CommenTerry

A Reverse Doubting Thomas

Remember how Thomas the apostle at first refused to believe Jesus’ resurrection until he could actually see Jesus for himself and touch his wounds? Well, I like the idea of being a doubter as well. Yes – this is not a misprint – I have resolved to remain a doubter.

Except I mean being a kind of doubter that is a complete reversal of what Thomas was. Until someone can show me Jesus’ grave with his remains still in it and allow me to see and touch those remains, I will not believe that Jesus is still dead. Nothing short of that will make me stop doubting the permanent death of Jesus.

Some of those who scoff at Christianity will often claim that our religion requires a lot of blind faith. But I don’t have enough faith not to be Christian. My doubts just won’t let me go there.

Workers and Savers vs. Loafers and Consumers

In regard to acquiring and spending money, there three are types of people in the world: (1) workers and savers, (2) workers and consumers, and (3) loafers and consumers. I did not include a fourth category for "loafers and savers", as loafers have a natural tendency to be consumers instead of savers. Besides, those for whom money comes easy have no particular motivation to be savers.

I would classify myself as type number one because I have worked for everything I've ever gotten and I tend to save a good portion of my money, instead of spending it all. Today, I believe most Americans would fall into category two, as they are hard workers but generally spend their money as fast as they make it, while piling up tons of debt. Of course, we all know a few people who fall into category three, i.e., those who do little or no work but, with the benefit of family fortunes, government assistance, litigation, and/or leeching off others, always seem to have plenty of money to spend -- and spend it they do.

As I mentioned above, I am a worker and saver. But that's only because I some day hope to become a loafer and a consumer. One of my biggest fears is that I will end up spending my entire life as a worker and a saver in order to allow someone else to become a loafer and a consumer.

Those who are workers and consumers are likely to remain that way until they die or become disabled. Even if they were to inherit a large amount of money or win the lottery, they would still have to eventually start working again to feed their addiction to consumption. Those who begin their adult life as loafers and consumers never seem to lose their flair for uncovering sources of undeserved spending money.

Freedom: Demand More

I think the best way to celebrate this Independence Day is to reflect on the freedom we have as Americans and then ask for more. There's always room for improvement in the quantity and quality of liberty the people of any given nation have, even if that nation is the United States of America. We should let freedom ring even louder today by asking for absolute freedom of speech and absolute property rights.

Absolute freedom of speech would mean the abolition of censorship, except for situations in which the failure to censor would place human lives in imminent danger. Otherwise, people would be free to say, display, hear, and view what they wanted without the fear of government intervention and/or legal action. We could retire the FCC and any other person or entity whose job it is to curb the speech or expression of free people. Sure, some people would have to learn how to tolerate being offended every now and then. Also, parents would have to take an active role in controlling what their children hear and see, instead of relying on government babysitters, as they do now.

Absolute property rights would mean property owners would have the right to actually do what they want with their own property. What a concept! The only exception would be that they would have to comply with reasonable safety standards determined by local municipalities. Property owners would no longer have to worry about eminent domain or restrictions such as land use zoning or limits on how close to their property line they could build structures. They wouldn't have to worry about someone else's definition of an "eyesore." They wouldn't have to worry about some civic group forcing them to preserve a "historic" structure on their property. Also, environmentalists would have to keep their hands off private property, no matter how many rare insects, fish, birds, and/or trees make it their home.   

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Back Pattin' and Horn Tootin'

Local TV newscasters make a common practice of patting themselves on the back and tooting their own horn. For example, they might open a broadcast with the following: "In a story that was reported first on this channel, ..."  It's gotten to the point of becoming sickening. Station news managers should forbid this practice. Besides, who cares what channel a given story was reported on first? The important thing is to get it the story right, even if that means being the last to report it.

Me, the Frustrating Plodder

People often become frustrated with me because I’m such a plodder. In order for me to complete a task so that I will ultimately be satisfied with it, I cannot do it quickly. I need plenty of time to ponder the situation and be deliberate, with a lot of nitpicking along the way. Whenever I allow myself to be hurried along, I’m going to screw things up – guaranteed!

I recently hired a guy to design a new website for me. He got so annoyed with me that he almost quit before the job was over. What, in his opinion, should have taken mere days to complete went on for several weeks. Several phone conversations generally suffice for him to acquire the complete specifications from most of his clients.

But not from me. I was constantly changing the guidance via emails as I thought of various enhancements that I wanted. Specifying requirements for a website is a complete evolutionary process for me. There’s no way I can state what I want via a few short phone conversations. My ideas don’t come to me all at once. I get them in dribs and drabs. I’m never completely sure of what I want at first. I have to see or create something initially, and then improve upon it.

For example, it usually takes me a minimum of one hour to lay down just one paragraph when I am writing an article. Sure, I can write out a draft of it in minutes, but the rest of the time is spent correcting errors, optimizing my style, substituting words, and generally trying to come up with better ways to express my thoughts. In other words, I’m a bit of perfectionist and I’m not going to be satisfied with anything until it’s absolutely right (at least in my mind).

Everyone else will just have to excuse me while I take my own sweet time.

A Crime Akin to Murder

There is an atrocity that I believe to be nearly as heinous as murder. That crime is forced sodomy. No man, woman, or child should ever have to suffer from such a brutal act. In fact, when the men of Sodom and Gomorrah even attempted such a thing against some visitors, it was the final straw in God’s decision to destroy those two cities with fire and brimstone.

Therefore, we should have zero tolerance for such a thing as well. Anyone convicted of it in a court of law should get an automatic sentence of life behind bars with no chance of parole. Anyone found guilty of this crime while in prison should have his sentence automatically extended to life without parole. If he is already serving such a sentence at the time, then he should be relegated to spend the rest of his natural life in solitary confinement.

Should Everyone Be Allowed to Buy Lottery Tickets?

It makes me sick at my stomach whenever I’m in line in a store behind someone who uses food stamps and/or WIC checks and also purchases lottery tickets. People who are on public assistance of that sort, along with those who live in publicly subsidized housing, should not be allowed to buy lottery tickets.

If they can’t get by without help from their fellow citizens (since that’s what the ‘government’ really is), they can’t afford such luxuries. Besides, many of them spend so much of their money on that kind of stuff that it often comes at the expense of the necessities of life for themselves and their families. And doesn’t that defeat the whole point of public assistance?

But how could a rule like that be enforced? Very simply. Each state’s lottery department would issue a lottery permit to each of its citizens of majority age (18 or over). This permit would bear the person’s name, legal address, and some kind of identifying number. It would have to presented to a clerk (or whomever) in order to purchase lottery tickets. When one goes on the public dole, he or she would have to relinquish that permit. Once any of those people got back on their feet again, it would be returned to them.

Before you try to claim that this would be some kind of breach of the Constitution, keep in mind that buying lottery tickets is like driving – it’s a privilege, not a right. State and local municipalities have a right to determine, in the best interest of society, who gets what privileges and who doesn’t. Placing a restriction on who can buy lottery tickets would be a step in the right direction for modern civilization.

Meaningless Conference Names

Have you noticed that many college sports conference names have now been rendered virtually meaningless? College basketball’s Atlantic 10 conference is a prime example. Once upon a time, it consisted of 10 schools based in Atlantic coast states. But not anymore. Now it is comprised of 14 schools, three of which are the University of Dayton, Saint Louis University, and Xavier University. However, no one has bothered to change the name of the conference as a result of this evolution. Perhaps it should now be called the “All-over-the-Place 14.”

Then we have college basketball’s Big East. Like the Atlantic 10, the Big East once consisted only of east coast universities. But it has undergone similar changes over the last 20 years. It now includes the likes of the University of Cincinnati, DePaul University, the University of Louisville, Marquette University, and West Virginia University. Maybe it should be renamed the “Big East of the Mississippi.”

And let’s not forget about the Big Ten. (Lest you think I’m being inconsistent here, the Atlantic 10 uses the numerals while the Big Ten uses the word). Anyway, back in 1989, the Big Ten voted to allow Pennsylvania State University (more commonly know as Penn State) into their fold. However, no provision was made for renaming the conference. Therefore, true fans of college sports keep in the back of their minds that the Big Ten is really the “Big Eleven.”

Five Reasons Why Atheists Should Be Religious Anyway

Here are five reasons why I think atheists should be religious, regardless of their lack of belief in God. I believe it would help give them and their families:

1) A solid basis for distinguishing between right and wrong.

2) A sense of commitment.

3) A community of supporters (i.e., church members) they would not ordinarily have.

4) A sense of purpose.

5) A center (the church) for social activity and interaction.

Classic Rants and Raves #82

The U.S. federal government is almost always among the first-adopters of politically correct concepts.         

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It's a shame that a morning's sleep has to be abruptly terminated by an alarm clock.

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Don't criticize religious fanatics if you are a fanatic about something else.

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This is your ego (video of a grape on a kitchen counter top). This is your ego when you allow someone to patronize you (video of that grape being smashed by a fist). 

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Have you ever noticed the phenomenon in which the same team (sometimes the same player) is up to bat every time you use your remote to check in a particular baseball game?  I call it "deja-baseball."

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I used to believe that Lou Dobbs was much too intelligent to buy into that class warfare garbage. Apparently, I was wrong.

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At my current age of 48, I sometimes feel like I'm 28 again, but, at other times, I feel as if I'm 68. I guess I've reached a point in my life at which my protoplasm can't figure out which way to go.