Friday, June 30, 2006
Video: Never mix alkaline metals with water
Cool science video, way better than the ones they showed during my High School Chemistry class. Remember kids, never mix alkaline metals with water.
RoboCup Fever!
I've been watching the World Cup mainly on channel 14, a Spanish channel, primarily because I don't have cable. Even though I can't understand a lick of Spanish, I turn up the volume anyway, cause it's fun to hear the announcer say GOL really long and loud. Prior to the World Cup, there's always a RoboCup, which is soccer played by robots. This year, an AI research team has brought for the first time... robotic announcers! How cool is that! You can read more about how they did it, and what the announcers can do. It's pretty amazing to see how tech can advance so quickly. Soon we'll have unbiased refs!
Sand Castles
Summertime! Hit the beach, play volleyball and of course.... build sand castles! Boy, and I thought I was pretty good when my sand castle had a moat around it. This is insane!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
What happens to babies when they die? (Pt 2)
So again, back to the baby question. What happens to babies when they die? It’s a question that on the surface seems like an easy one, but rest assured it’s not. The most obvious answer is babies automatically go to heaven when they die. But that’s just a surface level answer. It doesn’t take into account one very important fact. Jesus says “I am the way. No one gets to heaven except through Jesus.” As Christians, we have decided that this means, that only through Jesus Christ can we get to heaven. We have to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and then we’ll be saved (aka going to heaven.) But babies aren’t able to call upon Jesus (or are they?). Therefore, when they die, they shouldn’t be able to go to heaven.
You may ask why would babies even need to call on Jesus. They’re babies, they haven’t done anything wrong! All they do is poop, sleep and cry. Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast, my compadres. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Note the word, all, which I have oh so conveniently highlighted for you. It didn’t say all, except for babies. Or except for the mentally handicapped who’s IQ is 10. No, every person born after Adam, was born in sin. It is our curse, and what makes this world the way it is. David knew this when he wrote in Psalms 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” So even for David, “A Man after God’s own heart”, he admits that he was born in sin.
The problem is if we start excluding babies, we enter the dangerous ground of legalism. At what point does a baby stop being a baby? As soon as it learns to walk, then it’s no longer a baby? How about when it enters school? Do you know that kids learn to lie as soon as they learn to talk? And lying is a sin, which leads to death. Yes it’s true. For example, all 2 year-old toddlers love to say the word “No.” Are you hungry? “No.” Do you want to eat? “No.” Do you not want to eat? “No.” See? Liars!
I often wonder why do people so wish for babies to get a free pass into heaven? Is it because the notion of a God condemning babies to hell does such great violence to the image of a just God? Well, what if that baby grew up to be the next Hitler? Then would it be ok for the baby to be condemned to hell? And you can’t say it’s not fair for God to judge a baby for future actions, because God can see the past, present, and future. He knows exactly how you will turn out, how babies 20 years from now will turn out. So, he truly is the most perfect Judge. Did you know that God has destined some people for great evil acts? Even before they were conceived, God has willed certain people to commit heinous acts, so that it may further his will. This shows that God doesn’t view babies the same way we do, that all are innocent. He sees them all as people, born under Adam, slaves to sin. I know, it sounds counter to probably what you've grown up hearing. Here's some verses to chew on. As always, you should not take the verses for granted. Please read the entire chapter to get the context for yourself. However, as I have limited space, here's some choice verses:
"For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." (Ro 9:17-18)
What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day." (Ro 11:7-8)
I would like to say, that these verses in no way condemn babies or children. I'm just saying that God has already decided which people to harden and which will be saved, even before they were born. That's it.
As I’ve said before, when it comes to controversial topics, I always turn to the Catholic Church. They believe that babies go to purgatory when they die. And in purgatory, they grow and mature normally as on earth. Then after they grew up, God can judge their purgatory lives just as if it were on earth. Other denominations have ventured forth other theories. If a baby cannot distinguish right from wrong, then they get a free pass. Other people I’ve asked, replied, “Who cares?” Who cares, indeed. How about Christian parents, who’ve seen their babies tragically taken away. I’m sure it would be a comfort for them to know that they will see their kid once again in heaven. Unfortunately, this is another answer that we will never know, until we see God. Then we can ask him (if we can remember) ourselves, and at that time, finally, He can reveal the answer to the question. “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?”
You may ask why would babies even need to call on Jesus. They’re babies, they haven’t done anything wrong! All they do is poop, sleep and cry. Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast, my compadres. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Note the word, all, which I have oh so conveniently highlighted for you. It didn’t say all, except for babies. Or except for the mentally handicapped who’s IQ is 10. No, every person born after Adam, was born in sin. It is our curse, and what makes this world the way it is. David knew this when he wrote in Psalms 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” So even for David, “A Man after God’s own heart”, he admits that he was born in sin.
The problem is if we start excluding babies, we enter the dangerous ground of legalism. At what point does a baby stop being a baby? As soon as it learns to walk, then it’s no longer a baby? How about when it enters school? Do you know that kids learn to lie as soon as they learn to talk? And lying is a sin, which leads to death. Yes it’s true. For example, all 2 year-old toddlers love to say the word “No.” Are you hungry? “No.” Do you want to eat? “No.” Do you not want to eat? “No.” See? Liars!
I often wonder why do people so wish for babies to get a free pass into heaven? Is it because the notion of a God condemning babies to hell does such great violence to the image of a just God? Well, what if that baby grew up to be the next Hitler? Then would it be ok for the baby to be condemned to hell? And you can’t say it’s not fair for God to judge a baby for future actions, because God can see the past, present, and future. He knows exactly how you will turn out, how babies 20 years from now will turn out. So, he truly is the most perfect Judge. Did you know that God has destined some people for great evil acts? Even before they were conceived, God has willed certain people to commit heinous acts, so that it may further his will. This shows that God doesn’t view babies the same way we do, that all are innocent. He sees them all as people, born under Adam, slaves to sin. I know, it sounds counter to probably what you've grown up hearing. Here's some verses to chew on. As always, you should not take the verses for granted. Please read the entire chapter to get the context for yourself. However, as I have limited space, here's some choice verses:
"For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." (Ro 9:17-18)
What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day." (Ro 11:7-8)
I would like to say, that these verses in no way condemn babies or children. I'm just saying that God has already decided which people to harden and which will be saved, even before they were born. That's it.
As I’ve said before, when it comes to controversial topics, I always turn to the Catholic Church. They believe that babies go to purgatory when they die. And in purgatory, they grow and mature normally as on earth. Then after they grew up, God can judge their purgatory lives just as if it were on earth. Other denominations have ventured forth other theories. If a baby cannot distinguish right from wrong, then they get a free pass. Other people I’ve asked, replied, “Who cares?” Who cares, indeed. How about Christian parents, who’ve seen their babies tragically taken away. I’m sure it would be a comfort for them to know that they will see their kid once again in heaven. Unfortunately, this is another answer that we will never know, until we see God. Then we can ask him (if we can remember) ourselves, and at that time, finally, He can reveal the answer to the question. “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?”
Monday, June 26, 2006
How small we are
Have you ever wondered about Earth, and exactly how big is this planet of ours? A very brief article that shows exactly how small we are. Pictures certainly are worth a thousand words.
10 Worst Foods
Don't read this if you want to be depressed about your favorite food. The way they describe some of them is down-right criminal!
Brought to my attention by Kat, who likes to make Monday mornings even more depressing!
Brought to my attention by Kat, who likes to make Monday mornings even more depressing!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
"Stop a baby's breath..." (Pt 1)
... and a shoe full of rice" (The Verve Pipe)
I’m not sure if I’m ready to tackle such a controversial topic. I am neither well-informed nor confident in my Biblical foundation enough to argue my viewpoint effectively or in public. However, this year is about trying new things, and being more open, right? Oh, that’s right, you weren’t there when I made the resolution. So… well, just nod your head and agree. Anyway, here’re my thoughts on what happens to babies when they die. Note, I’ve done extensive research in this subject (hey I googled past the first 2 pages of results! How many of you guys can say that?) and interviewed many people (my mom, a cousin and a friend). So I can safely say I know as much about the afterlife as 3 normal people!
I’ll have to be honest with you. I think about death almost every day. It’s probably the second most frequent topic I dwell on when I’m bored (which is, quite frankly, very often). You could say that I’m obsessed with death, but I know you won’t, mainly because I moderate all your comments, and delete the ones that say I’m obsessed with death. But I’m sure, everyone thinks about it once in a while. Is there really an afterlife? What will we do when we die? And most importantly, will there be TV in heaven? And if so, would it show only reruns of “Touched by an Angel” and “Highway to Heaven”? These and other important questions have been tackled by other religions, philosophers, and other great thinkers of our time such as MercyMe and Audio Adrenaline. Questions like, what will it be like finally seeing God, face-to-face? I think it's like seeing who the real person is behind that cute Elf-Chick in World Of Warcraft, after you’ve been gaming for months. But instead of finding some bearded guy pretending to be the chick, you’ll find, umm, something even more fantastical. What God looks like, I don’t know, because I’m not dead yet. But as soon as I die and find out, I’ll let you know. I promise. Just don’t get scared when I do tell.
So, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m a little afraid of death. It seems so… final. And if indeed a paradise exists on the other side of this veil that we call life, then it is well-hidden. Sure Jesus talks about it, and John wrote a whole apocalyptic book on it, but the descriptions are all so vague. It’s as if I described what a sunset looks like to a blind person. How can I convey the majestic colors, or the way the sun paints the clouds so radiantly? How do you even tell a blind man what orange mixed with a little red, with dots of fire looks like, or even what that puffy white thing floating in the sky looks like? You can’t, and that’s what heaven is like to us. Jesus may have come from there, but as we have no experience on earth that can rival Paradise, He has a hard time describing it. That’s why he uses parables, stories drawn from real, common experiences that many people share, to describe heaven. “Heaven is like a man selling all his treasures to buy the one perfect pearl.”(Mat 13:45-46) Or again, “Heaven is like a farmer sowing seeds.” (Mat 13:24) I’m not sure if heaven is a big field or an oyster bed, but whatever it is, it’s certainly better than Hell. (How do I know it’s better? Well easy, you’ve heard the phrase, “as hot as hell”, right? Well… have you ever heard it said, “as hot as heaven”? Yeah I didn’t think so either.)
Next time I'll actually get to the topic of babies. I know I ramble sometimes, it's my way of filling up space for 2 days without having to think of 2 topics! I know! Isn't it efficient of me! Yes! You're right! I'm doing it again! So, I want to preface Thurs. topic with a caveat. I'm not going to give you my opinion on what I think happens to babies when they die. What I am going to do, is try to open your mind to new thoughts and new possibilities. So, I will present you ideas to think about, ideas you may have not thought of the first time. People always blithely trust their first instincts, without really thinking about a subject. Or they listen to what other people have to say, other people who are just as unknowledgeable as they are. So keep an open mind, and an open dialogue and comment ;) Until Thurs!
I’m not sure if I’m ready to tackle such a controversial topic. I am neither well-informed nor confident in my Biblical foundation enough to argue my viewpoint effectively or in public. However, this year is about trying new things, and being more open, right? Oh, that’s right, you weren’t there when I made the resolution. So… well, just nod your head and agree. Anyway, here’re my thoughts on what happens to babies when they die. Note, I’ve done extensive research in this subject (hey I googled past the first 2 pages of results! How many of you guys can say that?) and interviewed many people (my mom, a cousin and a friend). So I can safely say I know as much about the afterlife as 3 normal people!
I’ll have to be honest with you. I think about death almost every day. It’s probably the second most frequent topic I dwell on when I’m bored (which is, quite frankly, very often). You could say that I’m obsessed with death, but I know you won’t, mainly because I moderate all your comments, and delete the ones that say I’m obsessed with death. But I’m sure, everyone thinks about it once in a while. Is there really an afterlife? What will we do when we die? And most importantly, will there be TV in heaven? And if so, would it show only reruns of “Touched by an Angel” and “Highway to Heaven”? These and other important questions have been tackled by other religions, philosophers, and other great thinkers of our time such as MercyMe and Audio Adrenaline. Questions like, what will it be like finally seeing God, face-to-face? I think it's like seeing who the real person is behind that cute Elf-Chick in World Of Warcraft, after you’ve been gaming for months. But instead of finding some bearded guy pretending to be the chick, you’ll find, umm, something even more fantastical. What God looks like, I don’t know, because I’m not dead yet. But as soon as I die and find out, I’ll let you know. I promise. Just don’t get scared when I do tell.
So, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m a little afraid of death. It seems so… final. And if indeed a paradise exists on the other side of this veil that we call life, then it is well-hidden. Sure Jesus talks about it, and John wrote a whole apocalyptic book on it, but the descriptions are all so vague. It’s as if I described what a sunset looks like to a blind person. How can I convey the majestic colors, or the way the sun paints the clouds so radiantly? How do you even tell a blind man what orange mixed with a little red, with dots of fire looks like, or even what that puffy white thing floating in the sky looks like? You can’t, and that’s what heaven is like to us. Jesus may have come from there, but as we have no experience on earth that can rival Paradise, He has a hard time describing it. That’s why he uses parables, stories drawn from real, common experiences that many people share, to describe heaven. “Heaven is like a man selling all his treasures to buy the one perfect pearl.”(Mat 13:45-46) Or again, “Heaven is like a farmer sowing seeds.” (Mat 13:24) I’m not sure if heaven is a big field or an oyster bed, but whatever it is, it’s certainly better than Hell. (How do I know it’s better? Well easy, you’ve heard the phrase, “as hot as hell”, right? Well… have you ever heard it said, “as hot as heaven”? Yeah I didn’t think so either.)
Next time I'll actually get to the topic of babies. I know I ramble sometimes, it's my way of filling up space for 2 days without having to think of 2 topics! I know! Isn't it efficient of me! Yes! You're right! I'm doing it again! So, I want to preface Thurs. topic with a caveat. I'm not going to give you my opinion on what I think happens to babies when they die. What I am going to do, is try to open your mind to new thoughts and new possibilities. So, I will present you ideas to think about, ideas you may have not thought of the first time. People always blithely trust their first instincts, without really thinking about a subject. Or they listen to what other people have to say, other people who are just as unknowledgeable as they are. So keep an open mind, and an open dialogue and comment ;) Until Thurs!
Friday, June 23, 2006
Actors in Character
This is an excerpt from a book. Someone had real Hollywood actors act, and they took pictures of it. This is why they get paid the big bucks!
Uberman Sleep Schedule (How-To)
Yet another article about sleep. Unfortunately I missed giving one last week, so unfortunately the streak is over. Awww.. Anyway, this article is a basic how-to for getting onto the Uberman Sleep Schedule. With this type of sleep schedule, you will only need 3 hours of sleep a day. Be warned, that it takes about 3 weeks of unproductivity to get it going, and there's still no research on the long-lasting effects of this type of cycle. That said...anyone interested in trying this? Let me know how it works out for you.
Video: Mistaken Identity
This has got to be one of the top ten nightmares ever.... to be interviewed on camera about a subject you know nothing about. Well, it happened recently to Mr. Goma. The article is a little confusing at first, but I think I figured it out. For some odd reason, this taxi driver indicated he was a IT expert, when it was painfully obvious he wasn't. Maybe he misheard his name? Anyway, the look on his face is priceless (not to mention hilarious!) Major props to him though for gamely trying to answer the questions. Check out the article here, but make sure to click the video. Watch his face when he gets introduced.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Grow a backbone! (pt 2)
So with that being said, what follows is my own personal choice. In regards to relationships, and actually my whole life in general, I don’t give advice unless someone asks me. I have found that time and again, unsolicited advice rarely gets followed. Sure, the advisee may make the appropriate noises of agreement and acknowledgement, and may even say, “I’ll think about it”, but chances are high they aren’t going to listen. I think it’s because they are happy with the decision they have made, so the inertia to change is hard to overcome. However, when they ask me for advice, or confide in me their troubles, that tells me two things. They realize they are unhappy, and they are looking for a solution. Sometimes, the solution isn’t always actually, solving the problem. I know, that’s confusing, but sometimes when people do confide in you their troubles, they’re looking for empathy and sympathy. Often they already know what they have to do, but I don’t know why, maybe it’s the soul that needs reassurance from a kindred soul. Or something like that. Maybe they don’t want to feel alone at a time when maybe the circumstance is isolating them. But other times, problems need solutions, plain and simple. If all you do is sympathize, that’s not very helpful either. They’re asking for help, and they want ideas or they want someone to reinforce their choice. See? Again, a balance must be made. You have to decide in each particular circumstance, whether the person looking for comfort wants encouragement, reinforcement, ideas, or even rebukes.
This is a hard subject to bring up, especially for me, since I’m bad at rebuking. I don’t think I can lecture my kids as well as my dad lectured me. Contrary to this writing, I don’t talk much. I’m very direct, and brief, and I hate repeating myself. If I have to repeat myself… ooo, look out! Also, I’m the type of person that wants everyone to like me. Sure that’s an impossible task, but that’s my nature. So naturally, when I think of rebuking someone, I always ask myself, is this problem serious enough to threaten my relationship with them? Can this be swept under the rug? How mature is this person in handling rebuke? These are some of the things you should be asking yourself, especially if you like to confront people. The Bible treats confrontation in a serious and surprisingly explicit manner. It’s so explicit, that I can’t find it right now… hrm.. anyway, take my word for it! (Remind me to fire the research staff…) Now, relationships fall under the same criteria. Is a relationship so detrimental, that I feel I have to say something about it, regardless of whether I’m asked for my advice? The answer is yes, there are cases like this. My uncle likes to give a famous one during his sermons. A woman approached him one time, and said that God told her to divorce her husband so that she could go to China as a full-time missionary. I know that God would never say that, because marriage is holy to Him.
It’s hard for me to confront people. Often times, I think of myself as being the mature person by letting things slide, but that’s wrong and vain. Or I like to follow Jesus’ example and if someone hits me, I offer the other cheek to be hit. This leads to the perception that I’m laid-back and naïve or easily taken advantage of. However, I know that I can’t do that all the time in every situation, no matter how comfortable it seems. There are genuine times when I do have to stand up to someone and let them know that what they’re doing is wrong. And I’m comforted in knowing that I have done it, and even though they still didn’t listen to me, at least my spirit is ok. I listened to the Holy Spirit, and whatever happened really was God’s will.
Now that I’ve read my words, I have become emboldened! So watch out when you meet me, I just may give you a piece of my mind! (And that’s why I’m single)
Update: Since writing this, I happened upon a Bible verse that has made me reconsider my previous words. "Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" (Jude 1:9) This was an extreme example given by Jude in response to early apostasy. In the early church, some "Christians" had crept in and started slandering God, Jesus and the whole religion in general. Jude wrote that even Michael, one of the generals of the angels, often considered God's right hand man, even he wouldn't dare say anything bad about his nemesis, Satan, himself. Instead, he said, "God rebuke you." So I amend my previous statements. Instead of rebuking someone, you should say, "God rebuke you." Y'know, kinda like what you say after someone sneezes... but opposite-like.
This is a hard subject to bring up, especially for me, since I’m bad at rebuking. I don’t think I can lecture my kids as well as my dad lectured me. Contrary to this writing, I don’t talk much. I’m very direct, and brief, and I hate repeating myself. If I have to repeat myself… ooo, look out! Also, I’m the type of person that wants everyone to like me. Sure that’s an impossible task, but that’s my nature. So naturally, when I think of rebuking someone, I always ask myself, is this problem serious enough to threaten my relationship with them? Can this be swept under the rug? How mature is this person in handling rebuke? These are some of the things you should be asking yourself, especially if you like to confront people. The Bible treats confrontation in a serious and surprisingly explicit manner. It’s so explicit, that I can’t find it right now… hrm.. anyway, take my word for it! (Remind me to fire the research staff…) Now, relationships fall under the same criteria. Is a relationship so detrimental, that I feel I have to say something about it, regardless of whether I’m asked for my advice? The answer is yes, there are cases like this. My uncle likes to give a famous one during his sermons. A woman approached him one time, and said that God told her to divorce her husband so that she could go to China as a full-time missionary. I know that God would never say that, because marriage is holy to Him.
It’s hard for me to confront people. Often times, I think of myself as being the mature person by letting things slide, but that’s wrong and vain. Or I like to follow Jesus’ example and if someone hits me, I offer the other cheek to be hit. This leads to the perception that I’m laid-back and naïve or easily taken advantage of. However, I know that I can’t do that all the time in every situation, no matter how comfortable it seems. There are genuine times when I do have to stand up to someone and let them know that what they’re doing is wrong. And I’m comforted in knowing that I have done it, and even though they still didn’t listen to me, at least my spirit is ok. I listened to the Holy Spirit, and whatever happened really was God’s will.
Now that I’ve read my words, I have become emboldened! So watch out when you meet me, I just may give you a piece of my mind! (And that’s why I’m single)
Update: Since writing this, I happened upon a Bible verse that has made me reconsider my previous words. "Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" (Jude 1:9) This was an extreme example given by Jude in response to early apostasy. In the early church, some "Christians" had crept in and started slandering God, Jesus and the whole religion in general. Jude wrote that even Michael, one of the generals of the angels, often considered God's right hand man, even he wouldn't dare say anything bad about his nemesis, Satan, himself. Instead, he said, "God rebuke you." So I amend my previous statements. Instead of rebuking someone, you should say, "God rebuke you." Y'know, kinda like what you say after someone sneezes... but opposite-like.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Grow a backbone! (Pt1)
If you’re a passenger in a car and you see that the vehicle you’re in is about to drive off the cliff, you’d probably say something, wouldn’t you? Yeah, that’s an easy/loaded question. Of course you would, you’re in the said car that’s about to go off the cliff. Any normal non-suicidal person would say something. It’s in their best interest to… their own. I would even postulate further that a serial murderer would at that point shout something out, like “Watch for the cliff, watch for the cliff!” So, I’m gonna make the question a little harder. What if you’re the one driving and you see the car ahead of you looking like it’s going to drive straight off the cliff? What would you do then? Well, that question is still not that hard a question if you’re a moral person. You’d probably honk to wake up the driver or just to let him know what’s going on. It’s like a warning beep: “Hey, you, idiot driver! You’re about to drive off a cliff!” But there are some people who are afraid of using the horn, or have never used it and so forgot they even had a horn. Now let’s dial back the example even further. What if instead of about to drive off the cliff, the car in front is driving recklessly, and in your expert opinion, dangerously. In the review mirror you saw how he’s passing cars using the incoming traffic lane, and he’s cutting people off and being a general nuisance (to put it lightly. I’d have called him a $#%%#!) . Now this car is directly ahead of you, do you honk him to let him know he’s being a danger?
Ah hah! I’m betting a lot of you wouldn’t dare honk him. Either you don’t really care, or it’s not your business, or he might have a gun and shoot you back. This is America, after all, home of the gun-owner. Well then, how about a friend? He’s driving in a manner you believe as dangerous, and you are all caravanning. Would you call your friend up and tell them, “Hey, you’re a maniac driver! Slow down!” Now, let’s replace the car with a relationship. So you see a friend in a relationship that you know is going to end up in a disaster. Again, will you tell your friend, “Hey, you’re dating a maniac! Slow down!”
If you’re like me, the answer would be no. I, for one, would hold my tongue and let the whole thing play out. Grab some popcorn, and just sit back, it’s better than Springer! Well, without all the cursing and throwing of chairs. Yeah, I know, that’s part of the fun! No, seriously, I wouldn’t tell the person because relationships are a sticky business. You don’t want to get in the middle of a rocky relationship. There’s a Chinese proverb about that as well. I’m sure there’s a Biblical verse as well, but it’s probably not as catchy as the Chinese one. “Don’t be in the middle, Don’t be a bondsman, and don’t be a matchmaker, or you’ll be cursed for 3 generations.” Hrm… well, it’s more catchy in Chinese… it rhymes and everything. The first “Don’t” is the one I’m talking about right now. Don’t get in the middle of a fight between two friends, where one will tell you her problems, and then the next night, he will tell you his problems, and they look to you to solve their relationship issues. (BTW, my typical solution is to just get them together in a nice fancy restaurant, the kind with the bad lighting and where chefs like to dress up the food in weird nature scenes and then ask them to lean toward each other and then bonk their heads together. Believe me, it works. They get so mad at you, that they end up siding with each other.)
The other excuse I’ve heard, but I have yet to use, is that it’s God’s Will. Meaning, that this relationship is God’s will, so who am I to challenge God’s Will? The problem with that is you are assuming you know what is God’s will. A tall assumption, to be sure. How do you know that this relationship is, in fact God’s will? You don’t. Just like, how do you know it’s not God’s will that you break up the relationship? Granted, ultimately everything is under God’s control, and all things happen according to his design. It might be a comfort to know that everything is not in your hands, but in God’s hands. But, we can’t stray too far in the extreme. Knowing that all works out according to God’s will doesn’t absolve you from your inactions. This isn’t a case where we just sit back, and do nothing and enjoy the beautiful albeit temporary view.
It’s a tough thing to marry faith with action. As Jesus said, “Faith of a mustard seed will move a mountain.” Likewise, it’s the same Jesus that said, “Go out and make disciples of all men.” You can have faith as big as a mountain that your friends and family will be saved, but that’s only half the battle. You also need to do something about it. As James said, “Faith without works is dead.” The Bible isn’t making this easy for us, nor should it. If this thing called Christianity was easy, we’d all be assured a place in heaven, and we wouldn’t need faith. This is why every Christian is unique, and most likely why God loves each and every one of us. It’s how we balance faith with works, love with rebuke, joy with grief.
Ah hah! I’m betting a lot of you wouldn’t dare honk him. Either you don’t really care, or it’s not your business, or he might have a gun and shoot you back. This is America, after all, home of the gun-owner. Well then, how about a friend? He’s driving in a manner you believe as dangerous, and you are all caravanning. Would you call your friend up and tell them, “Hey, you’re a maniac driver! Slow down!” Now, let’s replace the car with a relationship. So you see a friend in a relationship that you know is going to end up in a disaster. Again, will you tell your friend, “Hey, you’re dating a maniac! Slow down!”
If you’re like me, the answer would be no. I, for one, would hold my tongue and let the whole thing play out. Grab some popcorn, and just sit back, it’s better than Springer! Well, without all the cursing and throwing of chairs. Yeah, I know, that’s part of the fun! No, seriously, I wouldn’t tell the person because relationships are a sticky business. You don’t want to get in the middle of a rocky relationship. There’s a Chinese proverb about that as well. I’m sure there’s a Biblical verse as well, but it’s probably not as catchy as the Chinese one. “Don’t be in the middle, Don’t be a bondsman, and don’t be a matchmaker, or you’ll be cursed for 3 generations.” Hrm… well, it’s more catchy in Chinese… it rhymes and everything. The first “Don’t” is the one I’m talking about right now. Don’t get in the middle of a fight between two friends, where one will tell you her problems, and then the next night, he will tell you his problems, and they look to you to solve their relationship issues. (BTW, my typical solution is to just get them together in a nice fancy restaurant, the kind with the bad lighting and where chefs like to dress up the food in weird nature scenes and then ask them to lean toward each other and then bonk their heads together. Believe me, it works. They get so mad at you, that they end up siding with each other.)
The other excuse I’ve heard, but I have yet to use, is that it’s God’s Will. Meaning, that this relationship is God’s will, so who am I to challenge God’s Will? The problem with that is you are assuming you know what is God’s will. A tall assumption, to be sure. How do you know that this relationship is, in fact God’s will? You don’t. Just like, how do you know it’s not God’s will that you break up the relationship? Granted, ultimately everything is under God’s control, and all things happen according to his design. It might be a comfort to know that everything is not in your hands, but in God’s hands. But, we can’t stray too far in the extreme. Knowing that all works out according to God’s will doesn’t absolve you from your inactions. This isn’t a case where we just sit back, and do nothing and enjoy the beautiful albeit temporary view.
It’s a tough thing to marry faith with action. As Jesus said, “Faith of a mustard seed will move a mountain.” Likewise, it’s the same Jesus that said, “Go out and make disciples of all men.” You can have faith as big as a mountain that your friends and family will be saved, but that’s only half the battle. You also need to do something about it. As James said, “Faith without works is dead.” The Bible isn’t making this easy for us, nor should it. If this thing called Christianity was easy, we’d all be assured a place in heaven, and we wouldn’t need faith. This is why every Christian is unique, and most likely why God loves each and every one of us. It’s how we balance faith with works, love with rebuke, joy with grief.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Best cities to live in
Here's a report of the best cities to live in for the year 2006. Which city tops the list? Go find out for yourself, you lazy bum! But I will tell you that SF was number 28.
RIAA Sues Radio?
Good morning! Boy, it's been hard to get up after such a busy weekend for me. Anyway, enough about me, here's an article about one of the causes that is close to my heart.
No, this isn't an actual news post. It's a satirical article on the current activities of the RIAA. For those of you not familiar, RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) are suing P2P downloaders for downloading illegeal files. Not only that, they are also suing ISPs and the networks themselves for allowing illegal files to be downloaded. The analogy that the article presents is appopriate.
If you want to find out more about this controversy, click here. Scroll down to Anti-Piracy Efforts.
No, this isn't an actual news post. It's a satirical article on the current activities of the RIAA. For those of you not familiar, RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) are suing P2P downloaders for downloading illegeal files. Not only that, they are also suing ISPs and the networks themselves for allowing illegal files to be downloaded. The analogy that the article presents is appopriate.
If you want to find out more about this controversy, click here. Scroll down to Anti-Piracy Efforts.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Game: Tumbler
Very hard game. Took me a while to get the hang of it. Your mouse controls the ball, so wherever the mouse goes, that's where the ball goes. The screen rotates, and you need to stay within the rotating screen, if your mouse goes out, game over. There's a whole bunch of obstacles as well which you have to avoid. Your goal is to survive and grab the green dots and green powerups. I can't tell you my high score, because every game I've played, my mouse inevitably goes off the screen. I can tell you one time I had about 8 lives (you only start with 3) and was doing quite well.
Grow a backbone! (pt 1)
If you’re a passenger in a car and you see that the vehicle you’re in is about to drive off the cliff, you’d probably say something, wouldn’t you? Yeah, that’s an easy/loaded question. Of course you would, you’re in the said car that’s about to go off the cliff. Any normal non-suicidal person would say something. It’s in their best interest to… their own. I would even postulate further that a serial murderer would at that point shout something out, like “Watch for the cliff, watch for the cliff!” So, I’m gonna make the question a little harder. What if you’re the one driving and you see the car ahead of you looking like it’s going to drive straight off the cliff? What would you do then? Well, that question is still not that hard a question if you’re a moral person. You’d probably honk to wake up the driver or just to let him know what’s going on. It’s like a warning beep: “Hey, you, idiot driver! You’re about to drive off a cliff!” But there are some people who are afraid of using the horn, or have never used it and so forgot they even had a horn. Now let’s dial back the example even further. What if instead of about to drive off the cliff, the car in front is driving recklessly, and in your expert opinion, dangerously. In the review mirror you saw how he’s passing cars using the incoming traffic lane, and he’s cutting people off and being a general nuisance (to put it lightly. I’d have called him a $#%%#!) . Now this car is directly ahead of you, do you honk him to let him know he’s being a danger?
Ah hah! I’m betting a lot of you wouldn’t dare honk him. Either you don’t really care, or it’s not your business, or he might have a gun and shoot you back. This is America, after all, home of the gun-owner. Well then, how about a friend? He’s driving in a manner you believe as dangerous, and you are all caravanning. Would you call your friend up and tell them, “Hey, you’re a maniac driver! Slow down!” Now, let’s replace the car with a relationship. So you see a friend in a relationship that you know is going to end up in a disaster. Again, will you tell your friend, “Hey, you’re dating a maniac! Slow down!”
If you’re like me, the answer would be no. I, for one, would hold my tongue and let the whole thing play out. Grab some popcorn, and just sit back, it’s better than Springer! Well, without all the cursing and throwing of chairs. Yeah, I know, that’s part of the fun! No, seriously, I wouldn’t tell the person because relationships are a sticky business. You don’t want to get in the middle of a rocky relationship. There’s a Chinese proverb about that as well. I’m sure there’s a Biblical verse as well, but it’s probably not as catchy as the Chinese one. “Don’t be in the middle, Don’t be a bondsman, and don’t be a matchmaker, or you’ll be cursed for 3 generations.” Hrm… well, it’s more catchy in Chinese… it rhymes and everything. The first “Don’t” is the one I’m talking about right now. Don’t get in the middle of a fight between two friends, where one will tell you her problems, and then the next night, he will tell you his problems, and they look to you to solve their relationship issues. (BTW, my typical solution is to just get them together in a nice fancy restaurant, the kind with the bad lighting and where chefs like to dress up the food in weird nature scenes and then ask them to lean toward each other and then bonk their heads together. Believe me, it works. They get so mad at you, that they end up siding with each other.)
The other excuse I’ve heard, but I have yet to use, is that it’s God’s Will. Meaning, that this relationship is God’s will, so who am I to challenge God’s Will? The problem with that is you are assuming you know what is God’s will. A tall assumption, to be sure. How do you know that this relationship is, in fact God’s will? You don’t. Just like, how do you know it’s not God’s will that you break up the relationship? Granted, ultimately everything is under God’s control, and all things happen according to his design. It might be a comfort to know that everything is not in your hands, but in God’s hands. But, we can’t stray too far in the extreme. Knowing that all works out according to God’s will doesn’t absolve you from your inactions. This isn’t a case where we just sit back, and do nothing and enjoy the beautiful albeit temporary view.
It’s a tough thing to marry faith with action. As Jesus said, “Faith of a mustard seed will move a mountain.” Likewise, it’s the same Jesus that said, “Go out and make disciples of all men.” You can have faith as big as a mountain that your friends and family will be saved, but that’s only half the battle. You also need to do something about it. As James said, “Faith without works is dead.” The Bible isn’t making this easy for us, nor should it. If this thing called Christianity was easy, we’d all be assured a place in heaven, and we wouldn’t need faith. This is why every Christian is unique, and most likely why God loves each and every one of us. It’s how we balance faith with works, love with rebuke, joy with grief.
Ah hah! I’m betting a lot of you wouldn’t dare honk him. Either you don’t really care, or it’s not your business, or he might have a gun and shoot you back. This is America, after all, home of the gun-owner. Well then, how about a friend? He’s driving in a manner you believe as dangerous, and you are all caravanning. Would you call your friend up and tell them, “Hey, you’re a maniac driver! Slow down!” Now, let’s replace the car with a relationship. So you see a friend in a relationship that you know is going to end up in a disaster. Again, will you tell your friend, “Hey, you’re dating a maniac! Slow down!”
If you’re like me, the answer would be no. I, for one, would hold my tongue and let the whole thing play out. Grab some popcorn, and just sit back, it’s better than Springer! Well, without all the cursing and throwing of chairs. Yeah, I know, that’s part of the fun! No, seriously, I wouldn’t tell the person because relationships are a sticky business. You don’t want to get in the middle of a rocky relationship. There’s a Chinese proverb about that as well. I’m sure there’s a Biblical verse as well, but it’s probably not as catchy as the Chinese one. “Don’t be in the middle, Don’t be a bondsman, and don’t be a matchmaker, or you’ll be cursed for 3 generations.” Hrm… well, it’s more catchy in Chinese… it rhymes and everything. The first “Don’t” is the one I’m talking about right now. Don’t get in the middle of a fight between two friends, where one will tell you her problems, and then the next night, he will tell you his problems, and they look to you to solve their relationship issues. (BTW, my typical solution is to just get them together in a nice fancy restaurant, the kind with the bad lighting and where chefs like to dress up the food in weird nature scenes and then ask them to lean toward each other and then bonk their heads together. Believe me, it works. They get so mad at you, that they end up siding with each other.)
The other excuse I’ve heard, but I have yet to use, is that it’s God’s Will. Meaning, that this relationship is God’s will, so who am I to challenge God’s Will? The problem with that is you are assuming you know what is God’s will. A tall assumption, to be sure. How do you know that this relationship is, in fact God’s will? You don’t. Just like, how do you know it’s not God’s will that you break up the relationship? Granted, ultimately everything is under God’s control, and all things happen according to his design. It might be a comfort to know that everything is not in your hands, but in God’s hands. But, we can’t stray too far in the extreme. Knowing that all works out according to God’s will doesn’t absolve you from your inactions. This isn’t a case where we just sit back, and do nothing and enjoy the beautiful albeit temporary view.
It’s a tough thing to marry faith with action. As Jesus said, “Faith of a mustard seed will move a mountain.” Likewise, it’s the same Jesus that said, “Go out and make disciples of all men.” You can have faith as big as a mountain that your friends and family will be saved, but that’s only half the battle. You also need to do something about it. As James said, “Faith without works is dead.” The Bible isn’t making this easy for us, nor should it. If this thing called Christianity was easy, we’d all be assured a place in heaven, and we wouldn’t need faith. This is why every Christian is unique, and most likely why God loves each and every one of us. It’s how we balance faith with works, love with rebuke, joy with grief.
Robo Cockroaches
Do you remember that X-Files episode where cockroaches were killing people? And of course, being an X-Files episode, Mulder finds out that aliens are sending cockroach robots to earth. The only reason I remember it was because there was this hot scientist named Bambi. I want to meet a hot scientist named Bambi... Oh, anyway, it looks like this episode wasn't too far off the mark. Here are some robotic cockroaches doing some interesting things. Now if only they create a terminator cockroach that goes around killing roaches while saying corny lines like "Ah'll be bahk!"
Video: American Jedi
I've been debating whether to show this video or not, but it's very funny and well-made. For the most part it's about as bad as any typical preview right now. There is some sexual humor and unfortunately there is one bad word at the end of the preview. Well you can decide for yourselves, you're mature Christians ;) If you're still interested, watch it here.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
The Challenge (Pt 2)
I haven’t even talked about my other parent at all either, Christian fundamentalism. But I think I’ll save it for later. I will say this, I find that in most cases, they are against each other, just like real quarrelling parents! I actually want to talk about something a little more personal, more relevant to you as a reader. It’s nice to sometimes talk about philosophy and political ramifications of the word “God”, but I find it more interesting when the subject is a little closer to the vest. My greatest flaw is a result of my greatest fear (OK, that was probably over-dramatic, and actually, not the truth. My biggest fear is spiders. Ugh, beastly things with those 30 eyes and stuff. Anyway, it's not as cool to say my fourth greatest fear, so this is all artistic license! My mission: to rip up every license I have!). My fear? Being called a hypocrite. And my flaw? I’m too laid back. Much as I hate using French, nevertheless this word best describes me, I’m too laissez-faire. (*Pardon my French*) (Why is it that all the hard-to-describe words in English can best be described often in one-word by other languages? Just take a look at zee Germans. They have hundreds of good words like Schadenfreude and Zeitgeist.) And I realize this is not a good thing. And I’m not defending myself or placing the blame on my cultural background. This is something I need to work on, but it’s hard after living and believing it for so long as I have.
What is the impetus for this self-realization? Well, I’m glad you asked that. Otherwise, this would have been a very short article but luckily it’s not (Hey! I can hear your groans, back there!), During one fellowship study, we were talking about the mission-work and the need for everyone to hear the Gospel. The Bible Study leader at the time, had one interesting question. “What do you think happens to people who never hear the Gospel and die?” I like how it’s worded as “you think” because that implies there’s no wrong answer, everyone has an equally valid point (there’s that word again… Equality!). But, there is a right and a wrong answer. Naturally, mine is right, and every other differing one is wrong :P Ok, I’m not that Biblically-knowledgeable to make such a bold statement, I’m kidding! But, not completely kidding, there are wrong answers, but as to the right answer, I don’t know. Only God knows and contrary to popular belief, I ain’t Him.
Whenever I come to a dilemma such as this, I always like to consider the Catholic belief (so I know to believe in the opposite. Ha ha, I kid again! Please don’t spam me!). What do they say? Well, they believe in 3 areas in the afterlife. There is Heaven and Hell (same as most fundamentalists) and then there’s a third “gray area” called Purgatory. It’s kinda like an eternal waiting room at the Doctor’s office (which incidentally is what it feels like in Real Life!) It’s a place for people to “work off” their sins. Usually it’s the place where people who’ve never heard of Jesus, or who have died before Jesus was born end up. Taken to the extreme, Catholics further believe that indulgences, paid for, naturally, by the living relatives, can expedite the process into Heaven, much like our own Presidential Elections. (Ha ha, does my wit know no bounds?!)
I’m sorry to say it, but this is wrong. Why? Because of what Paul said. “Faith Alone”. “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Rom 4:4-5). What this means is indulgences don’t work, there is no waiting room for people to “work off their sins”. God’s Grace is sufficient for salvation, and Man’s Faith in Him is credited towards that. (see also Eph 2:8-10, Gal 2:16)
And others in my sharing group put forth their opinions and views of what happens to the unsaved. It’s interesting to see them try to work in “fairness and justice” with Bible verses that plainly don’t seem like very just words. But this too is not the point of my article (I know, you guys are probably shouting at the monitor, “So what is your stupid point?” You should yell a little louder, I didn’t quite catch that) The point of it was, in my heart of hearts, I knew that what they were saying was wrong. Even the person who believed in purgatory. And do you know what I did? Absolutely nothing. I just nodded and said, “That’s a very interesting opinion. Try not to share it with others” Ok, I didn’t say the italicized part, but I was thinking it!
By not saying anything, I sinned. I’m like Peter Parker who lets the thief run out with the money in Spiderman The Movie. Through my inaction, I caused others to think the wrong belief. That doing good works will save them. It’s a wrong teaching that should be nipped in the bud. And Paul preaches out against it as well. When we see false teaching or arguments that go against the Bible, it is our duty to say something, to rebuke it. If the early church let everything slide, let Gnosticism in, we would have a vastly different religion today, one that would be totally different than what Jesus had intended. So, when you see or hear someone say some wrong Christian idea, rebuke them! Go up to them and say, “I rebuke you!” and then take out your glove and slap their face. Why? Because not only is it fun to see their expression, but also it is our Duty.
What is the impetus for this self-realization? Well, I’m glad you asked that. Otherwise, this would have been a very short article but luckily it’s not (Hey! I can hear your groans, back there!), During one fellowship study, we were talking about the mission-work and the need for everyone to hear the Gospel. The Bible Study leader at the time, had one interesting question. “What do you think happens to people who never hear the Gospel and die?” I like how it’s worded as “you think” because that implies there’s no wrong answer, everyone has an equally valid point (there’s that word again… Equality!). But, there is a right and a wrong answer. Naturally, mine is right, and every other differing one is wrong :P Ok, I’m not that Biblically-knowledgeable to make such a bold statement, I’m kidding! But, not completely kidding, there are wrong answers, but as to the right answer, I don’t know. Only God knows and contrary to popular belief, I ain’t Him.
Whenever I come to a dilemma such as this, I always like to consider the Catholic belief (so I know to believe in the opposite. Ha ha, I kid again! Please don’t spam me!). What do they say? Well, they believe in 3 areas in the afterlife. There is Heaven and Hell (same as most fundamentalists) and then there’s a third “gray area” called Purgatory. It’s kinda like an eternal waiting room at the Doctor’s office (which incidentally is what it feels like in Real Life!) It’s a place for people to “work off” their sins. Usually it’s the place where people who’ve never heard of Jesus, or who have died before Jesus was born end up. Taken to the extreme, Catholics further believe that indulgences, paid for, naturally, by the living relatives, can expedite the process into Heaven, much like our own Presidential Elections. (Ha ha, does my wit know no bounds?!)
I’m sorry to say it, but this is wrong. Why? Because of what Paul said. “Faith Alone”. “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Rom 4:4-5). What this means is indulgences don’t work, there is no waiting room for people to “work off their sins”. God’s Grace is sufficient for salvation, and Man’s Faith in Him is credited towards that. (see also Eph 2:8-10, Gal 2:16)
And others in my sharing group put forth their opinions and views of what happens to the unsaved. It’s interesting to see them try to work in “fairness and justice” with Bible verses that plainly don’t seem like very just words. But this too is not the point of my article (I know, you guys are probably shouting at the monitor, “So what is your stupid point?” You should yell a little louder, I didn’t quite catch that) The point of it was, in my heart of hearts, I knew that what they were saying was wrong. Even the person who believed in purgatory. And do you know what I did? Absolutely nothing. I just nodded and said, “That’s a very interesting opinion. Try not to share it with others” Ok, I didn’t say the italicized part, but I was thinking it!
By not saying anything, I sinned. I’m like Peter Parker who lets the thief run out with the money in Spiderman The Movie. Through my inaction, I caused others to think the wrong belief. That doing good works will save them. It’s a wrong teaching that should be nipped in the bud. And Paul preaches out against it as well. When we see false teaching or arguments that go against the Bible, it is our duty to say something, to rebuke it. If the early church let everything slide, let Gnosticism in, we would have a vastly different religion today, one that would be totally different than what Jesus had intended. So, when you see or hear someone say some wrong Christian idea, rebuke them! Go up to them and say, “I rebuke you!” and then take out your glove and slap their face. Why? Because not only is it fun to see their expression, but also it is our Duty.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Poem: A Puzzle
This wasn't the poem I wanted to display, but I'm reserving it for another purpose. (Plus I haven't quite finished it). Anyway, this is how I feel when I start writing a poem.
A poem is a puzzle where
the poet makes up the rules,
the pieces are the words,
and the final picture the theme.
And like the start of any puzzle, all the words are dropped
onto the page, a confusion of tiles that don't make sense.
And once the poet defines the rules of play,
the game begins as the pieces are separated and grouped.
Slowly words form sentences and
as the pile dwindles down,
the game speeds up
as the choices become fewer until at last
the theme finally emerges.
But there's always that one final word
that refuses to cooperate,
no matter how you try to rotate,
flip, spin, reverse or invert it,
the round flange doesn't match the pit
until in a pique of frustration
you slam the word in until it fits.
A Puzzle
A poem is a puzzle where
the poet makes up the rules,
the pieces are the words,
and the final picture the theme.
And like the start of any puzzle, all the words are dropped
onto the page, a confusion of tiles that don't make sense.
And once the poet defines the rules of play,
the game begins as the pieces are separated and grouped.
Slowly words form sentences and
as the pile dwindles down,
the game speeds up
as the choices become fewer until at last
the theme finally emerges.
But there's always that one final word
that refuses to cooperate,
no matter how you try to rotate,
flip, spin, reverse or invert it,
the round flange doesn't match the pit
until in a pique of frustration
you slam the word in until it fits.
Monday, June 12, 2006
The Challenge (Pt 1)
Like any person alive (and even some of the dead!), I have many flaws and fears. As a mixed child of post-modernism and Christian fundamentalism, I’m caught between two cultures. A part of me has grown up to be accepting of all people, regardless of race and gender. Since grammar school, I’ve been required to read World, American and State histories and the brutality mankind has inflicted on its brethren, all in the name of religion, social status, or culture. I was forced to study slavery throughout the annals of Time, from the days of Egypt and the Israelite slavery to the decimation of native tribes of the New World, to the unjust slavery of Africans during American Expansion. For my eighth grade field trip, we went to the East Coast, the cradle of American civilization, and experienced the wild frontier of Jamestown and the exploitation of the American Indian, as well as the cruelty of the African Americans and the rise of the Civil War. And the underlying theme of the American educational system was that every person is equal. That all these cruel acts (Slavery, Holocaust, Genocide) are caused by fear of differences.
America in particular has been at the fore-front of Post-modernism, ironically because of its Puritanical heritage (ironic because Postmodernism is often seen as anti-Christian, but of course you knew that!). As a country founded on the escape from religious persecution, as a people, we cringe at the thought of state-controlled religion, and the possible governmental annihilation of other forms of belief. Likewise, again taken from the Quaker faith, we believe that rewards come to those who work hard. We admire the people who came out of poverty and against all odds “make it” in the world. We read (auto)biographies of the little man, who started with nothing but the clothes on his back and the will to succeed, and has now built an empire. We applaud those who have filed for bankruptcy, only to succeed in building a vast fortune within 10 years and have a hit show on NBC, with a marketable catchphrase. As a nation we consume books and pay large amounts of money to attend seminars that show how you too can become a millionaire, just like Joe Blow! (Hint: charge people hundreds of dollars to attend a seminar with pretty powerpoints) As a nation, money is the new God, and equality is law.
The flip side, my other parent, if you will, is my Christian belief, more accurately, my Chinese Christian belief. Like it or not, it is a Christian faith based on the Bible, but viewed through the glasses of China, and the thousand years of tradition that has been inbred into my parents, and me as well. I’m not saying that this is a mixture of Confucio-Judeo-Christianity or Zen-Catholicism here. It’s not that extreme. But it is in the subtle nuances of the Christianity, the emphasis on certain aspects of Christianity which coincide or reinforce the Chinese culture. One example is the sense of duty. Just like the Bible, Chinese have a strong sense of familial duty. “Honor thy father and mother” has taken a higher priority in the mindset of a Chinese Christian as opposed to an American Christian. Another is the work-ethic, which is even more extreme than even the American work-ethic. Chinese work hard because it’s about honor and saving face. A slothful son or daughter is a disgrace to the family name. As a result, the Bible verses dealing with duty, mission, and works of faith are often bandied about. As my aunt is fond of saying, “If you love God you will serve Him.”
However, this week, I’m not going to talk about this. I’m just using this as an example of how culture affects our faith. One other aspect of the Chinese culture is the sense of compliance. We should not swim against the current. Don’t rock the boat. These, admittedly American sayings, nevertheless apply aptly to the Chinese as well. And Christians have added the Bible and applied some of its verses to support this way of thinking. “It is God’s will.” “Vengeance is reserved for the Lord”. “We will get our reward in heaven”. These are all verses that reinforce the thinking that we should be passive, perhaps even passive-aggressive in our daily lives. When we see someone do something wrong, we let it go. “It’s God’s will that my cousin is dating/marrying/divorcing that non-believer”, we reason to ourselves. (Ok, that might be a little extreme, because the Bible does talk about uneven yoke, but this is a hyperbole, so just go with it.) Or if the preacher makes a mistake in interpreting the Bible, how many of you are willing to call him on it? I know I’ve been guilty of challenging the preacher. After all, he’s on the pulpit, and I’m sitting here in the crowd. Who am I to challenge him?
America in particular has been at the fore-front of Post-modernism, ironically because of its Puritanical heritage (ironic because Postmodernism is often seen as anti-Christian, but of course you knew that!). As a country founded on the escape from religious persecution, as a people, we cringe at the thought of state-controlled religion, and the possible governmental annihilation of other forms of belief. Likewise, again taken from the Quaker faith, we believe that rewards come to those who work hard. We admire the people who came out of poverty and against all odds “make it” in the world. We read (auto)biographies of the little man, who started with nothing but the clothes on his back and the will to succeed, and has now built an empire. We applaud those who have filed for bankruptcy, only to succeed in building a vast fortune within 10 years and have a hit show on NBC, with a marketable catchphrase. As a nation we consume books and pay large amounts of money to attend seminars that show how you too can become a millionaire, just like Joe Blow! (Hint: charge people hundreds of dollars to attend a seminar with pretty powerpoints) As a nation, money is the new God, and equality is law.
The flip side, my other parent, if you will, is my Christian belief, more accurately, my Chinese Christian belief. Like it or not, it is a Christian faith based on the Bible, but viewed through the glasses of China, and the thousand years of tradition that has been inbred into my parents, and me as well. I’m not saying that this is a mixture of Confucio-Judeo-Christianity or Zen-Catholicism here. It’s not that extreme. But it is in the subtle nuances of the Christianity, the emphasis on certain aspects of Christianity which coincide or reinforce the Chinese culture. One example is the sense of duty. Just like the Bible, Chinese have a strong sense of familial duty. “Honor thy father and mother” has taken a higher priority in the mindset of a Chinese Christian as opposed to an American Christian. Another is the work-ethic, which is even more extreme than even the American work-ethic. Chinese work hard because it’s about honor and saving face. A slothful son or daughter is a disgrace to the family name. As a result, the Bible verses dealing with duty, mission, and works of faith are often bandied about. As my aunt is fond of saying, “If you love God you will serve Him.”
However, this week, I’m not going to talk about this. I’m just using this as an example of how culture affects our faith. One other aspect of the Chinese culture is the sense of compliance. We should not swim against the current. Don’t rock the boat. These, admittedly American sayings, nevertheless apply aptly to the Chinese as well. And Christians have added the Bible and applied some of its verses to support this way of thinking. “It is God’s will.” “Vengeance is reserved for the Lord”. “We will get our reward in heaven”. These are all verses that reinforce the thinking that we should be passive, perhaps even passive-aggressive in our daily lives. When we see someone do something wrong, we let it go. “It’s God’s will that my cousin is dating/marrying/divorcing that non-believer”, we reason to ourselves. (Ok, that might be a little extreme, because the Bible does talk about uneven yoke, but this is a hyperbole, so just go with it.) Or if the preacher makes a mistake in interpreting the Bible, how many of you are willing to call him on it? I know I’ve been guilty of challenging the preacher. After all, he’s on the pulpit, and I’m sitting here in the crowd. Who am I to challenge him?
Photographic memory: Urban Myth?
Here's an interesting article that claims that photographic memory doesn't exist. What do you think? According to TV, at least, it's a minimum requirement to be a CIA agent.
Survey: Disgusting
Here's an online psychology experiment dealing with sensitivity to disgust. You look at a bunch of pictures and rate how disgusting it is. Warning: Don't do what I did and eat something while taking the survey.
Friday, June 09, 2006
How Bill works
A interesting article about how Bill works. And if you're wondering who's Bill, then most likely this article won't interest you. For the rest out there, it's actually written by Bill, and sure, he promotes a lot of his own company product, but it's fascinating look at how to be productive and efficient.
Game: dragondash
Happy Friday! It's about time this week's over :P
This is a pretty simple game, see how far your dragon can go in 60 seconds. You only have one button to use, a spacebar. Pick up the colored balls to increase speed but don't hit the colorless ones, they will slow you down. Also don't bump into the walls, that slows you down as well.
This is a pretty simple game, see how far your dragon can go in 60 seconds. You only have one button to use, a spacebar. Pick up the colored balls to increase speed but don't hit the colorless ones, they will slow you down. Also don't bump into the walls, that slows you down as well.
PackTrack
Now, this is useful and convenient. You can track multiple shipments from just one website!
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Don't fight the power!
Boy, writer’s block already. Just for the record, I’m writing this up at 9:38pm. But the site is down for database maintenance, so I can’t add anything till tomorrow. Just to let you know, that this isn’t my fault. *Update* Woohoo! I tried logging in again, and now the post is up at 11:15p! Still 45 minutes to spare!
Now what to talk about. I could always be lazy and just do some best-of article. Problem is I don’t have any best-of caliber writing. I suppose I could just randomly copy and paste some passages and slap on a best-of, but I’m pretty sure that’s going to fool no one. Ya’ll too smart for that. Not to mention, I’m telling you my plans so that’s out the window… Hrm…
You can’t tell, but I’ve been staring at this blank sheet in front of me, trying in vain to think up something to write that would only take up one day’s worth of stuff. I have lots of ideas to write, but those are all 2-or-4-parters, and I only need to fill Thursday’s quota. I suppose I could post half of the 2-parter, but like Monk, I like some order. Things have to end on Thurs. It’s like a rule. I know, I’ll try something new… I’m going to look at the Bible for inspiration! Nobody’s done that before! Hold on, while I catch up on my Bible Study. You can discuss amongst yourselves whether Faith No More is considered a “One Hit Wonder”.
Ok, I’m back. Let’s see… I just finished studying 1 Peter. I like it. He’s not my favorite Biblical figure (that’s reserved for David), but I like his style of writing. Sure he’s not as prolific as Paul, but his ideas are easier to understand than the latter apostle. One of his commandments, I’m sure is a stickler for many Christians. Submit yourself to the government. A lot of people don’t do that. They try to change or flat out disobey their rulers. I think Peter was like that initially. I’m sure He saw Jesus initially as the Messiah, the Warrior King who would overthrow the Roman government. Of course, as we all know, Jesus didn’t do that. In fact, he obeyed Roman law and even went so far as to pay the temple tax as well! I have to believe that when the disciples saw that, they either got on Jesus’ bandwagon or left him. I mean, what kind of revolutionary tells his people, “Let’s overthrow the government! But first, don’t forget to pay your taxes! Oh and if you own a house, you can get a mortgage tax writeoff. Remember that, you can get major refund back” Some disciples left Jesus when He wasn’t who they thought he’d be, others plotted against him, while others, like Peter, stood by Jesus’ side, and even began to see things from his Master’s point of view.
Therefore, it’s a much older and wiser Peter who writes, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” (1Pe 2:13-14) It’s hard to do that when you feel that the government is clearly wrong. Yeah, I’m looking at you China and any Muslim country! How can as God-fearing Christians obey a country that actively encourages people to kill/ imprison Christians? Well, Peter answers that. Again, taking a page from Jesus’ book, if you suffer for your religion unjustly, God will see it and love you for it. In fact, it is all God’s will. He wants you to suffer, because quite frankly He suffered as well. Don’t you want to follow someone who leads by example? And if your all-powerful leader is willing to undergo torture for his beliefs, who are you to shirk away from your faith?
Of course, it’s easy to say this, it’s another thing to do it. I’ve been blessed in the fact that I’m here in America, where religion is free. All I can do is admire those who are willing to die for God, because quite frankly I’m not sure if I can do that. I am perfectly willing to support people from afar, kinda like those Roman spectators that shouts to the Christians being eaten by lions, “I’m soo with you guys! Go Christians!” However, whatever the government decides, whether it’s legalizing gay marriage or banning school prayer, I will follow Jesus and Peter’s example. And I pray, and dear readers I hope you pray for me as well, that should the time come, when someone points a gun at me and asks me calmly, whether I believe in God, I can say confidently, “Yes I believe in God” while I do a kung-fu kick and knock the gun out of the guy’s hand. Hiiiyah!
Now what to talk about. I could always be lazy and just do some best-of article. Problem is I don’t have any best-of caliber writing. I suppose I could just randomly copy and paste some passages and slap on a best-of, but I’m pretty sure that’s going to fool no one. Ya’ll too smart for that. Not to mention, I’m telling you my plans so that’s out the window… Hrm…
You can’t tell, but I’ve been staring at this blank sheet in front of me, trying in vain to think up something to write that would only take up one day’s worth of stuff. I have lots of ideas to write, but those are all 2-or-4-parters, and I only need to fill Thursday’s quota. I suppose I could post half of the 2-parter, but like Monk, I like some order. Things have to end on Thurs. It’s like a rule. I know, I’ll try something new… I’m going to look at the Bible for inspiration! Nobody’s done that before! Hold on, while I catch up on my Bible Study. You can discuss amongst yourselves whether Faith No More is considered a “One Hit Wonder”.
Ok, I’m back. Let’s see… I just finished studying 1 Peter. I like it. He’s not my favorite Biblical figure (that’s reserved for David), but I like his style of writing. Sure he’s not as prolific as Paul, but his ideas are easier to understand than the latter apostle. One of his commandments, I’m sure is a stickler for many Christians. Submit yourself to the government. A lot of people don’t do that. They try to change or flat out disobey their rulers. I think Peter was like that initially. I’m sure He saw Jesus initially as the Messiah, the Warrior King who would overthrow the Roman government. Of course, as we all know, Jesus didn’t do that. In fact, he obeyed Roman law and even went so far as to pay the temple tax as well! I have to believe that when the disciples saw that, they either got on Jesus’ bandwagon or left him. I mean, what kind of revolutionary tells his people, “Let’s overthrow the government! But first, don’t forget to pay your taxes! Oh and if you own a house, you can get a mortgage tax writeoff. Remember that, you can get major refund back” Some disciples left Jesus when He wasn’t who they thought he’d be, others plotted against him, while others, like Peter, stood by Jesus’ side, and even began to see things from his Master’s point of view.
Therefore, it’s a much older and wiser Peter who writes, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” (1Pe 2:13-14) It’s hard to do that when you feel that the government is clearly wrong. Yeah, I’m looking at you China and any Muslim country! How can as God-fearing Christians obey a country that actively encourages people to kill/ imprison Christians? Well, Peter answers that. Again, taking a page from Jesus’ book, if you suffer for your religion unjustly, God will see it and love you for it. In fact, it is all God’s will. He wants you to suffer, because quite frankly He suffered as well. Don’t you want to follow someone who leads by example? And if your all-powerful leader is willing to undergo torture for his beliefs, who are you to shirk away from your faith?
Of course, it’s easy to say this, it’s another thing to do it. I’ve been blessed in the fact that I’m here in America, where religion is free. All I can do is admire those who are willing to die for God, because quite frankly I’m not sure if I can do that. I am perfectly willing to support people from afar, kinda like those Roman spectators that shouts to the Christians being eaten by lions, “I’m soo with you guys! Go Christians!” However, whatever the government decides, whether it’s legalizing gay marriage or banning school prayer, I will follow Jesus and Peter’s example. And I pray, and dear readers I hope you pray for me as well, that should the time come, when someone points a gun at me and asks me calmly, whether I believe in God, I can say confidently, “Yes I believe in God” while I do a kung-fu kick and knock the gun out of the guy’s hand. Hiiiyah!
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Wednesday
Next week, I'll have a new poem for you, so umm...stay tuned till then.
Here's a joke I liked. Enjoy.
The new Sunday school teacher finished the day's lesson and asked for questions. Little Johnny raised his hand. "Mr. Smith, according to the Bible, the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, right?" "Right." "And the Children of Israel beat up the Philistines, right?" "Yes." "And the Children of Israel built the Temple, right?" "Correct." "And the Children of Israel fought the Egyptians and the Romans, right?" "Yes," agreed Mr. Smith. "So what's your question, Johnny?" "What I wanna know is: what were all the grown-ups doing?"
Here's a joke I liked. Enjoy.
The new Sunday school teacher finished the day's lesson and asked for questions. Little Johnny raised his hand. "Mr. Smith, according to the Bible, the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, right?" "Right." "And the Children of Israel beat up the Philistines, right?" "Yes." "And the Children of Israel built the Temple, right?" "Correct." "And the Children of Israel fought the Egyptians and the Romans, right?" "Yes," agreed Mr. Smith. "So what's your question, Johnny?" "What I wanna know is: what were all the grown-ups doing?"
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Catholics, the Other Christian
Let me preface this right out by saying, that I’m a Protestant Christian. I’m afraid I can’t be any more specific. Not because I want it to remain personal, but because the Church I go to is non-denominational. Whenever I ask my family what denomination we belong to, they usually reply, “We believe in the Word of God, and nothing else!” Ok, that sounds good as a sound bite, but it doesn’t really answer my question.
However, one thing I definitely knew was that we weren’t Catholics. Having never experienced it first hand, I was always taught that Catholics… weren’t really Christians. Sure they believe in God, but everything was so soulless, so ritual. I was taught that they believed in a form of idolatry because they prayed to other people other than God. That most of the people who go are Christians in name only, not deeds. They were corrupt, worldly, and they make the pope more than what he is, a man. As a result, I never considered them Christians, putting them more akin to the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Then I went to a Catholic High School. And the world of religion opened up to me. Coming from a family church, I never really thought about the philosophy or psychology behind the Christian religion. I was always taught to just read the Bible and accept it at face value. But I really learned a lot about the human work of the Bible. I learned about the synods where the early Christians discussed what to include in the Bible, the subject of Trinity, and the existence of the Holy Spirit. All these things I just took for granted, and it always seemed self-evident to me. After all, the Bible clearly talks about it. But then, we have an advantage that early Christians didn’t… the Bible.
It’s true what people say. “You can never know a person until you walk a mile in his shoes.” Now I appreciate what the Catholic faith tried to do and how hard it was for them to really define the tenets of the Christian faith. Sure, they have rituals but they still share the same core beliefs as Protestants. And it is these core beliefs that separate Christianity from all other world religions, even its predecessor, Judaism. And when you look at the entire history of Christianity, you begin to appreciate the Catholic rituals. I mean, right now, Catholic priests are performing the exact same ritual that they did over a thousand, even 2 thousand years ago. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Have you ever played phone charades? Messages get garbled within 5 minutes of the original message. Imagine propagating that message, unchanged over thousands of years! The only way the Church could do this was to follow the explicit written instructions of the rites. The downside, everything is formulaic. Well, I guess it all comes down to what you want, something freeflowing, with the high potential of having something missing or something accurate with the high potential of being soulless. It’s a tough dilemma.
After my experience with high school, I have a newfound respect for Catholics. Some of the stuff they do, I still disagree with, but I still ultimately lump them with the rest of us Christians, you know, the people who are going to heaven. =P It’s a joke! Anyway, Catholics have a lot of different questions than Protestants, and hopefully I will have a chance to bring some of those issues to you guys, provided I haven’t bored you away.
However, one thing I definitely knew was that we weren’t Catholics. Having never experienced it first hand, I was always taught that Catholics… weren’t really Christians. Sure they believe in God, but everything was so soulless, so ritual. I was taught that they believed in a form of idolatry because they prayed to other people other than God. That most of the people who go are Christians in name only, not deeds. They were corrupt, worldly, and they make the pope more than what he is, a man. As a result, I never considered them Christians, putting them more akin to the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Then I went to a Catholic High School. And the world of religion opened up to me. Coming from a family church, I never really thought about the philosophy or psychology behind the Christian religion. I was always taught to just read the Bible and accept it at face value. But I really learned a lot about the human work of the Bible. I learned about the synods where the early Christians discussed what to include in the Bible, the subject of Trinity, and the existence of the Holy Spirit. All these things I just took for granted, and it always seemed self-evident to me. After all, the Bible clearly talks about it. But then, we have an advantage that early Christians didn’t… the Bible.
It’s true what people say. “You can never know a person until you walk a mile in his shoes.” Now I appreciate what the Catholic faith tried to do and how hard it was for them to really define the tenets of the Christian faith. Sure, they have rituals but they still share the same core beliefs as Protestants. And it is these core beliefs that separate Christianity from all other world religions, even its predecessor, Judaism. And when you look at the entire history of Christianity, you begin to appreciate the Catholic rituals. I mean, right now, Catholic priests are performing the exact same ritual that they did over a thousand, even 2 thousand years ago. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Have you ever played phone charades? Messages get garbled within 5 minutes of the original message. Imagine propagating that message, unchanged over thousands of years! The only way the Church could do this was to follow the explicit written instructions of the rites. The downside, everything is formulaic. Well, I guess it all comes down to what you want, something freeflowing, with the high potential of having something missing or something accurate with the high potential of being soulless. It’s a tough dilemma.
After my experience with high school, I have a newfound respect for Catholics. Some of the stuff they do, I still disagree with, but I still ultimately lump them with the rest of us Christians, you know, the people who are going to heaven. =P It’s a joke! Anyway, Catholics have a lot of different questions than Protestants, and hopefully I will have a chance to bring some of those issues to you guys, provided I haven’t bored you away.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Citicorp Building problem
Happy Monday! Boy, I'm still recovering from a camping retreat I did over the weekend. It was very fun and spiritually refreshing. I'm ready to tackle the rest of this year! But, let's work on today first. ;)
An article about the Citicorp building in New York City which might surprise you. Actually, after reading it, I realize that the CBS show, "Numbers" had an episode just like this. Perhaps the writers read the same article? :)
An article about the Citicorp building in New York City which might surprise you. Actually, after reading it, I realize that the CBS show, "Numbers" had an episode just like this. Perhaps the writers read the same article? :)
Lucas in Love
Very popular about 4 years ago, it was even being sold as a DVD on Amazon. Anyway, here's the ultimate Star Wars Spoof: "Lucas in Love". For those who don't know, it's parodying the movie, "Shakespeare in love".
Friday, June 02, 2006
Greatest Magician ever!
He is a master of moving things with his mind! Seriously, he's got better stage presence than David Copperfield! And way better powers than Blaine. Check out the incredible video.
Game: Tomb of Doom
Sorry for the rapid-fire postings, but I'm going camping soon and I won't have time the rest of the day.
Simple adventure game. It's not too difficult, but it does require a little bit of puzzle solving.
Simple adventure game. It's not too difficult, but it does require a little bit of puzzle solving.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Character (Pt 2)
Why is it that people always think the worst of everyone? When someone offers their help to you, do you immediately wonder what’s in it for them? Is it possible to really be selfless? It must be very depressing to go through life and think everyone is doing good things for the purpose of hiding their evil intentions. Or that if you stick with someone around long enough, eventually they’ll drop their guard and show their evil side. I’ve done this before. As soon as someone makes a mistake, I immediately judge them. That this is their ‘true’ character, whatever that is.
Let me tell you a story about something that happened to me a LONG time ago in a galaxy far far away. This happened when I was a kid. I was so immature back then. So I was asked to lead this project. And the teacher who assigned it to me assured me that I would get all the help I’d need from her. Heartened by her words of support, I undertook the task with great pesto. Or is that gusto? I dunno, some kind of Italian sauce. Anyway, after a little time, I was stuck so I sent her an email asking for help. Nothing. I didn’t hear from her for a couple weeks. Thinking that maybe she’s busy or she didn’t see my email, I sent her another one. Again, silence. Tumbleweeds were blowing down the empty street that is the internet. Totally disheartened, I started thinking bad things about her character. How she was a flake, and I couldn’t trust her words. After that, I saw her differently. Whenever I talked to her, or shook her hand, I kept thinking, “flake, flake, flake, flake”. You know, it’s kinda like Austin Powers in Goldmember, how he kept saying Mole to Fred Savage who had this huge mole on the side of his face. “moley moley mole”.
But I’ve matured since that incident oh so long ago (4 weeks ago, to be precise). I don’t judge people by one or two things they do or not do. Nope, I’m far more lenient as I’ve gotten older. Now, it’s three. Hey, if it’s good enough for baseball and the judicial system, it’s good enough for me right? Three strikes and you’re out! Actually, I’m kidding. I had a friend who lived by that code. You were allowed to screw up with him 3 times and that’s it. After that, you’re not invited to his wedding. He’s still single as far as I know, and I can imagine that when his wedding comes, his bride’s side will be filled with people, and he’d probably have like one person on his side. I’m not friends with him now. I struck out a long time ago with him.
So what’s the point of this? It’s all about forgiveness, and a component of forgiveness is forgetfulness. As the Great One (no, not Shaq, although he’s close) said, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”. (Matt 18:21) Does that mean you have to forgive someone up to 77 times, but on the 78th time, that’s it! No more Mr. Nice Guy! I don’t think so. 7 is a special number in the Bible. It’s a symbol of completeness, much like God rested on the 7th day because the Earth was complete. So Jesus is telling us we need to forgive someone completely. That means no holding it against them either. So if someone borrows 20 bucks from you, and never gives it back to you and then later on hits you or something, you can’t be bringing up the past. “ Remember when I loaned you 70 bucks and you never gave it back? Now you hit me, so that’s it! I’m hitting you back!” That doesn’t fly well with Jesus. Women, remember this as well when your husband does something stupid (which has scientifically proven to happen exactly once every 4.3 minutes). You can’t be bringing up issues long forgiven and most likely forgotten by your husband. Forgive and forget.
What should I have done with my teacher? I should have forgiven her, and forgot her offenses. She wasn’t a flake. She either doesn’t like email or just wants me to fail. And I definitely should not have told the whole school about it either, or made the announcement during my valedictorian speech at graduation. Although we can only judge someone based on their actions, we need to give people the benefit of the doubt. To go even further, not only you give them the benefit of the doubt, you need to forgive and forget them. Because can you imagine if God only allowed you to sin 77 times? Hell, I’d be condemned to hell not even 10 minutes after I wake up. I mean, don’t scientists say men think about sex once every 3.4 seconds?
Let me tell you a story about something that happened to me a LONG time ago in a galaxy far far away. This happened when I was a kid. I was so immature back then. So I was asked to lead this project. And the teacher who assigned it to me assured me that I would get all the help I’d need from her. Heartened by her words of support, I undertook the task with great pesto. Or is that gusto? I dunno, some kind of Italian sauce. Anyway, after a little time, I was stuck so I sent her an email asking for help. Nothing. I didn’t hear from her for a couple weeks. Thinking that maybe she’s busy or she didn’t see my email, I sent her another one. Again, silence. Tumbleweeds were blowing down the empty street that is the internet. Totally disheartened, I started thinking bad things about her character. How she was a flake, and I couldn’t trust her words. After that, I saw her differently. Whenever I talked to her, or shook her hand, I kept thinking, “flake, flake, flake, flake”. You know, it’s kinda like Austin Powers in Goldmember, how he kept saying Mole to Fred Savage who had this huge mole on the side of his face. “moley moley mole”.
But I’ve matured since that incident oh so long ago (4 weeks ago, to be precise). I don’t judge people by one or two things they do or not do. Nope, I’m far more lenient as I’ve gotten older. Now, it’s three. Hey, if it’s good enough for baseball and the judicial system, it’s good enough for me right? Three strikes and you’re out! Actually, I’m kidding. I had a friend who lived by that code. You were allowed to screw up with him 3 times and that’s it. After that, you’re not invited to his wedding. He’s still single as far as I know, and I can imagine that when his wedding comes, his bride’s side will be filled with people, and he’d probably have like one person on his side. I’m not friends with him now. I struck out a long time ago with him.
So what’s the point of this? It’s all about forgiveness, and a component of forgiveness is forgetfulness. As the Great One (no, not Shaq, although he’s close) said, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”. (Matt 18:21) Does that mean you have to forgive someone up to 77 times, but on the 78th time, that’s it! No more Mr. Nice Guy! I don’t think so. 7 is a special number in the Bible. It’s a symbol of completeness, much like God rested on the 7th day because the Earth was complete. So Jesus is telling us we need to forgive someone completely. That means no holding it against them either. So if someone borrows 20 bucks from you, and never gives it back to you and then later on hits you or something, you can’t be bringing up the past. “ Remember when I loaned you 70 bucks and you never gave it back? Now you hit me, so that’s it! I’m hitting you back!” That doesn’t fly well with Jesus. Women, remember this as well when your husband does something stupid (which has scientifically proven to happen exactly once every 4.3 minutes). You can’t be bringing up issues long forgiven and most likely forgotten by your husband. Forgive and forget.
What should I have done with my teacher? I should have forgiven her, and forgot her offenses. She wasn’t a flake. She either doesn’t like email or just wants me to fail. And I definitely should not have told the whole school about it either, or made the announcement during my valedictorian speech at graduation. Although we can only judge someone based on their actions, we need to give people the benefit of the doubt. To go even further, not only you give them the benefit of the doubt, you need to forgive and forget them. Because can you imagine if God only allowed you to sin 77 times? Hell, I’d be condemned to hell not even 10 minutes after I wake up. I mean, don’t scientists say men think about sex once every 3.4 seconds?
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