tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41913395398704519462024-02-20T10:52:37.936-08:00Rev. Fr. Stephen D. WilsonA minister's reflections and opinionsReverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-34408561229442260002014-06-19T13:26:00.000-07:002014-06-19T13:26:19.221-07:00Iraq 3.0?<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">If
you do not appreciate my “night time martiniesque” sense of humor
(dry and dark) STOP READING, please!<br /><br />So I am not an expert on
international politics or military strategy. But some things are
obvious even to an aging guitar hero like myself.<br /><br />The United
States screwed up in Iraq. We repelled the Iraqi army from Kuwait
with the help of the world. And we left Saddam Hussein in place. But
there really was no viable alternative. Was there?<br /><br />Then every
intelligence organization on the planet determined that the Iraqi
government was hiding WMDs. And the United Nations (I am no fan of
the U.N.) determined that we must go and secure them. But only after
the French and Russians stalled for time. The Iraqis used that time
to fly the WMDs into Syria where they are now being used in the mess
there. Then, when the WMDs were successfully removed and hidden
again, the United States invaded Iraq (timing is everything after
all). And the American Government did what it does best. They killed
people and broke things. That is what armies are supposed to do. One
of the things that we (they did it in my name whether I like it or
not) broke was the Iraqi government and another was the Iraqi
military. The USA attempted nation building in Iraq (a fools errand).
It has not worked.<br /><br />And now Iraq brings us another challenge.
Some of the most vicious terrorists on the planet, ISIS, are about to
conquer Iraq. Along with the people and lands of Iraq come 20% of the
worlds oil. If we allow this to happen this extraordinarily vicious
terrorist organization will be filthy rich. And that means they will
be able to buy all kinds of nasty things from the Chinese, Russians
and yes... the French. So what is a forward thinking person to
do?<br /><br />There are options. And all of them are bad. These are just
the first three I could think of.<br /><br />1.) Leave it alone and take
our chances that being rich is good enough to take the terror out of
the terrorists. ( yeah... that will happen)<br /><br />2.)Send a quarter
million or so soldiers into Iraq again and capture it. Then occupy
the place long term to protect it from future invasion. (that will
make us REAL popular with all the cool countries)<br /><br />3. Nuke the
oil fields in Iraq. That way, no one can use that oil for a few
thousand years. That makes it worthless to the terrorists. And it
would make the environmentalists happy. What's a little nuclear
fallout among friends? But the price of gas at the pump will
skyrocket to levels we could never have imagined. (can you say global
depression?)<br /><br />What is a responsible Super Power to do? What do
you think? Better yet, who has the stones to make the decision? I
don't think that I do.<br /><br />I think that I know what the
Libertarian course of action should be. Initially... nothing. Well I
would probably already have evacuated the American Embassy in Baghdad
to mitigate the danger. But if there are American diplomats and/or
citizens in the embassy and they are left alone, the United States
doesn't have a dog in this hunt. However... if the ISIS terrorists
attack the Baghdad installation... that is another matter altogether.
Contrary to many of my libertarian friends, I subscribe to the
asymmetrical battle strategies put forth by folks like Jeff Baxter.
If we are attacked, the U.S. Air Force should rain “daisy cutters”
down on these guys until there is nothing but sand and dust. But like
I said earlier, we have a responsibility to protect our people and
mitigate the danger before it gets to that point.</span></span></div>
Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-29037475735108458712014-01-02T22:05:00.000-08:002014-01-02T22:05:11.586-08:00Asymmetrical Relationships<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
have this friend. A talented and creative guy. A good family man. He
has a really big heart and a kind soul. As you might have guessed I
really like him. However I would have to believe that he does not
have the same opinion of me. But I came to terms with asymmetrical
relationships many, many years ago. You are probably expecting the
“but” to appear anytime now. You are going to have to wait a bit
longer. Asymmetrical relationships can be quite painful until you
understand why they exist. In the typical asymmetrical relationship
one party genuinely has affection and respect for the other party as
they are. While the other party seeks to change the first. Or at the
very least wishes they would change.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">These
relationships manifest themselves through the differences in
spiritual beliefs most commonly. But this also spills over into
political differences as well. I will skip the romantic versions of
this phenomenon for now. Although I can safely say that I have
observed them as well, both from the outside and the inside.<br /><br />Now
if you have spent anytime reading my previous work you already know
that I am a Libertarian and an Individualist. This often confuses
people when they learn that I am also a Christian minister. There are
folks out there that simply can't reconcile these belief systems. I
find it perfectly natural. Although I guess that I would have to. And
for me part of that comes from having a rather clear vision of right
versus wrong and smart versus stupid. My vision may be wrong. But I
don't think so. And it was my faith in God and Jesus as well as my
faith in myself that led me to the ministry in the first place.<br /><br />Now
some would call my relationship with God asymmetrical. But it doesn't
really fit my definition. You see I am not foolish enough to want to
change God. Nor do I believe that God wants to change me. Because
surely God could change me with very little effort. But rather God
wants me to choose to change for myself. Do you see where the
Individualist part works there? God wants me to study the bible. He
wants me to maintain the context and try to teach the lessons
contained therein to others. This is no easy task. The language
translation can be arcane. And with so many people, with ulterior
motives, taking verses out of context, you really have to read
constantly to deflect outside influences that don't have the best
interests of the text at heart. In short, ministry is a full time
job... plus. And I am retired.</span></span></div>
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<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
am occasionally challenged by people, oddly enough almost always men,
with my memory of this chapter or that verse. I almost never engage.
There is no point. I will never have the bible committed to memory.
And the chances of having a productive discussion with someone
obviously seeking to prove their superior knowledge are pretty slim.
That's right. I tend to not take shit from some guy that has pride
issues. That also confuses them. I am an unlikely minister. And I
choose to own that.<br /><br />Back to my friend. As you might have
already surmised, we disagree politically and spiritually often. But
we nearly always maintain civility and respect. I really look forward
to our exchanges until he becomes personally insulting. I believe
that the differences between us can be summarized like this. When we
disagree in a fundamental way, I believe that he is either
misinformed or misguided. On the other hand he seems to believe that
I am evil or mean spirited. And that is about as clear an example of
asymmetry as I can describe. But then again, how many of us found our school teachers to be evil or mean spirited?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
when we find ourselves in an asymmetrical relationship, and we are
having a fundamental difference of opinion, perhaps we should ask
this question. “What do we have a right to expect from the other
party?” If we can honestly evaluate our expectations and our rights
as they relate to others, then perhaps respect, kindness, and even
affection can take the place of anger, coercion, and force.</span></span></div>
Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-32196787184802114892012-12-15T08:22:00.000-08:002012-12-15T08:22:06.497-08:00Why Does America Raise Monsters?A popular blogger, Jan Morgan asked, “If it is true that it takes a village to raise a child, I ask today, what in our culture contributed to raising a monster?” That is the exact question that needs... no...demands an answer! But the problem I have is that I don't believe that there is one answer but many. And they are interwoven into a knot that will not be easily undone. I feel that I can only address here some of the things that I have observed in my lifetime.<br />
<br />
I was born during the Eisenhower Presidency. But my earliest real memories are from the Kennedy years. Guns have always been a part of my family. My grandfather had several. He wasn't really a hunter. He just really liked shooting and he assumed all responsibility for the security of his home and family. My father was a career officer in the Army. His sidearm was always around but secured. When President Kennedy was killed. No one anthropomorphized Oswald's rifle. Lee Harvey Oswald was just insane. But with the death of J.F.K. the country lost a bit of hope for the future. If there is anything that children need it is hope.<br />
<br />
In the 1960's there was also the Viet Nam war. This could be an article or book in itself. But to my point it eventually became a galvanizing beacon against hate and violence. But a little more hope was lost before that happened. The summer of love was amazing. And there was reason for some hope to return. The counter culture that held a reverence for love and freedom was a powerful force. But I would suggest that the counter culture was perhaps too quick to discard parts of their parents and grandparents traditions that were good and just. That “rebellion”, which is a natural part of growing up, was appropriated. Appropriated largely by the entertainment industry. But also by political voices looking for an advantage.<br />
<br />
Over time, parts of our society came under attack from within. One example is that many stopped seeing religion as a helpful and hopeful way for people to gather and rejoice in their faith, as well as doing good work in the name of God. Instead, religion came to be seen as old fashioned, restrictive, and unyielding. This perception has been continuously advanced by corrupt people who profit either monetarily or politically from their corruption of others. You have seen these things, profanity for profit, pornography for profit, intoxication as recreation, promiscuity portrayed as freedom. There have been rewards for bad behavior for two generations now. Let alone the falsely perceived removal of consequence. It has been the coarsening of our American culture.<br />
<br />
We have been trained to tolerate such “damaging darkness” as First Amendment free speech. Well let me make this point right here and right now. In America, people have the right to free speech with very nearly no restriction. That doesn't, however, give them the right to be heard. That doesn't give them the right to be accepted. That simply does not excuse them from consequence! That absolutely does not give them the right to damage the impressionable minds of our children. And our ill advised tolerance has taken its toll.<br />
<br />
Some parents have been quite derelict. Unfortunately, it doesn't take very many negligent parents to create a tragedy among us. The National Institutes of Health Studied daycare kids. And in 2001 they reported that children in daycare became more aggressive and defiant in kindergarten. And in my opinion, that is an arguably better situation than those of children who are just parked in front of a television, video game, or the internet hour after hour. Two working parent and single parent households have been mainstreamed. I am not convinced that this is a good thing. I believe that this study in particular gives me just cause for concern. I realize that not every single parent has had a choice in their situation. But many have. I have come to respect those folks who recognize that they don't want to be parents and then make sure that it doesn't happen. They are healthier for our society than those who have children as an affectation of their perfect “I can do everything” lives.<br />
<br />
Is it necessary to include God in the raising of children? Some say absolutely “NO”. Some say definitely “YES”. This minister says, “It may well be possible to raise healthy, happy, well adjusted children with the absence of religion or God in their parents lives. But in the absence of parents themselves it is nearly impossible. And having God in a family's life makes everything a whole lot easier.”<br />
<br />
As for Jan Morgan's question, “If it is true that it takes a village to raise a child, I ask today, what in our culture contributed to raising a monster?” I submit that in no small part two generations have seen some people place more importance on chasing money, wanting big houses, and coveting shiny new cars. And some of those people have placed less importance on serving their children and society as loving and responsible parents. Many people have come to see houses as merely profit opportunities instead of homes. And God seems unwelcome in school and in the hearts of many politicians. What should we have expected?<br />
<br />
As for the entertainment industry and the coarsening of culture, I hope that they have nearly reached the end of their ability to objectify and corrupt humanity. What is next? Cannibalism? I am serious. How far do they have to go before the majority of America says, “Enough! We just can't stand any more of the darkness!” Where will YOU draw that line? It is time to turn on the light... now! Perhaps a better way to say it is this. It is time to turn OFF the darkness...NOW! Do you have enough spiritual will left to even find the switch in your heart?Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-36348877832514034792012-07-23T11:39:00.000-07:002012-07-23T11:41:33.757-07:00The Wisdom Of Gun Control?<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
citizens of Aurora, Colorado have suffered an unimaginable tragedy. I
have a really hard time time wrapping my brain around it myself. That
one man could kill twelve people and seriously injure fifty eight
more is hard to fathom. It reinforces the concept that there truly is
evil in the world. Some will say that this poor man is very, very
ill. I am in no position to judge for myself. As an American I am
grieving for the victims. But I am also grieving for the shooter's
mother. These must be the worst days of her life as well.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While
I was watching television in horror, I was expecting to see the
psychiatrists speaking about schizophrenia and other mental
disorders. But I was disappointed to see the news people display
their political agenda of “gun control legislation”. </span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here
is a little background on me. I fired a gun for the first time when I
was ten years old. My father took me to the range at Fort Benning for
my birthday. I fired a variety of weapons including dad's .45
semi-automatic side arm. And yes they did turn their head and let me
fire a few artillery rounds. I learned an awful lot in one day. As
an adult in the early 1980's, I was advised by a local policeman to
carry, in the open, a hand gun while I was making late night bank
deposits. I carried a large revolver and I was never bothered.
Previously to that I was accidentally shot by a friend of mine who
was “playing “ with a loaded revolver. And yes alcohol was
involved. I see that scar every time I take my shirt off. Following
that incident, I was robbed at gunpoint. The man stuck a sawed off
shotgun in my face and took money and merchandise from the store that
employed me. So I understand a little about firearms. I understand
the damage that individuals can do with them. I understand how to use
them responsibly. I also understand how they can be used during the
commission of a crime. Firearms are powerful tools.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />So
it is with that frame of reference that I find myself incredibly
frustrated with gun control advocates who are continuously
anthropomorphizing firearms. And in the process they try to assign
them some innate evil quality. To me guns are tools. They are no
different to me than chainsaws or salad forks. I know this is a
cliché, BUT guns do not shoot people. It requires an affirmative
action by another person. For some reason this concept seems to be
beyond the grasp of some gun control advocates.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
am a Libertarian. As such many would describe my position on firearms
as extreme. But the United States Supreme Court has settled the issue
of individual gun ownership most recently in McDonald v. Chicago
(2010). The U.S. Constitution is pretty clear on this issue.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
an exchange on line, a gentleman asked, “Where should we draw the
line legally? What should be the limit? What weapon is too large for
an individual to own?” Personally, I don't see any need of a legal
limit. Owning a firearm is not inexpensive. Buying even a relatively
inexpensive hand gun costs hundreds of dollars. If you want an
assault style rifle you are looking at thousands of dollars. And so
it goes. I don't know anyone that can afford to own a bazooka or a
SA.M. But if someone has the money, I can't really say that I would
want to stand in their way. But ammunition is likely to be cost
prohibitive. And it has been expressed to me that it usually takes
firing 3 artillery rounds to actually hit the target. That would mean
really expensive trips to the range. If you could find a range that
could accommodate. But on a more serious note, I would be in favor of
having most American homes equipped with some sort of assault rifle.
And providing the training to operate and maintain that weapon safely
and proficiently. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of
course, the control advocates will ask, “Why do individuals need to
own assault weapons?” That question itself demonstrates a very
different world view from many if not most gun owners. I still
consider myself a gun owner even though I don't own one at this very
moment. So I feel comfortable responding to that question. The world
is a dangerous place. The threats are all around us and distant as
well. The police can't and shouldn't protect us from all threats. The
job of the police is to investigate and solve crimes, arrest the
criminals, and deliver the evidence to the courts for prosecution. If
someone breaks into your home, you are responsible for protecting
yourself, your family, and your property. Who would you rather have
better armed? And given the irresponsible behavior of government
lately, specifically how they spend our money, there are likely going
to be fewer police officers as time goes by.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
mentioned distant threats. Perhaps you are familiar with the events
of September 11, 2001? 19 radical Islamists managed to murder nearly
3000 people. That was not the beginning. And there are still unknown
numbers of radical Islamists looking to kill everyone who does not
believe as they do. In addition our government has borrowed trillions
of dollars from the Chinese. Trillions of dollars that we may never
be able to repay. It is predictable that at some point the Chinese
would come to collect. And when they do, they could outnumber us 100
to 1. And since our government is about to emasculate the military in
an attempt to cut federal spending it would fall to the citizens to
defend themselves. Who would you have better armed? It seems like a
“no brainer” to me.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
most contentious threat is our own government. The very reason that
there is the Second Amendment is so that we have the ability to
resist an oppressive government. Obviously as a Libertarian I find
our government has already crossed my oppression threshold. But it is
not politically irreversible... yet. I would submit that the creation
of the “hate crime”, the passing of The Patriot Act, and most
recently The Affordable Care Act are just a few examples of
oppression. The government has again and again weakened The Bill Of
Rights over the years. In short I believe that the government that
governs least governs best. If the government is unwilling to protect
and defend our Constitution then it falls to the citizens to do so.
Who would you rather have better armed?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
back to Colorado. I have heard as few (very few) people suggest that
if the service men in that theater had been carrying firearms, that
the loss of life and injuries could have been reduced. I believe that
is probably true. I would go even further. If it was convention that
some or many of the people in that theater had been armed, Then
perhaps the shooter might have found it a much less attractive target
to begin with. I believe in deterrents. But in the end it comes down
to this question. When you think about your personal safety and the
safety of your loved ones, Who do you trust more? Do you trust the
government more? Or do you trust yourself more? Today you still have
the right to answer that question for yourself. If the gun control
advocates win, you will no longer have that right. Can we live with
that. I don't think so.</span></span></div>Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-71132884532626206292012-04-03T12:11:00.001-07:002012-04-03T12:11:57.781-07:00The Poison of Intolerance<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.15in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 0.15in;">I have been blessed as an adult with
friends. Something that was nearly impossible for me as a child
because of the transient lifestyle of the Army. So when someone I
call friend says something hateful and mean spirited, even when it
does not concern me directly, I wince a little in pain. When it
involves my family, the effect on me is bit more intense.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 0.15in;"><br /></span>So recently on Facebook a person I
have called friend for some years posted the following:(This is 100%
unedited in any way)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"><i>“<span style="font-size: small;">So
I just learned that Brigham Young, the cellebrated Morman president
of the church once said "If a white man mixes his seed with the
canaan race, which I guess are black people, it is punnishable by
death on the spot and this will always be so"! I have never been
found of the Morman faith but I think I will have a closer look see
now that one could be the leader of the most powerful nation in
history! And I thought forcing 12 year olds to mary geezers with a 10
wives was the worst thing about Mormans...</span> “</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><i><br /></i></span>As many of my friends already know, I
am a Non-Denominational Christian Minister. I am not a Mormon. But my
father, Major Roy D. Wilson, converted to The Church Of Jesus Christ
Of Latter Day Saints in the 1980's. Dad was able to find help from
the Mormons. They helped to heal the wounds inflicted by the horrors
of war. Dad regularly volunteered to work at the Mormon Food Bank in
Columbus. When my brother, Randy, passed away, the Mormon Church was
there for our family to help with his funeral service. A Mormon
Bishop delivered the service. And he consulted with me so that I
would be at ease. In short, I have found the Mormons to be faithful,
decent people who walk the walk. They are most certainly NOT
deserving of the kind of intolerance my friend dished out. I will go
one step further and submit that a case could be made that The
Mormons have had their 1<sup>st</sup> Amendment civil rights violated
at times. And they have maintained their faith even while
capitulating to the unreasonable forces around them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />There are so many religions. There are
so many Denominations. Are all Mormons polygamists? No. Are all
Catholic Priests pedophiles? No. Are all Evangelical Christians
murderers of abortion providing doctors? No. Stereotypes and
generalizations are the products of weak and lazy minds. I learned a
long time ago that we are all better served by spending time with
those of other faiths. We can find the ways that we are more alike
than different. We can find ways to tolerate our differences. We can
find ways to love each other. The heritage and history of Judaism,
Buddhism, Islam, and all other faiths is truly amazing. As a student
I have not even scratched the surface. But I keep reading. What I
have discovered is that it is nearly universal that religions are
struggling to find the balance between strict scripture and more
sophisticated context. Some groups are finding the appropriate
balance faster than others. This requires more sensitivity toward
others. Learning about others does not challenge the strength of my
faith in God. It just enables me to better understand the world
around me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />A person's relationship with God is
about as personal as it gets. Seeking to convert others is a fool's
errand in my opinion. So I don't go down that road. What that
requires of me is that I avoid preaching religious doctrine unless I
am specifically sought out for that reason. Obviously, I have found
times when I have to open my big mouth when I was not asked to. But
conversion is not my goal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;">I have not yet decided how to speak to
my friend about the pain he has brought to my family. Perhaps he will
read this and recognize his own hateful words. I believe that he is
able to acknowledge the hurtful nature of his words and seek God's
forgiveness. He already has mine.</span></h4>
<br />
<br />
<br />Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-56874199068104367582012-03-19T18:19:00.001-07:002012-03-19T21:46:20.151-07:00The Astronomical Gravity Of Global Climate Change<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is the last day of winter and I
heard someone again say one of the most stupid things. He said, “This
is the warmest winter in the history of the planet.” Now even if I
were willing to accept that this is possible, to make the assertion
is ignorant.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let's start with the data. I think that
we can agree that the instrument best used for measuring temperature
is the mercury thermometer.. We have other devices we can use today.
But in the past the mercury thermometer has been the accepted
instrument for collecting this data. And it is still used today with
great accuracy. Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the mercury
thermometer in the year 1714. If old Danny had begun the process of
scientifically collecting data regarding our planets temperature the
same day he invented the instrument, we would have 298 years worth of
data. Now call me skeptical but given the relative age of the planet,
a 298 year data set seems a might thin. But tropospheric temperature
measurements have only been collected since 1978 by The University of
Alabama in Huntsville funded by NASA. This is an even thinner data
set. I don't care how many letters you have behind your name or how
much money you have taken from Albert Gore, Jr. You will not convince
me that this is good science. It simply is nothing more than
intellectual laziness. But what if in his energy guzzling mansion
Albert Gore, Jr. really has a secret time machine? And what if he has
been secretly going back in time 65 million years and measuring
temperatures.? Nah. I don't think so.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next let's talk about carbon dioxide.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently designated
CO2 as a hazardous material. It has been repeatedly called a “green
house gas”. Well the specific gravity of CO2 gas is 1.5189. It is
called a GHG because it is asserted that CO2 absorbs and radiates
infrared heat. Now I am going back to my military school and civilian
high school science classes here. If the spec. grav. of a gas is
1.5189, would not that gas heat and cool more quickly than the
atmosphere? Isn't that like the first law of thermodynamics? And then
there is this little inconvenience. Carbon Dioxide is our breath
exhaled! I am not the kind of person to make editorial comment about
anyone's breath, not even morning breath. But I absolutely refuse to
refer to your breath or my breath as hazardous waste. That is just
mean. But seriously, I just can't find the science to blame pretty
puffy clouds of water vapor and human breath for a global temperature
change that has not been scientifically measured.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So you ask, “Reverend Father Stephen,
is the climate changing?” I answer this way. Yes there are cycles
to the climate. And I want to address the Astronomical Gravity of
this situation. No seriously I mean Astronomy and Gravity. I have
always believed that my faith is not incompatible with science. And
this is no exception. I can believe in God and the Big Bang Theory.
There has been a spectroscopic “redshift” in the observed
galaxies and quasars. So the universe, including our little corner,
is in motion and expanding. In the last century NASA made a few trips
to our moon. While the astronauts were hanging around up there, they
left a few reflectors. We have been able to bounce laser beams off of
those reflectors. It seems that since we have been able to do that to
measure the distance from the earth to the moon, the moon appears to
moving away from us at a rate of about 1 inch per year. It is widely
thought amongst the “Copernican wing” of the astronomy community
that the moon exerts a stabilizing force on the rotation of the
Earth. The earth's rotational axis was about 23 degrees. As the moon
has moved away, that 23 degree axis has become less stable and will
in time increase and decrease considerably. What effect will this
have on the oceans and the atmosphere (particularly the jet stream)?
Well we are going to have a front row seat for that one.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But wait, there's more! Have you
looked up into the night sky lately? Because if you have it is a real
treat. Last night I was showing my family the night sky before the
weather got foul. We could clearly see Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and the
moon at the same time with the naked eye. But it only happens about
every eight years. I think that those planets have gravitational
fields. I believe that it is likely that the gravitational field of
those planets affect our little earth. If these events and actions
can affect the rotational axis of the earth and tides do they affect
climate? I think so.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So can we be a little sparing about
this “Global Warming” hyperbole. Just wait. The ice age will come
back. Chill.</div>Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-12139012412678158532012-03-04T01:55:00.000-08:002012-03-04T01:55:15.293-08:00Is The Constitution Just An Obstacle To Overcome?From the left and the right of political philosophy I have heard many say that we are facing the most important election of our lifetime. I am hearing and reading words as angry as I can remember from both sides. I don't like coarse dialogue. But I feel compelled to try to explain my position and at least part of how I got here. And sometimes the difference between the work of the government and the work of faith can be a little coarse. And I am not so sure that I have a problem with that.<br />
<br />
I have been a registered Republican for 36 years. But I really identify more with the Libertarians. And I have not always voted for Republican candidates, especially lately. My Republican congressman was one who voted to “Bail Out” the big banks thus subverting market forces. That shocked and angered me. I have voted against him twice since then. Apparently, my neighbors have not joined me. Then our President Bailed out only 2 large automobile manufacturers. Not only did he subvert market forces, but in the process he also violated more than 2 centuries of contract law and screwed the bond holders and dealers. At the same time he turned a large block of stock in these companies over to organized labor. This does not pass the smell test. I won't get into the corruption right now. What troubles me is this lack of confidence in “market forces”. Market forces demanded a reorganization of the auto companies. A reorganization that would have allowed the companies to emerge stronger and more viable into the future. The problem is that government keeps trying to tweak market forces to fit their socialist utopian agenda or to repay political debts to special interests. And it just doesn't work. And it never will. I direct your attention to the recent layoffs at GM over the Chevy Volt that is not selling very well. They need to either buy into the whole Marx/Engels plan or get government out of the way of building cars that people actually want to buy. You probably already know which way I prefer. The U.S. Constitution does a really good job of telling us what government should and should not do. I see the Constitution as a guiding light to freedom for the whole world to see. Clearly, there are a lot of people that see the Constitution as an obstacle to be overcome. The President of the United States is one of the latter. I even had an intelligent and thoughtful person tell me that he wasn’t worried about the executive branch violating the 10th Amendment. How can you live in America and not fight for the Bill of Rights? Seriously!<br />
<br />
A good friend of mine recently asked, “What happened to the separation of church and state?” JFK stated that the separation should be absolute. I think most would agree that JFK said that for political reasons. But if you agree with President Kennedy, then there is no place for medical services in the Federal Government at all. And that to me is the most elegant solution to the separation vs. Obamacare issue. It is not possible to provide medical care to any one from tax dollars without violating someone else's religious rights guaranteed by the 1st Amendment. So who do we screw over? The Catholics? The Jews? Christian Scientists? You? Me? Who makes that decision? As it stands right now, Obamacare depends on non-elected union shop Federal employees. Right now the Executive Branch of the Federal Government employs about 8.4 million people. I find that number just appalling. If the government followed the Constitution that number could easily be less than half what it is currently.<br />
<br />
For many years I made a living as a musician. I am coming to terms with the idea that it may be impossible for me to do that again. My political and religious philosophy make it very difficult to work with other entertainers. It seems that most of them have socialist sympathies. And while I find their feelings delightful and even admirable in a private civilian setting. When the push is to legislate the more left leaning ideas, we have to part company. Years ago, I had a frightening experience with Musicians Local # 5 while I was a working musician. It suffices to say that I have very little use for any organization that forces your membership with the threat of vandalism and bodily injury. That feels like organized crime to me. I have had similar experiences with the IUE, UAW, AFSCME, and OEA. I have had contact with people who are thugs, bullies, and extortionists. I get more than just a little annoyed at the idea that the government would have these people micromanaging my healthcare, my business contracts, my property, my personal security, and who knows what else. Especially when it is crystal clear that this kind of interference is contrary to the Constitution. Obviously there are enormous programs that are going to be with us for a long time to come. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid can not be eliminated. But they must be reformed. Some plans are out there. But nobody is doing anything. And the United States is 15 trillion dollars in debt. Liberty is in Danger.<br />
<br />
I don't want to force anything on anyone. I believe that one of God's greatest gifts to mankind was “Free Will”. I also believe that to deny any person's free will is to deny God. The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” While the Declaration is not law, the Constitution is the law of the land. And the Federal Government is operating beyond its limits. I come very close to worshiping my liberty as an American. And I take very seriously the assault on that liberty. Maybe it is all because I was raised as an Army brat. Maybe it is because I am a minister. I enjoy taking responsibility for myself. I expect other citizens to do the same. In short everyone's deeds have consequences. I would have all people do as they choose as long as their consequences are not another's to deal with. That is what the Constitution guarantees to you and me. If somebody else negotiates a bad deal with their employer, It is not our responsibility. If someone buys a house or a car that they clearly can not afford, it is not our responsibility. If irresponsible parents did not save money for their kids education, it is not our responsibility. Now if, as a minister or layperson, I decide to lead or participate in a VOLUNTARY effort to help, that may be the right thing to do. But to have the Federal Government confiscate treasure from citizens or even worse they borrow it from a foreign nation for this purpose is a crystal clear violation of the Constitution of The United States. I am willing to fight over that. The Government that governs least governs best.Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-80946081010772034632011-07-06T13:19:00.000-07:002011-07-06T13:27:11.319-07:00Justice For Caylee Marie Anthony?I have been watching the television news coverage of a trial. Particularly, the verdict in the case of the death of Caylee Marie Anthony. The young mother Casey Anthony has been found not guilty on counts one thru three. Those charges were first degree murder, manslaughter, and child abuse. She was found guilty on four counts of lying to the police. <br /><br />Most if not all of the reporters and commentators on my television were shocked by this. This troubles me on a couple of levels. First of all, reporters have no business what so ever expressing emotional response to the verdict. But second, universally these “reporters” had convicted this woman in their heads without the benefit of having sat in the jury box reviewing all of the evidence and arguments. I am very disappointed by this. I remember clearly having to listen to some stern words from my Journalism professor for writing one slightly editorial sentence in a 500 word newspaper article. In addition, I did not receive a great grade for the piece. Why aren't these people disciplined for this? Good grief why aren't they fired? As for commentators, they are hired specifically to render opinions. And they are and should be free to do just that. But I am still bothered by the fact that universally these talking heads were “shocked and upset” by the jury's verdict. If the impaneled jury including alternates were able to arrive at a “not guilty” verdict, perhaps there is some benefit from sitting in the jury box, examining all of the evidence, and hearing all of the testimony and arguments. In my opinion, this speaks volumes to the value of this kind of courtroom coverage. I firmly believe there is a huge lesson to be learned here for news directors nationwide. I hope that they are paying attention.<br /><br />In addition to the reporters and pundits, nearly all of my friends were of the same mind. This has been a huge shock to me. There are a good many of my friends that I would have sworn were more open minded than this. I can only surmise that they were influenced by the news coverage to which they were subjected. One friend in particular has truly surprised me. This individual is a deeply spiritual person. And this person said to me that there would be no justice for Caylee. The minister in me was almost knocked over. Of course we all want the guilty to be held accountable for their actions. But man's justice must quantify doubt. God's justice is perfect. These are the the cases that test our faith. Sadly, some folks have had their faith shaken. Another friend of mine asked how I would feel if it had been one of my children or grandchildren. I have lost two of my four children. I understand the loss. I recognize the precious value of children. I credit my faith with helping me cope with those tragedies. God has not let me down.<br /><br />When we heard the verdict, I told my daughter that I believe that it is better for a thousand guilty people to go free than for a single innocent person to be convicted. In addition I want the police to “investigate and find the truth”. I do not like the current trend of identifying the most likely suspect and then “building a case”. Likewise, I want the prosecutors to “present real evidence”. I want it to be hard to prosecute a defendant. Many people do not recognize the damage that is done to society when an innocent person is investigated, accused, tried, convicted, jailed, or God forbid executed. The government has so much power (We will go into that another time) that the “ripples of ill will” can be cast very wide. Feelings of mistrust and paranoia can spread geometrically. When this happens the public is less likely to cooperate with law enforcement on the next case. If we want the justice system to have the public at large as a cooperative partner, we must be willing to allow them to fail sometimes. It seems to me that some in law enforcement are obsessed with “building a case”. It also seems that some prosecuting attorneys are obsessed with “putting one in the win column”. If that isn't enough, we have some judges who would rather make the law than follow it. What we need is accountability. In my lifetime I have only read of one case where a prosecuting attorney was himself prosecuted for misconduct. Law enforcement and judges seem to be immune.<br /><br />So to the reporters and commentators, relax. Take a breath and try to do the best job that you can. To my dear friends, pick up your Bible, Koran or Torah and read. Let your faith support you and mitigate you sadness. God really is in your corner. To all of you, try to accept the possibility that the jury got this one right. If you can't believe that, just try to allow for the system to have failed this time. It has to fail sometimes. As hard as this is going to be to for you to accept, the cost of demanding a perfect result every time is just too high.Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-38581853195129224792010-08-17T05:28:00.000-07:002010-08-17T05:36:42.644-07:00Gay Marriage and the BibleThe state of California has been all over the news lately for events other than earthquakes. It started when a slim majority of voters decided to ban same sex marriage. Many states, including my own, have enacted such bans. I have to say that as a conservative minister and counselor I would prefer that the state stay out of some issues. This is one of those issues. I just have a hard time calling sexual orientation a reason to deny any couple the chance to live a committed monogamous life. If I was asked to solemnize a same sex marriage, the couple would have to agree to much the same interview and counseling as any other. Unfortunately, my state prohibits me from performing the ceremony.<br /><br />This paragraph will probably anger most who read it. I am not a psychologist or theological academician. My only degree is strictly honorary. Which may be, in part, why I can be annoyed yet mildly amused by people on both sides of this issue. Both sides have been throwing around the same two verses from the Bible's book of Leviticus. The problem is that they always take these verses out of context. I re-read Leviticus and had to really reach to find any substantial relevance. God spoke to Moses and gave him some pretty specific guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Some of these guidelines were deliberately outside of The Commandments. Contextually, these guidelines were for Moses' time and situation. They provided Moses with a pretty simple hierarchy. I believe these guidelines were given to Moses to prepare him to lead a relatively small community in isolation for four decades. These guidelines gave Moses the tools to make sure that the community survived an extremely long and isolated journey. In fact, when I re-read it, it sounded like God was determined to protect the genetic viability as well as the physical and mental health of Moses' people based on their population, demographics, and circumstances. And the emphasis was on penalties for transgression. That is often an Old Testament theme. Are some of the described acts horrid? Of course! Are “all” of them horrid? Are every single one of the rules required for a population thousands of times larger today? Maybe “that” is a discussion we need to have. It really doesn't take a lot of deep thought to differentiate between love, sex, promiscuity, irresponsibility and violence. I think that as reasonable people, we must be able to contextualize religious text or it becomes meaningless prose. I am embarrassed that it has taken me nearly a half of a century to realize this.<br /><br />I do have some concerns regarding homosexuality. These have come to me as friend, coworker, and extended family member as well as minister. I have discovered at least three subsets of the gay community. Subsets two and three deeply trouble me. The first group are people who were indeed born gay and are searching for a healthy, committed, and monogamous relationship. The second group is simply promiscuous and not particular. They are doomed to be spiritually damaged until they are willing to change. And the third, which to me is the most disturbing, are the people who call themselves gay but are using that as a coping device to deal with sexual assault. Often these violent assaults occurred during childhood. I have not found any study that quantifies any of this. And my observation is not scientific. But I have indeed met all of these people. And it bothers me that this is not part of the discussion in any measure.<br /><br />I submit that the interview and counseling I would offer to a strait, gay or lesbian couple would be different. In fact, there are different concerns to address for every couple. I treat each couple as the situation dictates. Gay and lesbian couples present different circumstances to be recognized before the relationship issues. Denying that fact is just intellectually lazy. Perhaps it should be a little more difficult for any couple to get married. But should any couple successfully complete the interview and counseling process with me or any officiant, I would like the government to stay out of it. We have the experience. We care about the couples and take the time to know them. In my state, we have been licensed. I think that makes us uniquely qualified to decide who should be married by us or not.Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-86704310135357864382010-08-05T17:34:00.000-07:002010-08-05T17:42:22.425-07:00A New Idea For Financing The Public Sector<meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 3.2 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Not one single new idea since George W. Bush. Is that what President Obama said? I accept that challenge. I realize of course that by virtue of being a Christian Minister my ideas can't be taken seriously by the President. ( That was sarcasm for all of the secular socialists) In fact, there are officials in government that assert that ministers are not entitled to voice any political ideas at all. I however will not surrender my rights as a citizen. And I have an idea. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Many people have expressed concern over the Federal Budget Deficit. I think it is an abomination myself. Many people have expressed disgust over the Income Tax. I likewise believe that it is bad economic policy and bad social policy. When I council individuals and couples, one of the overwhelming issues is always financial. This comes down to a few major economic factors. The first is that while young families find available mortgage opportunities, the explosive increases in real estate taxes “to triple digit millage in many jurisdictions” has made home ownership impossible to them. Then there is the recent “income tax scam” perpetrated by the Federal Government. Remember that? They changed the withholding tables but not the tax tables. So that in the last filing year, many families found that the refund they were counting on was gone like smoke in the wind. Or even worse, they actually ended up owing the IRS more tax. And then there is perhaps the most spiritually toxic of all, DEBT. Mortgages on houses that they can no longer afford. Car loans that leave them upside down on value versus loan balance. And the worst of all consumer credit and credit cards. Debt is spiritually toxic. Debt is something I always advise people to avoid. It is morally wrong for individuals. It is morally wrong for businesses. And it is even morally and ethically wrong for government.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So what to do? Step one is simple. We need a Constitutional Amendment banning all income tax for all time. At the same time this amendment also needs to permanently limit residential real estate tax to 1/20<sup>th</sup> of 1 percent of fair market value. The income tax does have to be replaced. And the best replacement is a National Sales Tax. This sales tax should be permanently limited to 15%. The 15% should be split in this way. 2.5% would be for use by the Federal Government. 7.5% would be for use by the State Government. 2.5% would be for use by the County Government. And finally 2.5% would be for use by Local Government. Every dollar other than the Federal percentage should be apportioned by population. Then let those jurisdictions prioritize the services their constituents want and need.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But what do we do about deficit spending and debt in the public sector? I think that there is an answer. How about this? If an individual whether elected, appointed, or hired to a public position (paid or unpaid) writes, votes for, authorizes, signs into law or implements any financial transaction, contract, or budget that results in deficit or debt (even in so called “out years”) shall be guilty of a Class C Felony. These people should be incarcerated for terms commensurate with the amount of the deficit. Yes! I want to criminalize deficit spending. That is accountability!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now I do realize that I won't live long enough to see this happen. But wouldn't it be wonderful. People, businesses and government all living within their means. With liberty and justice for all.</p> Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191339539870451946.post-43681287989451743282010-07-24T16:39:00.000-07:002010-07-24T17:10:43.205-07:00My Classmates Memorial ServiceSince my ordination and before I have spoken at funeral services a few times in my life. However, I wrote a memorial for 21 of my high school classmates whom have departed since 1975. I delivered this memorial service on July 17, 2010 during our 35th class reunion. I found this experience somewhat different. While I knew of the passing of a few of my old friends, the news of the passing of most of them was fairly sudden. I found the flood of emotion came over me while I was asking my fellow surviving classmates to reflect on happy memories. Suddenly, the words I spoke from the books of Isaiah and John gave me the strength to finish the service. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful the words from the Bible can be. I am once again grateful that God has reminded me in a very personal way. I am also grateful that he gives me the strength to help others in some small way.Reverend Father Stephen D. Wilson h.D.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04691445850938028151noreply@blogger.com0