http://swordandspirit.com/index.htmlHot News!enritter777@gmail.comCopyright 2011 Mark Ritter2012-05-15T18:02:49-07:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 15 May 2012 18:07:51 -0700ritter777@gmail.comDan2012-05-15T18:02:49-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/4c7c43db0e2dc3941ef27a66b9b567d7-23.html#unique-entry-id-23http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/4c7c43db0e2dc3941ef27a66b9b567d7-23.html#unique-entry-id-23Sadly, the President and V.P.'s stance on marriage is a continuing erosion of the sanctity of marriage.  Many (like myself) believe marriage is a God ordained, lifelong sacred act between a man and a woman.  As such, those who support a traditional view of marriage see same sex marriage as a profane assault on that institution.  Because of our beliefs, we are labeled as archaic, small-minded, bigoted, homophobic, and anti civil rights.  
 
The President and his supporters have redefined marriage as an act between “two loving, committed and faithful adults.”  As Joe Biden says, it's all about, "Who do you love?"  However, I wonder why they are being so judgmental and narrow minded in their definition of marriage?  If it is only about who you love, then shouldn’t fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, and brothers and sisters, be allowed to get married as long as both parties are of legal age and do so willingly?  However, why limit marriage to only two people?  Isn’t that somewhat narrow-minded?  So maybe the President should advocate for the changing of the laws against bigamy.  After all, as long as these people love each other, isn't that all that matters? 
 
But wait, what's love got to do with it anyway?  What right does the President, or anyone else for that matter, have in limiting marriage to only the "committed," "faithful" and "loving"?  Isn't that just a little judgmental?  Shouldn't anyone, for any reason, be able to get married?  If you disagree, then you must have some preconceived idea of what a marriage entails.  And thus begs the question: “What ultimately shapes your ideas regarding marriage?”  Dare I say, if you are offended by the broadening views I speak of, is that an indication of a marriage phobia, fueled by small-minded bigotry aimed at the heart civil rights? 
 
The good news is you need not despair.  There is hope.  If you have an open mind and a willingness to evolve, you can shed your limited views on marriage and become more enlightened.  You can learn to embrace the institution of marriage as a great temporary bastion of self-satisfying happiness, centered on civil rights for the promotion of societal benefits.  Isn't that what it is really all about anyway?  I'm sure that one day many will come to embrace that belief.  Oh wait, silly me, that day has dawned.   : (]]>ritter777@gmail.comCam2012-05-10T19:22:18-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/353d045747473ef640eaa3efcc2d5df1-22.html#unique-entry-id-22http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/353d045747473ef640eaa3efcc2d5df1-22.html#unique-entry-id-22Listen, my beliefs about God are not diminished or threatened by your rhetoric, name-calling, rudeness, slander, ganging up, or mockery. You will not bully me into abandoning any of my carefully considered positions.

Sure enough, it feels great to swarm together under a banner to 'attack' the 'enemy.' We all like to be on the 'winning' team. And it feels great to marginalize the 'enemy' as idiotic, archaic, un-evolved, simpletons, thereby elevating your view without having to do anymore real intellectual lifting. But the simple fact is that this is the behavior of partisans; of hooligans; of grade school bullies. It is either the last resort of somebody who's losing the argument, the primary strategy of somebody who's unwilling to open his ears, the flippant dismissal of the willfully ignorant, or the self-important name-calling of the knows-too-little-to-know-how-little-he-knows.

So I KNOW what I believe and why I believe it. And, I'm even willing to have my mind changed about it. It will NOT be, however, on the basis of small-minded tormenting or strong-arming. I love truth, evidence, and reason too much to be browbeaten out of my beliefs.]]>ritter777@gmail.comCam2011-07-02T14:24:15-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/fdafe5ef658afa17d4628aa0a69ae462-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/fdafe5ef658afa17d4628aa0a69ae462-20.html#unique-entry-id-20I've been thinking a lot about it. I've been losing sleep over it. It's made me sick to my stomach. And the more I think about it, the more sleep I lose, the more my guts tie themselves in knots, the more sure I am that I have no idea what the solution is. Well, I'm not sure what the right solution is, I suppose. I've dreamt up all kinds of potential solutions, usually involving bullets, poisons, elaborately planned apparent accidents, and so on. Though I'm not sure any of these would please the Lord, one thing I'm growing more certain of is that the Phelps family needs prayer.

After hearing a number of interviews with his children, including ones who have defected from the Phelps clan, as well as the venom that flows so effortlessly from the tongues of his grandchildren, I see that they have been deceived by their wretched devil of a 'father.'

Ol' Fred, as far as I am concerned, is an evil man. He has enslaved his family as his army of hate. He has taught them of a god who laughs as he casts his children into hell and loves only those who do their best to hate the world as much as he does, expecting nothing less from his children then their immediate and boundless allegiance in his hateful destruction.

I've noticed that it's difficult to see a boundary where Phelps ends and his god begins. It seems to me that the god of Phelps is a mystical projection of himself. He has warped and deceived his family into worshipping…him. Phelps is described by his estranged son as a 'rageoholic' who is addicted to anger. He has abused (emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically) his family into serving and fueling his addiction.

So I think about who has been harmed most by the un-reverend. The list is a long one, to be sure. And it includes so many who have been truly and deeply affected by Phelps and his slave army. They include, very obviously, the homosexual community who need the love of Christ (and deserve His love and grace as much as I do), not the hate of Phelps; the families of the fallen American heroes whose funerals have been desecrated by the Phelps clan, the Christian community at large who is working to earn a reputation of love and service, the citizens of Topeka who deserve a single quiet day, the people whose ears are treated like toilets by the putrid bile spilled out by Phelps lips, God Almighty whose name and nature are being spat on and trampled under the feet of these hateful people. The list, heart breaking-ly, goes on.

But I think that those who have it worst are the Phelps progeny. They need our prayers and our love. (I'm less sure about Phelps, himself -- and find it difficult to have sympathy for him and his soul. Perhaps that's something for me to work on.) His family never had a choice. They were brainwashed and abused by a hate-filled megalomaniac into doing the devil's work in God's name. It's hard to imagine what could be worse than this. To earn hell by doing 'god's' work…to think that you are securing yourself a place in the Kingdom only to hear, "I never knew you! Depart from me…" 

I don't know how to end the whole Phelps "God Hates XYZ" nonsense. If anybody figures it out, I'm all ears. In the mean time, though, I'll pray morning, noon, and night for the Phelps family and do my best to trust the Lord to deal with them as He sees fit. Join me…?]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2011-06-30T18:05:20-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/ad254306cf80bed3514f89d7e76d4d6d-19.html#unique-entry-id-19http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/ad254306cf80bed3514f89d7e76d4d6d-19.html#unique-entry-id-19I believe that Jesus is coming back. I look forward to that glorious day.

I am not completely convinced it will be in the next years, or even decades. I am even less confident that a rapture will take place. (This probably comes from years of hearing from the “experts” that Jesus was coming back before this year or that, and that the entire mystery of The Revelation had been revealed to these experts, only to see them fail time after time. It gets tiring and I am a little jaded. A rapture might happen, but if it doesn’t, I’m OK with that.)

But I am absolutely convinced of His Second Coming. I think The Revelation is clear about that at least.

Now for argument’s sake, let’s say He will return shortly and that there will be a rapture and that there will be seven years of not-so-fun times to follow. Here is a problem I see in today’s American Church.

They are too excited about it.

Now I’m not saying that the Lord’s return is nothing to get excited about. It is - absolutely. I just have problems with the attitude that seems to say, “See you, suckas! We are out of here!!! Where’s my new body?!”

The problem I have is that I think we should have a heart that is torn between being taken away to be with Him and one that wants to stay and help. For the last 30+ years I get this feeling that most American Christians have their eyes totally focused on diving into the lifeboats before that ship goes down, forgetting there are people about to go through hell as the ship sinks.

I wonder how many of us would be conflicted if we found out He was coming back tomorrow. Would we have bags all packed and at the door (figuratively) or would we dare to say to Him, “Lord, if it is your will, can I stay and help? Can you use me to further your kingdom during these awful times by having me stay behind? Because I am willing.”

Because I think He might be greatly pleased with the heart that volunteers to stay - and suffer - to save those who are lost. Like He did with us.

Something to think about.]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2011-06-30T12:04:33-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/3cf6087bd16cac5118649f716540d962-18.html#unique-entry-id-18http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/3cf6087bd16cac5118649f716540d962-18.html#unique-entry-id-18It happened again. In one five-minute answer to a question from the audience about the age of the earth, a speaker managed to throw under the bus all of science and all of us who believe the universe is more than several thousand years old.

A lecturer I was listening to last night told a group of people that the Bible clearly teaches that the earth and universe are thousands of years old, not "millions." (I believe it's billions of years old, for the record.)

It doesn't matter that I and many I know are followers of Jesus Christ, or that we believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis One. It doesn't matter either that we believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. None of that apparently matters at all to some young earth creationists. After 20 years of this, it just never seems to matter.

What matters is that they believe a Genesis "day" means a 24-hour day, darn it, nothing more, nothing less! And that a handful of "scientists" - actually less than a handful - support their interpretation. Any other opinions need not apply. Any other interpretation - and all of science - is wrong.

In fact, any other opinion is not just wrong but means being in bed with those "Darwinistic evolutionists." To these young earth creationists life is that simple. Either believe as we do (read: the absolute truth) or backslide into the camp of the enemy. There is no in-between. It is black or white, no shades of gray.

How about this, young earth friend: Another alternative to your God-breathed opinion is that the Hebrew for "day" can be interpreted to be "a long time." Moreover, that interpretation fits the facts. No need to change the Bible. No Hebrew words were harmed in our interpretation. No compromise.

And, he added last night, why can't God create things instantly in mere days? Why can't He create Adam and Eve and the Garden in an instant with the appearance of age. And why can't He create the entire universe in the beat of a heart and make it look like it's been here for "millions" of years?!

How about this, young earth friend: 1) It is never a question of power or an ability to do it in a flash, just a question of how He really accomplished it all. 2) A God who waves a magic wand and poofs everything into existence with the appearance of age is a deceptive God, one not found in the Bible I read. Unless I interpreted that wrong, as well.

Here's a suggestion that my apparently-deceived old earth friends and I follow when we are asked about the age of the earth. 1) Start off by admitting the age of the universe is not a salvation issue (it really isn't), 2) State the fact that there are other views besides yours of how God did it (there are more than five). 3) Then proceed to give your point of view. (key phrase: point of view) 4) Finish by repeating steps 1 and 2.

One more thing: You are free to believe what you want about the age of the universe, but please do not say there is good science to support it or "brilliant, brilliant scientists" who can prove it. That is an exaggeration of the highest order, beyond reasonable comprehension.

Like the belief that a thousands-of-years-old universe appears to be billions of years old.]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2011-06-03T14:55:20-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/df0ec3555d10dbca20c81b03ebb43b9e-17.html#unique-entry-id-17http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/df0ec3555d10dbca20c81b03ebb43b9e-17.html#unique-entry-id-17One of the silly arguments some people use against Christianity goes something like this, “So if heaven is up there somewhere and hell is below us, how come we can’t find heaven somewhere up there, and we know that everything below us is molten rock, not some place with demons and sinners? Huh, Christian boy?!”

Let me briefly speculate why that might be.

The Bible use phrases like “ascending into heaven” and “descending” into hell. And believers have used phrases like that for thousands of years. I cannot wiggle out of that.

But, I would also agree with my nontheistic friends: Heaven is not literally above us in this universe, nor is hell below us. Not that the Lord couldn’t put them there if He wanted to, but He says pretty much that this entire universe will pass away. Therefore, it would follow that if they really are here with us, just above and below, they would be done away with, as well. They, too, will see an end. Which kind of flies in the face of an “everlasting” life, doesn’t it? Heaven and hell must then be “elsewhere.”

So why does the Bible refer to our afterlife as “above” or “below.” Put on your thinking caps!

I believe it is because it is the only way that He can get across the concept of extra-dimensions to us poor, dim humans. Extra what?

We live in three dimensions of space - up/down, right/left, forward/back. Heaven and hell are in other dimensions of space (and time) - not in this universe at all. They are in the truest sense of the phrase “beyond us” and cannot even be described in human terms. How can He convey other dimensions - the heavenly realm - to our limited minds without making our brains explode?

Well, our existence here is almost entirely limited to the face of planet Earth. With the exception of 12 men who travelled to the Moon, all humans who have ever lived, have lived on what is essentially a two-dimensional planetary surface, north/south and east/west. We are confined here; this is all we know. For all intents and purposes, there is no up and down for us, none that we can actually experience anyway.

For Jesus to say He is ascending to heaven is like saying He is going where we may not go (yet), outside of our existence, to another place entirely beyond us. He doesn’t have to get into a high-level astrophysics dissertation on the extra-dimensions of time and space. For all us simpletons, “ascending” and “descending” means going into a dimension where we may not go, a place beyond us.

Another point: All we know, all our volumes of real experiences here, are from the two-dimensional surface of this giant sphere. But despite that, there actually is an inside to the sphere, there is an outside to it. There are real “places,” above and below us, not figments of our imagination.

To take the analogy one more step: All that we know about them have not been from real experiences but from inferring or speculating or using special tools or trusting the experts. That’s not unlike what we know about heaven and hell, is it?

And - yet one more thing - notice how the Bible and tradition put heaven and hell on opposite sides, the implication, I believe, being obvious.

So, no, heaven is not really above us, hell is not really below us. But they exist. We have faith that they are there, although we cannot truly experience them. And someday we will shuffle off this mortal coil, and those who follow God will “ascend” into the one, those who have chosen rebellion will “descend” into the other.

Going up?]]>ritter777@gmail.comDan2010-10-08T21:03:37-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/177e35a906a9f1e3beba801f189ed8b9-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/177e35a906a9f1e3beba801f189ed8b9-16.html#unique-entry-id-16In the 1992 movie A Few Good Men, Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Jack Nicholson's character) is grilled on the witness stand by a young lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise's). An excerpt of their engagement goes as follows:
Jessep: “You want answers?”
Kaffee: “I think I’m entitled to them.”
Jessep: “You want answers?”
Kaffee: “I want the truth!”
Jessep: “You can’t handle the truth!”

“You can’t handle the truth!” went on to become one of the most memorable and quoted movie lines of the 1990’s. It was most often used in a joking manner when someone was questioned about whether or not they were being truthful. Ironically, there is “Truth” behind the words, “You can’t handle the truth.”

Like Lt. Kaffee we think we are entitled to the truth. From an early age parental and authority figures tell us how important it is to be honest, and to tell the truth. We grow-up expecting and even demanding it from others. However, we are seldom, if ever, taught how to receive and handle the truth, which is the main focus of this article. Maybe we need to ask ourselves if we really “can handle the truth.” First, in order to receive truth we need to understand how difficult it may be for a person to tell the truth. Secondly, we need to prepare ourselves to hear the truth when we ask for it, so that we can respond appropriately. Lastly, once we hear the truth we need to filter it through love and grace. Let me explain.

Truth be told (pun intended), lying, deceiving and betraying others comes naturally to us. Think about it, even very young children will frequently lie when faced with the possibility of unpleasant consequences for their actions. Young children develop this behavior, which they carry into adulthood. Whether we are young or old, the reasons for lying are as varied as the persons themselves. Some lie about trivial matters, such as when being asked their opinion regarding a friend’s new haircut or outfit. Small wonder than that even the most honest of people will lie or attempt to deceive when faced with significant consequences like, legal matters, loss of a friendship/relationship, or job. As we further examine why people lie, it seems these behaviors may be rooted in one or all of the following categories. We feel ashamed of our actions, we are afraid of how others will see us, or judge us, we are afraid of the consequences we could face, we are afraid of how the truth may affect others, or we are afraid of not being liked. What is apparent is that fear is oftentimes the driving force behind the propensity to lie.

Christians, and non-Christians alike, value the truth when it benefits them. However, when the truth hurts we can be far less receptive. This especially holds true when we feel victimized by someone’s actions, such as when areas of trust have been violated. We start questioning someone regarding a matter, and when they tell us the truth we react inappropriately. By that I mean, we may withdraw from them and shun them. We may also become so angry that we lash out, using degrading and disparaging comments towards them (unbridled anger is considered a basic/primitive response and can be provoked by emotional pain). If we begin heaping insults, guilt or shame upon someone when they tell us the truth, our actions will likely not encourage their honesty. We could conceivably shutdown any opportunity for forthcoming information. Consider this, would you want to tell someone the truth if you knew they were going to excommunicate you from their life, insult you or explode in a rage? The bottom line is we can allow our feelings or victimization to get in the way of our hearing the truth. Sadly, our response may not only squelch the truth, but may impede working towards a solution and finding healing as well.

So, where does that leave us? Are we supposed to deny our feelings and sweep them under the rug? Are we not allowed to get angry when we’ve been lied to, or deceived by someone? O contraire, the Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, and yet do not sin; don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” It’s perfectly okay to feel hurt and angry when we are lied to or betrayed. It’s part of our God given emotions. However, it is not okay to retaliate through uncontrolled anger and demeaning comments. While the person who told the truth should not expect to escape all consequences or receive a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, they are still entitled to be treated respectfully. If we can learn to filter our hearing of the truth through love and grace, we will be people who encourage truthfulness in all our dealings with others. Jesus solicited the truth from others because of the way he handled their truthfulness. He received it with seemingly an open and non-judgmental mind.

In conclusion, our demeanor when we are told the truth can have a huge impact on whether or not people are truthful with us. As Christians, we will serve our Master well if we receive the truth from others with love and grace. Remember earlier I mentioned how lying is rooted in fear. Well, conversely, perfect love cast out all fear, and the truth can help set people free from shame and guilt. How we receive the truth from someone could not only encourage them to be truthful now, but also in the future. Therefore, let us ask ourselves, am I someone who encourages others to be truthful and “Can I handle the truth?” Then let us ask God to give us the grace to do so. ]]>ritter777@gmail.comCam2010-06-11T19:38:07-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/a146fc8251c9b46d43caed9eeee55765-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/a146fc8251c9b46d43caed9eeee55765-15.html#unique-entry-id-15So. "New Atheism." What's the deal? What's the strategy? Why's it called 'New'? What does it mean for me?

I'm so glad you asked :)

The New Atheism is, as you might have guessed, a new movement in… derp… atheism. Atheism, as you know, is the positive belief that there is no God. The New Atheism, though, stands in contrast to what can be called the old atheism. The old atheism was aimed at religious tolerance, but in dislodging religion from the public. The idea is that religion has no place in policy making, verdict rendering, public schools, displays, etc. Apart from that, though, personal - that is, private - faith and religious practice were not targets. Private religion was tolerated, though seen as superstition akin to faeries and goblins.

Zip forward to just this decade and you'll see that the New Atheism is decidedly (and purposefully) different. Taken from newatheism.org, the definition of the New Atheism is:
Intolerance of ignorance, myth and superstition; disregard for the tolerance of religion. Indoctrination of logic, reason and the advancement of a naturalistic worldview.

What's to say to this but, "Wow" ?! Does that strike you as, uh, pretty rough? The defining characteristics are "intolerance" and "indoctrination?" They will tell you, though, that the reason that religion is evil is because of intolerance and indoctrination. This obvious (and indescribably frustrating) contradiction aside, let's analyze (break apart) this definition some more.

Intolerance of ignorance, myth, and superstition. This sounds pretty solid and confident, but look again. It is so absurdly rigid and absolute, that nobody ought to reasonably condone it. Do they really refuse to tolerate ignorance, myth, and superstition? I don't think that anybody could or should want to. First of all, it seems that an out-and-out intolerance of ignorance would lead to a lot of reading, since we can presume that we all suffer from degree of ignorance. To be intolerant of it is simply silly. The opposite of ignorance is total knowledge -- omniscience. So, really, only God could be intolerant of ignorance. What an asinine thing to say - intolerance of ignorance. Furthermore, intolerance of myth and superstition. What?! Really?! The word intolerance is just way too strong - it's inflated language (remember this, it'll be important soon). 

Disregard for the tolerance of religion. Well. That's strange. I mean - okay. If you want to disregard tolerance of religion, but who cares if you do? I don't. At least I'm pretty sure I don't. This claim is weaker than it is intended to be because, really, who cares if these folks disregard the tolerance of religion. But it is telling, indeed. Remember this, it'll be important soon.

Indoctrination of logic, reason, and the advancement of a naturalistic worldview. Now, wait a minute. You can't just slam "uh…andanaturalisticworldview" in there on the end as though it follows reasonably from the beginning of the list. It might as well say "Indoctrination of logic, reason, and bananas." Simply bolting "naturalistic worldview" onto the list does not make it somehow co-equal with logic and reason! There's no (positive) guilt by association here, pal. A naturalistic worldview simply does not obviously fill out the list that begins with "logic" and "reason." Maybe "mathematics" or even "scientific investigation" would suit the list, but naturalism is a totally different thing than logic and reason. Think of it, if you were reading a recipe and it called for sugar, flour, milk, and rocks - you would be justified in questioning the last ingredient. Just because "rocks" is on the list doesn't make it food!!! But remember this, it'll be important soon. 

So. Here's the important bit. The New Atheism is not (I repeat- NOT) an intellectual/academic movement. It piggy-backs onto the academic and intellectual world as a parasite. Consider this (remember the things I said to remember? They're important now). The definition of the New Atheism is not (and it's important to note this!) something like:
Propagation of the well-established truth of reality by all means of investigation: philosophical, scientific, ethical, intuitive, etc.

Notice, the definition says nothing about the truth! It looks nothing like, "We are going to do our best to figure out what reality is really like and then teach everybody about it." Rather, it says what it will and will not tolerate, disregard, and indoctrinate. the New Atheism is…wait for it…an attitude. And it's a poo-tinky one at that! It is self-righteous, hostile, arrogant, and bullying.

Imagine the stones on these guys! Intolerance and indoctrination - when carried out in the context of religion - are the most loathsome of acts. But these guys, they (alone) are allowed to indoctrinate and be intolerant, even though these are the VERY THINGS they stand against! My head hurts I'm so frustrated with this! "When anyone else does it - purest of evil, when we do it - height of enlightenment"

This is all I'm going to write about it now. In the next couple of weeks I'm going to write another installment on this topic - a Part Two - but for now, I'm going to stop thinking about it. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail them to me. I would greatly appreciate them as they will be very helpful for Part Two.

The last thing I will say is this, do not fear the New Atheist movement. It's like a big, scary lion with a loud roar and no teeth (or claws…thanks Whit...). Trust me in that and sleep well knowing that we are well grounded in our faith in Christ and that He has shown us the Truth. Pray for softness of heart for the New Atheists so that they can see it, too. 

Goodnight!
]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2010-04-24T10:37:05-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/b34bcbd3ceff5e9c8d20cbb650f3d579-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/b34bcbd3ceff5e9c8d20cbb650f3d579-14.html#unique-entry-id-14Jennifer Knapp recently announced publicly that she was a homosexual. For those of you who do not know, Jennifer was big in the so-called Christian music scene a decade ago before vanishing off the map. She now returns with a new look, a new album, a new girlfriend.

We here will not send her to hell. (Sorry.) We at S&S (you may want to sit down for this) still see her as a sister. Our little sister. But just like with any family member who messes up, although we still love her, we are disappointed. Why?

There is now some more fuel for the opposition fire, and we have another seeming lose-lose situation.

Jennifer, whose music I love and who undoubtedly struggled with the whole issue, comes out now. That itself makes me sad that she lost the battle, so to speak. I hope she is sincere when she implies that she is hoping that God will continue to direct her. I think her struggle was genuine, and that she is being honest now. That’s a trait I have always admired in her.

What is worse though, I think, is that Jennifer is coming across as "Well, this is who I am. God made me this way." The CNN article I read was hardly detailed enough for me to read that much out of it, but it at least appears that way.

So, we have a former darling of Christian music, who undoubtedly has many fans, now coming out and pretty much saying it's OK to be gay, to be who you really are.

Whom I feel very sorry for are the kids who followed her, who looked to her as a role model or "star" and may themselves be struggling with homosexuality but are fighting the good fight. Now what? "Well, Jennifer came out and God still loves her and maybe He did make her that way. Maybe I was meant to be that way, as well." End of struggle.

Let me illustrate. It’s as if my pastor came out and said, "You know, I have been struggling with looking at other women for years. But I went father than looking; I admit now that I have had an extramarital affair with another woman for years. But you know, these urges... God made me that way. I think God’s cool with that!”

Now imagine that all the men in the congregation who love and admire my pastor heard this. The wise would call him on it, the not-as-wise would leave the church without a comment or throw him into hellfire. But the weaker ones would say, "Wow. Maybe he is right. And if he is my role model, then I will model his role and go out and find another woman, something I have always wanted to do."

Bottom line. I love Jennifer. I pray the best for her. But coming out and saying pretty much "Just accept me, because this is who I am" may cause irreparable damage in the lives of kids who are struggling.

(And there will be the people in the church who will send her to hell. They, of course, will get the publicity. We will all be guilty of damning Jennifer to hell just by association. Gotta love America!)

I think Jennifer’s Coming Out Party just made our job a little harder.]]>ritter777@gmail.comDan2010-04-24T10:13:42-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/2009f99ec4ae97cc3454468ea169e122-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/2009f99ec4ae97cc3454468ea169e122-13.html#unique-entry-id-13Well, we are in the Lenten Season, that six-week period of time leading up to Easter. For Christians, this is often times a period of reflection as we remember what our Lord has done for us. It is also a time to examine ourselves and how our lives match up with Jesus’ intent for them.

During this time of reflection and introspection, I have been fortunate to participate in a group study utilizing a book written by John Indermark, entitled, Traveling The Prayer Paths of Jesus. I thought I would share a couple of things from the book with you, as well as some personal insights.

Although I have been a Christian for many years, sadly I miss some of the simplest truths and messages from our Lord. A case in point is the example of prayer given by Jesus, often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-12)

While I have prayed this prayer for years, I never thought of how it is an inclusive prayer, one that acknowledges and inspires unity. It is about community. Notice how the words, our, us and we, are woven throughout the prayer. It does not say, My Father, and give me…, forgive me… Jesus undoubtedly knew our propensity for self-centeredness. His example helps us to include others. It’s not about just making our lives better and providing for our needs, but providing for the whole human race. God is the Father of all creation and thus the Father of all people. Whether or not some people recognize Him as their father is another issue. The prayer seems to cover all the necessities of life. It’s short and to the point. We would do well to remember it is the heart behind the prayer that moves God, not the length or floweriness of it. With that said, it does not mean we are not to pray for our own needs, or refer to God as our personal Father. But, it does open our eyes to the needs of all people. The book I spoke of earlier suggests praying parts of the prayer and then meditating on the meaning of those parts. It’s a good exercise.

The second part of this letter has to do with the above heading, “The Journey is Part of the Destination.” Sometimes in life we can become so goal specific that we fail to enjoy the journey toward accomplishing the goal. As we reflect on Easter we are reminded of God’s goal through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was aware of this goal as He stated He had come to do the will of His Father. That goal was to be born, sacrifice himself on a cross for the sins of the world, and be raised from the dead. What happened in between - well that was life my friends. While salvation through death on the cross was His goal, He remained in touch with, and available to, those He encountered along the way. They were not a nuisance, or interruption or distraction; rather, those encounters were opportunities to meet needs and save the lost. Jesus could have gone to His crucifixion without ever having engaged with the disciples or without having ever healed the sick. His dying on the cross and resurrection would have still accomplished the specific goal for which it was intended. However, a relationship with Christ and faith in Him would have likely suffered severely had He not taken time for others. The disciples would have not been developed in their personal walks with God the Father, had they not gotten a chance to know the Son. Countless people would have remained sick, blind, and lame. Those lives so deliberately and delicately touched by Jesus, would have continued to suffer with their ailments. It is evident, therefore, that Jesus not only came to save lives in the eternal sense, but in the physical sense as well. Trying to get someone to focus on eternal things can be difficult when their most basic of needs go unmet.

In our quest to share Jesus with the world, let us embrace some of the seemingly distractions of life. Allow yourself to embrace and engage people and places, even when they disrupt your goal or routine. By doing so, we are following Christ example and are a more powerful witness of His love. While being with God for eternity is most assuredly our goal as followers of Christ, the Lord made it a journey to be enjoyed. Its not a game of Monopoly where we draw a card and get to Pass Go, and collect our $200 (i.e. Heaven), or spend our time and talents buying up real estate and commodities in an effort to ultimately become rich. No, it’s a journey. One in which we use our time, talents and assets to minister to others. In doing so, we live life to its fullest. We put a humane face, on Christ so to speak. And along the way, we get to enjoy those we meet and the beauty of God’s creation.

We at Sword and Spirit Ministries wish you a blessed Easter.
]]>ritter777@gmail.comDan2009-12-05T09:45:07-08:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/ad242c70f1b92bc1578ab5b567a83ed0-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/ad242c70f1b92bc1578ab5b567a83ed0-12.html#unique-entry-id-12Advent is upon us, beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. It is a time of anticipation as we eagerly await the celebration of Jesus’ birth, the most blessed of events. The Almighty creator of the Universe, driven by incomprehensible love, humbles Himself on behalf of those He loves and longs for. Fully God, yet fully man. Our Redeemer personified in an effort to save and restore His people. Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the ultimate gift of God to the world.

While Christmas is most certainly a time of celebration, for many it is a time of loneliness, bitterness, strife, envy, greed, and seemingly anything but “Peace on Earth.” People continue to suffer. Although love and good will are practiced during this season, wars are still being fought, people are dying, loved ones battle cancer and other ailments, and families are torn apart. From a secular view, Christmas can seem like anything more than a time to “shop till you drop.” Hope is not in the gift of Christ, but in the gift purchased for someone and the anticipation they will like it, coupled with the impending dread they may not. Sadly, the world seems to operate as if Jesus never came.

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is from a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow entitled, "Christmas Bells." He wrote the poem on Christmas Day in 1863, amidst the time of the American Civil War. Two years earlier, he had lost his beloved wife Fanny, after she was fatally burned. Then, his son Charles Appleton Longfellow suffered wounds as a soldier in the Battle of New Hope Church, VA during the Mine Run Campaign. It seems for a couple of years Christmas held no joy for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. However, his son having survived must have caused him to muse over the thought of Christmas. The result, a thoughtful poem, and beloved Christmas carol. Notice the lyrics of the song.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

In Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s despair, Christmas had lost its joy. There seemed to be no peace on earth. War and hate mocked those words, and good will to men was in essence a joke. Then he heard God through the bells. Their ringing grew more loud and deep. As he continued to muse, he realized, “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.” In Christ, the wrong shall fail and right will prevail. It is then that a voice, a chant sublime will sing out, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”

As we celebrate Christmas let us be both mindful of the tragedies of human frailty, the loses of loved ones, the pain of war and the inequity of this world, but also of the Gift of God, the coming of the promised Messiah, and the joy that Gift of gifts can produce. In a willing and open heart, God creates joy unspeakable in the midst of the harshness of life. As Christians, may our hands not wring in despair, but instead, ring with the resounding love of God. May our hands, words and deeds be a balm that heals, nourishes, encourages and proclaims the Joy of the Lord.

May God whisper to you this Christmas season through the carols, as he did to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow through the bells. May the bells and songs remind you of how much Jesus loves you, and may that love transcend the world, filling you with joy, peace, and comfort. Then we can sing with belief, the Christmas carol...

Good Christians all, rejoice
with heart, and soul, and voice!
Now ye need not fear the grave;
Jesus Christ was born to save,
Calls you one and calls you all,
to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!

We at Sword and Spirit Ministries, along with our families, want to wish you a Merry Christmas.



]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-08-04T16:34:52-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/9b348f9c053a31dc876ec3780d2a38bc-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/9b348f9c053a31dc876ec3780d2a38bc-11.html#unique-entry-id-11One popular thing to do nowadays, at least in the sciences, is to replace the common phrase B.C. (before Christ) with BCE, that is, Before Common Era.
Pardon me if throw up a little here. In an attempt to rid the calendar of Christ (you know, that fascist monster from the Galilee) some people who know better and/or are frightened of this man (Christophobic?) have replaced him with a Common Era.
Now here is a question or two. What the heck is a Common Era? An era we all have in common? What was it before that, an Uncommon Era? What suddenly makes it “common”? Really… 35 BCE is 35 years before an imaginary common era started up? Does this Common Era apply to all people everywhere on the planet, unlike that eurocentric BC? If not, why not? If so, how?
Face it. This is a ridiculously asinine attempt to push Christ out of the picture - again. When will it end? Someone has to grow up soon - before I self-ignite!
Common Era Advocates: It will be OK! You needn’t panic! Using B.C. (or God forbid, A. D.) will not give you some social disease! Move along citizen, nothing to see here!]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-08-08T16:33:05-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/40c8303d214af6033066a4bdeaee0549-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/40c8303d214af6033066a4bdeaee0549-10.html#unique-entry-id-10I heard someone say a while ago that when he came back from Mississippi from helping Samaritan’s Purse in their attempt to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina that someone asked him before asking anything else, “How many did you lead to Christ?”
Ahem. Tell me this isn’t an intimidating question. What this person is saying is, “I don’t really care what you did to help, or how many you helped, or about the sacrifice you made to do it all - I just want to know how many people you led in prayer to accept Christ.”
He meekly answered, “None.”
I think he should have answered “dozens” or “hundreds.” I have a couple problems here that I think we should start dealing with.
We Christians in America have completely redefined what it means to lead people anywhere. Remember the phrase, “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”? We can lead without forcing the last step!
We can lead someone to the throne by delivering the best apologetic for the faith, or answering their concerns, or comforting them, or rebuilding their home, or helping them load that heavy case of bottled water into their vans in the parking lot at CostCo, but we can’t make them fall on their knees.
The Holy Spirit causes all this change on the inside. We are privileged - profoundly privileged - to play even a small role in that. But it is He who calls them.
We lead people to Him - or away - all day long in all sorts of ways. Our lives are signposts pointing the way. We are stepping stones on the path to Him. All of us followers of Jesus are leading people to Him all day long in all we say and do.
I pray that each day I am leading 100+ students to Christ. And another hundred on the freeway. And a couple at the drive-thru at Jack in the Box, and that barista at StarBucks. I pray I am every day leading my family to Christ when I get home by how I act and react.
The list of how many people we are leading to Christ is endless. Let’s focus what it really means to lead people to Christ.
]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-07-09T16:31:45-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/2afd976721d3d03603f6b245bb1a3cb1-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/2afd976721d3d03603f6b245bb1a3cb1-9.html#unique-entry-id-9I’ll write more on this later (I hope). Right now it’s just a rant.
But when are the nontheistic scientists gonna grow up a little and at least admit the possibility that there is an all-powerful God behind this universe? Crimaney! How much evidence does one need that this place is not a mistake?!
It’s really frustrating reading all the horsepoop in the literature implying that everything - the universe, this planet, life, and humans - will all eventually be explained as the results of countless beneficial mistakes.
Give us a least the possibility that there might be a God, that a personal Creator might be behind it all. Whether you follow him or not, that is your call. But please drop the pretense that there is absolutely nothing beyond time and space. You’re bigger than that.
]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-07-09T16:30:31-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/323827a69b7e3d7ae2cd66bd698ceea4-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/323827a69b7e3d7ae2cd66bd698ceea4-8.html#unique-entry-id-8Originally written OCTOBER 2005
I just met a man named Steve. He has been sitting behind me in church off and on for the last couple months. He is an asian man with the biggest smile I think I have ever seen. He speaks in a hoarse whisper, and doesn’t sing much beyond a gravel-throated attempt. But he always smiles.
Last week at church as I sat there before service waiting for it to begin I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked back. It was Steve.
I turned around and said hello and asked him how he was. He smiled that smile and said he was great. That was the end of it for a moment.
I looked forward again but felt a compelling urge to turn around and talk to him again, this time with a little more depth.
I asked him how he was really doing. He then proceeded to tell me about himself. He said he had cancer, throat and lung. Then he thanked Jesus for it. He must have been healed, I thought. I asked if he was. No, no, not at all, he answered.
Five years ago the doctors gave him six months to live. It was then that he gave his life to the LifeGiver. And he hasn’t looked back. “I was a very, very bad man,” said he, without going into detail. “It was the cancer that made me see Jesus.”
But Steve is not physically healed. He has finished with all the chemotherapy and radiation therapy; there is nothing more medical science can do. When I patted his back I felt nothing but bone. But this man loves Jesus like few I have ever met.
I believe the Lord will give some people a horrible illness like cancer, but for a reason…
I don’t pretend to know the reason behind every illness - or why some evil men live long lives while some children get cancer - I can speculate but I don’t know. But we know the Lord is willing to do just about anything to wake somebody out of a spiritual coma.
And that includes giving the person some horrible disease like cancer.
An analogy might help here: If my child was carelessly walking into the path of an oncoming bus, I would not hesitate to yank or push my child put of the way. Might I break her arm? Yes. Might she break a rib falling to the ground? Yes. It will probably be a painful experience.
But, is she alive? Yes!
For some people drastic measures must be taken in order to wake them up to their spiritual condition, but, as strange as this sounds, I believe things like this happen because He loves us. It may be hard to see this if you or a loved one has some terminal illness - and I’m not saying that this is the reason he or she might be sick - but we have heard enough stories like Steve’s, about how some people with terminal diseases actually thank God for them because they then, for the first time, seriously reflected on the meaning of Life.
And some give their lives to the Lord and are with Him now.
But they might not be with Him in eternity if the Lord had just watched them wander into the traffic.
Unless the Lord intervenes Steve will probably die of his disease. But he is a man at peace with God, and with others. His current mission while the Lord allows him to live is to tell others about the love of Jesus. This man who has suffered greatly at the hands of this terminal disease is telling everyone he can about the love of Jesus.
Steve hasn’t been healed physically, but spiritually he is alive and well.
[note: I have not seen Steve since I originally write this.]
]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-07-09T16:28:20-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/e8e991f07a06d88f117bd6834449886c-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/e8e991f07a06d88f117bd6834449886c-7.html#unique-entry-id-7I sit here, with a million things to do and no time to do it, writing about having no time to do things. (?)
I was wondering if it is “natural” for us to want to behave supernaturally. As in, I want to do every thing, see every where, be with everyone. I want to finish projects I have now, do projects I’m planning in my head. I want to lecture to all kinds of groups, to listen to all kinds of learned people, to read every classic ever written. I want to learn most every instrument I pick up, listen to a million songs, and sing - alone - to every song I know. All this and I want a happy family; a best-friend wife, and God-fearing, polite and friendly children.
And I want it all now.
I’m not asking for money or a new Mac (well…). I’m not wanting to climb the corporate ladder. I don’t want the company car or the latest HDTV. Just the non-material things above.
Some would say - have said - that this is a sign of mental instability or, worse, an attempt to be God, a subtle form of blasphemy.
But maybe, if I may put a positive spin on it, maybe it is a reflection of what it will be like There. Here I have just four dimensions which severely restrict my every action and desire above. I cannot be two places at once or exist in any time but the present. And I’m only given finite time to do all the things I’d like. Finite space + finite time = bummer for me.
All the indications from the Bible say it will be different There. Extra dimensions of time and space mean I can do essentially all those things I listed above without problem and with none of the earthly limits I’m trapped in now.
A friend of mine said that He doesn’t give it to us now because the present laws of nature not only limit us but limit evil, as well. Bad people can only do a limited amount of evil in a limited amount of space and time.
So, I guess I should be content and pray for maturity in all this. Maturity to understand that my desires to be all that I can’t be now may be realized when I go Home, but for now those restrictions are making this a more pleasant place to be.
I guess I should be thankful.
(Gotta go; have a ton of stuff to do.)]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-07-09T16:27:10-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/761233356f43ea5c20151606546c68f3-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/761233356f43ea5c20151606546c68f3-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Once upon a time in California there was a man who willfully took the life of an unborn child. Through an act of violence, the life of a little one was snuffed out.
What should his punishment be? Should he be tried in court for this killing, tried by a jury of his peers? And if it were found true that he committed this act, should he be convicted of murder? If so, should he then spend the rest of his life in prison or even go to death row?
Of course this all happened to Scott Peterson several years ago now. But except for how the baby was killed, what is the difference between what he did and what an abortionist does every day?
Scott Peterson will go to prison for the rest of his life, or to the death chamber.
The abortionist will go home to his family and watch TV.]]>ritter777@gmail.comCam2009-08-09T15:09:41-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/ede95289bcb20a6a681518a3c0729b40-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/ede95289bcb20a6a681518a3c0729b40-5.html#unique-entry-id-5The United States belong to the citizens, not to the government.
There it is. My cliché-sounding stock phrase. But please don’t touch that dial! Instead, allow me to explain.
A wise man once taught me the following lesson. That a society can exist anywhere on a continuum between Moral Autonomy and Political Authority. At 100% to the left (not politically, only graphically) is complete Moral Autonomy. No government. Anarchy. At 100% to the right is complete Political Authority. Omni-government. Totalitarian rule.
As you read that, I’m certain that you immediately imagined where we, the U.S.A, lie on that continuum. What we don’t recognize is that there’s another point to consider. Equally as important as where we sit on the slide is how we got there. In America, we got there by giving away rights and responsibilities to the government. And this (to an extent) is a very good thing indeed! People require a government in order to live freely. In the States, we enjoy freedom that few others do. Very few others. Anyhow. It went something like this: We started — in theory, not in practice — with a society of complete freedom (moral autonomy) and decided that, for the benefit of everybody, we would grant a number of responsibilities and a measure of authority to a common government. The duty of this government would be to protect the citizenry in the free exercise of their God-given rights. You know: Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.
But now that’s changed.

“Now Americans believe that government exists to create new rights for them, and to solve their problems…” - George F. Will, Newsweek

Thanks for the insight Mr. Will. It’s true! Look around, man! I’m not assigning any value (some are good, others not-so-good. I’ll let you decide which is which.) to the following things, but these are just examples of new rights, responsibilities, and problems to be solved that we’ve come to expect of our government:

- Education
- Marriage
- Privacy
- Employment
- Economic Strength
- Fairness (not justice)
- Equality (Economic, racial, sexual, etc.)
- Not to be Upset or Offended
- Happiness (not the pursuit of happiness)
- Ease of Life
- Etcetera

Okay. Everything that I typed previously serves the following point.
Every THING - right or wrong, good or bad, necessary of frivolous - that we cede to our government, moves us further toward the right-hand side of our political continuum. Political Authority. Government rule.
Every thing that we give the government to do is one less thing that we have the independence to do ourselves! What’s more, Capitol Hill is crammed to the rafters with people who could hardly care less about - wait for it - Y O U. I’m not a total cynic. I’m sure that there are also wonderful representatives who sincerely serve their constituencies. But there’s an overwhelming concentration of career politicians who care about authority and cash. And we all know it.
In the States, we don’t decide on most issues, rather we decide who will decide. And these people who we’ve chosen should have a healthy fear of us. But instead of us being responsible for our lives and making sure these crooks (or idiots, I’m flexible) do what we’ve entrusted them to do - we issue authority and expect them to take care of us! On a much smaller scale, that’s like handing your life-savings over to a stranger and trusting him to invest it wisely - mostly because you don’t want that responsibility for yourself! He couldn’t give two rips about you and your well-being. You complain when he uses your money to grease a few palms, take a few vacations, buy a few gifts, throw a few parties… But you never check in and you keep sending him your cash.
We’ve given the United States to the government, but it belongs to us, folks. I don’t know how to get it back. I’m not sure how you remove the entitlement center of a few hundred-million brains. I do know, though, that the more we let the government do for us, the less freedom we have.
We are frantically and excitedly giving away the freedom that we have so enjoyed. That’s bad enough, but we’re also giving away the freedom of the following generations of Americans.
Our kids won’t be as free as we are now.]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-08-09T16:03:38-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/9be268030bcd2a084e4d9673f6c55247-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/9be268030bcd2a084e4d9673f6c55247-3.html#unique-entry-id-3I originally published this on our forum, but here it is in all its furious glory:
I can’t listen to Air One Christian music radio anymore. It drives me nuts listening to the same insipid, predictable lyrics with the same four chords (max) put together in the same formulaic way.
Sorry that this probably does offend someone, but someone has to say the emperor has no clothes. Just putting Jesus’ name in a song and/or praising His name through it doesn’t make it good music. And instead of demanding more from these “creative” talent we’ve just settled in and accepted it like everyting else we do in American Christianity.
There are some good Christian bands out there, to be sure, but they seem to be falling off by the wayside. Look at the Top Ten of any Christian music list. Were any of these people here two years ago? Probably not. And they won’t be two years from now, that’s a safe bet.
Wake up Christian music scene! Snap out of it! Be courageous, be daring, be leaders, be innovative. Don’t settle for what sells the most CDs or what will appeal to the masses! Don’t think that just making some gushy emotional song that happens to include the name of the Lord in it makes it good! It doesn’t! Let the secular community produce boatloads of disposable music as we produce music with integrity!
Oh! for the return of bands like Chasing Furies with their non-conformist music and SmallTown Poets with their heavy and insightful lyrics!
Sigh. Will someone - anyone - step forward? Until someone does I’ll stay with those “compromisers” like U2 and Switchfoot and Bruce Cockburn and Creed and POD - groups that aren’t walled up in the Ghetto of Mediocrity we call American Christianity.]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-08-09T15:58:48-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/d2520dfc1f30d47d4d8347692f5dc05f-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/d2520dfc1f30d47d4d8347692f5dc05f-2.html#unique-entry-id-2I always used to think that if only we had a man like Abe Lincoln resurrected, that he would bring back to the presidency what has been sorely lacking in the last generations: integrity, high morals, strong leadership, etc.
Yes, Mr Lincoln was flawed but he was a role model of a leader, and a man I would love to hang out with if only to see him work. Sigh…
Then I realized recently - and sadly - that it would make no difference. We would first have to vote him in and that ain’t happening.
America today is too d*** self-centered and arrogant and pleasure-seeking and egomaniacal and just plain stupid to vote for a man like Abe. Really, can you see a man in a political ad that looks like Mr Lincoln? He was way too ugly to get himself elected today. And he was kinda homely. Ble. And he was folksy, like Mrs Palin. Minus ten from all pundits and from people on both coasts. And charisma? C’mon, you ever read anything about him and his amazing charisma? And worst of all…
He was honest.
Nope, Mr Lincoln had his moment and he shone brilliantly. He was here for such a time as that. But today he would not have made it into a primary, let alone be his party’s representative. We cannot see past our own self interests and “give me everything - now!” attitudes to see that we would need him.
Maybe what we need is not a Mr Lincoln, but a nation of such a character that would actually vote for him if he should appear again.]]>ritter777@gmail.comMark2009-08-09T15:51:01-07:00http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/5b90058b3c03c128fad76629ee38234f-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://swordandspirit.com/Blog/files/5b90058b3c03c128fad76629ee38234f-0.html#unique-entry-id-0I am not a big fan of capitalism or Wall Street. I see them both run by the engine of filthy lucre. To my eyes they are not much more than controlled greed.
But when the greed goes uncontrolled, when the lust for money overpowers any vestige of morals and integrity that it hasn’t already killed off, that’s when things go from bad to worse.
When over the last years our banks and lenders and corporations and even individual borrowers saw nothing but how they could profit monetarily, and willingly looked the other way when unscrupulous or unwise methods were used to obtain that money, is it really a wonder the USA followed its god down the toilet?
The good thing about all this is that maybe - just maybe - this sudden loss in revenue and jobs will cause many people to reevaluate what life is truly all about. Maybe many will for the first time find some lasting and profound priorities that they would otherwise have not seen having been blinded by the darkness of greed.
This all might result in some sort of spiritual revival. Wow. Wouldn’t that would be great. Maybe the vast majority of Americans who claim to follow God but don’t, actually will now.
Maybe in losing all the false gods in our lives, we will rediscover the one, true God.  Someone say “amen!”]]>