May musings 2

  I just did an edition of my May musings, but have more on my mind and was a bit bored, so here is another edition. It is longer than most of my posts like this, but I doubt anyone reading it will read every entry anyway:

1) Boy Scouts

 The Boy Scouts made the news with their decision to change their name since they are allowing girls in. Even though I personally deal with same-sex attractions (I don't like the term gay for myself), I was against them allowing openly gay scouts in and gay scout leaders....I won't go into the reasons why right now..... and now they are allowing girls in. Liberals truly destroy whatever they touch.

 This last move I feel is from feminists who feel they must do everything guys do, and barge into any men or boys only organization.

 I strongly believe Christians and churches should abandon the Boy and Girl Scouts and let the liberals have them. American Trail Life is a great conservative and Christian alternative.

2) Hymns

 I am glad my church still uses hymns and hymnals and have not gone to screens. I believe 100% that most of the songs written today do not have the depth that the old hymns did...... and there are a variety of reasons for that. I believe we are much more shallow Christians than the ones who wrote the hymns. Praise and Worship music especially are shallow imitations of the great old hymns.

3) Bible versions

 One of my biggest pet peeves are King James only people who must constantly point out how the KJV is the only version we should use, and how terrible the other versions are, and how they are next to God for using the KJV.....last one is just sarcasm on my part.

 I can understand a preference for the KJV, and take no issue with that. However, the KJV may not be the best and most perfect translation. The translators of newer versions have more manuscripts to work from than the KJV translators did.

 And if these people don't want to be hypocritical, they should use the original 1611 translation instead of the GASP! updated version they use. Yes, it is true..... these KJV only people are using an updated and edited version of the original Bible God Himself handed to the Apostle Paul......... (sarcasm again there..."

I have to wonder about all those poor souls who lived before the KJV.....however did they have a true relationship with God?!

 I use several translations/versions, and believe I am better for it. Use the KJV as your only Bible if you want, but don't you dare climb on your shiny pedestal and spout stuff you have no clue about. That, my friend, was not sarcasm.

4) My nieces

 I referenced in my last post that my youngest niece is graduating this year. I want to add something: these 3 young ladies I am so proud to call my nieces, dress well and modestly. I see how young girls dress nowadays...showing as muck skin as they can, weird hairstyles, tattoos, piercings, and more....and I am glad these 3 girls do not. That is the way young ladies used to dress and act, but we have lost that.

 And yeah, guys nowadays have some pretty bizarre looks and clothes too.

5) Calvinist memes

 I have several Calvinist friends, and though I disagree 100% with their theology, I still like them and have confidence in them.

 What I don't get though is this: a lot of Calvinists love to post about election - the idea that God picks and chooses who He will offer salvation to, and who he will send to hell without ever giving them a chance to repent and serve Him....... and also about free will. For some reason, they hate the idea that God gives us a choice......that if we are ones God picked to serve Him, it is going to happen because He ordered it that way. We have no choice in the matter. Free will does not exist.

 I have said before it makes God look like a sadistic puppet master...... and I don't get why they have to post so much about these beliefs of theirs that make God look totally opposite to the God of love, mercy, and grace the Bible shows.

 A friend posted the following meme recently. Look it over, and then answer these questions:

1) How does it glorify God?

2) Why must Calvinists mock we who are not Calvinists?

3) Does it line up with the Bible?

4) What image of God does it show?

5) Why are Calvinists so dead set against the idea that God gives us a choice in serving Him?

  Seriously. I don't get it. Why don't they spend more time talking about God's love instead of their very wrong beliefs that God picks and chooses ahead of time who He will save and who He will not, and that we have no choice in the matter. That is NOT the message of the Gospel, and is definitely NOT the Good News.

6) Sorry Calvinists, Paul is not a good example.

  Another on Calvinism....  (Hey, they pick on us a lot!)

 Calvinists love to use the story of Paul on the road to Damascus to show we have no free will. I have seen memes about it several times. There is just one problem with that. In Acts, Paul tells King Agrippa his conversion story, then says this: "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." In plain English..... Paul had a choice, or the possibility of disobedience would not existed.

 Also, speaking of Kin Agrippa: He said to Paul "You almost persuade me to be a Christian"......which kind of blows holes in that irresistible grace idea.

7) Mowing

 The riding mower that is at my place does not belong to me........ it is my landlord's, my brother-in-law's dad. Last week, the blades would not engage, so I mowed with the push mower. I did again today, and remembered to wear my fit bit. It showed a little over 5 miles when I was done. Hopefully we can get the riding mower working soon. Though it is good exercise.....3 hours of exercise.

 I took pictures from the 4 corners of my yard to give an idea of how much I have to mow

8) Post Trump world

  I have wondered what it will be like after Trump exits the White House. Can his supporters ever be able to criticize politicians for immorality, adultery, vulgarity, history of funding liberals, etc? Will they?

 That is one my biggest problems with Mr Trump.....there is something about him that causes many Christians to defend everything about him, no matter how corrupt and immoral he is or was. I'd stake my life on this statement: Were Donald Trump still a Democrat, the same things being defended by so many of his supporters would be criticized.

 Character doesn't really matter anymore. It just depends if there is an R or D by the name.

9) Voting

 Last Tuesday was voting, at least in Ohio. I didn't vote. There were a couple of reasons. I moved in August, and filled out the voter form online with my new address........ but never received anything telling me where to vote. I still don't know where I was supposed to vote, or if they got the information that I had moved.

 I don't even know what was on the ballot.

 And I have become disillusioned with voting. I know, I know. "One vote could make the difference." Yeah, whatever.

 In 2008, I did my part. I voted for the Republican who I didn't like very well to stop Obama. We all know how that worked out.

 In 2012, I again voted for a candidate I didn't like very well. Again, a corrupt liberal won.

 In 2016, I faced something different: 2 corrupt liberals, one supposedly the lesser evil on the Republican ticket.... I honestly felt - and still feel - I could not vote for him. I voted my conscience - something many Christians suddenly had an issue with since it didn't line up with what they wanted. Again, a corrupt liberal won.

 Tell me again, how my vote matters. It doesn't.

 The election of 2016 has effected me in ways not many people would understand. The crap I took from "Christians", the way Christians suddenly didn't care about what they always have in liberal candidates, the blow-back I get when I dare criticize this man.

 Had I become an agnostic because of my disillusionment with Christianity because of this election, I don't believe many of those people would care. All that matters is defending this man no matter how odiously he behaves, and no matter what comes out about him.

 I had 2 considerations after this last disaster of an election: Never vote again. Seriously. I was that frustrated and disgusted with my party. The other: register as an Independent.

  The news that conservative author Brad Thor plans on running against Trump in the 2020 primaries if no one else will has caused me to hold off. I doubt anyone would beat Trump.....too many of his supporters have a cult like personality that they would support him if he shot people on the street - his words - but still there is a tiny sprig of hope that enough people will see him for what he is by then, that just maybe he will get kicked off the ticket.

 And who knows....I may find out enough about Brad Thor that I decide I can't vote for him either.


10) Prom dresses

 Here is a great question: Why for proms and  weddings do the women/girls show as much skin as possible? It is not uncommon for even Christian females to have a strapless/shoulder-less dress that hangs on their breasts showing more than God ever intended since the Fall.

   And then you have the guy. Full tux, sleeves to the wrist, shirt buttoned at the collar....if the same dress standards were applied to men, you'd have shirtless guys at proms and in weddings. So if the guy is so well covered, why aren't the females? And what idiot would send their daughter out with part of her breasts showing  for a night with a hormonal horny teenager?? Seriously! Not the best way to guard your daughter's virtue.

 Maybe part of it is because I am not attracted to women and find the sight of their breasts gross - sorry, but that is the way I am wired......but a decent woman....especially a godly one - is not going to be showing off her breasts.

11) Space at the Table

  I saw a book recommended that sounded very interesting: Space at the Table, conversations between a Theological Evangelical Christian and his gay son. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it is really good. I found myself crying a lot as the boy related stories from his childhood of how he was treated because he was different.....I could relate.

  It is actually amazing they could collaborate on a book. What it comes down to is the father still believes homosexuality is wrong and sinful, but realizes his son is far more than his sexuality and loves him and has a great relationship with him. The son had to come to a point where he realized his parents could disagree with his lifestyle, yet still love him and have a relationship with him. Already I am thinking a lot of Christians need to read this book.

 The father had a lot of advice on how to love your gay child and deal with everything that arises because of it. He challenged my thinking. Even though I deal with SSA myself, he made me see things differently.

 The son also had advice, mostly for gay people on how to keep their parents in their life, and accept the fact that they disagree with their lifestyle.

12) Spring/Summer

  I'll admit it...I am not crazy about the extreme heat, but I will take it over winter. It is so awesome to not have to bundle up to go outside, to not have to warm your car up or sweep snow off just to run to the grocery store.....and it is so pretty outside. The birds are singing, everything is blooming. It makes me happy.

One of my favorite things about warm weather: sandals. I get tired of wearing socks, and love to wear sandals. I also like to go barefoot, but only in the house and on the porch. I am afraid I'll step on something I don't want to outside......for one thing, the neighbor's dog considers it part of his bathroom.

Inside the house.....shorts, t-shirt, and no socks...... and I love it.

And I don't use the a/c in my car often. I like to drive with the windows down. It isn't like my hair is going to get messed up.

13) Housework    

 Now that I have my own place again, the housework falls to me. I don't mind vacuuming, doing the dishes - they never sit in my sink unless it is something that needs to soak, and laundry. I even make my bed daily. But there is one things I detest: dusting. I have lived in my house since August, and have done little of it.....which is probably bad to admit. :)

14) Salt and pepper shakers

  Well over a year ago when Family Christian Bookstores were in business, I found some cool salt and pepper shakers on clearance. They are buoys. I figured if I ever got my own place again, they'd go well with my nautical decor, so I bought 2 sets.....one for the kitchen and one for the dining room. Then later, I found anchor salt and pepper shakers at another Family Christian store. They were even cooler, so I bought them.

 And then a couple of months ago, I was at Hobby Lobby and found another cool nautical salt and pepper shaker set. The shakers are plain glass, but sit in a small tray that has an anchor on it. It was on sale, so I bought it.

 Last Saturday I was at a church yard sale, and found some nice lighthouse salt and pepper shakers for 50 cents......so I bought them.

 So yeah......now I have 5 sets of nautical salt and pepper shakers for 2 rooms....... and the sad thing is I never use my dining room. The last time I ate in there was when my best friend visited in October. The table and chairs just take up space, except on occasion when I use one of the chairs to stand on....such as today when I hung my newest purchase above the door frame.

15) Masculinity

 I read last week that a college somewhere was teaching a course that calls masculinity toxic. Feminists want to feminize men and boys and make them more like them, which is ludicrous.

 This is an area I have struggled in. I am not your typical American male. I hate sports, hunting, am bad with car repairs....but I do like to shoot my pistol - and did some of that today. I think I am improving.  I like to read, I cry in books and movies, I like to decorate and buy nautical salt and pepper shakers, I enjoy shopping........

  And yeah, most likely I am wired that way because of my sexuality. But being a man isn't all about what we traditionally make it. Just in recent years, I have become more comfortable in my own skin. I don't have to be like other guys.

 And no, I am not saying all guys who enjoy the things I do are gay.

 Oddly, occasionally things will happen that make me feel a bit more like a man:

I noticed last week that the cold water was barely trickling into the washer when it was filling up. Remember, I am not good at guy stuff.... but I decided to attempt to find out what was wrong. I turned off the cold water, and unhooked the hose from the back of the washer. I dangled it in the washer and turned the water back on....it came gushing out, so I knew the water line and hose were not the issue. I shut the water off, got a flashlight, and looked at the where the hose connected to the washer. Bingo. It was clogged almost completely with a build up of something. I cleaned it out, and it is back to normal.

 And yes, I felt good about it.

 A few weeks later, I stopped at Fin Feather Fur to pick up some ammo for my pistol. I tried a new kind as the kind I usually buy was not on sale, and the aluminum ones were cheaper. For some reason, just walking into that store makes me feel patriotic and a bit more masculine. As I checked out, the young guy running the register looked the ammo over and asked if I liked shooting that kind. I admitted this was the first time I bought them. He said he usually used this other kind, and asked if I did also, which I did.

 This may sound dumb, but I walked out with a really good feeling. I had just been discussing ammo and shooting guns with a kid young enough to be my kid.

 And yes, shooting my gun makes me feel a bit more like a man than I normally do.

16) Self worth and esteem

  I have run across a few people really knocking the idea of the need for self esteem and self worth. I can't remember their reasoning, but I think the idea is it could make us proud, etc.

 I disagree. Due to the bullying I got in school and college, and a few other factors, I had little self worth and self esteem. It is something I still battle with.

 And here is the biggest problem with that: It can seriously affect one's view of and relationship with God. I did for me. I have mentioned on here before how it was nearly impossible for me for most of my life to believe God loves me..... and that was largely because I had little self worth and esteem.

 As with many things in life, there needs to be a balance. There are people who have an inflated self worth and esteem, but not having any can cripple you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

17) How to be a perfect Christian

 If you don't follow the Babylon Bee on Facebook, you should. It is a hilarious Christian satire site that comes up with some really funny stuff.

 They just had their first book published, How to Be A Perfect Christian. The book is also satire. I was wanting to buy a copy, and got one sent to me as a gift for signing up for the publishing company's launch team for new books coming out.

 The book has had me lol -that is laughing out loud if you know your internet abbreviations. It basically pokes fun at Christian culture and all of the things Christians and churches do that are just superficial. I am only on the second chapter, and I already recommend it.

18) Reading

 I am now at 60 books into my goal of 130 for the year, almost half way. If all goes well, I should easily hit my goal.

19) My biggest regret

 My biggest regret is probably not having kids. It still hurts occasionally when I see a dad walking and holding his little boy's hand, or walking with him on his shoulders.

 But if you have paid attention - or even read all of my entries in this post-  you know why there were never any kids, or any possibility. Those were the cards I was dealt.

 I am thankful for my nieces and nephews. I doubt they will ever understand what a hole they have filled, or what their love has done for me. I am glad they are all close and I can be so much a part of their lives. They are all great kids, though I could be biased a bit.

20) Blog posts

 I love to write, and no one knows how many blog posts I have typed up and never published on here. Sometimes I just get the need to write out of my system and don't feel like going any further. Sometimes I get something off my chest and decide it is best to not publish it - something some people may wish happened more often.

 There are a couple that I have typed up that are hanging out there as I debate publishing them. One is blunt and controversial. The other is very personal, and yes....controversial.

 There was a day I would never have spoke my mind as I do now. Maybe I stopped worrying so much what people thought of me. Maybe I stopped caring about it so much. I used to be quiet because I thought no one liked me.....and I still struggle a bit in that area, but I am not quiet now..... so who knows what changed.

 Anyway, whether or not anyone reads what I write, I enjoy writing. And now I shall cease, as I have gone on much longer than I intended to.

May musings

 May is a great month, and one of my favorite months. The weather finally starts being more consistently warm and sunny, and everything starts blooming.

 And it is my birthday month. Ugh, and yay! I hate turning another year older, but it beats the alternative.... and I do like getting the gifts and cake :) A lady who was visiting the hospital recently said she makes the month of her birthday her birthday month, and celebrates all month long. I am not THAT excited about my birthday that I am going to do that.....but I wouldn't turn down gifts all month long :)

 I don't always do it, but I requested my birthday off this year.

 Now onto what is on my mind this month:


1) Alfie

   The whole saga of this little boy is heartbreaking. It would seem the hospital staff was just too proud to give him up to his parents, whose rights were trampled. Italy would have taken him, so that hospital wouldn't have had to deal with him....but they refused. They claimed the boy wouldn't survive the trip, which shouldn't have mattered to them....they were intent on killing the child anyway. It is a travesty that the baby was held hostage from the parents who could do nothing to save their son, since the powers that be took away their rights.

 The thing is, if they did this with an 18 month old child, what is to stop them from deciding the fate of a 4 year old......a 12 year old......a 30 year old......

 I was glad their was so much outrage over this horrible travesty, yet we murder over 3000 babies a day in our country, and there is little outrage. We have grown apathetic about it.

2) Freedom of speech

  I was very vocal against Barack Obama, but not until I became vocal against a so-called Republican did people try to squash my freedom of speech. It would seem that even Christians and conservatives aren't for free speech they disagree with, just like liberals.

 I don't miss Obama at all....he was definitely the worst president we have ever had....but I do miss being able to openly and often criticize the guy in the White House.

3) Sinning daily

 If a Christian sins, it should be rare. Many - possibly all - Calvinists believe Christians sin daily. But that brings up questions:

How is that better than non-Christians?

What sins are acceptable to do daily? And who decides that?

What sins are God powerless to deliver us from?

Where can I get a list of sins that it is OK to do on a daily basis and still be a Christian?


4) Arguing against Scripture

 It is kind of funny......I used to be in a large Facebook group for bloggers, and was even a moderator for a while. We had a problem for several months of being infested with very liberal "Christians" who were constantly posting pro-gay and transgender stuff. Anyone who quoted Scripture about those issues was called a bigot, homophobic, etc....

 I was reminded of that today. I was browsing in a Facebook group I am in, and one guy had posted a quote by some Catholic dude about us sinning daily. All I did was post a Bible verse, and it started a big argument.  I posted a verse from John 3 - He that is born of God does not sin." It is kind of funny or sad when Christians argue against a Bible verse, but that is what happened.

5) Electoral College

 Many liberals want to do away with the Electoral College, and for good reason - the last 2 elections Republicans - or a guy pretending to be Republican - won, and the Democrats had more of the popular vote. Of course they want rid of the EC. I and many other conservatives fear if we did away with the EC, that would be the end of Republicans ever winning again.

 And another voice was just added to ending the EC.....Donald Trump. It makes sense, since the man has been a lifelong liberal. Hopefully his supporters won't agree with him on that. A part of me still believes Trump ran to destroy the Republican party, and his stance on the EC would support that.

6) Women's pants & shorts

 Even though I am not attracted to women, I can't help but notice how they dress. And I have a couple of questions:

Why do so many women and girls wear their pants so tight?

Why do so many women and girls wear their shorts so short? Most women's shorts are shorter than the average guy's.

One could almost make the assumption that many women dress to attract male attention, yet women resent being a sex object. Ironic.

7) Mowing

 I mowed for the first time last Thursday. I don't mind mowing, especially when most of it is on a riding lawn mower. I don't own one, but my sister and her husband have left theirs at my place for now.

 While mowing, I found something that definitely doesn't belong to me, and if you know me well you would know that also: a football.

 And as much as I like summer, I discovered it is going to cost me a lot more at the gas pump. I filled my car up today for $12 +, and then filled my large and small gas containers.....which put me close to $30.

8) The Korea peace        

 Everyone is so excited about the supposed peace treaty between North and South Korea, and are acting like Trump is some kind of hero......but I can't see it lasting. The North Korea guy is a lunatic, and anyone who has been paying attention to him lately should be suspicious. I am.

 And this is not the first time the 2 Koreas tried peace. It obviously did not last the other times.

9) Buying screens    

 Some of my windows do not have screens, and I decided to buy a few of the adjustable kind as I don't want to put my window air conditioners in yet. I could not find them at Home Depot, and their website had shown them. I asked 2 young guys in the lumber department about them, and they had no clue what I was talking about. One of them finally remembered putting out what he thought I was talking about...... and he was right. I guess this generation isn't acquainted with those kind of screens.

And once he figured out what I was talking about, the kid was very helpful. It kind of made me feel old though.

 I am making good use of them today, by the way. What a beautiful day.

10) e-books    

 I really, really dislike e-books. How much? I recently won one, and never bothered to claim it. When I entered to win it, I didn't realize it was an e-book. Give me a real book any day.

 Of course, e-books don't take up much room......and real books do.

11) Examples of the anti-Christ

 When Obama was in office, I was shocked at how so many were willing to ignore his background. He had ties to terrorists, hated white people, and seemed to hate America...yet none of that mattered. There was an over the top adulation of him that bordered on worship, if not outright worship.

 I had the thoughts that were echoed by others: Obama was proof of how easily the anti-Christ will fool people and have even professed Christians following and accepting him.

 And then Donald Trump came along and did the same with the Republican Party. As with Obama, his past didn't matter - or his present. It doesn't matter how vile and vulgar he is and was, Christians defend him and call you a liberal, judgmental, etc if you dare criticize him.

 And now many are praising him for bring peace to the Koreas.......as with Obama, Trump has shown how easily the anti-Christ will rise to power and be accepted by even the Church.

12) Sarah

 Everyone is outraged about how Sarah what's her name was treated by a comedian. A couple of thoughts on that:

No matter your party, you should find it offensive.

It could have been worse....Sarah's boss likes to grab women by their genitals....at least that didn't happen to her.

She can't be that innocent and good if she is working for a man like DT. To make him look good, she has to lie consistently,... and her boss has treated people just as badly or worse as she was treated...but that is OK with Trump supporters.

 That said, it was still wrong.....I just hope the same people are offended when liberal women are treated that way.......

13) The Trump effect

 I know, I know.... I have talked about him a lot in this post. This is the last one, I promise. I'd have an easier time keeping quiet if so many Trump supporters didn't constantly go over the top with their praise and adulation of a guy I can't stand.

 I honestly don't say much about DT on Facebook  these days. People can't handle it. I have noticed something though: There are a lot of Trump supporters who never interact with me anymore...no likes or comments on any posts I do. I'm not dumb..... I know there are many who ignore me because I occasionally bash their president.....but isn't that kind of pathetic for a Christian to do that? If they can't handle a man criticized they support, how on earth will they stand up to persecution if it ever comes? I bet the Christians in Muslim countries would love to face just criticism of a politician......

And another Trump effect: there have been a few well known people/celebrities who we have always taken issue with, but now that they praised Trump, suddenly conservatives like them. Uh, they are still the same despicable people they always were, people.

14) 3 day weekend

 There are 3 people who do the same job I do... and both of them needed to trade days with me this week. The plus of that: I now have Friday off, which gives me a 3-day weekend..... and I can't wait. Hopefully the weather is nice.

15) Choirs

 Since I have had other negative things to say in this post, I may as well throw this out there: I don't like choirs. Why is that relative? The choir from our local Bible College will be at my church Sunday. The major problem I have: I am always done listening long before they are done singing.

16) Graduation

 My youngest niece is graduating next month from high school...... and I can hardly believe it. It seems like only yesterday I was an uncle for the first time, and now all 3 of my nieces are done with high school. I love them all a lot, and am proud of all three of them. Thankfully, the nephews still have a ways to go before all 3 of them are done with school. Time does go too fast, and kids grow up before you can blink.

 One of my biggest regrets in life was never having kids of my own, but I am very thankful God gave me 6 nieces and nephews I could be this close to.

17) Losing weight

 Now that the weather is getting nice, I am hoping to work on losing weight. I somehow lost 6 pounds between doctor appointments in January and April, so if I work at it surely I can lose more. I am trying to snack more healthy, as that is one of my pitfalls.

18) The balance

 A lady recently commented on a post of a mutual friend, and was of the persuasion that we shouldn't talk about hell, but focus on God's love. Among other things, I pointed out Jesus talked about it, and so should we.

 We need a balance. I mentioned it before on here, but I grew up hearing way too many messages on hell and God's judgment. Revival meeting and camp meetings especially were bad for it, as preachers were intent on getting more notches on their belts by scaring as many people into going to the altar as they could...... God's love was rarely, if ever, the focus.

 There must be both: people need to know there is a hell to shun, but they also need to know how much God loves them. Too many churches lean more to one or the other.

19) Don't blink

 May and nice weather is here, but don't blink.....or summer will be over and cold weather and winter will be right around the corner, which brings me to my last thought.....

20) Slow down

 Life is a roller coaster/merry go round, and we all need to pause and take it easy. It isn't always easy to get some spare time, but try. Read a book, take a walk, go shopping or out to eat, sit on the porch, set the cell phone aside, take a nap. Life is more than working and paying bills, and we won't wish we had worked more at the end of our life......but we will wish we had enjoyed life more, and taken time for what matters.

 Happy May.

The #1 reason I could never be a Calvinist

  There are multiple reasons I could never be a Calvinist, but there is one reason that overshadows the rest: God's love.

  I have blogged about it before, but for years I struggled to believe God loves me. There were a variety of factors that played into it:

Constant bullying at school, causing me to think no one liked me....something I struggle with to this day.

Too many hell and brimstone messages geared to scare people into going to the altar.

Being gay...yeah, that is another perk of same-sex attractions - doubting God's love.

And most likely other factors.

 I always wanted to do right, so I tried off and on for years to serve God. However, it is really difficult to serve God when you are constantly doubting He loves you, or even likes you and cares what happens to you.

 I truly believe had I been raised as a Calvinist, I would have figured I was not one of the "chosen", and just gave up on serving God. However, I knew God would save anyone who came to Him in repentance, so I kept trudging along.

  And then finally I believed. I chronicled that in a blog post a few years back, and will not repeat all of that here.

 Calvinists talk a lot - actually way too much - about God's sovereignty. No matter how many verses you bring up to contradict the horrible theology of election, they will just throw up the "S" word.

 Yet the whole story and message of the Bible is not God's sovereignty, no matter how important it is to Calvinists. The message of the Bible is love. Not sovereignty, but God's love.

 God knows everything. He knew when He created Adam and Eve that they would disobey Him and bring evil into the world. He knew millions of people would not choose Him. He knew He would have to send His only Son to die for the human race....but the Bible says He so loved the world - not just part of it - that He gave His only Son that whoever believes will have eternal life.

 It is there from the start, and weaves all through the Bible. This amazing love God has for us, His creation. We cannot imagine the depths of love that would send Jesus to die for the world, much of which continue to reject Him.

  I cannot fathom how a God that loves like that - who is by definition love - can pick out ahead of time who He will save and who He will send to hell without ever offering them salvation. But God is sovereign!!!! Yes, but above all, God is love. Love sent Jesus to the cross to die, not sovereignty. Love brings sinners to repentance and gives them eternal life, not sovereignty. It is love that stops God from snuffing out everyone who rejects Him. The message of the Gospel is love....not sovereignty.

  A God of love could not pick and choose who He will offer salvation to - or basically force it upon them, according to Calvinists - and never offer it to certain people He picked out ahead of time to send to hell and judge for sins that had no chance of repenting of.

 God is love, and that God cannot fit into the Calvinist box.

Pasta salad

  My mom makes great pasta salad, but there is something in it that each of my siblings and I didn't like. I remember eating it outside, and one sister was throwing carrots over her shoulder, I think I was throwing the raw cauliflower or broccoli, and my other sister was tossing out something else. This is a pasta salad post....if you read it, there will be things you like, and things you want to toss out......

1) The epidemic

  There is a silent epidemic going on that isn't getting the attention it needs: an epidemic of using the bathroom and not washing hands afterwards. It happens everywhere: work, church, restaurants, stores, and more. Since I don't use the women's' bathroom because I am a guy, I can't attest to what women do..... but there are a lot of men who will use the bathroom, then walk out without washing their hands....touching the door handle on their way out.

Where were these guy's parents when they were growing up and needed taught the basics....like hand-washing?

 I like bathrooms that have paper towels.....I use them to open the door when I leave the bathroom.

And guys even do this at church......where it is so common to shake hands with people. Really?! Would these people want to shake hands with someone who has just touched their genitals and/or wiped feces from their butt with a thin piece of TP? It is gross. Wash your hands, you degenerate people!

2) Brad Thor for president

 Author Brad Thor has announced he will run against Trump on the GOP ticket in 2020. I think it is awesome. Thor is everything Trump is not: intelligent, knows foreign policy, and is a very decent and conservative guy from what I have seen. Of course, any conservative who stood against Trump in 2016 is a hero in my eyes. I would have to know more about Thor before actually voting for him, but I do know Trump won't get my vote.

3) Being like the left

 Speaking of Trump.....the die hard Trump supporters are both hilarious and nauseating. I posted a meme pointing out how Trump has given money and support to so many liberals over the years that we have been fighting against. One Trump supporter commented and said I was as bad as the left........huh?! The liberals aren't pointing that out.

 In my experience, the loyal die hard Trump supporters are the ones like the left. I was reminded a lot of Obama supporters by the actions, words, attitudes, and so forth by the Trump supporters during and since the election.

 They are more bothered and angry about Trump's horrible actions being pointed out, than by Trump actually doing them.

4) I am a cracker

 I got called a cracker the other day at work. I walked into the bathroom and a man was stepping from the urinal to the sink. I said hi, and  as I stepped up to one of the urinals, he started ranting. It took me a few seconds to realize it was at me. At one point he called me a cracker. I ignored him, other than answering "no", when he asked if I was security. You can pretty much guess he wasn't white.....

 I wonder what kind of cracker I am? I hope the Cheez It Grooves. Those are awesome, and remind me of groovy......

5) A dangerous bill 

 There is a bill up in California, which is passed is very dangerous. And knowing the idiots in that state, it will likely pass. It would ban anyone from seeking help from a Christian perspective for their same-sex attractions. And it gets worse: it would ban the sale of books promoting a Biblical view of homosexuality.

 This hits home with me since that is a personal issue for me. If this bill passes, it would be illegal for someone like me to get help for my same-sex attractions from anyone daring to promote a Biblical view of that issue. There would be no books allowed for sale in that degenerate state for someone like to to buy for help along the same vein.

 But wait..... it gets even worse. There are those who admit the Bible could potentially be among the books not allowed for sale, given its views on homosexuality.

 I am not surprised. I feared this would some day happen nation wide, and it is likely to at some point. You know who gay people hate the most? It is people who dare walk away from homosexuality, say it is wrong, and live for God. Sadly, the church doesn't seem to have much time for us either.

 Liberals will cheer you on if you don't want to be pregnant and want to murder your baby.

They will cheer you on if you don't want to be heterosexual.

They will cheer you on if you don't want to be the gender you were born.

But if you are same-sex attracted/gay......they will hate you and try to destroy you if you dare suggest you don't want to be gay, and that change is possible or necessary.

 I seriously fear some day that you will not be able to buy or sell, or hold a job, if you dare hold a Biblical view of sexuality and marriage. Kind of like the mark of the beast.

6) New author

 Several months back, I think it was my best friend who influenced me to buy 2 books by a new-to-me author. What is unique, is they are not Christian fiction. I rarely - as in almost never - read secular fiction. Though I may start reading Brad Thor's........

 This guy is different though. He is a Christian, and his books are complexly curse-free, and are squeaky clean. He was in the Air Force and flew Stealth bombers, something that is in his books. I could not find book #3 for less than $50, so I emailed him and told him how much I liked his books, thanked him for his service, etc... and asked if he had any copies for sale.

 He replied and said an e-book would be my best bet, but if I didn't mind some errors and name changes, he had copies of that book done for an earlier publisher and would send me a copy free of charge. He also told me he is starting a Christian CIA series this Fall with a Christian publisher I review for....which is awesome.

 The book came yesterday, and was signed and accompanied by a bookmark advertising his kid's series he is still writing. I thought it was awesome of him to do this, and it made my day.

7) Changing parties

 I have been so disgusted with the Republican party, I was considering changing to Independent. It isn't just the fact that they picked such a disgrace to run as president this last time..... it is also the fact that the politicians in our party are barely any different from the liberals. Most of them really don't want to end abortion. They don't care about the values and morals of their Christian base... they just want our votes.

  However, with this news that Trump may have a decent challenger in the 2020 primaries, it gives me pause about changing. Maybe there is hope.

8) Paradox

 This will not make any sense: I have been extremely lonely lately. A guy my age that is single, just doesn't have much opportunity to hang out with people. Add to the mix that I am attracted to guys and am very against a man that most Christians are all gaga for (That would be Mr Trump), it makes it worse.

 The paradox: More and more I find myself not wanting to be around people...other than my family.  I would rather stay home from church and work and just be by myself. Obviously, I have to go to work or I would lose my job and have no money.

9) Missing the pews

 I really miss our church pews. I am really tired of the chairs. You have no choice in how close you sit to people, there is no place to lay anything except on the floor, and the songbooks are under the chairs in front of you instead of on the back of the pew in front of you. I still believe that was a decision that should have been decided by the whole church.......not a few people on a board.

10) Pastor

 Speaking of church, the members today voted to keep our pastor for two more years.....something I am in favor of. He is the best pastor I have ever had, or likely ever will.

11) The bathroom

 When my little sister and her family moved into the house I live in now, the upstairs bathroom was purple and the downstairs bathroom a very dark brown. They painted the upstairs bathroom white. They did not paint the downstairs bathroom.

 Two weeks ago, I decided to do it. I wanted to do light blue, but my sister and brother in law had left me a full gallon of white paint to use. I decided to save the money and go with the paint I already had. It made a big difference.

12) The weather

 I am so thankful we are finally starting to get some warmer weather. The older I get, the more I dislike winter, snow, and driving in snow. Yesterday was so nice, I washed my car, vacuumed it, and wiped down the interior.

13) Free will

 There is a lot I don't understand about Calvinists, but the free will issue really boggles my mind. Why do they want to believe God gives us no choice in serving Him? No matter how you ice that cake, it still makes God out to be a puppeteer or robot master. They seem to be very threatened by the idea that God gives us a choice.

14) The porch

 I am hoping to spend more time outside this Spring and Summer. I picked up two chairs at Walmart for $12.47 each, and got 2 tables at another store. One will function as a place to rest my feet. I put them on my front porch. Not sure why I bought two chairs, as no one ever visits me anyway. :)

 My back porch is more secluded and has a porch swing, so I may spend some time there also.

15) Worry

 I worry so much about the future, that I fear it hinders me from enjoying the moment I am in.
 Example: I have a 3 bedroom house I am renting at a very reasonable price with free water and gas. I have a room that I use as a library........but some day my sister's father in law who owns the place, may want to move in. Then where will I go? And I worry about a lot of stuff like that. I wonder who will care about me and help me out after my parents are gone. Can I truly live til old age all alone? And on and on.

16) Friends

 Why does it seem the friends who most want to spend time with me, live too far away to see very often?

17) Blogging

 I have been slacking a lot in blogging, and not sure why. I went over a month without any posts, but this is my third this weekend.... so maybe I am coming out of that slump.

18) Til next time

 Maybe it will be another month til a new post.... who knows.

What Jesus didn't say......and what He did say

  I'll start off by saying I don't have all of the answers, and that this post is not meant to offend anyone.....but it most likely will.

 I read an interesting article this week written by a man who deals with same-sex attractions. He made an interesting point that I'd like to expound on. Original article here.

 One point the pro-gay theology people use to make a case for God being OK with homosexuality is that Jesus never addressed the issue.....so He is OK with it. That is a pretty lousy point for a few reasons: 1) there is a lot Jesus didn't address which is wrong. 2) The whole Bible is God's Word....not just the Gospels..... and it is addressed other places in the Bible.

 And then there is the 3rd point, which is often used as an argument against this very bad reasoning: Although Jesus did not address homosexuality, He did address marriage......and everywhere He did,  He used a man and woman. He left no room for same-sex relationships.

 So everything is cool. It makes a lot of sense to use those verses on marriage to help prove Jesus did not approve of homosexuality/same-sex relationships.

 No, everything is not cool. As the writer of the article I read pointed out, these verses often used to argue against Jesus' approval of same-sex relationships do say something else many churches and Christians tend to ignore or twist.

   It is kind of ironic. I was against gay marriage being passed. As a guy dealing with same-sex attractions, I can see both sides of the issue. I understand that two gay men in a relationship might want marriage, though gay relationships usually don't tend to last very long.....but then neither do heterosexual ones anymore. The ironic part: when gay marriage was passed, evangelical Christians across the country declared this was a mockery of God's intention for marriage. Yet, marriage had already been made a mockery by heterosexuals with shacking up, abortion, and divorce......even among Christians. Gay marriage did not mock God's institution of marriage..........that had happened long before gay marriage.

  It is a bit unfair to accuse the gay community of such a thing when Christians have been complicit in doing the same thing. And Christians also do something gay people do. I have read much on homosexuality, same-sex attractions, gay marriage, and anything relating to those over the years. I have read and heard arguments from both sides, and remain convinced of a few things:

1) Sex and any sexual relationship between two people of the same sex is sin and is not approved of by God, no matter how monogamous or loving.

2) You have to either totally ignore or do some major twising of Scripture to make a case for God being OK with anything gay.

3) And I may as well throw this one in: being attracted to the same sex is NOT a choice. The choice is what you do with that.

4) Being attracted to the same sex is not a sin. Lust and giving into those attractions is.

5) Christians are as guilty of ignoring and twisting Scriptures.

  I am going to focus on #5, for that is what the article I read was about. Fasten your seat belts, for you are in for a major insight: those same verses used to show Jesus does not approve of any gay relationship also prove/show something else: Jesus does not a approve of marriage after divorce. Ouch!

  In Matthew 9, Jesus is asked about divorce. I won't quote the whole passage, but it is verses 3-10. Verse 9 says "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality,[d] and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” And again in Mark 10 2-10, quoting verses 11-12 "So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

  Doesn't it seem a bit off - to put it mildly - to use these verses to show Jesus only approved of marriage between a man and woman, but ignore the rest of it?

  I attend a church that still believes and teaches against divorce and remarriage......but I feel as a denomination, we are getting softer on the issue.

  Here is the blunt truth: Jesus said anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery...... and anyone who marries a divorced person commits adultery..... no ifs, and, or buts. No exceptions.

  But we make exceptions. He/she is innocent. It isn't fair for him/her to go through life without a marriage partner because they are divorced.......yet is is fair for people with same-sex attractions to go through life lonely with no marriage partner? I have actually had those thoughts when discussing the issue of divorce and remarriage. "What about me? I have a life of singleness, celibacy, and loneliness ahead of me if I am to live for Christ." Is it any more unfair to expect the divorced person to remain single and celibate, than it is to expect the person with same-sex attractions to do so? Sure, some people with same-sex attractions can marry the opposite sex.....but many cannot.

 This may sound harsh and hard, but being a Christian isn't always easy or fair.

   I have friends and relatives who have married after divorcing. Our family does not attend a wedding of people marrying who are divorced. We don't make a big deal about it.....we just don't do it. And don't get me wrong: I don't sit around and view people as adulterers after marrying and being divorced. If it makes sense, I totally disagree with them doing it and do believe Jesus said it is adultery. But after the deed is done, I leave that up to God. Their marriage may have started out against what I believe the Bible teaches, but they are still my friend or relative, and I am not going to hold it against them. After the fact, it is between them and God.

  But the fact remains, the church as a whole is a hypocrite when it comes to sexuality. The answer is not to do as more liberal Christians and churches have done and gone along with the pro-gay theology. It is not love to encourage people to engage in sin that will send them to hell for eternity while patting them on the back and telling them they can be a Christian and do that.

  However, does  the church really have any right to pull their righteous robes around them and condemn gay people for their sins, while they too are ignoring/twisting Scripture on sexuality and marriage? There are gay people pointing out the double standard and hypocrisy on these issues, but no one wants to hear them or admit they are right.

  And the church has become to accepting of heterosexual sin in general. Yes, it is wrong for two men or two women to have sex. But it is also wrong for a man and woman to have sex if they are not married, and it is also wrong for a man and woman to marry if one or both of them are divorced.

  There are 3 couples I think of when this topic comes up:(names have been changed)

1) Mike and Mindy

   I had some friends who attended my church for several years. They were both raised as I was, and attended the same kind of church all of their lives. They met in Bible college, and dated. They fought a lot, and broke up a few times, but got back together and married. He told me more than once that if our church believed in divorce and remarriage, they would divorce. Well, they eventually left our church and went where that was accepted..... and now they are divorced and both are remarried. I have often wondered why they married. They had a volatile dating relationship, and had a lot of marriage problems. Had they waited, maybe neither would be divorced and be married to  the right one.

2) John and Martha

   John was married and had a few kids to the woman he met in Bible college. While working for that Bible college, he got the hots for a single gal from my church and started meeting her for sex. It came out, and he stopped....only to go back to his little homewrecker. He eventually divorced his wife, married his little sex partner, and both are wonderful Christians who attend church faithfully and have had more kids between the two of them.

3) Harry and Sally

  Harry and Sally were missionaries in another country. Sally was sick for a while and unable to perform her "wifely duties." Harry got the hots for a native woman and hooked up with her......I have no idea how long or how many times. He confessed, and they were yanked from  the mission field, and he lost his preaching license. Everything seemed OK for a few years, then suddenly Harry divorced Sally, causing all kinds of problems in his kids... not sure they are still all OK with the mess. He is now married to another woman, still a Christian, and doing what he never believed to be right years ago.

  I'll be honest. It is not easy dealing with same-sex attractions. It is far more difficult than anyone can imagine. I wish I had someone to love, someone to go out to eat with, someone to cuddle with. And to be bluntly honest.....maybe too blunt for anyone reading this post.....those desires are for a man, not a woman. But God's Word says that is sin. But God's Word also says all of  the three scenarios above are sin....... and any marriage involving a divorced person. So does anyone OK with divorce and remarriage really have any right to condemn a gay relationship?

   Back to my friend "Mike" in the first scenario. Long before his divorce, we were discussing these issues. He took major issue with the fact that my family will not attend a wedding where one or both individuals is divorced. I posed this question to him: "Gay marriage is going to be legal some day (it is now). The chances of you being invited to a gay wedding at some point is very likely. Would you go?" He made the claim that gay marriage is different from divorce and remarriage because God doesn't recognize gay marriage. OK, but who is to say He recognizes marriages of divorced individuals? He declared that adultery.... so I honestly don't know how God views those marriages after the deed is done. As I said, I don't hold it against people and leave that between them and God.

  The Bible has become a box of chex mix to Christians. We focus on the verses important to us, and tend to ignore the ones that are inconvenient...... like divorce and remarriage, hair, and others. Anything gay....oh yeah, we have to be outraged about that.

   I am in no way trying to make allowances or excuses for gay relationships of any kind. I AM saying the church should be consistent, and that we as a whole are doing the same thing with divorce and remarriage that we are faulting the pro-gay theology people for doing with gay marriage and relationships: twisting and ignoring Scripture.

Defending indecency part 4

  If you fall within the ranks that believe Donald Trump should not be criticized because you voted for him, because he has done a few good things, because he ran and won on the GOP ticket...or any other reason....you may not want to read this. You have been warned.

 First a note: I know not all Trump voters are the same. Some voted for him in the primaries, and they should bow and repent. I am serious. Some voted for him because he won the GOP nomination for some insane reason. Some voted for him reluctantly in hopes to stop Hillary from winning. Some cheerfully and gleefully voted for him in the general election. They also should repent. Not all Trump voters defend everything about him, but most don't want him criticized....which is unfair if they criticized Obama and had no problem with him being criticized...... but I digress. The point of my note is that I know not all Trump supporters are gaga over everything he does, and does not support everything he has done and said.

 This post is aimed at those who feel they must defend and excuse everything the man does.

Note 2: I criticized Obama for 8 years, saying very harsh things about him. No one took issue with it. I don't think he did anything I agreed with, and consider him to be the worst president ever, and believe he hates America and white people. Trump has done some good - and bad - has kept a few promises and broken a few. Obama divided this country like it has not been for years, while Trump has divided the Republican party and Christians...... and I find myself disliking Trump more. When Obama was president, I could criticize him without people harping at me. I didn't have countless people posting countless pro-Obama stuff.....but I do have that with Trump. I weary of this attitude that I can only criticize presidents that are Democrats.

  Donald Trump is an enigma. For years, he supported liberals and their causes with his money and in other ways. He fought the Tea Party and helped put our country in the mess it is in with his contributions to and support of the liberals who fight against our freedoms. He has been great friends with the Clintons for years, and trashed the women that came out with sexual allegations against Bill. He said that Hillary Clinton would make a great president. Every position conservatives are for, he was against...... and every position we are against, he has been for. He said Planned Parenthood did a lot of good. He promised to further gay rights. He was for people using whatever bathroom they wanted. He is vulgar, immoral, committed adultery on at least 2 of his wives and bragged about it. he viciously attacked the conservatives running against him and lied about them, even using a tabloid story one of his buddies published. And more. He is not a good man, nor is he a nice man.

 And the party that is the party of conservative Christians, that is pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, and the party that has suffered from policies Trump helped liberals put in..... this same party picked this man over several decent, good, and Christian candidates. I still cannot wrap my head around it. There is nothing about Donald Trump that should attract Christians to him, yet many act like he is a Messiah, going beyond how insane Obama supporters acted with their worship and over the top adulation of that man.

  Matt Walsh put it well recently in light of the Stormy scandal: Suddenly Christians don't care about adultery, and liberals do.

 There is a segment of Trump supporters who will defend and support anything the man does.....even things they would fight were he still a Democrat.

It was bad for the Obamas to cost us so much in vacations, but OK for the Trumps.

It was bad for Obama to golf so much, but OK for Trump to.

It was bad for Obama to bully people on Twitter and act like an immature brat, but OK for Trump to.

Immorality by a Democrat: bad. By Trump? How dare you judge the man?!


 I honestly believe we have lost our right to outrage and to be offended by immorality by picking this man, and then by defending the things in him that so many conservatives and Christians are defending and excusing.

 There is something specific that brought on this blog post. A few weeks ago I posted a meme that had Trump blasting Trump jr. for his adultery, and asked where he got such a stupid idea. Jr replied "from you." A very conservative pastor's wife who won't even watch movies and TV because of the violence, vulgarity, and immorality jumped on me and posted "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." Let me tell you something about this lady: some years back, her son's first wife cheated on him and committed adultery. Now be honest here: If someone to this day criticizes her former daughter-in-law for cheating on her son, do you think she is going to chirp "He who is without sin, cast the first stone?" No way, Jose'. Even if she has forgiven that woman, she is not going to defend her adultery.......she very likely will criticize her, and rightly so.......yet she doesn't want Trump's adultery brought up.

 We cannot stand against issues and sins in one party, then suddenly be OK and defend them in a man who runs and wins in our party........but that is exactly what this Trump version of Christianity is doing that so many of his supporters possess. As Christians, we are either against immorality, bullying, adultery, vulgarity, arrogance, narcissism, etc..... or we are not. We can't take issue with these things in Democrats, then suddenly be OK with them and tell people not to judge, and quote verses like my friend did to me.

 I quipped recently that if Trump decided he was gay and married another man, many Christians who support him would suddenly be OK with homosexuality and gay marriage........ and that is sadly most likely true.

 We have blurred and merged Christianity and politics. If you are a Christian, you must vote for the Republican candidate..... no matter how bad they are, and no matter how strongly you feel you should not and cannot. Party above all,including God, convictions, and doing right.

 It is possible to support policies a president has and things he does, and not defend the bad...... and there is a lot of bad in Trump.

 The Bible commands us to do and be a lot of things: kind, loving, gentle, and more. We are to abhor evil and injustice. If it is wrong for us to act like Trump does and do some of the things he does, then it is wrong for us to like and defend those things.

 I saw a statement somewhere this week that said Christians are trying to sanitize Donald Trump..... but it won't work. The man is corrupt and immoral to the core, and he will never change. Oh, I know..... he is supposedly a Christian. Well, Hillary supposedly is, and that idea was mocked and rightly so..... and so should the claims that Trump is.

 Christians should be horrified by the Stormy Daniels scandal, but most are either ignoring or defending it. Now imagine if it was Bill Clinton or some other Democrat... Sean Hannity would be having her on his show. Limbaugh would be cheering her on and defending her. Fox News would have her on 24/7.......but since it is Donald Trump, Christian Trump supporters don't care. But Bill Clinton.........

 I am far from perfect. I grew up in the church struggling with same-sex attractions, and had no clue how to deal with them. I attended a very conservative church where even listening to Southern Gospel music was condemned by many, not to mention country music, TV, and movies. I never fit in. All of those perfect people.... and me, with my deep, dark secret. I did things I am not proud of, and wondered if God could ever love and forgive me.

 I heard the cruel and mocking comments from those in my church circle, some from people in my own church. I worked hard to keep my secret, often lying about why I wasn't dating or married to satisfy people who seemed to have an undying desire to know. I feared judgment and being ostracized.

 And then I decided I didn't care. It was a long and winding journey to get to that point, but I realized the people who truly love me, will accept me and not fear they will catch it from me. Things didn't seem to change much. There was no line at my door of people wanting to be my friend and hang out..... but there wasn't before either......... but I did find it freeing. I honestly didn't care who knew anymore, and didn't carry around that fear. I didn't have to sit in the pew and struggle silently anymore.

 And I began to change in other ways.

 At some point I realized the church was expecting more of me than God Himself. I realized it was OK to disagree with my church on some things, and that I didn't have to do everything the church said to follow Jesus. I didn't change anything too major, but I began looking to God for my beliefs.... not my church and tradition.

 I was doing very well, until this election. I naively took the stance that I thought my ultra conservative church would take...... and I was wrong. I took a lot of heat, had people in my own church do what I call outright lying, and began to watch many defend and excuse behaviors and sins in this man that Christians should have been cringing at and fleeing.

 It shook my faith hard. Harder than anyone would understand. Maybe. I recently sat across from someone who will remain nameless, that many who read this blog know well. He voted reluctantly for Trump, and he got it when I shared what a difficult time I am still having with this defense and excusing of Trump's behaviors and sins. I was half expecting him to disagree, but he didn't. He told me he has been shocked at what Christians accept and defend in Donald Trump.

 I have wondered something: I am not planning on doing it, but what if I decided against this lonely celibate life of a same-sex attracted guy, and jumped into the gay lifestyle..... got a boyfriend, and lived that life. Would the same Christians defending and excusing Trump's adultery and immorality accept and defend mine? Of course not. They still hate that sin, and still find anyone doing it the worst of sinners.

 You cannot defend Trump's adultery and immorality and say it doesn't matter, and then take a stand against homosexuality. That is inconsistent and makes you a hypocrite and having a double standard.

 During the election, a couple of atheist friends of a friend of mine said they never wanted to hear Christians talk about morality again......and they have a good point. By nominating and electing Donald Trump...... and by this continuing feverish defense of everything the man has done and said and is doing and saying, we have shown we are no better than those we have stood against and fought before Donald Trump came along.

 Support and defend the man you voted for when he does something right.... but please in the name of all that is good, don't defend the bad. You are making Christianity look bad, whether you want to admit it or not.