I'm thankful for the dialogue ...as I care about people, and it also gives me insight to their thoughts, and how they are somewhat formulated.
"Aren't we supposed to be a Christian nation?" That question now seems to be focused mostly on an ideal that is neither well thought out, nor realistic. It is based on the concept of redistribution of wealth ...and seems to be recycling variations of beliefs that can confuse communal living with Marxist idealism.
Throughout time people have agreed that their focus in life is not to achieve monetary wealth ...and voluntarily joined together in humble fashion. But, what have we seen as a result of an entire society embracing the concept. Most people's idea of redistribution of wealth is having government controls placed upon individuals to the extent of legislating how wealth should be distributed, and how much of it. And it actually encourages wealthy people to take their wealth elsewhere ...which eliminates the option of helping them who could benefit from them investing in it here.
Doesn't this idea of government having superior wisdom scare you??
Haven't you already heard the dialogue of: "Young people can stay on their parents' insurance until they are 26. But, once they hit 26, they're on their own and a lot of young people think they are invincible. But the truth is, young people are knuckleheads, you know."
I guess that's what they had sort of counted on when during election time they needed to be told how to vote ...for revenge.
Others speak with an open heart, and good intentions ...yet, seem also to unknowingly be feeding the negative stereotypes that others have in a sometimes hostile political climate.
Who said these statements:
- "A way has to be found to enable everyone to benefit from the fruits of the earth, and not simply to close the gap between the affluent and those who must be satisfied with the crumbs falling from the table, but above all to satisfy the demands of justice, fairness and respect for every human being.''
- "The times talk to us of so much poverty in the world and this is a scandal. Poverty in the world is a scandal. In a world where there is so much wealth, so many resources to feed everyone, It is unfathomable that there are so many hungry children, that there are so many children without an education, so many poor persons. Poverty today is a cry."
- "I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be ‘protectors’ of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment."
It was Pope Francis. (And I believe he has much to say that is good ...though what I feel he is not understanding, or not saying, is that the reason there are poor people does not hinge upon the sole failures of wealthy people. I believe it is the soul failure of dictatorships ...wanting to keep their people depressed and poor. They can better control them that way. And as far as the environment goes, I believe in clean air and water. But, it seems the poorest people on earth are not living within the refuse of the careless rich. And God destroyed the earth with the Flood ...and He will preserve it until He destroys it again, in the End Times, as this heaven and earth will pass away by His doing, not ours. ***Revelation, Chapter 21...)
I believe God gave us the 10 Commandments, not to disregard them and replace them with the two commandments: To love our Lord God, & to love our neighbors as ourselves. It seems that we've failed miserably with attempting to follow the 10, so a hint on how better to achieve success is to focus on how we should approach each one. And if we follow the two, everything else comes easier.
To love my neighbor as myself ...I would say, I don't want to depart from the guidelines of the 10 Commandments, so neither would I want my neighbor to. Our most important relationship is the one we have with God.
Everyone who is not Christian is not a terrorist ...and Tea Party individuals who want fiscal responsibility are not terrorists either, nor are they 'haters'. Many well-meaning people have been targeted, or listed as terrorists ...just because they disagree with present policies.
And we disagree also how we view terrorists around the world:
You can never find a 'people' where every individual is without error. There is no society without crime. It is best when each nation holds their own people accountable (police their own) ...but that seldom happens to everyone's satisfaction.
I've worked with people that seemed generally 'good', and I've worked with people whom I wondered what bad had influenced their life.
We often look at things differently, and often don't know how to really look at the many difficult things. But, I look to one thing in particular to help put in perspective the things I may not otherwise know. Who would use their own people as human shields?? Who puts missiles near or in people's homes, schools, hospitals, and places of worship???
That kind of tells me what they are made of, what they represent, and what they stand for. I hear arguments on both sides ...but this seems to clear it up for me.
