Second Class Citizens: Rise Up!!!

I had a very morbid dream the other night.  I dreamt of a man who was stranded in the middle of a desert.  The wind was gusty and the sky dark.  On his knees, the man writhed in pain as his chest suddenly ripped open, exposing his beating heart.  Out of nowhere, pin pricks began appearing on his arms and he slowly bled from each new opening.  As he cried to God in agony, his face grew desperate and his eyes bloodied with tears.

For some strange reason, as the dreamer, I could feel his pain.  It was the pain of this world.  The pain of never having been good enough.  The pain of always feeling inferior.  The pain of longing for approval from the one person from his past who made him feel insignificant and worthless.  The pain of being a second-class citizen.

A pain that every one of us has felt at some point on our journey.

It was heartbreaking . . . and familiar.

When I woke I was greeted by my laptop with a rundown of the weekly news, which included:  more victims coming forward in the Penn State scandal,  a church banning an interracial couple from its walls and new women surfacing in the Herman Cain scandal.  So I clicked over to facebook for a little mindless trolling. . .only to find my childhood church in similar disrepair.

What's happening to us?

Children are being raped and abused (by priests, coaches, teachers and family members) and no one speaks up to protect them.  Children are being bullied so severely that suicide seems like a better option than suffering through even one more day of school.  Women are being sexually harassed by lustful politicians, only to have the media take aim at them.  Humans are deciding who is and who is not good enough to kneel at the throne of God.  Entire groups of people are demanding Christian/Muslim/Jewish monuments be taken down because religious symbols are too offensive to them.   Gay folks are being treated like outcasts.  Mothers are killing their children.  Fathers are killing their pregnant wives.    Our government is using faith as a ploy to control our votes.

Millions of people are bleeding in the desert, made to feel like second-class citizens by cowards.

Enough is enough.

When is this mayhem going to stop?

When we rise up, open our mouths and quit turning a blind eye to the sorrows of our neighbor.  When we accept the fact that we are all precious and valued in the eyes of God.  When we bravely fight for what’s right, hopeful and just - and not just for ourselves, but for one another.  When we base our moral compass on love and common decency.  When we quit searching for heroes on the TV.  When we openly question our government, our churches, our rhetoric and our convictions.    When we choose to base our politics, our religions and our families on the love and mercy of our Creator, rather than the love of ego, money, party politics and antiquated traditions.

When we look up, rather than down.

Cowards perpetuate hate and fear, heroes open their mouths and bravely stand (often alone) for what’s right.

I only hope to be half the hero that this kid is. . .

Thanks, Anne Rice for the link to this video.

Please Watch "Not My Life" - Let's End Human Slavery!

 

Director: We can change the world

A powerful, new documentary film depicting the horrifying and dangerous practices of human trafficking and modern slavery on a global scale airs this weekend on CNN.

Oscar-nominated director Robert Bilheimer says the movie could be key to unlocking public awareness and calls for action.

"People do not recoil from this. They are angered by it and horrified by it. I think it's genuinely possible that we can move the dime on this, that we can put this in the forefront of the public consciousness. That's all you need," he said.

Filmed on five continents over four years, "Not My Life" shows survivors and anti-traffickers with dignity and compassion, and depicts the unspeakable practices of traffickers.

"Not My Life" features inspiring testimony from survivors; depictions of trafficking, exploitation, and slavery in all parts of the world including forced labor in Africa, street begging and garbage picking in India, sexual trafficking in the United States and Southeast Asia, and various forms of child enslavement and abuse in both North and South America.

Bilheimer said: "The potential of "Not My Life" is in its timing – in that it's a time when all these anti-traffickers and law enforcement and government people are coming together, and then there are things like the CNN Freedom Project.

"I think the ground is fertile, and I think "Not My Life" really does have an exceptional opportunity to push to that proverbial tipping point.

"If we are successful in getting this film before the eyes of the millions we are trying for, and if we do make it accessible, then it can become viral, and that may be this one time we can create an example of how a film, literally can change the world."

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY. . .

President Obama's 3rd Annual Back To School Speech

 

President Obama delivered his 3rd annual back to school speech today, which was broadcast throughout classrooms nationwide.  Many parents were unaware of this tradition, so I am posting the speech it its entirety in order to encourage a fruitful discussion with our kids on the political, social and familial issues inherent within his speech.  Have fun!     

"Anti-faith? Anti-profits." By: Steven Ivey

As a new father, it will surprise few people when I say that I no longer have much time for extra-curricular activities.  My wife and I don’t get out to eat very often, we haven’t hit a premiere in ages and in the last year we’ve seen precisely three movies in an actual movie theater.  Movies “on demand” are our new normal.

Last Saturday, we finally managed to watch a movie that we had been sorry that we missed in the theaters:  “Paul”.  A movie about two British comic-book geeks who encounter a real-life alien outside of area 51.  Written by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) and directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad), we figured this movie was a sure-fire belly-laugh session.

Sadly, we were mistaken.  The premise wore thin rather quickly.  The jokes were obvious and forced.  And about a third of the way through this unfunny film we were also blindsided by an escalating series of anti-Christian and anti-Conservative rhetoric.  (To be fair, as the alien character points out, it’s rhetoric not just against Christianity, but against Judaism and Islam as well).  I don’t have time go into detail, but suffice it to say that the movie smugly insinuated that religion would be wiped away in an instant by simply giving imparting some “advanced knowledge” on the poor hillbillies who just weren’t as “educated” as our heroes….

Hmmm…..The problem is that the majority of people in the United States, the largest single theatrical film market, identify themselves as religious.  Funny how Hollywood markets a film to approximately 300 million potential filmgoers, then slaps 80% of them in the face when they actually purchase a ticket. 

Here are some basic statistics, based on data from a 2008 large-scale nationwide survey:

US population who consider themselves “Christian” (Protestant, Catholic and “Other Christian” denominations):  76%

US population who consider themselves Jewish:  1.2%

US population who consider themselves Muslim:  .6%

US population who label themselves as Buddhist, Hindu or other religions:  2.0%

US population who do label themselves as Atheist/Agnostic/no religion:  15%

US population who were undecided or did not reply:  5.2%

So when a movie espouses that anyone who believes in an Abrahamic religion is deluded, it is potentially alienating (no pun intended) almost 78% of the domestic US market.  Not the smartest way to attract business.  Smart business leaders cater their product to suit their core market.  When McDonald’s set up shop in India, it eliminated beef from its menu.  Instead of offending the largest segment of India’s population, it made provisions by only having chicken, fish and veggie items on its menu.  Voila!  Profits.

So how did “Paul” do?  In the USA, it was a resounding thud.  The $40M film opened in 5^th place, losing the box-office race to Limitless, the 2^nd week of the lackluster Battle L.A., the 3^rd week of Rango and the under-performing Lincoln Lawyer.  I’m sure pundits will point out that with $96M in worldwide gross it still managed to eke out a little money from the theatrical release, and even more when accounting for ancillary markets.  But let me hit you with some other numbers:

The Blind Side:  Pro-Christian themes.  $29M budget.  USA Gross:  $256M.  Worldwide gross:  $294M.  On an international level, Paul made more than The Blind Side.  But if you’re a studio head, which movie would you rather have on your books?

“That’s not a fair comparison!”, you say.  “The Blind Side was a good film and Paul was just kind of lame!”  Too true.  Let’s look at some more equal examples, then:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:  Wide release.  Very Pro-religious themes.  Only one viable movie star (Liam Neeson, who only provided a voice). Based on a best-selling series of books.  Budget:  $180M.  USA Gross:  $291M.  Worldwide Gross:  $738M

The Golden Compass:  Wide release.  Very anti-religious themes.  Two bankable movie stars (Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig), plus an all-star supporting cast including Ian McKellen, Eva Green, Ian McShane, Derek Jacobi, Sam Elliott, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christopher Lee and Kathy Bates.  Also based on a best-selling series of books.  Budget:  $180M.  USA Gross:  $70M.  Worldwide Gross:  $364M.

Question to all studio execs:  Which of the above would you rather have on your balance sheets?

Saved!:  Scathing satire of Christian fundamentalists.  Released on less than 1,000 screens.  Starring Mandy Moore, who had somewhat of a following because of her music and acting career.  Budget: $5M.  USA Gross: $8.7M.  Worldwide Gross: $9.1M

Fireproof:  Low-budget movie with strong Christian themes.  Released on less than 1,000 screens.  Starring Kirk Cameron, who is only remembered for being on “Growing Pains”.  Budget:  $1/2M.  USA Gross:  $33.5M.  The most profitable independent film of 2008.

Question to all independent film producers:  Which of the above would you rather have produced?

Question:  Adjusting for inflation, how many of the top 20 all-time highest-grossing films feature religious themes/characters?  Answer:  6    Question:  How many films with anti-religious themes made the list?  Answer:  0

So, Hollywood producers:  Next time you find yourself pressured to come up with a viable hit, sift through your stack of scripts….and remind yourself that maybe you just need a little faith.

Stephen Ivey is a political independent who holds a MFA from UC-Irvine, a Bachelor's degree in Business/Economics from Westminster College and has been a guest lecturer at Colleges and Universities across the United States.  He currently represents actors and writers at Kramer Management in Los Angeles, with a client roster that includes an Emmy Award-winning writer and a Golden Globe Award-Winning actor. 

9/11: Forgive, But Never Forget.

"Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family." - Henri J.M. Nouwen

May God restore our world and heal our hearts. 

Where were you on 9-11?

On this ten year anniversary of September 11, 2001 - we honor those we've lost:

Where were you on 9/11/01 when the Twin Towers fell, when the Pentagon was attacked, and when Flight 93 heroically crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania?

I was holed up for the night in a desert motel with my then-boyfriend, Bryan John, as we were driving from Texas to California.  Our hearts broke as we watched the towers crumble one by one through the static of a cheap TV.  "Wait a minute!  I know people there!" was my first response.  Only three months prior I was working as a journalist for a financial publication in Manhattan that had since moved to the South Tower.  I left my beloved NYC when I was accepted into graduate school at UC-Irvine; my decision to move West protected me from being part of the 9-11 death toll.  The sober realization that I was one of the lucky ones is still bittersweet. 

I would love to hear your stories:  Where were you?  Did you lose anyone?  Feel free to tell your story on facebook or below. . .

May God Bless the families, friends, responders, co-workers and distant mourners of the fallen.   

RIP Todd Brown

There is nothing more tragic, confusing and heart-wrenching than the untimely, unexpected death of someone who is at the beginning of his/her life.  Someone who represents the best that is in all of us.  Someone like Todd Brown.

On September 3, 2011 the world lost a very loyal, loving and funny 34 year old son, brother, husband, father of three and soldier named, Todd Brown.  Todd tragically passed on the banks of the Platte River in an ATV accident.  Originally from Schertz, Texas - he was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Todd was a friend of mine from high school who I have watched grow from afar via Facebook.  I cannot think of Todd without a huge smile creeping across my face – his spirit was just that pure, that loyal and that infectious.  This site has allowed me to keep in contact with many of the folks from our high school, many of whom have emailed me regarding Todd’s funeral.  While I have not spoken to Todd (beyond the wires of the internet) in years, I did want post his funeral arrangements - which can be found below.

After losing my brother, Jon, I am well aware of how valuable memories and stories from others can be during the life-long process of grieving.  So, I want to encourage you to share your memories of Todd in the comments sections below, on Facebook or through the funeral home's obituary site. 

Funeral Service:

When:  Monday,  September 12, 2011

Time: 10am

Where:  Schertz Funeral Home
2217 FM 3009

Schertz, TX 78154
Ph:  210.658.9224

Website:  http://www.schertzfuneralhome.com/fh/home/home.cfm?&fh_id=10825

Burial Service (With Air Force Honors):

When:  Monday, September 12, 2011

Time:  12pm

Where:  Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

1520 Harry Wurzbach Road
San Antonio, TX 78209

Ph:  210.820.3891
(The exact location of the burial will be available on Friday.)

Reception:
(Friends and Family)
When:  Monday, September 12, 2011
Time:  2pm
Where:   VFW Post 8315
1000 FM 78
Schertz, Texas 78154
Ph;  210.658.6325

**In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 2224 Walsh Tarlton Lane, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78746, and (800)880-9474.**



CLICK HERE for Todd's Obituary.

Rest in Peace, Sweet Todd.

Common Ground: Why do/should people fear God?

COMMON GROUND is a column dedicated to encouraging respectful dialogue by posing a monthly question that is open to people from every religious/non-religious/political background.  If you would like to post a response, please email smjivey@gmail.com for details.

The question for August is "Why do/should people fear God?"  

Pastor Greg

Pastor Greg Ronning, the campus minister for Texas Lutheran University, details his perspective to this month's question below.  If you are interested in Pastor Greg's writing, CLICK HERE to link to his beautiful blog.

Fear and God

By:  Greg Ronning

In the Lutheran Baptismal liturgy there is a prayer that has always bothered me.  After baptizing the candidate we pray, “Pour out your Holy Spirit upon (name), the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence.”  It always seems strange to ask that the person just baptized and proclaimed “the beloved of God” should now live in some kind of fear of the Lord.  Of course the best way to understand this is to unpack the word fear, and begin to understand that by fear we actually mean respect.  Sometimes I wonder why we don’t just say what we mean, say respect instead of fear.  It seems like that would be a simple solution.

However this problem of fear and God is not just a language problem, I believe there is a larger problem, and it has to do with how we understand God.  As Marcus Borg says, “How we understand God matters!”

Over the years humanity has learned to personalize God as one way of connecting to and understanding God.  Yet God is not human, God is God!  And while at times it might be helpful to understand God as a kind and protective father, or a caring nurturing Mother, God is actually none of these things.  And if we get stuck in one of these, or any other human metaphor, as our only and primary way of understanding God it gets real complicated especially when you attach the word fear to this humanized God.  All of the sudden God is to be feared like an abusive Father or Mother, the bully down the street, or a stranger tempting us with candy.  Suddenly God becomes angry and distorted, and in very a personalized way.

Over the years I have met many people who live in fear of this God, in fear of a judge who is out to get them, in fear of a vengeful Christ who is coming back to destroy the world, in fear of God who looks and acts like a person who is angry and to be feared.

Yet there is another way of talking about God, a simple and truthful way, a way in which it is very hard to attach the word, the feelings, and the outcomes of fear.  The author of First John writes, “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16b)  Ultimately I believe God is love, a power, an energy, a positive force; and not some old man up in heaven looking down in judgment.  And this understanding of God sets me from fear.  

The most cited command in the bible is, “Be not afraid.”  The greatest commandment in the bible is, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  These words had their human moments in Jesus, the revelation of God’s love, the one who loved unconditionally even unto the cross, for God so loved the world.

God's Fencepost: Forgiving "Superman"

“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.” - Indira Gandhi

I had a dream the other night that I was flying. . .not flying really, but hanging on for dear life to someone from my past who could soar like Superman.  The world around us was dark and on the ground grew millions of knives that looked like medieval weeds.  My “superman” was someone who once deeply scared my soul, so hanging on was not my idea of a good time. . .but neither was plunging to my death.  So in an effort to mend the brokenness (and not end up a pincushion), I forged into a long overdue conversation/diatribe.  Superman could care less and remained aloof.  I faced a dilemma:  I could either keep hold of this cold, unresponsive person or let go and be killed.  So, I kissed him goodbye and let go. . .

. . .and immediately woke up. . .feeling like I had been beaten with a baseball bat. 

What?!?  What on earth did this dream mean?  I hadn’t felt (or even thought about) this scar in years!

I’m a big believer that God speaks to us through dreams and that if you ask Him (or my sister) He’ll let you in on the riddle.  I prayed and remained still.  It didn’t take long to hit me – my dream was about forgiveness.

 

According to the decent definition given by Wikipedia, “Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.”

No one ever pitches forgiveness as a painful process.  Nope.  They usually concentrate on the euphoric feelings of weightlessness and the freedoms gained after one truly releases the debt – whether the debtor is oneself or someone else.  In the real world, however, forgiveness is like choosing to fall on a sea of knives; it hurts our ego and requires us to relinquish a part of our being to which we have grown comfortably accustomed.  We have to re-learn how to live without the poison of resentment, which can be a disheartening process of “rinse and repeat”!  Matthew 18:21-35 says:

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

In the middle of The Lord’s Prayer “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” brilliantly reminds us that admitting our faults and releasing our animosity is an important part of our daily commune with God.   

My dream revealed that I unknowingly needed to relinquish the hurt caused by “superman.”  This was a shock - I haven’t thought about this person in years.   But after I realized that the seed of bitterness remained I kissed it goodbye, let go and so, healed the wound.

God is good.

ACTION STEP

Who/what are you hanging onto that you need to forgive and kiss goodbye?  There are millions of people infected by the poison of hurt and resentment - whether it be directed toward (or caused by) ourselves, our families, a tragic event, politics, the government, religion or our neighbor – today is the day to let it go.   

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain

Usually the donation/tithe section of God's Fencepost relates to the post of the day.  However, there are hundreds of children in Haiti that my friend, Megan Boudreaux, is currently trying to house, feed and educate.  The situation is dire and they need our help.  So, if you're led - please "LIKE" HER FB PAGE HERE and/or to donate" CLICK HERE. 


 

God’s Fencepost is a weekly meditation/devotional that deals with morality and current events.  I, Shannon Ivey, am an openly flawed human being who simply pens what I perceive to be the important reflections of God’s mercy, creativity and unconditional love.  My mother always said that God can use something as simple as a fencepost as a mouth-piece, so that’s what my column humbly aims to be. . . “God’s Fencepost.”

Are "Hot Saucing" and "Cold Showers" Child Abuse?

Please watch the video below before reading further.  Our exploration of the ramifications surrounding this story will never be fully understood without first viewing for yourself what we are dealing with here. . .

Is punishing a 7-year-old boy by putting hot sauce in his mouth child abuse? How about forcing him, pleading and screaming, into a cold shower?

This week in Anchorage Alaska, a jury will be reviewing the case of Jessica Beagley, a mother charged with misdemeanor child abuse after the above footage appeared on the Dr. Phil show last year.

To be considered abuse, the jury must decide if the punishment was cruel, torturous and disproportionate to what the child did. According to testimony, the boy, one of a set of twins recently adopted from Russia, got into trouble at school for sword-fighting with pencils and then denied it when his mother asked about it.  

To be clear -  he got into trouble at school and lied about it.  Did his "crime" warrant this severe of a punishment?

In my opinion - absolutely not.  I'm really disturbed on a number of levels and vehemently disagree with the methods used by this mother.  However, I'm also just the mother of one 2 year old and am really interested to hear what you think.

Is this child abuse?  Should this mother be thrown in jail?  Do you think punishing this mother would result in the government having more control over how we raise our children?    

A VIDEO OF THE FULL STORY, AS COVERED BY ABC NEWS,  IS BELOW:

Paula Deen Is Worse Than Pedophiles?

Paula Deen is famous because she embodies good 'ole American comfort food.  Whether it's because sugar drips from her hard southern "R's" or the fact that her infectious belly laugh birthed the buttery warm-fuzzy, Paula Deen is America's favorite Southern Grandma.

Paula's charm, no doubt, stems from her humble beginnings.  As a single mother of two boys with horrible agoraphobia, she started a food delivery service out of her own kitchen that grew into one of Georgia's most prized eateries.  She then catapulted to super-stardom after landing a show called, "Paula's Home Cooking" on The Food Network.    Since then she has used her fame to help eradicate childhood hunger.

What a horrible human being, huh?

Well, publicity-starved and Travel Channel host, Anthony Bourdain, thinks so. 

In a recent interview with TV Guide, the "No Reservation" host let his over-inflated ego get the better of him by saying that Deen was “the worst, most dangerous person to America.”

Really?

Out of all of the pedophiles, murderers and lowlifes - this asshat is going to pick on a woman who thinks pie is the key to happiness?

Naturally, he went further by stating:


“She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations, and she’s proud of the fact that her food is f--king bad for you.  I would think twice before telling an already obese nation that it is OK to eat food that is killing us.  Plus, her food sucks"

Them's fightin' words.  Paul Deen's food may be a lot of things - but "sucky" ain't one of them.  Plus, if you don't mind my saying:  You've eaten animal balls, Mr. Bourdain.  I hardly think your palate is on par with the rest of the nation.

I'll concede that Paula's food is fattening and unhealthy, but since when did Grandma's cooking have to be freakishly fat-free?  It is OK to indulge in comfort food every now and again and if you want healthy alternative - don't watch her show! There are loads of healthy cooking shows to watch - Paula Deen's is not responsible for the obesity problem in America.  If you're obese - DON'T EAT HER FOOD!  Good gracious, people are fully capable of making healthy choices - they just don't. 

Seriously Mr. Bourdain -  if you brought to this world even half the light that Paula Deen radiates, you wouldn't need to pick on sweet old ladies to bolster your ratings.  Why don't you just kick a puppy next time?

 

"Respire Haiti" By: Mark Langham

Below is a short piece written by my dear friend, Mark Langham from Conspiracy of Hope on behalf of a most noble organization - Respire Haiti.

Restavek, is a Haitian word for a child slave. Today, 300,000 children are bound by this heartbreaking tradition that exploits their labor, their very life . Respire Haiti is changing that in the city of Gressier, Haiti.

This is Respire Haiti's story. One girl, with a heart for the exploited, left the comforts of the first world to make Haiti her home. And now hundreds, one day thousands of Haitian children will be free.

Respire Haiti from Kristi Hanusch on Vimeo.

Please support Respire Haiti in building a school for the Restaveks. Please give them back their lives. From all of us at Conspiracy Of Hope and The Independent Contributor. Thank you!!

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL POST ON CONSPIRACYOFHOPE.ORG

Madonna: 53 Year Old Lioness

Madonna celebrated her 53rd birthday over the weekend by smooching her 24 year old French break-dancer boyfriend, Brahim Zaibat, in the Hamptons.  Her two kids, Mercy and David, played nearby as the world oogled at their "private" moment.  I'm not going to lie - at first glance I was a smidge grossed out.  

What on earth could two people with a nearly 30 year age gap have in common?  Money - plain and simple.  If Madonna wasn't the matriarch of pop music and fully loaded, I dare say that the smooch in this photo would have never taken place.  

Now whether you agree or disagree with what this photo represents - which to me is that women are now making enough money to level the inappropriately large age-mate-gap - one thing is for certain:  Madonna, along with several of her wealthy contemporaries, have leveled the gender playing field once again.  Good for her!   

Question:  What do you think - is this (a) Gross (b) Good for Her (c) A Little of Both?  

Ron Paul: The Republican's Bastard Stepchild

Anyone with half a brain knows that most of the major news organizations are not only biased, but choose a favorite candidate far before the presidential election takes place:  CNN and MSNBC favor the left, FOX favors the right and so on.  However, the coverage (or lack thereof) of Ron Paul's success in Iowa over the past few days is fascinating - they are ALL pretending that he doesn't exist.   What are they so afraid of?  I don't know about you - their distrust makes me want to investigate this guy a little further.

If you're also curious, CLICK HERE for Ron Paul's website.

Watch Jon Stewart's brilliant assessment below:

The Daily Show - Indecision 2012 - Corn Polled Edition - Ron Paul & the Top Tier
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

COMMON GROUND: Why do/should people fear God?

COMMON GROUND is a column dedicated to encouraging respectful dialogue by posing a monthly question that is open to people from every religious/non-religious/political background.  If you would like to post a response, please email smjivey@gmail.com for details.

The question for August is "Why do/should people fear God?"   




"Sean Gaffney, a Christian writer and story administrator for Warner Brothers studios.  He lives in Burbank, CA. and his response to this month's question is below:"

Imagine Fear of the Lord

By:  Sean Gaffney

I suppose there are many benefits for believers in G-d to hold a healthy fear of God – defined as a vigorous, reverent respect and awe for their Creator.  But there would be even more benefits for society in general if such a respectful awe were more widespread, and pervaded more of our every day existence.

I am reminded of one of the most depressing songs in modern history – “Imagine” by John Lennon. Depressing because it is so hopeful in intent, and yet so woeful in tactic.  “Imagine there’s no heaven,” Mr. Lennon asks of us, because a belief that there is nothing greater than us will lead to “all the people living for today.”

God's Fencepost: Sex, Sex and More Sex!

I love sex.  I always have.  Its raw, carnal, biological draw is coded somewhere deep within my DNA.  I can’t help it – I’m a slave to masculinity and the sweet surrender of passion is my muse.  Chocolate be damned, I’ll take my untamed man every day of the week. . .and I’m positive that I’m not the only good Christian girl who feels this way.

Oooo – this may get uncomfortable for a few of you, but stay with me.

Like many, my religious upbringing ran contrary to my innate sexual instincts.  I was raised in a Southern Baptist church that unwaveringly subscribed to the tenets of “no sex before marriage.”  We were so resolute, in fact, that alternative education (i.e. birth control, biology and condoms) was not only absent from the discussion, but labeled as “evil.”  Our doctrine even went as far as to say that I would be nailing Jesus to the cross again and again if ever I were to succumb to the “cravings of my flesh.”  It was a confusing education, to say the least. 

So did it work?  Was I virgin when I walked down the aisle? 

COMMON GROUND: Why do/should people fear God?

COMMON GROUND is a column dedicated to encouraging respectful dialogue by posing a monthly question that is open to people from every religious/non-religious/political background.  If you would like to post a response, please email smjivey@gmail.com for details.

The question for August is "Why do/should people fear God?"  

Alan Schwartz is a Messianic Jew and Project Manager for the Entertainment Industry.  He lives in LA and has detailed his perspective on this month's question is below:     .  

"Respect God"

By:  Alan Schwartz

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” – Proverbs 9:10

The term “fear of God” or “fear the Lord” appears many times throughout the Old and New Testament.  It is used mostly as a pre-emptive warning, to keep us out of trouble.  The Hebrew word for fear in the above verse is yirot.  This word comes from the same root word that respect and awe come from.  The Grand Canyon is awesome, a great white shark, a tornado, or hurricane is awesome.  They are fearful also because of the power that they possess.  

During our childhood we may have heard the expression “wait ‘til your father gets home”.  This may be the view of authority or discipline we have carried into our adult life.  Our earliest encounter with authority is usually our parents.  Statistically many children get off to a bad start with either no authority figure to respect or an authority figure that is not respectable at all, possibly to the point of blame, fault, condemnation, and punishment.  The other context for this term is to explain the lawless and rebellious that ignore God’s warnings.  Any sane parent would warn their children against carelessly running into the street, or from touching a hot stove.  This, in most cases, is done out of love and for the welfare of a child and to display greater knowledge and trust of the instruction of a worthy parent.  Unheeded cautions may even come with a rebuke, an “attention getter” to serve as a remembrance, for the next time.  Sadly the current standard in this country is against the disciplining of our children.  Nonetheless, God gave us free will, God also has a “permissive will” when he allows us to exercise our free will, sometimes we use it for things we are cautioned against.  Let’s take a look at the Bible, which is where we find all we need to know about God and His relationship with us.  Jeremiah 17:9 tells us,

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”

Corey Feldman Says Pedophilia No. 1 Problem in Hollywood

Wow!  What an important video to watch if any of you are considering subjecting your kids to the hardships of Hollywood.  Below is a clip sent to me by one of my dear friends, Mark Langham from Conspiracy of Hope.  As someone who works in the entertainment industry, I've witnessed some pretty vile behavior and have no doubt that there is truth in Mr. Feldman's assertions. 

Judge for yourself. . .

COMMON GROUND: Why do/should people fear God?

COMMON GROUND is a column dedicated to encouraging respectful dialogue by posing a monthly question that is open to people from every religious/non-religious/political background.  If you would like to post a response, please email smjivey@gmail.com for details.

The question for August is "Why do/should people fear God?" 

 

Mark Langham, is a follower of Christ and an activist/owner/writer for Conspiracy of Hope - an organization whose sole purpose is to stop the sexual exploitation of children.  His response to this month's question is below:

"The Sovereignty of God" 

By: Mark Langham

As a Christian, well immersed in “church” and living in a post-modern age where words have been emasculated, and being no theologian, my response to the “fear of God” has evolved. I was taught, as Ira was, that “fear” meant awe and wonder. And I believe that to be one large dynamic part of it. But I think we already have a deeply ingrained system of awe and wonder. If a “2” is a litter of puppies being born then a “9” is my son being born. The headroom for God is very limited. We say God is love. And then we say I love chocolate. The sliding scale starts in the finite but goes into the infinite. Words fail us and yet words are all we have.

When I read the scriptures, it seems to me that fear is a huge part of worship and the relationship we are supposed to have with God. We’re told the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That fear is for our protection, for our blessing, for our understanding, for all things in the universe to remain in order. It is this fear that is supposed to compel us to cherish our neighbor, to feed the poor, to be kind to the stranger when we have failed to do it out of love. At the end of his days, Solomon, whom scripture calls the wisest man, summed it up to this. “Fear God and keep His commandments.” So than what is this fear?

COMMON GROUND: Why do/should people fear God?

COMMON GROUND is a column dedicated to encouraging respectful dialogue by posing a monthly question that is open to people from every religious/non-religious/political background.  If you would like to post a response, please email smjivey@gmail.com for details.

The question for August is "Why do/should people fear God?" 

 
Ira Schwartz, a Jewish screenwriter from Hollywood, CA, responds with his article "Fear" below. 

Fear

By: Ira Schwartz 

While perusing one of the political pages on Facebook the other day I noticed a discussion on religion.  There were about a dozen comments posted regarding the article so I decided to give it a whirl.  As I was reading through the comments I noticed a pattern developing…these people were afraid of God.  Most of the commenters claimed to be Christians and almost all agreed that God was to be feared.  Here is one of those comments:

“My fear of God is that I do something so terrible in my human nature against him that when I face him on judgement day he will not say "well done thou good and faithful servant, enter the kingdom of heaven" but "depart from me for I knew you not" You see we all are God's creation yes! But we are not all God's children.”

Not being of the Christian faith, I was raised and still am Jewish; I thought I would check with some of my Christian relatives to see if this was a common thing.  Much to my surprise I discovered it was.  Now I do not profess to be an expert in Judaism, in fact far from it, but in searching my memories of those 5 “long” years in Hebrew school I can’t recall one time we were told that we should fear God.