An Inconvenient Truth

There is no reason to assume that I am a leader in thought or reason. You would not even consider this if you were to meet me. I am just a normal guy who does normal things. But I do try to reason my way out of the ideals that seem to hold my generation on a short leash and never let it discover anything real. One which I have been considering for quite some time is global warming. Global warming seems to be the new fad that everyone seems to want to talk about these days. Everywhere I go I hear people talking about global warming. There seems to be a lot of conversations within our media about this subject as well.

“Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century, and its projected continuation.” (Wikipedia) This means that the earth’s average temperature is rising. The main reason for this is mankind putting pollutants in the atmosphere by way of gas powered vehicles, general industry and other chemical means. These pollutants go into our atmosphere and sit there trapping heat generated by the sun on our planet. This increases the temperature causing many adverse effects.

First, I would like to introduce the idea that global warming is a fad. It is not a fact. There have been environmental fads before. Consider the hole in the ozone layer. “The ozone layer is a layer in Earth's atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone (O3). This layer absorbs 93-99% of the sun's high frequency ultraviolet light, which is potentially damaging to life on earth” (Wikipedia) The hole in the ozone layer is the idea that the ozone is being depleted, and therefore letting harmful radiation into our atmosphere. This hole was the fad only a few years ago. Everyone was talking about this hole the same way we are now discussing global warming. We as a people were letting too many pollutants go into our atmosphere. Not the same pollutants we are now worried about because of global warming, mind you. These pollutants came from spray cans and chemicals. Every news report, every conversation next to a water cooler, every worry on a person’s mind was about the ozone layer. Now it has fled public thought and is no longer an issue. It was never a real threat and never will be. Why should we consider global warming as anything more than this?

The majority of the blame for global warming is to be placed upon the American people for their lack of concern for their environment. We are fat, stupid and don’t care how many trees we have to burn to build our oil refineries. Americans put out more pollutants than anyone else in the world. The top ten polluting cities in America are as follows;
1) Los Angeles, California
2) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3) Bakersfield, California
4) Birmingham, Alabama
5) Visalia/Porterville, California
6) Atlanta, Georgia
7) Cincinnati, Ohio
8) Fresno/Madera, California
9) Hanford/Corcoran, California
10) Detroit, Michigan
(American Lung Association)
As you can see we have many, very polluted cities in our country and we are not ashamed of it. But as for the world, the list is as follows;
1) Linfen, China
2) Tianying, China
3) Sukinda, India
4) Vapi, India
5) La Oroya, Peru
6) Dzerzhinsk, Russia
7) Norilsk, Russia
8) Chernobyl, Ukraine
9) Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
10) Kabwe, Zambia
(Time)
When looking at the world, we find that none of the most polluted cities in America even fall on the list of the ten most polluted cities in the world. Strange, it seems that the blame for pollution falls on us, but the ones who are polluting the most are nowhere near the U.S..

The worst and most publicized effect of global warming is the melting of the ice caps. The ice caps are the areas of ice that surround the north and south poles, as well as the ice on the tops of mountains. This will cause the oceans to fill with more water than ever before, raising the water levels and flooding hundreds of seafront cities. Let’s do a mind experiment (you can do it for real if you would like). We walk from our computers into our kitchens. There we open a cabinet and grab a glass. We proceed to the freezer where we fill the glass with ice. We then go to the sink and fill the glass to the brim with water. We get a phone call and set the glass on the counter where we forget about it completely. After a few hours we come back into the kitchen to discover the ice has all melted in our glass. What do we find?
A) The glass has overflowed with all the expanding water, and is on the counter around it
B) The glass has overflowed with all the expanding water, but thankfully the excess water has evaporated so there is none to clean up
C) The water level in the glass did not rise and, if anything, it has gone down a little
The answer is of course, C.
Now let us apply this to our oceans. As the temperature of our earth rises the glaciers in our ocean melt. The ice around the north and south poles melt. What happens to the oceans?
A) The oceans have overflowed with all the expanding water, and is now covering the seafront cities drowning thousands
B) The oceans have overflowed with all the expanding water, but thankfully the excess water has evaporated so there is no loss of land mass
C) The water level in the oceans did not rise and, if anything, has gone down a little
Even if all the ice that is not in the oceans melted, it seems that it would only fill the void left in the oceans because of the melted ice.

Where does this leave us? If global warming is a fad, it will eventually go away and we will have to deal with a new fad in a few years. If it is not a fad and is, in fact, a real threat to our environment, then we need not blame Americans for this and should focus our efforts on changing the practices of those in countries that are polluting. But we need not fear drowning under melted ice. There are many other facts that oppose global warming. These will not be discussed at this point because of lack of desire on my part. If you would like to hear my thoughts on this matter further, go ahead and ask. But because of the lack of readers I have, I feel this will not happen.

I am a fundamentalist!

We see the news. There are fundamentalists everywhere. They are out to kill us, to take away our tried and true American ways. They behead innocent victims and blow up buildings, mercilessly killing thousands. These fundamentalists impose their ideas on those around them and reject anything that is not their own. They refuse to be compassionate on those in need and they destroy anyone who stands in their way. Fundamentalists are what is killing our freedom and fundamentalists are who want to disrupt every day of our lives. These fundamentalists must be stopped at all costs. We must get rid of all fundamentalisms. But what is fundamentalism? And who are these fundamentalists?

A fundamentalist is one who “stress[es] strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) So a fundamentalist is someone who follows strict guidelines or principles. He is someone who learns the basic rules and begins to practice them in his everyday life. In sports we always see a need to practice fundamentals. A basketball player who practices dribbling the ball, passing to other players and shooting three pointers is a fundamentalist. He has stressed a strict and literal adherence to a set of basic basketball principles. When we hear a coach yell at his team, “we need to work of some fundamentals!” he is encouraging his team to be fundamentalists.

A fundamentalist is not a bad person; he is just adhering to a set of fundamental rules. There are many kinds of fundamentalists. They can be policemen, office workers, nannies, hikers, sport players, newscasters; anyone can be a fundamentalist, if there is a set of principles for him to follow. I am a fundamentalist. I adhere to a strict set of fundamental rules. I am a Christian fundamentalist. I follow the basic and most fundamental doctrines of Christianity. I strictly adhere to these rules and do not depart from them.

Many people say they are Christian, but do not adhere to any doctrines or rule set down by Christianity. I do not want to be associated with these people. It was in Antioch that the believers in Christ were first call Christians. These men, who were being blessed to be the first to be named Christians, were fundamentalists. They lived strictly by the rules given by Jesus while he was on the earth. Now we are in a time when everyone is a Christian. I have friends who are Christians who don’t know that Paul was first called Saul and killed many believers. I have Christian friends who don’t know that John was the only disciple who was not martyred. I know Christians, who have no idea that when Christ died, he bore the punishment for every sin ever committed, past, present and future, so as to give a new life to anyone who would accept it. Christianity has become to America what Judaism is to Israel. It has become that everyone in America is a Christian, whether they are or are not.

I am not one of these Christians, and I don’t want to be known as one of these. I do, however, want to be known as a Christian who is like the ones in Antioch. The fundamentalists who knew the doctrines of Christianity and they followed them to a tee. If this means that I must be known as a fundamentalist, then so be it. I would rather have people thinking I am some sort of fanatic than to be one of these who don’t even know their own faith.

In our present age, fundamentalism has become a bad word. It has become what we call people think differently than us and demand that we think as they do or die. Though this is not what fundamentalism is, I would rather be associated with this name than the one that has no meaning left in it at all. Once the word Christianity is stripped of all meaning, it can no longer be used to differentiate between those who are and those who aren’t Christians. Fundamentalism is the only name that holds any true meaning anymore, so this is the name I must take.

My Star Wars Christianity

“A long time ago, on a galaxy far far away… STAR WARS” The long silence followed by the immense amount of sound, the giant ships flying over head, amazing flashes of light preceding huge explosions. Star Wars rocks! I love those movies. They are one of the best set of movies you will ever get your hands on. Episodes IV through VI are my favorite, but I would be a liar to say I did not love I through III. As a Christian, I hear teaching and preaching all the time using those movies as metaphors for my Christian walk. But is it a great metaphor? Yes it does show the good against evil, light against dark, God against devil contrast quite well, and it shows an ongoing battle against dark forces in an overtly metaphorically Christian way, but I think there are some fundamental flaws in what the Sith and the Jedi believe compared to what Christians believe.

In episode III, Anakin sits down with chancellor Palpatine in some sort of theater. There is a huge amount of people sitting and watching as giant balls of light seem to float around to entertain them. The chancellor tells those who are around him to leave so he is able to talk to Anakin alone. He begins to tell him a story of a man called Darth Plagueis the wise. Palpatine said to Anakin, “He was a man who was so powerful and so wise that he could use the midichlorians to create life. He had such knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying… unfortunately; he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep.” He ended by saying, “ironic, he could save others from death, but not himself.”

There once was a real man who was very wise. He had such great power, He could create life, and may times He kept people around Him from dying. He taught twelve of His apprentices everything and showed them that they could heal others and raise people from the dead. Then one of His apprentices betrayed Him, and gave Him to people to kill Him. While dying, one of those with Him mocked Him by saying “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” (Luke 23:39b NKJV) This man has a very similar story to Darth Plagueis’, but this man’s story is real. This man is Jesus Christ.

The story of Darth Plagueis is almost parallel to the story of Christ. It has been twisted, and some points have been changed, but it is the same. It almost sounds like Jesus’ story was passed from person to person, until after years of being said, the facts had changed. The Sith have a man in their past who is almost identical to a man in our Christian past.

Now a new convert to the Sith, Anakin Skywalker commits horrible atrocities to many who had been his longtime friends. After killing many people, including children, Anakin retreats to a giant factory built upon a boiling volcano. Learning of the atrocities her husband has done Padamay runs to Anakin. They share a long passionate discussion during which she realizes how her lover has changed. From behind her, Anakin’s long time friend and mentor in the force appears from out of a docked ship. They begin to argue and as the intensity grows they begin to fight. During this argument Anakin says, “If you are not with me, then you are my enemy” Obi One responds with, “only a Sith deals in absolutes.”

This one line reminds me of something someone else has said. “He that is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30 KJV) At another point He said, “he that is not against us is for us.” (Luke 9:50 KJV) Jesus Christ thought of everything in black and white, and he said almost the exact words said by Anakin after he joined the Sith.

Let’s take a look at the life of Anakin Skywalker. He was brought up in the way of the Jedi. From a young age he started following Jedis around and learning how to be one himself. As he grew older, he began to kill the Sith. He sought them out with the permission of the Jedi, and killed them. One day while on his way to arrest and kill more Sith, something happened. His entire worldview changed. He realized that everything he thought was wrong. The people he was killing were right. And he decided he must become a Sith. It was at this point that his name was changed from Anakin to Darth Vader. He became the most influential Sith in history. He converted thousands into Sith and he became a leader looked to by many for guidance.

Let’s now take a look at the life of a man in the Bible by the name of Saul. He was brought up in the Jewish tradition. From a young age he started to follow Pharisees around and learning t be one himself. As he grew older, he began to kill the Christians. He sought them out with the permission of the religious leaders, and killed them. One day while on his way to arrest and kill more Christians, something happened. His entire worldview changed. He realized that everything he thought was wrong. The people he was killing were right. And he decided he must become a Christian. It was at this point that his name was changed from Saul to Paul. He became the most influential Christian in history. He converted thousands into Christians and he became a leader looked up to by many for guidance.

These two people have very similar stories. In fact, all I did to write the story of Saul was change around the names of the people in the story. It is almost like the life of the fictional Anakin Skywalker is based on the life of the real Saul.

Throughout the Star Wars episodes IV through VI we see the Jedi talking to dead Jedi, a practice that is forbidden by the Bible. We also see that the Jedi are supporting a democratic republic government, while the Sith support an empire, where there is one person who is above everyone else, and everyone is both being led by those above him and is leading those below him, a system that is based on the kingdom of God.

As we can see, the dark side of the force seems to be based on the Christian worldview and doctrines. We are portrayed in these movies as horrible group of people who are bent on destroying everything that is good. The Star Wars series seem to be putting the Christian faith down. I am not trying to say that we should stop watching Star Wars in any fashion. There is no reason to stop watching them. They are great movies that I enjoy watching and you should too. But I do believe that we should not be comparing Christianity to the Jedi, because they represent our polar opposites.

A Remnant

This is an essay I recently wrote for a class after reading The Remnant by Pastor Larry Stockstill.

“I’m going to shake this nation.” (Stockstill, 2008) these words were given by God to Larry Stockstill in 2006. Since then we have seen preachers who have been heading up giant mega-churches fall in the way of sexual morality, embezzling money and setting themselves up as all knowing leaders of congregations. From this we have seen many churches destroyed, some to the point of ending service, others just lowering standards so as to justify every unbiblical action in the name of God. it has also brought up a “new” group of believers, who instead of justifying their actions, looked at what the Bible said about their deeds and changed their lives accordingly. A group of Christians who have resolved to be Christ like. Pastors who demand their congregations to live holy lives, not just holy lives by name but by action and works. This “new” group of Christians is a remnant of the old way, a remnant of the living for Christ.

We as a church are to be the bride of Christ. She is seen by John in the book of revelation adorned in beautiful garments being joined with her husband, Christ Jesus. “And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2 KJV) The bride is to be beautiful, adorned with beautiful clothes and jewelry, yet we as a church (here in America) have adorned ourselves with filth and mud and are now strutting about for everyone to see. We have become proud of our sin. We are showing the world, unashamedly, our greed, our lust and our malice towards members of our own body. We must become a purified body of believers who will clean ourselves (inside and out) of every unrighteousness, become a pure bride that is not bringing shame on our bridegroom.

Where does this start? Does it start with the new believers? Does it start with the congregations of churches across our country? No! It must start with the leaders. Everyone who reads this, everyone who realizes the importance of this cleansing, whether the lowest in his church, a new believer or a great minister bringing thousands to the Lord must understand and implement this in their life. but more importantly, this is a principle that must be sought after by every Christian leader in the church. it must start with the one who is coaching everyone else. When you see a professional sports team, it is rare to find one with a coach that has not played the game. When you see a coach of a basketball team who has never dunked a ball, you feel there is something wrong. Moreover, if you find that same coach telling the team to work on a specific fundamental (dibbling, passing, shooting) and he has never developed that skill himself, you feel as though he may not know what he is talking about and that he may be a hypocrite. This is what is going on in our church today. We see pastors telling their congregation (and sometimes others over various media) that tithing will bring the double double, and triple triple, when they themselves have yet to bring in their tithe. There is something wrong.

In every way, we must be pure. We must be pure. We must be pure. This is a statement that must be burned into our every thought. We must pray, every day. We must read our bibles, every day. There needs to be only truth coming from our lips. We need to be pure in our relationships. Meaning we are never alone with someone of the opposite sex. We are not in charge of the passwords to our internet and television filters. We are accountable in every way. If we are tempted to take money from the church, we don’t possess a key to the room where it is kept and we are required to have a cosigner when using the church account. We know how to use Godly wisdom when dealing with those around us. We have Godly counsel that we regularly come to when making a decision. Every word we preach, we already practice or are putting into practice. We must be pure.

The bride is called to be pure. She is to be adorned in fine clothing. In many ways we have failed to do this. We have failed to live unto the standard laid down by the Bible. We have seen “pure men of God” fall into horrible deprived things. We have seen entire churches let go of all Godly standards so as to “be a light to the world”. There must be a change. The book, The Remnant by Pastor Larry Stockstill is a letter to every Christian leader regarding how to live. It is a must read for anyone who is a leader in God’s house, whether a leader of one or a leader of millions.

The epilogue of The Remnant is the ten commandments of ministry. This list is not found in the Bible, but every principle is, and every principle is found in the lists of requirements for Godly leaders found throughout the Bible. They are as follows:

1. I pledge myself to a life of prayer and fasting, making time alone with God my highest priority. (Acts 6:4)

2. I pledge myself to faithfully study, teach, and preach the scripture itself. (2 Timothy 3:1-4:4)

3. I pledge myself to integrity in the areas of financial accountability, commitments, honesty, and doctrine. (Hebrews 13:18)

4. I pledge myself to moral purity in thoughts, media, appearances, and the marriage covenant. (Hebrews 13:4)

5. I pledge myself to be an example in my work habits, community reputation, and family model. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

6. I pledge myself to covenant relationships that foster accountability, networking, team building, and a kingdom mentality. (Hebrews 13:17)

7. I pledge myself to a philosophy of simplicity, sincerity, and sacrifice. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

8. I pledge myself to living a life of faith through clear vision, fearless trust, and a conquering mentality. (1 Timothy 6:12)

9. I pledge myself to a spiritual warfare against principalities, not people. (2 Corinthians 10:1-5)

10. I pledge myself to walk in the humility, teamwork, order, and creativity of wisdom. (Ephesians 5:15)

Works cited
1. The Remnant, Larry Stockstill, 2008 Charisma House Publishing
2. All scripture is taken from the King James Bible