Category Archives: Current events

On Judgment (Good or Bad) – and Thanksgiving 2024

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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

November 30, 2024 – This year Thanksgiving came a mere 23 days after a much-anticipated – and in some quarters much dreaded – set of Election Day results.

But we knew going in that no matter who got elected, the next four years would be as polarizing as the last four years have been. (Depending on whose ox is being gored.) Which brings up the topic of making judgments, as your future expressed opinions may pertain to those results. (And maybe defending “truth, justice and the American Way,” as you define those terms.)

On the one hand Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (In the King James Bible, the one God uses.) On the other hand, Ezekiel 3:16-27 warns that if we see someone doing something wrong and don’t warn them, we’ll both be punished. (The one who sins and the one who failed to warn him.) But if we warn that erring person and they ignore the warning, that person will be punished but we won’t. (“They will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.”) But doesn’t that type of Bible duty require some type of judgment?

Fortunately we have the internet to turn to for answers, like the article Two Types of Judgments – DBT Center of the South Bay: “We all make judgments, so why is it sometimes bad to be stating judgments?” It turns out that there are two types of judgments; “judgments that are discriminating, and judgments that are evaluative.” I would have thought the “discriminating” type would be bad, but it’s actually the good one: “Judgments that are discriminating (i.e. I prefer X over Y) reflect personal preferences and subjective opinions. They are considered judgments that are effective in terms of not projecting one’s perception as a complete conclusion.”

When judgments are evaluative (i.e. This is horrible) it is stating something as a whole and objectively. It is taking the facts of a situation and adding personal preferences, values, and opinions to make it an objective truth. This type of judgment is ineffective because others may view the same situation differently, whether it is marginally different or completely different.

By using “discriminating” judgments – and opinions – you leave room for other people’s interpretations and perceptions. In other words, “don’t project your own perceptions as a complete conclusion.” In more blunt terms, when expressing your opinions don’t think you’re perfect like Jesus. (The only person in history who can say His opinions are infallible.)

And that’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” But just to be on the safe side you might want to add, “That’s my stupid opinion anyway. What’s yours?” That way you might avoid being “weighed in the balances and found wanting,” as shown in the painting below. But this post is also supposed to be about Thanksgiving, so here are some snippets.

For one thing, the idea behind the holiday goes back long before Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims. For Native Americans, “gathering to give thanks was already a familiar custom, taking place not just annually, but 13 times throughout the lunar, calendar year – a cycle known as the Thirteen Moons. As one Wampanoag said, “Thanksgivings are a big part of our culture. Giving thanks is how we pray.” (The Wampanoags were the tribe who helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter in 1620-21. Of the 102 who landed in November 1620, less than half survived. Of the 18 adult women, only four survived. “And you think today’s politics are bad?”)

Anyway, as it turns out there’s a very good reason why special days of thanksgiving have been around a long time. “As more researchers dig into the science of gratitude, they’ve found the feeling likely played a key role in helping our ancestors band together and survive.”

So, “Who knew there was a science of gratitude?” But there is, and it has a definite healing effect: Whether thanking others, ourselves, Mother Nature or the Lord, “gratitude in any form can enlighten the mind and make us feel happier.” Which explains why our annual Thanksgiving in all its forms has been around so long: “That legacy continues today, as being in the mood for gratitude shapes who we are as a species and how we connect with the people around us.” And we could use a lot of positive shaping and connecting over the next four years…

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Be thankful! (Don’t end up “weighed in … and found ‘negatively judgmental…'”)

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The upper image is courtesy of Judgment Image – Image Results, and came with the page The Proper Use of Biblical Judgment – pastorfulmer.com, including another take on Matthew 7:1:

This is a verse from the Bible that is often thrown about with great liberty! Rather than being used as it is presented by the Lord in this text, it seems to be used more as a shield against any form of questioning or examination… When people try to deflect by using the text of Matthew 7:1, realize that it’s probably because they just don’t want to be held accountable for something. 

Re: DBT, “Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based therapy that uses dialectical strategies and mindfulness to help change behaviors that prevent people from leading a life worth living.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For more on the Ezekiel quote, see Ezekiel 3:16-27 — Commissioned as the Lord’s Watchman.

The “snippets” came from the post, Thanksgiving 2023 – and an “epileptic Rabbit Trail.” For another snippet see On Thanksgiving 2022 – and an Unknown American Icon (on John Howland – a Pilgrim who almost drowned on the Mayflower‘s voyage over from England – and later “peopled America with his progeny.” He died at the ripe old age of 80 and populated America with 2 million descendants.”) Or see other Thanksgiving posts, from 2015 to 2019, and others.

The lower image is courtesy of Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin Image – Image Results. See also Belshazzar’s feast – Wikipedia.

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As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Version in the Book of Common Prayer.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency

So in plain words, I take issue with what I came to call “Christian first graders.” Those who stay in a kind of elementary school, and maybe even never go beyond first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more detail. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not keep it narrow. Also, the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

Before that post I wrote that the blog takes issue with boot-camp Christians, the Biblical literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible can offer so much more than their narrow reading can offer…  (Unless you want to stay a Bible buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians.” See for example, Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?”  The gist of that post is that starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

http://www.toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg

However, after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training. And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally, mysticism “referred to the Biblical liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” See Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“That’s what the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the method of theological reflection with four sources of spiritual development: scripturetradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR

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Also, an interesting read from November 26, 2024, How these older voters who backed Harris are engaging in “quiet resistance.”

On “Santa Monica” – and the Unforgivable Sin…

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The last post talked about Halloween, and how this year it came five days before Election Day. And how on the day after that election half of America would feel treated, while the other half would feel “tricked;” unhappy, despondent. And how before that election God was no doubt inundated with prayers from both sides, along with lots of begging and pleading.

And speaking of all those prayers, I have a feeling the “treated” half stopped praying and started partying, while the tricked half will move on to doing lots of praying in the coming months. (And years, with the Christians among us keeping in mind the hard parts, like that “love your enemy” thing and how Christ died for the Ungodly, whoever you think they may be.)

But what if you fear that some on the winning half are flirting with the Unforgivable Sin? Do you care, or do you let them “get what they deserve?” One answer comes from Ezekiel 3:16-27, which basically tells you to warn such people about the danger, and how if they ignore your warning you’re okay. However, if you don’t warn them you’ll both be punished. (“Yeesh!”) But what if you won’t have a chance to give such a warning in person? Can you do it indirectly (and thus save your own soul at least)? Saint Monica seemed to think so…

I’ll get to her in a minute, but first here’s more about that most serious of sins. I first read about it when I was young, in Matthew 12:31-32, and it scared the crap out of me:

I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

But what the heck does that mean? Years ago Father Watson down in Florida explained it this way. (After I got a bit older.) “If you’re worried about whether you’ve committed the Unforgivable Sin, you probably haven’t.” Then there’s The Unforgivable Sin … Billy Graham: “Only one sin that can’t be forgiven is … the sin of rejecting Him and refusing His offer of forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ. This alone is the unforgivable sin.” Or this:

The unforgivable sin is interpreted by Christian theologians in various ways, although they generally agree that one who has committed the sin is no longer able to repent, and so one who is fearful that one has committed it has not done so.

(Eternal sin – Wikipedia.) And finally, Are you afraid of the Unforgivable Sin? Don’t be. “If this is your fear, be encouraged. You have not committed the unforgivable sin.

Which brings up Saint Monica. She was okay with the Lord, but she worried about her son. And so she prayed – but once, “and that continuously” – that he would turn away from his life of debauchery, then repent and turn to Jesus. Ultimately God answered her prayers, but it wasn’t easy. It took 17 years. (Hopefully our prayers won’t take that long).

At first she was the only Christian in her family, but then she started to pray:

Her prayers and virtues first won over her husband and mother-in-law, then all three of her children. Though Saint Augustine is the most well known, this mother, daughter-in-law, and wife made a difference in the lives of her entire family. Saint Monica is seen by many as a model of hope for those whose family members have gone astray.

In other words, “Monica’s only recourse was prayer. She prayed fervently for her family’s conversion, and her prayers began to take hold.” There was a glitch: On his path to Christianity, Augustine embraced Manichaeism. (“[B]riefly the main rival to early Christianity in the competition to replace classical polytheism before the spread of Islam.”)

But that didn’t faze Monica. “There was one problem Augustine would face: his mother’s prayers and faith were powerful.” She kept following him, first to Rome and then on to Milan, and after those 17 long years her son did indeed – finally – repent and turn to Jesus. And so today she is remembered for her “prayerful life dedicated to the reformation of her son.” Who went on to become one of the most important Fathers of the Western Church, which led to this prayer:

Blessed Monica, mother of St. Augustine, we give thanks to our Father in Heaven Who looked with mercy upon your tears over your wayward son. His conversion and heroic sanctification were the fruit of your prayers.

Bottom line? St. Monica prayed that another person – her son – would repent and turn to Jesus, and it worked! That son – Augustine of Hippo – went on to become a Pillar of the Faith and one of the most important of the early Church Fathers. In doing so he brought many new new people to Jesus and – no doubt – many a lapsed Christian back to Jesus.

Could we do the same thing today, following her example? Maybe even someone who says he’s done nothing to apologize for? (Notwithstanding 1st John 1:8.) Let the praying begin…

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Thanks to a mother’s prayers, this man brought many to Jesus…

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The upper image, courtesy of Saint Monica Pray For Us Image – Image Results. It came with a page, “Prayers to St. Monica for Conversions.” Other sources include Saint Monica, Mother of St. Augustine – My Catholic Life, and Augustine of Hippo – Wikipedia. Another note: Popular Christian legends “recall Monica weeping every night for her son Augustine.” (Sound familiar?)

BTW: That Unforgivable Sin comports with Sirach 5:5 (also called Ecclesiasticus), “Do not be so sure of forgiveness that you add sin to sin.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

The lower image is courtesy of Augustine of Hippo – Wikipedia, captioned ‘Saint Augustine and his mother, Saint Monica‘ (1846) by Ary Scheffer.”

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“Some hard parts about being a good Christian…”

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Have you been “arguing with God” about the upcoming election? Begging? Pleading?

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October 30, 2024 – Halloween is coming up, and this year it seems highly appropriate.

That’s because five days after Halloween comes the election, and a day after that half the voters will feel like they’ve gotten a treat. The other half will feel bitter, like they’ve been “tricked.” (Interesting etymology, the word can mean a “cunning or skillful act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone.” Or some country?) Which brings up some of the harder parts of trying to be a good Christian.

Regardless of who wins, our ongoing political polarization will likely continue. Which brings up one duty for good Christians, from 2d Corinthians 5:18: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (As in, to “restore friendly relations between.”) Thus the first big question: “Shouldn’t the group that claims to be more Christian make the first move to reconciling, and ending that polarization?”

But that’s not the hardest part. The hardest part of being a good Christian is the part that says “love your enemy,” what Jesus said to do in Matthew 5:44. (“Geez, what a Radical! No wonder He ended up crucified…”) Beyond that, Paul said in Romans 5:6 that Christ died for The Ungodly. So whoever you think that”ungodly” political enemy is, that’s exactly who Jesus died for.

Which means that no matter how rude or obnoxious a political opponent may act, you are duty-bound – as a good Christian – to say to yourself, “Somewhere in there is a child of Christ. Someone else that Jesus died for.” So like I said, many times being a good Christian is a real pain. (Maybe that’s why so many “Christians” today don’t follow Matthew 5:44?)

Which brings up praying, “of which I’m sure God has heard a lot of” over the past few months. Millions of people asking God – or begging, or pleading – to help Their Guy win. (Which makes me wonder, “Does He ever get tired all that whining?”) Which brings up the next big question: How should we pray when it comes to the upcoming election?

For starters there’s Romans 8:26: The Holy Spirit “helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Of course we could just pray, “Lord, please help My Candidate win,” but wouldn’t that be the same as asking Him to help your favorite sports team win? And that wouldn’t work in court.

Lawyers can’t just go in and ask a Judge for a particular result as a special favor. They have to give a compelling rationale, a good reason for the Judge to grant the request. So one effective prayer might be to ask for the result that will bring more people to Jesus. On the flip side, we could pray that God won’t help a candidate whose election will drive even more people away from The Faith. (Church membership has been declining for years now. “I wonder why?”)

In other words, “arguing with God.” Giving Him reasons to grant your request, like Abraham did in Genesis 18:16-33. (“Abraham pleads for Sodom.”) Or like Moses did in response to God’s threat in Exodus 32:10. (To destroy Israel because of the Golden Calf.) Or like Jacob did back in Genesis 32:22-32. (Just don’t be surprised if you end up with your name changed.) Bottom line? We need to figure out some good legal arguments to help “Our Guy” get elected.

But in the end it may come down to “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me[;] nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42.)

Still, wouldn’t it be nice if that “more Christian group” took those hard starting steps toward stopping our widespread, ongoing polarization? If Americans started reconciling with each other? (Per 2d Corinthians 5:18.) Then we wouldn’t be so much like those Blind men and an elephant in the parable. Each one was partly right but they were all mostly wrong. Why? Because instead of comparing notes and sharing insights – what we used to call Dialectic – they each insisted that their view was the only Truth, the one and only accurate description. I’ll write more on Halloween and “All Saints” in a few days. Meanwhile, something to think about…

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The upper image, courtesy of Wikipedia, is Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, by Alexander Louis Leloir (1865).  Leloir (1843-1884), was a a French painter specializing in genre and history paintings. His younger brother was painter and playwright Maurice Leloir. The original caption: Jacob wrestling with the Angel’ – as a result of which his name got changed to Israel.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: Polarization in America. The link Political Polarization is Not Unique to the U.S., but its Causes are noted, “what is missing from our politics is a simple respect from both sides, at a minimum because people on both sides of a debate can be right.” I addressed that idea in 2018’s On St. James (“10/23”) – and the 7 blind men. (Each man was partly right but mostly wrong, because each insisted his view was the only valid one.) Then there’s U.S. is polarizing faster than other democracies, study finds. But see also Local Government Navigates Negative Impact of Political Polarization Better than Federal Government: “An overwhelming majority of local government leaders (87 percent) believes polarization is hurting the country but far fewer (31 percent) see negative effects in their own communities.”

Re: Decline in attendance. See The Real Reason Churches Are in Decline | Church & Culture, The State of Church Membership: Trends and Statistics [2024], and Behind Gallup’s portrait of church decline.

Re: God as Judge. 76 Bible Verses about God, As Judge – Online Bible.

Re: Case study and rationale. Law School Case Briefs: Your Ultimate Guide – Barbri: “why the court arrived at its holding. This section of the case brief may be the most important, because you must understand the court’s reasoning to be able to analyze it and apply it to other situations — such as those you will see on the bar exam and in real life scenarios when you are a practicing attorney.”

Re: “Arguing.” From 2014, On arguing with God. From April 2016, More on “arguing with God” – and St. Mark as Cinderella. And April 2018, “Trump-humping” – and Christians arguing with each other.

Re: Luke 22:42. I combined the New International and New King James Versions to make the quote more relevant. Also, in a sense Jesus mirrored what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said when threatened with being thrown into the flames: If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, he will deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king. But if not…” From my April 2015 post, Shadrach “et al.” and the Fiery Furnace.

Just as an aside, in November 2021 – and in my companion blog – I posted Donald Trump – the newest “Undead Revenant?” It mentioned that at the time “Trump’s star seems to be rising once again,” thus raising the possibility that he just might get elected to a second term.

But once again I tried to look on the bright side. That “freed from a need to pander to his wacko base,” Trump might develop a conscience and start thinking seriously about his legacy.

Which might still happen, but I hope we don’t have to find out. (Which may not be a good-Christian thought, but like I said, it’s a real pain sometimes.)

The lower image is courtesy of Blind Men And The Elephant – Image Results. See also Blind men and an elephant – Wikipediafor more on the parable. I used the image to lead off last year’s Between Halloween and Thanksgiving – 2023! My caption:If these Men had compared notes – not argued – they’d have a better understanding– a more accurate view of the elephant, and by extension, a better way of understanding God. (By sharing insights instead of yelling at each other.) For another “between” post see Psalm 137, “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem” – 2021, from November 12, two years ago.

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On “Dissin’ the Prez” – 2024

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Would King Solomon update Exodus 22:28, given changes to the Divine right of kings?

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July 16, 2024 – This year’s presidential election is less than four months away, meaning it’s time to re-examine Exodus 22:28. One translation reads, “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.” In 2014 I took that to mean “don’t diss Obama,” who served as president at the time. But that situation changed after the 2016 election. It raised the question, “Does that apply if ‘the other side’ has disrespected ‘your’ Leader?”

I examined those issues in two previous posts, May 2014’s “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!,” and on November 13, 2016, An update on “dissin’ the Prez.” The 2014 post addressed those who disrespected Barack Obama. The 2016 post wondered if his supporters then had to respect Donald Trump, given Trump and his supporters showing little respect for Obama. And come next January 20, 2025 we may face the same issue yet again.

The 2014 post noted the Apostle Paul standing trial in Jerusalem before the Sanhedrin – the Hebrew “Supreme Court” – for preaching about Jesus. When he said he was just doing God’s work the high priest – Ananais – told a guard to “strike him on the mouth.” That’s when Paul made his rash comment, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”

Those standing nearby said, ‘Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?’ And Paul said, ‘I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, “You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.”’

Which to me brought up the irony of Conservative Christians who say the Bible must be interpreted literally, yet from 2008 to 2016 felt free to “speak evil” of Barack Obama.

In 2016 the tables got turned, or at least raised an interesting question: “Since conservatives spent the last eight years ‘cursing and reviling’ [Obama], are liberals – not to mention the majority who voted for Hillary Clinton – now free to do the same with Donald Trump?” All of which raises more questions. “Do we interpret 22:28 strictly or liberally?” Put another way, have there been changes since Moses wrote 22:28, changes that may affect how we interpret it? Put a third way, is there “something new under the sun” that could affect the interpretation?

That “something new under the sun” is a twist on Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” And if that’s true we need to interpret the statute literally, to say it’s wrong to disrespect any president.

But is it true that there’s “nothing new under the sun?” Let’s dig deeper.

We could check Ecclesiastes – Wikipedia, which talks about a man known by various names: Koheleth, Qoheleth or Qohelet, the “unnamed author [who] introduces ‘The words of Kohelet, son of David, king in Jerusalem.’” One thing seems certain, that many people disagree about the book’s message, whether it’s “positive and life-affirming, or deeply pessimistic; whether it is coherent or incoherent, insightful or confused, orthodox or heterodox.”

That doesn’t help much, but another article said the phrase (1:9) is “used as a world-weary complaint against life’s monotony. When Solomon wrote the statement, he was emphasizing the cyclic nature of human life on earth and the emptiness of living only for the ‘rat race.’” (Which seems true enough.) But see What does it mean that there is nothing new under the sun?

To say there is nothing new under the sun does not ignore inventions or advances in technology; rather, these innovations do not amount to any basic change in the world. In Solomon’s time, many advances took place in society, but, from the larger perspective of life, human nature has remained and always will remain the same.

Which seems to indicate some wiggle room here, which I suppose could come from a more “liberal translation?” (Since there have undeniably been been both new inventions and advances in technology.) And with that in mind, can we say that the President of the United States is a “leader of the country” as that term was interpreted when Moses wrote?

In plain words there have been big changes to this idea of “leader” since Moses wrote Exodus 22:28. See e.g. Divine right of kings, the idea that a king is not accountable to any earthly authority (such as a parliament) “because their right to rule is derived from divine authority. Thus, the monarch is not subject to the will of the people.” (Wikipedia.) But for one thing, “Catholic jurisprudence holds that the monarch is always subject to natural and divine law, which are regarded as superior to the monarch.” For another, starting in the 1500’s “both Catholic and Protestant political thinkers alike challenged the idea of a monarch’s ‘divine right.'”

Then there were things like the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence, which held that governments get their power “from the consent of the governed.” And that when any government “becomes destructive of these ends” – the right to life, liberty and pursuing happiness – “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.” And finally the Preamble to the United States Constitution, starts with “We the People of the United States … do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

See also Constitution 101: “the federal government was never meant to serve as anything more than an agent, exercising the specific powers delegated by the true sovereign – the people.”

Under the intended constitutional system, “we the people” hold the top position of authority… When an 18th century British king issued a grant, his name always appeared at the top in the same fashion. The framers merely replaced the king’s name with “We the People…” So, the ultimate and final authority always remains in the people.

So here indeed is “something new under the sun,” Qoheleth notwithstanding. 

Back in Bible times there was no such thing as voting and no such thing as an election, where ordinary people chose who would hold temporary power to serve their interests. Back in Bible times a leader held ultimate power, including the power of life and death over any and all of his subjects. Such a leader was a king or other dictator who served for life – or until a stronger king bumped him off. But in America the president is more like a plumber. He’s a hired hand who can serve the Sovereign People for no more than eight years. 

Which means what? Does Exodus 22:28 still apply, and if so “to whom?” One thing we do know, the Sovereign American People have the power to criticize and maybe even “diss” any president or other politician they have voted into temporary power. But what happens once they’ve made that choice, through a free and fair election? Once “the Sovereign has spoken?”

I’d say those January 6 rioters may well get pardoned by some earthly power in the coming days, but I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes when they meet their Maker

(“Let the reader understand.”)

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The upper image is courtesy of Ecclesiastes – Wikipedia: “‘King Solomon‘ in Old Age by Gustave Doré (1866), a depiction of the purported author of Ecclesiastes, according to rabbinic tradition.”

As to the headline see What Does Diss Mean? – Meaning, Uses and More – FluentSlang. One example: ““I don’t like him because he always disses me for expressing my opinion.” Also:

The term diss is slang that is used to insult, disrespect, or disregard someone. It can also be used as a noun to refer to receiving a “diss.” The word originated as a shortened version of “disrespect” and is commonly used in casual conversations and online interactions.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: Paul’s “whitewashed wall” comment and how he got out of it. In verses 6 and 7, he turned the tables: “Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’ When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.”

The lower image is courtesy of Judgment Day … Image Results.

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Other notes on the topic include two new gems from Commentaries on Exodus 22:28. One reads, “The gods of the heathen were uniformly, and with the utmost scorn. ‘reviled.'” Another Comment said the rule applies “even to all dignified persons, who ought not to be spoken ill of, and to be abused in the execution of their office, and especially when they perform well.

And as to a president serving no more than two terms, one earlier post had this: “Possibly less, if he ends up impeached and convicted. See AU Professor Predicts Trump’s Impeachment.”

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On St. Bart 2023 – and more mass-shooting massacre…

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Thursday, August 24, was the Feast day for St.  Bartholomew. (“Bart,” a.k.a. Bartholomew the Apostle.) The next major Feast Day – not counting Labor Day – is Holy Cross Day, on September 14.* On that next Thursday – coming up some two weeks from now – I’ll be in Lyon, in France, getting ready for a 15-day 150-mile hike on the GR 70. (The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail.)

But before leaving I wanted to say something about Bartholomew, and massacres, in his day and ours. And something about how they haven’t gone away, they’ve just changed form.*

Unfortunately, St. Bartholomew is best known for a massacre on his feast day in 1572:

The St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre … in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations and a wave of Catholic mob violence, directed against the Huguenots…  Though by no means unique, it “was the worst of the century’s religious massacres.”  Throughout Europe, it “printed on Protestant minds the indelible conviction that Catholicism was a bloody and treacherous religion.”

But of course there’s more to his story than that. For one thing he was also “famous” – if you want to call it that – for being flayed alive. “In artistic depictions, Bartholomew is most commonly depicted holding his flayed skin and the knife with which he was skinned.” Which is why I didn’t include any images of that martyrdom here. We get enough gore just reading the news…

Which brings up Man’s Inhumanity to Man Mean. Neither that nor massacres have gone away. That inhumanity has merely “changed form.” Or as the poet Robert Burns wrote, Man was made to Mourn. (Where the term “man’s inhumanity to man” first came from.)

Which is another way of saying we have problems of our own to deal with these days. Like the fact that such massacres as the one in 1572 haven’t gone away. For example, in my 2019 post On Gun Nuts and bulls goring I addressed a problem still with us, four years later. (And “even more so.”) The post started off talking about St. Bartholomew and “his” massacre, then morphed into the rising tide of mass shootings today. The post also talked about one conservative politician who said we don’t need responsible gun laws because “when Cain killed Abel, God didn’t blame the rock.” That argument didn’t make sense then, and still doesn’t. In response to that claim – “mass shootings are the price of freedom” – I cited Exodus 21:28-29:

If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death…  But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death.

So it’s true that God didn’t “blame the rock” for killing Abel. But He does blame the owner of a goring bull when that owner doesn’t stop more bull-gorings from happening.

According to Exodus 21:28-29, the owner of a bull who keeps killing can’t just say, “Don’t blame me! Blame the bull!” The Bible says that the owner is responsible if he doesn’t keep a second death from happening. (“Or the third, or the 3,788th.”) And to me that principle applies to America today, as when it knows the danger of repeated, ongoing mass-killing-by-firearm but does nothing to stop it. Or even cut down the number of murders a bit.

And the problem has gotten worse since 2019. See for example United States tops 400 mass shootings in 2023 | CNN Politics. Dated July 24, 2023 – just about a month ago – it said as of that date the U.S. had 400 mass shootings, “setting the stage for a record-breaking year in gun violence without any significant federal firearm legislation on the horizon.”

America reached the grim figure on Saturday, July 22, “the earliest in a year 400 shootings have been recorded since at least 2013… In 2019, it took 356 days – nearly the entire year – to hit 400 mass shootings. This year and in 2021, however, the United States reached that marker in just seven months.”

There’s more on St. Bart in the notes, but as for “his” 1572 massacre, someone finally took responsibility. Here’s what Pope John Paul II said, in 1997 in Paris, site of the massacre:

On the eve of Aug. 24, we cannot forget the sad massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day… Christians did things which the Gospel condemns. I am convinced that only forgiveness, offered and received, leads little by little to a fruitful dialogue… Belonging to different religious traditions must not constitute today a source of opposition and tension. On the contrary, our common love for Christ impels us to seek tirelessly the path of full unity.

On that note, here’s hoping that some day we too in America may begin a “fruitful dialogue.” Like a dialog on how we can stop – or at least cut down – the great number of mass shootings that presently plague our nation. Which brings up the New Testament reading for Sunday, August 27. (Proper 16.) It’s from Romans 12, but the key passage that hit me was Romans 12:2. In the NLT it reads, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

Which is pretty much the point I tried to make in “Love one another.” (And thereby get Transformed, like Jesus got Transfigured.) Maybe, eventually, with God’s help, we can finally transform ourselves into a new country. A better country where we no longer think that putting up with so many mass-shooting massacres is “the price of freedom.” Maybe, if we can transform enough, we can have both freedom and an end to so many needless killings…

Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait that 425 years* this time…

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The original post had an upper image courtesy of Mass Shooting – Image Results. (Apparently “now defunct.”) See also 2019’s On Gun Nuts and bulls goring. The 2019 post also included this:

The photo accompanies an article, “Stop blaming the mentally ill for mass shootings.” With a comment by conservative author Ann Coulter: “Guns don’t kill people, the mentally ill do.” The article noted less than 5 percent of the “120,000 gun-related killings in the U.S. between 2001 and 2010 were committed by people diagnosed with mental illness.”  Instead, people with mental illness were more likely to be victims. “You’re more likely to be attacked by other people, more likely to be shot,” one professor said. “You’re odd. You’re a target.”  Also, mass shootings are most often attributed to things like disgruntled workers or family disputes. “It’s loss of control by people who are extremely angry.”  Finally the article said efforts to link mental illness and violence are “a political strategy to turn attention away from more serious efforts to restrict access to the means of violence – which is guns.”

Holy Cross Day is preceded in the Daily Office by readings for the Eve of Holy Cross: Psalms 4687, 1 Kings 8:22-30Ephesians 2:11-22. See also On Holy Cross, Matthew, and Michael – “Archangel,” from October 2018. “Holy Cross Day is one of several Feasts of the Cross, all of which ‘commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus:’”

In English, it is called The Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the official translation of the Roman Missal, while the 1973 translation called it The Triumph of the Cross.  In some parts of the Anglican Communion the feast is called Holy Cross Day…

 “Just changed form.” A restatement of the First law of thermodynamics, which I first mentioned back in 2014’s On Ascension Day. I said then that Law was “proof positive that the human soul – a definite form of energy – is neither ‘created nor destroyed, but simply changes form.’” 

On God not punishing the rock, see Top NC Republican on Mass Shootings: “Cain Killed Abel.” (To which the writer responded, “It’s so weird how gun violence has nothing to do with guns.”) 

On recent mass shootings, see also List of mass shootings in the United States in 2023 – Wikipedia.

For this post I borrowed from 2017’s On St. Bartholomew – and “his” Massacre, from 2019’s On Gun Nuts and bulls goring. I also borrowed from 2018’s On Jesus “cracking wise,” and from an earlier On Jesus “cracking wise”, from 2015. See also Nathanael (follower of Jesus) – Wikipedia, and also Meet Nathanael – The Apostle Believed to Be Bartholomew. From which came this:

[T]he name “Bartholomaios” means “son of Talmai” (or Tholmai), but that little else is known about him. “Many scholars, however, identify him with Nathaniel…” John 1:45-51: “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about… And so our August 24 “St. Bart” is generally identified as the famous Nathanael who Jesus saw – in the first chapter of the John’s Gospel – sitting under the fig tree. [Or] see Bartholomew the Apostle – Wikipedia. It noted a number of traditions … including that he went on missionary journeys to India, or in the alternative to “EthiopiaMesopotamiaParthia, and and Lycaonia.”

Re: 425. From 1572 to 1997, the Massacre to the Pope’s apology.

The lower image is courtesy of Mass Shootings 2023 Image – Image Results.

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As to the cause of such “massacres,” see Why number of US mass shootings has risen sharply – BBC News. Among the reasons: 1) Americans have more guns now than they did before. 2) “People are afraid, and they want to quell that fear by buying a gun.” 3) A rise in life stressors, both in general and as a result of the pandemic, especially hardships related to finances, employment or family and relationships. (“93% of assailants had dealt with a personal issue prior to their attack, whether it be divorce, health problems, or issues at school or work.”) 4) “Toxic masculinity” – nearly all mass shooters (around 98%) are male.” And 5) Easy access to firearms.

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