Morning Reflections

Tell the truth, or at least don't lie.

-Dr. Jordan Peterson, Twelve Rules for Life: an Antidote to Chaos

IS IT OK TO LIE TO GET WHAT YOU WANT, as long as in doing so no one is harmed and someone benefits? This seems to be the standard of popular morality. For example, if I wanted you to cheer up and be hopeful, I might tell you "everything's going to turn out alright", when disaster is looming. If a child asks you what happens to our bodies after we die, it's probably not a good idea to truthfully describe this process. When your wife asks you if she looks fat in her new jeans, etc., etc. The rule seems to be: "tell the truth unless it could hurt someone, then it's OK, even mandatory, to lie".

The Truth of God for a Lie

Even if it grants you great wealth,  puts food on your family's table, or just another car payment due, it is a grave mistake to be wicked. People think they are invulnerable, that they will never get held responsible for their evil deeds. All criminals in jail believe they are innocent, and all of them thought they'd never get caught. It often involves breaking Man's law, and also God's law at the same time. Evil despises God, because He exists and is good. All men know this. Over 2000 years ago, Paul the Apostle wrote: (Romans 1, verses 18-25, NIV)

Morning Reflections, 9/5/2024

Oh boy, we're now well into September, looks like the weather is just now starting to cool down. I am writing this in Savannah, Georgia, where summers can be hot as well as humid- every day. My friend is excited at this recent cooling trend, as she can leave her patio door open all the time. She and I just moved into a new apartment; our old one was getting annoying so we found a new place. Anyway, I've been thinking that the more I read Dr. Peterson's work (he's a famous clinical psychologist), and the more I understand the nuances and variations of human psychology, the more I understand myself. 

Consequences of Malevolence, Part One

 

People sometimes speak with fake authority whenever they are discussing insects, disease and germs. Over the years, I've heard that bedbugs can fly, carry diseases, and can not be fully eradicated. I've also heard that food that's fallen to the floor won't be contaminated right away (usually they say 5 seconds), that you can get germs from sitting on a public toilet seat, that you can prevent Covid infection by wearing a mask...all said by individuals expressing absolute certainty, acting (and fully believing), as if they have the final answer. This reminds me of the more passionate climate change/global warming alarmists, who believe with typical absolutism that Man is causing it, and must be stopped. It's like saying 2+2=5, not only building your entire world view on that false premise, but requiring others to agree, and actualizing it with passion and conviction.

I Remember

    I remember your smug, sanctimonious preaching to me that I should wear a mask, for the safety of my society, my city, my community. Because it's the right thing to do. I remember you saying things like unvaccinated people should be refused medical treatment, or even allowed to die. I remember you requiring children to mask up, even young infants. I remember the businesses closed down as "non-essential", while liquor stores, well-connected businesses, and porn shops stayed open. I remember your willful lies, told under the guise of public safety.  I remember being forced to wear a mask at work, or lose my job. You had a load of self-righteousness to inflict me on to me, and the rest of the world. I shall not forget, and I'm sure everyone else will, too. 

Trust Issues?

    I have heard that Jesus can do great things for me, if I put my trust in him.  No, not by winning the lottery, getting a good paying job, girlfriend or wife, etc., but truly great things that will grant me peace, transform me in any number of positive ways...really, I'm not sure what trust in this matter entails. These rewards or gifts are desirable indeed, but how do I trust Jesus? 

    It's a question I've only recently dealt with, largely due to critical thinking, and a desire to be precise and clear. So when a pastor of a church says "Trust Jesus/God", I ask myself, what does that mean for me? How do I act this out? 

    Pastors also say you have to trust with your entire being that God has your back. Here's another idea that sounds good, but is vague nevertheless. What does "entire being" mean? Usually people mean "mind, body and soul" to refer to one's entire being, and that's vague as well. What does it mean to love God with your soul? What is a soul? How do I love God-or anything-with all my soul? 

Pro-abortionists: You Sanction Murder for Convenience

1. There was never a "right" to abortion in the US Constitution, neither explicit nor implicit.  A right to kill an unborn child? Where in this document does it say this is OK, or that abortion is a right that the government should defend? 

2. In the case of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, many people feel that the woman-or girl- involved should not be saddled with carrying such a burden and restriction on their lives. Time and money at her expense, an interruption of her life, etc., etc., as well as the psychological damage this might cause her. All of these arguments simply state that a human being born from rape or incest does not have the right to live, if the mother so chooses. Of course all of this is horrible, a hideous thing to happen to a woman or girl. Does that mean that the baby should die? The pro-choice people say "yes".