From The Heart of a Believer

We as beings have a responsibility to "the earth and the fullness thereof", as it has been granted to us. Whether you agree that there is a God or not, I think we can agree that neither you nor I created this thing. And we certainly don't know anyone who has. The quickest way to throw a population into extinction is to turn its members against one another. We plot to kill each other, we plot to kill the unborn and we plot to kill our environment. We make movies about it, TV shows and video games. We are walking zombies that have been desensitized.

Today I found myself disturbed by issues that push the button of my heart. I was reading the newspaper online and saw an article that reveals how far we have come from the founding biblical principles this country was founded on. This erosion is the root cause of our weakening societal and political infrastructure. In short, members of the Westboro Baptist Church were exercising what the Supreme Court is undecided about being their 1st Amendment Right and picketed outside of the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, a fallen soldier. Sounds kinda crazy huh? So what was the rationale? "U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for Americans' immorality, including tolerance of homosexuality and abortion." If that made no sense to you, God is allowing soldiers to die because America is immoral. So how did this church express their belief? By heartlessly toting signs that read "God hates the USA...You're going to hell...Thank God for dead soldiers" And here's the grand finale, a young boy with a sign that reads "God hates you".

Detroit News http://detnews.com/article/20101006/NATION/10060423/1020/nation/Supreme-Court-struggles-with-funeral-protest-case

I read the preceding comments, as everyone turned on each other. Where do we draw the line of Freedom of Speech? Do we really have a right to emotionally harm bereaving families? And how does the church send mixed messages of scripture and actions? This, amongst other hateful ways we show our distaste for one another, is about the loss of moral and ethical sensibility. I'm not arguing this article because that's pointless. I'm arguing the hardened heart of man.

But what brought me to tears, today, was a conversation that erupted in my presence. It was about abortion, something nearer to my heart more than anything. A story was being told very casually of one's experience at the clinic, almost like shopping at the mall. It's not casual. I am afraid of the power we have taken to make such choices and more so our attitudes towards that power. It's the attitude that enables and gives us permission to picket funerals of fallen soldiers, murder over money and abuse. Ask yourself, what is too far?

From the heart of a believer, I ask that you pray with me for the restoration of this land. That our conscience no longer be seared and that we choose right even if we have the power to choose wrong. Pray for the hearts of man to be turned to God, those who claim to be messengers of God but are false and those who are authentic. Pray for our political leaders and law makers.

I'm getting off my box now. As much as the news is repetitive with the same ol' same ol', I don't ever want to get to a place where I am not disturbed because then I will know that I myself have become desensitized. Notice how those who have been leaders in history are the ones who were disturbed about something. Consciousness raising...