All ye in come free

Religious people are accused of harping on fire, brimstone and damnation. They don’t usually. It’s rare to hear about such subjects in most religious gatherings. After all, talking about hell makes church people uncomfortable too, unless you’re talking about people going there whom they don’t know. They may believe in hell, theoretically, but it’s extremely rare to find anybody willing to apply such warnings to themselves. Everybody listening thinks they are already “in.”
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Capitol worship

As Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said, our goal is not to move society to the left or the right, but to move upwards. The state should reward good and punish evil, allowing us to live quiet and peaceful lives. Many people expect more than that from the state, perhaps because they expect less from God. God wants to supply all our needs, not man, individual or corporate. What is the difference between praying to an idol for food and praying to the government for food, except that the idol ignores your worship and the state might be eager to receive it? Neither one is your God. God’s people may not care for you, but God does.

Having faced death makes life more fun.

Some of the most refreshing people to spend time with are converted murderers and recovered terminal patients. Someone who used to kill people has no illusions about what a nice guy he is, or what he would be like without God. Someone who was given six months to live has no illusions that he will live forever, or where his life comes from. Neither kind of person wastes as much time on themselves as the rest of us who haven’t yet come to the end of ourselves.

Always trust the men in the white (rain)coats.

In 1948, the world was fascinated (or repelled) by Alfred Kinsey’s claim to have uncovered the truth about what really happened in America’s bedrooms. The problem is that his claims were inherently fraudulent. In 1948,  it was not possible to gather a valid sample of American sexual practices (“Hello, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your love life”). It would be difficult today. And in 1948, just as now, it was impossible to gather ethical data about the sexual responses of baby boys. Weapon of Mass Distraction provides more information about exactly what Alfred Kinsey did instead. Continue reading “Always trust the men in the white (rain)coats.”