First They Came for the Chicken...

                The 1^st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees, among other things, the rights of free speech and religion.  The reason these are in the first group of amendments that can never be removed concerns both the circumstances surrounding the revolution and the underlying philosophy of the founding fathers.  The Declaration of Independence pointed out that there are certain rights people have simply because we are alive.  Jefferson called them “inalienable” rights given to us by “our Creator.”  While the right to worship, or not worship, as we please, and the right to speak our minds are not included in that document, they were the first to be included when a constitution was drafted.  Again, these first 10 amendments, called the Bill of Rights, can never be altered or removed.

                I have noticed from time to time that Americans are often confused about what these freedoms entail.  We all realize there are certain restrictions on both of these freedoms, restrictions the founding fathers would likely have heartily approved, had they considered some of the implications.  One classic exception is maliciously yelling, “Fire!” in a crowded theater.  Liable and slander are other restrictions on free speech.  Religions that result in harm or death to others are restricted.  More controversial, in my opinion, are the zoning restrictions placed on places of worship.  The point is these small restrictions were likely not matters the writers of these amendments were concerned with.  The historical context points to a government that had been repressing any religion not officially sanctioned by the current monarch.  The historical context included the suppressing of ideas contrary to the government regime.  There is no place in our legal documents where my right criticize other people’s actions is restricted.  There is no place where my right to support those being criticized is restricted.  In fact, those rights are guaranteed.  What is forbidden is the government’s restriction of people speaking their minds.

                This is why there is a great danger in some of the events of recent days in our country.  Freedoms are seldom removed from a people for fear of open rebellion.  Instead, they are eroded over time, like the formation of a great canyon beginning with a small stream.  People don’t get too upset about small changes, and may actually applaud the gradual disappearance of certain freedoms because they don’t directly affect them.  A well-known German theologian, Martin Niemöller, expressed it something like this, “First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.  Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.  Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”  As much as certain people and certain ideas irritate and offend me, I must stand up for the right of people to worship and to speak their minds.

                Currently, the CEO of the Chic-Fil-A company, Dan Cathy, is the target of some hateful activities.  He mentioned in an interview that he believes in traditional marriage and rejects the idea that marriage can be between two people of the same gender.  It is his right to hold and express this point of view.  This opinion has resulted in people making many hateful comments about him.  That’s their right.  Some people have decided they will never patronize any Chic-Fil-A franchises.  That’s their right.  Chicago alderman Choco “Joe” Moreno wants to deny Chic-Fil-A a building permit because of Mr. Cathy’s expressed opinion.  That is not his right.  Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston says he will keep the company out of his city.  That is not his right.  As long as the company does not discriminate against anyone in hiring or the public it serves, Mr. Cathy retains his right to free speech, religion, and business enterprise.  All Americans, even those who disagree with Mr. Cathy, should vehemently oppose any governmental punishments as a result of his exercise of his rights under the 1^st Amendment.  Otherwise, they may one day lament, “First they came for the Christians…”

Evil Is Not An Excuse

                The recent shooting in Aurora, Colorado is one of those events that sends a wave of shock throughout the country.  Like a the waves caused by dropping a rock in a placid pond, the worst disturbance is felt at the center, with the waves losing size and strength as they travel farther from the epicenter.  But it is one of those incidents that goes unnoticed by only the most recluse or self-centered people.  However, we are affected in different ways.  Some are jolted by the realization that they have been in that theater.  Or others consider that they were watching the same movie in a different theater, and it could just as well have been them.  Most just consider the horrible consequences; the hurt the survivors and families of victims are feeling, and perhaps the damage done to society in general.

                “Tragedy” is the word that immediately was employed to describe what happened.  I believe that is the wrong descriptive.  A flood that wipes out a village is a tragedy.  A hurricane that flattens an island is a tragedy.  A tornado that leaves scores homeless is a tragedy.  Mass murder is just plain evil.  People don’t like to use that word.  Maybe they don’t like to think about the implication that if there is such a thing as “evil”, there must be a standard called “good”.  It may also be that a tragedy puts more focus on the incident victims, while evil puts the attention on the perpetrator.  Or, it may be that people generally like to believe that humans are inherently good.  Being evil implies a choice to do unspeakable acts of horror.  Many would prefer to rationalize such behavior by calling it an illness visited upon a basically good person.

                The desire to place blame is a human trait we are all tempted to demonstrate, but which we mostly pretend to eschew.  The bodies hadn’t been removed from the theater before ABC pointed the finger at the Tea Party.  The inevitable attack on America’s lack of oppressive gun control took a couple of days to surface, though there was never any doubt it would be raised by the usual proponents.  It took a little longer to find possible emotional/psychological reasons for the assailant’s actions.  Those “reasons” will be eventually be presented as “excuses” by his attorneys. 

                We don’t want to call it “blaming” someone or something, but we all want to know why or how “something like this” could happen.  What we should be asking is why or how “someone” could do something like this.  The first question is passive in nature.  Something happened.  It’s nobody’s fault, it just happened.  The second question points the finger at a specific person.  But the masses have no acceptable answer for how an inherently good human being could perform such a hideous act of violence.  It is contrary to the theory of evolutionary development of humans.  We used to be barbaric, but somewhere along the line we became intrinsically good people.  I suppose some genetic mutation took place and now we are all expected to be altruistic, caring, non-violent citizens of the world.  So, when somebody commits a mass murder, the only possible reason is abnormality; the person must be unusual, probably mentally ill. 

                I have a different viewpoint.  We are born with a propensity for evil.  Only by the grace of God are we able to overcome that desire to do what’s wrong.  I’ve never heard of a baby whose first words included, “Yes, Mommy.”  I have personally witnessed babies whose first words included emphatic noes.  I’ve noticed even those who believe in the basic goodness of humanity want more laws restricting people’s ability to do evil. It seems obvious to this observer that we need to learn to do good.  Unfortunately, we seem to have a dwindling resource of people who even understand what constitutes good.  How can they teach others to do good?

                This is more than a philosophical position.  I am taking a theological stance.  Humans were created perfectly, then chose to do wrong.  It’s that pesky freewill combined with our sinful nature that keeps causing us problems.  We have a desire to do what’s right, but an urge to do what’s wrong.  There are those who want to blame God for all the evil in the world, or maybe the devil, but I don’t believe we need to look much further than our own hearts and minds.  Certainly there are those who truly have mental illnesses, chemical imbalances, or other abnormalities that make them unable to be held responsible for their actions, but they constitute a very small percentage of the world’s population, and should not be used as a smoke screen for those who willingly, knowing what is right, choose to do what is wrong.  As a rule we are people who should be held accountable for our own decisions.  We need to view the actions of a mass murderer as decisions made by that individual and stop looking for others to blame.  Evil is not an excuse, it's a reason.

Lake Tahoe Reflections

                South Lake Tahoe.  Camp Richardson camp/RV grounds.  We pulled in on July 5^th.  The July 4^th crowd was here for the week.  The highway from the “Y” to the campground was bumper-to-bumper.  The campground was packed.  We nestled our 5^th wheel into site 69, and found it to be a pleasant temporary home, in spite of all the others around us.  I actually enjoy watching the kids ride their bikes around, the sound of laughter around a campfire and exchanging pleasantries with the neighbors.  I got a kick out of watching a couple of 12-year-old boys trying to trap a ground squirrel.  They finally managed to get one, but had to let it go after they showed it off to their father.

                It got a little more crowded around 3:00 A.M. Saturday morning.  A huge mama bear and her two cubs decided to join the mass of RVs, trailers and tents.  At first, I thought it was a drunk who had gotten lost on the way back from the restroom.  He was screaming single words, ones I could not make out, at the top of his lungs.  I rolled over in an attempt to ignore him, hoping his wife would find him and get him quiet.  But he kept it up for at least five minutes.  It seemed like he was getting closer to our trailer, so I decided to go see what was happening.  Just as I was about to get out of bed, the trailer moved, just a little.  By the time I was in the living area, more voices were yelling.  I slide the blind up on the rear window and saw on the trailer behind us, the bright security light shining.  On a tree just a couple of feet from that light were two bear cubs on their way toward the top.  A man emerged from a nearby tent and stood at the back of the lighted trailer watching those cubs.  I yelled to him, “Don’t stand there!  The mama bear is just around the corner!”  Flashlights came on from every direction.  Voices yelled warnings and advice.  The occupant of the trailer snapped a picture of the two cubs only a few feet from her door.  Residents of nearby tents fairly flew out of their zippered doors and headed to nearby RVs.  The loud man who had awakened me was in his truck, still yelling at the big bear.  Eventually, the mama retrieved her two charges and led them off into the woods.  In the morning I found fresh tracks next to our trailer.  She must have bumped up against it.

                Today is Sunday.  About 90% of the sites were empty by the time we returned from church.  We enjoyed a few hours of solitude before the show began.  First a Jayco trailer backed into a nearby space.  We heard the familiar spousal exchange,

“I can’t see you!”

 “I’m standing where you told me to!” 

“That’s not where I told you to stand.”

Then a large 5^th wheel pulled in one tree over.  No angry or frustrated exchanges.  Very smooth.

A group of people began arranging themselves in five different sites, including the one the bears visited last night.  We won’t be lonely tonight.

Last evening we went to Illusion Fusion, a so-called “magic” show.  I prefer illusionist.  Alex Ramon was very entertaining, even though I had several of his tricks at least partially figured out.  But he stumped us with one.  He collected gold rings from three different women in the audience, including my lovely wife.  Hers was not a plain wedding band, but a leaf pattern Black Hills Gold ring.  He took the three of them, plopped them in a jar, shook the jar, and took out the three rings linked to each other.  He let each of the women examine the link to verify the rings were really theirs.  

While I’m on the subject of delusion, I have a question about a group here at the lake.  They are called the Keep Tahoe Blue society.  Do they know that water isn’t really blue?

We keep driving by this place called the Red Hut Café.  It’s not red.  It’s not a hut.   I should stop in to see if it is a café.

Every time we come here we make a remark something like, “Wow!  Look at these beautiful houses.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to own one of them?”  At first blush, it sounds like a great idea for a multimillionaire.  But then I start thinking about the oppressive regulations restricting every kind of activity in this region, and decide I really wouldn’t like to own anything up here.  It could be very depressing for a libertarian-leaning guy like me.  I’d get the blues every time I had to fight for the right to paint the house, cut down a tree or dig a hole.  Maybe that’s what they mean by “Keep Tahoe Blue!”

Celebrating Our Freedom

                On July 4^, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was finalized.  It was signed by most of the 56 delegates on August 2^nd, though a few had to sign it a little later.  It was primarily a document declaring the right of people to rule themselves, and that when that God-given right is taken away, they have the right to throw off the oppressive rule by force, if necessary.

                This doctrine can be a little difficult for thinking Christians to reconcile with biblical doctrines.  Most American Christians don’t give it much thought.  We just make some sort of leap in logic whereby the doctrine of democracy and the doctrine of the preeminence of God meld together.  Patriotism, then, becomes almost a religious duty rather than a competitor with divine devotion.

                Now before you exit from this page with indignation, let me explain that I am a patriotic fellow.  I hang the Stars and Stripes up on every national holiday, pay all my taxes (even those the IRS would probably never know I had), obey most laws (I have been known to add five or ten miles per hour to the posted speed limit), recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing the national anthem without holding back, and would have served in the military had the government needed me.  I oppose communism, socialism and all other forms of government that would deny people what the founding fathers fought and died to defend.

                However, I am opposed to the regular display of Old Glory during worship services.  I would not hesitate to break a civil law if it meant obeying God’s law.  The situation would have to be very unusual, but I imagine there could be a circumstance that would result in me going to jail rather than paying a specific tax I knew would be used to accomplish an egregious sin.  In other words, my loyalty is to God first.  Everything else would have to vie for second place.

                I am one of those irritating people who love to pressure others for logical conclusions to what they assert as truth.  If you tell me we should stand when reading scripture, I will ask you to give me a biblical basis for that belief.  If you tell me I need to wear a certain style of clothing when I attend a service, I will ask if that means we should have a dress code enforcer at the front door when people arrive on Sunday morning.  And I expect others to require the same from me.  So, you may want to ask me how I justify being a patriotic American as well as a devoted follower of Christ.

                I have heard the argument that Jesus was plainly opposed to mixing government politics and spiritual life.  This seems to be the message of, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.”  But the Old Testament is filled with examples of government and religion being mixed, even nearly identical.  And there are the New Testament examples of Roman authorities becoming Christians and being told they need not change their professions.  They could be Christians and still be loyal to the government.  This topic demands much more space than I am willing to use here, and it is not really a point I wish to emphasize right now, so I’ll leave it at that and move on.

                Freedom and responsibility are the subjects I would like to discuss.  The Declaration of Independence is all about these two concepts.  The American British subjects were being oppressed by their king.  They were being unfairly taxed, underrepresented, and made to drink tea instead of coffee (Just wanted to see if you were still with me).  Their solution was a government of the people, by the people and for the people; democracy.  This form of government seemed to them to be the one that offered the greatest amount of individual and state freedom.

                God has given us a great deal of freedom.  The Declaration of Independence acknowledges this by asserting we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  While these may be important gifts God wills us to have, he is more concerned about our spiritual liberty.  He has given us the freedom to become his for eternity.  He wants us to have a wonderfully abundant life.  He wants us to be free to serve him and each other.  He wants us to be more than happy.  He wants us to be full of joy.  All of this can be accomplished without being born into a democracy.  A Christian can experience God’s freedom even if our democracy becomes an oppressive oligarchy.  The gospel message is actually a declaration of spiritual independence.  Maybe it is this spiritual freedom we Christians have that make the idea of political freedom so attractive. 

                The great theologian, pastor and Christian martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, observed that real leadership derives its authority from God.  Illegitimate authority is self-derived and autocratic.  A legitimate leader must continually remind his followers of his limited authority and spur them on to responsibility.  The good leader serves others.  I could accept several, maybe many, different forms of government rule over me, but there is one that stands out as better in my estimation.  The democracy or republic form of government, when properly exercised, limits the authority of any one person and demands responsibility from its citizens.  This may not result in a nation that serves God, but it does prevent one that is oppressed by a megalomaniac. 

                I will celebrate Independence Day on the 4^th.  I am blessed to have been dropped into this country through no effort of my own.  I will continue to pray that God bless this country.  But, even more important, I will continue to celebrate my freedom in Christ every day.  And if it ever comes to choosing between the two, there is no contest.

               Your thoughts?