Author: ForCommonGround

The Hypocrisy of Tolerance in America

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment

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Ah yes, bumper-sticker mania. Many a day have I been cruising down the road and noticed one of these labels on the rear bumper of a car. While I believe that the idea behind them are solid, the practice of many who fly the banner of tolerance in this country do so with exception clauses. Allow me to explain through a few examples of questions that are resulting from the tolerance movement.

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Why are all religions and opinions encouraged to voice their views in this nation besides Christians and Jews? Why can a person choose a homosexual lifestyle as being okay but a person can’t believe that homosexuality is immoral, because if they do, it’ll result in having their businesses shut down for not condoning it? Why is it when the owner of Chick-fil-A exercised his First Amendment right to be open about his opposition to homosexual marriage and he was heavily criticized yet three mayors — from Chicago, Boston and Washington — retaliated by saying that they didn’t want Chick-fil-A’s business in their city but that isn’t viewed as discrimination? Why is it that Bruce Jenner receives an award for changing his gender and is hailed by the media but people are seen as bigots if they believe that is wrong and promote the idea that we are all created by God to be the gender that He made us to be?  Why is that our nation is allowing Sharia Law in communities but people are demanding that the 10 commandments removed from public places and government buildings? Why is it that we can’t teach the virtues of abstinence and purity in schools but instead “safe sex” outside of marriage is promoted? Continuing on the topic of schools…why is the anti-God evolutionary theory (a theory constantly changing)  taught but a teacher gets ostracized if he promotes a pro-God concept of creation (a concept that has never changed)?  Why is it that people who support the death penalty for criminals who commit heinous crimes are deemed as hateful yet we are supposed to accept the murder of millions of babies a year through abortion because it’s a “choice”? More on that topic…why are people so outspoken for the rights of women to have an abortion but disregard the right of the baby to life?

 

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Tolerance is defined as “the ability or willingness to endure something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.” The double standards in America are not only hypocritical but they are intolerant.The reality is that many people who promote tolerance should probably scratch out a couple letters on their bumper stickers because what I have been seeing in our modern society is a growing lack of tolerance. The people who hold to the Way , the Life, and the Truth, otherwise known as Jesus Christ, and His teachings, are being less and less tolerated and accepted. Everyone’s personal truth is acceptable in the public’s eye besides those who hold to the truths contained in the Bible, which happen to be the ones that this nation was founded on. I simply don’t understand why the “tolerant” one’s want to silence the voices of those bearing the greatest message of love, peace with God, and the ultimate sacrifice that this world has ever seen. I don’t understand why those bearing a message of purity, sanctity of marriage, standards of morality, and love and obedience to the God that created us are shunned by many in today’s America. Perhaps it’s because of our fallen nature. Perhaps it’s because we don’t want anyone, even God, telling us how to live our lives because, lets face it, that’s just intolerant. Sarcasm aside and regardless of the reason, if I am expected to be tolerant of people promoting values I don’t agree with than those same people should be tolerant of me when I stand for God’s truth and try to share the love of Christ with them.

Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

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God Bless!

Iran Nuclear…”Deal”?

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I fell like I have waited long enough to participate in this debate. Actually, the fact that this is even a debate boggles my mind. The fact that this is referred to as a “deal” is shocking in itself. Since I am a history teacher I view moments like these through a unique lens. I would propose that when a nation comes to a crossroads such as this, we cannot afford to view it in any other way. I would greatly encourage our President, and his advisors, to take a refresher course on the history of appeasement. Appeasement is the process of giving concessions to someone else, generally with the hope of avoiding conflict. Ah yes…appeasing tyrants…that always secures safety in the world. Sarcasm aside here is a hypothetical conversation. Check out the video first.

Person 1: What about World War II? Appeasement certainly didn’t work between the British and Hitler! They gave him the Rhineland, Austria, the Sudetenland, and allowed him to defy every aspect of the Treaty of Versailles, in hopes he wouldn’t go any further. Just ask Poland how that worked out. So why then does our government think it’ll work now with Iran?

Person 2: Well that was different. You can’t compare Iran with Nazi Germany. I mean, Hitler wanted to dominate the world and wipe out entire groups of people. No government in the world today is that evil.

Person 1: Timeout! Iran has vowed on multiple occasions to eliminate Israel and all it’s people from the face of the earth.

Person 2: Those threats came mainly from the previous regime in Iran. This one is far more peaceful.

Person 1: Then why is Iran still on top of the list of nations that support international terrorism according to the US Department of State?

Person 2: Well this agreement limits Iran’s capabilities to develop nuclear weapons and doesn’t aid them in funding terrorists.

Person 1: Actually this “deal” gives Iran a lot of money and does not prevent them from developing nuclear weapons. In fact, they will get to investigate and monitor their own nuclear facilities to keep themselves accountable. Iran spends 65 percent of its defense budget on the IRGC, its elite paramilitary force that actively supports terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East. On top of all of that, Iran will receive and estimated $120 Billion in frozen assets immediately.

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I could continue this conversation but I’m sure you get the picture. The point is this debate is more about a president “sticking to his guns” on a deal he didn’t even create and trying to rally enough democratic Senators to support “his deal”. The majority of our US Congress is against this deal. The only thing in doubt is whether they will be able to have a 2/3 vote to overturn Obama’s veto if that time comes. Recent polls show more Americans are against the deal than support it. Over 60% of Americans don’t trust Iran to uphold any agreement. Thirty percent more Americans believe Iran is getting the better end of the deal. Our government is supposed to be responsive to the people. If the only branch directly elected by the people (Congress) and the majority of the citizens of this country are against this deal, then why would our president not be against it also? I doubt he believes heart and soul that this deal is the best thing. I believe this is far more of an ego battle and a petty political party standoff. Darn those party politics.

I’m sorry. I really didn’t intend to get political. It just kind of happened. Check out the video below.

According to the polls previously mentioned 41% of those asked didn’t feel informed enough to have an opinion on this topic. That is a tragic stat. Perhaps tragic is a strong word but it is extremely disappointing. An uniformed public leads to an apathetic public which gives way to an inactive public. This is not an issue that we as citizens of this nation, and the world for that matter, cannot afford to be silent on. If we are truly a nation for the people as Lincoln once said,  (“…we here highly resolve — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”) then our people need to be heard. If you want your voice to be heard click on the links below. They are easy and practical ways to have a voice and possibly sway the outcome. Neither will take much time at all. Also, spread the word. Tell your friends and family. Use social media to raise awareness. This deal is dangerous, not just for Israel, but for everyone who is affected by international terrorism. In other words, the world is in greater danger by this deal.

Letting your Congressmen know your opinion

Sign a Petition

 

God bless you!

5 Characteristics Of A Lasting Legacy

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment

5 Characteristics Of A Lasting Legacy.

This is a very thought provoking post that challenges us to live intentionally towards impacted others with these short years we have.  James reminds us, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

“Fundamental to building a lasting legacy is living a life focused outward, on others, more than you.  Day to day, this can be most commonly lived out by serving others instead of desiring to be served.” -Tim Bartlett

Inspired by the Padres

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

DATE TAKEN: undated---San Diego Padres minor league pitcher Matt LaChappa. ORG XMIT: UT16841

In this day and age it is easy to criticize professional sports for the amount of money paid out to athletes. Of the four big professional team sports (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey) Major League Baseball does not have a set salary cap for each team. This makes it possible for teams like the Dodgers and Yankees to spend over $200 million on player’s payroll. The San Diego Padres rank towards the bottom of the league teams (22nd) in terms of the payroll amount with $100,675,896. Still a hefty amount, no? The Padres, however, are somewhat unique. If you look at their payroll you’ll find the name of a player who has never played in a major league game for them.

Matt LaChappa was drafted by the Padres as a pitcher 20 years ago yet he hasn’t played since 1996. If you’re a Padres fan the name is probably very familiar. But not because he hit game winning homeruns, or pitched no-hitters. It’s because he has inspired many, and so has the the Padres organization has shown him. While warming up as a relief pitcher in a minor league game, LaChappa, a bright 20 year old prospect, suffered a massive heart attack. This heart attack left him with debilitating brain damage and confining him to a wheelchair ever since. So why is he still being paid?

The Padres director of minor league operations, Priscilla Oppendheimer was quoted saying, “Matt LaChappa is a Padre for life,” She was the one who proposed that the team could just go on paying LaChappa, renewing his basic minor-league contract.

“It was the right thing to do, the right and proper thing,” Oppenheimer. “He’s such a good kid… and I’m so happy the Padres have kept it up after all these years.”

Matt LaChappa has been covered financially since the day of the unfortunate accident because the San Diego Padres have kept up his contract and covered him with medical benefits.

This story is one of those that causes some serious self-reflection. Deuteronomy 16:17 says, “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.” Out of their abundance, the Padres have been giving generously. It’s not a publicity stunt or promotion to raise fans. It’s genuine. I am definitely not as well off as multi-million dollar baseball organizations, but I have been blessed by the Lord far more than I deserve. We all have in fact. Love and compassion is at the very heart of the Gospel. Stories like this show that we should all give to those who can never repay us because it’s right and it’s good and it’s part of what God has created us to do (Luke 14:13-14). Let’s face it…it’s the least we can do in light of what we have received. Because no one has given more generously than God Himself.

“For God so loved the world (for God so loved you and me) that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him wouldn’t perish, but would have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

 God Bless!

Fires of Ferguson

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Contained within the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution are invaluable freedoms such as speech, petition, and to peaceably assemble. Most nations throughout world history have never allotted such opportunities to its citizens. In fact, more people in the world today live without those freedoms than  those that do, and most that do, live with limited versions. They are rights that have long been fought for in this country and have not always been honored by our government. However, in today’s America those freedoms are widely exercised and upheld and citizens of this nation should use these treasured rights to push for change and justice.

Over the course of the past year, many have gone too far, committing acts that are merely criminal at best. Showcase: Ferguson. On the one year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown the criminal acts reemerged. Authorities had to declare a state of emergency in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday in an effort to put down repeated violence that erupted during demonstrations overnight. Not all broke the law in an attempt to right a perceived wrong. Clergy and civil rights groups led a rally of more than 100 people through city streets, shouting, “This is what democracy looks like” and “Black lives matter.” What began as peaceful demonstrations on Sunday night descended into chaos as gunshots rang out when police in riot gear tried to disperse protesters blocking traffic and smashing storefront windows along a street. Police said Sunday’s gunfire began with two groups of agitators apparently shooting at each other before one of the gunmen ran across a parking lot and was stopped by four officers in an unmarked vehicle. Reports say the gunman, Tyrone Harris, then opened fire on the police and in turn was shot by the police.

There’s one word that comes to mind when looking at this situation…hypocrisy. I’m obviously not talking about those who choose to exercise their God-given and constitutionally-protected rights, but people who protest police violence with crime are no better than those whom they are protesting. This is only a capstone to the first two waves of rioting back in August 2014 following the death of Michael Brown and November and December of 2014 after the jury’s decision to not punish the officer who shot Brown. What was the result of all those riots? Six officers injured, ten people from the public injured, 211 arrests, and millions of dollars in damage done. This is always the end result, if not worse, when people fight hate with hate…it only serves to perpetuate the problem.

People who protest in such a manner spit upon the constitution. Their ruthless, unjust acts are a slap in the face to all those who have gone before them like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, and many more. They think they are standing up for justice when really they are as much the problem if not a bigger part of the problem. This hate rings out all too familiar heralding us back to days of the militant Black Panthers and propaganda of radicalism and violence promoted by people such as Malcolm X. Let’s learn from history. What happened to Malcolm X? He was killed by the people he formerly led. What service did the militant groups serve? They set back progress that the non-violent activists were achieving and painted their cause in a very bad light.

I hail those who have stood up for justice in a peaceful way and have chosen the path of giving underserved love and respect to people regardless of how they are treated. I hail those who have shown the value of the rights expressed in the first amendment. I hail those who refuse to suffer injustice as long as injustice is sufferable (Declaration of Independence). Those people inspire change. Those people call others to come and follow in their footsteps.

As Jesus Christ once said, “those who draw the sword shall die by it.” (Matthew 26:52) Martin Luther King Jr. later used that as a motto to his nonviolent movement and it served to stay the hand of many. I have no doubt that police brutality causes anger to well up inside many. Rightfully so. I am not ignorant to the fact that race can be an issue in parts of this nation. But in the words of our Maker, “do not repay evil with evil.” (Proverbs 20:22, Romans 12:17, 1 Peter 3:9 and many more). If we want to see the world change we need to, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) When the world sees the power of grace working through those who stand up for injustice, hearts will be changed! Ultimately, we know that it is God who will bring the final, enduring justice and may Christ return soon to hasten that day!

Legacy of Hate

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments

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The above picture may seem like it is from a different and more barbarous age; from a time when evil covered Europe under the umbrella of the Nazi regime. Why would one guess that? Because how could such cruelty and hate still exist in today’s world?

One thing I’ve observed being a history teacher is that people forget. The main ingredient in the recipe for repeated disaster is for future generations to lose touch. You may have heard the motto ‘those who fail to learn from the past are destined to repeat it.’ It’s not necessarily a matter of knowing facts about past events but the idea of learning is that it becomes real to us. We need to get it. We need to understand why it happened and the tragic effects it had on people’s lives, maybe even our own. We need to get it to the point where we don’t ever want it to happen again.

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As the sting of the 1930s and 1940s wears off with each new generation, room is given for expressions of antisemitism to reemerge on an increasing scale. Each new year in the 21st century is outdoing the previous one. How about in the United States? You bet. There was a 21% increase of reported acts of hate towards Jews in 2014 compared to 2013. There were 912 recorded incidents including 513 harassments, 363 acts of vandalism, and 36 physical assaults across 38 states in the U.S. The worst states are New York, California, New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania. This year, 2015, hasn’t been off to any better of a start. There were marches held protesting Israel in places like Milwaukee and rallies held outside of synagogues. Jewish communities and synagogues have been attacked through cyber hacking. Hate messages have been spray painted on Jewish shops and synagogues with messages like ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘Jews=killers’ as well as swastikas. Then there was the shooting in Overland Park, Kansas in the Jewish community. I’ll bet a lot of people don’t even remember that. Ever heard of Louis Farrakhan? He’s a minister of the Nation of Islam and he’s probably done more to rally people against Jews than anyone since Adolph Hitler. Some of his messages at organized million man marches are chillingly similar to those heard in Germany in the 1930s. Farrakhan has even spoken out in support of Hitler on occasion. He’s most recently been taking his anti-Semitic message to the music industry, rallying support of young and experienced rappers.

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If all of this is happening here in the United States, what could the rest of the world look like? After all, aren’t we the land of tolerance? I’ll address that in a future post but it’s obvious that we are not. Here’s a snapshot at a few select nations from Europe and the Americas:
-In Argentina messages like ‘death to Jews’ and swastikas have been plastered on Jewish community centers and a Jewish cemetery was vandalized.
-In Austria a man wearing a Star of David necklace was beaten as well as two other Jewish boys.
-In Copenhagen, Denmark a synagogue was shot up and shops were vandalized.
-France has seen probably the most violence towards Jews in Europe. There , a Jewish woman and her child were beaten while the thugs yelled, “Hitler didn’t finish the job.” Two 16 year old Jewish boys were beaten and 250 graves were overturned and swastikas painted on gravestones. Let’s not forget the attacks in Paris where a Jewish shop was shot up.
-In Brussels a Jewish museum was attacked.
-In Brazil posters were hung up in the capital city calling Jews killers, thugs, and criminals.
-How about our northern neighbors? In Montreal, Canada cars were painted with swastikas.
-More incidents have occurred in the nations of Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Venezuela. To learn more check out adl.org.

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Sidebar…am I the only one thinking of the insane level of irony here. These misanthropists who: vandalize, spew hate speech, beat women and children, rally millions in support of hating a people group, and hang posters are calling Jews criminals an thugs…? Who do they think they are? When is the last time you saw protests against the terrorist group Hamas who use children as weapons in their attempt to murder Jews? How about Palestinians who have been murdering Jews for decades? How about radical Islam that aims to murder Christian and Jewish (really non-Islamic and sometimes Islamic as well) people? I can’t think of ever seeing it. Ok sidebar over…

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When most think of people who hate Jews they think of the Arab nations that surround them, like Iran and Egypt. And while some figures have shown that upwards of 3/4 of the populations in those nations harbor antisemitic feelings, and while Iran has expressed its desire to wipe Israel and all Jewish people off the map, antisemitism is very much a serious problem around the world, and a growing one here. The European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency released a study showing that 64% of European Jews don’t report incidents. I seriously doubt that number varies much in others places in the world. So that tells us that the problem is much worse than statistics show. Consider the thousands of antisemitic people who don’t act on their twisted view. All the world needs is for good people to sit back and ignore the problem while they build the courage to act.

We need to pass this on…to voice support for the Jewish people and speak out against injustice. One thing we can know for sure is those who bless the people of Israel will be blessed those who curse them will be cursed (Genesis 12:3). Not only should we take God at His word but it’s also the right thing to do. No people group should be demeaned like this. God will not abandon the Jewish people and neither should we. We know who wins in the end and it sure won’t be those who promoted and acted on hate.

God Bless!

Slavery Dead? Not by a Long Shot!

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments

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As the fight for equality rages over a person’s chosen sexual orientation, a much larger war is taking place that receives far less media attention. In a very real sense it is a struggle for equality and justice on a scale that this world has not seen sense nations began to throw of the chains off oppression and slavery. This is a global war yet one that is happening right in our back yard. Trafficking women and children for sexual exploitation is perhaps the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. Despite the fact that international law and more than 134 countries around the world criminalize sex trafficking, the problem is getting worse. According to the International Labor Organization, there are nearly 21 million adults and children who are bought for bonded labor and sexual servitude. To put that in perspective, that would be roughly three New York Cities or nearly the entire population of Texas. UNICEF released data revealing that 2 million children are used for sexual exploitation EACH YEAR! At least 100,000 of those are right here in the U.S. It’s happening all over the United States but there are some states doing less than others to be a part of the solution. These seven states are lagging behind the rest: North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Delaware, New Hampshire (for more information on this go to Take Part). Women and children are being taken, sold, and recruited (obviously under different pretenses). How is it this is happening and most are completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem or don’t want to be “depressed by it, in their news feed?” I would say because so many people are part of the problem. Here’s a number: 3 billion. That is how much is made by the adult films industries online alone (about 1/3 of that comes from the U.S.) around the world. This obviously doesn’t account for material not considered pornography and that which is sold on the black market. Why do I bring this up? Because it shows how saturated our world is with lust and perversion, and it’s only getting worse. Even as we speak groups here in this country are trying to lower the age of sexual consent (which is decided by each state, most ranging between 16 and 18). This is becoming more of a world that seeks to satisfy its cravings, and other’s cravings to make a profit. God said that as we approach Christ’s return people will increasingly become lovers of self and pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3). There’s no doubt that this is happening on a grand scale as some people skew the truth to fit their desires or completely ignore it all together.  The result is that other people become a means to an end. They become objects rather than people. What has resulted is more slaves than at ANY other point in human history and its happening right under our nose. Trafficking is not limited to the adult industry or the streets, and dark alleyways. Guess what the largest venue is for trafficking…the Superbowl. Not too far behind are other major sporting events here in the US like the Major League Baseball All-Star game. Stats are powerful but stories are heartbreaking. Rebecca was abused from age six and forced into prostitution starting at age 14. She was finally able to break free after 13 years of exploitation. Rebecca recounts, “I was prostituted from 14 till I was 27. I got out because I chose to live. The guy I was with was very violent and I ended up in hospital. I remember the nurse yelled at me for being a prostitute. She sewed me up without anesthesia and I left the hospital. I was paralyzed for 3 days.” You can read more of her story here. In Bangladesh, a young girl falls in love. Women in her country are not viewed as being much more useful than for housework and raising kids so any prospect of love and a meaningful relationship is like gold. Ayesha was lured away from her family with great promises of a future together, but instead she found herself trapped in a nightmare.  “When people tell me that women choose this life, I can’t help but laugh. Do they know how many women like me have tried to escape, but have been beaten black and blue when they are caught? To the men who buy us, we are like meat. To everybody else in society, we simply do not exist.” You can read more of her story and several other heart-wrenching stories here. Even now hope exists. Groups such as Equality Now, Polaris Project, and  A21 are giving people practical ways to join the struggle against this global phenomenon. These groups work on prevention, rescuing, and rehabilitating women and children who have fallen subject to the atrocity of human trafficking. Actress Angelina Jolie, a long time advocate for children, took advantage of a special platform before the United Nations, recalling stories of survivors she met and calling the UN to action. You can watch a short clip of her address here. The United States Government has also taken part over the last decade and half. The U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted about 400 cases of trafficking since 2000 (which is when the first federal law to address sex trafficking and labor trafficking in the United States). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assists victims of trafficking in the United States by funding service programs and through public information campaigns. The U.S. Department of Labor funds anti-trafficking programs overseas and monitors places of employment in the U.S. to identify abusive labor practices. The U.S. Department of State, through its Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, assesses and reports on the global trafficking situation in its annual Trafficking in Person Report. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued over 1500 visas to identified victims of trafficking. However, these numbers are small in light of the growing threat. Human trafficking is no small issue and can easily overwhelm a person with a sense of hopelessness and inadequacy of doing something about it. Please don’t be among those who ignore this problem or downplay it. Everyone can start somewhere and play a role in fighting back. Please join those who have gone before us to become more informed, spread awareness, place safeguards on your loved ones, and perhaps even join up with one of the groups mentioned earlier. We have to fight for justice! I end with this: One day this will no longer be a problem. One day all slavery will be demolished and every sinful desire will be cleansed from this world. One day justice will be fulfilled. One day Jesus Christ will return to set this world right and how glorious that day will be. So as we fight oppression and evil in the days and years to come let us keep our eyes on what will be and set that as our lasting hope.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

(Revelation 21:3-4 ESV)

Distracted: Who Doesn’t Have ADD These Days?

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments

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Ever watched the movie ‘Up’? If you have you’ll probably remember the part where the Golden Retriever is talking with the man and the boy on their way to Paradise Falls and in the middle of a sentence his attention is stolen away and says, ‘squirrel!’ If you’ve ever had a Golden, they’re just like that and so are a lot of people I know (myself included). There’s a lot to learn from that. In today’s society the ‘skill’ of multitasking is nearly viewed as a virtue. Since I am a high school teacher I’ve witnessed students playing the part more and more over the last 10 years. What’s to blame for this phenomenon? Well I believe it’s more than any one thing and it’s having tragic consequences on people and society as a whole. Allow me to explain.

Technology has given us so many fantastic advancements in medicine, travel, and communications. Such advancements have improved our lives and I would include myself among people who wouldn’t want to live without most of them. But technology is stripping us of our focus. This may not be as true with older generations but people my age (30’s), and definitely younger, rarely do one thing at a time. Even as I type this I am also doing something else, and thinking about countless other things. Why is this possible? Because I have a smart phone that I can use to type a blog and do research at the same time while being involved in other tasks too. On top of that, technology in phones and internet have made it possible to do this quickly so that I can hurry and move on to the next thing on my list. If someone were here with me I am certain I could have a conversation with them while not stopping any of the things I’m currently doing. I say I’m certain but really I’m just deceiving myself, and so is anyone else who thinks they can text, drive, and carry on a meaningful conversation with someone, or any other combination of tasks.

There use to be a time when it was considered extremely rude to not give someone your full attention when talking with them. I’m not too young to have been taught that but I’m also in limbo between the era of manners and the technology revolution. Don’t get me wrong, I know there’s young people still today that honor others by giving them their undivided attention and still have the virtue of focus to a task. But those people are a minority today and I find myself slipping further away from that.

What’s it like to drive in a car with someone, with no music or phone, and carry on a conversation with them…just be with them. I think for far too many in the grand ole US of A that situation doesn’t look familiar, rather the silence would be deafening. How many families sit at home with no tv, movies, or phones, and just talk? How about studying, reading (like a book), cooking, sitting in a meeting, working, hanging with friends and family, etc…? You can continue the list. I find myself doing fewer and fewer things one at a time. I’m living distracted and I sincerely doubt that I’m the only one (more like 90% of Americans). Don’t you love it when someone makes up a stat like that?

We live in a very fast paced society, and that puts pressure on us to keep up or fall behind. Kids are brought up with that engrained in their minds, not necessarily because someone told them that but because they’ve observed those who have gone before them. Older generations are being assimilated into this fast paced technology society as well. What’s the result? Cultural ADD (attention deficit disorder).

Being in a high school I see so many cases of diagnosed ADD and ADHD and many undiagnosed cases as well (me being one). Fewer and fewer people are able to sit for long periods of time or focus on just one thing for a considerable length of time. True, technology has made it possible to accomplish things so much quicker and has even made new achievements possible so there are numerous benefits. However, I would argue we are a people who struggle with balance and because of this, there are tragic consequences.

You’d think multitasking would be exhausting…but wait…we have caffeine for that. I would argue that people’s emotional stability suffers as well. I know there’s a fix for that too; but let’s get real for a minute. Technology keeps a lot of people from being content. I doubt that would come up in a counseling session but think about it. Technology has made it so that we need to be doing something (and mostly doing multiple somethings) to be content. Watch a teenager get his or her phone taken away or observe the modern family at dinner all plugged in and you’ll see what I’m saying. It’s getting harder for our society to be happy and content with less or waiting for anything. Ever get anxious if someone doesn’t text you back right away? The conversation we’re having with the person right in front of us isn’t good enough so we need to be texting others too. Ever get frustrated when the web page doesn’t load instantly? Take technology out of our lives and we become discontent because it’s becoming more than advancement, it’s becoming a crutch.

Not only is our emotional wellness at risk but so are our relationships. But I have 398 Facebook friends and many more following my Twitter feed, I’m relating just fine. Actually I don’t have either one. I’m talking about the people we invest time and energy in doing life together. We’re all faced with the same question each day. We have 100% of our time in our hands…how many people and things are we going to parcel that out to? The greatest relationship that struggles because of technology is our relationship with God. Because of our fast paced culture we ‘don’t have time for God’ and more and more are saying that ‘we don’t need God’ because of this false sense of security in ‘our advancements’. When that relationship suffers everything falls apart and that’s when nations implode and relationships become unhealthy. Jesus Christ said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew‬ ‭22:37-39‬) I would say we can’t do either one effectively while we’re plugged in and with divided attention. No one can do more than one thing at a time 100% well.

I still believe there’s hope for myself and everyone else who relates to what I’m talking about. That hope lies in setting our priorities on God and people, slowing down and being present, and finding that balance with technology so that we’re running it and it’s not running us. We can and should use technology to advance and reach out to a hurting world but not at the expense of what matters most…the One who created us and the the one’s He has blessed us with. Alright my daughter is awake from her nap, time to unplug and hang with my princess.

God Bless!

Planned Parenthood’s True Colors

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments
24 week old baby...
24 week old baby…

It has taken me over a couple of days to really process what I saw the morning of July 14, 2015. It was a shocking new video that’s has flooded the Internet. The video shows the undercover meeting with Dr. Deborah Nucatola, a head executive of Planned Parenthood, admitting to selling body parts of aborted babies. I say new but really the video is a year old (July 2014) as I write this and unfortunately the information presented in the video is nowhere near new nor surprising. If you haven’t seen the video here is a direct link to the shortened version http://youtu.be/0lOePZC4jco. The video was made by the Center for Medical Progress as part of a three year project.

To give you a taste of what is contained in the video Dr. Nucatola nonchalantly discusses how she intentionally goes through her ‘cases’ for the day and decides how to kill the baby based on what her clients want to purchase (meaning body parts). Legs, lungs, skulls…it’s all for sale as far as she is concerned. If you want to know how they do this, just research partial birth abortions. If you have a heart, you may not be able to watch it without wanting to lose your lunch and bawl your eyes out. I would describe it for you but I can’t bring myself to type out the words.

Eric Ferrero, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, claims that they are not selling body parts but it’s part of a lifesaving donation program that they don’t make a profit off of. So catch that. He doesn’t deny distributing aborted baby’s body parts but twists it to say they ‘donate it for science.’ He also claimed that the video was edited to make it say something different by a group bent on ruining Planned Parenthood. If you give that any bit of believability then here is the full video and you can see how he is lying once again: http://youtu.be/H4UjIM9B9KQ. The Center for Medical Progress later produced ads from major purchasers of aborted tissue that had been posted in affiliate clinics using words like “financially profitable for your clinic.” Still think it’s not for a profit?

Federal law (42 U.S. Code 274e) outlaws the selling of human tissue but why would that stop Planned Parenthood who obviously doesn’t recognize pre-born babies as humans? It’s not stopping them because they know their way around the law. Ironically the law was written by a pro abortion Congressman, Henry Waxman, probably with the intention to give some false sense of security to pro life people while giving his abortion pals the lea way to carry on their business (my assessment anyways). Just look at the wording of the law. It allows reasonable payments be made associated with transportation, processing, and preserving of human tissue. That doesn’t sound like it outlaws what it claims to. In fact, it’s doubtful that Planned Parenthood could be prosecuted under this law at all. Dr. Nucatola states that the law is up to interpretation and I’m sure it’s because they are operating well under this pro abortion law. So we are definitely in need of a new law.

We should be shocked that Planned Parenthood is selling baby body parts, but not surprised because they are after all killing the babies in the first place. If that isn’t enough to outrage the people of this country than who knows if the profiteering from aborted babies will. Much of Europe was willing to turn a blind eye while Hitler’s Third Reich targeted ‘undesirables’ and along with murdering them they used their body parts for ‘research’ during the holocaust. Some would say that’s different…I fail to see how.

Why did I say this isn’t anything new? Because I’ve watched videos and seen documents as old as 2008 showing orders for aborted baby’s body parts. Here’s one such video: http://youtu.be/LiyxFCASdIg. I hadn’t seen them until all this came out and it made me so sad that this is just now becoming a big issue. Why have people turned a blind eye to this for so long? Why hasn’t this gone viral over the last seven years (and probably much longer)? I hope that no one will look the other way now.

Government officials are speaking out so let’s pray that the momentum builds. GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina posted a Facebook message calling the video tragic and outrageous. “This isn’t about ‘choice’,” she wrote. “It’s about profiting on the death of the unborn while telling women it’s about empowerment.” Sen. John McCain said, “…We ask God to bless America – a nation that turns a blind eye to the slaughter of unborn children – a nation that provides taxpayers to fund an organization that allegedly sells body parts from dead babies. God bless America? Perhaps we should be asking for His mercy.”

Amen Mr. McCain! But does our nation deserve mercy? A nation that is abandoning Him on an unprecedented level. Let’s not forget that these beautiful little babies are His creation that these doctors and patience are destroying. Psalm 139:14 says that we should praise God because all people (including babies) are fearfully and wonderfully made! And just as God told Jeremiah, He knew us before we were in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). That applies to all people even the ones who never saw the light of day before being killed…excuse me…I think the proper word is terminated.

But that’s the amazing thing about God’s grace, it is extended to everyone through Jesus Christ, no matter what they’ve done as long as they repent and believe in Christ. To those of you who’ve been down that road of abortion, God still loves you and has forgiven you if you’ve asked Him to. If you’re feeling shame over it, God is their to put you back together. Your baby is with Him and there’s no better place for them. And while we hope for God’s awesome mercy we should also be praying that these doctor’s performing abortions have a major heart transplant and these mother’s wanting to end their pregnancies gain an unshakable love for the child growing inside them, whom God has given them as a blessing. What we need is more God-fearing men and women on their knees praying, not for this nation necessarily, but for the individuals involved in abortions…praying that our lawmakers can put an end to this horror of nearly 60 million babies dead since Roe v. Wade (stats can be found with Center for Disease Control CDC). Because God is merciful and loving and compassionate and hearts can still be turned towards life, there is hope.

Please take the time to read this compelling, and miraculous story of a baby born at 23 weeks…

A Story About a Boy and His Mom…

God Bless!