Truth

Thank God for laptops. Working in the recliner just doesn't feel as much like work. I think I need some new furniture in my office.

Read a good summation of post-modernism today. Instead of humans discovering truth it is about humans creating their own truth. The consequences of such a dogma are quite obvious in our society - and in our churches - as the majority of individuals in this country subscribe to whatever "truth" suits them at any given point in time.

I was thinking about the parallels between the Constitution and the Bible. There are of course differences in that the former can be amended and the latter is absolute but both do represent foundational truths for society as a whole and the individual. However, both are taken pretty lightly these days and not just by the person who spends their free time watching Jerry Springer. No, they are taken lightly by judges and Christians alike - the very people who should be their greatest proponents.

You may or may not feel like you have any personal stake in attacks on the Second Amendment. An important Supreme Court decision will be handed down in June that could go a long way in deciding whether or not the integrity of the Second Amendment will be upheld or ripped apart. Again, it comes down to constructionism or another adulterated interpretation of the so called "Living Constitution". Guess which side Obama falls on? He supports the D.C. regulations because he, "...wanted to make sure that local communities were recognized as having a right to regulate firearms... The notion that somehow local jurisdictions can't initiate gun laws isn't born out by our Constitution." Additionally, he has also served on the board of the Joyce Foundation, which since 2000, has given more than $15 Million to radical gun control organizations and is closely linked to the Soros Open Society Institute, which advocates a worldwide ban on civilian firearm ownership. This is not the kind of "change" I am looking for.

We see the same kind of thing happening with the Bible and people (Christians mostly since non-Christians don't really know the Bible) trying to change the original meaning in order to excuse their own behavior or make themselves out to be something of a visionary and leader. I certainly think of Gene Robinson in this way. After being ordained as an openly gay minister in the Episcopaian church he stated that he believed that God was up to something new - leading the Church and society to a greater acceptance of homosexuals and said this, "I think God is meaning for gay and lesbian folk to have a full, whole, and complete life - both as citizens of this country and as members of the church,” says Robinson.

See what he does there? No mention of the act of homosexuality, an intentional act of sin. He chooses his words very carefully to say that if you aren't accepting of his choice to be gay than you aren't accepting of him. I have no doubt that God wants to soften the hearts of many Christians toward homosexuals. It's a sin...just like gossiping over coffee before Bible Class starts about a couple at church that are struggling in their marriage. Those who stand at gay pride parades with signs that say "God Hates Gays" are doing as much of a disservice to the Lord as Gene. Both are ignoring the absolute truth of the Bible to further their agendas.

The bottom line is that absolute truth exists. The Bible is certainly absolute and the Constitution is as close to absolute as a government forming document can likely get. That doesn't mean we should stop learning and examining them both but we also need to be very careful that we don't label something as "progress" just because it is in direct opposition to what has been handed down long before we got here. You can be intellectually rigorous AND believe that absolute truth exists. They are not mutually exclusive no matter what is taught in our universities and many of our churches today. We need to spend more of our time understanding and appreciating them rather than tearing them apart for personal gain.

Happy Memorial Day

"[L]et us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so
valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve
our heritage of freedom, and let us re-consecrate ourselves to the task of
promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in
vain." ---Dwight Eisenhower

"No man can sit down and withhold his hands from the warfare against wrong
and get peace from his acquiescence." ---Woodrow Wilson

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so
few." ---Sir Winston Churchill

"The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most
reliable soldier on earth." ---Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson

"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward
for what he gave." ---Calvin Coolidge

"In November 1776, after Washington had lost four battles and just before
he crossed the Delaware to Trenton, British commanders offered a pardon
to all who would swear allegiance to the crown. It was time to put up
or shut up. I can hope I would have remained steadfast then, resolute in
confidence that neither I nor my family would ever again sing 'God Save the
King.' I didn't have to make that choice. Thousands of men and women who went
before us did, and thank God for every one of them." ---Suzanne
Fields