Asking if we are God's physical presence is a rather big question. In a stewardship Temple Talk at my church yesterday, I stated that I believe we are.
To be perfectly clear, I am in no way suggesting that we are God or anything of that nature. But, I do think that He allows the holy spirit to dwell within us and then do His bidding. An example would be when someone needs a reassuring hug; we can physically give it on behalf of God.
Since God's presence on earth is spiritual, I simply believe He sometimes uses our physical presence to represent Him as noted. It's the reason I think we were put on this earth - to care for one another. God equips us to do so and then uses our physical presence to make it happen.
There is another side to this. I never, ever want someone to look at my flaws and say, "That's God at work." As a Christian, I believe there was only one human ever capable of being God, and that was Jesus Christ. I, and other human beings, are pretty poor substitutes.
When I feel those little nudges to do something good, I'm certain that it's God who's telling me to do it. As a spiritual being, He isn't going to walk up to a homeless person and buy them lunch, but I can. And, I'm very glad to do it on His behalf!
Monday, October 17, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Legal Versus Moral
I suspect that other people of faith have the same occasional conflict as I do - it's deciding sometimes between what is really legal and what is really moral.
Now, I know we should always try to do what is moral; that is the only real behavior that will change the world for the better. And, hopefully our motivation toward that change is our love for our fellowman, our planet and our creator. But this coming election has brought out issues that really make us think. Spoiler Alert: I'm not going to talk about any particular candidate - we've had enough of that.
The issues really come down to this: How we view others, individual rights, and honesty. I'm tired of the political approach to mudslinging, especially because there are a lot of half-truths and spin involved. Instead, I want someone to tell me, not just that something is wrong, but how they will fix it in practical terms to make it better.
One of the legal versus moral issues for me is how to keep terrorists out of the country without punishing all those who have a different faith than mine. Morally, I can't stand by and condone refusal of immigration to people, who have been persecuted in their own lands, just because they are a different faith or come from a particular country. How do we fix this problem? That's what I want to know.
In that same vein, how much privacy should we give up to ensure that we are safe? Most of us have nothing to hide, but what is legal and what is moral here? It might be legal to profile someone, but is it always the ethical thing to do? I'm torn because privacy invasion has thwarted some very heinous acts.
It seems that some people are so forgiving on some issues, but stand tight on others. Entitlement especially appears to be a problem. No one wants to be taken advantage of, but should programs that actually reach people who need them, be abolished entirely such as Obamacare, or should it be fixed? I'm pretty confident about how I feel about that one.
Gun control is another issue. Most of us don't want to take guns away from hunters, those who occasionally like to target practice, or truly require one for needed protection, but is it moral for everyone to have a gun, especially without knowledge of how to use it? Personally, I don't want a society where you have to own a gun to protect yourself from everyone else who has a gun. In Kansas, you don't need a permit or training for concealed carry. How do you fix this? I want to know.
People sometimes cite "charity begins at home" and "family first," and think it comes from the Bible. It doesn't, or at least, not in those exact terms. While caring for family is important, it doesn't always just refer to immediate blood relatives. Family is defined as much more, as in the family of believers, and in more general terms, mankind. How can I say that I will only support feeding or defending people in the USA, and then ignore others in need who were not fortunate to be born in this country? We are all God's creatures.
A final question might be: Just because you can and it's legal, should you take advantage of it? Most of you will probably know what I'm referring to, but I'm sticking to the issues rather than candidates. I believe we need God's help with the issues, not rhetoric, and with the guidance to face them with what is moral, not just legal.
Now, I know we should always try to do what is moral; that is the only real behavior that will change the world for the better. And, hopefully our motivation toward that change is our love for our fellowman, our planet and our creator. But this coming election has brought out issues that really make us think. Spoiler Alert: I'm not going to talk about any particular candidate - we've had enough of that.
The issues really come down to this: How we view others, individual rights, and honesty. I'm tired of the political approach to mudslinging, especially because there are a lot of half-truths and spin involved. Instead, I want someone to tell me, not just that something is wrong, but how they will fix it in practical terms to make it better.
One of the legal versus moral issues for me is how to keep terrorists out of the country without punishing all those who have a different faith than mine. Morally, I can't stand by and condone refusal of immigration to people, who have been persecuted in their own lands, just because they are a different faith or come from a particular country. How do we fix this problem? That's what I want to know.
In that same vein, how much privacy should we give up to ensure that we are safe? Most of us have nothing to hide, but what is legal and what is moral here? It might be legal to profile someone, but is it always the ethical thing to do? I'm torn because privacy invasion has thwarted some very heinous acts.
It seems that some people are so forgiving on some issues, but stand tight on others. Entitlement especially appears to be a problem. No one wants to be taken advantage of, but should programs that actually reach people who need them, be abolished entirely such as Obamacare, or should it be fixed? I'm pretty confident about how I feel about that one.
Gun control is another issue. Most of us don't want to take guns away from hunters, those who occasionally like to target practice, or truly require one for needed protection, but is it moral for everyone to have a gun, especially without knowledge of how to use it? Personally, I don't want a society where you have to own a gun to protect yourself from everyone else who has a gun. In Kansas, you don't need a permit or training for concealed carry. How do you fix this? I want to know.
People sometimes cite "charity begins at home" and "family first," and think it comes from the Bible. It doesn't, or at least, not in those exact terms. While caring for family is important, it doesn't always just refer to immediate blood relatives. Family is defined as much more, as in the family of believers, and in more general terms, mankind. How can I say that I will only support feeding or defending people in the USA, and then ignore others in need who were not fortunate to be born in this country? We are all God's creatures.
A final question might be: Just because you can and it's legal, should you take advantage of it? Most of you will probably know what I'm referring to, but I'm sticking to the issues rather than candidates. I believe we need God's help with the issues, not rhetoric, and with the guidance to face them with what is moral, not just legal.
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