NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Catholicism Is More Bad Than Good

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The Lord's Supper can't make you Christian any more than Thanksgiving Dinner can make you American.

“Unworthy” Speaks To The Manner
In Which You Relate To Others
Not Your Nature

Catholicism is big. Put your finger anywhere on any map and you’ll land close to Catholic influence.

Unfortunately, that can be good or bad. Sometimes very bad.

Even as I write this I know some will balk because they know a few Catholics. They work with some. They are neighbors to others. They’ve heard about Mother Theresa and all these people left very good impressions. They’re good people. They do good things. They are pleasant, social, helpful and the like.

If that was all there was to the argument, enough said, let’s move on but it isn’t.

My arguments here are not aimed at the good Catholics you’ve come to love.

The truth I’m focused on is the fact that everyone has been influenced by the Catholic church. That includes you and me both.

I’m not saying you like them or not, that you agree or disagree. I’m saying that what you think, the way you think, has been in same way influenced by Catholic ideologies.

Catholic Influence Is Both Good And Bad

Influence isn’t necessarily wrong but in the case of the Catholic Church, influence is both negative and positive in every sense. They do good things on the one hand and then turn it into something bad on the other.

Doctrinally, they emphasize the name of Jesus often and loudly. That’s a good thing. They quote Scripture in their services and many of those quotes include the very words Christ spoke. Sometimes that’s all they do other than go through repetivite ceremonies with great fanfare and, of course, offer the sacraments.

The ceremonies don’t offer much in the way of explanation but the sacraments – Communion – are usually accompanied by Scripture which does provide a little understanding.

In every case, however, the simplicity of Scripture is skewed in a Catholic direction. [Read more…] about Catholicism Is More Bad Than Good

Autocracy Inc.: A Book Review

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Democracy protects the rights of people as long as people use those rights to protect democracy.

Political Chaos Anywhere
Is A Threat To Democracy Everywhere

Anne Applebaum, the author of Autocracy Inc. is an American journalist and historian. Her writing has focused on the history of communism and other social issues in central and eastern Europe.

Her book is well documented and an easy read.

The title really drew me in.

Autocracy Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run The World

It is, of course, no revelation that dictators want to run the world and we know who the dictators are: Putin, Xi, Lukashenko, Kim and several others, all of whom are mentioned in the book.

What most people don’t realize is that these leaders have little in common. I doubt they even like each other. As far as I know, they don’t socialize on a regular basis.

Put them all in a locked room for an extended period of time and it’s likely only one would emerge still standing. [Read more…] about Autocracy Inc.: A Book Review

Democracy Always Beats Autocracy

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The greatest distance between people is measured in emotion, not miles.

Democracy Is Working With People
You Don’t Agree With
To Achieve
What You Both Want

Don’t be fooled by the fact that we just had an election.

it is true that elections are the foundational component in a democratic society. The vote represents the voice of every single person. Individuals vote for the candidates who represent them and they choose those candidates based on the political issues they plan to push, the legislation they intend to introduce.

But that’s not the end of the process. It’s only the beginning.

The fact is we usually pick candidates based on their political views, the issues they intend to support and promote while in office. But the issues are not the issue. It’s also not whether they will keep their campaign promises.

Campaign promises let us know where the candidate stands but we all know that promises are subject to the interactions of law makers in the course of doing their jobs.

The real question is will the candidate I choose be able to negotiate fairly with political peers to get things done? Not will they do everything they said they will do but will they be emotionally mature enough to recognize a good trade off when they see it? Are they wise enough to work with others to get the best possible deal?

We’re learning more and more that what a candidate promises and what they’re able to get done are two different things.

And that should be expected. Candidates come from different places are each working toward different goals. To expect each candidate to achieve their every promise is naive and senseless.

When it comes to politics, middle ground – which is essentially a compromise – is the best you can possibly achieve. It’s the place where both sides get something.

That’s the issue. That’s the democratic process. Elections are necessary but they aren’t enough. The democratic process needs to be well oiled and well used for legislation to move forward in an acceptable manner.

So that means there are two considerations. There’s the vote and that’s where the public engages. Then there’s the legislative process where the elected candidates do their job to work with all other parties to arrive at agreeable legislative solutions.

We call that the democratic process and it isn’t happening so much these days.

Autocrats don’t get it. [Read more…] about Democracy Always Beats Autocracy

It’s No Longer About Democrats And Republicans

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Autocracy, even for the right reasons, is still wrong.

The Best Idea
Is Openly And Diligently Debated
And Eventually Agreed To
By All Parties

This article is focused on what used to be the entrenched two party system in the US. I’m not suggesting we change the system. I’m suggesting it’s slowly morphed into something very different.

We lived with it for many years and, in spite of its flaws, it served us acceptably well. But all that’s been changed.

Reasonable Debate No Longer Applies

What used to happen between the Democratic and Republican forums – debate the issues until acceptable middle ground is agreed upon – is no longer at play and hasn’t been for a while.

Starting at least with Richard Nixon, Republicans began using tactics that could only be tagged as treason. Nixon’s Watergate scandal is common knowledge but that wasn’t his worst infraction. Nixon’s interference in the Vietnam peace talks isn’t talked about as much or known as widely but it far outweighs the criminality of Watergate. Both instances, however, shine a light on what was to come.

His motive in both cases was to win the presidency at any cost.

Things have gotten worse. Republicans are no longer interested in rational debate. They will do anything to win an election.

Nixon was shamed out of office once his true character came to the surface. Now, Republicans act out and dare anyone to question it. [Read more…] about It’s No Longer About Democrats And Republicans

Six Realistic Facts About Church

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Church Should Never Be Associated With A Droning Avalanche Of Ritualized Ideas.

Once A Week Church
Is More Like Parole Than Worship

I don’t like the word ubiquitous but if ever there was a good time to use it, it is in reference to church.

Churches are everywhere, on every street corner, in every kind of building from cathedral to cardboard lean-to.

But what do we understand about church, really? What is the point of church? Is church something else other than how it’s been fashioned by centuries of human involvement? Has it been reduced to something less than what it could be or expanded to more than it should be? Have we narrowed the meaning and purpose?

To answer those questions, let’s talk facts.

Fact One: It’s Not A Place

This idea isn’t new. It’s been around a long time. In fact, it is so old it has died and resurrected several times. But it never changes.

Church is associated with a place, an address, a building, a cathedral but even those who agree that it isn’t any of those things still treat it like a place.

Almost all churches have contact details and own property. We spend more time and money giving people directions to church than we do giving them directions to God.

Going to church is a popular idea but it misses the point badly.

If anything, the church should be mobile, flexible, agile; ready and able to morph at a moments notice.

Fact Two: It’s Not A Service

Another word we associate with church is service, as in church service. And attending the service, like going to church, is another misleading concept.

Attending is neither an act of service nor a quality included on any list of virtues in the Bible. It isn’t one of the nine fruits of the Spirit.

The Bible does say we shouldn’t forsake the “assembling” of ourselves together but what exactly does that mean? Every Christian I know makes the assumption that the church service we attend weekly is what assembling refers to but maybe not.

Assembling is important, yes, but assembling and attending are not the same. There’s nothing ceremonial about assembling. It may or may not have a schedule.

Assembling is what friends and family do. They may set a time and a place for getting together but it’s not always a regular thing. Maybe this week, maybe not and when it happens, there’s interaction, fellowship, connection, caring, interest and concern.

That’s never been my experience in church.

Assembling is neither a church service nor a formality. People assemble for many things. Teaching is part of it but fellowship is always central. Church is where we practice loving the neighbor we don’t like.

Why do we call church get-togethers services? Because we can’t call them lectures. Someone preaches, teaches or shares in a church service, somewhat like a lecture, but that is not assembling. Assembling always involves fellowship, which is personal, church services have little of that.

In a lecture, there is accountability. In fellowship, it’s not needed. [Read more…] about Six Realistic Facts About Church