Wrath of God, or Human Error?

I have heard some Christian's referring to the current catastrophe in the south as God's judgment on the United States, but it is my opinion that prescribing a disaster as an act of God, that could have potentially been avoided by humans is problematic. We simply have no way of knowing if God is judging us or not. If what we have been hearing in the news is true, the levies in New Orleans were capable of withstanding only a category 3 hurricane, so human error might be to blame. It seems that for decades, New Orleans has feared what has now come upon it, and although the city and the state were aware of the potential calamity, nothing was done to secure their beloved city.

Christians need to be careful about placing this calamity in the lap of God. We better be careful not to bear false witness against our God. We may not know what divine purpose has to do with this horrifying event, but we know this, the danger was known (weak levies), the consequences had been assessed (deadly flooding), and nothing was done. When a larger than life sign says "danger" and that sign is ignored, only the desperate point the blame away from themselves. A city that sits on a hill may shine a great light, but a city that sits beneath the waters, may drown in human error.

TOTT

If you are looking for God in this world, apart from Jesus Christ, you will never find him. In Jesus the powerfull, wonderfull, sweet, and over coming love of God is displayed. His great light blazes from the truth of his cross, incinerating our sins, and lifting us up where we do not belong, into his peace that surpasses understanding. You will not find the love of God revealed in any other religion. Christ has profoundly, openly, sacrificially, revealed the heart of God. Christ is the door wide open into the presence of our creator and Judge. He longs for us to receive our adoption into his family. Every tear is wiped away, sin and death are forever removed, and we can dwell in the midst of his great love and compassion forever and ever. I love being home in Jesus Christ. I count my blessings that my sins have been pardoned, that God desires me in his home, and even though I have not completed my journey into the completeness of his presence, his spirit bears witness with mine, that I am his child, my adoption is settled, and my home awaits me with rooms full of brothers and sisters, and a heavenly Father who has loved me before the foundations of the earth.
TOTT

Green Day's American Idiot: Part 2

"Don't wanna be an American idiot. One nation controlled by the media. Information age of hysteria. It's calling out to idiot America."

Green Day is doing the very thing they accuse the media of doing. These lyrics are hysterical and full of paranoia. Apparantly Green Day believes that they are the only ones wise to media bias and sensationalism, but the rest of America is some how more dull and less sophisticated to the tripe offered by talking heads and yellow journalism. Thank God for Green Day, and their ability to see what the rest of us "American Idiots" fail to wrap our small minds around! This is nothing more than typical rock god arrogance that courses through the veins of "usefull Idiots".

This rock flavored non-sense has nothing to do with the right or wrong of the war in Iraq. "American Idiot" is a rampage of insult and childish foot stomping. "I am right, and you are an "IDIOT" is this song in a nutshell. A sixteen year olds in a garage band could have written this shallow attempt of political expression. I am not sure of the consumer age for Green Day rock, but hopefully they are buying for the rock and not the droll!

The war against terror and the nations that support them is going to be complex and controversial. The U.S. will make good decisions and we will make bad decisions, and our enemies will exploit every controversy and failing of our elected officials and the American people. The real rub is when those who enjoy the priviledge of freedom, who succeed and flourish under all of this nations priviledges, mock and degrade their fellow citizens with contempt and arrogance. Many Americans are not sure if our war against terorism is going down the right road;can democracy take root in a region known for violence and bloodshed? Should we take out Iran's nuclear capabilites? How should we deal with North Korea or China? We may divide as a nation concerning the answers to these questions,but God help us if glass bubble rock stars are ever taken seriously on matters of life and death. TOTT

Green Day's American Idiot: Part 1

We are all aware of the labeling of generations such as, "Baby Boomers", "Generation X", and "Generation Y", but I would like to create a new label for the geration currently buying into the mindless spew of pop cultures anti-heros, such as, "Green Day". The label is "Dude Where is My Car?" generation. We know we are in trouble as a culture when, blathering incoherent, punk band geeks are taken seriously about life and death issues. If educating our children about the dangers of violence in video games, smoking, and leaky condoms is getting so much press these days, how about not taking political, moral, and social advice from boys with instruments. Lets look at their "thought provoking" lyrics on the new single "American Idiot". The lyrics decry America's war in iraq, media hype, and apparent sensationalism over the dangers and threats of terrorism.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America. I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. Now everybody do the propaganda. And sing along in the age of paranoia.

It is sad when someone thinks they are communicating something truly important, but lack the creative clarity to say anything truly meaningful. Tis verse is no exception. Using propaganda to "propagandize" against propaganda is silly and self-refuting. The term "redneck" is obviously a racial slur against a segment of white American's with whom Green day believes is paranoid and gullible;however, name calling proves nothing about the point they are trying to make. There are "red necks" who do not happen to agree with the war in Iraq, so being a redneck has nothing to do wih agreeing or dis-agreeing with the war. If all rednecks did agree with the war, it still would not add any point to their argument. They are simply degrading rednecks who dis-agree with them.

There may be some paranoia going on at all levels in post 911 America, but we no longer can afford the glass bubble of invincibility the U.S. once enjoyed. Dealing with the emerging threats against democracy and freedom are complicated and real, and it seems that these fool hearted punker's are paraniod about the paranoia of these modern threats. 911 was a success by the terrorist, it was not their first, and it will not be their last. This is not paranoia, this is a fact. If paranoia is going after these radicals and killing them , then a little paranoia may be a healthy thing. TOTT