vacation

In case you haven't noticed, I've been a way a few days. My family is in town visiting and so I am taking some time off with them. I will be back blogging next week. 

See you then!!

Christian the Christian

Discussing the Government's "Bible Bill"

2010 – The Year of the Bible? 

If Rep. Paul Broun (R – GA) has his way this could be a reality. According to news reports he is currently trying to push a resolution through congress to honor the “Good Book.” According to Broun: “This doesn’t have anything to do with Christianity. Rather, it seeks to recognize that the Bible played an integral role in the building of the United States, including providing the basis for our freedom of religion that allows Muslims, Hindus and even atheists to vocalize their own beliefs.”

And, as could be expected, this resolution has caused quite a stir among other faiths, politicians, and even Christian politicians. Rep. Barney Frank (D – MA), who is Jewish, asked mockingly “does this mean that 2009 is not the year of the Bible? What is 2012 the year of? The Quran?” Even many Christians in congress are brushing off the resolution, choosing not to sign it.

Should Christians rally? Should we, figuratively, fight and raise arms to push a resolution that honors the Bible through? While I am all in favor of this resolution (especially considering Mr. Broun’s explanation of it) I do not think going to Holy War over it is the answer. I’d love to see the government honor the heritage of our country by declaring a year of the Bible; however, here are some problems I foresee:

• Why not name it “the year of the Quran?” Again, I like the Bible resolution and what he’s trying to honor, but would it not be equally as symbolic a gesture (to honor the Quran or another religious text) as the one Bourn is trying to make with his resolution? That is, a country started by people seeking religious persecution now demonstrates the religious freedom and structure of the U.S. by honoring a faith that had nothing to do with the country’s formation. What I’m saying is that such a resolution could be turned around.
  

• The U.S.A. is not a Christian nation. No matter how much we’d like to call it that, I truly believe Christ’s name being associated with the moral failures of this nation is actually more of a hindrance to the Gospel than it is a help. Nations all over the world call us a Christian nation and then in the same breath talk about the loose morality of the country. To pass a resolution that honors the Bible and tries to imply that we are a Christian nation could prove to be problematic.
  

• If passed as a resolution, Christians would look at that resolution as a major victory when, in truth, it could be one of the biggest setbacks the country has had in terms of the Gospel of Christ. Our goal as believers is not to get the government to have a “year of the Bible.” Our purpose is to love God above all and to share His amazing love with others.
  

• The question that lingers in the back of my mind: is this simply a political tactic to coerce the American public? Congress is controlled by the democrats. By nature they tend to be more “liberal” or private with their faith (“it’s my faith, not yours – you shouldn’t feel compelled to believe like I do”). Sending a resolution like this through congress with this sort of makeup would almost certainly spark outrage if voted down (of course, it would most likely go the other way, too, if it were Republican controlled)? My curiosity is not with whether or not it would pass, but I am curious of Bourn’s motives (the ones he isn’t referencing in interviews) – is his heart for this resolution truly in the right place or does he have ulterior motives?
  

Why I love the idea of the resolution:

• It’s pretty simple: I believe this country lacks a moral compass – period. Laws and more government obviously are not the solution. A bad economy is the topic on every front page, but in truth is the least of our worries as a nation. The biggest issue we face is the moral degradation (failure or collapsing) and loss of our true focus of hope. Money comes and goes, economies rise and fall… there is little security in this world. God is the only certainty of hope we have, so a resolution that calls on “the people” to remember Him and His Word are ok by me.
  

• As of late it seems less and less acceptable to be a Christian. Celebrities, politicians, the arts, etc. are all loving their new flag of “tolerance” – except when it comes to Christianity. If a Christian opens their mouth about their faith they are automatically classified as a bigot, intolerant, hateful, narrow-minded, weak, etc. I’d love to see a resolution passed that does remind people of the power, love, mercy and Grace of God (of course, how Christians handle themselves during this conversation/debate will be a major factor to demonstrating those things to this Lost nation).
  

PARENTS: Regardless whether or not this resolution is passed we must teach our children the two most important foundations of our faith: (1) Love God more than anything else, (2) be examples of His love in the way we love others unconditionally. A resolution should have no bearing on us as believers as to whether or not this happens in our lives. Just because the school does not allow us to pray does not mean we cannot pray. Just because the Bible is not the official book of the nation does not mean it is not God’s Word or the book that is the foundation of our families. Matter of fact, history has shown that time and time again the cause of Christ has grown stronger and reached further in times when governments and societies tried to suppress it. Let this time be no different! As a family pray for this bill… pray that regardless of which way it goes that God will use us and the conversation to show this nation who the One True God really is.

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Image borrowed from P O O J A Y

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Creationism is Foiled: The Missing Link Has Been Found

Darwinius masillae, or “Ida,” is the 95% preserved fossil of the Lemur-monkey-ape-man with opposable thumbs, a tail, no grooming claw, fossilized fur, is approximately the size of a raccoon and apparently has the remnants of its ancient veggie burger in its stomach. According to researchers this is not a lemur because it has no grooming claw or “toothcomb” and is similar to a human because it has a talus bone similar in structure/shape, nails (as do primates), and opposable thumbs (like lemurs and primates).

Is it the “Missing Link”?

I have no idea (though according to the Biblical account of Creation it seems rather unlikely); however, based on the information in the reports, the images of Ida and my (limited) understanding of animals I highly doubt it. Other than having 5 “fingers,” one similar bone, nails, and opposable thumbs I find it almost laughable to see the images and consider it my long lost great, great, great… grandmother. It seems to be a wishful thinking conclusion based on similarities (coincidence?) more than actual possibility. It seems like “walks like a duck, quacks like a duck” sort of historical science: “of the millions of genetic features contained within a human, this species has a possible “x” amount that are similar! Congrats, gents, we have our duck, er, human-ape-lemur connection!” (I have no idea how many there are, but even if it were 1,000 out of 1,000,000 that’s still only .1% similar.)

In his work, "Origin of the Species," Darwin said that in order for his theory of evolution to be accurate there would have to be a transitional or intermediate creature found (a half-man, half-ape). Since then evolutionary science has operated from the platform of “find that transitional animal” and every time something is found they examine it from one worldview only – evolution. “What similarities are there?” “Is there a way this could be that?” Examine it from the worldview that God created it and all the conclusions change! Now the similarities between Ida and humans reveal that there is one highly imaginative Creator that used similar features while still giving each species its own identity and creative makeup.

For more on this from a Creationism standpoint, checkout the following article: “Ida: the Missing Link at Last?”

PARENTS: At no point should we as believers be intimidated by these "findings." A few points to remember about science and God: (1) God created everything, (2) God created man with the ability to know Him, (3) God created man with the ability to think and rationalize, (4) Science is not the enemy of God (matter of fact, much of it helps us to understand His Creation better), (5) Truth will always be true - it cannot be refuted. Christianity ought to always welcome a healthy conversation with the skeptic. Instead of fearing new "findings" (such as "missing link" findings, "tomb of Jesus" findings, etc.) we ought to use them to dialogue with the skeptics and to articulate the position of a creative Creator whose design was flawless and founded in hope.

Want to join the conversation? Click here to comment or ask a question!

Image credit: Associated Press

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Christianity Takes a Vacation

I loved the Cheers theme song when I was growing up...

 

"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name..."

 

It seems, however, that many times Christians seem to take these words too literally and think that being somewhere people don't know their name gives them liberty to do things they wouldn't otherwise do at home. These are "Geographic Christians." Their faith is semi-solid within their personal limits. Step outside those limits and all bets are off.

 

For some it's going on vacation somewhere.

 

For some it's going somewhere family or accountability is not. 

 

For some it's going where "no one will know" (spouses, kids, family, church family, etc.)

 

For some it's being with people who are doing the same thing, so therefore (to those people) "what I'm doing is no big deal"

 

There are any number of scenarios that fit the bill. Settings change from person to person – for some it’s going out with the guys/girls, for some it’s hangout with non-church friends and for others it’s being somewhere no one knows you (like on vacation somewhere). Instead of loving God in those moments, their faith takes a vacation. Instead of running from things that could hurt themselves, their family, their marriage, their friendships, their church, their reputation as a believer (which also soils the name of Christ), or, worse-yet, their faith, they run to those activities thinking they’ve got a “license to ill.” Thus, when they would never consider doing these things in their “hometown,” church or family company, drinking, drugs, illicit sex (or sexual acts/activities), going places they ought not be, etc. become their new-found expressions of “freedom.”

 

Make no mistake about it – truly loving God never goes on vacation. Scripture tells us to love God with all our hearts, minds and souls – this has no geographic limitations. It is to be the desire of our heart at home, in church, at work, with Christians, with non-Christians, in public, in private, in our hometown and on vacation. God could care less about “rules” of living, however, He very much desires to be loved and worshiped. Do we do that everywhere we go? Or are we simply looking for our chance to “get away” and love ourselves or other things more than we love Him who literally gave His life for us?

 

Want to join the conversation? Click here to comment or ask a question!

 

Image borrowed from travelight.

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Thou Shalt Have Steamy Sex?!?!

I don’t know when it happened, but somehow, someway sex has become a taboo topic in the church. Teens are scared to say “sex” and adults squirm in their pews when it’s said. Teens and adults alike will watch show after show and listen to song after song that talk about sex (many times laughing or singing along), but “talk about it in the church? That’s uncomfortable.”

Recently a Catholic Priest, Ksawery Knotz, published a new book entitled Sex As You Don't Know It: For Married Couples Who Love God. In it he writes that there is nothing wrong with a steamy sex life; even going so far as saying it is a “good thing.” Maybe it’s because he’s a Catholic Priest writing on the subject, or because of the extreme traditionalism of the Catholic church, but for some reason it was newsworthy enough for Fox News to publish a story on the book. Regardless of why it was covered in the news I am excited because it opens the channels of communication again for this great love story that God created!

God created sex. As I joke with couples in counseling: it was not man or woman’s idea. Adam and Eve weren’t sitting around the Garden of Eden bored saying “so now what do we do?” and then stumbled into sex. God created them differently (man and woman) a placed a desire for one another in each of them. As soon as Adam saw Eve he was hooked (cue the old joke: he saw her and said "Whoa! Man!" Thus she’ll be known as ‘woman’.”)! The sexual relationship was designed by God to be one of the defining parts of a marital relationship (one of the key elements that make it so different from any other relationship). Men and women were created with a desire for one another already built in them (so-to-speak). They then enjoy the fullest physical and emotional pleasure possible with one another inside the protected, safe and committed marriage relationship.

In a world that has no boundaries for sex – that embraces girls going wild, open marriages, pornography, sexual dating relationships, etc. God’s design for the sexual relationship in marriage has been forgotten, misunderstood and misrepresented. “Enjoyable sex” between and man and wife seems ungodly now (like God doesn’t want man and wife to enjoy sexual intimacy - not sure how that belief came to be) or as if it is an oxymoron. It has become nothing more than a comic’s punch line: either (1) you never have sex once you are married, or (2) it becomes stale and unexciting.

BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT GOD HAD IN MIND for husbands and wives!!

God created sex (between a husband and wife in a covenant marriage) to be exciting, captivating, fun, pleasurable, enjoyable, lovely, passionate, engaging, intimate, creative, moving, enthralling, enchanting and, yes, even steamy! 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 tells husbands and wives that they belong to one another. It tells them to be sure to fulfill one another (yes, sexually) and to make sure they do so REGULARLY! Not out of obligation, but out of passion and love and dedication to your beloved spouse who is equally committed to you.

SINGLES or COUPLES LIVING TOGETHER (UNMARRIED): I understand your fear of marriage. In a world that has completely lost what it means to be married, with a divorce rate that has climbed to 50% and with so many marriages that seem to struggle (including in the church) I can understand your fear from wanting to be “that couple.” However, know that you are not protecting yourselves or your relationship. You are missing out!! God has crafted us in such a way that we crave intimacy from our spouse; hence the reason husbands and wives become “one flesh” – they are so intimately wound together that neither knows where one starts and the other stops! When we live with someone outside of marriage we steal from God what He designed for us and our own good and turn it into something He never desired for us. We actually set ourselves up for hurt.

HUSBANDS AND WIVES WHO ARE STRUGGLING: Know that you are NOT alone. This world and its desire to corrupt what God made for good and pleasure has made it difficult for many couples. However, having a successful, loving and passionate marriage is not an impossible feat! For those struggling, I recommend a couple resources: (1) the movie “Fireproof” (watch it together and then go through the book “The Love Dare”), (2) the book “God on Sex” by Daniel Akin (this is a POWERFUL and wonderful book based on Song of Solomon from the Bible), (3) take a small weekend trip together with your spouse; use it as a trip to pour into one another and love one another as intimately and deeply as you know how to, (4) transparency! Sit with your pastor (or go to a local church and speak to one if you aren’t in church) and share with him your struggles as a husband and wife and seek help in restoring your marriage.

Want to join the conversation? Click here to comment or ask a question!

If you would like to talk with me personally about a struggling relationship, feel free to email me at christianthechristian.c2@gmail.com!

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Carrie Prejean is NOT the Face of Christianity

Ok… the powers that be (namely “The Donald”) have stated that Carrie Prejean can keep her Miss California crown. While I am happy for her, I honestly don’t really care if she has it or not. To be honest, her having the spotlight right now (crown or not) is troubling for me as a Believer since it seems the media (and in some ways Carrie herself) are insistent on attaching the issues surrounding her to Christianity. Somehow she has become the spokesperson for Christianity and this is problematic in every way! It is a fallacy. Just because she speaks on behalf of Traditional Marriage, claims to be a Christian and mentions her faith as one of the defining reasons for her stance on marriage does not make her the spokesman/spokesmodel for Christianity!

Yes, I give her props for getting on the stage in front of a national audience (though I still don’t know anyone who actually watches the “beautiful on the inside and outside” contest) and a panel of judges with advocates for gay marriage (most notably Perez Hilton) and speaking up for traditional marriage when it is now the new taboo. BUT she is not (and should not be) the new face of Christianity. I think it is highly problematic to place any face (especially hers) on Christianity for several reasons…

1. It already has a face – Jesus Christ. Not for nothing, no one can match or surpass Him.
2. People are subject to fail. NO ONE can live up to the pressure of being the face of Christianity. Carrie’s life is an unfortunate example of this. Since her famous/infamous answer of Perez’s question the tabloid media has been scrambling to ruin her name (and they haven’t had to work that hard). In the last couple weeks several reports have surfaced about Christianity’s “new face”… topless photos, risqué photos, claims of her receiving a pageant-funded-boob-job, links to party-boy Olympian Michael Phelps, blah blah blah. People are by nature self-indulgent… to put any one as the face of Christianity in the media is problematic.
3. The Church (all Bible believing, God loving, Christ following churches, regardless of the name on the front) was created by Christ to be His memorial and voice in a Lost and seeking world. That task is far too big and grand for one individual. Even highly respected Christians such as Rick Warren, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, J.D. Greear, the late C.S. Lewis, and the late Paul (the Apostle) are not capable of serving as the poster child for Christianity (nor is that how Christ wanted it).
4. Just because Carrie speaks on behalf of traditional marriage does not mean she speaks on behalf of Christianity. She has never publicly stood for Christ (to my knowledge). She has said that she goes to church and that her faith is a major influencing factor for her pro-traditional marriage stance, but that does NOT mean that she has the desire to live for Christ. Matter of fact, it is her lifestyle and decisions to advance her career that are causing such an uprising and causing so many non-believers to question her faith.
   

My heart goes out to Carrie. I cannot begin to imagine the stress and pressure that is on her right now. Yes, it comes with the territory of seeking the national spotlight, but even one seeking such attention could never be prepared for this type of scrutiny.

TO THE CHURCH: This conversation is less about Carrie and more about us as the worldwide memorial for Christ. People look at the church and its congregants who (1) seek self pleasure above loving God, (2) stand behind their blind and uninformed faith and (3) blur the line of Christian distinctives (those things which make us Christian) and then wonder why they should waste their time with such a mindless, compassionless, judgmental faith. It’s time that we begin to look at the people in our cities with the same compassion that Christ did and seek to love them and be a voice in the darkness that champions justice, Truth, righteousness and above all love!

PARENTS: Much of the scrutiny Carrie faces is the result of her own desires and choices. The photos in question were all ones that she posed for professionally hoping to make it big. Forsaking her faith (or at least tabling it) she put her desire for fame first and took risks that are now backfiring on her. Instead of being respected for her craft, she is mocked as a hypocrite. I think it would do well for us to remind our children/teens (and ourselves) of the importance of loving and modeling Christ above all things. After all, “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul”? (Matt. 16:26)

Want to join the conversation? Click here to comment or ask a question!

Image Credit: Associated Press

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Why Christians Don't Like Christian Movies

In this week’s edition of Entertainment Weekly, Josh Rottenberg contributed the article “Movies, Money and God” that examines the tumultuous relationship between Hollywood and Christianity. Besides being a very enjoyable read that did a great job of walking the very thin line between the two sides, it also got me thinking: “Why don’t Christians (and non-Christians, too, for that matter) like Christian movies?”

Before “The Passion of the Christ” Christianity seemed to be nothing more than a proverbial thorn in the side of Hollywood; an entity that seemed to do nothing but protest and hinder their creative flow. Then “The Passion” happened and $370 million later Hollywood was singing a new tune. As Jerry B. Jenkins (co-author of the “Left Behind” series) said in Rottenberg’s article “Hollywood started calling, saying ‘what have you got? Anything Christian?’” Hollywood had a new meal ticket in Christianity – more specifically the Church – and wanted to capitalize on it ASAP. Fox movie studios developed a new studio for films of faith (cleverly called “Fox Faith”), other studios began greenlighting films with Christian themes or elements of faith and churches began being inundated with resources and invitations from Hollywood to screen their new movies hoping these churches would sign on and endorse the films (much like they did for “Passion”).

So, what’s the problem? To date only “The Passion” and the two “Chronicles of Narnia” movies have had much financial success (though “Prince Caspian” did not fair as well as its predecessor). “Fireproof” did well considering it only cost $1 million to make (it made $33 million in theaters – and I have no idea how much it’s made from its spinoff books or on DVD). Other hopeful films, however, have bombed (or at least brought in far less than was anticipated): “The Nativity” ($36 million), “Evan Almighty” ($100 million), “Amazing Grace” ($32 million) and a slew of straight-to-DVD titles. Why has there been very little success to date with Hollywood’s new found religious zeal (or zeal for religious people)? Why are Christians (myself included) not lining up in droves to see all these faith films?

There are several reasons:

1. Probably the biggest reason: the production, writing, stories, etc. are bland, poorly done and uninteresting. It is sort of the same thing for the comic book industry. It’s not that comic book fans do not want to see their favorite heroes brought to the big screen, but they don’t want to see their favorite comics turned into cheese. “Iron Man,” “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” proved that comic book movies can be critically applauded and major box office draws. The same thing went for “The Passion” in that Mel Gibson told the story that changed the history of the world creatively, respectfully, artistically and (most importantly) accurately.
2. Hollywood’s love affair with Christianity is disingenuous. Many of the studios have very little to no interest in the subject matter being offered – they simply want more money.
3. Christians (especially pastors like me) feel used by Hollywood. It’s almost as if they want us to be their spiritual, cinematic pimps to push films that are, often times, terrible simply because they have some element of faith in it.
4. The believability of those associated with the film play a role in how well it is received. If the cast, crew or production company only seems to be concerned with the art of the story and/or do not seem to believe in the Truth of the story they are telling, Christian audiences typically do not respond well. After all, the stories they are telling are not myths or fables – they are real events that reveal the Truth of God; if the people telling the story do not know that or believe that story it seems unlikely they will be able to tell it well. “The Nativity” is probably one of the best examples of this. Besides the fact that the movie was based off of home Christmas decoration and not the Bible (the “nativity” scene in the end NEVER happened!) there were several issues with the believability of its cast, production crew and company: (1) the director Catherine Hardwicke’s first big splash in Hollywood was with the controversial, stomach churning story “Thirteen” that tells the graphic story of a teenage girl’s fall into the world of sex, drugs, alcohol and self-mutilation. (2) 16 year old star Keisha Castle-Hughes (Mary in the movie) ended up pregnant two months before the release of the film. (3) the production company that released this film is the one behind such hits as “Wedding Crashers,” “Harold and Kumar,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and “Freddy vs. Jason.”
5. Many Christian or faith films lack substance (those that have Christian themes, not the Bible story movies like “The Passion”). Instead of producing a film that holds true to loving God first and then loving neighbor, many faith films seem to be more Oprah-esque than Biblical. One noteworthy example is “Evan Almighty”: all it was was a bumper sticker told in an hour and a half movie (“Act of Random Kindness” – A.R.K.). It completely misrepresented the story of the Ark and misspoke God’s redemptive message. Instead of telling the Ark Narrative correctly it reduced it to a stupid catchphrase and made it pure cheese.

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I'll Be Back...

I apologize but some things have come up in my personal life that need my time and attention. I hope to be back early next week (maybe Monday?) to continue blogging. Thanks in advance for understanding. 

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Selena Roberts, Alex Rodriguez and the Quest for Information: A New High (Low) in Gossip

Selena Roberts is (supposedly) a reporter for the NY Times and has a “tell-all” book about New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez scheduled to be released today. In it she reportedly details (from mostly anonymous sources) Alex’s (A-Rod) use of performance enhancing drugs which, according to Roberts, he began taking in high school (not the Majors as he admitted earlier this year), among other ridiculous claims and stories.

I don’t care how it is packaged or sold by publishers – this book has NOTHING to do with holding Rodriguez accountable for his actions. It’s a smear book. It’s a gossip magazine or tabloid that comes with a hard cover. If Roberts truly cared about holding him accountable there would be several things that would be different about this situation:

• The “book” would not contain details about his private life. His “insecurity,” divorce from his wife, late nights at clubs, pickup lines, adulterous ways, scandalous relationships (to include that with Madonna) and tipping habits at Hooters or any other restaurant is NO ONE’S BUSINESS! The only reason this book has the salacious details is because no one would buy it otherwise (a sad testimony of our culture).

• Any information found regarding steroid use would be published in a newspaper or magazine, as well as handed over to his employers to deal with internally (that being inside the Yankees organization and Major League Baseball). I believe fans are entitled to know if they are being cheated by an athlete’s professional performance, but ultimately the court of public opinion can do nothing other than lambast A-Rod for sinning differently than they do. Real consequences would come from his employers.

• She would not be publishing information about his behavior as a teenager (he’s 32 years old now). I understand that it just shows a pattern of behavior, but that is for him, his team and his counselor (preferably pastor) to know and HELP him with – not for the public to judge him.

• (Probably my biggest issue with this “book”) Roberts would NOT profit for spreading his trash all over the world. This is as disgusting to me as a photographer being paid thousands or millions of dollars for taking a pic of a celebrity’s kids or a celebrity nude or in a scandalous situation.

As a true baseball fan, the revelation that many of the heroes of my generation have used steroids (in particular those who broke some of baseball’s most beloved records) has crushed me. Knowing that someone has cheated is important information that fans should know, but we do not need to know every area of their lives. Their personal lives are between them, their families, and God. This is not to say they should not be held accountable for inappropriate living, but the primary reason anyone knows about those private lives is because of scandalous “reporting” like this book. Their professional errors are an internal and professional issue that is between their employer (and Major League Baseball) and them as an employee. We as fans who pay our hard-earned money to watch those teams are to trust that they are disciplining and acting on behalf of those who pay their salaries and the integrity of the game itself.

PARENTS: As despicable an action as the publication of this book is, it is still a good reminder of the consequences of our decisions. For more on talking about this topic with kids or teens checkout my Bristol Palin/Levi Johnson post titled “Bristol Palin Who? Levi Johnson Who?”. It is also a good reminder for us about the importance of true repentance, Biblical accountability, Grace and mercy.

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Image Credit: Associated Press
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Robin Hood is Not My Hero

Since when did being rich become a crime?

I am not rich (I often joke that I can’t even afford to spell it). Deep down, I wish I had more money (not necessarily enough to “be rich,” but enough to be free of debt, able to save as we want, put enough aside for my kids to go to college, etc.). I even secretly dream that one day someone rich would walk up and say “hey, I had an extra $100,000 laying around and don’t need it… you want it?”. However, I am not angry with those who are well off, nor do I think it’s unfair that they are.

Do I think our economic system is a little off? Maybe. Or at least it seems backwards (though logically and financially I understand why)...

• I find it odd that great actors, athletes and musicians (as well as mediocre "musicians") make obscene amounts of money.
• I find it odd that the backbone of our society (teachers, blue collar workers, social workers, pastors/religious leaders, etc.) make so little.
• I find it odd that scheming is actually a lucrative venture (though right now many of those in the financial world are seeing the fruit of those decisions).

But, again, I am not angered by those who do have more than me. I try not to be envious. I certainly do not wish ill will or harm to their prosperity. However, this feeling is not mutual. Just today I was listening to a local radio program and a caller called in and blasted certain wealthy people for living comfortably in their mansions while many people around them are losing their jobs or taking pay cuts. Maybe it’s the down economy (but I think it is more than that because this type of attitude or way of thinking is an undercurrent in even good economies), but I think many in America look at the rich and think it’s not fair they have it so well and think the wealth ought to be evenly distributed. This is why, I think, people love the story of Robin Hood so much – he robbed the rich and gave to the poor. Side Note: While I love the adventure of Robin Hood, even as a kid I found the logic of the myth faulty: since when did it become ok to steal? Even if the rich people in the story stole the money first or got it through unethical ventures, I found it hard to justify stealing money from them. There is more to this conversation politically (namely, whether or not it’s the governments job to play Robin Hood and redistribute the wealth), but I will not address it simply because I am discussing the prevailing attitude/heart of lower and middle class America right now, not the evil economic conspiracy of American government.

Don’t get me wrong – I think it is a tragedy what many families are going through. Even the “rich” executives are not free from the pain of this economy (even if they “brought it on themselves”) as evidenced by the CFO of Freddie Mac, David Kellerman, taking his own life last month. Despite these woes I do not think blaming the rich is beneficial, nor is looking down on their success. After all, we Little People made them and the backwards system we live in. We spend $10 a movie ticket. We pay $100 for jerseys or tennis shoes. We spend billions of dollars annually to be entertained. No point blaming it or those who’ve prospered from it.

Parents: Use this conversation as a way of addressing our economic system with kids/teens. Discuss how we as Americans seem to classify those who are valuable in our society simply because of their celebrity or financial status. Talk of the Biblical joy we have that no matter what our finances or situation, there is hope in God. Talk also of the importance of focusing on the eternal, not the temporal - after all, money does no one any good after death (teach them the value and importance of "storing up our treasure in heaven").

Want to join the conversation? Click here to ask a question or post a comment!

Image borrowed from http://www.kelley-enterprises.com/images/money_tree_color.jpg

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