Thursday, December 20, 2012

Christian Leaders Show They're Clueless About Newtown Shootings

In recent months we have heard many cruel and insensitive statements from individuals who put themselves in prominent positions, like the senate candidate who talked about the ability of a woman's body to reject pregnancy in the event of "legitimate" rape.  As we now struggle to make sense of the killings in Newtown, Connecticut, I somehow thought we had heard enough stupid statements from otherwise smart people.  Then I came across an article on rawstory.com.  

The article states that Focus on the Family and Family Research Council founder, James Dobson, has come to the conclusion that God allowed the tragedy in Newton, Connecticut to happen because America has turned its back on God by allowing same sex marriage and abortion.

The article quotes Dobson as saying, “I think we have turned our back on the Scripture and on God Almighty and I think he has allowed judgment to fall upon us.”

And Dobson is not alone in this insensitive, non-Biblical attitude.  The article also cites a statement by Bryan Fisher of the American Family Association that “God did not protect the children of Newton because prayer was not sponsored in public schools.”  And Mike Huckabee of Fox News blamed the Newton shootings on God’s being removed from American culture.

In his biography of Thomas Jefferson, Jon Meacham quotes Jefferson as saying, “The greatest enemies of the doctrines of Jesus are those who claim to be the depositors of them.”  And these men are the enemies of God.  By their cold, uncaring, legalism, they cause unbelievers to blaspheme.  They presume to speak for God and, in so doing, make all Christians look like fools.  If this is God’s way of working His plan for America, He is truly short on ideas.  By their words, they raise the shooter, himself tortured by mental illness, to the status of Scourge of God.

Galatians 5: 22-23 tells us, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  I see no love in preaching God’s harsh judgment through the murder of children.  They bring no joy, peace, or goodness.  They show no kindness, gentleness, or self-control.  They can not forbear from cutting into the heart of an already hurting nation.  They do show faithfulness to their own harsh legalism and their faith in an avenging, angry God.  I guess Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross really didn't mean anything.  God still wants blood.

I don’t mean to make light of a serious and hurtful situation, but for a humorous take on this, you might wan to go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rixkck8QnjY.  I found this some years ago, and it seems apropos.  And Dobson, Huckabee, Fischer, and the idiot pastor who talked about American schools teaching “junk about evolution” and “how to be a homo” deserve the ridicule.



Saturday, December 1, 2012

I'm really excited about the new cover for Power in the Blood.  I finally had to break down and pay someone to have it made, but it's great to work with someone who knows how to do things.

This cover will grace the new Smashwords edition of the novel.  Within the next few weeks, all distribution of my work will be through Smashwords.  This will give me the availability to distribute in every major ebook format.  I'm looking forward to many more readers in 2013.

I wish every one of my friends a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.