ABRAHAMS MORALS

ABRAHAMS MORALS

I know that it is hard for some to come to terms with the celebrated great patriarch Abraham's unethical and immoral ways, to demonstrate such insane acts only for financial gain. I was shocked to have never heard of this story, through the many years of Sunday school indoctrination. However, Richard Dawkins drew my attention to the verses, right there in the good book. Here I would like to discuss this incredible tale and prove that in religion we only see what we allow ourselves to see.
Below God has sent Abram (Abraham) to territory outside of Egypt (Negev I believe) during this time a famine came over the land forcing Abraham to go into Egypt.

Ge 12:10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
Ge 12:11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.
Ge 12:12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

Now that the stage is set for welcome speculation, first God instructs Abraham to leave his home and go out into the desert in search of God’s purpose. He found himself in a hostile environment a famine and was forced to enter Egypt. He decides that he will be killed and his wife taken because of her beauty. So he formulates a plan to deceive the Egyptians and claims Sarai (Sarah) to be his sister.

Ge 12:13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
Ge 12:14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman.
Ge 12:15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.

The plan is going well and the desert dweller arrives on the scene with a woman so striking that he is taken in to the palace. Sarah must have been a knockout, because anyone who has been camping for and extended time would know that it is hard to remain beautiful under these harsh conditions.

Ge 12:16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
Ge 12:17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

Everything is great, but God inflicts serious diseases on Pharaoh or does he. It does not take a rocket scientist to theorize what kind of diseases Sarah has unleashed. Now what puzzles me the most is why the Pharaoh does not have Abraham and Sarah drawn and quartered?

Ge 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
Ge 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”
Ge 12:20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Besides the venereal disease Pharaoh asked what trick has Abraham played. He claims her as a wife and then curses her and orders Abraham to go. Now this part is a bit to swallow. The Pharaoh does not kill these deceivers, but instead rewards Abraham by making him wealthy. Abraham and his tainted wife were allowed to leave with all their recently acquired possessions. Now maybe I do not understand politics, but it is my understanding that you do not piss off the king, even an Egyptian Pharaoh. I imagine that you are saying that sometimes when the going gets rough we have to hard things to survive. I agree with that logic, but as you will see below Abraham breaks bad with some commando tactics to further his status.

Ge 14:11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away.
Ge 14:12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

Lot gets caught in the middle of a war zone and is captured, Abraham vows to rescue his brother.

Ge 14:14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Ge 14:15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
Ge 14:16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Rambo has nothing on this Hebrew hero, Abraham is over seventy years of age and with a band of shepherds 318 men he is able to defeat four kings and return with spoils of war, such as Lot and his possessions and women and other people. Also note that Lot was living in Sodom ( a nice little town of brotherly love).

Ge 14:23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you (referring to the king of Sodom), not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’
Ge 14:24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Now we see that Abraham has become a bit self-righteous, his Tailiban warriors have ruled the day and he wants to make it clear that the King of Sodom had nothing to do with the victory. However, being a truly frugal Hebrew, he decides that it would be wise to let his men have the food they have already eaten and the share that belongs to the men (how much of a share was this?). Abraham has now become a true con man and god warrior (magi).

Bottom line:

I would like to point out that most everyone you ask will surely tell you that we get our morals from the good book. Clearly, the morals of Abraham’s time are a lot different from today’s standards or is he the mischievous entrepreneur I paint him to be. I stand with others in agreement that we learn morals for the social and cultural norms that surround us in our environment. This begs me to pose the question can we live a moral and ethical life without religion. My answer is yes, we can experience love, companionship, community, and a sense of purpose without religion. I take it upon myself to prove this statement not with words but with my actions. I respect others and try to have a positive affect on their lives without striving for a reward in the clouds, just a simple thank you.

Reach out to your neighbor, loved ones, coworkers, or a complete stranger. Resolve to take comfort in your terrestrial action and it alone that is making the difference.

John R Hill.

FOR ETERNITY

FOR ETERNITY

One of the most challenging things for us humans to do is to comprehend concepts on a large scale. Many theories about the human minds capacity have been proposed, and I concur that we humans are only capable of comprehending medium sized concepts. For example when we evolved on our humble medium sized planet, our minds needed only to perceive and adapt to our medium sized environment such as the sun, moon, mountains, seas, and clouds in order to survive. There was no need to develop minds that could fathom the abyss of physics. I also admit to my own shortcomings when it comes to rationalizing such enormous concepts as expanding universe, big bang theory, or even what a billion one-dollar bills would look like stacked in three columns. Where are you taking me, you ask. Well, I have attempted to imagine what it would be like to exist for eternity. I did several thought experiments in order to gain some insight to the ludicrous idea that eternity would be a pleasant existence. If the prophets are correct and those chosen to exist in heaven for eternity worshiping the one god, what would it be like for these chosen few? Below I attempt to answer the massive question that is clearly beyond our medium comprehending minds.

I stumbled across this idea during a service in a Baptist church. It was a magnificent place full of warm and loving people. The preacher gave praise to the lord and reminded the congregation that we would all soon be in heaven to worship the lord for eternity hallelujah, hallelujah! Looking across at my father-in-law a curious idea formed in my mind, here is a man who cannot stand in a restaurant line for more than five minutes looking forward to an eternity surrounded by these same patrons. As the idea continued to form, I could easily ask the same of each man and woman in the whole church. Then the question was put to me, could I be happy for eternity? It does not take long to realize the size of this mammoth question and for years following that service I have mulled the concept repeatedly. After reading an incredible book on the life of Albert Einstein, I found a tool of his to be rather helpful, a thought experiment.

Our thought experiment begins with a small room 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 6 ft. with a small window off to our left. To our right hangs a large round clock, the time reads 9:00 am. The air is still and the temperature is comfortable there is little light but no sign of its source. Our heart beat and the gentle sound of the air that exhales from our mouths seems almost deafening in the small space. A glance at the window only reveals blurs of colors and various degrees of light. Drawing our attention back to the clock, we notice that the second hand has stopped on the six-minute mark. Puzzled, we step forward to inspect the timepiece and are unable to discern if it is running. Another glance at the window reveals an incredible amount of motion too rapid to distinguish. Our heart rate quickens as we become slightly disoriented asking ourselves, “What is this madness”. Unaware that we are unaffected by time and the universe around us is growing cold and dying. The light from the window is becoming less sporadic and the light begins to fade. Still, the clock reads 9:00 am and six seconds. A frozen minute hand has yet to move while the universe’s life cycle is at an end of 230 billion years.


Bottom line:

When time is irrelevant and we lose all perspective, what is the sense of being eternal? Religion paints a blissful setting with us gathered around the savior, the father, and all of our love ones, but this is only a beautiful emotion. Critical thinking skills allow us to analyze the problem rationally. Nothing in physics evens hints at any element being eternal. I believe most important of all that there could be no logical or spiritual reason for becoming eternal. I do know that life is precious and we should embrace each moment as well as the ones around us. As you read this you must feel that I am filled with doom and gloom, but I say to you maybe this is as good as it gets. Let us live on earth here in the present, not in heaven.

ISLAMOFASCISM

Islamofascism Theonoma



Islamofacism has become the twenty first century’s Nazi movement. Good-natured people who wish to live in peace and allow others to express their beliefs sit by and allow these new bullies on the block take control. I include a term Islamofascism Theonoma as to mean a malignant cancer of theologies. I am very liberal, and occasionally been accused of being a tree-hugging pacifist, but only by those who do not really know me. I am one mad ass liberal when it comes to these radical fascist exploiting the good nature of their own as well as their enemies. I also realize that religion appeals to those who are poor and faith increases exponentially in times of struggle. Promises of paradise and never having to suffer again is a strong dream for someone who lives in a one room adobe with a dirt floor. I must again reiterate that I am by no means accusing religious people of being ignorant or evil. You have simply been infected with a clever disease (religion) that is resistant to any treatment and is easily passed from one generation to the next. Below I will express my opinion on how we got here and attempt to shed some light on a way out.
First, I want to make it clear that I love my country and the men and women who sacrificed so much in order for me to sit here today and write my mind. Looking back when we first discovered that sweet crude in the Middle East, we were dealing with people who had no real grasp of what it meant. Nomads became millionaire sheiks overnight, entrepreneurs in Europe and USA quickly developed this marvel in order to usher in the industrial age. Unfortunately, we were so busy with building the future we did not realize we were dumping tankers of money into the world of Islam.
We are great at marketing a product and knocking a competitor off their feet to beat them to the patent office, but when it comes to history and understanding other cultures we always seem to drop the ball. We wage wars, but play by the rules! If history teaches us anything this strategy will always fail. When you engage with an enemy, you must route them out and destroy any means of retaliation. In Vietnam, our brave soldiers were fighting with one hand behind their backs, which eventually lead to the communist killing a lot of innocent Vietnamese and Americans. The Afghans used the same tactics against the Russians and we are today facing the same in Iraq. The Carter administration did not fully understand why the Shah of Iran had to use an iron fist to keep the disrupters of progress and Western ideas at bay. Therefore, by not backing the Shah, we allowed Khomeini to reign in and start the Islamofascist movement. Khomeini promised to rid the world of the evil western puppet Shah of the Great Satan, but cleverly left out the part about totalitarian rule. This would include no human rights, no freedom of speech, and living in fear from paranoid mullahs. I fear that by being complacent and playing by the rules, we will fall to this incurable cancer Theonoma.
Solutions are not easy to find and political correctness prevents us from even considering what I about to propose. If we are to wage a war on terror then let us wage it in the manner in which our enemies are playing. Islamofascist are not nomads, but well educated in Theonoma, public speaking, the laws of our government, and are able to come to our country without fear of being killed. Not being a religious man, I still believe there is a war of good and evil at hand. Well, good being those who wish to live in peace and those who wish to control your every thought. These radicals have sold out on the idea of kill everyone, including him or herself and Islam win. In other words sacrificing their children, neighbors, and themselves is well worth the reward of bringing down the Great Satan! They are okay with laying waste to our world even if it takes obliterating every living organism that has been infected by western culture, leaving the residual life in the world to live like cave dwellers. Truly, in this primitive state, converts are easy to find. I say lets Glass over Iran! We can apologize to the world later. Waiting until Mahmoud Ahmadinejad points his shiny new missile at Israel or America will be too late.

Bottom Line;
We will never have peace as long as we encourage these different Theologies, hell bent on killing or converting the other side. A pluralist approach to religion (to each his or her own) only allows the bullies to take advantage of the good and peaceful, while the fence sitters find themselves serving as terrorist or dead. Solving the world’s poverty, replacing AK 47’s with tools and commissions, and encourage critical thinking skills instead of forcing our views down the world’s throat, is a great place to start for world peace. Diversity is important and tolerance of that diversity should always be a top priority. It is important for people to be accepted for their differences, but when the word hate, enters the equation it should not be tolerated and forced into submission. Now that we are infected with the Islamofascism Theonoma we must treat it aggressively with radiation! Let us glass over that dusty impoverished place, later telling the world we are sorry, or we shall look out of our humble abodes, with dirt floors to be subjected to a totalitarian rule and become good Muslims or dead free thinkers.

Long live America the beautiful!

John R Hill

Forbidden Fruit

Forbidden Fruit

Introduction; I have been a spiritual and religious person for most of my life, but the doubts I had as child still bothered me into adulthood. Recently I returned to school, at the age of 39, in order to change careers and found myself enlightened. With my studies of Physiology and Anatomy, not to mention Psychology giving me the tools to rationalize my doubts of the validity of religion my quest began. Let me be the first to say that losing one’s religion is a double-edged sword in spite of the liberation; the downside is the cold dark abyss of reality. So why even bother to write this, because the doubts will not let me be and to see our world threatening to eliminate itself because one branch of the same religion (Judaism) is insane! Any cleric, preacher, pontiff, mullah, or rabbi that calls for its congregation to make war should themselves be drawn and quartered.
Here I have selected 10 verses from the NIV Holy Bible from the book of Genesis. I welcome rational responses to my post, and hope my readers realize that I am not a scholar by no means, just a man seeking answers. Knowing that the book of Genesis came from oral tradition, probably spoken around campfires under the stars as shepherds kept an eye on their flocks, there has to be some inconsistencies. Then the possibility that the words have been lost or misunderstood, in the countless translations making the reader use metaphoric rationales to comprehend the word of God. I will attempt to do this in a respectful manner, but how does one proceed in blaspheme and not cause true believers to hate you. For those of you strong enough in your beliefs I challenge you to entertain my interpretations and conclusions and look forward to calm, intelligent responses.

Ge 2:9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Here there is mention of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now moral stories serve as guidelines to help. My first concern is that why is knowledge of good and evil so bad. If the serpent had not succeeded in persuading eve to taste the forbidden fruit was the plan for Adam and Eve to live in the Garden of Eden for eternity oblivious to anything other than basic living eating, defecating, and companionship. My second concern is why they were forbidden to eat from the tree of life when the punishment was death.

Ge 3:12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me —she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Here Adam sells out his companion to God putting the blame on her. If there is a moral here to learn, it seems to me it is this. The devil can easily tempt a woman into deceiving a man. Therefore, women are inherently evil companions not to be trusted. Secondly, why would God allow this verbal serpent into this Eden if he knew what the outcome would be in the first place?

Ge 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Here again Eve is put on the spot, as God already knows, but continues to question the frightened woman. What fruit was this or is it a metaphorical rationale and the real fruit was Adam’s penis. After that Adam returned the blissful favor and realized that there was more to do than hang around eating food. Clearly, the serpent could pass for a phallic symbol though I doubt it spoke any verbal commands. Functional moral would be that early men interested in procreation in order to populate an area with like minded people would see this type of sexual act as wasteful and detrimental if oral were to become preferred.

Ge 3:22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

This is another puzzling use of words as God says that man has become like one of us? Are there more than one and just knowing good and evil can elevate your status that much seems ludicrous? Now that Adam has become like God he must not eat of the tree of life and perish back to the dust in which he came. Metaphorical rationale or not I do not comprehend this concept.

Ge 4:1 Adam 19 lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”

Now that the knowledge of good and evil or sex has set in Adam becomes a father to Cain. Eve has been scorned, set up, and blamed for the fall of man but is quick to give the credit to God for her son.

Ge 4:2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

Here I find it all a bit much that Cain, who is clearly the stronger of the two sons is a humble farmer. While Abel is living the carefree life of the shepherd, bringing in choice cuts of meat and fat to offered up as sacrifice. Cain has only vegetables’ to offer and seasonal at best cannot compete with the bounty his brother is able to provide. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that the first-born son of any family would enjoy watching their younger sibling out do them on a consistent basis and may retaliate.

Ge 4:8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

I believe we all know where this is going as Cain slays his only brother in the middle of a wheat field. What astounds me here is where Adam and Eve were, practicing are good and evil? It is as if the murder had to happen in order to explain the reality of man’s violent innate nature. Functional moral is to learn to except your situation and not to retaliate if your brother is able to provide offerings that are more bountiful.

Ge 4:17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.

Knowing that all men are not Jews and did not descend from Jews here it is easy for me say that the deal is off. How could Cain lay with his wife to bare Enoch while he is also building a city? Do the math, if you get extremely productive how many offspring can you have? Now to do shepherds work 12 sons would be a good number, but building a city would imply that there were others around. Now where could these non-Jews have come from?

Ge 4:25 Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

Maybe this is presented out of context, but it appears clearly after Cain lays with his wife which debunks the theory of Eves many sons and daughters. Clarity is nowhere to be found, as the populace seems to explode exponentially over night. Seth was sent as a replacement for Able, which would indicate he was the only child born before, or at the time, Cain was building a city.

Ge 5:2 He created them w male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man. 29 ’”

Here again clarity is nowhere to be found it now sounds as if God created more men and women. I am a die-hard evolutionist and it just makes sense the cells multiplied and became plentiful. Along the way they became two and three cell life forms devising better ways to acquire food and procreate. The race began and multicelled life forms went forth and prospered. Life from the sea made its way to the land. Why is this considered a ridiculous theory when compared to a deity forming a man from clay.

Bottom line;
There is no way that anyone can ever prove the existence of God or that he does not. Science, in my opinion has overwhelming empirical evidence on the evolution of man, but it does not satisfy the bigger questions like what started the big bang? I look forward to your rebuttals.

John R Hill

Reference for Bible verses;
[The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Genesis ]

The Unknown Thought

In order to make the reader see the perspective of this brief thought let me introduce the setting. I am a caregiver employed at a skilled nursing facility. One day I happened to notice two residents who were suffering from Dementia in the front lobby. If you have worked with residents with this pathology you know how it affects these innocent people. If you do not know about Dementia I challenge you to research, educate, and volunteer some of you time to these forgotten citizens. According to the CDC more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s a form of Dementia.

The Unknown Thought

A forward lunge coupled with shallow breaths, barely audible, but her actions profound. Another sits and observes with the highest admiration for her happenstance partner in crime’s courageous act. No words are spoken, brief glances, osculating jaws, and sagging skin with a burning spirit struggling within. A long moment draws out with no one moving, not a word passes between them, no gestures, only the fleeting alignment of eyes disclosing the dire need they share. A need comprised of a void too great to imagine, and minds too limited to fully manifest the plan, but yet their spirit’s pushes onward. Just as rivers obey gravity and can go from a sleeping lull to a relentless destructive force in a matter of hours, driven on with a pouring rain. The spirit, unlike the feeble body needs no rest only stimulation, a spark to ignite the flame. This spirit needs not to be reminded by a weakening mind, only for the frail cognitive mechanism to allow the spirit to assume control.
Insubstantial legs jut out making demands as the heels of her shoes dig hopelessly against the slick tile floor. Deep bends at the waist as if she was in agony and yet not a sound came from her. The silent partner grinned as the wheels of the worn wheel chair began to creep forward, progress. Yes, progress at last, as if the idea was sprung upon them both anew. Excitement filled a sliver of the void, just as the sky lightens hours before the dawn, hope. Hope sets the spirit a fire and capitalizing on this new found source of energy as the mind immediately turns placid allowing the plan to again be revealed. Triumph! As the sun illuminates the mountain peaks, what was hidden is now a striking beacon, the road that leads home.
Pride swelled within the rekindled spirit as her hand reached for the bar of the glass door. Then it happened. An ear-piercing shriek penetrated the blissful moment stripping away the glorious moment in a mocking manner, the brilliant plan dissolved without either partner noticing. Firm hands, ease in from behind as a wrenching betrayal witnessed only by the silent partner. A kind reassuring voice chimes in redirecting the moment allowing the proposal to mire deeper into oblivion. Quietly the companion watches in horror as the opportunity is lost, not able to hold the thought it is forgotten as the alarm falls silent.
There deep in the recesses of the mind, filled with decades of countless precious memories trapped, remaining irretrievable. Brief flashes of time gone past, faces of love ones and places they grew up spending those many years of a fruitful life. A picture on her wall bares a reflection of a beautiful woman in her twenties. She stands beside a car and a strong man whose times have come and gone. Behind them stands a humble, but sound white house filled with promise and delight that newly weds can only generate. All these treasures lost to time and the affects of aging. Dementia is a cruel pathology the robs us of the things we hold most dear and punishes those around us who are helpless to eradicate its prevalence.

SWEET IN MOTHERS EAR

Sweet in the ears of mothers…

All young boys have an innate primeval urge to become a warrior, provider, and hero. Someone to be respected for his actions in the face of death, not blinking as the blade comes down upon him and able to save his family from certain doom. Reminded of this phenomenon of our aspiring god warriors, watching a CNN news story covering HAMMAS terrorist group training in Israel reinforced my belief. Watching the clumsy movements of the new recruits, with their faces hidden by black cloth, and baggy fatigues marching in a swaggering manner, while seasoned guards firing AK 47’s all around in order to desensitize their nervous systems. It is easy to see their ambitious demeanor as they bond, forging themselves into the ideal God Warriors!
A song from the group WAR, “WAR…what is it good for came to mind” but instead WAR, I replaced it with the word RELIGON! Now before you begin to rant on about another cold hearted, Satan loving idiot, think about what I am saying. All of us, no matter what country you are from have been indoctrinated since we were able to speak to sing the praises of a certain deity, usually the one of our ancestors (Grandma and Grandpa). I will be the first to admit that in this respect a connection to our ancestors is vital in order to understand where we come from. It is important to our sense of belonging and a way to identify ourselves, but let us not lose ourselves to vanity. I am guilty of the promise of having offspring that looks like me, thinks like me, and enjoys the things that I hold dear. This is where nature has a hidden hand tweaking our systems for the survival of the species, even if it means taking a radical turn. In short, improving on the chip off the old block mentality replacing it with parts that are more efficient, and thus producing a hybrid, in accordance to Darwinian rules!
Now, to return to my point the innate need to belong, believe, and act as our ancestors did. Warriors, great hunters, and heroes can only become legendary if they are viewed in a certain perspective, on the one hand they are seen positive and on the other seen as negative. Pushing this point forward, consider the HAMMAS God warriors with their suicide bombing mentality. Now one might be tempted to jump on the radical Islam band wagon, but don’t forget those European Crusaders radical Christians, toting blood soaked swords into the middle east, which by the way had a detrimental effect on Mohammed as he composed the Koran. This is a good example of the perspective I mentioned before. European Crusaders did whole heartily believe they were doing gods work by reclaiming the holy land and were supported at home by generous donations to continue the good work. Just as the Crusaders centuries earlier, now groups such as HAMMAS are supported in very much the same way, only their goal is to drive the infidels from their land. Who is right is all in perspective.
This leads me to my point if you were to tell your son to go to war with the infidels for gold, do you think he would go with an extreme resolve. In my mind all conflicts are centered around gold no matter what the propaganda claims. For it is very safe to say that war is an expensive endeavor, a bottomless money pit. No one would partake in such a sacrifice over something as material as gold, but in the name of religion it suddenly becomes more palatable. Humans must surely be vain creatures, blinding themselves to the reality of killing their children over a branch of the same religion in this case! If you step outside the argument and say why would a pagan worshiper of Molech want to slay another pagan worshiper of Zeus? I would imagine your response would be that is silly those religions are outdated and false. My reply to this is when does a religion really become outdated? In returning to our perspective, it should become clear that being on one side you naturally become incurably biased and blinded by the fear of blaspheme into giving into the idea that blood must be shed in the name of God.
Now I imagine most religious people will be in a fevered pitch as they denounce such blaspheme and it only goes to show my point. We are indoctrinated, some even brain washed into repulsing any idea that has not been fed to you from a close family member or pastor. Before we dismiss this idea, reflect on your own knowledge of religion and see how many sound objective sources you credit for acquiring that knowledge. This is not to say that pastors and family members are ignorant or purposely misleading you, as they themselves have been heavily persuaded early in life and are passing on what they strongly feel is their obligation. In all fairness both Islam and Christianity, preach values of peace and forgiveness bringing a close supportive sense of community, in some cases. But I am afraid that these good examples are rapidly giving way to the negative side of religion as the focus shifts from forgiving and community to destroy thy enemy.

Bottom line;
Good intentions pave the way to ruin. Viewing a clip of a family of a suicide bomber declaring his oath to Allah while his mother grieves, along with close family members I asked myself how this could be happening I searched for an answer. Who can break this cycle of endless and senseless martyrdom? How when the people around you are so convinced that God decrees only destruction of the infidels will bring peace. My answer is the sweet promises of paradise for eternity for her and her children. All mothers want what is good and pure for their children. Unfortunately, they are being mislead by radical, self serving men exploiting their religion to attain power.

No my child there is no Santa Clause....

“No my child there is no Santa Clause”,…the father lamented piercing the delicate bubble he guarded so diligently for all those many years.

This is a situation most fathers’ have or will experience with their children. It is with no pleasure to see a child’s imagination demolished in a single unrelenting debunking of Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, and Bogey Man. However, society demands that we tear down childhood dreams and replace them with the reality of death and taxes. How cruel life can be for those who depend on such a fantasy world existence to make it through their dreary days. No magical mystery tour, elves, fairies, or trolls lying in wait under bridges to demand toll in order to pass as we mature we must come to face the facts. Nevertheless, what age is appropriate to illuminate these wonderfully expanding minds, 11, 12, or 14? I know there has to be some empirical evidence to suggest a proper age and manner in which we strip a child of his pseudo- reality and introduce the one we hold to the mark. A voice deep inside me cries out, “Ah come on we have to grow up sometime, everyone knows that no one can fly the entire globe in 24hrs delivering a variety of specially made toys to children of middle to high class society”. So there we have it my subject of debate, why do we continue to lie to our children only to admit to deceiving them at a later date.
My question is not as simple as it may seem on the surface. True we are deceiving our children but it is to maintain a special environment in which they will grow and be nourished in the understandings of life lessons such as giving. Who would want to see a broken hearted child trembling beside a poorly lit tree with only a bag of fruit to give him/her joy? A bigger question may arise; if we lie to them today will they trust us tomorrow? Children need our love but they also need honesty, and yes in my opinion, a little white lie can be just as harmful as an out and out blasphemous rhetorical one. So what are we to do, punish our children while the mothers and fathers of other children celebrate! Now I believe my question becomes a complicated one. Any time you go from personal choice to social choices and preferences your black and white becomes massive shades of gray. “How dare you, how arrogant can you be as to think that what you decide is good for my children!” I think most would agree that this is exactly the response one would get from making such a proposal, like being honest with your children.
Are you still with me, most Americans would have sensed a dark force beginning to pull them into a state of irrationalism and loss of credibility. We are not good at taking advice from anyone unless they promise wealth, health, weight loss, hair growth, and how to get a stain out of our new carpet. Depressing is it not when you think of how we continue to assume that we are the superior nation and our ways are the best things since sliced bread. Even though it is true that we are innovative capitalist (not always a respectable image) living in a country full of self-righteous people fulfilling their life long ambitions through their own children. And with that in mind are we some how lying to ourselves in some deep mysterious way seeking to recapture some of our lost childhood moments seeking to replace them with brighter, and grander schemes.
Now that I have your attention, what should we consider about other critical issues such as abortion, capital punishment, corporal punishment, alcohol and drug abuse, homosexuality, credibility of government, and finally religion? Again the same voices chime in a discontinuous chorus of threatening resolves, “How dare you arrogant man, how dare your even consider such nonsense!” As you can see there are no easy answers to the multitude of questions that will continued to spin off each other into the infinite number of possible scenarios, as blacks and whites diversify into endless shades of gray. On second thought maybe we can be honest with our children and still encase them in a semi perfect environment in which they can grow and build trust with no let downs during confessions explaining why Bobby down the street didn’t receive any presents this year because his parents were Jehovah’s Witness. (bibbidy, bobbidy, boo! )
Abortion continues to bring out the most radical idiots of our time. Can anyone look at an issue objectively anymore? Crime of passion does not come to mind when someone is decapitated by a crappy explosive set up outside a clinic that so happens does the community a great service. My point being with all the hate crimes we see on the news, babies found in dumpsters, children born addicted to crack cocaine, rape victims pregnancy, and child abuse who are we really serving here, ourselves? A high school History teacher stated a profound statement that has stuck with me through many years and I can still hear his voice today, “There is nothing good about bringing an unwanted child into this world.” Do not allow a kneejerk reflex have you lose the emphatic point he is alluding to. Unwanted can mean many things to many people, but to a child there can be no refuse from rejection. The voices return, “You ignorant ranting lunatic how do you sleep at night.”
Capital punishment is a no brainer to me, but then again I have never been on death row either. Here I feel torn on giving the State or Federal Government the power to put me to death if I am found guilty of a heinous crime, or do they already have that power? No one can clearly appreciate this issue unless they were directly involved with a heinous crime affecting a loved one. And clearly there is a difference between a semi-tractor trailer running over a child in an intersection and a drive by shooting where clearly the punishment seems appropriate for the later only. Another driving point is that we find out that “Joe” has been incarcerated for twenty years and by DNA testing is acquitted. “Yeah, wise ass how about that one!” Definitely anyone born with enough logic to notice the difference between a Summer and Winter can safely reason out that statistically the error of putting to death less than a percent of these miracle cases could not out weigh the overwhelmingly guilty whom have taken innocent lives leaving broken hearts and homes in their wake. Tax dollars that we spend bathing, clothing, educating, counseling, heating and cooling, feeding, provide health care including dental, access to the internet, legal advice, conjugal visits, seeing loved ones, and influence others on perfecting their crimes in order not to get caught, are being wasted. When we could have spent the billions of tax dollars on education, health care for law-abiding citizens, improving impoverished areas giving them an environment in which they have a fighting chance at making something out of themselves, I guess that is exactly what we do not want.
Another critical issue that is a favorite of mine, and is one that is close to my heart because it has directly affected my own child development, Corporal Punishment. Here the voices of ignorance rein supreme, “Nobodies going to lay a hand on my child, not even me.” Sing it from the rooftops friends because in the end what that cute little child has coming to them is nothing in comparison to a paddling. How about 30 years to life in a high security prison because mummy taught me that there are no physical punishments only verbal punishments. And yes ladies and gentlemen if you are wondering spare the rod will ruin the child and that child will become a rotten adult. No one wants to intimidate children, even if it is for their own good. An effective corporal punishment is more about losing face in front of your peers not counting blisters. Yes, I could see the gleam and confusion in my child’s eyes as he wrestled with the concept of “they can not eat me at school, but when I get home I am going to get it”. Whatever action you plan to take consider this advice, never confuse your children with rules and the punishments that accompany them. Big example, when I was growing up it was considered rude to talk to loud at the table, but when I joined other friends homes it was not enforced. What was allowed at my friends house would surely get a dismissal from dinner at least. Bottom line or take home message is to talk to your children giving them rationale for your rules and the consequences that may follow. Then when the infraction occurs it is up to you to follow through to the letter, heat those hams.
Alcohol and Drug abuse should these substances really be considered separate. Yes, because alcohol is legal to those above the age of 21 and that is the only reason. We all know horror stories of alcoholics living miserable lives unable to shed their dependency not unlike a heroin addict. Marijuana still can never be given a fair shot at becoming a legal substance due to some heavy lobbying in the early twentieth century ensuring that everyone came to know the evils of this drug. Sorry folks but the jury is out on this one because anyone who had ever utilized the substance knows that you become a timid, fearful, anxious, homebody that cannot drive to the store in fear that they most certainly be arrested. Unlike the boisterous drunk college man fighting, driving reckless, and displays no fear of authority. We need to think about the issues folks. Another educator made a lasting impression by alluding to the fact that legalizing and making available these drugs would increase revenue! Yes, folks that means more money for schools, roads, businesses, abortion clinics, and rehabilitation centers for substance abuse. Not money for Al-Qaida and other shady characters like cartels and extremist who by the way do not share our American Dream (yes it has been a long time since you heard those words).
Here is one of my personal favorite critical issues that make everyone feel uncomfortable homosexuality. I will try my best to remain unbiased, even though we have pro-homosexual themes forced down our throat through the media. If you think my biased is glaring through consider this little ditty. My family made the great journey to visit the great Mickey Mouse in Florida. If you have made this journey on a modest income you will appreciate my complaint. Upon entering the park I noticed something peculiar, there was a lot of same sex couples scattered throughout the park. A few hours into our first day at Disney World we learn that it was Gay Celebration Week. Now if there ever was a place one would feel safe from the perversions of our modern age it would be a family oriented theme park, but sorry Gay people have more money. This is a point we need to comprehend, if your group makes lots of money you will find your rights will increase dramatically. If you doubt this, test it will comparison rights for women and blacks in how many years it took to gain the acceptance of homosexuality. It is agreed that we all have desires and I do believe that people have truly uncontrollable sexual orientation. But the difficult part comes when I have to submit my children to witnessing two men kissing and giggling like school girls while glaring at me cynically.
Credibility of government is probably a null point, since anyone who is pro government will simply declare that my views are that of a radical conspirator. If you have doubts about the crookedness of our misleaders you are not alone, but the puzzling part comes into play when you realize that no one will voice their opinion. When this subject comes to mind I hear these words, “The road to hell was paved with good intentions.” If you have kept up with the news and have wondered if big business runs our congress then take note when they attempted to make the big oil companies justify their extreme profits amidst a national crisis. Of course it all was justified and the fan fair ended not even ruffling a single feather, wow. If it hasn’t become obvious yet it will if you only follow the paper trail. Every elected official can be traced in some way to large corporations, of course there are a few individuals wealthy enough to move voters or should I say delegates. I have a theory and would love someone to prove it false, everything that happens in politics happens for a reason with a calculated result in mind.
Finally religion, if there ever were a more delicate subject I don’t believe I am aware. Religion has been around as long as man has gazed upon the wonders of the natural world and attempted to understand this complex phenomenon. Innocent in its beginnings and quickly was perverted as the power of control grew. I too was a very spiritual man before science and reason obliterated my beliefs. Admittedly, they were weak at best because even at an early age the good old bible stories didn’t make sense. As my knowledge grew so did the complexity of my questions and the lack of sound answer and so down came my beliefs. I am not a cynic and can appreciate the beauty of religion with fellowship, self awareness, moral teachings, and the introspection of human nature. It is a bright beautiful illusion and I wish to rob no one of their oasis from the dark, dreary, and cruel world. But if you understand the nature of being on the outside looking in you are quickly disillusioned as the radicals crack their whips. If you have trouble seeing my point you only have to look to the past to see how many good people were tortured, raped, mangled, black balled, and put to death for their lack of conformity and in most cases paranoia and suspicions. They were not put to death by maniacs or evil people, but people who honestly believed that they were doing God’s bidding.

Bottom Line; We should take care of what we teach our children. Never to teach hate for any reason, enhancing critical thinking skills enable children to think for themselves. Unbiased knowledge resources and encouraging our children to challenge the spoken word will empower them to become healthy adults. I love my country because I able to speak my mind, why should I revoke that right from my child?

Live long and prosper,

John R. Hill

A Moment to Reflect on Obama

I have to say this, mostly because of the reactions I witnessed at my place of employment this morning. I saw weeping, fretting, and panicking. I saw several people in small groups being counseled on the coming of the END TIMES!

I found myself literally laughing down the hall to myself at the ridiculous behavior of grown people whom are well educated! Then it occurred to me that the majority of the people who surround me each day are conservative republicans holding dear to the golden age of the post WWII 50's! I am sorry but those days were great and they have clearly passed us by and we are living in the new world of incredible change, exponential changes that are pushing us all past our limits. We are drowning in information and there is no way any one man can possibly discriminate between credible and false accounts. This forces us to use filters to get the bottom line (CNN) mostly but even if you are one of the few and actually research critical issues, again your fast pace life reduces your time to do this and sooner or later you succumb to one liners.

Bottom line;

If the world is coming to an end because a black man is in the white house, then we were on the brink of destruction way before he arrived. Obama is a motivated MAN, who can unite people of all racial and SPIRITUAL backgrounds and establish dialogue with our friends and enemies! Any soldier can tell you that changing people's minds with an M16 only results with killing the weak and creating more enemies! Communication with the world in a respectful way (speak softly and carry a big stick) is the only way our children will succeed and have any chance in this changing world.


Concerned American,

John R Hill