I just got a new bluetooth keyboard that I can now use with my iPod to make typing easier. Much easier than the pop up keyboard on the iPod. I'm hoping this will help me get more involved with my blogs. I'm planning on increasing the frequency of blogging. I'm just poking around with if I should just blog when it hits me or blog along a certain theme or subject. Since this is relatively a new adventure for me, I'm taking it one blog at a time right now. Still in the learning phases. I'm considering Ariana Huffington's book about how to get started blogging and keeping it up. Apparently she's done very well with blog's and the internet, so I figured the advice of an expert can't help.
So, please bear with me (if you're one of the few people that actually read my blogs) as I'm learning how to make this useful and interesting for all of us.
For now, have a great holiday!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Why Bad Things Happen To Good People
This is one question I believe I've heard millions of times throughout my life. And, because of that, I guess I've been thinking about it quite a bit. I had a lot of windshield time in the car lately, and for some reason this topic has come to my mind over and over. I've heard this question asked in bars, churches, schools, casual conversations, virtually everywhere. Naturally, I've had some thoughts on it, and I thought I'd write about it.
First of all, there's a few groups that need to be addressed on answering this question. Those are the religious, the agnostic, and the atheists. Depending on which group you fall into will depend on which answer you agree with in this blog, if any. For me and for your information, I am a Christian. I'm not a Bible thumping walking door-to-door religious fanatic. I am what I call a consiberal Christian. Part conservative, part liberal, and I believe in Jesus. If you've gotten to this part and it's turned you off, don't let it. I actually have something for all three groups. Part pertains to the atheist, part to the religious (perhaps mostly Christian), and a little of everything goes to the agnostic and other groups.
My first answer to "Why do bad things happen to good people?" is simply they just do. Let's face it. A lot of things are out of our control. The people that run around the world trying to control everything are the extreme Type A's that tend to stay stressed out and drive everyone else crazy. But let's face it. Sometimes people are just in the wrong place and the wrong time. Call it karma, call it nature, call it whatever you want; but sometimes bad things happen to good people. Now, on the flip side of that, you have to accept that bad things happen to all people. So, the "they just do" pertains to everyone. It just depends on who's around when a bad thing happens. That leaves us with the conclusion that bad things just happen in general. Not just to good people. Bad things happen regardless of who, what, how, when, and where the bad event occurs.
In addition to that, we all have to accept that the world is full of different types of people. Some people are good, some are bad, and some are along the wide spectrum between those two ends. It's easy to pick out the good and the bad. It's the one's that run the gamut are much more different to identify. That means that where ever that fall on the gamut must be in correlation to the when, where, and how of the bad situation they're involved in. That makes it dependent upon the many variables occurring at any bad situation and the people involved. That leads us back to the conclusion that sometimes bad things sometimes just happen to good people. So, that should take care of the atheists and some of the agnostics and other groups out there.
As far as the Christian group, there are a few things we need to remember and understand about our world to get to a satisfactory answer. First of all, we have to understand that this is not heaven. It is earth. Good things happen to everyone in heaven. There will be no disease, no problems, no bad situations, etc. That's the reason it's called a paradise. Now since it's not heaven and it's earth, that leaves all the variables of nature at work during any point of the day. So, as those variables change and the various types of people interact, inevitably bad things are going to happen to good people. Along with that leaves the possibilities that good things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to bad to bad people. Any given good or bad thing can happen to any good or bad person.
Next, we have to understand that since this is not heaven it is the devil's domain. That's right. The devil runs around on Earth (or the Universe or whatever you deem to define this non-heaven world). What does it mean that the earth is "the devil's domain?" If you recall from Sunday School or any Bible readings, lessons, etc. you've had, the devil, or Satan, was cast out of heaven and to earth. Satan was one of the most beloved angels in heaven but he feel victim to one of the emotions that continues to haunt humans: envy. Satan became envious of humans because he felt God was more favorable to humans than angels. He devised a coup and God eventually cast him and his followers out of heaven. Now he and his followers (or demons if you prefer) are on the loose trying to convert as many humans away from God; again due to his jealousy. Because of that, I believe that Satan and his followers intervene to cause bad things. That ultimately leads to bad things to good people. Some are perhaps intentional. Some are perhaps because a person is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, Satan is not bound and has not been cast in the "lake of fire" proclaimed in Revelations; leaving him free to roam and do what he wants in this world.
Along with the question of "Why do bad things happen to good people" I usually get the "Why doesn't God intervene to protect good people." Re-read the above, and then understand that God is hoping someone learns from the bad thing. This part always reminds me of a story I heard long ago about God and his creation of man. I do not know who the author is or if it's just one of those stories that get pasted down, but it goes like this:
I believe that story explains why in a lot of situations God does not intervene. He wants us to learn on our own. Again, this isn't heaven. It's earth. And it's up to us to learn and behave in the proper way.
My final thought on this question comes to the gifts God has given mankind over time. Most Christians will say that the greatest gift God gave may was Jesus. I don't disagree with that, but I do think there is a very close second great gift God gave us: free will. With free will, we have the choice to believe, not believe, act good, act badly, do whatever we want. And because of that he doesn't intervene as much as people think. Does that mean God never intervenes? I don't believe so. Like a parent, I believe God chooses the appropriate times to intervene, but he also chooses not to intervene in every single situation. Like smart people, God picks his battles; and God wants us to experience and see bad things so we learn what's right and what's wrong.
Well, that's my thoughts on "Why bad things happen to good people." Just remember, whether or not you agree with all of the above, some of it, or none of it, the next time you see or hear something bad happening to a good person, learn from it. Peace comes from the individual. It doesn't come from war. There have been too many wars that may have stopped conflict, but they didn't bring peace. When we act peaceful and kind to others it makes the world a better place if not only just for that small one particular part of time we do it. And over time, small good parts of time add up. Hopefully one day there will be enough good times that add together to make the world a better place. (It's the Pay It Forward mentality that can spread this.)
First of all, there's a few groups that need to be addressed on answering this question. Those are the religious, the agnostic, and the atheists. Depending on which group you fall into will depend on which answer you agree with in this blog, if any. For me and for your information, I am a Christian. I'm not a Bible thumping walking door-to-door religious fanatic. I am what I call a consiberal Christian. Part conservative, part liberal, and I believe in Jesus. If you've gotten to this part and it's turned you off, don't let it. I actually have something for all three groups. Part pertains to the atheist, part to the religious (perhaps mostly Christian), and a little of everything goes to the agnostic and other groups.
My first answer to "Why do bad things happen to good people?" is simply they just do. Let's face it. A lot of things are out of our control. The people that run around the world trying to control everything are the extreme Type A's that tend to stay stressed out and drive everyone else crazy. But let's face it. Sometimes people are just in the wrong place and the wrong time. Call it karma, call it nature, call it whatever you want; but sometimes bad things happen to good people. Now, on the flip side of that, you have to accept that bad things happen to all people. So, the "they just do" pertains to everyone. It just depends on who's around when a bad thing happens. That leaves us with the conclusion that bad things just happen in general. Not just to good people. Bad things happen regardless of who, what, how, when, and where the bad event occurs.
In addition to that, we all have to accept that the world is full of different types of people. Some people are good, some are bad, and some are along the wide spectrum between those two ends. It's easy to pick out the good and the bad. It's the one's that run the gamut are much more different to identify. That means that where ever that fall on the gamut must be in correlation to the when, where, and how of the bad situation they're involved in. That makes it dependent upon the many variables occurring at any bad situation and the people involved. That leads us back to the conclusion that sometimes bad things sometimes just happen to good people. So, that should take care of the atheists and some of the agnostics and other groups out there.
As far as the Christian group, there are a few things we need to remember and understand about our world to get to a satisfactory answer. First of all, we have to understand that this is not heaven. It is earth. Good things happen to everyone in heaven. There will be no disease, no problems, no bad situations, etc. That's the reason it's called a paradise. Now since it's not heaven and it's earth, that leaves all the variables of nature at work during any point of the day. So, as those variables change and the various types of people interact, inevitably bad things are going to happen to good people. Along with that leaves the possibilities that good things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to bad to bad people. Any given good or bad thing can happen to any good or bad person.
Next, we have to understand that since this is not heaven it is the devil's domain. That's right. The devil runs around on Earth (or the Universe or whatever you deem to define this non-heaven world). What does it mean that the earth is "the devil's domain?" If you recall from Sunday School or any Bible readings, lessons, etc. you've had, the devil, or Satan, was cast out of heaven and to earth. Satan was one of the most beloved angels in heaven but he feel victim to one of the emotions that continues to haunt humans: envy. Satan became envious of humans because he felt God was more favorable to humans than angels. He devised a coup and God eventually cast him and his followers out of heaven. Now he and his followers (or demons if you prefer) are on the loose trying to convert as many humans away from God; again due to his jealousy. Because of that, I believe that Satan and his followers intervene to cause bad things. That ultimately leads to bad things to good people. Some are perhaps intentional. Some are perhaps because a person is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, Satan is not bound and has not been cast in the "lake of fire" proclaimed in Revelations; leaving him free to roam and do what he wants in this world.
Along with the question of "Why do bad things happen to good people" I usually get the "Why doesn't God intervene to protect good people." Re-read the above, and then understand that God is hoping someone learns from the bad thing. This part always reminds me of a story I heard long ago about God and his creation of man. I do not know who the author is or if it's just one of those stories that get pasted down, but it goes like this:
"When God created everything and the earth, he realized he needed someone to rule over everything to keep the world in order. So, he decided to create man (men and women eventually) to do the job. As he thought of how to do this, he ran into a question of how much knowledge to give man. 'If I give man all knowledge, then he will eventually understand that there's nothing he can not learn or understand and eventually become bored and lazy. On the other hand, if I give him no knowledge he will eventually understand that he can not learn anything, eventually become bored with trying, and lazy once he stops. Therefore, I give him knowledge of some things, the ability to learn about some things he doesn't understand, and keep other things beyond his abilities. That way he will remain motivated by learning new things and continually strive to understand as much as he can and apply his knowledge for good.' So God did just that."
I believe that story explains why in a lot of situations God does not intervene. He wants us to learn on our own. Again, this isn't heaven. It's earth. And it's up to us to learn and behave in the proper way.
My final thought on this question comes to the gifts God has given mankind over time. Most Christians will say that the greatest gift God gave may was Jesus. I don't disagree with that, but I do think there is a very close second great gift God gave us: free will. With free will, we have the choice to believe, not believe, act good, act badly, do whatever we want. And because of that he doesn't intervene as much as people think. Does that mean God never intervenes? I don't believe so. Like a parent, I believe God chooses the appropriate times to intervene, but he also chooses not to intervene in every single situation. Like smart people, God picks his battles; and God wants us to experience and see bad things so we learn what's right and what's wrong.
Well, that's my thoughts on "Why bad things happen to good people." Just remember, whether or not you agree with all of the above, some of it, or none of it, the next time you see or hear something bad happening to a good person, learn from it. Peace comes from the individual. It doesn't come from war. There have been too many wars that may have stopped conflict, but they didn't bring peace. When we act peaceful and kind to others it makes the world a better place if not only just for that small one particular part of time we do it. And over time, small good parts of time add up. Hopefully one day there will be enough good times that add together to make the world a better place. (It's the Pay It Forward mentality that can spread this.)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
What's Wrong With The Country
When I sit and think of the condition our country is in this days it depresses me. What's happened to the entire political system? Supposedly it's a democracy that by definition makes it by the people, for the people. Yet, it seems "the people" have strayed away from the simplicity of the very beginnings of our government. Sure, you can sit back and say the rich control everything with large sums of money and they buy elections, control communications and exposure, etc. but where are the people on election day? I saw a graph show the disparity of what's actually reported and how voter turnouts should be calculated. Given, the author of this graph made a valid point in that most voter turnouts are calculated by number of votes cast divided by number of citizens of 18, which includes many people that are not eligible to vote (such as felons, etc.). Instead, the author took the number of eligible voters and re-did the graph. Granted the adjusted calculation was higher; but it was still at approximately 62% in 2008 versus 56%. The graph also showed that rates were at their lowest in 1996 and have been on a steady increase since.
My question is this. Is 62% good enough? Yes, it is a majority of eligible voters, but if this country is supposed to be for the people by the people, then where are we? We seem more content to sit back on our couches and rear ends, listen to the folks running for office so they can get the perks and extra money that comes with the office, and then complain about what's going on. If you don't like what's going on, then don't vote for the incumbent. If you don't like the other candidates don't vote for any of them either. I think one of the silliest things anyone can do is a straight ticket vote. Just check one Party and be done with it. That's lazy. Not everyone in a single party actually think the exact same way. If you don't believe that watch the debates. Do your homework, check out the candidates, and make an educated vote.
That's my rant for the night. I could keep going, but I'll save that for another blog. There are two things that are going on in America right now that has and is continuing to be our down fall: laziness and greed. (I'll blog on that later.)
My question is this. Is 62% good enough? Yes, it is a majority of eligible voters, but if this country is supposed to be for the people by the people, then where are we? We seem more content to sit back on our couches and rear ends, listen to the folks running for office so they can get the perks and extra money that comes with the office, and then complain about what's going on. If you don't like what's going on, then don't vote for the incumbent. If you don't like the other candidates don't vote for any of them either. I think one of the silliest things anyone can do is a straight ticket vote. Just check one Party and be done with it. That's lazy. Not everyone in a single party actually think the exact same way. If you don't believe that watch the debates. Do your homework, check out the candidates, and make an educated vote.
That's my rant for the night. I could keep going, but I'll save that for another blog. There are two things that are going on in America right now that has and is continuing to be our down fall: laziness and greed. (I'll blog on that later.)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
So, here's my first blog. I've always thought of doing one, but just never got started. Then I ran across this Blogger website, and figured what the heck. Why not give it a try? This blog will mostly be random things that pop in my mind. It could be personal, public, political, religious, secular, whatever. I'm just going to use it as an outlet to vent, or as Dennis Miller used to say back when he had his HBO show (which I miss!!!!). . . . "I don't mean to get off on a rant here, but. . . . "
I just see this as a good outlet to get my thoughts out there on whatever's bothering me at any particular time. The world we live in seems to get more complex each and every day. What used to be small communities of people has truly turned into a world-wide situation. Something can happen on the other side of the world, and the entire world will know about it in minutes. That's something that used to take days when I was a child. It seems as though the butterfly's wings have gotten bigger and the effect is faster and more drastic than it has ever been. Technology is great, but there is a fine line between us controling it and it controlling us.
So, check in from time-to-time if you like what I have to say. Or, it you totally disagree with something I post, I invite you to calmly and peacefully post a rebutal. I love listening to opposing opinions, and I'm perfectly fine to agree to disagree. That doesn't mean I think that those that disagree with me are stupid, wrong, or insane; it just means that I've learned another point of view and increased my own knowledge. Don't get me wrong. I have opinions, beliefs, morals, and thoughts. What I don't have is a closed mind that mine are the only ones out there and that those parts of life are absolutes. There are billions of people on this planet. How can one person or one group of people be so arogant as to think their view(s) are the absolute truths? Symantics come into play in many of these and some beliefs that people think are opposing can actually be related in some way or another.
Just remember, live your live with an open mind, but don't open your mind so much that your brains completely fall out.
I just see this as a good outlet to get my thoughts out there on whatever's bothering me at any particular time. The world we live in seems to get more complex each and every day. What used to be small communities of people has truly turned into a world-wide situation. Something can happen on the other side of the world, and the entire world will know about it in minutes. That's something that used to take days when I was a child. It seems as though the butterfly's wings have gotten bigger and the effect is faster and more drastic than it has ever been. Technology is great, but there is a fine line between us controling it and it controlling us.
So, check in from time-to-time if you like what I have to say. Or, it you totally disagree with something I post, I invite you to calmly and peacefully post a rebutal. I love listening to opposing opinions, and I'm perfectly fine to agree to disagree. That doesn't mean I think that those that disagree with me are stupid, wrong, or insane; it just means that I've learned another point of view and increased my own knowledge. Don't get me wrong. I have opinions, beliefs, morals, and thoughts. What I don't have is a closed mind that mine are the only ones out there and that those parts of life are absolutes. There are billions of people on this planet. How can one person or one group of people be so arogant as to think their view(s) are the absolute truths? Symantics come into play in many of these and some beliefs that people think are opposing can actually be related in some way or another.
Just remember, live your live with an open mind, but don't open your mind so much that your brains completely fall out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)