Spaz Vs Spaz

Locked and Loaded

2005-09-24T00:27:00.000-07:00

Ah, Denis Leary, the man the myth the legend....who has nothing whatsoever to do with this post.

No, that would be to simple.

Humanity in general, that's the topic at 2:30 AM after a day of listening to professors and then listening to my brain rot from the inside out while playing World of Warcraft. WtF Mate?

I've been in an odd mood lately, odder then normal for those of you who know me well (hard to believe, yet true). I tried to figure out what this perhaps stemmed from cause I'm the kinda guy that likes to analyize every little thing to death. People, that's what causes it. I've always known people weren't, in general, very bright but I dont think I ever truly realized how petty, hypocritical, etc we can be. Now, I know someone out there is thinking "Oh, look out, here he goes on a "The Man" rant!" (I am so well known for those after all). Not this time around folks.

This time we'll look at the other side of that often flipped coin. The Man behind The Man. Freaks, geeks, and independents, of which I am one (Only every other week. The rest of the time I sell myself to Corporate America.) The universal thread binding together the minority is that they are inescapably right and everyone else is wrong. They see through the crap, the lies, the smoke and mirrors to the truth that manages to somehow evade the rest of the population. They, somehow, are more "real" to themselves, their principles, and what other beliefs they may or may not old and therefore are a step above the "Sheep" that labor through their daily lives willingly accepting the yoke of those in power.

Unto ye I say....Bull Freaking Crap.

Stop deluding yourselves (ourselves) and accept the fact that you (we) are as falliable/hypocritical/"Sheepish" as John Doe next door. You follow trends that claim to not be trendy. Your as different as every other agnsty Gen Xer (Y?) that likes to mope around wearing black shirts, torn jeans and listen to obscure bands that really aren't that good. Your arragance betrays you as nothing more then another branch of those you so heartily disdain. You are no better or worse then those you scorn (Usually for precieved scorn against yourself). We are all Human, folks. Accept it, embrace it, move on. Dont use your understanding of your hypocracy as an excuse to wallow in it. Chalk yourself up as as big a Posuer as the sellouts you claim, unjustifiably, to be better then. Then learn to live with them, you're going to be stuck on the same planet for a long long time.

Independance as a movement (Indie culture for those who may not get me) is a laughable joke that is ultimately self contradicting. Accept it, grow up, sell out and move on.

Acknowledge that everything done has been done before. You're walking in the footsteps of those who have come before, even if you dont want to admit it. If I hear one more person claim they have some new outlook on scripture that means that they're church is, in fact, the most true to what Christ envisoned and that others have been incappable of seeing this until now I swear I'm going to beat someone. Guess what, I think the freaking Disciples had a pretty good idea of what was going on, I could be wrong though (Which I at least am willing to admit. Personal rant there.)

To the liberal intelligista: Your narrow, one track "Open Mindedness" makes you more closed minded then any movement or group of people before you. Get a clue, suck it up, and drive on. The common man knows damn well what it wants and, in all probabilaty, what benifits it more then you ever could. You've divorced yourself so far from those you claim you want to enlighten that you've blinded yourself to you own ignorance.

To the conservative intelligista: There is a happy median, find it and stay there. Balance must be maintained or the center cannot hold. Accept it, learn to live with it, but always question it. You figure it out, you're all supposed to be bright boys.

I know I'm random, I've come to accept this. Heck, for most people this might not even make sense. but I'm not writing it for other people, am I? If you like what you see, cool. If not, go somewhere else/bite me. Bring it.

"Where do ya think you're goin?"
"I'm goin to start a fight."

End Times and Stuff:

2005-04-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

So, quick end time's rant. Why quick? Cause my blood pressure jumps 50 points if I linger on the subject to long.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I, certainly, am tired of hearing people claim time and again that "this is the last generation" and that the "end times" are upon us. My question to those who do this is: Who made you God? I mean, seriously, even Jesus, the Son of God, stated that he didn't know when the final day was coming around. Where do you get your private line to the Almighty that lets you in on information that his son wasn't privy to?

Ok, now, I know most everyone is going to start quoting Mathew 24, most specificly the "wars and rumors of wars" section, as their "Signpost of the End". Unto thee I say, "Bah, Humbug!". Let's take a quick historic look, shall we? Jesus lived on earth during the time of Jewish rule under the Roman Empire. In a typical month at least one insane person would rise up, claiming to be the messiah, and make a military attempt to overthrow the government and free the nation of Isreal. Conflict and false prohpets were a common event during this time frame, they even had a polictical party called the Zealots who were war-mongering religious nutcases.

The mistake we make is that we (the general populace), having not truly experienced a major war since 1948, veiw every little conflict that springs up as a major situation that indicates the end is nigh. Come on, folks, we've been killing each other since the days of Cain and Able. War, conflict, and liars are nothing new.

So, instead of looking at those particular verses as signs that it's almost "Game Over", how about we look at them as emphasizing that the end will come when everything is business as normal? How come we never hear anyone quoting the the rest of Mathew 24? "Two men will in a field, one will be taken and one will not", "Two women will be grinding, one will be taken and one will not." Why aren't these looked at as triggers of the end times, why do we focus on only wars, natural disastors, etc?

Speaking of natural disastors, if I hear one more person talk about the Tsunamia being a sign because it's the worst natural disastor ever, I'm gonna scream. Seriously people, I think the Flood was probably a little more serious in the "property damage" and "loss of life" catagories. Not to mention the fact that, as far as recent natural disasters, the reason it was the worst was that it happend in one of the most populated areas of the world. It's called population explosion and overcrowding.

Finally, I'll say this. Jesus didn't know when the last days were going to be, how do we have the arragence to presume we know more then him?

Sorry this was short, quick and brutal. I'll go into more detail later.
Peace, Out!

Oops

2005-01-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

So um, yeah...I know I posted an awful lot today, but most of it is either things I have been working on all break or articles from my other site. Just thought I should finally update this one. Enjoy, and I'll try not to slack so much from now on.

Mission Trends, End Times, and Quantum Physics...or not...

2005-01-09T13:46:00.001-08:00

Preface: I sat here reading a particular piece of work on the postmodern church, and two chapters caught my eye, both dealing with evangelism in this new cultural world quickly coming upon us. The words I read rekindled an old rant, for lack of a better term, a commentary I had once had with friends on the subject of evangelism; the driving goals, modern ideas and motivations behind, and placement of resources in this field. Hence, this is mostly opinion; I like to think educated opinion, but opinion nonetheless. If one of you feels compelled to offer a counter argument to the following, please feel free. I am always open to constructive criticism and such. Expand my horizons, if you will.

Beginnings....

Ah, mission work, perhaps one of my favorite controversial issues. One often taken for granted in today's Judeo-Christian culture and easily boxed into a set of preconceived notions by today's religious leaders. One and all the "church" considers "mission work" an all to important part of our devotion to Christ, be it evangelism, addressing social injustice, or what have you. This particular entry shall focus on evangelism and current trends associated there with.

Evangelism, the core purpose of all believers. Be it through relational witnessing, traditional preaching in places of worship, or mission trips to strange lands, evangelism through be the driving motivation throughout the lives of all Christians. The final point driven home to Jesus' disciples, it was regarded as perhaps the very reason for their being.

At some point all of us had has this particular tenet of Christian faith explained and reinforced. Through the pulpit, through guest speakers, through whatever ministry you may be involved with, it has been harped on again and again. All to often it is driven into our heads that we must reach out to our unreached (I find it amusing that "unreached" doesn't' register in my spell check, bringing up a discussion on the use of "Christian" terminology in philosophical discussions, perhaps for another time) neighbors through out the world. A noble and worthy pursuit indeed, one often overlooked by the "average" Christian and which should be one of the early, mind you not firsts, things we should educate new believers in.

"To China, to India, to the Middle East", we hear our leaders cry. We must send missionaries unto the ends of the Earth, seeking to bring our unevangelized (another word that does not register...the differences between the English and Christian languages intrigue me) brethren to the Lord. But at what costs, I ask? "Costs? Think of the costs if we do not!", you may say, "Surly you do not mean we should not spread the Gospel unto the world?". I do not, in the least, mean any such thing. The world could use a bit more of the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus, in my personal opinion. I merely mean, at what costs do we so often overlook the spiritual well being of our own nation and the unbelievers therein?

A shocking fact, if you will. If one were to count the "lost" in our own country, America would be the 5th largest unreached nation in the world. Only behind China, India, Russia, and Brazil does our non-Christian population fall. Not only that, but we (American non-believers) are the most antagonistic and skeptical people group toward the Christian faith. Combine this with our lack of "True Missionaries" (individuals whose sole goal is to spread the gospel) in this field and a, lets face it, lack of true relational witnessing in the older generations (24+), and you are left with an almost insignificant number of individuals trying to reach out to our own.

What are the results of such a situation? Well, the first impact will be, and is being, felt among our young people, among the high schoolers and youth groups. If we take for granted their Christian education, they will never truly receive one and will slip away from Biblical principle. Some will claim that they will "grow out of it" and "come back to the church", but what happens if they never were raised in a Judeo-Christian background? If they have no Christian Faith to start from, they surely cannot go back to it. And then, how will a generation brought up without what we consider the basic moral guidelines in their life raise their children...and so on and so on (think long term people).

Now, a light of hope. We in the South, the Bible Belt, find ourselves in a unique position. We traditionally are reached by all things culturally five years later then the rest of the U.S., this gives us an overwhelming advantage in adapting to deal with the new trends in thought and the emerging needs of the post modern generation within our own homes if we will merely take a page from the books of those in fast paced areas such as Chicago and the west coast. We can face the new world (not "new problem", it only seems a new "problem" to those who cling uncompromisingly to static ministry systems which, in reality, are not entirely biblically based themselves) head on and meet them halfway, ministering to their needs and hunger for faith in a way that is both relevant and biblical. Now, more then ever, we have a chance to impact our own part of the world.

But, to touch those closest to us, we must develop a new outlook on home missions. The layman, though a critical part of the church, has been undereducated; the true missionaries are all overseas, attending to our neighbors; the pastors are often overwhelmed by the stress of trying to fill every role within a church; and our theologians spend more time arguing amongst themselves then holding the line against the philosophical attacks of the secular world. We must find those whom have been called to preach the gospel on our own shores, equip them, and send them out. We must make them as distinct as any other group, and encourage them as much. We must help them educate and change the outlook of the "common" (because I simply am at a loss for another term) man and support them as we would any other missionaries.

Mind you, other changes must take place as well. Changes in how we worship, think, and act as Christians. I can think of numerous things, from our "McChruch" syndrome to our "Anti-Love". But these are for later articles. I apologize that this one has taken me two weeks to write, but events beyond my control made it so. I hope you enjoyed the read, and, as always, if you have points of disagreement, feel free to let me know. I welcome constructive criticism

Anger/Rage....Hulk Smash!

2005-01-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

When I first started this, I thought to use it as a place to store any theological writings I churned out. I had no intention of using it as a makeshift pulpit or to preach in any way. Unfortunately, this winter break, I've been brought face to face with an issue I feel so strongly against, I cannot stay silent. With luck, this will be the only time I break my own rules. We shall simply have to see. I hope you enjoy....Bite Me.

I've got most of an article written up about home missions...but I couldn't wait that long. What it boils down to is this: We have neglected our homes while attending to our neighbors. We have overemphasized overseas missions so much that we've failed to educate and evangelize ourselves. Our selfish motivations for "reaching the lost" (who among you hasn't heard "We must preach to all so that Jesus will come?" This is the most selfish motivation of all to have behind reaching someone) have blinded us to the demons that are rising up in our own back yards. And if the problem is not addressed it will swallow us whole. I hold accountable ministers of every kind for our current situation. Blinded by their own inflated sense of tradition, their own visions of what Gods will should be and how it should be put into practice. Preachers, pastors, music ministers, and youth ministers, especially youth ministers, should be held accountable, one and all, for those whom they have been given the responsibility to lead and educate. Arrogance and bigotry in the most subtle of forms have to often lead to the rejection by the church, the body of Christ, those whom follow the lord, of the ones who so desperately need it most. There must be a reckoning, there will be a reckoning, and the cost will be counted in the lives and souls of the "Now" generation. Sons and daughters of Gen X will, and are, turning to things of this world to satisfy their intrinsic need for God; they have nothing else to turn to, for we have not offered them anything.

*I'm sorry, but when you hear about enough preachers that tell people not to come to church, enough children still in high school who are using drugs or alcohol, enough teenagers who are cutting themselves open so they'll feel something because they don't feel anything, you might snap too. Enough is enough people, how can we save the world when we can't even save ourselves? Bitter? Heck yeah. Angry? You haven't seen angry. Inspired? Like Charles Dickens. Stop lying to yourselves, especially the Bible Belt, open your eyes and see that your own children are falling apart around you while you pat yourself on the back about how many months you've spent in another country. Normally, when you don't meet the basic needs of your children (the younger generations) they call it neglect and arrest you for it, unless it's the spiritual needs, then they just call it "culture" or "generation gap". If we don't look after our own, no one else will; so face the hard truth, have a nice panic attack, and then do something about it. It's "Go" time, and we might not get a second chance*

Generations

2005-01-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

We are a Generation

Of Bitterness and Anger,

Born into Broken Homes,

Our Midwife: Heartbreak,

Our Lives: Uncertain,

Uncertainty is our food,

Instability our drink,

We seek Love, but confuse it with Lust

We seek Peace, but know only Strife,

We seek Acceptance, but wallow in Rejection

We are the weak, the forlorn, the castoff, the abused

We are a Generation

We reject Hope, for we are hopeless

We are a Generation

I wrote this and realized it could not have been truer. We, my generation, are one almost in it's entirety born into broken or abusive homes. We feel unloved, unwanted, undesired. We do not know stability, we do not know acceptance, all to often we do not even know the love of our parents. We are perpetual children, frightened and alone, unable to grow into adulthood because no one has ever told us how. We look for guidance and find none. We seek ways to fill the gaps in our lives, content with temporary answers to our problems, often answers which only lead to more problems. Bitterness is a fact of our life; anger the fuel that keeps us warm at night. We seek hope and find only despair. And, in the end, it is not our fault.

We are a Generation,

Trading Anger for Understanding

Bitterness for Passion,

Born of a New Life,

Bought with Love,

Undeserved And Overwhelming,

Our Lives not Our Own,

Love seeks us, we only need welcome it,

Peace seeks us, we only need ask,

Acceptance washes over us, we simply need to recognize it,

We are the loved, the sought, the wanted,

We have Hope, For we are the Sons and Daughters

We are a Generation

This is also true. We, as a generation, must set aside our heartache and pain, our bitterness and hate. "Impossible!", you may say, "Inconsiderable, undoable". All of these are untrue. Will it be easy? No. But, it can and must be done if we are to salvage our selves and remove the shackles that bind us and drag us down into the depths of hopelessness. We must rise above the uncertainty that fills our lives, put aside our anger, and learn that we can be redeemed. Seek ye the Lord, and he shall make your paths straight. Not easy, not comfortable, not reliable, but straight. We must take that first step away from the darkness we were born in and into the only source of light in this mad world. And in the end, it is our only hope.

*Inspired by a friend who I only hope I can inspire*

Cynicism

2005-01-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I mentioned those who seemed most likely to be immune to the carryings on of this commercialized madness we call the Christmas season. They included three groups: The experienced, independent, and cynical, as I categorized them. Some will find it highly amusing that I excluded myself from the latter group, claiming a belief that things can "get better" so to speak as evidence. Hence, I feel a need to expand on this particular topic.

Cynicism, perhaps one of the most insidious and devious of sins. So easy to fall into, yet, so difficult to pull oneself from once it's grip tightens around ones mind and heart. The desire to "not be taken in" is a strong one among men, more so among educated men, leading those whom should be well aware of the danger to be drowned beneath it's icy waters. However, the innocent beginnings of cynicism, more often the not, allow it to creep into our lives with such a slowness that we often fail to grasp its true danger until it is to late.

Most commonly, we start be simply wishing to be proofed against those who would use our own naivety against us. We seek armor from the lies of the world and find it in the form of doubt regarding the things we find questionable. To soon however, we pat ourselves on the back, thinking "Oh, what an intelligent person I am, having avoided such and such with my disbelief!" The first step has been taken as pride seeps into our souls. Before long, we delight in avoiding the traps and pitfalls which come upon those "common" men who lack our "discriminating" nature, which only serves to further fuel our pride in ourselves. Then next step is a mighty one, taken at the height of our arrogance; when we truly come to believe that our intelligence leads us right and all others are wrong, are below us in some fashion, that we are the only ones not fooled by the rest of the world. Finally, this belief that only we are not taken in seeps into every part of our lives, leading us to expect the absolute worst of all others, blinding us with pride in ourselves as we heap scorn upon those we hold in contempt.

My favorite example of the tragic end result of a cynical mindset comes from C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia", The final book finds the dwarves, who seek only to "not be taken in", stepping through a barn door into Aslan's paradise, yet unable to realize or enjoy their surroundings. Instead of vast and beautiful fields, they perceive only an old and filthy barn, filled with the wastes of animals. They find exactly what they expected; the worst, and because they believe they are the only ones who see it for what it really is it is impossible for them to see the true world around them. The final tragedy stems from their pride as, no matter what others try to tell them, they still dwell on their vision of the world, decrying the Kings and Queens of Narnia as mad men and women.

One may ask; "Are there not other paths to a cynical outlook on life?" My reply is, most probably. Instances such as the loss of innocence or a great tragedy may lead one to this mindset. But I choose to speak on the path I most often find myself struggling, and sometimes not struggling, against. It is, after all, that with which I am most familiar.

Now, do not think that the battle to avoid this particular pitfall must result in believing the claims of every madman or con-artist who crosses your path. No, opposed to cynicism is the wholly Godly and valuable shield of wisdom. Wisdom, alternately called discernment in a definition more in line with today's dialect, should be our basis for judgment of worth of ideas, actions, and all of life's daily activities, if I may be so bold. We must ask God for such wisdom, read His word, and put our faith in the truths found there if we are to be proofed against a cynical attitude. Also, we should practice humbleness, telling ourselves, as needed, that there is much we lack in understanding and knowledge. For pride is the womb which gives birth to cynicism, intelligence only the midwife.

How does this apply to myself, you ask? Often, I am accused of a cynical attitude, of a nature of arrogance, and, as often as not, it is true. However, unlike those whom I mentioned in my previous post, I acknowledge this shortcoming within myself, and when I am aware of it rearing its ugly head, attempt to beat it back down into the pits from whence it arose. Those I referred to previously acknowledge no such thing, so secure in their own self conceit they fail to even view their negative, destructive attitudes as harmful.
Well, I had hoped to write a bit on irony in this post as well, but that particular subject shall have to wait till a later date. Christmas calls (Bah! Humbug!).

And so it begins...

2004-12-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas Rant Alpha: Crass Commercialism

Ah, here I sit, finally home, after perhaps the worst semester of my life. "Oh, it couldn't have been that bad", you say? When I say worst I don't mean "Oh no, our football team sucked!" (Which it did). I mean "loss in the family, estranged father showed up at my front door, 130 page research paper, school ate my life" bad. You would think I would be happy to be home, but the truth is I don't feel like I'm out of class yet. There's a voice in the back of my head still screaming, "I can't wait for this semester to be over". Maybe it's not so odd, all things considered. In any event, I'm just hoping it will shut up before to long into the Christmas break.

Christmas. May I have a side order of "Bah, Humbug!" with my "Ho, ho, ho!"? Perhaps I seem a bit pessimistic, a bit of a Grinch or Scrooge, if you will. I apologize; allow me to explain myself through another's words. A great man once put it as such; "Christmas, the time of year when we are held to unreachable expectations of happiness and goodwill, and when or if we fail to meet those expectations, are labeled as pariahs and heaped with scorn and guilt (Marked as Scrooges and Grinches). An entire season, which, due to its commercialization, has become nothing more then a giant guilt trip triggered by unattainable goals. When debt, depression, suicides, and stress related illnesses reach their yearly high. The most blessed of holidays, which has, progressively become the most disheartening." - SPK

Mind you, as a Christian I fully understand the true meaning of Christmas is, and should be, centered on the birth of our Lord and Savior. But, truly, which of us is completely immune to the social and commercial brainwashing, which surge forth time and again in attempts to drown us beneath the waves of all-to-high ideals of "happiness" and "togetherness" which lie, unattainable at the bottom of a sea of false expectations? Not I. I am all to easily influenced by such devilish tactics, and truly I believe so are the rest of us. Perhaps exceptions lie with those of us who are particularly experienced (read "old) or independent, or in a very negative way, the most cynical of us. Thank the Lord I have yet to fall into the last category, I still believe things can be better, even if they are not perfect. Chalk it up to my strange optimism for the world and reality at large, if not this specific period of existence. In the end, I hope that we free ourselves from this holiday madness and return to a more innocent and naive time of Christmas celebration. A more pure style of Christmas celebration, free from the impossible expectations and senseless attempts to partake of a holiday spirit (for lack of a better term) that does not truly exist. Mayhap a more reasonable outlook on this holiday season will be conceived and realized by our generation. Time will tell.

Ha! Perhaps these are merely the rantings of a man old beyond his years. Perhaps I am the only one who falls prey to such musings during this most blessed of holiday seasons. Or again, perhaps not, I may never truly know. I do, however, know I can only speak for myself, and so I do. If some wisdom imparts itself in the works of this wordsmith, so be it. For now, however, I find myself bereft of further words with which to express myself, so I choose to sign off. I'm sure I shall post again at a later date, but for now, may you have a Merry Christmas (Bah! Humbug!).

Check, one...two...check...

2004-12-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

So, just running a test through the system..