It's Faith is Everyone's Business Thing

Dear America,

"I would suggest that faith is everyone's business.  The advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society that it should be of particular interest to a politician.  Furthermore, the fact that I am not a member of the clergy might help people be more open to what is said in this book.  No one can accuse me of writing what I write because I have been motivated by self-interest or theological prejudice."

these words are from the original introduction of a book that changed lives and prepared the world for the end of slavery; written by William Wilberforce, Real Christianity was written for an audience over 200 years ago, but might as well have been introduced to the world last week, considering it's examination of the essential truths surrounding a certain gap -- that being, that which separates "real faith" from the practice of a "cultural Christianity."

not to mention, this girl likes that part at the end, when Wilberforce says, like besides... "no one can accuse me of writing what I write because I have been motivated by self-interest or theological prejudice."

Isn't that refreshing?

And so true -- this idea that faith is everyone's business.

...how a society may come and go simply by it's treatment, it's reverence, it's attention, to it's faith

...how this faith, or lack thereof, directly affects the welfare of it's people.

What we do and what we say matters; just as, how we do it and how we say it matters.

Isn't it funny how the word pious could essentially be expressing two entirely different things...and the only tell would be the tone of voice and/or context.  

Here we go, via google:

pi·ous
ˈpīəs/Submit
adjective
devoutly religious.
synonyms: religious, devout, God-fearing, churchgoing, spiritual, prayerful, holy, godly, saintly, dedicated, reverent, dutiful, righteous
"a pious family"
making a hypocritical display of virtue.
"there'll be no pious words said over her"
synonyms: sanctimonious, hypocritical, insincere, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, pietistic, churchy; informal goody-goody
"pious platitudes"

 It's like, how can pious be talking "saintly" one minute and "holier-than-thou" the next, right?

Now, Pope Francis has been busy crowning a few saints -- Mother Teresa received the honor in September; and just today, he was at it again...this time, an Argentinian "gaucho-priest..Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero along with six others in a Mass before a crowd of 80,000 in St. Peter's Square."

Just as Mother Teresa lived in and around and with the very community she ventured to teach the way of Christ and intimately care for them in every possible way, and Brochero did the same.  As Pope Francis noted, "[H]e never stayed in the parish office. He got on his mule and went out to find people like a priest of the street — to the point of getting leprosy,"


How saintly is that, to live this kind of faith through and through -- even risking life itself?

We have saints living among us, too.

People deserving of sainthood today, include the many evangelists of preachers, and priests, and missionaries -- whether traveling the world or staying close to home, they create 'a pious family,' connected in spirit and the Word, beaming messages of hope and revival to the masses.

Given the healthy dose of criticism and judgement against Christians as a whole, these soldiers at the front line of fire are most deserving of praise and adoration; for the condemnation has reached such a critical mass, generally speaking.

Dr. David Jeremiah's Sunday message included a  short summary of periods of revival in America -- and it was fascinating.  Besides ending with the call to duty for Christians to get it together again, come hell or high water, he told a story of the origins of a local coffee house, The Living Room.

Turns out, it's not really local at all -- it started in San Francisco...at the height of the hippie season in the 1960's.  In between the highs of the psychedelics, this little coffee house catered to the lost and preached the Gospel between grinds.

The Jesus Movement was all the rage.  
And then, it wasn't.   poof!   gone.

And then I found this, it's from a place called Heaven Awaits and it seeks to answer the question Why did the Jesus Movement Die?

...and if you just read the Home Page for a wee bit, you will come away thinking it's like another Wilberforce for our time.  It says, "look to the Holy Spirit, not man, for answers...Stop hiding in your house and hanging around only people who are Christian like you..."

And maybe it's just me reading more into it than is worthy, but I don't think so; for it skilfully deals a blow to the heart of every Christian, really ---- asking for each one of us to make an honest assessment of the integrity of our personal walk in faith: is it real or cultural; is it pious, or pious?

Of course, it's not like I expect all of us to agree on everything regarding FAITH; I mean, come on, that would be so unrealistic, right?  And yet, with what we know of the history of the world, how hard could it be for us to agree on this part.... that "[T]he advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society..."

How hard could it be?

Today happens to be the 100th birthday of Planned Parenthood.  [some people call it an ANNIVERSARY; I prefer to use BIRTHDAY]

Millions of babies aborted, with millions of women scarred for life...oh along with many other women who just don't care one way or the other...


The thing is, looking at the history of the organization, -- specifically, its origins -- just kills me.
It's a perfect, living, breathing example of sanctimony hooking up with multiple partners...leftist lies that have led women astray, especially the poor and those within the African-American community.

Read this, from The Negro Project.  Or this, Black Genocide dot org.
Planned Parenthood began with the Genesis of a Total Lie and it continues reliving it everyday, only now, it manufactures a voting block for the Democratic Party at the same time.  What a beautiful world, huh.

Oh sure, now of course, it's just about a woman's right to choose death over life.  Wonderful.  How evolved we have become...

But curious as to how Pope Francis has chosen to make this Jubilee Year of Mercy [year beginning December 2015], a year openly projecting a rather leftist movement within the Catholic Church.  The inclination to go less devout, and more "churchy," may very well be a sign of the beginning of the end, eh?  But who am I to go all PWBG....prophecy while blogging G while awaiting the rapture and seven years of tribulation...and so on and so on.

This snippet from about a year ago:

(CNN)Pope Francis shook up the Catholic world -- again -- on Tuesday by announcing that priests around the world will be authorized to forgive the "sin of abortion" when the church begins a "Year of Mercy" this December. 

"The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented," the Pope said, adding that he has met "many women" scarred by the "agonizing and painful" decision to have an abortion.

And I would just love to know how the Pope would respond to what consequences, if any, to those who aren't Catholic, who don't repent, or who just don't give a flying hoot?  And what happens when the year comes to a close this December, do the priests get a 'cease and desist' on this thing called forgiveness on the "sin of abortion?"

If a society 

can dispose of life, a real life, 

ever so easily, 

how could real Christianity

 ever have half a chance?

"I would suggest that faith is everyone's business.  The advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society that it should be of particular interest to a politician."

Faith is everyone's business.

Where do we go from here, Lord?

Life, in community with one another, for the betterment of the whole, is also everyone's business.

Do you begin your day with God before you begin your day?

"The advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society ..."

And just as Black Lives Matter has raged from the grassroots as a political firestorm -- we must all stop and have an honest conversation of all sides of this movement (think it's two).   It's a movement because it has traction, it has growth, it has life.

And it, too, has a twin... lives conjoined by the color of one's skin and yet separated by conflicting ideologies, arguments born out of what's right or what's left.  Never mind that just this weekend, in Chicago, eight people were killed alongside 33 wounded.   The movement is dead set committed to one point of view -- never mind real stats, or real deaths within the black community.

Disproportionate truths happen. Sometimes often.

Sanctity of life is everyone's business.

And yet, here we are. It's Sunday --
this is the day the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
or not.

all I know is it's all just words
until we actually do something to make it so.

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

Took a hit, but G is still feeling pretty groovy.

Whatta night; and what does that make today? 

Good class, it makes today the Day After -- the point of discussion on my very first blog; but this is no time to sleep in, even if we tied one on (or two) last night -- as times a wastin' -- we can't sit back on our laurels for even a minute; we must press on, onward and upward.

Okay, take a minute if you must...
 Oh but whatta night.
okay, just one more...
as we are the champions and all...

K, now snap out of it!  Upon the wake of day what have we learned? 

• Perhaps more R & D is needed, on what makes someone an R or D
• Perhaps a little fine tuning on message
• and with that message keep it clean, positive and above politics as usual
• Perhaps not being so easily duped by appearances
• Perhaps not always following what's cool and popular at the loss of principles -- or even better making conservative a little cool.  Is that possible people?
• Perhaps the beauty of having second chances or the gratitude for nine lives
• Perhaps what may seem red or blue can turn a shade of pale on a dime
• Perhaps policy ranks higher than personality
• that We the People still have the power over WeeWee the Politician
• or perhaps how that Big White House will never admit when they get us all wrong

But if nothing else, we've awakened a sleeping giant.

Certainly, both campaigns of the Governor's races were run brilliantly.  The candidates stayed above the fray for the most part, even when the other side partakes in dirty tactics and innuendo.  The candidates stayed on the message of limited government, limited taxation and getting people back to work -- as these are the things that people want and need.

But more than anything else going on, the young arrogance of Washington continues to dismiss the right, passing us off as extremists and religious radicals, or as the uncool and out of touch, or as the old school vs young blood  -- all of which are getting us all wrong. Washington, have you seen me? 

You think you know someone...or 230 million (based upon data that 40% lean conservative and 36% moderate leaving roughly 20% liberal)  Hello?

Yes, the conservatives are more older than not -- there is that.

We gravitate to leading ho-hum, normal every day lives -- you know, lives with jobs, a savings, children doing well in school, and maybe even a dog or a goldfish.

We are radical in our devotion to God -- I gotta give you that --

that kind of radicalism shows up in all kinds of churches across America; can be ever so frightening in that 83% of Americans acting all crazy and sh*t...ohhh Looord have mercy on us.  

How about them churches -- a whole slew of Catholics, beginning with vigils Saturday night and throughout the next day carrying on and all. And the Baptists -- with some Southerner's even forbidding drinking and dancing and raising a ruckus. Or the African-American Gospel Baptists -- with the singing and dancing and acting all happy on a Sunday morning no less -- yeah, that's gotta be controlled.  Or in temples wearing those funny little hats; or temples, splitting the women and children from the men; or temples kneeling down in praise to the Lord or Allah or Everlasting Prince of Peace  -- yeah, all that's just gotta to stop, don't ya think?  We are a crazy lot.

If the conservatives are crazy religious extremists, what do we call Pastor Jeremiah Wright and his Trinity United Church of Christ? Or the Leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan? 

It was October 16, 1995 when Farrakhan orchestrated the Million Man March on Washington D.C., along with affiliates of  the New Black Panther and Al Sharpton --  guessing only grassroots efforts to gain Washington's good will only work if you're anything other than normal, boring middle class Americans -- while being all black has its benefits too. 

But I tell you, that Farrakhan isn't light on the controversy meter, noting at the time of Hurricane Katrina he claimed that the levees broke from human error -- on purpose -- to extinguish the lives of hundred of thousands of poor black folk of Louisiana.  And more recently (October 2009), he said this: "The Earth can't take 6.5 billion people. We just can't feed that many. So what are you going to do? Kill as many as you can. We have to develop a science that kills them and makes it look as though they died from some disease." The scariest part is that this statement is in reference to the H1N1.  Huh?  Nope, nothing extreme there.

Extremism is everywhere and often nowadays in America; and then again, it is easy to label that which may be considered extreme for political gains or losses.  But what happens when it is merely illuminating the hearts and minds of a vast majority of disenchantment, like the Tea Party'rs and Town Haller's and the anti-socialized medicine believer's? 

What Republicans must do is stay out of the fray and remain locked into the ideals and policies based purely upon what works and unites us as a party; if we break into factions, or wallow in the mud of social issues where we don't always find a meeting of the minds, the overall message will be quickly lost into the murky dregs that lie at the bottom -- like after a broken levee or even the unfathomable devastating blow of one republican to another conservative in the eleventh hour of a campaign.

Oh upon this day after I find we have a lot of work left to do; as I witness our message at times entirely misunderstood or worse, trampled upon in disgust. 

The DNC was so clear and precise and brilliant in it's creation of Barack Obama the candidate and modern messiah to save the world -- this will be a monstrous act to follow.

However, more important,  it must not be an act.  It can't be staged. It must be real; otherwise it won't work.  We must truly believe and trust our gut and our ability to turn heads and take no prisoners in our march on Washington in 2010... and 2012 and 2016 and 2020...and so on and stay strong. 

We must work to create a new dimension of conservatism; one that settles into the society by way of our children, growing into a way of life that all Americans can benefit.  One that incorporates our old-fashioned roots with a pure unadulterated revival; pronouncing the simple ways in which we have it right, right now especially, and that we the conservatives have what it takes to save America (and outnumber those who don't).   Because we do. 

It's not Yes We Can --
it is YES WE ARE American!

It's not about fundamentally transforming anything  -- it is about capitalizing on who we are already -- because we really like who we are, and make no apologies.  We are the country who saves the world and comes to the rescue.  We are the country who builds American with American resources on American soil to Americans who trust and love AMERICA (OMG @ least we Use2b).  We don't need more R & D to know that, as last night proves it -- while we go about our ho-hum days and attending church, trusting our life and welfare under God, standing up on our own two feet in praise, we know it and embody it.

We don't need to preach the message, as they will see it by our actions and our deeds.  We don't need to wave our beliefs like a flag, we just need to hold true to them  -- love one another as ourselves, honor thy father and mother, do the right thing for the right reasons, treat our bodies as a temple and look up to the Lord for strength and peace.  People will know us by what we stand for and for what they see -- not for what we "take away."

We need to keep our attentions on what works, what makes America great and grand, as only the party of the GOP can do; while G will be doing just that in the days to come.

I like to call it America's Revival...what's a harmless little congregational retreat amongst friends?

No need to book the stadium
as it ain't nothing but a g thang...

 Make it a GOOD snoop doggy day, G

Hint for Gdays ahead: 
Little more of you do your thing and I'll do mine. 
Little more less is more, more or less.
Little more sun, less moon.
Little more happy, less sad.