God People freedom and Democracy

God, people, freedom  and democracy.
The Talmud states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
                                                                                                             The Talmud.
A good democracy depends on not only the government treating all its people with respect, dignity and honesty, but on all people within that democracy doing the same.
Germany in the 1920's, 30's and early 40's showed how a cultured people living in a democracy can go astray in a big way.
Germany for a myriad of reasons lost hope and turned to a man who offered them hope. Sadly that man was Adolf Hitler.
Hitler and the Nazi party came to power, destroyed German democracy, brought death and suffering on people both inside and outside German society and no one stood up to him.
Even the other democracies of the world, some if not all of whom were responsible for placing Germany in that situation, refused to intervene until it was too late and world war two was inevitable.   Martin Niemoller a German cleric and anti Nazi wrote,

“When they came for the Communists, 

I did not stand up, 

because I was not a Communist. 

When they came for the Jews,

 I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish. 

When they came for the Catholics, 

I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic. 

When they came for me,

 there was no one left to stand up.”

                                                                                         Martin Niemoller
 I am a Christian and I firmly believe that Christians and others of faith and even those individuals without faith, are responsible before God to stand up for injustice wherever it may be.
Tony Campolo the American Evangelist wrote,
“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change.”
Tony Campolo
Francis of Assisi said,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                                                Francis of Assisi
Jesus said,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” 
                                   Matthew 25:34-40.
You may not be a Christian but I believe what I have said above is a universal truth.
No matter who people are it is a simple human right that they should have access to ample food, clothing, shelter and medical care.
I also believe the words written by the writer of Proverbs who said,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” 
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
Please think about it.

Love and Compromise

Love & Compromise
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” 
                                                                                                          Proverbs 3:1-4.
Do you let love guide your way?
The apostle Paul writes of love,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

 it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                                                1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
Martin Luther King jr said,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
                                                                                Martin Luther King, Jr.
More and more I see within North American society confrontation taking place simply because people disagree with what someone believes. We are becoming a confrontational society.
Be they Christians, those of other faiths or atheist we see confrontation happening over disagreements in everything from prayer in the schools, to what is being taught in schools, to abortion to same sex marriage, to the wearing of the face coverings by some Muslim women, and more. The list seems to go on and on.
Perhaps it’s time to take a break, save some money by not hiring lawyers and going to court.
Perhaps it time to come together in love as a society and have free and open dialogue over these things with out resorting to the courts.
To show respect and understanding of others. To respect one another’s beliefs and point of view. To live and let live.
I as a Christian wish to tell people of my faith. But I do not wish to impose my faith on anyone. That would be wrong and contrary to my faith.
At the same time I have no objection to listening to what an Atheist or those of other faiths have to say. Quite honestly I believe it’s a good thing.
As long as the government or individuals do not force anyone to do something contrary to what they believe we should live and let live.
The apostle Paul says something that is good for all people to do. When he wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” 
                                                                                                         Romans 12:18.
Jesus said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” 
          Matthew 7:12.
These while Christian words of wisdom are words I believe everyone can understand and put into practice.
Sadly in North American society it seems the very thing the founders of the constitutions of both Canada and the United States wrote to help people live in harmony, the assurance of “our rights” seems to be causing conflict.
People are demanding their rights without thinking that others have rights. They seem to fail to realize that living in the free secular democracy demands compromise from time to time.
Please think about it.

The Christianity I know

The Christianity I know
Tony Campolo the American evangelist wrote,
“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed.”
              Tony Campolo

I a Christian admit all too many people calling themselves Christians these days in North America are protesting against things. They are cementing in the minds of non-believers that Christianity is a religion of “do not’s”.
In protesting against the rights of someone in a secular democracy such as we have in the west these people are at the very least being perceived as intolerant bigots.
This is not the Christianity I know.
Christianity to me is God reaching down to mankind and saying “I love you. Let me show you the way to heaven.”
Jesus met with people of every strata in every circumstance of the society in which he lived. And even though He was the Christ and had the right to judge, he did not judge anyone while on this earth. Nor should Christians.
As a Christian I believe that Christians should be showing presenting the love of God to both our neighbour and our enemy that is what Jesus told us to do. He said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
                                                                                               Matthew 5:43,44.
When asked the question,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 
                                                                                                  Matthew 22:37-40.
This is what Christians are called to do.
Also because Christians are showing the love of God we would be remiss in our duty if we didn’t in Love present the warning God gave to all people everywhere. The warning Jesus spoke recorded by the apostle John.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. 
                                                                                                              John 3:16-18.
This is the fundamental belief of Christians. We believe everyone must believe that Jesus is the one and only Son of God. The Saviour of mankind. That each person must come into a personal relationship with Jesus in order to get to heaven.
As Christians we are told to present this belief, not force it on anyone. Simply give each person the choice to believe it or not.
God gave each and every person a freewill to choose what they believe and the path of their life even if it is to reject Him.
So dear reader the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Not Until

Not until

“Not until the creation and maintenance of decent conditions of life for all men are recognized and accepted as a common obligation of all men and all countries—not until then shall we, with a certain degree of justification, be able to speak of mankind as civilized.”
                                                                                                     Albert Einstein.
I look around the world today and I see a lot of hate, and avarice. I look at the various terrorist organizations and see men and women dealing in hate. At the same time I look at the western world and see incredible wealth mixed with greed.
By far democracy is the best way of life. That being said the while capitalism that thrives in a democracy, is an honest way of life and has produced things that are beneficial to our way of life, is not always good for people.
I find nothing wrong with honest people making as much money as they wish from things that are not essential. Hey if someone wants to sell a fancy phone for six hundred bucks or a watch for half a million dollars good for them.
My problem is when people are making a profit off someone’s suffering. I look particularly at the medical industry.
The medical industry in essential and those who work in it are honest caring and loving people who are there because they want to help. Most if not all health care workers are not in it to make profit. Like I said they are there because they care.
Still I listened in horror to a news cast today that told of a Canadian mother on vacation in Hawaii who’s ended up in hospital and had her baby prematurely. Because of complications it cost her almost a million dollars. And the travel insurance she had has refused to pay. The provincial health care system she was covered with in Canada has paid for some but it’s far less than a hundred thousand dollars.
Think of it a Million dollars! For a human life. For me no one, especially a private company should be making money off a human life.
I understand the doctors and the hospital needs money to function and provide the services. But why does it cost so much more in the United States than in Canada or other countries that have national health systems?
That example aside there are hundreds of examples especially in the area of drug treatment. I understand the drug companies put a lot out in research but isn’t a months worth of dugs costing over a thousand or even ten thousand dollars outrageous?
Who but the rich can afford them.
Ebola is good example of an illness that has no cure because there was seemingly no profit in it for the drug companies. Now thousands of people are dying.
My daughter in law works with autistic children. More and more with these children they are finding things like computers and Ipads help them. The actual computers and ipads are reasonable compared to some of the programs that have been developed. She noted one program cost $15,000 per child. Some private insurances cover a portion of it. But those without have to go cap in hand to service clubs who do a good job at helping, but should not have too.
Still why should someone with any disability or health problem not be properly covered is it not a basic human right?
Is a millionaire’s life and well being worth more than that of someone working for minimum wage or on social assistance?
In Canada and I know in all countries with national health systems the system eats up a lot of money. But it’s probably the best money the government spends. It is investing in the health and welfare of its people.
I believe God cares for the individual that’s why he sent Jesus to show how far he would go to have a personal relationship with us.
Jesus cares for the individual and leaves us with a warning.
Jesus is recorded as saying.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” 
                                                                                         Matthew 25:34-36.
I think doctors, nurses healthcare workers and others in essential services should be among the best paid in our society.
I don’t even mind any developer of any necessary product be they drugs or medical devices making their money back even with a little interest. They took the risks in developing it they should be rewarded. Still profits should never be put ahead of the needs of people.
We as a society should be looking to the most vulnerable of our society and doing all we can to help them even if it’s in just a small way.
I do believe the words of Jesus I quoted above and I believe everyone will one day be called to account for what they did in this life be they Christian or not.
I think the Talmud say’s it best. It states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
                                                                                                                     The Talmud
What will you be able to say to God?
Think about it.