Trent Ruble's Blog: The Other Way It Is , page 10

What's Going On?

Did you ever think about all that goes on all at once? In every home there is a story. It's the same with cars traveling the highway. Each car contains its own isolated world with something going on. It could be something of significance or it might only be the driver's thoughts, but whatever it is, it's not likely related to what's going on in any of the other cars, or homes, or workplaces, etc... That's a lot going on! Wouldn't it be interesting to take a snapshot in time and study all the simultaneous stories?

I sometimes forget about these stories when I encounter those with whom I frequently interact. I know these people well enough to have an idea of who they are and, unless they tell me otherwise, they are that person everyday. But, while they may have the same personality each day, the evolving content of their thoughts (their story) may change their focus, therefore changing the way they react to me. I may not be as high of a priority in the ever-changing story of their life as I was the day before.

The most amazing aspect of all this is that God knows all the stories (Job 28:24) and even knows how they will end (John 18:4). But, since we don't, let's not be so quick to judge.

The Lion of Judah; the Lamb that Has Been Slain

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” (Matthew 28:1-7, NIV 1984)

Today Christians around the world, myself included, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. But, for a much larger number of people, the celebration involves only bunnies and eggs. It's unfortunate, too, because the day we commemorate is the most important day in history.

Hundreds of Old Testament and even several New Testament prophecies pointed directly to Jesus' resurrection. Many were written hundreds of years before He was even born. It seems especially unlikely that the Jews didn't see it coming as they were obsessed with prophecies of the Messiah, but most of them absolutely missed it. Jesus himself said, "...Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes..." (Matthew 4:13b-15a, NIV 1984).

Unfortunately, this still applies to the unbeliever of today. The story of Jesus' life, death and resurrection seems like nonsense to them and Easter will be nothing more than an egg hunt. Nothing we can do will change their perception. They will continue to look upon us with contempt and consider us right-wing religious wackos. But, if He so chooses, God can change their hearts as numerous examples have shown. I pray He will do this on a massive scale.

Happy Easter!

Until Death

Like many long married couples, my wife and I are sometimes asked how we've been able to stay together so long. The obvious answer is that we not only love each other, but we really like each other, too. But, as good as that is, it takes even more.

Marriage is God's design. He instituted it saying, "...a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh," (Genesis 2:24, NIV 1984). In response, He must be the center of our marriage and we should worship Him together.

In addition, there has to be total commitment. You must decide to be committed to each other. A decision must be made that goes beyond the emotional feeling of love. You must decide to be one unit. What affects one affects the other. The commitment must be so strong that you are willing to sustain the marriage completely even if the other doesn't. In other words, a healthy marriage isn't 50/50. It's 100/100 with each person contributing 100% of the required effort. In addition, divorce cannot be considered an option. Don't threaten it and don't joke about it.

I've heard it said that there are only two times men don't understand their wives; before they're married and after they're married. There is some truth in that old joke and that's what makes it funny. But, what else is true is that women are truly great creations and we men could learn a lot from them. We must understand that men and women are not the same and weren't intended to be. For centuries men realized the special place women held and treated them accordingly. We call that respect “chivalry.” The word dates from Medieval times when respect for women was part of a knight's code. The word "chivalry" comes from the 11th century Old French word chevalerie (The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology by T.F. Hoad). In western culture men continued their chivalrous deference to women for 900 years until the 1960s. It was then, in the "Swinging Sixties," that women's rights groups started demanding to be treated like men. And, unfortunately for them, they are. Women are no longer special; they're equal. Only they aren't, really.

The best indicator of our inequality is in the American jail population where men are nearly five times as likely to be incarcerated (The New York Times, March 2nd, 2009). Another indication; 84% of absent parents are the fathers (Single Parent Statistics by Jennifer Wolf, about.com). And yet another; in 1998, in California, more than five times as many men were arrested for Domestic Violence than women (batteredmen.com). And, what about driving? Men have a 77% higher risk of dying in a car accident than women (Men and Women Drivers: The Gender Divide, by Suzanne Phillips, PSY.D., ABPP). It seems that, while women's rights groups demand to be treated like us, we men should be more like them.

Even in my deficiency, God requires me to be the leader of my family (Ephesians 5:24, Titus 2:5, 1Peter 3:1-5). I'm just glad he gave me a good example. Because I've seen it modeled in my wonderful wife, Tami, I've tried to be more compassionate, use better judgment, and be slow to anger. These things, of course, contribute to a good marriage.

You love your spouse so treat them as such. Be romantic, continue to date, get them gifts, etc... It's your responsibility because, hopefully, you're the only spouse they'll ever have and, if you don't work for their happiness, no one will. If you're lucky like me, you are (or will be) married to your best friend. That makes marriage so much easier.

Mainstream Disservice

Parents want their children to succeed in school. I consider myself lucky in that regard as even my lowest performing child has had above average grades. But, wouldn't the kids do even better if the curriculum were tailored to their specific needs?

If I recall correctly, when I was in school there were three tracks in math and three in reading; high, middle and low. Students who performed well in these areas were given a higher track with more challenging curriculum while those who struggled were given a lower track with work more appropriate for them. However, in politically correct 2012, this sort of tracking could lead a PC liberal to full cardiac arrest.

The complaint is that tracking leads to stereotyping and low self-esteem. Students in a high track would think of themselves as superior and those in the low track as inferior. The theory is that this would affect the low tracker's self-worth for life. In my experience, it has more to do with the parents and their embarrassment in having a child in a low track.

Today's lowest performing students are "mainstreamed" into the same classes as their stronger classmates. I can't see how this helps their self-esteem as they are still the lowest performing students. The only difference is that now everyone in the class is a first-hand witness to their struggle. Worse is the fact that the already over-worked teacher must create two or three different lesson plans based on the various abilities within the classroom.

But the most destructive effect of mainstreaming is the disservice done to all the students. If the brightest kids aren't being held up because the teacher is assisting slower kids, then the slower kids get passed by and are soon so far behind they're lost.

It truly is sad that some children are never going to be academically successful. But, we cannot continue to interfere with the education of our brightest students because of it. Not only that, academics are not the only measure of success. Once we get to Heaven, I don't believe there will be anyone judging a person based on their academic success. However, a person could very well be judged if they knowingly hindered the education of a child gifted by God.

This is a reprint of Trent Ruble's guest article, "Mainstream Disservice" in the March 27, 2012 10 Day Book Club Blog.

http://www.10daybookclub.blogspot.com...

Find 10 Day Book Club at http://10daybookclub.com/ or on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/10daybookclub

Looking for Little Town

I remember reading a book when I was a child called "Little Town, Big City," or something like that. This was probably in the late 1960s. However, today I can find no evidence that the book ever existed.

"Little Town, Big City" described cities and towns in a very Utopian way. There were several occupations portrayed in the book, but the only one I remember is the baker. What else I remember is that each of these people seemed to do their job perfectly and everyone's motives were pure. This book made me feel good to be part of society. I think it scarred me for life!

Making matters worse is the fact that I became a police officer in 1985 and have since seen everything but Utopia. Even so, I still long for that world I read about so many years ago and I think I figured out why; I was never intended to live in this world in the first place. Instead, I was designed to live in the sinless world of Eden, as we all were. However, the fall of man made that impossible. Since the day Eve ate that forbidden fruit "...the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" (Romans 8:22 NIV1984). What constitutes "groaning?" It's storms, earthquakes, droughts, etc... But, it's also our sinful selfishness. It's our ulterior motives. The people of the world in which we live all have ulterior motives, all the time, every single one of us.

I look forward to the day I enter the glorious world of Heaven, even if I die young (maybe it's too late for that!). I know that there I will find the Utopia I'm longing for.

On the Basis of Race

America was founded on the principle of freedom. Even so, there are numerous examples of how one group has discriminated against another, depriving them of freedom and leading us to our current situation. Of course, the most obvious example is (and we all know this) that, for centuries, Americans imported Africans as property and enslaved them. We're still suffering the consequences of this terrible episode in our history. But, the ones involved, however wrong they were, cannot rectify their atrocities. We are the ones alive today and only we can solve this problem. And, we're not going to solve it unless we want to. So, let's want to.



It's true that I am of the majority in every category, with the possible exception of my religion; I'm Christian. Even so, I think I have a good understanding of racial and cultural issues. I've been lucky enough in my life to have visited about 35 countries and all but five of the US states. In addition, our family has hosted five exchange students who have represented all the races and each from a different country. From this experience I've learned that, despite our differences, everyone has similar needs when it comes to relationships; we all want to be loved and respected, which is another word for "valued."

Regrettably, American history shows a lack of love and respect between the various cultural groups. And, unfortunately, no one can change history. If we are ever going to move beyond where we are today, which is a place considerably better than where we've been, we must not let history interfere with progress.

Making that progress difficult is the fact that there are still bigoted people on all sides of the issue. Many of them live in a homogeneous world (family, circle of friends, small town) where everyone they know is of the same race and culture. This can make it difficult to trust, let alone understand, someone different. To make things worse, some intentionally make themselves as different from others as possible, which only increases the tension. And, some people will point to the least sophisticated or even the criminal element of another race as an indication of the race as a whole. We should be careful with this as we all know someone of our own race upon whom we would not want our reputation based. Instead, let us consider the many people of every race who are better people than... me, for example.

Conversely, there is not a racist behind every tree, meaning that we cannot use racism as an excuse whenever something doesn't go our way. We must have personal responsibility.

But, Trent, you can't take a problem as complex as race relations and make it as simple as changing our ways because we want to. Well, if we don't make it simple then we won't solve the problem. It's the complexities that are keeping us apart. We just can't go on this way. Maybe we can begin by discontinuing the use of race based statistics and preferences. And, let's do away with all race based organizations. Instead, let's begin looking at others as human, the same as us.

The Future of Us

No one knows the future; that's why it's so interesting. But, based on the past, we can probably make an educated guess as to what it will be like.

When I think about the differences between 2012 and, say 1967, I find them to be mostly electronic and societal. The last 45 years has brought us, among other things; microwave ovens, home computers, and a succession of music and video players. But, the biggest differences have come in the way we relate to one another.

The violent crime rate increased from 253.2 per 100,000 people in 1967 to 403.6 in 2010 (United States Bureau of Justice, FBI). In 1970 there were 338,000 people incarcerated in the United States compared to the more than 2 million in 2001 (The Justice Policy Institute). American children with at least one parent home full-time is down 50% from 1967 (Monthly Labor Review Online). Abortions increased in the United States from 2,061 in 1967 to 1.2 million in 2008 (Johnston's Archive). There are, of course, many more comparisons that can be made, but I think you see the pattern.

So, what will the world of 2057 be like? That will depend on us, of course. Electronics and automobiles will certainly be better. But, will we get our act together as a society and determine to make a better life for our grandchildren? We love them dearly, but are we willing to make the changes necessary for them to have a better society than we do? If so, we must love not only our grandchildren, but the grandchildren of our neighbors, of the other social class, and of the other races. Because, if we only concern ourselves with our own family, things will never change. Political and economic decisions have always been made with ourselves and our own families in mind and look where that's gotten us.

One thing is for sure. Even if we make great progress, which I doubt will happen, our world will still be dominated by selfishness (sin). Nevertheless, we know how we are to treat one another. Now let's just do it.

Bob Morris vs. Girl Scouts of the USA

Bob Morris, who represents at least a portion of my home city of Fort Wayne in the Indiana Legislature, was recently lambasted in the American media and by members of both political parties for declining to sign-on to a non-binding resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts. His objection was that the Girl Scouts promote homosexuality and abortion.

Originally I was going to suggest that Mr. Morris is probably right about the Girl Scouts based on the fact that the organization is secular and, therefore, must follow certain unwritten rules or face a liberal onslaught of bad press. To find an example of how this works we need only look to the other big scouting organization; the Boy Scouts. In 1992 the Boy Scouts faced blistering liberal pressure for refusing to allow gay men to be scout leaders. The intense pressure led the United Way, Levi Strauss and Wells Fargo to withhold over $1 million in funding from the Boy Scouts' Bay Area chapters.

A more recent example of liberal disciplining occurred this year when Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the breast cancer research fundraiser, announced it would no longer provide funds to Planned Parenthood. The lashing was so severe that, within days, Komen caved.

But, I've now discovered the truth about the Girl Scouts and no longer "suggest" that Bob Morris might be right. He is right. And, in addition to homosexuality and abortion, they have also promoted drug use and general teenage sexual activity. Here are some examples of why the remaining legislators should have joined Mr. Morris...

In 2001, Joshua Ackleya, as a member of the band "the Dead Betties," dressed in women’s clothing and, in the band's music videos, appeared to be naked while masturbating. The video for the band's song “Hellevator” portrays a woman being strangled in an elevator while Mr. Ackleya smiles. This is the same Joshua Ackleya who has served, or is serving, as the Girl Scouts' media relations officer. More recently Mr. Ackleya facilitated the Girl Scouts’ “no adults allowed” workshop at the United Nations in which the Planned Parenthood sex brochure “Healthy, Happy, and Hot” was offered (National Review Online, November 18, 2011). The sex guide gave this advice on Page 11: “Some people have sex when they have been drinking alcohol or using drugs. This is your choice. ... If you want to have sex and think you might get drunk or high, plan ahead by bringing condoms and lube or putting them close to where you usually have sex” (International Planned Parenthood Federation's Guide, "Happy, Healthy and Hot").

On March 5, 2004, Girl Scout CEO Kathy Cloninger appeared on NBC's "Today Show" and confirmed that the Girl Scouts are partnered with Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion provider. She told "Today Show" host Lester Holt, "We partner with many organizations. We have relationships ...with Planned Parenthood organizations across the country, to bring information-based sex education programs to girls" (lifenews.com, March 9th, 2004).

In 2010, the Girl Scouts of Colorado decided to accept into their troops boys who dress as girls. The official statement: “If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout” (The Blaze, October 27, 2011).

In January of this year, Girl Scouts employee, Renise Rodriguez, stopped by her workplace, the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona in Tucson, to do extra work on her own time while wearing a T-shirt with the words “Pray to End Abortion.” She was ordered by a supervisor to turn the shirt inside out or leave the office. She left and didn't come back (lifesitenews.com, January 9th, 2012).

I'm going to make sure to vote for Bob Morris in the next election.

Legacy

Our lives are very short and, once they're over, very few of those remaining will remember anything about us, unless, of course, we were one of the few who were famous. And, soon after that, when those few contemporaries who did remember us are no more, everything that we were will be completely gone. Even so, most of us have a desire to leave a positive legacy. It just seems natural.

In reality, this is not what God wants. I'm sure He wants our lives to make a positive impact on society, but He doesn't want us to strive for that legacy. Instead, He wants us to concern ourselves with serving Him and the people around us without regard to our reputation. In other words, we should do good for the sake of doing good and not to further our legacy.

Jesus addressed this issue when He said, "Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:1-4, NIV1984)

I often think of this verse when I see a building named for the donor who provided money to build it, or when I see an attraction built with money raised by selling bricks inscribed with donors' names, etc... In the secular world this is very normal. But, when I see the same things at Christian institutions, it really puzzles me.

Generally, nothing we do is selfless. But, today, I challenge you to do something completely selfless. Take a five dollar bill (or more if you can afford it) and secretly slip it under the windshield wiper of someone who appears to be struggling, such as a single mom, etc... Or, put it in an envelope and place it in their mailbox, or whatever is appropriate for their situation. The challenge isn't to donate. It's to do something for someone with absolutely no benefit to yourself. If we did this more often, our world would be a better place.

On the Origin of Species; The Evolution of Fallacy

I've said before that I'm not an expert and my opinion on scientific matters carries little weight. I also know there are a lot of opinions about a lot of things even though, of course, there is only one Truth. But, some in the professional community tout their opinions as facts and push for them to be society's accepted view of the subject. Many professionals do this in violation of their own definition of what a fact is.

The current definition of a scientific fact is an observation that has been confirmed repeatedly and is accepted as true, although its truth is never final. (http://www.websters-online-dictionary...). When I looked this up I noticed that the definition has changed since I was in school. I was taught that a scientific fact was something that could be repeatedly demonstrated not "confirmed repeatedly." I think someone changed the rules in order to declare something a fact that, in fact, isn't. And, I think those someones are the evolutionists. I also noticed the addition of "although its truth is never final." I guess that does away with absolute Truth.

When it comes to evolution, scientists base their theory on observations that, admittedly, could lead one, especially one with an atheistic worldview, to believe that one species evolved into another over millions of years. However, there are major holes in the theory and the scientists refuse to acknowledge the possibility of the theory being incorrect. And, even using their own altered definition, evolution still doesn't qualify as a scientific fact as it has not been confirmed and is not even close to being universally accepted as true. But, even worse than their refusal to acknowledge other possibilities is their condemnation of those who believe something other than their standard line.

The theory of evolution is based on Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection, which is a supposed natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment (http://www.websters-online-dictionary...). To expand on that, it is my understanding that natural selection supposedly takes place when a mutation occurs in a species that causes the individual with the mutation to be more successful in life which, in turn, will cause that individual to survive longer. Therefore, the individual will produce more offspring allowing for the passing of the mutated gene to the next generation. Those without the gene will die sooner and produce less offspring. Some of these mutations have supposedly included eyesight, hearing and flight.

It seems logical that, in order for this theory to work, these mutated individuals would have had to have been born with this mutation completely developed. Otherwise the mutation would have had no consequence or would have been a hindrance. The possibility of an individual being born with one of these fully developed mutations is as likely as one of our children being born able to fly. Not only that, the individual would have been a freak likely decreasing its desire by members of the opposite sex.

Another problem with the theory is that, if it were true, the earth would be littered with the remains of crossover species. The scientists will point out a few, such as the archaeopteryx, but not the thousands necessary to support the theory.

Another problematic example would be in the area of reproduction. In order for our supposed single cell ancestor to reproduce, it had to divide itself into two individuals. The idea that this process developed into a species with two genders having not only different but coincidentally corresponding sex organs is extremely unlikely. But even more unlikely is the development of desire in one to mate with the other. It is beyond fantastic.

I am willing to concede that intelligent design cannot be scientifically proven. Are you, the evolutionist, willing to concede the same about your belief?