Separation of Church and State

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

In a perfect world, the mandate for government and the mandate for spiritual guidance would be identical – a quest for the “common good”. The state and the church would be two arms of authority gathering people together in a synchronized effort to end the constant bitterness and violence of human society, and create a sustainable, reasonable peace where every person could participate and flourish. The only difference between these institutions would be the method used to accomplish this goal – the state using decrees and enforcement while the church set an example and taught others to follow. In the real world, however, it is essential to keep the division between them absolute, and guard against any kind of overlap.

Imagine what would happen if a political party or military council was able to convince the population that they operated with divine inspiration behind every decision, behind every demand, and that their motive was a constant, selfless caring for their fellow man. They could spend the taxes they collected on projects that would perpetuate this appearance, hire writers and advertising firms to bolster their public image of altruistic effort, and publicly discredit anyone who refused to believe the deception. Government would become the holy sanctuary of forgiveness and mercy (for anyone who pledged support for the campaign). “Salvation” (approval) would come down to voting for the acceptable candidate, or volunteering for the army.

On the other hand, try to imagine the church as a cold, indifferent agency that administered a strict set of rules that must be obeyed to avoid punishment. Officers would be selected by their zeal to enforce the doctrine, and administer the approved “discipline”. The congregation of this church would become very orderly, as anyone that challenged the “discipline” would automatically be regarded as an “enemy” of the faith.

Obviously, in our present world, the lines between the state and the church have become blurred, and the result is confusion and hysteria. The goal of improving human relationships has been replaced by the struggle for position and power, and society is the loser. I believe that it is time to untangle this confusion by demanding that the government stick to telling us what we can do (rights and freedoms), cannot do (criminal law), and must do (taxes, licenses and inspections), and that the church return to the task of representing God in truth and spirit.

Stock Market Correction

STOCK MARKET CORRECTION

Now that the markets are stabilizing somewhat, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. That was scary – watching the prices plummet all at once around the entire world. There really wasn’t any need to worry, as the system has worked well for hundreds of years, but it does make me pause to wonder “what if?”


What if all of the major institutions are connected - interdependent so to speak? When the banks fail, (like the Savings and Loan debacle a few years back), the government steps in to restore confidence by bailing them out with tax dollars. When the stock market becomes unstable, the banks invest heavily with depositor’s cash to stabilize the situation and restore confidence. Governments take all the credit for a “booming economy” and a “robust market” to win elections and coast to victory on the restored confidence. What if all these institutions were built on foundations of greed, deception and arrogance and we all just stopped placing our confidence in them?

The result would probably be chaos! Wars would have no justification. Insurance companies would be forced to redefine an “Act of God”. Strikes and lockouts would make no sense. Farmers and tradesmen would be at the top of the “food chain”. Social assistance would have to be personal and close to home. In fact, if we all stopped relying on big government, bank credit and market “analysts” we would have to rely on each other as if we lived in a real community! The only things with any value to society would be integrity, friendship, cooperation and mutual respect.

Culture would eventually stop being something you purchase at a video store or on a CD. People would have to build honorable reputations like they used to. News would have to be reported, not created. Parents would have to tend to their children's education instead of arming them with Nike running shoes and sending them forth. It would be a nightmare. Utter chaos!

Bride of Frankenstein

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

Many pundits see the first trans-gender contestant in Donald Trump's “Miss Universe Contest” as a breakthrough from the historical simplicity of gender, claiming that the amazing beauty on stage was living proof that sex is more complicated than male and female, and that introducing personal feelings and choice to an otherwise cold and indifferent fact is simply the result of human compassion and ingenuity. I see this as the latest assault on reason and common sense by the harbingers of deception and confusion. Why do some people insist that truth cannot be simple and easily understood?

The refusal to acknowledge that gender is either male or female demonstrates the same stubborn stupidity as slogans like “Guns don't kill people, people kill people”, or “It's the economy, stupid!” The truth is simple – guns are designed and promoted to be used as weapons to maim and kill other people. And in a society where the wasted meals from restaurants could feed the entire homeless population of every city, and where giant, heated office towers stand empty every night while people cower in cardboard boxes in the street, there is no thought for economy in our present system.

Perhaps the tenacity of this ignorance is rooted in the desperation to be in charge of our own destiny, but attempting to reorder the universe to fit personalized specifications can become extremely complicated (and enormously expensive), so we usually settle for changing “reality” to suit our aspirations instead. We can all pretend that the Fukushima disaster is safely behind us, that the financial experts will solve the debt crisis, and that a war with Iran, or Russia, or China, ..., is necessary to guarantee lasting peace in the region and around the world. And while we're at it, we can just ignore the fact that the Miss Universe crown might go to a modern upgrade of the Bride of Frankenstein.

It seems to me that the simple answer is to find the serenity to accept those things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.

What the Pope should teach about Homosexuality

                                                            "Gay Marriage"

Two "scientific studies" have recently released their findings on the "evolution of monogomy", and their conclusions are completely different.  One asserts that the data shows that the husband/wife arrangement came about in response to murderous single males, while the other claims that the same information "proves" that single partner marriage has been caused by the intolerance and aggression of adult females.  So much for "science".

For everyone who ponders the mystery and madness of human relationships, and is unwilling to accept the arrogance of "scientists", there should be at least one public speaker who can teach about the issue with unbiased truth.

1. Marriage was always intended to be “gay” - if we have turned this basic relationship into drudgery and misery, it is no fault of the Creator.
2. Homosexuality occurs as frequently in nature as celibacy and pedophilia.
3. The “gay pride” movement deserves some credit for promoting an effective form of birth control, and God knows we need that. (Teachers of all the major religions have encouraged their followers to breed like fruit flies without teaching them how to multiply, and the global population will swell to 50 billion in just a few generations if things are not changed)
4. Personally, I think that Pierre Trudeau (ex prime minister of Canada) was on the right track when he proclaimed “the state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation!"   I would just like to add that "neither does the clergy,  the scientists, the marketplace or the camera crews"

Equal Justice

EQUAL JUSTICE

The recent killing of Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old boy on his way home from the store, cries out to ordinary people to fix the inequalities in the present justice system, (which is really just an archaic tradition of pomp handed down from centuries ago). When innocent people are convicted and guilty people go free, the system is broken and needs to be fixed.

To provide equal justice, we need to base our judgments on evidence, testimony and reasoning that is not tainted by personal prejudice or agendas, and to value every human life as equally important. This has always been the framework for justice, and the goal has always been to produce peace and security by holding perpetrators accountable for their actions by a punishment that answers the crime. If the system is effective, everyone benefits – even the criminals receive a much needed lesson in how to behave towards others. These lessons ought to be the responsibility of parents, caregivers and teachers but the overwhelming problem of the present day is that reasonable behavior is neither taught nor demonstrated to children, and accountability is avoided by almost everyone, from people in a position of authority to the rejects of society.

For this case to be tried properly, every statement should have been recorded on disc at the time it was given and the fanciful “demonstrations” and video “re-enactments” should have been cause to have the defense lawyers disbarred (if not sent to jail). The facts were never in question.. A neighborhood vigilante followed and confronted an innocent boy who was walking home from the store, talking to his friend on the phone. In panic the boy tried to protect himself from a “creepy cracka” and ended up being shot to death. Instead of meaningful punishment for the killer, the police investigators, the media manipulators, the gun manufacturers and distributors, the UFC promoters, the disappearing neighbors and the crafty lawyers, this will be recorded as one more “unfortunate accident” among the thousands of unanswered tragedies happening every year. The truth is that if there was no justice in the death of Trayvon, there is no justice for anyone. Our system has ruled that he must have done something wrong to deserve this.  Blame the victim!

War on Drugs

                                                      WAR ON DRUGS

I don't know why alcohol and prescription drugs are separated from other mind altering drugs. That's what they are – drugs. Instead of trying to classify drugs into dangerous vs. benign, addictive vs. medicinal, illegal vs. socially acceptable, we need to ask the question “Why are drugs so popular?”

The only reason I can come up with is that they imitate the feelings that a person experiences when he/she falls in love. The euphoria, sensitivity, excitement and determination that are produced from all kinds of love (from parental to romantic) can be artificially created by using various chemicals. The only problem is that none of it is real.  A lot of money is made by selling artificial experiences to desperate people who have been starved for the life that has been stolen from them by society.

The only way that drugs will lose their appeal is when human beings choose the real over the fake, but real love threatens the very foundations of this world, where security and happiness are sold to us by fraudsters and spin doctors. This is what the real "War on Drugs" should be - a "War on Deception".

Sustainable Society?

SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY?

Imagine the kinds of changes that need to be made to put a stop to the constant destruction of our environment. Pollution-free power generation would be a reasonable start. Limiting urban traffic to Public Transit or electric “smart cars” between 6 AM and 6PM would not only cut greenhouse emissions in half, but would double the capacity of existing roads and bridges. We could create a “no-fly” zone over the entire country (except for emergencies), ending the thick jet trails across the clear blue sky in the name of travel vacations. We could prevent more oil spills by refusing to allow oil tankers to sail across the oceans. To put it plainly, a “sustainable society” cannot continue to devour nature’s resources at an ever-increasing rate, turning our world into a barren and desolate garbage dump in the quest for a “higher standard” of living. But even if we stopped the destruction of the “rain forests”, abolished raw sewage, and found safe disposal for chemical and nuclear waste, we wouldn’t have a “sustainable society”.

Although pollution is a serious issue, the real destruction of society comes from inner decay. While disrespect for nature has obvious consequences, our total disregard for fellow human beings threatens the very existence of society itself. Why is it so hard to empathize with the suffering of others around the world? Farmers in North America are not that much different than farmers in China, Europe or the Middle East. Carpenters and laborers work to build bridges and homes in every corner of the planet. Every child needs food, water and shelter no matter where they are born. How can we justify threatening ordinary people in other countries by sending heavily armed troops instead of offering help? The answer is simple - our minds have been poisoned by propaganda and bigotry, and our thinking has become dazed and confused by the power of mass media.

From the dawn of time, con artists calling themselves “experts”, “leaders”, and “teachers”, have basked in popular attention as they spread wild speculations and ignorant ravings across the globe. This is the major threat to a “sustainable society” – the insidious pollution of our hearts towards others. I believe that the current spin and rhetoric of  mainstream media is the most toxic form of waste, and that human governments cannot continue to encourage the mass production and sales of deadly weapons, threatening to drop bombs and kill people for “world peace”. It’s a no-brainer.