#violence #religion #Christianity #Christians #TeachingsOfJesus
Christianity teaches us to love thy neighbor as thyself.
But there are many people who say they are Christians who support, even encourage, violence against others.
Perhaps they believe that violence, for the right cause, is just, even ordained by God.
Certainly, history teaches us about wars fought over religion. We saw Protestants and Catholics fight in Northern Irelands a few decades ago. Many relics of that fighting remain in Northern Ireland today. Even though the fight was not over religion per se, most of those who were loyal to the British crown were Protestant, and most of those who wanted Ireland united as a separate republic were Catholic.
Today, the majority of people in Northern Ireland are Catholic, according to tour guides. Peace prevails there today, but few believe the country will remain peaceful forever. The fear of more “troubles,” as they call them, is prevalent.
In the U.S., some Christians feel they are “under attack,” from those who are not like them.
They believe they have to fight, with whatever weapons necessary, to regain “their” country.
The U.S. has always been a melting pot of religions, nationalities, races etc. So, what the Christians who feel under attack want is power – and they want to subjugate all others to their way of life.
People are entitled to believe what they believe, live however they want, as long as they don’t harm others, or interfere in others’ lives. But, some actually want to interfere in the lives of others, whom they see as not believing what they believe.
There is also the adage “live and let live.”
That means you pay no attention to lifestyles that don’t conform to yours, as long as practitioners of those lifestyles don’t bother you.
An effort to keep children away from those their parents hate can be futile, if the child grows to deviate from his or parents’ beliefs.
You can’t stop others from being themselves using force. It will not be a long-term solution, if you are inclined to feel that way. Today, the internet and social media provide many ways for like-minded people to gather, communicate and socialize.
The children WILL grow to find a way to be who they are, regardless of parental restrictions.
Sometimes, the more a parent interferes in his or her child’s life, the more distant those children become from their parents.
If you are a Christian who feels under attack, ask yourself whether Jesus would behave the way you do. Many things you may oppose were not around in Jesus’ time, or, at least, they were not done openly.
Regardless, Jesus never espoused hatred in any form. His teachings would tell us, or should tell us, to embrace differences among us and live in peace.
Many who want the Ten Commandments posted in every public school classroom would do well to abide by all those commandments.
Peter
Monthly Archives: September 2024
SHOOT FIRST; ASK NO QUESTIONS
#guns #SchoolShootings #GunOwnership #ResponsibleGunOwnership
Shoot first, ask questions later, the old Western adage says.
Today, it might be revised to say: shoot first, ask no questions.
After the latest school shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Ga., there are numerous “thoughts and prayers” being offered to the affected families.
But, the question will come down to whether anyone in power will make attempts to stop further gun violence.
The gun lobby has a certain group of legislators, governors and other officials in their pockets. These officials are assigned to prevent any gun restrictions from being enacted, no matter what.
Do we really care more about guns than children and teachers?
As context, no one in any position of power is urging repeal of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
There is nothing wrong with owning a gun for recreation, or even self protection in certain areas.
But, gun ownership is a massive responsibility. Owners have to keep their weapons and ammunition away from people who might misuse them. The question will be asked in Barrow County: How did a 14-year-old boy get a gun past his schoolhouse door?
By all accounts, the response after the shooting was outstanding. School officers confronted the boy with the gun, and he surrendered peacefully. And, the boy’s father was arrested, charged with allowing him to have the gun. His mother had alerted school officials well ahead of the shooting to keep an eye on her son. Another question to be asked: did school officials heed the mother’s warning?
Controlling guns is no easy task. They are as easy to buy as a tool in a hardware store. In many places, no one has to know who you are to sell you a gun. And, some residents of those places like it that way.
As the number of guns in civilian hands proliferates, the more likely it becomes that more of those guns will end up in the wrong hands.
Most gun owners don’t deliberately give or loan their guns to those who would do harm. But, often, the owners don’t know who would, or would not, do harm, or who would do harm eventually.
Some gun owners are careless, leaving their weapons accessible for anyone in their household, or who visits their household, to take.
Very rarely does a loaded gun in a nightstand offer protection. But, those guns are easily accessible, particularly to curious children.
Others carry guns as naturally as they carry a wallet. They’ll show up at an airport with guns in their pockets, and forget they was there.
In summary, gun violence is an epidemic in the U.S., unlike most anywhere else in the world.
Innocent children and adults are getting shot while conducting normal life. Children in school have to have active shooter drills.
Suggested solutions are many, but few rise to the level of absolute solution. But, the way we buy, sell, resell or otherwise get guns into people’s hands would have to change to minimize the threat of such violence. Almost nothing would eliminate the threat completely.
We may need to restrict some weapons that offer no useful civilian purpose. They are designed to shoot a lot of people quickly, We need to know, as a society, who has these weapons, and, perhaps, stop more of them from being sold.
The 2nd Amendment allows for gun ownership. We have to refine it to try to ensure only responsible gun and ammunition ownership. We need to somehow keep weapons out of the hands of children, or adults who would do harm.
Gun owners need to step up as individuals, if they want to preserve their right as it stands. If they don’t, someday someone who opposes easily available guns – and who wants to stop innocent people from being shot — will step up. And, the gun enthusiasts will not be happy.
We have a clarion call here. Who will heed it?
Peter
CLEAN YOUR HOUSE FOR $19? CHECK IT OUT
#HouseCleaning #housekeepers #CleaningServices #CleaningYourHouse
Imagine getting your house cleaned for $19.
That’s the pitch Homeaglow offers in its TV ad.
What the ad doesn’t tell you is the $19 price – which sounds too good to be true – is only for the FIRST cleaning. To get your house cleaned regularly, there is an array of other prices offered on its Web site. And, there are a limited number of $19 cleanings in certain areas, and some areas may have none available.
The lesson here is that if something sounds too good to be true, check it out.
The big part of advertising’s job is to get potential clients or customers to find out more.
The $19 price is a good lure. Perhaps Homeaglow figures that it’s a great hook to get people to check out its Web site.
If you Google Homeaglow, you may find an array of reviews for the service.
House cleaning services can be tricky. If you are particular, as many are, about how your house is cleaned, you may want the same person doing it every time.
Companies like Homeaglow may send a different cleaner every time. They may do different things. You may want to specify to your house cleaner what you want done, and how you want it done.
If you have the same person, or the same two people, clean your house every time, you can build up enough trust with them that you can leave your house while it is being cleaned. If you have different people every time, you may not feel comfortable leaving them alone in your house.
Some people are so particular about house cleaning that they HAVE to do it themselves.
Or, it may not be in the budget for some to pay for house cleaning.
But, if you are in the market for someone to clean your house, get references and check them out.
Make sure that what they are charging fits the going market price, and you are comfortable paying it.
Companies like Homeaglow may seem cheaper than private cleaning services, perhaps because they can get multiple houses on the same street. But, if you want to know who is cleaning your house, and you want the same person every time, a private cleaner may be better.
If you are using a cleaner for the first time, and you have left them in your house unsupervised, check around after the cleaner has left to make sure he or she did what he or she said he or she was going to do, and to make sure nothing is out of place.
When deciding whether to have someone else clean your house, determine how particular you are and whether that person, company or anyone can live up to your standards.
Also, presuming you can afford the service, determine how much your time is worth. Could you be doing something more valuable to you than spending time cleaning? Could you be working, and earning money, for example?
Balancing work, leisure and household chores can be a challenge. Remember, if you can afford to do it, your time doing other things can be worth more to you than doing some of the necessary chores of life yourself.
Peter
Imagine getting your house cleaned for $19.
That’s the pitch Homeaglow offers in its TV ad.
What the ad doesn’t tell you is the $19 price – which sounds too good to be true – is only for the FIRST cleaning. To get your house cleaned regularly, there is an array of other prices offered on its Web site. And, there are a limited number of $19 cleanings in certain areas, and some areas may have none available.
The lesson here is that if something sounds too good to be true, check it out.
The big part of advertising’s job is to get potential clients or customers to find out more.
The $19 price is a good lure. Perhaps Homeaglow figures that it’s a great hook to get people to check out its Web site.
If you Google Homeaglow, you may find an array of reviews for the service.
House cleaning services can be tricky. If you are particular, as many are, about how your house is cleaned, you may want the same person doing it every time.
Companies like Homeaglow may send a different cleaner every time. They may do different things. You may want to specify to your house cleaner what you want done, and how you want it done.
If you have the same person, or the same two people, clean your house every time, you can build up enough trust with them that you can leave your house while it is being cleaned. If you have different people every time, you may not feel comfortable leaving them alone in your house.
Some people are so particular about house cleaning that they HAVE to do it themselves.
Or, it may not be in the budget for some to pay for house cleaning.
But, if you are in the market for someone to clean your house, get references and check them out.
Make sure that what they are charging fits the going market price, and you are comfortable paying it.
Companies like Homeaglow may seem cheaper than private cleaning services, perhaps because they can get multiple houses on the same street. But, if you want to know who is cleaning your house, and you want the same person every time, a private cleaner may be better.
If you are using a cleaner for the first time, and you have left them in your house unsupervised, check around after the cleaner has left to make sure he or she did what he or she said he or she was going to do, and to make sure nothing is out of place.
When deciding whether to have someone else clean your house, determine how particular you are and whether that person, company or anyone can live up to your standards.
Also, presuming you can afford the service, determine how much your time is worth. Could you be doing something more valuable to you than spending time cleaning? Could you be working, and earning money, for example?
Balancing work, leisure and household chores can be a challenge. Remember, if you can afford to do it, your time doing other things can be worth more to you than doing some of the necessary chores of life yourself.
Peter