So what IS the problem?

Another shooting has occurred, a tragic cutting off of lives by someone who had no right to do so.

They seem to be happening more and more frequently, and always afterward, as we watch the news in fear and anger, one of the main thoughts that goes through people's heads is, "Why?"

There are many who are quick to blame guns.  If only we could control the use of firearms, things like this wouldn't happen.  I absolutely, completely disagree with this theory.  As the old saying goes, "if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."  Crime will most likely INCREASE rather than decrease, because a law like this would basically just affect those who would never use their guns any way except defensively.  Those who would use them offensively, such as the shooter in this incident, are not going to suddenly decide they need to follow the law and turn in their guns.

So what IS the problem?  I can pinpoint several things that are going on in our society that I believe are leading to the increasing number of incidents like this.

1) The teaching of evolution.  Rather than teaching our children that man is a unique being, created in the image of God and distinctly set apart from the animals, we teach them that we are merely a slightly more highly evolved form of life, really no different from the spiders we step on because we don't want them in our house, or the dogs we euthanize because they don't have a home.  This has also led to freely and legally taking the human lives of "unwanted" unborn children.  Why not?  If one believes in evolution, is it really any different from swatting a fly?  So why shouldn't we be surprised when someone decides to rid the world of a few people of his choosing?

2) No standard of right and wrong.  We teach our children that killing is wrong, but many of us are missing an important point.  How can we teach them that something is wrong if we don't tell them why?  If there is no consequence if they disobey?  By taking God out of our schools and trying to force our society to pretend He doesn't exist, we are losing another important factor: His word, the word which tells us, "thou shalt not kill."  The word which tells us that, without salvation through Christ, the consequence of sin is hell.  If we are taught that after life comes nothingness, then why not just do whatever we feel like doing, regardless of how it may affect someone else?

I would also cite the media as a problem, which plays up stories like this and gives them lots of press coverage, likely making this man feel very important and, even worse, giving ideas to other people.

This is a horrible, tragic thing that has happened.  And it will likely happen again.  We can tighten security in movie theaters, schools and more.  We can attempt to keep guns out of people's hands, but the truth is, neither of these things is going to solve the problem.  We can never completely rid the world of evil, but unless we turn back to God as a country, I firmly believe these incidents will continue to increase.

Guarding My Tongue

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity." Proverbs 21:23

Harry Reid's comment wasn't nice. And it came back to haunt him. Will he be forced to resign? Probably not. Liberals rarely are.

But I have to say this. Yes, I believe his comment was wrong, and no, I really don't agree with much of anything he says or does, but in some ways, I feel sorry for him.

If the press stood waiting for me to make a slip of the tongue, I would be in trouble in no time flat. Big trouble. I am glad this doesn't happen, but that doesn't mean I don't often hurt those around me with the rude and insensitive remarks I sometimes make.

One thing I want to really work on this year is controlling my tongue. I would love to say I never criticize, insult, judge or belittle others with it, but that just wouldn't be true. I pray though, that with God's help, my tongue can be used for His glory, and not only will I not have to worry about what the press would have to say about me (if they cared), but I won't need to worry what God would say to me, because He does care.

The Evil Media

Don and I watched a Nova special on PBS this week about the Old Testament. We were excited that Nova would cover such a topic, but after we had watched it for a little while, we realized that our joy was futile. They were basically on a quest to convince people that the Bible wasn’t true. It was when they said that the Israelites were really Canaanites, not a separate people as the Bible clearly states, because their pots they used were similar to those used by the Canaanites, that I had had enough and quit watching it. Don lasted a little longer, but he too gave up before it was over.

It makes me mad that the media can say whatever they want to, and people will believe them. They can make up lies about anything and speak them as if they were the truth. PBS, the "educational" channel, is especially bad, for example, about talking about evolution as if it were an established fact.

On Wednesday morning in Bible study we were studying Sodom and Gomorrah and talking about how the media today glorifies sin, i.e. homosexuality, the specific sin the Bible most clearly cites as what was going on in Sodom before God destroyed them. On Wednesday night I was watching a show I like, Bones. We don’t usually get to watch it because of worship team practice at church, but practice got cancelled, so we watched it. In that episode one of the best-liked and most respected characters, Angela, announced matter-of-factly and shamelessly that she is a lesbian. There was no real sense of shock from any of the other characters.

As I have said before, I don’t hate homosexuals as people, but the Bible clearly says homosexuality is wrong. I believe God will judge our society for treating it as if it weren’t.

This is why I almost never watch TV. I can’t control the things they say, but I don’t have to watch it. Why, as Christians, do we allow the values of Hollywood into our homes to pollute our minds and those of our families? There may be a few good things on there, but basically every time I watch it, I am shocked and disappointed.

I think the media is responsible for a good deal of the moral corruption that is prevalent in America today. If we would just turn off the TV, stop watching movies, reading gossip magazines, and giving the media power over us, I think we would all be much better off.

Leave Her Alone

I rarely sympathize with liberals politically, but this is one occasion when I would have to sympathize with one personally.

I read Elizabeth Edwards’ autobiography a year or two ago. I like to read biographies about all kinds of people, and hers was pretty good. I think she’s genuine, and I respect her as a person, even if I don’t agree with her on much politically.

Most people know that she had a son killed in a car wreck as a teenager and that she has cancer now that is considered incurable. It became common knowledge recently that her husband had an affair a couple of years ago. What a jerk.

But yesterday I read a news article that said she is being criticized for keeping the affair a secret when she found out about it. What’s wrong with these people? Hasn’t this poor woman suffered enough? And why in the world would she want to share her pain and humiliation on a matter that is strictly between her and her husband, knowing full well how the media handles things like that: delving into the most private details of people’s lives, blowing them out of proportion, and splattering them all over the covers of newspapers and gossip magazines for people to gawk over while they’re standing in line at the grocery store?

I think the media needs to quit whipping this poor, wounded woman and mind their own business.