The unaware Buddhists

I tread somewhat carefully here in writing this for a couple reasons. One being that I may write some form of heresy, two that I not make my point that swirls in my head translate well enough onto typeface.

At some point in the recent past I was sitting with the Wife in a meeting with some fellow church members that had a role in mid level leadership. Trying to be a little vague here its not something that comes naturally to me.

As we all sat in a room discussing various matters the topic eventually leaned to discussing the people who fell under said leadership responsibilities. I was amazed to here statements like "How can we help them do better?", or "I just want them to get it, or at least have something get through." Again I'm paraphrasing to keep the guilty parties anonymous as much as possible. But the rest of the day I was bugged by those statements, and I wasn't really sure why. It finally hit me.

I think there are a vast majority of Christians who are Buddhists, and they don't know it. I'm not talking about California Vegans, who do yoga (which isn't bad for you), and like the Hippie version of Christ, and seek higher enlightenment. I'm talking about the A-typical conservative Christian soccer mom, football dad, American Idol watching crowd.

Really???

Here's the deal. The deal being my take on it.

Since that meeting I've listened to a lot of other Christians talk about living out a life of Christ with other Christians, especially those whom they in some capacity teach to. And routinely enough there are statements like "get it, help them to see, etc."

Now this bloggering isn't about Christians and Non-Christians, but Christian on Christian action.

Those statements reek of wanting the "lesser" Christian for lack of a better term to get higher enlightenment from the Christian experience. Hence the Buddhist part. This is were Christianity becomes a religion and stops being a faith.

But wait aren't we all supposed to strive to do better???

Well better in what way exactly. Be a better person? Sure I guess in that generic form of the statement. But here is the real scoop. The real story from a life inside Christ. As a Christian, you don't ever become a "better" person. Your lips still lie, your eyes still lust, you still have the desire to obtain physical things to make better your life. None of that goes away.

Why?

Christ didn't come to earth and have all of God's wrath taken out on him, or better yet have God turn His back on His own Son for us to become better or more enlightened, or so that we could "get it" what ever it is.

Christ's execution was to do one thing. Bridge a broken relationship between a Holy, which means perfect and infinite Creator and a completely imperfect person. But that is also where the message of salvation starts and ends. We as people do nothing...nothing...n-o-t-h-i-n-g to earn or get salvation from God. Jesus did that. Period.

Your actions, your moments of truth and clarity, your working at the Church, helping out a stranded motorist all good things, but they don't earn you into heaven. Because there is no earning God's favor.

Man has certain flaws, faults, impurites, limitations, and weakenesses that can not be over come. That is just the fact of the matter. You can not reach a higher level of being human, you can not become a demi-god if you do enough works or enough meditation.

Thus in order for a broken relationship between man and God to be restored there has to be Grace. Grace being this incredibly indispensable gift from God that restores and makes us right, i.e. perfect before God. And that is what Christ did.

You have to look at that and say one of two things. Yes or No. that's it. You either buy it or you don't.

History outside of the bible tells us that Jesus was a Rabbi (teacher) that taught his fellow man to love one another and to be kind to each other. To love your neighbor as yourself. Which is true He did say those very things.

But Jesus wasn't executed, walked to the modern equivalent of a electric chair, because He was preaching love. No Government kills Mr. Rogers, or Ned Flanders.
Jesus from the perspective of the man on the street some 2000 years ago was killed because He claimed to be God. Which was heresy amongst the Jews and punishable by death. Jesus was a Jew and knew Jewish law so in claiming to be God, He was fully aware of the consequences that lay in store for Him. Death. Death by suspension. Suspension from your wrists, until it killed you. Hours and hours of the worst agony imaginable. So in order to accept this. Jesus was either a man who was fundamentally insane and claimed to be something He was not or He was who He claimed to be. That's it. There is no third position, no additional arguments to be made. It was one of the two.

And through that is how man and God are unified. Our part is how we live our life yes, and making the decision to look at God an accept or reject Him. But there are no good Christians, or better Christians.

The man who accepted Christ at 15, the man at 28 who see's he needs God and finds himself on his knees at 2 o'clock on Tuesday, to the woman of 85 who spent her life rejecting God and now on her death bed sees that there is only Christ and a love and forgiveness that extends beyond time, and not a fire insurance policy are all equal to God. Their time reading God's word, doing good deeds or not all are equal to Him.

His Grace is sufficient.

By calling attention to ‘a well regulated militia’, the ’security’ of the nation, and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms’, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.”

John F. Kennedy, April 1960

Just a thought

The Chosen one has recently said that he is going to propose and a permanent Assault Weapons Ban in part to stop the influx of weapons being smuggled into Mexico.


ITEM-Yes there is a gun smuggling problem on the border. However what the news media and Big Brother is not telling you is that these weapons going into Mexico are almost ALL military grade weapons. AND they are coming in from China, South America and the being stolen off of American Military Bases.Guns are arriving more so in tankers into Mexican ports than they are from pick up trucks in Tijuana. But this wouldn't aid the Gun Control Groups in the U.S.
You are being sold a very convenient sleight of hand.


ITEM Guns are illegal in Mexico so why is there a problem??? I mean it gun control works. Right???

ITEM Miltary Grade weapons also meaning rocket launchers. Bass Pro does not carry these. Nor do I know of any of my gun owning buds having any of these...cause they are illegal to own.

ITEM No one seems to care that Mexicans are smuggling themselves into America (which constitutes and invasion by foreign nationals by the way). Why should I care about guns going into Mexico.


ITEM This is literally an international weapons smuggling problem that is centered around drugs and arms.

ITEM IF and this is the one no one want to talk about. IF someone would shut down the (*&(^&*^ Border this would be a NON issue. Put the Military on the border with shoot to kill orders, support the Border Patrol and dig a very deep and wide trench. Illegal immigration into the U.S. and Illegal Arms smuggling into Mexico from our side would stop. But as I am told this is a very complicated problem, that I can't understand. Right.

Cowboy Ethics

In his book Cowboy Ethics James P. Owen points out how in these tough financial times the financial institutions could learn a lot from the ethical standard of the American Cowboy, not as a corporate body but for each individual working together to make honest and straight forward choices, and maybe most of all to do good.

It goes like this:

Live Each Day with Courage

Take Pride in Your Work

Always Finish What You Start

Do What Has to Be Done

Be Tough, But Fair

When You make A Promise, Keep It

Ride For the Brand

Talk Less and Say More

Remember that Somethings Aren't For Sale

Know Where to Draw the Line

In truth we all could apply this to our individual lives and get a more harmonious outcome despite the money or lack of it that comes along with it.

coexist....

This bumper sticker continually pisses me off. For one central reason. The Crecent moon and star are representive of Islam and the Muslim religion. So lets see how it breaks down.

next is the peace symbol...the religion of Islam is not one of peace as their religious leaders often issue jihads against well lets see the following symbols.

Women.
Jews
Buddhist
Taoist
Christians

Therefore you can not peaceable coexist with when one is trying to literally kill everyone else.

But then they try to repeadetly kill each other as happened when the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan. Tribes that had been united against the Reds and supplied with U.S. purchased weaponry began killing each other.

You can also see it on the the nightly news when suicide bombers light themselves off in those little bitty disputes over doctrine between Shia and Sunni.

Something you don't see between the Orthodox Jews and Liberal Jews or Methodist and Presbyterians.

Yet what really amazes me is who sticks the things on their cars. Liberals

They fundamentally disagree with almost every aspect of Islam. Yet they slap them on their car.

Talk about uneducated.

Just a thought...

Hurricane Gustav (Klimt?) is predicted to hit New Orleans and people are already panicking. Panicking...but not leaving?

Now here is one thought:

If you can see a severe storm approaching you and the swirling cloud of doom takes up a 1/4 of the Gulf of Mexico. Leave.

The other thought is:

If you saw what happened with Katrina and 2005 and you stay, you're just looking for someone to blame everything on.

Of course as I understand it if Obama is elected all the hurricanes will end.