Amish Country
I took two days of my six days off and went to the Amish section of Ohio. I love it there. The pace seems a bit slower, and the Amish intrigue me. I wouldn't want to be one, but they intrigue me. I shopped a lot, bought some cheese, ate out a couple of good restaurants, tried a new pizza place, and just spent time hanging out in my motel room.
I was amused when I stopped at a "huge book sale" at the home of some Amish. There wasn't anything of interest to me, and half of the books seemed to be cookbooks. What amused me though were a few of the Twilight books (vampire novels) and several Harlequin books. I wondered if the Amish people knew what the books are like. And the book sale wasn't as huge as advertised. I walked out without buying any books, or without seeing anyone.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is all the rage right now. I am guessing a new season of the TV show must have just started. I have never seen an episode, nor do I want to. From what I have read by people who have seen it, the show has a lot of sex and nudity in it, yet many Christians defend watching it. It "has a lot of great acting and plots in it". A few admit if you struggle with porn, you maybe shouldn't watch it...... as if those are the only people a show like that could cause problems with.
I am of the mind and belief that no Christian should watch it. Entertainment has become such a god to us that most of us aren't careful enough with what we watch. A lot of entertainment consumed by Christians will never bring them close to God, and will most likely interfere with their relationship with God. It will also dull the senses and make the viewer used to more and more filth and immorality.
I was raised in a church that believed you shouldn't watch TV or movies, and though I don't agree with that and am careful with what I do view, it does raise a valid point that we don't need to watch anything. Sure, it is entertaining and there is a lot of good out there to view, but if we get to the point that we defend and excuse watching lite porn like Game of Thrones, we'd be better off not watching anything. And it IS lite porn. For some reason, too many Christians seem to think everything is OK to watch as long as you can't see the penis and vagina, to be blunt. But porn is so much more than that.
Author and pastor John Piper wrote an excellent piece in relation to this show: Twelve Questions to Ask Before You Watch Game of Thrones. He made some great points. And this is a serious thing. We aren't careful enough, nor do we consider Christ enough in these areas.
Trump's liars
It is 8 months after the election, and I still haven't gotten over the things said to me, the so-called friends who said nasty and mean things to me because I felt I could not go against my conscience and vote the way they thought I should vote. I can't count the times I was told "if you aren't for Trump, you're for Hillary!" Or "A non vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary." Now the majority, if not all, of these people saying that KNEW I was against Hillary also.... yet they kept chirping those things. I have been thinking about it lately, and realize they all are liars and were bearing false witness against me. Sure, it was a tactic to try to guilt or force me to vote the way they wanted, but they knew what they were saying was not true. They knew I was against Hillary, and they knew that voting third party was not a vote for Hillary..... so they lied. But hey, since it was politics and for what they saw for the good of the country, it was OK.
Eugene Peterson
Author of the paraphrase The Message and other Christian books, Eugene Peterson caused rumblings across Christendom last week when he said his views on homosexuality have changed, and he would marry a same-sex couple. He has since retracted his statement, either because of the backlash, or common sense took over again.
The number of prominent Christians embracing the pro-gay theology is alarming, and it is becoming too accepted. Author Jen Hatmaker came out in support of gay marriage and homosexuality this past year, and Thomas Nelson is still publishing her books. I was disappointed to see her latest book listed in the books available for review from them. Isn't this big enough of a sin and issue to cause a Christian publisher to drop an author?
I'm not saying a Christian has to throw out all of an author's books in a case like this, but to keep publishing and/or buying someone's books who is so blatantly going against Scripture....... it isn't like they disagree over baptism methods.
I was working at the Christian Bookstore near me when a popular author came out and said she didn't believe in the Trinity. Thomas Nelson dropped her like a rock, yet here they are still publishing the pro-gay Jen Hatmaker's books. Go figure.
I fear for the future of the Church. Too many Christians and churches are caving into the pressure and tossing out what the Bible says about this sin. I fear for the many souls who will go to an eternity in hell because Christians and/or a church told them they could be gay and Christian.
By the way, his paraphrase may not be a bad Bible to have - I actually own a copy - but one needs to be careful with paraphrases, especially when done by one man.
Tattoos and gauges
What is up with the fairly recent rage of tattoos? It isn't unusual to see people with their arms completely covered, and even with tattoos on their necks and faces. Sadly, Christians are following this fad. I know there is a verse tossed around to indicate Christians should not get tattoos, and I honestly don't know if that can be used or not.....but I don't know why any sane person would want to cover very much of their body with ink, much less someone who is professing to follow Jesus.
Let's get real: A man that has very many tattoos looks like a thug gang member. Look at mug shots of gang members. They are covered in tattoos. And I find a woman that has many tattoos just looks trashy. We Christians shouldn't follow every fad of the world, nor should we do stuff to our bodies that make us look like freaks. What if tattoos, gauges, and multiple piercings hurts our Christian influence and witness?
The hospital I work at cracked down on tattoos this year. It has been in their rules for some time that tattoos must be covered, but it wasn't enforced. However, they received so many complaints from patients and visitors, that they enforced the rule. There are still a lot of people who find tattoos offensive and are turned off by them, so why should a Christian do it? And if they do, do what the Bible says to do things in - moderation.
I was browsing the music section at Lifeway Christian Bookstore last week, and was disgusted to see a CD cover of a Christian singer that had several tattoos and those nasty gauges in his ears. Note on those: If people with gauges decide they don't want to wear them anymore, it requires surgery to close the holes left. We aren't too far from the third world countries where they weight their ears to hang to their shoulders. Christians shouldn't look like freaks. If they must get tattoos, do it in moderation and where they can be covered. It can still hurt employment opportunities.
Reading
I have been reading a lot more lately than I have been for a while. Due to my depression being bad, I was pretty much only reading books I had committed to review. It hasn't been too great lately, but for some reason I have been in the mood to read a lot. Last week, I read a 4 book series by Colleen Coble plus another of hers in another series. Yesterday I read two books by another author, and started a third book by her today. Maybe I'll hit my reading goal on Goodreads after all.
Haven
Speaking of reading books, I read two books yesterday that had an impact on me: Thread of Deceit and Stranger In The Night, both by Catherine Palmer. Both books are Christian suspense, and the stories center on a Christian youth center where kids come and learn about God and also learn to live. The books left me wishing I could do something with my life that was worth something. I go to work, I enjoy my days off, I go to church and pretty much warm a pew....... but I don't do anything to make a difference. The guys in the books, though fictional, were giving all they had to reach kids for God. And I do nothing.
Lunch with a friend
A friend of mine wants to meet me for lunch at a new Chinese place on Thursday. This friend is notorious for canceling lunches, usually with what sounds like a made up excuse.... so I am not holding my breath. Though I may try out the restaurant anyway.
The beach
Lately I find myself wishing I was back at the beach. Why do vacations go so fast? Maybe I could move to a beach and open a small bookstore/coffee shop. That would be awesome indeed.
I followed the Peterson controversy from afar. Difficult to say why he went back on his first statements, as you said. The reason given was that he is old (84) and should know better and only give interviews in writing... Anyway, he did recant. I find his paraphrase interesting - that's all. I use it to help me understand a text, together with a few more translations. I take it only as an opinion, not a translation, a sort of "this is what it means to me" thing, but from someone who has studied much and is well versed in the originals.
ReplyDeleteAs for tattoos, I think they can even look good, but only in moderation, as you said. Those people who cover themselves in them have plain bad taste!