A country divided by Hate

This seems to be the case - maybe not for all - but for many who spew the hate freely and with total disregard for the collateral damage incurred by those who are innocent and vulnerable

 

Why I Respect Atheists

Why I Respect Atheists by Carl ToersBijns

 
The word “Atheism” is defined as a lack of belief in gods. Older dictionaries define atheism as "a belief that there is no God." Sure we have to believe in something even if that something is nothing. Today, nobody is ridiculed more than those who announce they are atheists and then bashed for saying such a word or taking such a stand.

Oxymoronic in nature and perhaps one of the biggest paradoxes in our lives as this journey borders between our humanity and religion yet injected and infected with beliefs that are non-scientific but nevertheless in existence. We haven’t even begun to include inferences, perceptions and theories in this most difficult equation of explaining life form and the creation of so many things, including the human race.

We hardly ever ask the question, “what is atheism?” we normally shut down any conversations that include this word for the fear of going off into a religious tangent about creationism and Darwinism. The actions are quite understandable and reasonable if one does not know how to approach such a discussion. Some basic facts I have learned from atheists is that many of their ideas evolve from its many theistic influences or other sources.

This is often referred to as the theistic evolution, theistic evolutionism or evolutionary creationism which are views that regard religious teachings about God as compatible with modern scientific understanding about biological evolution. Theistic evolution is not a scientific theory, but a range of views about how the science of general evolution relates to religious beliefs in contrast to special creation views.

Thus it is assumed by being an atheist, it is a reflection of someone’s religion. This is wrong, atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods but rather a lack of belief in gods. There is a significant difference there many skip over and do not address.

Thus if you are looking it up in a dictionary, you might be interpreting it wrong or inaccurately based on the situation at hand in front of you. Then if you read these man written [influenced by their own religion] books further, you will find judgment, and other words that describe an atheist as someone wicked, a non-believer, anti-religion, a sinner, or many more derogatory comments and adjectives to justify the meaning of the word as being something wrongful.

Once we examined and understand the concept better, we can begin to understand we have a total miscommunication and misunderstanding happening here. The rationale used in dictionaries is based on this statement, found in many places, “The fact that dictionaries define Atheism as "there is no God" betrays the (mono) theistic influence. Without the (mono) theistic influence, the definition would at least read "there are no gods."

Now ask this question- Why should atheists allow theists to define who atheists are? Do other minorities allow the majority to define their character, views, and opinions? To the best of my knowledge they do not. So why does everyone expect atheists to lie down and accept the definition placed upon them by the world’s theists? Atheists will define themselves and should be taken on an individual and personal basis rather than grouping them all, stereotyping them as god haters, and non-believers, and allow their own personalities, characteristics speak for themselves.

‘Atheism’ as a stand-alone word is not a religion any more than the word ‘abstinence’ is a sexual position. They are and can be used and defined in complete other context if chosen to do so without being related the common uses of the word. The common thread on atheism is the common misinformation placed out there for others to use or define their judgment on other people. That it is wrong but if someone chooses to define an atheist, are they not participating in judgment?

When someone describes another person’s belief or non-belief can they do so without injecting or spewing their own religious values, beliefs or expectations? I think so and that’s what is wrong with people today. They think they know what atheism is when in fact, they have no clue.Even modern religions as it stands today have no common thread as they all refer to different deities based on cultural inferences or influences and even name their different gods.

I believe it is reasonable to say that atheists, or people who announce themselves to be atheists are people [variety in ethnicity, races, cultural backgrounds and religious convictions] as are as different and unique as our own fingerprints tells others who we are. I found the photograph attached sarcastic and a total misrepresentation of what Atheism is and wanted to share this with you. Thank you for understanding my words today.

Living with Grace - the meaning and where it comes from

Living with Grace

We have reached the time to re-examine the word of “grace” and what it could mean to many of us if interpreted it be done and by the way we think it ought to be done. To learn the definition written by mankind is to use discretionary decision making as to what your own belief is, the strength of your faith and the wisdom in your heart. 

“Charis” is a focus of salvation. In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of the Charites (Greek: Χάριτες) or "Graces", goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility; and in Homer's Iliad, Charis is the wife of Hephaestus. Charis was also known as Cale ("Beauty") or Aglaea ("Splendor"). Charis is also the Spartan name of a Grace.

To learn the definition of God's grace, it is wise to understand the Greek and Hebrew words behind this term. A prominent Old Testament word describing God's grace is ‘chesed’. This word speaks of deliverance from enemies, affliction, or adversity. It also denotes enablement, daily guidance, forgiveness, and preservation.

"What is grace? In the New Testament grace means God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves. 

Grace means God sending His only Son to descend into hell on the cross so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven. ‘(God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:8-10).

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

Road Rage – a path to self-destruction and possibly ending sitting the night in jail

Road Rage – a path to self-destruction and possibly ending sitting the night in jail

Traffic congestion may be a contributing factor to driver frustration and road rage. Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior by a driver of an automobile or other road vehicle. Such behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. Today, unlike the days of yesteryear, aggressive drivers have turned our city streets and freeways into free-for-all battle zones or gladiator pits. 

One driver pitted against the other for reasons beyond common sense. Armed with guns, and pepper spray to eggs and water bottles, there is no holds barred for this new kind of road rage as every driver involved delves themselves into a ‘high-noon’ situation with other drivers and confront cops aggressively when they try to intervene or restore order.

An epidemic growing still into pandemic proportions, the rage seems to becoming so serious, laws are being changed to address these destructive behaviors. Every year the rate of incidents climb us as is the count of injuries, assaults and homicides related to such dangerous behaviors out in our streets and freeways. However, this fury has shown no signs of subsiding or slowing down any time soon. 

Road rage can be any encounter between drivers versus other drivers but is extended to passengers, mere spectators, bicyclist, and other individuals who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Road rage can be a moving violation, a parking lot incident where the vehicle is vandalized or damaged, a stalking situation where someone is followed home and then victimized or assaulted. 

The list is too long to cover all but the fact remains, road rage is happening and its real. Renamed from the tag given previously, ‘aggressive driving’ no longer takes the perception by the media as ‘road rage’ does. What has appeared is an attitude of being a ‘vigilante behavior’ to make a wrong right with another wrongful act with all involved being wrong in the letter of the law. 

This madness to inflict some kind of retribution or punish others is driving is growing at exponentially magnitudes but AAA or the highway agencies in various states are not tracking this as a data report. Evidence shows self-destructiveness in many ways of losing self-control and usually starts with ‘hand signals or gestures’ that escalates into physical violence or even shooting at each other. 

This kind of ‘intimidatory driving’ starts as verbal abuse and escalates quickly. Attacks on people and vehicles are being reported whereas before, none such events were logged down by any public safety agency or AAA support groups. Some conflicts are caused by erratic or reckless driving given the offended party an opportunity to express their dislike for these driving practices by flipping the ‘bird’ to another person.

Secondly, there could be an encounter of the worse kind, when decals, signs or other visible preference over a sport or team initiates conflict while on the road. Lane changing, speeding and excessive tailgating all contribute to the anger. 

This appears to be more of a personality trait than a crime but nevertheless, people are getting hurt or killed by people motivated to be aggressive and inflict some kind of punishment to the others. 

Expressing anger while behind the steering wheel is normal. What is abnormal is when it goes beyond the screaming, yelling, muttering or stuttering to tell the other person what they are thinking and initiating more aggressive behaviors. It comes down to lack of proper social functioning skills and lack of coping with the environment they are driving in. 

Wikipedia identifies several issues that manifest road rage. They are:

·         Generally aggressive driving, including sudden acceleration, braking, and close tailgating

·         Cutting others off in a lane, or deliberately preventing someone from merging

·         Chasing other motorists

·         Flashing lights and/or sounding the horn excessively

·         Yelling or exhibiting disruptive behavior at roadside establishments

·         Driving at high speeds in the median of a highway to terrify drivers in both lanes\

·         Rude gestures (such as "the finger"

·         Shouting verbal abuses or threats or intentionally causing a collision between vehicles

·         Hitting other vehicles or hitting or assaulting other motorists, their passengers, cyclists, or pedestrians

·         Exiting the car to attempt to start confrontations, including striking other vehicles with an object

·         Threatening to use or using a firearm or other deadly weapon

·         Throwing projectiles from a moving vehicle with the intent of damaging other vehicle

Sometimes this lack of control is described as "basically a maladaptive reaction to an identifiable psycho-social stressor that interferes with social functioning which may include sharing the roadway with another driver. One may feel misunderstood and claim dominance other the other by expressing anger at another driver. 

Road rage can be controlled. Aggressive drivers are under better control than drunk drivers and thus have the capabilities to correct their behaviors before it inflicts too much damage or calculated embarrassment or humiliation. It is fair to say that road rage has become our number one fear rather than drunk drivers on the streets. 

It is also likely true that there is now an epidemic out there of running red lights creating much of the conflict. Installing red light cameras can solve some of these problems but the others are left up between driver versus drivers as they compete for their share of the roadway they are occupying and taking control of one way or another.

The Lonely Tree – Waiting at Heaven’s Door

The Lonely Tree – Waiting at Heaven’s Door

Surrounded by artificial flowers and plastic wreaths, the lonely tree survives each year the pain and sorrow it sees every day they come to the cemetery to visit they relatives who passed away. It stands next to the headstones that pave the way to heaven’s door.

Stoned scripts recall the names of memories once alive and filled with stories that could bend some ears as buried here underneath the ground, are soldiers, villains, and heroes all buried here together without any prejudice, bias or hatred sworn. 

The little red white and blue with starts and stripes flags show mass respect, the words echo their lives and the weather beats their plots. Daily rain or snow, the lonely tree watches from afar, the coming of the horde of black carriages in a funeral advance, arriving with another casket, another soul and another body to bury once more. 

This tree, standing there like a guard at the Unknown Soldier’s tomb, never succumbs to the pressures around it, as its roots grab a hold of more dirt than some, as it vigilantly witnesses and watches the dead and the living come.It knows respect, it has humility and it has honor. Each day it lives it stands tall and brings us closer to heaven’s door. The man in the black hat, the lady dressed in black, the flag softly folded, the widow’s cry and the children’s tear, are all forever noted throughout the years. 

This lonely tree, it is not human as it cannot cry, the reason why it was planted here amidst the other dead is something we don’t know why. But it stands to reason that this tree, although it seems to be standing alone, is part of the scenery when men, women and children, come home to see their maker’s door and sit on heaven’s floor. 

So you see, this tree is seldom lonely for there is a death at least once a day as the mortuary doors stay open day and night. There is so much black, so much darkness but rarely, does the tree sense any level of fear or fright each day and every night.

Instead it finds solace, a genuine peaceful feeling, with a billion stars above and shooting stars flying by in the vast universe we call the sky. Some days cloudy, some days clear and standing there every minute, every second and every day of the year.

Standing there strong and unbreakably tense, within the world’s madness, it finds a strange tranquility, unexplained as it is, for humans die each and every day and this tree will live forever or until they pull its roots out of the ground to make room for another door.