In this article on Townhall.com, Michelle Malkin takes on statements made by the Hollywood actress regarding U.S. aid to foreign refugees. It pretty much sums up my thoughts on entertainers jumping on the soap box in a fit of righteous indignation and bashing our country without really seeing the big picture. Here is a key quote:
In the land of make-believe, Jolie's call to pour more tax dollars into the U.N. refugee agency's coffers might well help to stem the refugee tide. But in the real world, it will only perpetuate exploitation.
I was equally offended when Sean Penn took a plane to Iraq and came back "enlightened", pretending to have all the answers to the issues brewing in the Middle East. Some of these problems have been going on for centuries and are a direct result of corrupt governments and organizations, but the "Hollyweirdos" think throwing more money at the problem will make everything better.
What does fame and endless disposable income do to these people? Next time you wish for money, power and fame, remember, you too could be transformed into an elitist, self-righteous "Hollyweirdo".
9 comments:
It makes me ill when Angelina Jolie is made out to be this great humanitarian when she is supporting the UN which is completely corrupt and ineffective.
I especially liked your last paragraph:
"What does fame and endless disposable income do to these people? Next time you wish for money, power and fame, remember, you too could be transformed into an elitist, self-righteous "Hollyweirdo"
I blame the liberal press for making Jolie into something she's clearly not. They've been jocking her for so many years tho its no surprise. nor is anyone in Hollywood thinking that throwing money at a problem will solve everything.
I hope it's okay to use this comment section for some more questions.
1. What does it mean to "serve the Lord"?
2. Maybe this goes with #1, but how would you describe a Christian, or maybe better put would be, what does it take to be a Christian?
3. Does LIFE begin at conception?
4. I've read several times that Christ never actually says that He is "The Son of God". Is this true? If not, please tell me where in the Bible it states that so that I may show others.
5. The image of Jesus that has is one of a caring, loving person, but I've come to realize that he isn't necessarily quite that so much. How do you describe him?
Okay, that's enough for now.
Take your time.
To serve the Lord is to do His will, whatever that may be. I believe that is the simplest way to put it. Many, especially non-Christians would interpret service to God as being directly involved in some ministry or priesthood, but this is a very narrow interpretation.
The lay person who devotes his time to whatever God has given him to do at work, at play, or taking care of family and friends; doing all of this in love, in view of God's love for him, I believe is serving and pleasing the Lord.
Let me not mislead you, this does not mean you and I are allowed to define in our own terms what it means to serve the Most High, these things are done in submission to His will.
Paul called himself a "Bond Servant" in Romans 1, which meant he literally exchanged his will for the will of God in all of his affairs.
I would be remiss if I missed the highest calling:
John 6:28-29
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
(from New International Version)
I will answer the rest of your questions as well as time permits.
I believe life begins at conception and I believe this verse from the Bible explains why pretty well:
Gen 2:7
7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
(from New International Version)
Life didn't happen in a void, it has a source and I believe God is that source. This explains conception and what I believe to be the reason that we respect life, ie, murder is wrong.
Those who believe life does not begin at conception have to explain exactly where it does begin. Is it when the fetus looks like a person and has arms, legs, etc? Or is it 3 months, 6 months? Some say until the baby is actually born, it is not a person and has no rights of its own. This is the rationale for late-term abortion.
Christian literally means "little Christ" and was a title given to followers of Jesus by those who were their contemporaries. Most disciples of Jesus considered themselves to be part of "The Way". As you mentioned, to be a Christian is synonymous with serving God.
Jesus the Son of God:
John 5:24-27;
24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
(from New International Version)
The above words are the words of Christ, and the implication is clear: He is the Son of God.
The Jewish pharisees of Jesus' time knew exactly what He meant when He said:
John 8:58-9:1
58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
(from New International Version)
John 10:29-32
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,
(from New International Version)
Jesus made Himself equal with God, which to the Hebrews was a crime punishable by death through stoning. Ultimately, they got their wish and Jesus was crucified for blasphemy.
Your comment about Jesus being less than caring and loving are intriguing. The account of His life indicate He was abundantly loving, forgiving and caring. Even non-Christian religions acknowledge this. Even in His anger He was righteous, such as when He turned over the table of the money-changers and drove them out with a whip. This was done in love for His Fathers house.
Care to elaborate as to how you reached your conclusions?
Forgive me, for I truly do appreciate your effort, but concerning my first questions, I feel like, “Okay, so what does it mean 'to do His will?’ ”
Please don’t tell me it’s, “who devotes his time to whatever God has given him to do at work, at play, or taking care of family and friends” because that stuff you’re SUPPOSED to do. It reminds me of a student of mine who told me he got a new i-pod from his father for all the studying he had been doing lately. (He hadn't ever before, that's why I was hired.) I looked at him and said, "You're SUPPOSED to do that!
Paul called himself a "Bond Servant" in Romans 1, which meant he literally exchanged his will for the will of God in all of his affairs.
And God was happy with this?
I wouldn’t be.
As for your response to my second question, I disagree that it explains it pretty well.
Or, maybe it does, for I’ve always thought that Leviticus 17:11, while not referring to conception directly, still puts it quite clearly. And now that I think about it, your example does the same. When God forms man from dust and then blows life into him, man does have blood in him at that time also.
I’m content with the answers to my second and fourth questions.
As for Jesus being less than loving and caring, I’ve always thought that until I heard a few of the militant Christian groups justify their actions with examples of how Christ wasn’t necessarily so. Again, forgive me, I don’t remember the specific examples. However, Luke 19:27 sure goes against the grain of how most people view Jesus.
The important thing about doing God's will is how we know what that will is, which is done by having a personal relationship with Him through prayer and His word. You say of course we work hard and take care of friends and family, but God is more interested in WHY we do things than specifically what we are doing. That is what I meant when I said doing everything in love, and not human love which has boundaries, but God's love, which is sacrificial.
In exchanging God's will for his own, Paul acknowledged that God's will was better. Unless you view this from the perspective that man is a fallen being, this will not make sense I suppose.
True, if you bleed enough, you die, but this does not negate the fact that God is the giver of life.
Why is it that God cannot be merciful AND punish those who deserve punishment? Are you suggesting that Jesus has to be an absolute pacifist to be considered benevolent? God IS full of mercy and love, but He is not impotent. At some point there will be a reckoning for those who do not submit to His will.
2 Thess 1:6-10
6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.
(from New International Version)
Post a Comment