In response

In response - redone

Sam Harris said in his book Letter to A Christian Nation: "One of the most pernicious effects of religion is that it tends to divorce morality from the reality of human and animal suffering. Religion allows people to imagine that their concerns are moral when they are not – that is, when they have nothing to do with suffering or its alleviation…. This explains why Christians like yourself expend "moral" energy opposing abortion than fighting genocide." (25)

This statement missed a large part of the Christian reality, but yet sadly hit a major part of it at the same time. I believe that Harris is trying to point out the hypocrisy that plays out everyday in the Christian Church, but at the same time, he misses so much, that it becomes an unfair statement, and even hypocritical.... Hypocritical because he is generalizing the problems in a Christian community as an overall effect of religion, and then criticizes Christians for labeling all atheist as evil by generalizing the problems in an atheistic community and seeing it as an overall effect of atheism. The logic doesn't run through, and it seems as if he is just fighting fire with fire.It just doesn't work, and this statement, and those that followed, fall through because of this.

Personally I can list over one hundred organizations that are Christian based, and focus on relieving human suffering on so many different levels. Some are international, and others simply in the community, but they are there. Many Christians have felt the pain that other people have felt as well, and as a result of their finding of life in their religion, most want to step out and help those that are in the situations that they were lucky enough to make it out of.
On the other hand, there have been plenty of times where Christians, instead of loving, and doing good, brought out judgment and further hurt those that have been hurt, and I am sorry for that. Personally have been hurt many times by Christians, and have seen firsthand the hypocrisy in the church, and have even been attacked straight on by such, and not in a way that was superficial.

I see where one could start such an argument, and as a Christian it hurts me so much to see this continue with other people, but I have to say, that this response is not a merited one. Even in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, he tells a people who have been abused for hundreds of years, that in these times of fighting for freedom, "we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." It is true that many Christians get hung up on their own "righteousness", but atheist also get hung up on their own "correctness," so I think it is fair to say that this is a human problem rather than a Christian one..

-Romans 12:9-10 –"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

See, people like Sam Harris are starting to wage war on Christianity, in a way that is truly terrible. Attacks are coming from all sides, and some I believe are truly our fault. Like I said above, I know the hypocrisy that lays within the church. I know people who sought a place to be accepted, and instead were rejected, but that is not the core of Christianity, at all. That is humanity.

Talking to a man named Mike, who was gay for 13 years, and turned to religion (10 years ago), he told of how the church had a tendency to put both hands up, and just say, "No brother, you're wrong." The gay community then had a tendency to put both hands out, and accept you for what you are. But when he finally came to know the Jesus that we all claim to follow whole-heartedly, he found a Jesus that had one hand up, and one hand out. Saying, what you are doing is not good, but I love you beyond that.

Did you know that Jesus ate with those that were in sin, and therefore unclean? Did you know that when a prostitute was brought to jesus, and brought to be judged for her sin, after Jesus gave the famous line, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone...", those who accused her left, and the following took place:

"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?""No one sir" she said"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

John 8

So in response to the attacks, I encourage you to take a look at the core of Christianity, and not just those who have screwed up. You might find something very real.

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And for the Christians who read this do read this, and wish to respond. I encourage those who read this to not just read this and just want to fight back, but to read this, think about it, reason against it by all means, and then love back. Atheist, like Harris, say the things that they say for a reason. What that reason is, it is clearly different for every person, but it is not just some random thought that they just came up with one day. Sometimes there is a sense of hypocrisy on our part, and for others it is a struggle that is taking place in their own hearts, but remember that we also struggle with that just the same. "For Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." (1 Corinthians 8:1) I know that it is a battle, and as Harris states in the intro, "if one of us is right, the other is wrong… one side is really going to win this argument, and the other side is really going to lose," (5) but we do not have to play the same game. We are called to be separate from the world, and our battles are not of flesh and blood, but are spiritual indeed (Eph. 6:12). So, as we build in knowledge, don't let that knowledge become the weapon you wield to cut them right through their heart, but as a defense, and support for why you believe what you believe.
Thank you.

Daughter of Jehova

I am a woman of God
Child of the most high
A prophet and a teacher

A minister and a leader
Sanctified by the the fire
And washed by the water
Filled by the Spirit

And loved by the Lord

I am a woman of God

Created in the image of the Lord

Seen as beautiful

And perfect in imperfection

Faulty, but made right

Sinful, but made righteous

Once scorned, but now embraced

Once lost, but now found

I am a woman of God

To be respected

To be honored

To be loved

To be built up

And to be seen as the daughter

Of the most high God

Chosen by El Shaddai

Redeemed by Jesus Christ

And led by the Holy Spirit

Forgiven and set free

No longer bound by sin

Or tied to this world...

I am a woman of God...
Loved by the creator,
Cared for by the shepherd,
Wonderfully and fearfully made,
And adopted into the Kingdom of God.

And sister, you are too.

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 sam. 16:7

The Impossible Miracle

This thursday, my teacher brought in a guest speaker, who told us of his account of how he was healed in 2005, and it was truly amazing. It is a testament to the power and love of God that just cannot be denied.

His story starts in 2003, when one of his vertebral disks ruptured, and pieces of it shot up into in spinal column. It was truly a blessing to hear his story.


From the impossiblemiracle.com

"Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath

Give Me Your Eyes lyrics

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones who are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
again
again
yeah
yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Chorus

I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone Chorus (x2)

these lyrics are last corrected by A Nicholas

Who gets the respect here?

You know, people are always going to go around in a circle, yelling at each other for wronging the other, but the person that steps up and actually puts a stop to it, not continue to wrong the other because they wronged by them, is worthy of respect. Those are the courageous, and those are the ones who better the world.

Dating...

For some years now, as a girl, I always wanted to date someone... I wanted to meet the perfect guy for me... fall in love, all that jazz...

Now that I am getting older, I know that it is getting closer to that point... It is just really wierd.

Giants

It is amazing to see mankind stand up like this in the face of some terrifying giants.

When I was in Guatemala, God really spoke to me. I came to a point there, where I broke under the weight of everything. I tried not to show it, being a leader and all, and I think for the most part I was quite successful, but I came to a moment, where I couldn't contain it anymore. I called my mom, and cried to her for a while, and begged her to get me a plane ticket home early. I cried to my friend for an hour or so. I was truly tired of life. I was tired of people. I had so much in my head and on my shoulders, that I don't think I wanted to help anyone anymore, but wanted help instead. I remember looking out to the tops of houses, while standing on the hotel balcony, staring at a palm tree nearby, the flowers planted neatly in a row in the nearby porch, and the misty moon shining away, with a few clouds passing hear and there, and I remember thinking how much I wanted to jump off that balcony and pray for God could give me wings so that I could fly. I wanted out. I wanted to be free. I had failed so much at life so far, and I wanted some success. I doubted every calling that I had, every gift, even that God even cared. Why was I even there? I felt like a beautiful woman, trapped in a body that I hated, an intelligent lady trapped by her own malfunctioning mind, and an unique individual trapped in this world that was trying its hardest to push her into a hole and bury her for good.

And then came in this kid that came with us on the trip. He came to check on us, to make sure that everyone was in alright, and we ended up talking for a while. We all just dove deeper with him, as he told us his story, his nightmares, and his pain; How he had been forced to grow up way to fast, and the fear that his future held just pain, and little hope, and for the first time, I was taken out of the picture, and was able just to cry with him, to pray for him, to love him, and it was not until after he left, that I felt my purpose in life, in a way that I never knew before. God was doing something that night, and I knew that, but little did I know just how much.
My heart ached for his broken heart, and the next day, God told me how His (God's) heart ached for mine as well as his (the kid's).

On the way back to the town where we were staying, the car over-heated, leaving us all to sit on the side of the road until it was safe to drive again. So I sat on the side, and the kid came to sit right next to me, and he put one half of the headset he was listening to in my ear, and sat down, just staring into the mud. The song he put in my ear was "The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. I will put it up in a sec. I don't think he understood the words, but the wierdest thing was that I think that his heart and spirit understood, as I have never seen him so serious and quite at anytime during the whole trip, except when we were all talking on the balcony. So I sat there with him and listened:

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

That was amazing. Amazing. Since then, God has been doing a work here, helping me to further find my roots in Him, so that the time comes I too can stand against the giants of this world. Helping my heart to heal, so that I can help others in return, and to take a new perspective on life. To stop worrying about what I will get from this, but instead, how I can stand with my fellow human being. That boy has not left my mind since, and I pray that he find his strength in the Lord as well. Amen

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Psalm 34:18 NLT

It's ok to be real, and its ok to be realistic, its ok to be honest, but don't lie to yourself about being "real" either, and ruin yourself on the way.

For instance, its a reality to have a sex drive, but the real side of it shows that if you completely give in to it without thinking, the honest truth is that you will open yourself to the ugly that comes with the good.

Anger is a reality, and some times we do get pushed to a point and snap, but when you let rage take complete control, and you commit a murder, you will be punished, and have to face consequences.

Please, people seem to be lying to themselves with the thought that they are being honest with themselves, through indulging themselves with the fulfillment of their innermost desires; Denying themselves nothing. Modern society is filling people's heads with this, but this reality needs to be seen for what it is, and not for how we want to see it as.

The value of a human being

The value of a human being cannot be measured, and any attempt to do so, should be shot down immediately. The soul of a human being cannot be weighed. Most will agree with this at first, but when you truly get down the matter of things, to the truth of the heart, you will find, that you indeed too, tend to put a value on the human soul.

Whats the difference of a murder committed in Auschwitz, as compared to a murder on the streets of LA? Whats the difference between a communist country brainwashing its people, and abusive words aimed toward tearing down a human heart?

Not to underestimate the seriousness of any of this, but the value of a human, in either area, is still not being held to its importance.

I write this, in hopes that some one reads these, and perhaps think twice with me, before a value is placed again on the human soul.

All in the presentation.

So, I am trying to learn from my mistakes, and become a better person, and a more productive one at that, but so much of me, requires to speak what I think and feel, which in a way has its pros and cons, but that, I am trying to supress. There is no room in this world, to spread out everywhere. You can speak your opinion, but if you don't do it with class, you wont be heard.

So, you can insult people in any way, as long as you speak to them on their own level, on many occasions.

I am not a kiss-butt person, and I wont change my personality, I just need to learn how to present it.

It's all in the presentation.

Blinded by pain

Have you ever been blinded by pain, crippled by fear, overwhelmed by confusion, drowned in sorrow, stabbed with hate, lifted in love, weighed down by guilt, or beaten by lonliness?

I'm not going to say that I have to all, but I feel like the next person, and I am going through the same world.

Emotions are such a strong part of our beings, that a single emotion can make you feel that you are torn, stabbed, left there to deal with your pain... They can also be the thing to lift you up, so that you never feel like you will ever come down.

As we deal with ourselves, and with other people, I believe that we cannot forget the reality that we are human beings dealing with the world, and likewise having the world deal with us, and that as we deal, we feel, and emotions pour through... and until we learn to cope with it, what else can you expect from a human?

In the essentials unity
In the non-essentials liberty
And in all things charity

China

The world's eyes on now China, and I hope that this opportunity is beneficial to putting the country in check. I know that a lot of people are protesting this Olympics, and there is a lot of controversy swirling, but this may be an opportunity to bring the ugly to light, and put the pressure on....






These are pictures I took at the Rose Parade 2008, and this is the China float that was so protested. It wouldn't work at first, and they had it off to the side.

What are you seeing?

When you look at people, what do you see, and in what do you look at?
Ask yourself that...
For those who truly believe that they look at the heart, if you saw someone that you loved, with a new face, something that was the result of something not planned for... would you be able to love that person the same way?

I heard a man speaking in one of biola's chapels a couple Valentine's Day back, about truly looking at, and falling in love with a person's heart. He said that, he came to this rough realization when his wife got breast cancer, and she lost all of her beautiful long hair, which he absolutely loved, and both of her breasts were removed. She lost the things that she believed made up part of her womanhood... and he admitted that she did not look as beautiful as before, and had to face his own perception... a reality of being human, but a reality that hurt in so many ways.

As I'm sitting here, listening to a story of a girl with a disease that caused the bones in her face to grow into a massive deformity, I can't help but think, what would I think if I saw her? Could I see her as a human being at first glance? The nurses who first helped her, said they first thought, "Oh My God, this is a human being..." It is rough, because we are all human, and we understand only what we know, and have, and when something is wrong on another human face, it is like reality hits us for a moment, and we become dumb-founded.

This is something that I will admit to always tripping up on, but something that I try my best not to do. I fight to be seen as the young woman that God sees me, and I need to fight to see others the same. And when we stop fighting to see others the way that the lord sees them, and become content in one place, we stop growing, and we become just like ancient ruins: overgrown, cracked, and crumbling to pieces.

The root of it all

What’s most frustrating about all of this, is that I cannot seem to get any help to the root problem of it all. There are so many problems that I have, that are seemingly run-offs of my disorders that I can’t help but believe most of the time block normality, or good things from my path. For instances, I have had problems with my weight, since I could first start to worry… and because of my anxiety problems, and my mind constantly on overload, I could not sleep well, think well, etc.. So I woke up everyday, tired, and fatigued, and I started craving sugar like crazy… the doctors said it was my body’s quick source to energy, but this unhealthy eating eventually led to a constantly fluctuating weight… and this to major insecurity. I hate my body, and I don’t feel like others would pick me out of a crowd, as a beautiful woman… and that hurts… Anyways, I have just since come to face the fact that perhaps my eating habits, and such were caused by other things, rather then lack of will power or control…

All my life, there were things that I could not control… I couldn’t help, and habits that came out of nowhere that I couldn’t break; and most were small enough to be disregarded, and yet large enough to have a lasting effect, because everyone around me labeled me, from what they saw on the outside, instead of what was in my heart. Ya I’m fatter then I should be, but I’m not an animal. There is consistently an organized messed around me, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have my act together… Its hard not to believe lies about yourself when the whole world is speaking them into you, and change doesn’t seem to be in reach.

The wall I keep hitting against though, hope that somewhere, someday a brick will come loose on that wall, is finding freedom in Christ. I feel like my disorders hold me back from reaching my full potential, because no matter what prayers are said, or books that are read, nothing can seem to help me break that chain, and I don’t know what God is doing. I always run into little spurts of hope, but no break throughs’, and even if something is learning, the chain always pulls me back into the hole I just climbed out of.

Each time I approach God, and each time, I learn something about myself, and about God’s workings in me, and around me, I rejoice, and I can see a brighter future, but the fog is still there, and my mind runs over those thoughts over and over and over again. It is a constant battle of the mind, and I am tired… I just want to hear God clearly, and think and study in a healthy normal fashion. I want to learn, and reach my full potential, and I know with God it can happen.

"washed by the water" by need to breathe

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

Daddy was a preacher
She was his wife
Just tryin to make the world a little better
You know, shine a light
People started talking
Trying to hear their own voice
Those people tried to accuse my father
Said he made the wrong choice
Though it might be painful
You know that time will always tell
Those people have long since gone
My father never failed

Even if the Earth crumbles under my feet
Even if the ones I love turn around and crucify me
I won’t never ever let you down
I won’t fall
I won’t fall
I won’t fall as long as you’re around me

Respect

R-e-s-p-e-c-t

Respect is my new venting point now.

re·spect- –verb (used with object) ..tr>..table>
- to hold in esteem or honor; to show regard of consideration for [to respect someone's rights]; to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with.


In a few sentences, let me make my point. Ultimate respect is truly something that is earned, but respect is something that should be given to every human being, no matter what.

There is no excuse to not treat everyone with dignity and respect, and the same at that. A woman should treat a man always with respect, and a man should always treat women equally with respect. And a person should not be waiting for an incentive or motive, to treat a person with respect. If you cannot treat everyone equally with respect, then you should truly take a step back and examine yourself. It doesn't matter if this person doesn't interest you, or you like her friend and not her, or that person is kind of wierd, or that person annoys the hell out of you. The fact is, is that that person is just as human as you are, and, in all truth, they could be thinking the same about you.

So all in all, treat everyone equally with respect. You don't have to give them your full respect, but you can still respect them as human beings.


I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me . . . All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. - Jackie Robinson