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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Oh Joy...

Yippee-ki-yay and joy to the world. It was announced today that Joel Osteen, Houston mega-church preacher of all that is ridiculously positive, prosperous, smarmy and toothy, will soon be the star of his own reality show. Let us all pause, praise mammon and take up an offering.

Yes, folks, our hearts will become warm and fuzzy watching Lakewood Church's mission trips as they focus on "people helping people." The show will be designed to create the feel good premise of other shows like "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

One of the most exciting aspects of this new venture is that Osteen and his family have partnered with Mark Burnett, producer of the reality series, "Survivor", a Godly show if there ever was one.  Osteen told Entertainment Tonight, "We have great respect for Mark and we know that the finished product will not only entertain but will illustrate the generosity and selflessness that is a hallmark of the American people."

Oh goody. Not only will we be able to see even MORE of Joel Osteen on TV but we'll also be treated to additional coverage of his lovely and ever so humble wife, Victoria. I get chills just thinking about it. And a bit of nausea too.

Of course, showing people helping people is a worthy endeavor but if Mr. Osteen really wants to touch the world for Jesus, perhaps he would be better served by sincerely warning people that life as we know it is rapidly coming to a close and the wrath of an Almighty God is on its way.

Maybe he should point out their sinful state and explain the great love of a Saviour that bled and died to take the punishment we all so richly deserve. Now THAT would be teaching prosperity! You can't get much richer than that!

Nah, that wouldn't make for entertaining television; too depressing.  Besides, as far as Joel Osteen is concerned, entertainment is the only game in town.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Christmas Insanity

Why are we running around like a bunch of lunatics?? What's the point?


OK people, let’s just stop it right here; I mean the entire maniacal pre-Christmas hubbub that’s going on. This is supposed to be the season to be jolly. I don't think being trampled and pepper sprayed by some crazed maniac trying to be the first one in the door of Walmart is very jolly!

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like Christmas per se but rather the conspicuous consumption that accompanies what is supposed to be the recognition of the birth of our Lord and Savior. Over the years, I’ve read and heard many people complaining about the “commercialization” of the holiday. This article will touch on that but I want to take it a few steps further.

For instance, “Black Friday”, when the retailers hope we as consumers are foolish enough to be at their doors at 5 AM to be the first to get the so-called “bargains”, therefore propelling the store’s balance sheets into the black or profitable side of the ledger.

There is absolutely nothing I want to buy bad enough to roll out of bed before the sun is up, stand in the cold to peer lustily at merchandise through the store window until said store opens for business. So much for, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

NOW the stores are opening up on Thanksgiving Day! I mean really! Madison Avenue needs a swift kick in the pants if you ask me. This year, some of these stores had the audacity to start putting out Christmas decorations in October, before Halloween! Why don’t they just cut to the chase and leave them up all year. Yes, that way, on any given day we choose, we can all careen about the aisles in a mindless frenzy buying up meaningless stuff that will end up in the basement or chosen to be re-gifted, just because it was “on sale.”

Forgive my attitude. I am not a Scrooge. I love giving gifts to my son and seeing the delight on his face. However, I am appalled at the way the American public, including we Christians, get caught up in a manufactured holiday.

You did realize, did you not, that no where in the Bible are we commanded to celebrate the event of Christ’s birth. I personally don’t have a problem recognizing the occasion, keeping in mind that some nameless person long ago arbitrarily picked December 25th to be the date on which we celebrate. Let’s pause a moment to think about what this is supposed to be about in the first place.

The God of the universe; the Word; the great “I AM”; the Creator, put on skin to live among mankind just to experience what it was like from our end. He didn’t have to do that. The Bible says He humbled Himself. Humbled doesn’t sound right to me. It’s more like He demeaned, degraded, demoted and lowered Himself to the filthy, sin-filled, wretched world we perverted. Stop and consider what that meant to Him personally.

He volunteered to leave the indescribable beauty and glory of heaven, not to mention, for lack of a better term, the face to face company of the Father and Spirit, knowing the culmination of the visit would be in an agonizing death while bearing the sin of mankind for all time.

Can you imagine what He must have thought of us at times? The patience He demonstrated, not only with His disciples, but with folks in general was astounding! Here He was, the Creator God, allowing the impotent, arrogant creatures he designed to argue with Him, ridicule Him, spit and beat on Him, mock and deny His deity and finally, to torture him to death. He allowed it all because of His unfathomable desire to reconcile mankind to Himself so that we can be in relationship with Him forever. Thats why it's called "the greatest story ever told."

Christmas, to me, is the quiet, reverent, candle-light opportunity to partake of what the Bible does ask us to celebrate- communion; the symbolic taking of His body and shed blood. The fact that that precious body started out in the form of a helpless, humble newborn instead of an already full grown king only makes it sweeter.

Thank you, but you can keep your gifts. I’ve already been given the most perfect present I’ll ever receive. What more could I possibly wish for? Merry Christmas everyone.

DW

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Judge Not

I happen to read AOL for the basic news of the day so occasionally, I scroll down to the comments section to see what people have to say about the stories they see.  It seems that no matter what the story is covering, whether tainted food or terrorists or increases in fuel prices, the comments invariably turn to the subject of Christianity and then the bashing frenzy begins. It seems to be the new national sport.

Some of the bashers, unfortunately, have justifiable points to make on the failings of some who profess to be a follower of Christ but act and treat others like hell in their everyday life. There are plenty of false converts and others that like the appearance of being moral, and love to talk the talk, but rarely walk the walk. However, that does NOT include ALL Christians.

When a serious Christian writes a comment defending their faith or speaking out against an issue, the Christophobes always counter with what they just know will put us in our place! The very tired, often quoted but misunderstood directive of  'judge not lest you be judged.'  Yawn.  I wish I had a dollar for all the times some ignoramus spouted that statement to try to shame or silence a believer into not pointing out sinful behavior.

Allow me to explain this command of Jesus to you. After you understand it in the context in which it was given, perhaps you can come up with some other dart to throw. This one is getting really boring.

When Jesus was saying we shouldn't judge, he was telling his disciples not to judge one another. That would translate in today's world by saying Christians should not judge other Christians. If a believer knows of an ongoing situation of sin in another believer's life, the Bible tells us how to deal with that  within the governing rules of the local church.

'Judge not' does NOT mean we as Christians should not make a moral judgement when we see someone committing adultery, stealing, lying, cheating, murdering, etc. We most certainly should call those actions morally wrong and point out that those actions will have eternal consequences. Any Christian that stands by and fails to speak out because they fear the repercussions of not being politically correct, will have to explain to Almighty God why their pride was more important than warning those who are without Christ.

In fact, it is our duty as Christians to respectfully advise those who are lost of their need for repentance and salvation. We would be remiss and disobedient not to.  Say I saw you snoozing on some train tracks and knew a huge train was scheduled to pass by in the next few minutes. Wouldn't you want me to wake you up and warn you of the danger you face?  That you will most certainly die if you don't move??  Would you actually get angry and defensive and tell me to mind my own business, because you can nap wherever you want to? Seriously??

That is what you Christian bashers are doing when we speak out against immorality. Yeah, I understand that no one likes to be told how to live their life. We don't want to tell you what you can do and can't do. We simply don't wish to be accountable to God because we just stood there like some coward when we could have helped you off the tracks. Get it??

Rest assured those of us with the cajones to speak out against sin, despite the vitriol and hatred we encounter, are expected to have our own house in order, so to speak. We Christians still sin but we are grieved when we do because we don't want to hurt our Father's heart and disappoint Him and we're quick to ask for forgiveness.  However, if I am habitually, deliberately breaking one of God's laws I had better keep quiet until I get my behind straightened out!

1 Peter 4:17-18 says, "For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

So in the future when you get hacked off because some Christian is voicing their opposition to wrongdoing, remember what I said about the train tracks. If you don't happen to care if you get hit, then for heaven's sake, say something more imaginative than 'judge not'! 

DW

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Bathroom Brou-ha-ha

Oh geesh, here we go again with sexual deviants demanding we treat their particular perversion du jour as normal.  A Colorado 16 year old Fort Collins High School student was suspended for 3 days last month for using the girl's bathroom instead of the staff restroom. Trouble is...wait for it...the student is a BOY!  Oh, pardon me, he's "transgender." Let me get a tissue and explain this sad, travesty of justice.

Dionne Malikowski explains that, "Transgender is to be one sex that feels like they're the other sex."  HE admits that HE and "other transgender students" were previously warned to use the staff restroom instead of the boy's or girl's restroom but since there aren't that many staff restrooms, "When you have to pee, you have to pee."  So HE used the girl's bathroom.

"I cried and I told them that it was really messed up for them to do that to me, and they were like, 'We've warned you before,' and I was just like, 'Obviously you don't understand what it's like."

 No, Dionne, we don't like, understand because we're not like, attention seeking, bored teenagers with questionable language skills who like, think we should have been born the opposite sex of what God made us. If you're THAT mixed up, look down your pants and it will make more sense.

HE whines that HE and another screwed up friend, Kurt Peters, also 16 but born female, are, "Normal teenagers. We're just like everybody else."  Kurt goes on to add, "They really messed up here."

Dionne says HE will be transferring to another school and believes the policy is discriminatory.  "I want to be able to use the girl's bathroom without being harassed for it or suspended or having charges pressed against me."

Now, either these two are true paragons of perversity or they are the most brilliant heterosexuals in all the land.  Think about it--what better way to check out the equipment of the opposite sex in a live setting than to claim to be transgendered! They could hang out in the locker rooms and restrooms of the opposite sex all day and not be questioned because they fit right in!

Nah, after seeing them on the news, it's painfully obvious they aren't smart enough to have thought that plan up. No folks, they are as seriously screwed up as the ridiculous outfits they were wearing.  Their mothers must be so proud...

Kurt made the final statement regarding this monumental injustice by stating, "Just because we're different from everybody else doesn't mean we have to be treated different."  Wait a minute!  Didn't Dionne just say they're normal teenagers and are just like everybody else?? 

Figure it out ladies and gentlemen, whichever one you are, you can't have it both ways! Or better yet, just shut up and get back to class.

Friday, November 11, 2011

USA's Deadly Infection

Oh God in heaven help me, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!!!  I’ve been contemplating writing a tongue-in-cheek article about my desire to start a movement in America for the legalization of marriage between man/woman and beast.  I planned to satirize the level of perversion and absurdity our society has sunk to due to the adoption of liberal moral relativism.  Unfortunately, the freaks among us have beaten me to the punch.

There is an actual organized movement, whom I refuse to identify, that advocates human/animal mating or pairing as an alternative lifestyle.  Their motto, “Because speech is not a prerequisite for love.”  Excuse me for a moment while I puke!  This is not a joke, folks.

Here is a statement from their website:  “We may be a small minority, scorned by the majority who may consider our movement to be immoral or perhaps even twisted.” (Gee, ya think??)  “But who is truly twisted and immoral, those who yearn to live with animals as partners and love them as equal creatures, or those who violently abuse nature, raise themselves above the rest of creation and, for their perverse comfort, destroy everything and everyone around them.”

So I guess those of us who aren’t particularly turned on by the thought of bestiality, violently abuse nature, raise ourselves above the rest of creation and destroy everything/everybody around us for our perverse comfort. Yesserie Bob, I’m out there every day, kicking puppies and hanging stray kittens. Nothing I like better than a good doggie shish-ka-bob! And I skin ‘em alive too because I love to violently abuse nature.

Well, I hate to tell these wonderfully sensitive people but I AM above the rest of creation, and so is every other person on the planet!  Mankind was created in the image of God which means we are mental, relational and moral beings. We have a conscience and can reason and choose from right or wrong. We are made to love and be loved and we experience a wide range of emotions. And, unlike animals, we have a spirit which lives forever.

These deviants have yet to become a tax-deductible organization but, “We hope to become one in the very near future.”  They are not, however, without an ironic sense of humor. Their forum, “Reserves the right to remove any indecent or offensive language.”  What could they possibly consider indecent or offensive?? I am momentarily rendered speechless…

There you have it America.  The intellectual, progressive left-wing communist jerks teaching in our universities must be proud that their polluted experiment of teaching moral relativism has taken such root in our society.  I’ll buy them all a Great Dane.

What is moral relativism, you ask?  It is the philosophical theory that different moral truths hold for different people. It states that it makes no sense to ask the abstract question whether a given act is good or bad. An act may be good for one person but bad for another, or good in one cultural setting but bad in another, but can never be considered completely good or bad.

Where does mankind get his innate understanding that some things are ok and others are perverted and wicked?  Romans 2: 14-15 says, “For when Gentiles (all of us), who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.”

In other words, God instills within every person an instinctive understanding of basic right and wrong.  For instance, even tribes in the deepest jungles of the Amazon know it is wrong to kill a person without just cause.  Their children may steal a piece of fruit or a trinket but will naturally hide it to keep from getting in trouble.

Our conscience is one of the major characteristics that separate us from the animals.  We can choose to override our baser desires to do the ‘right’ thing.

 In D.L. Adams’ article, Moral Relativism and Fall: Solzhenitsyn’s Forgotten Warning to America, he states, “Our legitimization of multiculturalism and moral relativism and acceptance of politically correct self-censorship that allows these fraudulent theories to flourish, have had disastrous results in the ongoing decline of the greatest country ever seen on this planet, the United States of America.  We do not now see our own value in comparison to other cultures and ideologies because to make such a comparison that states that we are better is considered wrong, intolerant and bigoted.”

In 1978, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a former Soviet prisoner of conscience, gave a speech at Harvard called, “A World Split Apart” in which he warned us (the West) about the coming failure of our society.  He stated that the rejection of definitive truths will lead to our decline and eventual fall because of our abandonment of the concept of evil and the rise of ‘humanism’, also known as moral relativism and post-modernism.

He stated, “Such a tilt of freedom in the direction of evil has come about gradually but it was evidently born primarily out of a humanistic and benevolent concept according to which there is no evil inherent to human nature; the world belongs to mankind and all the defects of life are caused by wrong social systems which must be corrected.”  And this was said over 30 years ago. How far we’ve fallen since then!

The attitude infecting this country of ‘I am my own god and can decide for myself what is right for me’, is as old as time, even though it sounds like it came straight from Oprah’s couch.  It is called rebellion and it is aimed against  Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. Because He made us with free will and the sinful nature we inherited from Adam and Eve, there is something in us that doesn’t want to be told what to do. It seems all of mankind is little more than a petulant, self centered, two year old.

So, what does all this mean?  Oh boy, I’m gonna step in it big time, so get ready to be offended!

  Romans 1:18-32 states, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;  who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Hey, don’t yell at me, I’m just the messenger. God is the one who decided right from wrong and we as his little dust creatures with our little pea brain understanding (compared to His), don’t have a leg to stand on if we plan on challenging Him. After all, He is eternal. We are not.  I suppose when we design and create our own universe, then we can make the rules to suit ourselves. Until then, we would be wise to abide by the Top Ten, basic, good ‘ol Commandments. Besides, they were given to prevent all kinds of trouble we normally find ourselves in when we ignore them.

Well, now that the bestiality idea is taken, maybe I’ll write something demanding the right to sacrifice newborns in fire.  After all, in our rapidly degenerating society, who’s to say that’s wrong? Hmmm?

DW

Veterans Day/ 11.11.11

I want to pause and sincerely honor those men and women in uniform.  Not to give empty lip service because that’s what you’re supposed to do, but to truly thank them for their service and sacrifice for this country.

They choose to leave their families for extended periods, travel to foreign lands and sometimes, put themselves in great danger.  Throughout time, they have faced loneliness, extreme conditions, horrible food, rigourous physical training and hostile enemies.

They have missed the births of their babies; missed the birthdays and school plays of their growing children and the life celebrations of friends and family. Some have even been gone during the loss of a loved one, leaving them far away from home and grieving alone.

Some have given their lives in the cause of preserving America’s freedom and way of life. Others come home broken in spirit or permanently scarred, missing limbs and suffering from memories too awful for most of us to comprehend.  The rehab continues for months and the nightmares, sometimes, for years.

We also need to consider the incredible sacrifices the families who are left behind endure.  Battling constant fear of losing their loved one. Extreme loneliness with little support from ‘civilians’ who haven’t walked in their shoes and don’t understand the pain they live with. The bittersweet sadness of the little milestones their kids achieve when Mommy or Daddy can’t be there to celebrate also. The constant uprooting and moving from place to place and holding down the fort, so to speak

Sometimes our veterans come home to families who hardly know them anymore.  They have to get acquainted with their spouse and kids again while learn to assimilate back into normal, everyday life.  At times, the pressure from trying to readjust is too much and marriages are lost as a result, breaking up the family permanently.

It bothers me greatly when people blow off holidays like Memorial Day or Veterans Day.  We need to take a few minutes to stop our never ending activity and soberly remember those around us who have faithfully served as well as those who are still away, doing their duty.

They need and deserve our prayers in so many ways.  Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your sacrifice, bravery and willingness to do what must be done to preserve freedom for the rest of us. Seriously. Thank you!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

A Rape of the Heart


                         Do you really know who you're talking to?
The Internet is an exciting and vibrant source of information, entertainment and communication but, as we’ve all heard, it also has its dark side. It’s of vital importance to exercise the utmost caution when you ‘meet’ a new friend online.
The web is the perfect vehicle to prey upon the innocence of others. The number and variations of online predators staggers the imagination. Now get this...I’m NOT talking about your children. I’m warning you about online adults who target other adults. Cyberpaths.

Their goals can vary from swindling you out of your money, trying to talk you into all sorts of schemes, but the vast majority is after sex and/or power, plain and simple. Oh, you wouldn’t be fooled by someone online, would you? You couldn’t possibly be stupid enough to fall for their manipulations, right? You are dead wrong!

Statistics tell us that approximately 1 out of 20 people we interact with have, on some level that is destructive, sociopathic tendencies. I’m sure you’ve heard that serial killers are sociopaths, and that is true to the extreme. Naturally, there are different levels of dysfunction, just as there are different levels of say, depression. The predators I speak of are "Sociopath-Lite," for lack of a better term.

These people have little to no conscience and they view other people as objects to manipulate to get what they want. Most of them are narcissists, and will use you to fulfill what is called, “narcissistic supply.”
Narcissistic Supply is the term for what these people are addicted to. It is not alcohol or drugs, or even sex per se. They need your adoration, admiration, attention and time and the appetite for this supply is insatiable as they are basically emotional black holes.

They suck your love and energy into themselves to try to satisfy the emptiness inside their souls. They truly are the walking dead. This emptiness is so profound and permanent they are rarely helped by any kind of therapy because they are so used to acting rather than being who they really are. They refuse to lower their guard and let others know their real personalities.

Scientists are not sure exactly how this personality deformity develops. One theory is the small child suffers severe emotional neglect from the primary caretaker. Another thought is the parents worship and over indulge the child until he/she learns that he/she is superior to other people. They learned early on to mimic the kind of person the caretakers seemed to want in order to survive. In the process, they discard and despise their true selves and manufacture a false self that they present to the world. Sad? Yes, absolutely because you can never truly get to know the real person, therefore, intimate relationships are impossible.

These folks are usually so full of rage that they quickly learn how to channel and use the anger in a meaningful way; the ability to expertly manipulate and ultimately emotionally injure others makes them feel superior and powerful. This way, they feel they're in control and cannot be hurt again. They turn into an abuser.

A narcissist with sociopathic tendencies is a very dangerous person indeed; the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. They are constantly on the prowl for new sources of “supply” and can sense a potential victim almost immediately, even the first time they meet the person. Let’s pause for a moment to examine the perfect victim of these monsters.

Most people grow up in relatively normal homes where love, affection and truth were modeled most of the time. These future victims were taught to be courteous, trusting and compassionate and in the normal course of their lives, have personally encountered nothing untoward that would change their view of the world and the strangers they meet. They’ve heard of evil people on the news and have seen them depicted in movies but have never actually crossed paths with one. In other words, they’re sitting ducks.

These victims are far from stupid or thickheaded. They should be able to basically trust in the goodness of others. They practice the golden rule and simply assume others do the same. Although they are naïve, once they encounter and comprehend the evil that truly exists “out there,” their lives are forever altered and their innocence shattered.

When the narcissist/sociopath targets a victim, they immediately begin to hypnotize their prey by idealizing, overvaluing and grooming this new source of “supply.” They are gifted actors, having presented their false self for so many years, and are able to expertly simulate emotions as they “bond” with the victim.

They are curious and deeply interested in this new source and begin a process of courting the victim. They are incredibly charming and present themselves to be a deep, passionate person capable of loving or of being hurt. They appear to be empathetic and caring but all of these traits are the sheep’s clothing of the narcissist.

Naturally, the victim cannot help but fall head over heels in love with the mirage or false self the narcissist projects and they completely buy into the lies they are told. The narcissist’s seemingly genuine immersion and exaggerated high regard for the source is extremely alluring to the victim. It makes them feel safe, loved and admired. The 'high' a victim feels in meeting this 'soul mate' has been compared to the initial euphoria a heroin user experiences and it is just as addicting!

The narcissist showers them with attention and is so convincing they’re all but impossible to resist when they are on the prowl for a source of supply. However, and this is what you must understand, once the victim is completely hooked and emotionally enmeshed, the narcissist begins to deplete them of their “supply” like a vampire drinks the blood of his victim.

This begins to manifest itself by the narcissist toying and playing head games with the source. They'll deny saying certain things the victim knows for certain they said; they woo seductively and then turn cold and angry causing the source to come running to apologize for some supposed transgression.
They are covertly condescending to the source while continuing to seek their opinions. They play with the source like a deep-sea fisherman reels in a sailfish and then lets the line go slack, back and forth until the fish exhausts itself.

When the narcissist senses the source’s supply is threatened or nearly depleted, he abruptly loses all interest in the victim. To them, the victim no longer exists and is thrown away like a piece of trash.
Of course, to be idealized one minute and totally devalued the next is utterly incomprehensible to the victim. Normal people do not treat others this way. It is a mind bending experience that leaves the victim questioning their self worth, judgment and sanity not to mention having to grapple with the extreme grief of suddenly losing what seemed to be the perfect relationship.

There is a term for what a narcissist/sociopath does to his victims. It is called emotional rape. It's the systematic, deliberate abuse of a person’s highest emotions without their informed consent.
The victim fully trusts the alluring false self that is presented to them and is made to feel emotions and bonding for the express purpose of being used and discarded. When they give the narcissist the privilege of looking into their soul they never dreamed that intimacy would be abused.

The narcissist feels no true emotions. They are incapable. The “love” they profess for the source disappears immediately when the victim’s usefulness runs its course or when a seemingly better qualified source of supply is noticed. They are able to go their merry way without the encumbrance of guilt or remorse.
Being a tender human being, the victim usually grieves and misses the relationship for quite some time. The loss is devastating and they can get very depressed, blame themselves, obsess about contacting the narcissist, feel like they’re going crazy and experience many other emotional manifestations that physical rape victims endure. The emotional roller coaster is so horrific that some victims even display symptoms of post traumatic stress syndrome.

It’s shocking and disgusting how many narcissists seem to gravitate towards positions of power, i.e., the military, pastors, counselors, Bible teachers, CEO’s, school teachers, physicians, etc. Once they spot a potential source, they misuse their authority to attract and control the victim.

Again, the Internet is the perfect place for these creatures to troll for sources of supply. They expertly navigate chat rooms, looking for vulnerable, lonely women. They set up websites that offer advice or counseling and present themselves as warm, caring and compassionate and seem to be extremely attractive.

The narcissist/sociopath exploits and then completely rejects his victims. The most bizarre aspect of this “person” is there little to no malice involved. He views people as things to be used. The same way you and I feel neither hate nor love for a garden hose, he feels the same about the people he uses and destroys. Absolutely nothing. Beware!



Friday, November 4, 2011

Occupy Common Sense

A lot of the people demonstrating in all of the ‘Occupy’ movements have no clue what they are demonstrating against. The first group, Occupy Wall Street, have put forth their complaint against our economic system of capitalism and corporate greed.

These grandchildren of the 1960’s hippies are desperately trying to emulate the glory days of Grandma and Grandpa when they were free from responsibility and still mooching off their parents.

The current protesters grew up hearing romantic stories of how the older generation spent their days burning draft notices, wearing groovy clothes and headbands, driving their VW vans to that massive concert in the middle of a cow field, dancing topless under the influence of hallucinogenics and indulging in loads of sex with total strangers under the guise of free love. Thank God for antibiotics!

Yeah.  Good times.

Little do they know those same grandparents grew up to understand that the socialist utopia they dreamed of was completely unrealistic.  Socialism and its ugly cousin, communism has never in the history of civilization been a successful model of society. Oh, it sounds good in theory; everyone has all they need.  Or as Karl Marx put it, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”  Doesn’t that sound dreamy?

Problem is it has and will never work. Reason?  The innate laziness and greed of the human being.  Hate to tell the love children, but deep inside, people are selfish pigs that are only out for themselves.  A perfect example is Black Friday.

Have you ever gotten up at 4am the day after Thanksgiving to be one of the first in line at a store that has advertised fantastic bargains to kick off the Christmas buying season?  Those people will knife you in the back to save fifty bucks on an X-Box for their kid. There is elbowing, shoving and cursing and that is before they even open the doors! It’s just human nature. I don’t need anything bad enough to put up with that!

I have the upmost compassion for people who have lost their job, through no fault of their own or who have suffered illness or injury in which their savings are wiped out with hospital bills.  There are various scenarios where people fall on hard times and I have absolutely no problem assisting them with food or rent money or watching their kids while they go to a job interview. That is my responsibility and joy as a Christian.

However, there are thousands upon thousands of people who refuse to try to make an honest living; who have made manipulating government assistance into an art form.  I won’t get into how this is accomplished, but suffice to say some of these folks live better than the average American and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.  If they put as much brain power into succeeding at a respectable job, they might just end up owning their own company one day!

This leads me back to the Occupy movement. They are, understandably upset with the current economic downturn in this country which is making it difficult to find a good job and make a decent living.  They are also understandably incensed that taxpayers were forced to bail out the banks. 

The investments of millions of hard working Americans have shrunk to next to nothing while some of the Wall Street executives still enjoy multimillion dollar bonuses and severance packages as they walk away from these crippled financial institutions with little to no accountability to the taxpayers.

How did the economy get into this mess?  Of course, it is quite complicated, but the source seems to the bursting bubble of the real estate market.  A lot of this problem started, surprisingly, in the Carter Administration when his well meaning, left-wing socialist plan to make it possible for everyone to own a home was implemented. This is a great example of how socialism sounds good in theory but ends up being a disaster.

Back then, government officials began accusing mortgage lenders of ‘racism’ because suburban whites were being approved for loans at a higher rate than urban blacks.  The pressure on banks to make more loans to people with weak credit histories ratcheted up and they were forced to loosen their underwriting standards to comply with government demand.

In the late 1970’s, Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act that gave regulators power to punish banks that failed to meet the credit needs of low-income, minority and distressed neighborhoods. As a result, banks began issuing more high risk loans.

The two government chartered mortgage finance firms, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, along with Affirmative Action policies, forced lenders to accept welfare payments and unemployment benefits as ‘valid income sources’ to qualify for a mortgage.  You can’t make this stuff up, folks!

The housing market boomed and real estate prices and home equity began to climb to historic levels.  Halleluiah, everyone who wanted a house went out and got one, whether they could afford it or not. The left-wing was in la-la land because, at last, the good life in this country was on a more equitable plane.

 However, in 2003, economic advisors in the Bush administration saw storm clouds in the distance and began warning that the good times could not possibly last.  There were rumblings that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were cooking the books and taking too many risks with questionable lending practices which private lenders were pressured to copy.

Treasury Secretary, John Snow proposed placing Freddie and Fannie under Treasury oversight and regulating them with strict controls. The New York Times stated this would be, “The most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago.”  Bush knew the last thing the taxpayers needed was to have to bail out another government entity. However, there were those who pooh-pooh’d the idea.

Ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank, one of the most outspoken liberals to ever stroll the halls of Congress, stated, “These two entities, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are not facing any kind of financial crisis. The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.”

It took until 2005 for a watered down version of Treasury Secretary Snow’s proposal to reform the mortgage giants to pass.  By then, the damage was done.  The Carter and Clinton administration’s banking regulations forced Fannie and Freddie, as well as the private sector banks to approve subprime mortgages with insane consumer lures such as zero money down, no interest for a year and/or not checking the income or employment histories of the applicants.  Brilliant idea, people, but hey…everybody had the same opportunity to own a house and that’s the important thing, right?

BOOM!  The bubble burst!

As we all know, millions of homeowners, who did not have the means to buy and had no business doing so, began to default on their loans, causing a tsunami of foreclosures.  It was bound to happen. As a result, housing prices and home equity fell sharply, new construction was stopped in its tracks, the domino effect rippled throughout the economy and stock prices tanked, bringing us to where we are today.

The Occupy protestors don’t realize their anti-capitalist, socialist dreams are the very thing that got us into this mess!!  You have to somewhat appreciate Jimmy Carter’s big heart for wanting everyone to own a home but the facts are simple. If your income is not such that you can afford a house, you have to rent housing. If that is not to your liking, get more education or training. In this wonderful country, you can work your way up to where you want to be.

BUT, no one needs to or should be force to simply give it to you.  Sarah Palin stated that the Occupiers, “say ‘Wall Street Fat Cats got a bailout so now I want one too!’” “And the correct answer is no one is entitled to a bailout. The American dream, our foundation, is about work ethic and empowerment, not entitlement.”

I wish I had an answer for our economic woes. I truly feel for those who have lost their jobs; who have struggled through college only to end up with huge student loans and no opportunity to work.  It pains me to see the 401Ks and other investments families have so carefully sacrificed for, plummet in value, leaving folks to wonder how they will ever survive retirement. It affects my family too! But I have to shake my head and smile when I listen to the nightly news, detailing how the entire world’s economies are in various stages of collapse, because I’ve got hope…

According to the Bible, these things are supposed to happen in the last days.  The growing disparity between the wealthy and the middle class and poor, plus the world’s economic problems are shaping history for a charismatic leader to appear on the world’s stage with all the answers to the planet’s woes. The antichrist will have the solutions to world-wide economic problems, the unrest in the Middle East as well as clashes between major religions.

He will initially be thought of as the Messiah but will end up being mankind’s greatest nightmare, making Hitler look like a purring kitten. It will be the worst time in human history and I wouldn’t want to be here for all the money or fame in the universe.

But I don’t have to be concerned because I, along with all those who belong to Christ, will be snatched off this earth to be safe with Him in heaven before this tyrant is revealed. The way circumstances stand, this could happen at any moment.

Christ has made a way of escape for you too. The ticket He purchased for you, signed with His blood, is yours for the asking.  I strongly advise you to look into getting one. They are free and if you want more information, leave me a comment with a way to get back to you, because if you think things in the world are bad now…honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Those Kitschy Kardashians

You gotta hand it to that Kardashian clan. They have successfully parlayed disgraceful family shenanigans into obscene amounts of money and fame. What most people would consider shameful, narcissistic behavior is a lifestyle to these people and due to the general public's insatiable appetite for voyeurism, there does not seem to be an end in sight.

The name Kardashian became known in the press back in 1995 when the family patriarch, Robert, joined the 'dream team' of attorneys who defended and ultimately helped to exonerate the sociopathic killer, O.J. Simpson. That in and of itself, would have had me legally changing my name had I been a member of the family.  Robert died of esophageal cancer in 2003.

After divorcing Robert in 1990,  Mrs. Kardashian subsequently married former Olympian decathlon winner, Bruce Jenner in 1991. The children born to Robert and Kris were Kourtney, Kimberly and Khloe.  Of the three, Kim is the one whom the entire clan can thank for fame and fortune.

In February 2007, a 27 year old Kim recorded a sex tape with her boyfriend, R&B singer, Ray J. One of the famous scenes in this cinematic masterpiece, featured Ray J. urinating on her. Somehow, the tape was 'leaked' and quickly hit the internet. Vivid Entertainment paid $ 1million for the rights and released it as Kim Kardashian: Superstar.  She sued for ownership and in April 2007, she withdrew her suit and settled with Vivid for $ 5 million. Who knew selling yourself on film being used and humiliated would be so lucrative?

In October 2007, she and her family starred in the E! television series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  An instant hit, it provided hours of fun for the little people of America who found  peeking into the lives of the rich and self-absorbed fascinating. More money, more money, more money!

In December 2007, Kim posed nude for Playboy and has since gone on to make her mark as a 'businesswoman, socialite, TV personality, model and actress.'  She co-owns a clothing boutique with her sisters and has come up with her own fragrance, a workout DVD, jewelry line, clothing line and has had guest appearances on numerous television shows. In 2010, she reached the pinnacle of human achievement by having her wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussauds.

However, something was missing in little Kimmy's life. Her sister Khloe was the first to walk down the aisle and naturally, Kim wanted to get married and have the most lavish, beautiful wedding Hollywood had ever seen. She was on the hunt for a groom and pretty much anyone with a pulse would do.

She spotted her future chump, uh...fiance, Kris Humphreys, of the New Jersey Nets, at a party and had a mutual friend arrange an introduction. It was all downhill for Humphreys from there. Immediately thrust into the garish spotlight that constantly illuminates Kim, he appeared to be a lost little puppy on her leash as their 'courtship' ended up in an obviously scripted and televised marriage proposal in May 2010, complete with a 20.5 carat diamond ring worth $ 2 million. The feigned surprise on her face when he opened the ring box served to highlight the sad fact that she still desperately needs acting lessons.

In August 2011, they married in a televised, ostentatious ceremony in L.A, accompanied by 500 guests, three custom $20K Vera Wang wedding gowns, $15 million worth of jewels (mostly borrowed), $400K worth of champagne, $750K worth of catering, all costing a total of $20 million, of which they paid nothing. In fact, it is widely rumored they made $17.9 million for allowing the cameras and advertisement of vendors. Yes, it was over the top and she looked gorgeous. No one ever said the woman wasn't stunning.

Now, 72 whole days into the honeymoon, Kim is filing for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. How would she KNOW they can't be reconciled??  Does she even know what the word means?  They spent most of their engagement on television, fighting with each other and extended family. The two have hardly been seen together since the wedding!

I'm not sure which activity is more whorish. Her nude escapades, or her foray into Holy Matrimony.  Both were produced for a large audience out of her obsessive, insatiable appetite for money, fame and admiration. Where can she possibly go from here? 

She only recently turned 31 and has pretty much done it all.  She has traveled extensively around the world, made more money than she could spend in fifty lifetimes, slept with more men than I want to visualize and is instantly recognizable anywhere she goes. I doubt her ride is over. I predict she will, very soon, either produce a tell-all book or get pregnant out of wedlock. Oh geesh, please don't reproduce!

It truly boggles the mind...ALL this simply because she put herself on exhibition in a pathetically, vulgar sex tape. She and her family have made millions and don't have enough sense to be ashamed of themselves!

I'll ask the age old question again; why do the wicked prosper?  In this day and age, the lunatics really ARE running the asylum!

Christophobia

You cannot turn on the news or read a paper these days without hearing that some person or group is outraged about something. Someone is always yammering that someone else offended them or hurt their precious little feelings by expressing an opinion they don’t agree with.

Quite frankly, I’m sick and tired of normal, average, polite society being expected to kiss the behinds of every freakish, offbeat, extremist, perverted, political nutcase.  When did it become a nearly punishable crime to offend someone??  Why is the average American expected to completely accept every opinion the main stream media and Hollywood projectile vomits our way?

Oh, I’ll have plenty to say about political correctness and its cancerous, insidious erosion of our freedom of speech in this country, but for starters, I’m gonna coin a new politically correct word.  Christophobia: The irrational fear and often violent reaction of a person against those who have given their hearts to Jesus Christ, trusting entirely on Him for the cleansing of sin and reconciliation to the Father in heaven.  Yep, Christophobia. Good one, huh?

Christophobes can be identified by their undisguised hatred and distain of true, Bible believing Christians.  They are repulsed at a knee jerk, visceral level at the gentleness, purity and unnaturally loving nature of the real Christian and feel the need to deride and mock their lifestyle and values.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m talking about the genuine Christians around the world who, more and more, are few and far between. Not the ‘purpose driven life’ or the ‘God wants you to be prosperous and rich’ or the ‘all faiths lead to God’ mega church group.  You know the players I’m talking about; the well dressed, hanging around the coffee bar between Sunday services, gossiping about who is sleeping with whom and where on earth Sister So-and-so got that awful outfit, pseudo-Christians.  The ones who act pious on Sunday and make sure everyone knows how much they gave to the building fund this week, but then act like hell  Monday through Saturday.

No, those folks actually get along just fine in their everyday lives because they are living just like everyone else.  Real Christians are the oddballs who refuse to gossip, steal office supplies, use clean, intelligent language and go home to their families every evening instead of hitting the bars with their co-workers.  They’re the strange ones who actually seem to care and offer their unselfish assistance when you are having a crisis or who listen empathetically to your broken heart.

Recently, I’ve noticed a very weird dynamic developing in the media.  Christianity is being looked down on more and more.  I’ve even heard them being labeled as ‘terrorists’, especially if they support Israel.  Black is white and up is now down! Puleeze!

Now, heaven help you if you dare correctly identify as muslim those who carry out suicide bombings against innocent civilians or who kidnap and behead on YouTube some poor schlub who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, all for their ‘god’ allah. 

Yesseree Bob, those violent, mass murdering Christians are out of control and want to take over every aspect of your lives!  Run while you can!  You never know when one of those crazy people will jump on you and hold a gun to your head if you don’t convert to their religion.  Geesh, maybe you and 3000 other people will be blown to smithereens one beautiful morning just because you don’t believe like they do. And later that day on the news, maybe you’ll see them dancing and celebrating your death and suffering in the parking lots of their churches.

I will have much more to say on the state of society in subsequent articles but for now, I am outraged that there are Christophobes roaming our streets. Maybe I’ll hold a protest and block traffic and throw garbage all over the place and hold up signs with meaningless blather and make inane statements to reporters and refuse to shower for three weeks and…and…well, you get the idea.  Or maybe I’ll simply pray for Almighty God to open their eyes to their lost and hopeless existence and their great need for Him.  Wow. How threatening.

I have every idea some fool will write a lame comment citing the Crusades, abortion bombings, hypocritical evangelists or even the Westboro ‘Baptist’ Church inbred freaks.  Don’t even go there.  I write this with a heart that is weary of being mocked, misunderstood and lumped in with those who use the precious name of Jesus to justify their selfish goals and agendas and who wouldn’t recognize the Son of God if he were standing in front of them.  If what I’ve said offends you, welcome to the club.

I can only pray the life I live and the way I treat others inspires Christophobia in the people I meet who have no use for God.  What a great honor that would be!