I’m sure we all had a good laugh about the story of the lady who pepper-sprayed fellow customers on Black Friday this year to secure herself a discounted X-Box. We always laugh at such outrageous behavior because we don’t know what else to do. Some people are just nuts, and we can’t fathom what causes them to do such outrageous things.
But I have to take it a step further, personally. The whole phenomenon of Black Friday just baffles me. I understand that it‘s nice to save money, but standing in line at 2 AM to save a few hundred bucks on a TV? It would never be worth the aggravation for me.
Going even further, I will admit that I don’t really understand the logic behind celebrating Christmas with a frenzy of shopping and spending. We commemorate the birth of Jesus in a humble manger by emptying our bank accounts buying things we could easily do without. I admit I’m not a theologian or anything, but the connection just escapes me.
Let’s see what the Bible has to say about money and possessions:
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” 1 Timothy 6:10
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.” Hebrews 13:5
“You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24
I could go on, but I think the message is pretty plain. If you’re spending most of your time thinking about money and the things that it can buy, you aren’t paying attention to the things the Bible says a Christian is supposed to be concerned with. And yet, on our most widely celebrated Christian holiday the main activity is centered on giving and getting stuff.
Certainly there are notable exceptions to this rampant holiday materialism, such as the Kids Yule Love program and the bell ringers for the Salvation Army. But if you add up the time most people spend shopping, cooking, and going to parties during the Christmas season versus how much time they spend being charitable, you know which side the scale is likely to tip.
If we were to ask ourselves how Jesus might celebrate his own birthday, I can’t imagine that he’d be in line at Best Buy at 4 in the morning waiting for a chance to buy a discounted high-definition TV. Instead, I expect he’d be doing the same thing he did every other day - being a friend to those who didn’t have one, providing for the needs of people who really needed help, and showing everyone (not just telling them) what God’s love is all about.
That’s why I get a chuckle every time I hear someone get on their soap box about the “war on Christmas”. Christmas has always been more about Santa Claus than the child in the manger. There was never a whole lot of Christ in the way we celebrate Christmas, and some people are expending way too much of their righteous indignation over how awful it is to be greeted with a “Happy Holidays” instead of a “Merry Christmas” this time of year.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with Christmas, or how we celebrate it (as long as we don’t get too carried away with the spending and the partying). I just think we need to be honest with ourselves about what it is. It’s mainly an excuse for us to take off work, buy stuff for each other, eat, and have parties. All those things are fun, but they have little to do with Jesus or what he was about.
And somewhere this Christmas Eve, there’s probably a couple with a baby on the way wandering the streets looking in vain for a warm, dry place to lay their heads while we party and spoil each other with expensive presents. I guess some things don’t change.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
An unwelcome close encounter
I had what might be referred to as a “come to Jesus” experience not long ago when I was walking my dog just a few blocks from my house. My 10-pound terrier mix was on his leash (as he always is when I have him out in public) but my neighbor’s full grown pit bull was not. And of course when the pit bull saw us he decided to leave his yard and come over and say “hello.”
I think my dog and I probably had the same thought when we saw this fearsome creature coming over to “greet” us, and that thought is not printable in a family newspaper. But I think you can guess what it was.
Luckily the dog’s owner was outside at the time and jogged over in pursuit of his pet, but it was obvious the dog was going to reach us before his owner could catch up to him.
I only had a few seconds to decide how to handle the situation. I knew that running or confronting the animal in an aggressive manner were the wrongs things to do, so I scooped up my little terrier and stood my ground as we waited for fate to take its course.
As it turned out, the pit bull just sniffed at my terrier and my dog had the good sense to do absolutely nothing in response. The dog’s owner finally caught up to us and took his dog back home, and we continued on our way. Sometime after that I regained my composure and my brain started functioning again, and I had but one clear thought – that was not okay.
I‘m sure I’m going to hear from some pit bull fans when this column runs, but I would be happy to see our community become a pit bull free zone. These dogs were bred to be aggressive, efficient killing machines, and I can’t understand why anyone would want to keep one as a pet.
Recent court cases considering the legality of bans on pit bull ownership have identified some unique genetic traits that were bred into these animals that make them especially dangerous: unpredictability of aggressive behavior, unwillingness to give up in a fight, high pain tolerance, and a unique “hold and shake” biting style that tends to inflict damage on deep muscles and rip tissues. Because of that unique biting style, the injuries caused by pit bull maulings are very similar to those caused by shark attacks.
Between 2005 and 2010, 104 Americans were killed in pit bull attacks. That’s 104 people who would still be with us if pit bull ownership was not legal.
I really wouldn’t care if someone wanted to keep a pit bull (or a lion, or a grizzly bear, or whatever) as a pet as long as the thing stayed on their property at all times or was adequately restrained when it was not on their property.
If we lived in a world where these animals never left their owner’s control, I wouldn’t be writing this column. But we don’t live in such a world. In this world some pit bull owners are going to let their dogs run loose, and even responsible owner can lose control of their dogs momentarily. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
I would fully support an outright ban on the ownership of these animals, but short of that it should certainly be a crime for them to leave their owners’ property unless they are properly restrained.
It would also be nice if people who owned these dogs were required to post a sign on their property warning the rest of us what kind of animals they have on the premises. That way I’d know to give their house a wide berth when I’m out and about, and it would be a nice thing to know about one’s potential neighbor when one is out house-shopping.
I think my dog and I probably had the same thought when we saw this fearsome creature coming over to “greet” us, and that thought is not printable in a family newspaper. But I think you can guess what it was.
Luckily the dog’s owner was outside at the time and jogged over in pursuit of his pet, but it was obvious the dog was going to reach us before his owner could catch up to him.
I only had a few seconds to decide how to handle the situation. I knew that running or confronting the animal in an aggressive manner were the wrongs things to do, so I scooped up my little terrier and stood my ground as we waited for fate to take its course.
As it turned out, the pit bull just sniffed at my terrier and my dog had the good sense to do absolutely nothing in response. The dog’s owner finally caught up to us and took his dog back home, and we continued on our way. Sometime after that I regained my composure and my brain started functioning again, and I had but one clear thought – that was not okay.
I‘m sure I’m going to hear from some pit bull fans when this column runs, but I would be happy to see our community become a pit bull free zone. These dogs were bred to be aggressive, efficient killing machines, and I can’t understand why anyone would want to keep one as a pet.
Recent court cases considering the legality of bans on pit bull ownership have identified some unique genetic traits that were bred into these animals that make them especially dangerous: unpredictability of aggressive behavior, unwillingness to give up in a fight, high pain tolerance, and a unique “hold and shake” biting style that tends to inflict damage on deep muscles and rip tissues. Because of that unique biting style, the injuries caused by pit bull maulings are very similar to those caused by shark attacks.
Between 2005 and 2010, 104 Americans were killed in pit bull attacks. That’s 104 people who would still be with us if pit bull ownership was not legal.
I really wouldn’t care if someone wanted to keep a pit bull (or a lion, or a grizzly bear, or whatever) as a pet as long as the thing stayed on their property at all times or was adequately restrained when it was not on their property.
If we lived in a world where these animals never left their owner’s control, I wouldn’t be writing this column. But we don’t live in such a world. In this world some pit bull owners are going to let their dogs run loose, and even responsible owner can lose control of their dogs momentarily. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
I would fully support an outright ban on the ownership of these animals, but short of that it should certainly be a crime for them to leave their owners’ property unless they are properly restrained.
It would also be nice if people who owned these dogs were required to post a sign on their property warning the rest of us what kind of animals they have on the premises. That way I’d know to give their house a wide berth when I’m out and about, and it would be a nice thing to know about one’s potential neighbor when one is out house-shopping.
Another SPLOST, another no-brainer
One of the main reasons I started writing this column (more years ago than I care to count) was to try and counteract what I saw as a lack of balance in the way certain issues were being presented to the public by political leaders and the media. Nowhere is this lack of balance more apparent than when Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (SPLOST) elections are held.
Both Houston and Bibb County voters will get to weigh in on new SPLOST proposals in just a few days, and based on the political speeches and news reports on the subject the choice appears to be, as always, a “no-brainer.”
Houston County has built all the schools it needs for now with the help of the existing education-targeted SPLOST, but now government officials say those schools need to be upgraded and the tax needs to be renewed. Of course it does. And I am 100% certain that if this one is passed it will be put up for renewal again, and again, and again, for as long as we keep approving it.
In Bibb County they have come up with a long list of badly needed projects their SPLOST would pay for, including a $2.5 million “gift” to the Harriet Tubman museum that apparently would never be repaid. Local politicians have portrayed the fact that Bibb County has a sales tax rate of “only” 6% while all the surrounding counties charge 7% as a badge of shame that needs to be corrected. Funny, I never thought of having a lower tax rate than a nearby community as something to be embarrassed about, but what do I know?
The standard arguments in favor of the SPLOSTs have been dusted off and rolled out for us as they are every time they put one to a vote. Let’s run through them, for old time’s sake.
- It’s only a penny on every dollar you spend. Yes, and I’ve seen estimates that a penny sales tax costs the average family about $150 a year. That may not seem like a lot of money to some of us, but for a family barely getting by that could represent a week’s worth of groceries, school clothes for a child, or gas money to get to and from work. Any tax increase negatively impacts the finances of taxpayers and it’s asinine to minimize that fact.
- The projects the tax will pay for are badly needed. That is obviously a judgment call, but it’s kind of a tough sell when the SPLOST is paying for a long list of things, some of which may be more critical than others. And we don’t get to vote on which projects are included and which ones aren’t.
- If the sales tax isn’t approved, property taxes will probably have to be raised. That is always presented in way that sounds like a threat, but I’m not sure why I am supposed to be more amenable to paying sales taxes than property taxes. A tax is a tax. I suppose if you own a lot of expensive property you’d have to figure you’ll pay less taxes overall with a sales tax. I’m sure the argument resonates well with all the local land barons.
But my biggest issue with the SPLOST might be that we are being forced to do our elected officials’ job for them. Setting tax and spending policy is what they get paid to do. It may be their most important function. So what do they do? They spend our tax money to hold special elections so we can help them decide on tax policy.
And hold on to your wallet, because the state is going to allow regional governments to ratchet up the sales tax to 8% in the near future to support transportation projects. Expect the same arguments to be trotted out again, and expect the choice to be presented as another “no-brainer” for us simple taxpayers.
Both Houston and Bibb County voters will get to weigh in on new SPLOST proposals in just a few days, and based on the political speeches and news reports on the subject the choice appears to be, as always, a “no-brainer.”
Houston County has built all the schools it needs for now with the help of the existing education-targeted SPLOST, but now government officials say those schools need to be upgraded and the tax needs to be renewed. Of course it does. And I am 100% certain that if this one is passed it will be put up for renewal again, and again, and again, for as long as we keep approving it.
In Bibb County they have come up with a long list of badly needed projects their SPLOST would pay for, including a $2.5 million “gift” to the Harriet Tubman museum that apparently would never be repaid. Local politicians have portrayed the fact that Bibb County has a sales tax rate of “only” 6% while all the surrounding counties charge 7% as a badge of shame that needs to be corrected. Funny, I never thought of having a lower tax rate than a nearby community as something to be embarrassed about, but what do I know?
The standard arguments in favor of the SPLOSTs have been dusted off and rolled out for us as they are every time they put one to a vote. Let’s run through them, for old time’s sake.
- It’s only a penny on every dollar you spend. Yes, and I’ve seen estimates that a penny sales tax costs the average family about $150 a year. That may not seem like a lot of money to some of us, but for a family barely getting by that could represent a week’s worth of groceries, school clothes for a child, or gas money to get to and from work. Any tax increase negatively impacts the finances of taxpayers and it’s asinine to minimize that fact.
- The projects the tax will pay for are badly needed. That is obviously a judgment call, but it’s kind of a tough sell when the SPLOST is paying for a long list of things, some of which may be more critical than others. And we don’t get to vote on which projects are included and which ones aren’t.
- If the sales tax isn’t approved, property taxes will probably have to be raised. That is always presented in way that sounds like a threat, but I’m not sure why I am supposed to be more amenable to paying sales taxes than property taxes. A tax is a tax. I suppose if you own a lot of expensive property you’d have to figure you’ll pay less taxes overall with a sales tax. I’m sure the argument resonates well with all the local land barons.
But my biggest issue with the SPLOST might be that we are being forced to do our elected officials’ job for them. Setting tax and spending policy is what they get paid to do. It may be their most important function. So what do they do? They spend our tax money to hold special elections so we can help them decide on tax policy.
And hold on to your wallet, because the state is going to allow regional governments to ratchet up the sales tax to 8% in the near future to support transportation projects. Expect the same arguments to be trotted out again, and expect the choice to be presented as another “no-brainer” for us simple taxpayers.
Heeding the call
I often hear ministers refer to their profession as a “calling” from God. I believe that most of the people who spend their lives as preachers or missionaries believe they were led to do what they do by a higher power.
That makes sense to me. Becoming a man or woman of God without feeling that the man upstairs has called you to do so would be like showing up for work at a place that hasn’t expressed any interest in hiring you. It probably wouldn’t turn out well.
But I wonder if God calls people to do other kinds of work too. Has anyone ever felt called to be a plumber, or a nurse, or a professional bowler? I wouldn’t be surprised if some people do feel that they are doing the job God wants them to do, especially if they are the type who pray a lot and constantly ask the Lord for guidance as they make their way through life.
Apparently some of the people who are currently running for President fall into that category. No less than four of the candidates running for the Republican nomination (Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Herman Cain) have stated that they were led in some way by God to run in 2012.
Cain, the current front-runner, has even said that he “felt like Moses” when the Lord tapped him on the shoulder and told him he needed to be our next President. “Moses resisted,” says Cain, “I resisted…but you shouldn’t question God.”
I agree with him, it isn’t wise to question an all-powerful being. But as voters, I think it’s fair that we all question the plausibility of that all-powerful being inspiring multiple people to enter a contest where there can be only one winner.
At first blush, it seems logical that if God were to get involved in political campaigns (a questionable proposition to start with) He would settle on one candidate instead of sending the voters mixed messages by backing four of them. You might argue that He was respecting our free will by leaving us with some choices, but if that was the case you have to wonder why He would get involved at all.
I think the truth of it is that all of these candidates are sincere in their faith and they believe that what they are doing is part of God’s plan for them. I also think they would be wise to be more careful about how they express that fact. One projects a certain lack of humility when one compares his campaign for President to Moses’ calling to lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land.
I also think it is worth noting that God more often than not seems to call these wealthy, powerful people to follow a path that will allow them to attain even more earthly power. I’d be a lot more likely to believe them if one of these candidates announced that they were withdrawing from the race to spend the rest of their lives ministering to their fellow man and spreading the Good News.
I am reminded of the Bible story where a wealthy and powerful man asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told the man to keep God’s commandments, and the man said he has done so all his life. Then Jesus added this:
“One thing you lack…go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21) The man hung his head and walked away, because he could not let go of the things of this world.
That, to me, is a good example of a calling from God. It is also a good example of how we are less likely to heed these callings when they tell us things that we don’t want to hear.
That makes sense to me. Becoming a man or woman of God without feeling that the man upstairs has called you to do so would be like showing up for work at a place that hasn’t expressed any interest in hiring you. It probably wouldn’t turn out well.
But I wonder if God calls people to do other kinds of work too. Has anyone ever felt called to be a plumber, or a nurse, or a professional bowler? I wouldn’t be surprised if some people do feel that they are doing the job God wants them to do, especially if they are the type who pray a lot and constantly ask the Lord for guidance as they make their way through life.
Apparently some of the people who are currently running for President fall into that category. No less than four of the candidates running for the Republican nomination (Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Herman Cain) have stated that they were led in some way by God to run in 2012.
Cain, the current front-runner, has even said that he “felt like Moses” when the Lord tapped him on the shoulder and told him he needed to be our next President. “Moses resisted,” says Cain, “I resisted…but you shouldn’t question God.”
I agree with him, it isn’t wise to question an all-powerful being. But as voters, I think it’s fair that we all question the plausibility of that all-powerful being inspiring multiple people to enter a contest where there can be only one winner.
At first blush, it seems logical that if God were to get involved in political campaigns (a questionable proposition to start with) He would settle on one candidate instead of sending the voters mixed messages by backing four of them. You might argue that He was respecting our free will by leaving us with some choices, but if that was the case you have to wonder why He would get involved at all.
I think the truth of it is that all of these candidates are sincere in their faith and they believe that what they are doing is part of God’s plan for them. I also think they would be wise to be more careful about how they express that fact. One projects a certain lack of humility when one compares his campaign for President to Moses’ calling to lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land.
I also think it is worth noting that God more often than not seems to call these wealthy, powerful people to follow a path that will allow them to attain even more earthly power. I’d be a lot more likely to believe them if one of these candidates announced that they were withdrawing from the race to spend the rest of their lives ministering to their fellow man and spreading the Good News.
I am reminded of the Bible story where a wealthy and powerful man asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told the man to keep God’s commandments, and the man said he has done so all his life. Then Jesus added this:
“One thing you lack…go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21) The man hung his head and walked away, because he could not let go of the things of this world.
That, to me, is a good example of a calling from God. It is also a good example of how we are less likely to heed these callings when they tell us things that we don’t want to hear.
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