OK, so another year…
Little girl is doing well… causing trouble. All very encouraging. Some say she’s “a little behind” in her speech, I’m still glad that she speaks.
A Milestone
Tomorrow we will be celebrating our Granddaughter’s first birthday.
First birthdays are wonderful things. Her’s is especially so because last summer someone hurt her. She was shaken, and we ended up spending the better part of two weeks at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
All praise and Glory to God, she has survived and is healthy today. She is slightly behind regarding some development, but not by any great measure. We will be watching for all kinds of things that may be a result of the physical trauma she underwent, but she is alive and wonderful.
Her mother, our oldest daughter, has had her legal custody restored, and her boyfriend (formerly known as the main suspect) has been apparently cleared of charges. The detective in charge of the case is following other possibilities.
We will be having an ice cream cake and pizza. She will probably be having finger food, a little of the ice cream cake, and a bottle or two of juice and/or formula.
The g’kids continue to live with us, and their mother visits from time to time — every couple of weeks or so.
State of the Union Address 2008
Muslim helps Jews attacked on New York subway
This article has really driven me to distraction.
Not because it puts a Muslim man in a positive light. He was doing the right thing, he jumped in to help the victim(s) of an attack.
It is because the attackers are presented as Christians. For the sake of this blog, let us define “Christian” as “A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety.” (From Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of American English as found in the e-Sword Bible Study Software.)
Can we first assume that Christianity has its roots in Judaism? After all, Jesus Mother was Jewish, as was Her Husband. He was born in Israel in a predominantly Jewish town. Luke 2:25-40 records that Joseph and Mary took Him to the Temple “to do for him after the custom of the law.” (many commentators think this was for circumcision. Actually, that was usually done in or near the home of the parents. This trip to the Temple was required by the Law for dedication of the Firstborn. See Luke 2:23, Exodus 13:2-15, 22:29, 34:19, Numbers 3:13, 8:16-17, 18:15.)
Aside from a trip to Egypt during His infancy, there is no record of Him leaving Israel (Judea) during His life on Earth. Luke 4:16 notes that it was His custom to attend Services in the Synagogue on Sabbath.
Although it seems safe to say that Jesus never shouted out “Merry Christmas!,” the Gospels record Him observing, or at least at the observance, of several Jewish holidays, including Passover (“The Last Supper” is documented in all four Gospels), Sukkot (John 7:37-52), and Hanukkah.
He was killed on Passover, rose on the Day of First Fruits, ascended to Heaven on the fortieth day after His resurrection. the Holy Spirit descended upon the Christian Congregation on Shavuot (AKA Pentecost.)
Christians are neither commanded to observe these days, nor to abstain from these and other “Jewish Holidays.” Most modern Christians do not observe them.
I cannot in the least bit understand why someone presenting him-/herself as Christian would attack someone saying “Happy Hanukkah!” This is in no way an affront to Jesus Christ, Christianity, nor any kind of insult to Christians.
Hanukkah celebrations the dedication of the temple after its cleansing, having previously been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. If memory serves, Antiochus Epimenes (his name, A. Epiphanes means “manifest god,” the Jews came to call him A. Epimenes, meaning “totally loony-tunes, nutty as a fruitcake, bonkers, Like WOW – this dude’s a whack job if I ever saw one!”) placed a statue of Zeus in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. He then sacrificed a pig to Zeus in that place.
A band of rebels, led by Mattathias and his five sons, in particular Judas Maccabees.
took a stand against Antiochus. Miraculously, they won, driving the Syrians from Jerusalem and capturing the Temple. They tore down the Statue of Zeus along with the defiled altar, and rebuilt the altar in the Temple. Having found a large Menorah, they searched for oil to burn in it, but found only one day’s worth. Deciding to use it rather than wait for supplies, they found that one day’s supply of oil lasted eight days.
There is much more to the Hanukkah story than this, and it is as readily available as it is fascinating. It is told in the Apocryphal Books of 1 & 2 Maccabees, found in most Catholic Bibles, and widely on the Internet. (Heard about the Internet? It’s GREAT! You should try it.)
All of this leading to this:
- Jesus was a Jew
- Christianity is Jewish
- Christians should not now, nor ever should have, attacked God’s Chosen People.
Huzzah for Hassan Askari.
Catching up…
I haven’t written anything of personal consequence for a while, so here goes…
The grandchildren, and their mom – our daughter – still reside with us. All are doing well physically. Financial issues continue unabated.
#1 Son has decided to not become a Marine. I now need to find out the new plan. There have been a half-dozen plans in the last month or so.
I totally missed mentioning Chanukah, Sorry. I may not be one of the High Holy Days, but by golly, it’s a great festival. Latke’s and donuts are health food, I swear.
Benjamin Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues.
Benjamin Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues.
| 1. TEMPERANCE. | Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. |
| 2. SILENCE. | Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. |
| 3. ORDER. | Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. |
| 4. RESOLUTION. | Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. |
| 5. FRUGALITY. | Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. |
| 6. INDUSTRY. | Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. |
| 7. SINCERITY. | Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. |
| 8. JUSTICE. | Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. |
| 9. MODERATION. | Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. |
| 10. CLEANLINESS. | Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. |
| 11.TRANQUILLITY. | Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. |
| 12. CHASTITY. | Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. |
| 13. HUMILITY. | Imitate Jesus and Socrates. |
It may be well my posterity should be informed that to this little artifice, with the blessing of God, their ancestor ow’d the constant felicity of his life, down to his 79th year, in which this is written.
What reverses may attend the remainder is in the hand of Providence; but, if they arrive, the reflection on past happiness enjoy’d ought to help his bearing them with more resignation.
To Temperance he ascribes his long-continued health, and what is still left to him of a good constitution; to Industry and Frugality, the early easiness of his circumstances and acquisition of his fortune, with all that knowledge that enabled him to be a useful citizen, and obtained for him some degree of reputation among the learned; to Sincerity and Justice, the confidence of his country, and the honorable employs it conferred upon him; and to the joint influence of the whole mass of the virtues, even in the imperfect state he was able to acquire them, all that evenness of temper, and that cheerfulness in conversation, which makes his company still sought for, and agreeable even to his younger acquaintance.
I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.
In this piece it was my design to have endeavored to convince young persons that no qualities were so likely to make a poor man’s fortune as those of probity and integrity.
My list of virtues contain’d at first but twelve; but a Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride show’d itself frequently in conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent, of which he convinc’d me by mentioning several instances; I determined endeavouring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list).
In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had compleatly overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.
[Thus far written at Passy, 1741]
These “virtues” or resolutions of Franklin’s were not “New Year’s Resolutions,” rather, he would focus especially on one for a week, while not neglecting the others. the next week, he would focus on the next item on his list, again without neglecting attendance to the others. He would continue this pattern until he had cycled through all thirteen virtues, and begin again.
“Venery” is a word no longer commonly used, and the term has given way to other terms. The word refers to sexual intercourse.
Overall, I’d say this is a simpler list to follow than Jonathan Edward’s 70 resolutions. (IMHO)
The Top 70 News Years Resolutions
OK, that is a misleading header. The follow is a list of resolution reportedly made by one Jonathan Edwards (author of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, among other things.) As the New Year approaches, I came across a reference to this list, and considered it blog-worthy. Enjoy.
THE RESOLUTIONS
of
Jonathan Edwards
BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD’ S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST’ S SAKE.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’ s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. (Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)
22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’ s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be partly fulfilled in me.
33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects.
34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year.
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’ s day.
39. Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.
41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January.
43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’ s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.
44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.
47. Resolved, to endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere temper; and to do at all times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have done so.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.
50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.
51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned.
52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:”knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time.
64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those “breakings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton’ s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
A lot of these look like restatement of the same principle, “I resolve to live so that, when I am dying, I shall have no regrets.” #’s 37 & 41 suggest a highly examined life. Perhaps I misunderstand the intent of #38, but I would endeavor to enjoy the gift of laughter on the Lord’s Day.
It is said that Benjamin Franklin also made a list of resolutions, albeit somewhat shorter. I’l turn it up and post it, too.
All Along the Watchtower
Another relatively quiet week has passed.
D#1 “sort of” passed her polygraph test. Ambiguous results are always interesting. The health nurse is now stopping by regularly, about once a week so far, to check on the little ones
I seem to have a set of household plumbing issues to attend. There’s a clog somewhere in the rain from the kitchen sink. SB tried Liquid Plumber, which didn’t work. Then I dismantled the goose-neck
, and ran a 20′ long plumber’s snake down the tube. I ran the entire snake through the PVC pipe and encountered no clog.
I got out the ladder, located the vent pipe on the roof and ran the snake down. Still no joy. So I got some stuff SB had picked up at the neighborhood Ace Hardware. This stuff contains sulfuric acid. YIKES! I poured half the bottle down the vent pipe and waited the required 15-minutes, Still no joy.
In this process, I was instructing the #2 Son, now a whopping 10-years old (already displaying a teenager’s angst and attitude, and somehow mixing it with nearly endless curiosity) . Telling him about clockwise, and counter-clockwise turning. Doing so, and probably showing off a bit, I was turning th, um, thingy on the goose-neck. The tricky part is, it’s upside-down from my perspective. So I was turning it clockwise, or so I thought, Had I been actually thinking, I would have remembered it was upside-down and that I needed to turn it the other way to loosen it. Did you know that if you over-tighten a PVC connector, It’s little ring will snap? I didn’t. Now I do.
Did you know that PVC pipe that doesn’t have a screw-on-connector is glued together? I know it now. I’ve replaced all the piping under the sink., the clog is still in there somewhere.
OI!
Ann Coulter: “America would be better off if everyone were Christian”
The last I heard, Rev. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, former Presidents James Earl Carter and William Jefferson Davis Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton and a vast array of others to the political left of Ms. Coulter claimed to be Christian.
Dear Ann;
My sister, I, for one, appreciate your sentiment and, I am sure, your devout prayer that all Americans receive a saving faith in Jesus Christ and live according to the doctrine taught by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Blessed be His Name forever.
However, before we American Christians proceed with this extraordinarily noble goal, we should start with a solid self-examination. History tells us the First Century (AD) Christians evangelized as much, or more, by their life-style as by their preaching. They lead quiet lives, were faithful to their mates (nearly 0% divorce rate), did not steal, cheat on taxes, or commit any crimes (other than proselytizing, and refusing to worship the Greek and/or Roman gods, or sacrificing to the Emperor).
Because so many of them were Jewish by ethnicity, they were long considered a Jewish sect. In fact, it may have been more commonly know then that the founder of their (our) faith was, by birth, Jewish.
Now that founder — and by that I mean Jesus Christ. However, this could also apply to the Apostle Paul — seems to have done a lot of teach to his followers about the importance of living a life of purity, piety, and (at times) poverty. Is this the example you saw at the Republican Convention? What is the divorce rate among the Republican presidential candidates, please? Rather high, no
Many Christians believe abortion is wrong, I am one. However, abortion is legal in this nation. What are we, the Body of Christ, doing to teach our teens the benefits of purity? Are we leading by our exemplary lives, avoiding lewd and lascivious entertainment, showing our kids, and those we encounter, that we live what is taught in the Sacred Word of God? If they err, that is to say, if one of our sons or daughters finds him-/herself a parent to be, do we show that child the Love, Forgiveness and Grace we have been shown by Christ Himself? Can we show them we acknowledge the fact that they have sinned without condemning them personally? Are we making it worth their while to even consider preserving the life of their child
What are you, and we in The Body, doing to educate our Children in particular, and the Children of America, about the dangers of the thirty or so Sexually Transmitted Diseases? Are we making ourselves available to them? Are we talking frankly about the sins of our generation, and the consequences we have thus far realized from those sins? (Not all sins is sexual in nature, by the way. Proverbs 26:17 says “He who passes by, and meddles with strife not his, is like he who takes a dog by the ears.”)
Can you, Ann, personally say you have been following the admonition of the First Psalm, that is, to ‘delight is in the law of LORD, and on His law meditate day and night?’ (Psalm 1:2, A Conservative Version (pun intended).
By the way, the word translated ‘meditate’ also is often used to mean “to speak aloud.” Do you, Ann, read the Word of God enough so that it has become a part of your daily speech? You should also note the word “Law” is used twice in this verse, it is the Hebrew word “Torah.” Can you guess what part of the Sacred Word of God that specifies? Jesus said “For truly I say to you, until the heaven and the earth pass away, one iota or one tittle will, no, not pass away from the law, until all things come to pass.” (Matthew 5:18)
Although history is, sadly, rife with attacks on Jews by (those claiming to be) Christians, none of that appears in the New Testament, nor, it seems, until after the Third Century AD (or CE, if you prefer.) In fact, Christians were severely persecuted in their first few centurties, but did NOT use this (at that time) as an excuse to retaliate against their attackers.
While the vast majority of our Nation’s founding fathers were indeed Christian (even Thomas Jefferson considered himself such, who am I to argue?) and incorporated their Christian faith and beliefs in the documents of our nation, it is worthy of note they did not exclude Judaism in any way in establishing our highly prized Freedom of Religion, not did they exclude Islam, nor the religions of the Indigenous Native American Peoples (wow!, “Indian is sooo much more politically and geographically incorrect, but so much easier to say.), nor the Religions of India (LOOK! Real Indians!). It would seem that the, generally speaking, would welcome the arrival and presence of Jews, and others, to our shores. In fact, even a very brief search for “Jews, colonial America” brought “about 133,000″ results from Answers.com and “about 2,060,000″ results from Google. (Fascinating stuff, you might give some of it a read through. It seems, Jews saved the American Revolution. not bad for being so non-perfected, huh?)
Regarding whether Jews are going to Heaven, or not, could we not use Jerry Falwell as our first source? Perhaps we are best leaving this decision to the King of the Universe. Neither you nor I am fit to decide who gets in and who goes to Hell. Rest assured that many claiming to be Christian will not enter there. (Have a look at Matthew 7:21, then read the context of Jesus’ statement there.) We would be better off quoting Paul, who said in Romans 11:
“For I speak to you the Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of Gentiles, I enhance my ministry, if somehow I may provoke my flesh to jealousy and may save some of them. For if the casting away of them is reconciliation of the world, what is the acceptance except life from the dead?
“And if the first fruit is holy, the branch is also. And if the root is holy, the branches are also. And if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and became a joint partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if thou boast, thou do not bear the root, but the root thee.
“Thou will therefore say, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. Correct! They were broken off for their unbelief, and thou stand by thy faith. Be not high-minded but fear, for if God spared not the natural branches, perhaps neither will he spare thee.”
This is, without doubt, offensive to many Jews also, but is Scripture. You see, if being offensive is your goal, you can do so without citing Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Orel (spelling?) Roberts, or other person than God himself. In fact, the Scriptural principle is that the Cross of Christ is offensive enough, without us being so offensive people do not even see the Cross.
I am thankful, Ann, that we live in a country that so highly prizes freedom of thought and speech that we can openly discourse and disagree without fear of government sanctioned reprisal. Though I may also offend Donny Deutsch, I believe he and I can agree that America would be better if Christians started acting like they actually believe Jesus wa, and is, the One He claimed to be.
Sincerely,
Steve
