At a very early age the admonitions in the Sermon on the Mount to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile pierced my heart and mind. It was years before I had my first experience of pushing back against a bully. It was a lesson I learned but still find difficult to apply. On a broader scope the Proregressives* that are trying to turn our country into a socialist paradise know that I am applying it so they are free from the consequences of their actions.
I fear that violence may be the answer. It is not the only answer. It is never a good answer. It may be the best answer. A sad truth is that the best is not always the good. The evil forces in our society will not settle for less that our destruction. They may force a response.
The basic American attitude is to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile. We have been manipulated into war but our basic fall back is to walk away from a fight. Even if you want to play John Wayne you would need to learn to try the peaceful route first. I never watched the Rambo movies so I don’t know if his violence was immediate or after much duress. If you are not familiar with the context spend a few moments reading Matthew 5 from the Bible.
God seems to be telling us to let Him deal with the evil in our lives. We see this as God stepped in and dealt with Pharaoh and Nebukanezzer without His people being violent. But sometimes historically violence was the answer.
Sometimes God said get your swords and resist.
Sometimes God said open your gates and submit.
The point is that God is a living God who makes decisions based on the situation, not a pat formula.
We want a formula God instead of a living God.
It is time to listen and be obedient.
homo unius libri
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Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship
Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship
This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.
Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.
This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.
Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Opus 2022-360: Poor Options
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Liberty
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.