternal denominations, all to the glory of our God and our enjoyment
of Him forever!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4Hi_MeBOogWmmNhDALKrSX9TAYpn0fSnapW-wigcTMOUHBXVAOS5hmwkUyIUDzeelLTD4LmNLI6xPHaG86JOznsB0KhryQdFAR773MAJR9osJRbKAsFouxi7PL_Dc-sdVHb4ht-Wa29Q/s1600/Commissioners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4Hi_MeBOogWmmNhDALKrSX9TAYpn0fSnapW-wigcTMOUHBXVAOS5hmwkUyIUDzeelLTD4LmNLI6xPHaG86JOznsB0KhryQdFAR773MAJR9osJRbKAsFouxi7PL_Dc-sdVHb4ht-Wa29Q/s640/Commissioners.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-22652733118761267062015-11-20T18:39:00.001-08:002015-11-20T18:44:57.076-08:00Why We Should Love One Another<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHrxBj4NlhGH1DN5wftBWqcJA0cMns5hBJtZQgOFto2Kbm71mHUQ4r6xqxbWzQuqRVSvufOqDvz-HAyVrUOwaxX6QqgqQSHoHREa5dA_FiwbmYm-L58NjtMYy44NoD8yT_mvykf1C1iEO/s1600/Creation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHrxBj4NlhGH1DN5wftBWqcJA0cMns5hBJtZQgOFto2Kbm71mHUQ4r6xqxbWzQuqRVSvufOqDvz-HAyVrUOwaxX6QqgqQSHoHREa5dA_FiwbmYm-L58NjtMYy44NoD8yT_mvykf1C1iEO/s320/Creation.jpg" width="320" /></a>God created everything.<br />
<br />
You. Me. Everything thing that we have known, will know, and all that is
beyond our knowing, was created by Him. An
understandable response to this truth is praise and love from His
creation. However, God is not only worthy
of this praise and love from His creation, He commands it. When we consider His commands, it is amazing
that God is not only concerned with our response to <i>Him</i> but how we respond to <i>each
other</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Not only is God concerned that we acknowledge that He is the
only true God, but He is also concerned that we give each other proper
honor and dignity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Not only is God concerned that we worship Him properly,
but He is also concerned that we preserve the life of ourselves and others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Not only is God concerned that we use His name in a holy and
reverent manner, but He is also concerned that we conduct ourselves in a chaste
and modest manner toward one another.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Not only is God concerned that we reserve one whole day in
seven for His service, but He is also concerned that we engage faithfully with
one another in contracts and commerce, that we promote truth with one another,
that we be content with our own condition and act charitably toward the
condition of others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Jl7GIHAM6wK-L_AgA4q16lx3XZ6bPdvpQNnJZNgyUHQ_O2TEzmbfBW2nl6ENJEvChXvwLJNtv9FJASViChaxgsUs0FVOjejQxhFrfKJFYGhDQq7I2SLFH37XZCtsZ8LB-All5oTKcAVv/s1600/Refugees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Jl7GIHAM6wK-L_AgA4q16lx3XZ6bPdvpQNnJZNgyUHQ_O2TEzmbfBW2nl6ENJEvChXvwLJNtv9FJASViChaxgsUs0FVOjejQxhFrfKJFYGhDQq7I2SLFH37XZCtsZ8LB-All5oTKcAVv/s320/Refugees.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In short, God commands us to love one another. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
God could have simply commanded we acknowledge Him as the
only true God, worship Him properly, use His name in a holy manner, reserve one
whole day in seven for His service, and it would have been enough because He is
the Creator, and a Creator owes His creation nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As His creation, however, God commands us to love one
another because He loves His creation.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This truth points to something far more shocking than the amazing
fact that God cares about how we treat each other. While
God is under no obligation to make a promise to us, He <i>is</i> obligated to keep it once He has made it. God must keep His promise because His
character demands it and He promises that all in His creation that believe in
Jesus Christ will not experience eternal torment for their sins against the
Creator, but rather will experience eternal life. This Jesus Christ is the Creator embodied in flesh,
i.e. Incarnate. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The scope of this post
was not to get into the details as to why the <a href="http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/the-incarnation-of-the-son-of-god/">Incarnation was necessary</a>, but
know that it absolutely was and it cost the Creator dearly. The death of the Creator paid the penalty due
for the sins of His people. God is so
concerned for His creation that He laid down His life for it. This sacrifice is undeserved, but that is why
it is called grace and it is truly amazing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFD4fiGD5eWjPt4_o-nWgegg_K4fuVgYrI9N16z2V7TVmuEu9MvPsqJQUS6r627bF6WNBC77t6pLda_Gj33L3yZblMoM4LS7h4N3Hwk_mhhDDBIdvGv0EBZ6w3ds0wiAJGkMup9YfWcdo/s1600/Immanuel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFD4fiGD5eWjPt4_o-nWgegg_K4fuVgYrI9N16z2V7TVmuEu9MvPsqJQUS6r627bF6WNBC77t6pLda_Gj33L3yZblMoM4LS7h4N3Hwk_mhhDDBIdvGv0EBZ6w3ds0wiAJGkMup9YfWcdo/s320/Immanuel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-50803994367725399182015-11-14T18:47:00.000-08:002015-11-14T18:53:49.256-08:00Our Response to the Attack in Paris<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not going to get into the long-term solution to
Islamic-based terrorist attacks. That is
not the point of this post. The point is
to warn us from stepping into hate and radicalism ourselves as a result of such
attacks. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkjYuTSxgF_6jWnTdtp5UH1-RoRy9wT3UkSOtuaxSji4wAYE3PPNzlRQykgdok_fOPCghtY0yd7iTFvU4V7M4G-YfFmTdj-0392iiwmdg0Ra4F5EUWlE5uX6SaHvnUscERciTwjuIY9nb/s1600/Fear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkjYuTSxgF_6jWnTdtp5UH1-RoRy9wT3UkSOtuaxSji4wAYE3PPNzlRQykgdok_fOPCghtY0yd7iTFvU4V7M4G-YfFmTdj-0392iiwmdg0Ra4F5EUWlE5uX6SaHvnUscERciTwjuIY9nb/s320/Fear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I intentionally waited to post comments about last night’s attack
in Paris. Some of the online commentary
I have seen over the last 24 hours has been very concerning. I have seen calls to kill all Muslims. I have seen calls to round Muslims up and
place them in internment camps. I have
seen calls from Christians for a new Crusade.
I am going to be blunt; these calls to harm Muslims are more than
Islamophobic, it is insanity. These
calls are unchristian. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should point out that these calls are coming from people
that are normally pretty rational, normally pretty “christian.” This type of mob insanity happens, however,
when we fail to control our fear. A wise
man once said,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-h0Ib-KcUUiuQl9Xs5vbHL6GJaBGkJ4PVRHEnMdMxSKLWa73Xiv7ifZ-PVRLl11EfPMns45onW9a8ZOy1luVvR1k_fLp8k3YRaWkJ4__cC9PCxiMEpDDcWiup5UIsCTSjggfk46xKgc5/s1600/Yoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-h0Ib-KcUUiuQl9Xs5vbHL6GJaBGkJ4PVRHEnMdMxSKLWa73Xiv7ifZ-PVRLl11EfPMns45onW9a8ZOy1luVvR1k_fLp8k3YRaWkJ4__cC9PCxiMEpDDcWiup5UIsCTSjggfk46xKgc5/s200/Yoda.jpg" width="197" /></a>Right now people are scared.
Do you know who else is scared?
Muslims. Millions of non-violent
Muslims right now fear retribution from both totalitarian acts of governments
and vigilante “justice” from mobs of equally fearful people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anger is an appropriate response to evil. What happened in Paris was evil. However, when we find our world crashing down
we need to slow down, think, and keep our emotions in check, otherwise we will find
ourselves making poor judgments. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hate breeds hate.
Radicalism breeds radicalism. This
also happens to be our enemy’s goal. Their
goal is for governments to respond with totalitarianism. Their goal is for you and I to respond with
pitchforks, torches, and a burning stake.
They want us to meet them on the field of hate and radicalism. When we do that, they have already won. The suffering continues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will work on another post that deals with the long-term solution, which entails a different foreign policy from the current one we have driven by fear.</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-60931851154453697332015-09-02T06:47:00.001-07:002017-03-30T08:16:36.429-07:00Refugees Welcome - Flüchtlinge Willkommen<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmUCshdesJjzA8jlRlovoYKGcj4iKYihAs7UvWEF63BRmZ5TeGiY3d4ue-t_n_s7a-a4zfD73dWeM2uV86wJ-td3UbTD82S1YEYb41kzePm2IUfCG3kq0UHS-CTW-R43oKGI1zeKkrOyC/s1600/Fluechtlinge+Willkommen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmUCshdesJjzA8jlRlovoYKGcj4iKYihAs7UvWEF63BRmZ5TeGiY3d4ue-t_n_s7a-a4zfD73dWeM2uV86wJ-td3UbTD82S1YEYb41kzePm2IUfCG3kq0UHS-CTW-R43oKGI1zeKkrOyC/s200/Fluechtlinge+Willkommen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">When refugees from the
middle east are told they cannot stay in eastern European countries they all
consistently reply, "We don't want to stay here. We're headed to
Germany." Refugees will always head to the most rich and powerful
countries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">That includes the United
States, which has seen its own share of refugees, primarily from Mexico. The
US's part in the War on Drugs has created and empowered the cartels in Mexico,
turning parts of that country into a war zone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The process of providing
aid and absorbing refugees into a country can be daunting. Germany is doing a
phenomenal job and are not even responsible for the middle east crisis. That is
what great countries do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Auf Deutsch:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wenn Fluechtlinge aus
dem Nahen Osten gesagt werden, dass sie in osteuropaeischen Laendern bleiben
koennen nicht alle konsequent zu antworten, “Wir wollen nicht, hier zu bleiben.
Wir sind nach Deutschland fuhren.” Fluechtlingen werden immer fuer die meisten
reichen und maechtigen Laender leiten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dazu gehoeren die USA,
die seinen eigenen Anteil von Fluechtlingen, vor allen aus Mexiko gesehen hat.
Die uns das Teil im Krieg gegen Drogen schuf und ermaechtigt die Drogenkartelle
in Mexiko, Teile dieses Landes in ein Kriegsgebiet verwandeln. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Der Prozess der
Hilfeleistung und Aufnahme von Fluechtlingen in einem Land kann entmutigend sein.
Deutschland macht einen phaenomenalen arbeit und sind nicht
selbstverantwortlich fuer die Krise im Nahen Osten. Das ist, was grosse Laender tun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-70539374475952764382015-08-21T17:16:00.000-07:002015-08-21T17:16:28.403-07:00The Wisdom of Al Swearengen<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwZrcgf2KGobuO37nnzsa0ZC7QbUPMbID_-F-tBgMcRwmN3W0Z0qdtOYbXSXj_50Hd0YkaP0HwE5mTrc7Rbf5JBUKsfNKErw6FnTFika2t1PkmEZ4EVabot1EzIDqQnqFn8dnWdt59kj2/s1600/Swearengen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwZrcgf2KGobuO37nnzsa0ZC7QbUPMbID_-F-tBgMcRwmN3W0Z0qdtOYbXSXj_50Hd0YkaP0HwE5mTrc7Rbf5JBUKsfNKErw6FnTFika2t1PkmEZ4EVabot1EzIDqQnqFn8dnWdt59kj2/s1600/Swearengen.jpg" /></a>The character Al Swearengen from the television series
Deadwood once said, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Every beatin’ I’m grateful for. Every one of them. Get all the beat outta you. And you know what the world is.” (I took the
liberty of omitting no less than three f-bombs from this quote.) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I found myself thinking about Swearengen’s “wisdom” recently
because there is some truth to be found here.
I doubt I am the only one out there that entered this world naively
trustful and optimistic. After a few
years I got “the beat outta me” and saw “what the world is”; corrupted by sin. That sin hurts and in the face of that pain
trust turns to distrust, optimism to pessimism.
In order to not be disappointed or let down we simply lower our
expectations and standards. I do this
all the time. Swearengen trusts no one and
assumes the worst intentions from them until proven otherwise. His response is understandable, especially in
the town of Deadwood. This response
starts off defensive, but eventually we are taking offensive action, as well,
contributing to this world’s corruption.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
We end up with Swearengen wisdom when we forge our
discernment from the beatings we receive in this world alone. This is not what the people of God are called
to do. True discernment comes from the
Word of God, which reveals the truth about good and evil. God’s Word reveals that we are called to love
our neighbor, which means that we are to assume the best regarding another’s
intentions until proven otherwise. There is risk with this. We might get hurt. No, let us be honest. We often will get hurt and that is not
Swearengen pessimism, either. God’s Word
warns us of this reality and still calls us to longsuffering. Longsuffering sounds bad, but here is one word
we loath even more; patience. We can
hardly stand to wait in a line at the supermarket. How much harder is it to patiently endure
injury caused by those we love, let alone a stranger? This kind of patience we are called to,
however, is a reflection of the patience God had for us in the moment of our
worst sin. Consider the patience of
Christ as he suffered for our sins on the cross. Yet He did so willingly. In fact, Christ also could have uttered the
same words as Swearengen (without the f-bombs) yet the meaning would be quite
different.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Every beatin’ I’m grateful for. Every one of them.” Why? Because
with His stripes we are healed. “Get all
the beat outta [Me]. And [I] know what
the world is.” Why? Because Christ’s suffering on the cross
redeemed a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to Himself from bondage
to sin and death. The world is fallen
and corrupt in sin, yet through the sacrifice and righteous works of Jesus Christ,
those that trust in Him alone are empowered by the Holy Spirit to assume the
best in others today and a have a sure hope in the life and resurrection to
come.<o:p></o:p></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-27363462704049785072015-08-08T20:49:00.003-07:002015-08-08T20:50:33.205-07:00Is Our Universe a Simulation?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbckMr_uT6MEQMBqVbPxzqnAqFwoizXN8-AaE7abTtTo__bTQeYiQD3BqOJjXoHdhJ5yBS9dPdxhc-KT9y7f5UgtGKM7hLTwnBKSIrmNAAHS0afV_kCkNI0QWNIXQpLhyphenhyphenYPGpHz2RFiIS/s1600/Simulation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbckMr_uT6MEQMBqVbPxzqnAqFwoizXN8-AaE7abTtTo__bTQeYiQD3BqOJjXoHdhJ5yBS9dPdxhc-KT9y7f5UgtGKM7hLTwnBKSIrmNAAHS0afV_kCkNI0QWNIXQpLhyphenhyphenYPGpHz2RFiIS/s200/Simulation.jpg" width="200" /></a>One of the popular subsets of the field of space is
<i>cosmology</i>, the study of the origin, evolution, and fate of the universe. Space.com recently <a href="http://www.space.com/30124-is-our-universe-a-fake.html?cmpid=514630_20150809_50478216&adbid=10152990535501466&adbpl=fb&adbpr=17610706465">posted an article</a> with a
rather philosophical view on the topic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The philosophical atheists in the article wrestle with the concept
that our universe might be a simulated reality, created by transcendent, hyper-advanced
beings, existing above and beyond our simulation. They consider five premises to the simulation
argument: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
(i) Other intelligent civilizations exist<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
(ii) Their technologies grow exponentially<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
(iii) They do not all go extinct<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
(iv) There is no universal ban or barrier for running
simulations<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
(v) Consciousness can be simulated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If one of the above premises is to be rejected, then it must
always be rejected, everywhere, for all time, in all universes, without
exception. That, of course, makes no
sense. The philosophers, therefore, conclude
that our universe is very likely a simulation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Yet, despite all this, the philosophical atheists in this
article still refuse to accept that the maker of this “simulation” is God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If our universe was a simulation created by transcendent, hyper-advanced
beings, then who created those beings and the simulation they exist in, and so
on? If we went back far enough we would
eventually, out of necessity, run into a supreme Being that is not confined to
a simulation, but rather exists in a beginningless state. That Being would be God. And why a beginningless state? Because something cannot come from
nothing. <i>Nihil fit ex nihilo</i>. Nothing
comes from nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-17936874463907419742015-08-06T13:06:00.000-07:002015-08-06T13:07:37.568-07:00Dresden Firebombings<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP1AI8GfpegqgrsCVV7glDw8m02CtHxjkGMW6ZdgUQ8u3QfZKvSzsARRA_eX7l5AXHKuKwQOX7c8AQmbZolBW4qA5HwJ0fdZYFQhrHX3qKmnap5OXxRBhRsFJ4mqAJdSKAdRyY1pHC7To/s1600/Dresden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP1AI8GfpegqgrsCVV7glDw8m02CtHxjkGMW6ZdgUQ8u3QfZKvSzsARRA_eX7l5AXHKuKwQOX7c8AQmbZolBW4qA5HwJ0fdZYFQhrHX3qKmnap5OXxRBhRsFJ4mqAJdSKAdRyY1pHC7To/s320/Dresden.jpg" width="320" /></a>On the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, it is worthy to note that it was not the first time that such a terror attack had been committed by Allied Forces in the year 1945. On February 14 of 1945 (ironically Ash Wednesday), Allied Forces firebombed the German city of Dresden, creating a firestorm that killed an estmated 25,000 civilians. The British Prime Minister at the time, Winston Churchill, was so appalled by the event that he had this to say:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; text-align: justify;">
"It seems to m<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">e that the moment has come when the question of bombing of German cities simply for the sake of increasing the terror, though under other pretexts, should be reviewed. The destruction of Dresden remains a serious query against the conduct of Allied bombing. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to me on this subject, and I feel the need for more precise concentration upon military objectives such as oil and communications behind the immediate battle-zone, rather than on mere acts of terror and wanton destruction, however impressive."</span></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: justify;">
WWII was a dark time for all parties involved. May we never hide from the horror of war that we may seek the way of peace even just a minute longer when we are called to the test.</div>
</div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-692479158478495532015-08-03T11:50:00.002-07:002015-08-03T12:09:54.211-07:00I Spoke On Behalf of the President of the United States<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuw9F44_bLEsJ9q3xiHww0giA529UsXYVVWO8x3ZXIpsEdOfaWa9UneRzODlTRcn4lippM8ExIQXepHu9K9oQQEKbPs8APr_PespkuIWcr7Cv0DEseamMsgvDr6ukZVmktOm0MdasKir3/s1600/Presidential+Seal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuw9F44_bLEsJ9q3xiHww0giA529UsXYVVWO8x3ZXIpsEdOfaWa9UneRzODlTRcn4lippM8ExIQXepHu9K9oQQEKbPs8APr_PespkuIWcr7Cv0DEseamMsgvDr6ukZVmktOm0MdasKir3/s1600/Presidential+Seal.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No, the above title is not hyperbole, but perhaps
requires an explanation. I recently
narrated a military retirement ceremony during which the retiree received a letter
from the President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama. As narrator, I had the honor and privilege to
read the letter to the recipient aloud before the audience. As I read, I found myself focused on the
pronouns, “I” and “you” and became imminently aware that I was, in fact,
speaking for the President, using his words, to convey his personal gratitude
toward the retiree. Pretty cool, you may
think? It made me sweat. I realized I was specifically authorized at
that moment to be a messenger for the most powerful man in the country, for the
most powerful country in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, in hindsight, perhaps I had put too much
thought into the occasion. My reaction
nevertheless occurred and it had a lasting effect on me the rest of the day. I also
realized I felt a bit of guilt.
Why? I wondered how it could be
that I did not feel the same way when I read the Word of God aloud before
others. The letter I read at the
retirement ceremony will decay and fall to pieces as it ages, was written by a mortal
man that will one day return to the dust, and represented a nation that will also
one day go the way of all the other ancient civilizations in the manner of
ruins and artifacts. If I am moved by
being a messenger for such temporal things, how much more should I feel
reverence and awe when I read aloud before others the very words of the Creator
who made the heavens and the Earth? May we all read God's Word with the seriousness and weight it deserves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-6736271474569090222015-07-29T13:23:00.001-07:002015-07-29T17:16:22.372-07:00Why I Will Not Vote Next Year<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fact that I wrote the above blog title still
surprises me. I admit that I have held
contempt for those that chose not to vote in elections. My thought process was if you do not vote,
then I do not want to hear you complain about the many problems that plague our
country. I also understood that there is
no such thing as a perfect candidate, matching up 100% with my own political
views. For years this meant that I had voted
for the lesser of two evils. I would ask
myself, “Who will do the least amount of damage?” That implies that every candidate would cause
some kind of damage that I would have to be willing to live with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have recently wrestled with the reality that sometimes
even the most minor “damage” could still be significant enough that I would not
be able to vote for a candidate in good conscience. I have broken down by party my significant concerns that I believe are so repugnant that they are non-negotiable. While there are many other important issues not addressed in this short blog, the following are the most critical to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Libertarian Party</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG00uBBBwNhEn5msLyWuoBQfLYpHnckN_BjlSa9JLF-J43ZO-2any0YEIE4cdd0OKKyK1fGtU2sjgavKAVaqjMKjnuxGqJ1hbuoikg5iuIYgGgQVHrwInAn45FxjF5-nK6auRGj_rQt770/s1600/Libertarian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG00uBBBwNhEn5msLyWuoBQfLYpHnckN_BjlSa9JLF-J43ZO-2any0YEIE4cdd0OKKyK1fGtU2sjgavKAVaqjMKjnuxGqJ1hbuoikg5iuIYgGgQVHrwInAn45FxjF5-nK6auRGj_rQt770/s1600/Libertarian.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Abortion</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I love the Libertarian Party. I am currently registered Libertarian. I am in favor of just about every position <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">the party holds, except on the issue of abortion. I would consider myself a pro-life
libertarian, which I find to be a redundancy, as libertarian ideals essentially
promote life, not destroy it. The
problem is that the party’s official position on abortion is one of pro-choice. The institutional acceptance of abortion is
already a mark of shame on our society.
The recent revelation that abortion clinics have <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/15/health/planned-parenthood-undercover-video/">profited in providing baby remains</a> to research facilities is simply diabolical. I can no longer support a pro-choice
political entity or politician in good conscience. A pity, as this party seriously has a lot of
good going for it. Should a pro-life
libertarian be an option during the general election, I will gladly vote for
him or her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Republican Party</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8o-6fRddSVF0CRGh0IYrCw3HTRnuy4oqawmQGBWjTLT_ImkLvBa-G9wEFOK9UfSRuPPXmsiH5E3MNZoxP5NBtkjpYKMjvy-socK4GZGQk6lb2iBvIW-G1TzGMqQHfc0mbq2Ky1-CBouzG/s1600/Republican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8o-6fRddSVF0CRGh0IYrCw3HTRnuy4oqawmQGBWjTLT_ImkLvBa-G9wEFOK9UfSRuPPXmsiH5E3MNZoxP5NBtkjpYKMjvy-socK4GZGQk6lb2iBvIW-G1TzGMqQHfc0mbq2Ky1-CBouzG/s1600/Republican.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Foreign Policy</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Republican foreign policy has enabled <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/09/christian-persecution_n_4568286.html">Christian persecution</a>, specifically in the Middle East. The most recent example is the party’s
support of ISIS, aka "Syrian Rebels" in <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/06/07/189430561/sen-mccain-urges-u-s-to-do-more-for-syrian-rebels">2013</a>. Party leadership sought
to provide arms and financial support to ISIS when the group was only fighting
Assad in Syria. The support existed even
in light of the fact that ISIS was systematically killing Christians in Syria, because
they were under the protection of Assad.
This is just one example of many where Republican foreign policy puts
Christians at risk around the world. As
a Christian myself, I find their party’s foreign policy unacceptable and
non-negotiable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Democratic Party</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0sTM-n2fk15GIdiAEf1i2kOT4K5vptm2Rd0WIpyyWiWrVi83TGcLa9BUGHqYzcsONnBkC3cqq_tAB-Ih8r8Dww5q2NNnBBaQeveQiHjN7IbxWyC5TxuzxN2xhXpqyylmWZqVxbNsd3rW/s1600/Democratic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0sTM-n2fk15GIdiAEf1i2kOT4K5vptm2Rd0WIpyyWiWrVi83TGcLa9BUGHqYzcsONnBkC3cqq_tAB-Ih8r8Dww5q2NNnBBaQeveQiHjN7IbxWyC5TxuzxN2xhXpqyylmWZqVxbNsd3rW/s1600/Democratic.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Foreign Policy</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Democrats may say they are anti-war, but actions
over the last six years would say otherwise.
The Democrats have been in lock-step with the Republicans in their
Christian persecuting foreign policy. In
fact, it was both John McCain (R) and John Kerry (D) that called for supporting
ISIS in Syria just two years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Abortion </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">See the above section on abortion under the
Libertarian Party.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Constitution Party</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKdE9SY7rOHXa94hLgfpeaipD1PDOQm-b8SRDxnt-1Y_St8ouz0Opo3dObd7lOnuZqmacpS89ltiNEgOwt0yEGT3-nq5lgnMWhJZUbAvzyxhhpGhncHrQtnQMed-8fREge1SgZzfIFVgT/s1600/Constitution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKdE9SY7rOHXa94hLgfpeaipD1PDOQm-b8SRDxnt-1Y_St8ouz0Opo3dObd7lOnuZqmacpS89ltiNEgOwt0yEGT3-nq5lgnMWhJZUbAvzyxhhpGhncHrQtnQMed-8fREge1SgZzfIFVgT/s1600/Constitution.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Fanatical Nationalism</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I love the U.S. Constitution and as a member of the Armed
Forces I continue to uphold and defend it against all enemies, foreign and
domestic. Because of this, I use to be
registered as a member of the Constitution Party and voted for Chuck Baldwin
for president in 2008. As I learned more
about the party and its supporters, however, I became concerned with its position on
immigration, which is not just anti-illegal immigration, but <a href="http://www.constitutionparty.com/immigration/">anti-LEGAL immigration.</a> The party's 2012 presidential nominee, <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2007-02-15/pdf/CREC-2007-02-15-pt1-PgH1674-5.pdf#page=33">Virgil Goode</a>, and the 2016 nominee, <a href="http://2016.constitution-party.info/Copeland/">Scott Copeland</a>, promote a kind of Christian nationalism
that verges on fanaticism, racism, and Islamophobia. Again, a pity as I agree with the party on so many other important issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Green Party</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpddS2qTNMu7viVWBgN7knNhRR3CGYDWP6zaKJXtG3QOz1L93vBuYbw5FSc-1ggBXGY8CGiSlOhzyAovroG4SLkFW_Kzsf3XmFSl9aXBGyDy_gcnEFolDEZfIjZG5PEBfhk99ZNBvJ3Gm8/s1600/Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpddS2qTNMu7viVWBgN7knNhRR3CGYDWP6zaKJXtG3QOz1L93vBuYbw5FSc-1ggBXGY8CGiSlOhzyAovroG4SLkFW_Kzsf3XmFSl9aXBGyDy_gcnEFolDEZfIjZG5PEBfhk99ZNBvJ3Gm8/s1600/Green.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Abortion</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">See the above section on abortion under Libertarian
Party.</span></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-919320051195013534.post-22528915669920063362015-06-01T09:41:00.005-07:002015-06-01T09:44:18.641-07:00Taking Care of Women in the Service<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbehVdGM1nQkpNKwM6rwGBr_wl_qJnWOBLfhwizBgtM2v2pTVdLPDL5W0bijU75aschzslmjinZ1nxKpz6Fp5OlL0qhIApeMMxJx8c9-ySmEbnlJ6rbiCyWNq8EqRGpFDtdIhDBeofllE/s1600/Security+Forces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbehVdGM1nQkpNKwM6rwGBr_wl_qJnWOBLfhwizBgtM2v2pTVdLPDL5W0bijU75aschzslmjinZ1nxKpz6Fp5OlL0qhIApeMMxJx8c9-ySmEbnlJ6rbiCyWNq8EqRGpFDtdIhDBeofllE/s1600/Security+Forces.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My wife, Allison, served in the Air Force as a Security Forces
(military police) member from June 1999 to November 2002. She was notified in
October 2002 that the US would begin its ground invasion of Iraq the following
March and that she would deploy there as a participant. She was also due to give birth the following
February and would be provided with 6 weeks recuperation before deployment. She voiced her concern with the short
turn-around time and was given a choice: deploy or get out. Leaving her newborn, 2 year old daughter, and
active duty Air Force husband behind was asking too much of her. The Air Force lost a motivated and talented
airman.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James recently commented
on the change in policy of deploying women after pregnancy, which now provides
women a full year adjustment before deployment.
The change alleviates the strain on “some of our talented airmen [who
choose] to leave the Air Force as they struggle to balance deployments and
family issues, and this is especially true soon after childbirth.” Today the Air Force is a bit wiser and has
taken some long overdue steps toward taking seriously the needs of airmen and
their families. I am extremely proud of
my wife’s service and it pleases me to know that other women of her caliber of
professionalism and technical expertise will now be afforded better
opportunities.<o:p></o:p></div>
K.A. Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07075282544941905256noreply@blogger.com0