Denying Reality
From the highest government office holder to the most obscure self-interest group, we constantly hear: "We care so much about you!" "We are trying to help you." There is a never ending effort to make laws for "your own good". But is it for my good, or is it an effort to quiet a guilty conscience?
There seems to be a never-ending push in human nature to force people to 'do the right thing'. First we try education, because we erroneously think that people will change if we just show them "a better way". When that doesn't work, we make a law to force compliance. That only forces compliance from those who are inclined to follow rules anyway. But we continue doing this because we are "trying to save lives".
Really? Are we really trying to save lives? Seat belt laws save lives - check. No smoking laws save lives - check. Now it's no trans fats laws. So we pat ourselves on the back, puff our chest out with pride, and tell ourselves we are so good.
We get up in arms against secondary smoke, while we promote activities that lead to social degeneration, moral decline, spiritual degradation, and eternal death. While we focus on preventing physical death, we actively foster the eternal death of the soul. We deny personal responsibility. We encourage selfishness. We work hard to prevent physical death while encouraging spiritual death of the soul.
Human nature hasn't changed. Two thousand years ago there was a society that put tremendous emphasis on physical cleanliness. There were rules to protect rules. You can read about it in the Bible, the book of Mark, chapter 7. Jesus and His disciples were accused of breaking the rules. They weren't following all the laws the leaders had made.
While physical health is important, it pales greatly when compared with spiritual health. Jesus said we are not to be so focused on the physical that we forget the spiritual. It is from the heart (the mind) that evil and wickedness originate. We feed our mind with violence, impurity, pride, and foolishness (mental empty calories) of all types. Our actions come from what is inside our heart. The growing incivility, selfishness, crudeness and outright evil we see in people is a direct result of the mental food we put into ourselves. "All these evil things come from within, and destroy the man". Mark 7:23
to be continued...............
Daniel

Beginnings

A New Beginning
This is not a very original title, and that is by choice. I am not interested in trying to make a big splash. Or WOW everyone with something grand and overwhelming. Why then start another blog? Aren't there enough all ready? Do I think I have anything original to offer?
Most assuredly yes, I have something important to contribute to thought and life. But in accordance with my stated "non-deeds" in the first paragraph I am not going to inject all those goals here. Rather they will be revealed and stated as they come up in the ordinary flow of this blog. As time goes by and events demand, it will become clear why I have written.
My philosophy will become clear. My thoughts will make sense. You will be made to think. My desire is to provoke thoughts you may have never had before. Open your eyes to new ways of seeing events and possibilities. Practical solutions to problems we face in day to day living. Always the emphasis on the practical.
You may not always agree. You may vehemently deny and cross me off as crazy. Or you may have that moment when you think: "O wow, I never thought of it like that, but it sure makes sense!"
And I will be learning more than you do. That's the real benefit of something like this. In hearing from you, in study and research, in the very exercise of writing there is brought a clarity of thinking and insights that would be impossible in another setting. What I learn I will share, because that is where the real learning takes place.
Growth comes by sharing. As we share together, we will grow in knowledge. What we do with that knowledge will make all the difference in the world. Eternity will be affected by what we share together here.
Daniel