Hmm and so it goes

Recently I had the experience of “hearing” someone diatribe against another who believes as I do.
Some of the points made by my fellow Marriage proponent were that marriage is an act of faith, it ought to be reserved for people of the faith and so on…
I found myself in total agreement with the lady in question. Then someone responded. I have clipped some of the response and I present it here with MY rebuttal.



“Why should my rights be determined by your beliefs? You talk, you act as if gay people wish to replace opposite sex marriage with same sex marriage. As if they were in battle. We merely wish to be included. We are asking for peaceful coexistence.”


Really? All you want is peaceful coexistence? You really think there is no “war” here? Then why is it that in many places including California AND Florida, when the issue was being voted on, Homosexual activists were in the streets LITERALLY attacking people who were voting against the idea of same sex marriage? Trying to bully them into submission with your “innocent” desire for equality.
People were put in the hospital, they were spat upon, their property was damaged and they were terrorized at home at work and everywhere else. And they weren’t just young strong men who might have been considered threatening, or members of some Aryan group or what have you… they were little old ladies, the disabled and mothers.





No, you ask that I voluntarily give up my rights so that you can continue to be selfish. Gay people want to share the institution of marriage, you want it all to yourself.

Now wait a minute. By insisting I give up MY right to celebrate MY faith and MY ideals MY way while being forced to accept YOUR ideals, YOUR beliefs and YOUR way’s, AGAINST MY WILL! Aren’t you being just as selfish? Sounds like shades of “the pot calling the kettle” there and all that…
After all if you want me to respect YOUR rights shouldn’t you respect mine?
Seems a little hypocritical to me that you expect me to compromise MY standards so you can enjoy yours.

blessings

I have been thinking. I read on a friend’s Facebook status that he thought that for us to ask God to bless America was a little… self centered, selfish and or egotistical.
He thought that maybe we ought to be asking God to bless the WORLD instead and be nice.
Well that is all well and good, and I felt myself agreeing that that would be more appropriate in the grand scheme of things. Then I thought “but wait! This weekend, which is what prompted the issue, we are celebrating OUR Memorial Day! the day when we remember OUR soldiers! OUR troops who died for US the people here in AMERICA a country founded on CHRISTIAN principles. The world however is NOT doing this, so why, when I am celebrating an AMERICAN HOLIDAY should I stop to think of the REST of the world?” Why, in short, are we going out of our way to deny the country where we were born? Why should we want to dishonor the sacrifices that were made by deciding that instead we should embrace the entire world as if the entire world shares in the burden of protecting our freedoms and the freedoms of everyone else in the world? Freedoms like we see in the Bible.
The French aren’t out there protecting my freedom/s neither are the Russians, the Germans, the Italians, the Pakistanis, the Saudis, etc… so why should I ask for them to be blessed by God?

Don’t get me wrong I think that it is appropriate to pray for other countries. I think we SHOULD be asking God to bless England and Japan and France and Germany and Russia and Pakistan and Canada And Australia and Italy and… well you get the picture. But why is it that we cannot feel a little pride in our country and ask for God’s blessing specifically here?
Why do you want to make ME feel guilty for being happy to live in a country where I am free to worship how where and when I see fit.
Why do you want me to be down on myself for the wonderful opportunity God has given me in allowing this country to exist so that I can say what I want, do what I want, be who I want, go where I want and so on?
Is it really so dreadfully wrong for me to ask God’s blessing here?
When I pray for my meal my prayers are for God to bless the food I am about to eat. I do not ask God to bless the food that Australian aborigines may or may not be eating right now. I ask him to bless my food right here right now. Or when I am praying my “bedtime prayers” or devotional prayers I specify the people close to me or the people particularly on my mind to pray for. (Our troops, my family, my friends etc…)
In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray…
“OUR father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy work be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give US this day OUR daily bread and forgive US our sins/ debts/ trespasses, as WE forgive those who sin/debt/trespass against US and lead US not into temptation but deliver US from evil for thine is the kingdom and power and the glory forever Amen.”
Well wait who IS the “us, our, and we” referred to in the prayer?
CHRISTIANS not Buddhists not Hindus not Wiccans not druids… the ones who have accepted Jesus, that is who we are praying for, more specifically our own selves right here ME.
Why didn’t Jesus tell us to pray, “This world’s father who art in Heaven Give everyone living on this planet’s surface their daily bread…”
Now AGAIN I am not saying we ought to be selfish or self centered. Far from it we should pray for everyone in this world but maybe instead of saying God bless Afghanistan we should instead be saying God work in the hearts of the _______________ people and bring them to you that they might be blessed. (you can fill in the blank yourself with any country or people you want.)



When I hear people saying we need to be all-inclusive I get worried sometimes. After all even Jesus says there are those we need to distance ourselves from.
It seems like people today are saying “forget national identity. Let’s just throw open the borders and create a one-world government and give up the freedoms that so many CHRISTIANS fought for.
Think about it, do you really think that if we became part of a one-world government the teeming masses would be eager for us to retain the freedoms we have now?
I think not, in fact that is why the Taliban/Al quaeda attacked the world trade center in the first place. Because “[we] are a corrupt and soft nation. [We] allow women to vote (GASP) [we] don’t hang Homosexuals (HORRORS) and worse of all [we] are leading all the rest of the world after [us].
Time after time, throughout history, I see examples all over the place of people who are champing at the bit to take away any freedoms anyone else has. Look at Saddam Hussein, Manuel Noriega, Adolf Hitler, Hamas, NERO for crying out loud.
Every single one of these people or groups have staunchly advocated the destruction or genocide of ANYONE they don’t like (liberals, homosexuals, Jews...). They kill them, they imprison them, they starve them and they torture them. All because these unscrupulous people want to, and they have managed to get the power to do it.
Do you want slavery? Ok then I can see your point about letting these thugs take over. Do you want to be beaten for speaking your mind? Well then this is the path to follow.
Should we pray for the world? YES. Should we deny ourselves God’s continued blessing? NO. we should ask for our country to be blessed. In part at least because God HAS blessed us so richly in the past and we can be an example THROUGH his blessings of what comes to those who follow him.
Just like he did in the Old Testament with Israel. People in the old times were interested in Israel and following her ways BECAUSE of God blessing them. Did Moses pray for God to bless Egypt? Did Gideon ask God to bless their enemies? Did Elijah ask God to help the priests working against him to win? No.

But I am starting to ramble so I will be off. And I will say. GOD PLEASE BLESS AMERICA, she is my home and I want you to give me a good home. Meantime God, I ask that you will help all the rest of the world to know you, and in that knowing may they too receive your infinite blessing.
AMEN.