Christian art and its strange obsession of the crucifixion over the resurrection

There are great museums all over the world, of which some of these museums have a serious collection of Christian art.  While it is true that Christ in such art, is depicted in many forms, such as in his birth, or while performing acts from within his ministry, or in his crucifixion – what seems to be missing is that we are often left with virtually none or little art that reflects the resurrection of our Savior.  This is indeed puzzling, because for sincere Christians, if there is no belief in the resurrection so depicted in art, then the mission of Christ, would appear to have ended in tragedy and not ever to be seen as actually being triumphant.

Look, even as good as great art can be, and even as good as great art can affect us in a meaningful way, it has to be said, that seeing paintings of Christ's crucifixion over and over again, but not being able to balance that by seeing not even one resurrection of Christ is disturbing.  Indeed, one of the tenants of Christianity is that Christ rose from the dead, demonstrating that mankind could not kill not only this messenger, but that it could not kill even His body, despite seemingly having done so.  That is a very powerful message, which brings us hope, increases our belief in justice, and helps to make us to have faith that physical death is not ever the end.

The problem with the emphasis upon the crucifixion over the resurrection is that Christian art seems to be fixated that the sacrificial death of Christ is the seminal event of Christ's ministry.  Perhaps this interpretation is correct, but in reality, without the resurrection, Christ becomes nothing much more than a gifted soul, that met what would appear to be an ignoble death at the hands of the Romans.  That is to say, we need the resurrection because the resurrection completes the story of Christ, and hence should itself be emphasized above the crucifixion, so that the more important construct to have is that the birth of Christ, celebrated at Christmas, represents the avatar that is the anointed one, and Christ's resurrection celebrated at Easter, represents that Christ is immortal, unconquerable, and triumphant over the physical form.

At the end of the day, art is art, and if a particular artist wants to concentrate on the crucifixion or has been contracted to do such, then it is what it is.  Nevertheless, from a patron standpoint, there are only so many ways that Christ's crucifixion can be portrayed; whereas, there are a multitude of ways to paint His resurrection, because Christ's resurrection is not physically described in the Bible, which would thus present the opportunity for artists to bring their own interpretation and imagination to the depiction of that resurrection. This thus would mean that there would thereby be a fair multitude of interpretations of Christ's resurrection, which would present to those so viewing such, a fair chance to have a more vivid and more meaningful engagement to that resurrection.

Towards income support for working Americans

The disparity between those few that have it all and the many that are either struggling or just treading water, seems to be getting progressively worse, which thus indicates that this government of, for, and by the people needs to do more on behalf of those that don't have all that much, but yet are themselves hard working Americans.  For a certainty, most people that labor cannot dictate the wages that they will be paid, of which, those that do not make a lot of money, are often going to have to pay the same types of bills that those with pocketfuls’ of money must also pay, but alas must do so with a very short supply of funds.

So then, what we need to see happen at the present time is for this government to come up with a program, that supplements peoples' income on a monthly basis, which should be based upon one's previous years wages and the hours so worked, of which, a reasonable proposal would be to provide financial assistance to all those that have labored at least 1,000 hours in a calendar year, and then their monthly stipend should be based upon the total annual income of that person, structured in a graduated progressive stipend way, in which those that have earned less would get a higher monthly stipend, and those that made more would get less of a stipend, before eventually having this stipend phase out for higher wage earners.

Indeed, for those that are low-income wage earners, knowing that they will be aided by a monthly stipend of up to $1,000 would be of a great material benefit for them, and in consideration that those that are low-wage earners, are often going to be the very same people that will probably spend a significant portion of that money on necessary goods and services within the community that they live in, would essentially mean that this government handout would basically see those monies being circulated within the communities that received such, for the overall benefit and health of that community.

After all, it just seems logical and fair that those that play by the rules but do not make a living wage, or barely are  keeping their heads above water, should be the very same people that this government should desire to lend a helping hand to, because it is these unsung people that help make America great.  In reality, many a person is not actually looking for a direct handout, for they do not want to be perceived as being a beggar, but rather they often want to do their good part to be an integral and vital part of the workforce, but sadly lack the overall compensation package to live a satisfactory life, which is why this government needs to step in, and do their part to backstop their own people, above all, or else the civil unrest and unease that we see around us, will not simmer down, but will instead be susceptible to creating the type of havoc that will effectively end up suppressing the people at a very terrible cost to the integrity of this nation and what it so represents.

A new vision for Social Security

Those that labor and are paid wages for their work are thus compelled by law to pay a specific portion of those wages into the Social Security program, paycheck by paycheck, which will, in theory, ultimately benefit them at their time of retirement by their receipt of a monthly Social Security stipend.  The thing is though is just because Social Security is currently setup one way, does not mean that there isn't a better way or alternative ways to look upon what this government could do for those of retirement age, to help make the lives of those American senior citizens better.

As might be expected in a capitalistic society, there is going to be a huge disparity between people that have labored for many years, but have done so at low wage jobs as compared to those that have been paid substantially better, of which, the senior citizens then that subsequently need the biggest aid from that government of, for, and by the people are those that have limited assets, as well as those that are just barely scraping by. This thus indicates that simply providing a monthly stipend per the current rules and guidelines of Social Security for all those that have paid into Social Security, is probably something that can and should be improved upon, and needs to be, in particular for those that are in the greatest need.

Indeed, a far better vision would be the acknowledgment by this government that there remains a substantial portion of senior citizens that need assistance and specifically assistance for room, board, and healthcare, of which, all of these things should be subsidized, as necessary for them, as well as being readily available for their direct use.  In other words, American governance needs to step up and do more to help those that are its most vulnerable senior citizens, by making Social Security a program that has a distinct mission to support those that definitely need a helping hand.

The proposed reconfigured purpose of our Social Security program should be to not only provide a safety net for its citizens, but also should be to provide the type of assistance that will allow those that are of retirement age to live out their lives in a decent and dignified manner, by receiving the type of help which would permit them to have adequate shelter, nutritional food, and good healthcare, without having to give up something essential to achieve such.  It is well to remember that America is the richest nation that the world has ever known, and if America governance will not take good care of those that have provided their labor which has diligently greased the wheels of its free enterprise system, then something in that governance seriously needs to change, so as to make that to happen, because all those that have played by the rules are deserving of expecting and thereby receiving that which will permit them to not have to stress or worry about how they are going to make ends meet, when their heavy legs and their tired arms cannot carry them any further in their sunset years.

God is justice and therefore there is the necessary law of karma

In Christian western nations,  many a person basically believes that if you are sincere in your admission that Christ is our Savior, who thereby died as our substitute on the cross for our sins, that this essentially permits us to enter the eternity of Heaven, as a forgiven and redeemed soul.  Perhaps this is true, but it sure doesn't seem fair, right, or just, whatsoever; and further to the point, what we know about God is that God is inerrant, omniscient, and is absolutely just in all that God judges upon.  This thus reflects that as in many a thing, we have a fair amount of people who readily believe that there is somehow a way to escape justice, when, in fact, that escape only seemingly exists in this world, but in actuality, does not actually exist, at all.

It is important to comprehend and to understand that for every action there is a corresponding reaction, so that what we so think, do, and act upon has an effect upon not only our own self, but also upon others, and when we have made errors in judgment that have unduly hurt someone else, there thus has to be some sort of consequence to that, or else our place in this world is senseless, and basically then it has neither rhyme nor reason.

For a certainty, there is order within the domain of God, and if we ourselves cannot see that order, or prefer to ignore that order, we do so to our own detriment.  This thus signifies that each of us should want to examine our own life, so as to understand our good purpose, and then to behave in a way and manner that is consistent to that purpose of our existence.  Those then that ignore that sage advice in the present, are going to have to face up to the consequences of such a mistaken viewpoint in the future.  So too, those that know better, but cannot seem to hold the line on doing the right thing, are going to have to keep trying, again and again, until they are able to display the discipline to thereby do the right thing.

It is a great shame, to actually believe that our works don't matter, for they for a certainty do matter, whether those acts are good or whether they are bad.  It is well to remember, that this world, represents a testing ground, that represents a fair chance for each of us to prove our fidelity to God and to thus provide to others, the seeds and acts that will help make society a better place for our participation in it.

God does not give up on anyone or on any being, and God never will, of which, within our essence is everything that we need to draw upon  so as to become that which we are surely destined to be.  It is up to us, to meet that challenge, and when we fail in such, we will be provided with the fair opportunity to try again and again, until we find the promised land, fairly earned by our own volition, and often done so through the valued help of those that are wise and caring.

Integrity means not telling lies

There are numerous reasons why a given person will tell a falsehood, such as to protect themselves, or to protect another person, or to not be found wanting, or to not be held accountable and so on. The thing is that lying has a way of coming back to haunt us, because when people feel that what we are saying is rather suspect, it hurts our credibility with them. Basically, when a liar has been found out, people have a tendency not to believe what they are saying, because they don't trust them and because of that lack of trust, they don't believe them, even when they actually are telling the truth.

Look, it has to be said, people of real integrity don't tell lies, or else they wouldn't be people of integrity and for all those that wish then to reach that high standard, they are going to have to make up their mind that telling lies must not be part and parcel of their makeup. Those then that determine that they will be people of integrity, must be on guard to be that very thing, all of the time, for if there is a chink in their armor, this then will reflect that they haven't obtained what they need to have obtained, so as to be that person of integrity.

The reputation that we develop may or may not be totally fair, but it is probably quite fair to say, that those that have a reputation of untruthfulness and those that have a reputation for truthfulness are probably correctly categorized, for people can only be fooled for so long, before they begin to figure out that not all is right with those that are actually being deceptive to them; whereas, for those that are honest, such will mesh up well with the crosscheck so made by people to verify their veracity, and those that are consistently true are thus categorized as being honest with us.

So too, the problem with lying to people, is that it is hard to keep track of every single lie and who that lie was spoken to, for people will lie one way to one person, and another way to another person, making it difficult to keep it straight in their own mind, exactly what they said and to whom. On the other hand, those that tell the truth, don't need to worry about keeping their story straight, for their story is always the same, subject to honest mistakes, like forgetfulness.

So then, if you want people to actually believe what you are saying, the surest pathway to accomplish that goal is to be a person of integrity, and even if previously you were not such an honest person, the bottom line is that your reputation will eventually catch up to who and what you presently are. As for those that don't care so much about being honest, they must surely recognize, that their dishonesty will often by met by other people that will be dishonest to them, for like attracts like.

If you do not wish the best for the other, you surely then do not love them

Love is one of those types of words, that for many a person, this is thereby fairly easily expressed and not so easily lived. For an absolute fact, to tell someone that you love them, but do not at the same time, desire the best for them, reflects clearly that you cannot possibly actually love them, at all. That is to say, love isn't selfish, but rather love properly expressed, signifies that we desire the same good for our neighbor as we would wish for our very self, no more and no less. So then, to not be able to will the good for the other, is a character flaw, that each of us should desire to overcome, which when successfully dealt with, will thus make society a better place for our participation in it.

Look, to will the good of the other, when we have a very competitive spirit, or are selfish or greedy in our mindset and actions is not going to be an easy task, but we have to recognize in fairness that if we will not will the good of the other, then why should we expect them to will the good for us. So too, there isn't any point in taking on the guise of good manners if we aren't actively doing what we can to help bring out the best in others. In other words, to wish the best for the other, and to actually say that to them, but secretly not to really desire that, is hypocrisy, which is to a certain extent, worse than those that are upfront and to the point of what they do or don't care about when it comes to the other, as opposed to those that say what people want to hear, but are being dishonest about it.

The thing about human nature, especially in those western nations that emphasize competition as opposed to collaboration, is that a lot of people allow their competitive spirit to affect their mindset, so that they are worried that if they actually do wish the best for the other, that it will come at their personal expense, and because they do not desire to “lose” in this type of situation, they don't actually wish the best for the other. So too, this is the same sort of scenario that affects personal relationships, in which, many a person, doesn't want to be subservient to or to lose face to the other, so they can't really honestly wish the best for the other, but rather they basically wish that the other does well, but not exceedingly well, because they worry that this will come at their personal expense. Indeed, there are very few people that are willing to as John the Baptist so did, express themselves in this manner that “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30). Those that do so, though, are those that truly do wish the best for the other, and do so out of an unselfish and undying love.

The essential right to privacy

Privacy is something that is typically quite important to most people, of which, ordinary people understand the prudence and value of having what they so desire to be private, remain private. The thing is that we live in a modern age, in which, never have so many ordinary people been essentially placed in the uncomfortable position of not themselves being truly in the driver’s seat of what information about themselves, that ends up thereby being circulated to the general public. That is to say, a lot of people, really don’t comprehend social media, and how insidious that social media can be when it comes to who does and who does not control that person’s information. It is, to a very large extent, social media that has taken ordinary people that are living fairly ordinary lives, that thus places these people into the somewhat vulnerable position of having what they consider to be basically their life events, being freely available for the general public to comment and to gaze upon.

No doubt, social media companies have those many pages of Terms and Conditions that permits them to thus do whatever that they so do, subject to those Terms and Conditions which users are pretty much compelled to agree to in order to use that social media platform; and further to the point, undoubtedly there are options available to the user that permits them, if they can even find these options or know about them, to seem to be able to somewhat control how their information is disseminated. The bottom line, though, is that as currently structured those that use social media, really don’t understand how public the information that they post can readily become, and how this information can then travel to all sorts of different places, websites, sponsors, and advertisers.

So too, the biggest social media users are young in age, and are still maturing in mind and body, so that what they have posted at a previous day and age may not be something that they wish to see continue to be exposed and commented upon, forever. So then, it is essential that social media sites, should be regulated in a way and manner in which those that wish to exert their right to privacy, have the right to erase previous posts and the tentacles to those posts, so as to achieve dominion over their own private lives.

Indeed, we have the natural right to be simply left alone, and we should as sovereign individuals be able to have the right to our own thoughts, our own musings, and our own pictures and videos, Those then that have control of their own privacy and are protected by their governance in that right, are people that have secured their essential right to privacy. This privacy right is necessary because prudence dictates that we should be able to live within a society in which our person, our property, and our comings and goings, are ours to own, second to no social media company or government.

In defense of anonymity

We live in a very strange and dangerous age, in which, certain well-placed people and organizations feel that they are permitted to “dox” out other individuals, so as to give out their personal information, as in their legal name, address of record, employment, school affiliation and so forth. The truth of the matter is that anonymity is a very powerful as well as necessary tool for those that are the unorthodox, the heterodox, the non-conformers, the free thinkers, and the discreet, so as for them to have their say, without having to divulge who and what they really are, but instead they let their words do the talking for them.

Indeed, anonymity has been with America, since we were colonists, in which Benjamin Franklin, used his prodigious intellect to come up with a multitude of different anonymous identities, which was so done at his discretion and for the greater benefit of the people. So too, the Federalist papers, was written under the pseudonym of “Publius,” which was an important forum so as to forcefully debate the merits and demerits of the proposed Constitution of the United States. For a certainty, those that are of the status quo, are typically not fans of anonymity, especially feeling anathema for all those that oppose or criticize them, because they want to be able to intimidate, manipulate, arrest, or coerce their critics so as to effectively silence their voice.

The reason that we need anonymity and will continue to need anonymity is to avoid the tyranny of the majority or of the elite, because that majority or elite are so often intolerant of that which opposes them, and wishes to “out” all those that have the audacity to stand up to them-- mainly because the status quo selfishly wants things to remain just the way that they currently are, without then having to deal with inconvenient dissent. So too, when a people have the right to freedom of speech, and of assembly, and of the free press, but are living within a construct, in which these rights are basically assaulted by those that are in power, through various forms of intimidation, then the people do not have much of a choice, if they so desire to continue to have a voice, then to say what they have to say, and to do what they have to do, through the aegis of anonymity.

Each of us is entitled to have our own voice, and further we are each entitled to voice that which interests us in a way and form that we feel comfortable with, which includes anonymity. Those that do such, are freely expressing their Constitutional protected rights which they have the clear right to do. We, the people, have consented to this government, because that government was created to secure the rights of the people, so that they could freely express themselves as well as to go about their business as they best see fit, subject only to the laws and rules of that governance. Those then, that are opposed to the people having their own voice, expressed in their own way, anonymous or not, are those that are inimical to the very Constitution that they must themselves adhere to.

Big business, big government, big trouble

There was a time when America was essentially a farming community, with local production of many of the products so utilized, as well as also the trading of goods manufactured both domestically and internationally. So then, back when our Constitution was written, there weren’t any big corporations, there wasn’t a big federal government, and there wasn’t centralized control of the economy, whatsoever. That is to say, back in the founding days of America, people were mainly dependent upon their own ingenuity and work ethic to thereby create a living standard that was acceptable for them.

The modern age that we now live in, is an age in which the smalltown farmer is either non-existent, or a non-entity, so that the crops that we grow and the livestock that we raise, are essentially in the hands or the control of large conglomerates that manage or own a very sizeable portion of those businesses. In regards to our federal government, its impact upon everyday citizens can be quite extensive, for it is that government that through the mandated taxation of its citizens, gets first its funding from those citizens and then thus gets its hands involved in just about very aspect of many a person’s life, such as in healthcare, shelter, unemployment and employment assistance, aid to families, and so on and so forth.

So too, we live in an era which has outgrown the sole entrepreneur, and has replaced such with the artificial creation of the state, which are corporations, of which, these corporations are perpetual, ever growing, and quite influential in their impact upon policies so enacted within these United States. In fact, corporations are so large in America, that a few of these corporations have had profits that have exceeded over $100 billion in a single year, which is not only absolutely astonishing, but is to a great extent, something that citizens should be rightly concerned about, because lots and lots of concentrated corporate money is a source of immense and outsized power, that can easily circumvent or overcome our democratic traditions.

Further to the point, when big business and big government, have made a conscious decision to work together, hand in glove, then those that are its private citizens who are concerned about the dangers of such a combined awesome force, are going to find that their voice to their dismay really doesn’t matter at all. In other words, despite the fact, that we live within a capitalistic free enterprise system, in which, corporations are meant to compete against one another, we find that to a very large extent, large corporations are often unified in their collective desire to become an essential and thus integral part of what this federal government depends upon, which becomes very good business for those big businesses, because it, in effect, locks out future competition, and thus secures present business and thereby a steady stream of income for those big corporations. Indeed, it can be said that despite the fact that America still has a multitude of small enterprises, proprietorships, and entrepreneurs, that their voice together is pretty much fragmented and impotent; whereas, big government and big business are pretty much joined at the hip, with their joint objective being to milk as much as they can from the general public.

Why too big to fail is bad business

Let’s face it, in a supposed free enterprise economy, to have a business that is extremely large and influential enough, as well as also encompassing important and vital interests of the state, is thereby the type of business that can pretty much write its own ticket, because that which is considered to be too big to fail, or too vital to ever lose, means that this business enterprise can therefore take on outsized risks and thus become a potential moral hazard to this nation because it is ultimately backed by the very government, itself, at the expense of the people, thereby effectively hurting other companies’ prospects that are not thus afforded the same type of protection or favoritism.

Look, the thing about capitalism, is that there shouldn’t be any guarantees that a particular business cannot ever go out of business, but rather businesses should fairly compete against one another, in which, in essence, the strong and robust survive, and those that are less efficient, less innovative, or poorly managed, suffer their just deserts for their failure to successfully compete at the level that they need to be at. So too, it is a significant mistake for this governance to believe that somehow bigger is always better, when it could be stated, that there is much more safety in having many smaller enterprises that can get those necessary things successfully done, then to have all of our collective eggs in just one basket.

Indeed, the bigger that an enterprise is, the greater will be its fall should that fall so come, and thus upon that fall the negative implication for the economy, in whole; whereas, where there are many smaller enterprises, their individual failure, may indeed have implications, but such is much more localized and will not then have the same sort of negative impact as a business that has its talons in just about everything. Additionally, all those companies that believe that they are an irreplaceable cog in the machine of this nation, are the very same companies that will be able to garner the type of special privileges that other enterprises are not privy to or afforded to have.

That which is too big to fail, have an inherent advantage over every other single enterprise that is not backstopped by this government, which therefore means that all the inefficiencies, errors, bad decisions, and inept management that too big to fail companies exhibit, are ultimate borne by the people that make up this nation. So too, when innovative companies that could compete with these behemoths on some level, or take away some portion of the business that too big to fail companies have, but are precluded from doing so, because this government permits them to merge into, or be bought from those very same too big to fail companies then the very problem that currently exists, only worsens.

If indeed the business of America is business, then what America needs to actually accomplish, first and foremost, is to understand that businesses that are too big to fail, are bad business, and further that these too big to fail businesses are inimical to our free enterprise system, through and through.

Ban facial recognition technology

The very first thing to recognize is not everything so invented or discovered is something that should actually be utilized, for there are many things which are inimical to humans, even so far as to be totally destructive to the entire human race, such as atomic weapons, which should properly be forever banned.  So too, there are things within technology which are impressive in the sense that they actually work quite well, but that should not be part and parcel of our society, whatsoever.  One of those noxious things is facial recognition software which is at the present time good enough, to really be able to consistently identify a person correctly, at a very high success rate.  While law enforcement and government agencies of all stripes sing the praises of the necessity and value of facial recognition software, the general public, should not be fooled, for not only is information a source of immense power over the other, but such power in the hands of law enforcement and governmental agencies, changes the relationship and thus the dynamic between the people and their governance, in a way and manner that the people are for all practical purposes, forever subservient to that government.

So too, the usage of facial recognition software is already an application that is basically available to the general public, which means that people that we do not know, and don’t care to know, and wouldn’t ever desire to have them to know us, have the capability to know who we are, which is extremely dangerous when such is in the hands of someone that is going to behave as a bad actor.  As bad as that can be, to have those that are of an impressionable age be placed within a construct, in which a stranger in the street, through the usage of facial recognition software combined with access to social media accounts, as well as other skills brought to fore, can know who that person is in regards to things such as their name, their address, and their likes and dislikes, places that person so exposed in an incredibly vulnerable position which they are essentially unawares that they are even in.

It could be said, that many a tool or application can be used for good, as well as for bad, but when it comes to facial recognition software, the inherent dangers of this application are so great that this tool needs to be completely and fully banned.  Look, to live within a community in which people know one another, is absolutely fine, for that knowledge is a two-way street and is part of how we interact with one another in a civil society.  On the other hand, to permit governmental agencies or complete strangers to know everything about us, through facial recognition software is definitely a clear menace to the individual and should not be tolerated, whatsoever, for any reason.  Yet, that said, the crux of the problem is that law enforcement as well as certain governmental agencies are very reluctant to give up the incredible power that facial recognition software provides to them, for they recognize that this provides them with a very powerful tool that will permit them to better monitor, manipulate, and to control the general public at the behest of the powers that be.

Big, bad marijuana

The cannabis industry has done a stellar job in convincing a significant portion of the public that marijuana poses no problems or harm to those that are the users of such, which is the proximate reason why so many States have legalized, or decriminalized, or have permitted marijuana to be prescribed for medicinal purposes.  The thing is that just because something is alleged to do no harm, or perhaps even to provide some sort of benefit, does not in and of itself, mean that this is actually true.

We read at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), that “Evidence suggests that cannabis use prior to driving increases the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident.”  In consideration, that vehicle accidents and fatalities in this age of ubiquitous cell phone usage have actually gone up in recent years, despite the fact that cars have never had more safety features so provided to drivers to aid them, indicates that all avenues need to be thoroughly investigated so as to determine whether the usage of cannabis is indeed a meaningful contributing factor to those accidents and fatalities.

Additionally, NASEM, reports that “evidence suggests that in states where cannabis use is legal, there is increased risk of unintentional cannabis overdose injuries among children.”  Indeed, one would think that the first order of business of the governance of this nation would be to protect our children from harms and dangers that need not and should not occur.  The fact that cannabis is available in forms that are edible and are configured in a way that may well appeal to children should be something that needs a much more vigorous regulation of, so that innocent young parties will not be harmed by that which is of clear material harm to them.

Additionally, we know that smoking cigarettes is a major contributing factor to emphysema and chronic bronchitis, so that logic would seem to dictate to us that those that smoke marijuana on a consistent basis would themselves be reasonably susceptible to those same sort of issues, of which, NASEM tells us that “evidence reviewed by the committee suggests that smoking cannabis on a regular basis is associated with more frequent chronic bronchitis episodes and worse respiratory symptoms.”

So too, the “high” of marijuana, disturbs and discombobulates the thinking process of the brain, in which, NASEM states that “The committee found that learning, memory, and attention are impaired after immediate cannabis use.”  This should come as no real surprise, since cannabis users, use cannabis, because of what it so does to their mind and the resultant feelings that so ensue.  Additionally, it also has to be stated, that as NASEM reports, “The evidence reviewed by the committee suggests that cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, other psychoses, and social anxiety disorders, and to a lesser extent depression,”  which clearly is indicative that not all is right with cannabis use.

Indeed, the evidence that cannabis usage is free of any real problems or bad events is belied by this important and well-researched report so generated by NASEM, of which, this nation has a responsibility to first do no harm to its own citizens – as well as the fact that it also has an inherent responsibility to help be a prudent watchdog to those that are its citizens, and especially to do right by those that are its children.  In short, it has to be said, that when reliable and salient information comes to the fore, which contradicts what has been propagated and believed by the public, to then not follow through and thereby do something of substance to counteract this bad event, is surely government malfeasance.

E pluribus unum

The above Latin phrase is best translated as “out of many, one.”  It is to the credit of the United States of America, that this is indeed its motto, so shown upon its monetary unit, its seals, as well as its passports.  So too, the fact that America is made up of fifty States, duly united, to thus form a “more perfect union,” reflects that the founding vision of this country is for the peoples of such, that have different backgrounds, different economic statuses, different creeds, and are of different races, that they are meant to fully unite under the color of the flag of the United States, which represents freedom, liberty, and justice for all.

So too, this signifies that the reason that there are so many of us on planet earth is to provide us the fair opportunity to take what appears to be differences between one another, and thus find some commonality of good principles, so as to build a foundation that is good for society and beneficial for all.  Sure, it isn’t easy to get along with everyone, and not everyone desires to get along with us, but it is our obligation to do our level best to see that we are focused upon the fact that we are meant as individuals to work together, because each of has a definite part to play in order to bring about the wholeness that thus makes the diversity of this world, to be eventually molded into one.

The very best things in life, require not only concentrated and good effort from each of us, but also necessitates the right thinking and the wherewithal to keep on doing what needs to be done to get ever closer to the goal so earnestly desired.  That which is easy to obtain, probably is not that which will bring lasting happiness or joy to us, but rather often represents, at best, a temporary respite, which is not thus good enough to satisfy us wholly, for we know that we haven’t yet exerted enough blood, sweat, and tears to get the prize which is absolutely priceless.

The divisions that we seem to have one to another, can surely be overcome when we recognize that our ultimate success is never going to be because of just our own herculean effort, but rather we make progress brick by brick, and precept by precept, so as to gather our hands together to achieve those types of meaningful goals, which necessitate that the people work together in harmony and togetherness to succeed at such. 

In this world, we will be challenged, and the greatest challenge that we have is to recognize in the other, that they are our equal in every aspect, deserving of the same fair opportunity to better themselves and thus together to better the society that we are an integral part of.  Those then that take the time to be the repairer of the breach that separates us, are the very same people, that are building the necessary bridge that will carry us forth into the promised land, awaiting only, those that are the many, to walk there together, hand-in-hand.

The need to get beyond preaching to the converted

There are an awful lot of people that just want their friends and associates to agree with them, and pretty much are happy to live within a construct in which mostly everything represents an “echo chamber.”  Perhaps there is a place for this in the sense that the world and society can be an intimidating and challenging place, so that we like the turtle, are afraid to stick our necks out, because we don’t want our neck to be chopped off, but the reality is that if we all we do is congregate with people that we agree with and that agree with us, we aren’t really doing all that much to make society a better place for our participation in it.  In other words, if we are a true believer in whatever philosophy that we so have, then it would seem that we have an inherent obligation to see that others, that have different opinions or are agnostic, are properly engaged by us, for this might not only benefit them, but it also might well benefit ourselves as well.

Indeed, the purpose of a good debate, is to hear out the other side at its best, as they try to make the case as to why their position is the better or the correct one.  We should, in life, wish not only to be challenged, but also we need to challenge ourselves to learn all that we can about what life so represents as well as the most appropriate way to interact with others, in those discussions of interest.  It can be said that everybody has a story, and if we never take the time to listen to their story, then it becomes difficult for us to appreciate their position or where they are coming from.  After all, each of us, desires first and foremost to be heard, and most people appreciate being met at the mindset that they are currently at, thus presenting the fair opportunity for an ensuing discussion to take place.

Look, it has to be said, if we are leery of espousing our best held beliefs to the other, because we are fearful that their questions or comments will be something that we are not well qualified to answer to, then we haven’t done our own homework as to why we believe what we believe or value so highly.  This is why we need to get beyond talking only with those that agree with us, because it is in the sincere challenges of the other, and their pertinent questions, that permits us the opportunity to delve more deeply into what matters so highly to our core conscience.

So too, it is wise to reflect upon our life and the knowledge that we have obtained, and understand that there have been those times when well meaning people have directed or re-directed us in a way and manner which has enlightened us and therefore has permitted us to cast off what was in error or was misguided into that which is correct to our lasting benefit.  That is why we have to do our good part to do the very same, by reaching out to others and expressing to them what is of importance to us, so that we can possibly open up their eyes, and at the same time, become more accommodating to the value of other opinions and viewpoints, which helps then to broaden our perspective.

This is why there are so many laws

Those that are at the top of the food chain, have a very strong tendency to not want their peace and serenity to be disturbed by outside forces or agitators, which is a significant reason why we have so many laws, that are thus unequally applied.  The very purpose of laws such as loitering, disorderly conduct, drug abuse, and vandalism, is to provide the police officer with a reasonable pathway to find some sort of law that will apply, at least for the time being, that an alleged crime has occurred or was reasonably assumed to be about to occur, which thus provides that officer with the ways and means to take away the freedom of the suspect, and at a minimum, subject that person to questioning or far worse, place that person under arrest or else to be ticketed with a monetary fine.

Just about everyone loves their freedom to be about their business, of which, the freedom to just be left alone is something that most everyone values highly.  The thing about the law and the enforcement of that law, through the policing arm of the state, is that because there are so many laws, which can be utilized at any given time for just about any reason, and of which, even when a certain law is clearly been applied against a person in a case in which such is definitely not applicable, there isn’t much that an individual can do to preclude such, when they are being accosted by a well-armed police officer, who is quite capable of taking a very bad situation, and making it far worse.  In other words, to be stopped by a police officer, legitimately or not, is never a situation that people want to be in, though those that are of the favored race, aren’t nearly as concerned about this, because many police officers do not desire to make the mistake of messing with those of position, power or influence, because it typically doesn’t go over well with the higher- ups that these officers must answer and respond to.

The reason why the rich and well-placed, really don’t concern themselves with criminal law ever being applicable to them, is because they figure that for the most part, what they so do, in regards to drug abuse, illicit gambling, soliciting for sex, drunkenness, and lewdness is often done in the privacy of their own domain, and is thus not out there in the general public so as to be gawked at.  Further to the point, those carrying the accouterments of success, are the very same people, that police officers do not wish to upset, unless those officers have a clear green light to do so, because officers of the law typically prefer to work aggressively in those areas of the community in which the people that they have to interact with, have no voice, no money, and no resources, to put up much of a legit fight.

For a certainty, if you as an individual are targeted by the police to be pulled over, and subsequently are charged with some sort of crime, there isn’t much that a given person can do to stop what is so occurring, because as long as there is some semblance of general reasonableness to the story so being told by the officer, those in the justice department will go along with what is so happening, because it’s a fact that police officers provide inventory and justice departments need inventory in order to justify not only their budget, but also their very existence as structured.

High Potency THC Marijuana

America has a well-regulated alcohol industry, in which, the consumer knows the alcohol content of that which they are imbibing by simply reading such on the label, and they also clearly know that the higher the alcohol content, the greater the potency of such.  When it comes to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana, what we see is that because marijuana is not regulated by the federal government, but is instead regulated by each of the States that has seen such either legalized or provided as a medicinal aid to qualified patients, is that the States have pretty much determined that it is at the discretion of the dispensary as to the amount of THC a particular marijuana blend has, of which, there seems to be therefore the impression by consumers of such, that the higher the percentage of THC, the better and more powerful the high, which is quite unfortunate, because this impression is fundamentally unsound.

The fact of the matter is, as much as the marijuana industry despises being compared to alcohol, it is fair to compare the two, because both marijuana and alcohol, impair the proper and sound functioning of one’s brain, which is why both of these substances need to be carefully consumed, as compared to those that use these substances on a daily basis without compunction. Indeed, the fact that High Potency THC is readily available in the marketplace, left for consuming adults to determine whether they wish to indulge in, as opposed to those same States making it policy that THC potency on all products being sold cannot be higher than, for instance, 10% THC is an unfortunate mistake.

Look, it has to be said, it is the THC in marijuana that effects the mental state of the person so ingesting or smoking such, of which, there are plenty of people that don’t pay much attention to the potency of a given product, but simply buy what they buy, because it appeals to them, has been recommended to them, or they just have some sort of unexplained affinity for that selection.  The thing is though that those that consistently indulge in high potency THC are pretty much placing themselves upon the same sort of pathway as those that are heavy alcohol drinkers, which is not a good place to be.

Regrettably, the marijuana industry has done an excellent sales job in convincing people that smoking or ingesting marijuana should be considered to be a pretty harmless activity, that provides for people, a chance to  cope better with anxiety, stress, and worry or just to relax and take the edge off.  But alas, there is a material difference between those that occasionally smoke marijuana and those that smoke excessively on a daily basis.  The upshot is that those that are heavy High Potency THC users are not the same people that are successfully engaging with life, but rather these are people that are using marijuana as some sort of crutch, without seeming to recognize that it isn’t a crutch at all, but rather their excessive usage is inimical to their clear and rational thinking, and thus hurts them, rather than being some sort of general aid or of benefit to them.

Who owns the police?

Whether or not people like or appreciate the value of having police to protect and serve their community typically has a lot to do with their perception of whether they and their community are being treated fairly and with justice by those same police.  In other words, the police have been granted a lot of authority to do what they perceive that they have to do within communities, just or unjust, subject only to those that overlook and supervise their actions.  That is to say, police officers are the strongarm of the state, tasked with being the instrument to exert control over the masses, in a way and manner, that thus precludes that society from devolving into civil chaos.

There are plenty of people that support the police, because they see the police as a necessary instrument to maintain the status quo, and because the status quo appreciates their position, they are thus desirous to see that their position is always maintained and well protected, of which, police officers typically serve that purpose quite well.  So then, those that have a good life, live in good communities, and are quite satisfied with their lot, are the same types of people, that generally support the police, because they actually do want order, and only thing that they care about in regards to the law, is that the law is utilized to keep down those that are meant to be kept down, and further that the law is always flexible and amendable enough so that proper consideration is shown to those that are successful and are considered to be upstanding citizens, by having that law be selectively applied.

It doesn’t take a particularly perceptive person to see that the police are consistently used not to uphold justice or to uphold the law as it is written, but rather as an intimidating force so imposed against any and all that have the audacity to challenge things such as social injustice, social inequality, and social change, when those that are empowered do not believe that such should be challenged or changed.  The changes so made in America, are often slow to come to fruition, because those that have what they have, aren’t really interested in change, but they are intelligent and flexible enough to recognize that when the tide has basically turned wholly against them, that then and only then, some sort of meaningful change will thus be permitted.

All those that have massive assets and are well-placed within society, are always going to be concerned that perhaps something or somebody might take away what they have or put such in jeopardy, which is why they make it their point to see that the functions of the state, including the police, perform their duties on behalf of the rich and powerful, and none other. As for the police, for the most part, they are agnostic, and as long as they are getting their salary and the benefits that come with being in law enforcement, they will readily answer their call to duty because at the end of the day,  what matters to them most is to have the respect and to be properly valued by those that they answer to, along also with them receiving the necessary salary and accouterments to have themselves a satisfactory life.

This is how to know whether someone is really committed to Christ

We read in Holy Scripture “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Perhaps a lot of people read this scripture and believe that it never applies to their own self, but only applies to those that were the disciples of Christ, at the time of Christ’s incarnation.  That interpretation is fundamentally wrong, for the passage is meant to be pertinent to each and every one of us that claims the moniker of being a Christian, today.  That is to say, those that are adherents to the Christian faith, must have love for one another, or else people will know that they aren’t really of the Christian faith, for Christianity is a foundation built upon love, which Christ espoused to those that had ears to listen, again and again.

So then, those that claim to be Christian, but spend inordinate amounts of time spewing hatred of other religions which they consider to be inimical to what God wishes us so to believe, as well as those that are uncharitable in their behavior and actions to others, for whatever reason, aren’t Christians, at all, and to accept them as being Christians, actually besmirches the good name of Christians, everywhere.  That is to say, by their fruits ye shall know them, and those that are filled with vengeance, discord, incivility, and intolerance, aren’t Christian in their character.

The dividing line between a true Christian as compared to that which is a fraudulent Christian, is not very difficult to discern, for Christians are those that are charitable to others, whether these particular people are or are not part of the faith; in addition, those that are patient, considerate, caring, and compassionate are Christian.  Indeed, when those qualities exist in a given person, even those that do not consider themselves to be Christian, are in practicality, Christian, in the sense that they have taken on the good characteristics of what it so means to be Christian.

Life is filled of labels, of which some of these labels are clearly misapplied.  There are lots of ways to define what a Christian is, but the very best way so defined is as to whether or not that individual is filled with love for those that are our fellow members of our society.  Indeed, those that love and express that love consistently and unconditionally to others, are the very best exemplars of Christianity.   We are meant to not only to be our brother’s keeper, but also to make sure to provide that helping hand to our brother, for none of us are here alone, for we are instead gathered together, so that we can rise up together to get to that destination that can only be obtained by our good works so applied within this world, for the betterment of those that we congregate with, day by day.  Those that are Christian, will be challenged, for they will be challenged to make those important and correct decisions, of which, those that are true to Christ, are the very ones that will not waver when it comes to doing right by thy neighbor.

Learn to control your negative emotions

All of us are susceptible to negative emotions such as anger, hatred, jealousy, and vengefulness.  Those then that aren’t able to control these negative emotions, thus put themselves into the very vulnerable position of potentially committing bad acts that are going to be not only inimical to their own character, but often are going to be destructive and hurtful to other people, as well.  In other words, uncontrolled negative emotions, are quite susceptible to creating a lot of harm, of which, oftentimes when minds calm down, there is typically a feeling of much regret that things ended up spinning so horribly out of control, but acts once committed, good or bad, cannot ever be taken back, which is why we must do our level best to learn to control our negative emotions.

This world seems to present to us a seemingly endless smorgasbord of things, activities, and desires that we want to see successfully fulfilled, and it is in that lack of fulfillment that a lot of negative emotions begin to germinate within us.  For instance, the anger that we often express, has an awful lot to do with our desires not being met, and since the outcome that we are experiencing is not in accordance to our wishes, we thus then have a strong inclination to strike back at the other as our response to the frustration of having not gotten what we so desire.  So too, the hatred that we express to the other, is often a fair reflection that we blame the other for our failures and bad circumstances, so we thus “hate” the other who we have attached the blame to for our inadequate and unsatisfactory life.

Again and again, what leads to negative emotions getting the best of us, is the frustration that we have for essentially not getting our way.  While, indeed there are those times when we have unfairly been denied what is rightfully ours, which thus can lead to anger, we have to keep in mind that to permit a negative emotion to get the best of us, is typically not going to bring a result that we are going to find ultimately to be satisfactory.  So then, for those that are alert and desiring to be of good character, we have to develop  then the type of attributes which will permit us best to control our negative emotions.  The very first thing that comes to mind to help to put ourselves at a reasonable equilibrium, is that we have to realize that the world does not actually revolve around our being, whatsoever, which means that because the world is not at our beck and call, that we cannot ourselves ever control it or even master it.  So then, recognize that a better way to see the world, as well as our place within society, is that we are part of a picture show, of which, if we so desire to we can get intimately involved in all the gamut of emotions, good and bad that we feel within that show, or we have the option to rise above that picture show, and understand that while we are in it, we do not need to play by its rules, but rather we can step back so as to gain perspective, and from that perspective we will understand that the hate and anger that we are prone to develop is ultimately self-hate and self-anger, that can only be overcome by us recognizing that while we cannot control the picture show, we can control our emotions by concentrating our mind upon the fact that this too will soon pass, replaced through and through by eternal love.

The shame of impoverishment in America

America spends an inordinate amount of time, applauding its own self, as being the greatest nation that the world has ever known.  Yet, these words are belied not only by all sorts of statistics, but also by anyone that has ever bothered to congregate with the suffering middle class as well as with the most impoverished enclaves of people in America, of which, the richest nation in the world, has as reported by statistia.com in 2022, “…a total of 7.4 million families living below the poverty line in the United States.”  Additionally, usatoday.com informs us that “The top 1% of American earners now control more wealth than the nation’s entire middle class,” of which “the middle class is defined as the middle 60% of households by income.”

Perhaps this is the way that it should be, the rich never having been richer, the poor we will always have amongst us, and the middle class just aren’t smart enough, they don’t work hard enough, and aren’t then really deserving of having more money and accumulated assets than those that are in the top 1%.  We are told through census.gov that “Real median household income was $74,580 in 2022,” which would seem to be a household income that if it held for every household in America would make for a society that would be in a good position to be pretty comfortable.  The fact is, that the income and wealth is so skewed to the top 1%, that those that are not in or close to that elite status, aren’t typically in a very comfortable position at all, and millions of our fellow citizens are most definitely impoverished and are hurting.

The thing about America is that what we currently have and see in our gargantuan income and wealth disparity, does not need to be the case, because this government has the power and the authority to tax appropriately those that have massive assets and wealth, be it corporations or individuals.  After all, the very point of a progressive tax system is to tax those that have more with a higher tax rate that thus is then utilized as a material aid for those that have so little.  Indeed, America is incredibly ineffective in the real world taxation of those with colossal amounts of wealth, who can readily afford the best tax lawyers, the best lobbyists, the best tax accountants, and pretty much put off till another day, indefinitely, the taxation reckoning that should be done and needs to be done in the here and now.

Look, it has to be said, most people would not begrudge the very rich, at all, if they could look around at society, and see that everyone has had a fair shake, a fair chance, and are food, shelter, and healthcare secure, but this is most definitely not the situation for so many in America.  Indeed, this governance really does need to answer forthrightly to the people, but seems only to answer to the rich and the powerfully placed, instead, which is why this nation has such a huge amount of abject poverty, ill-educated citizens, high incarceration rates, and fares poorly in taking care of those that are its most vulnerable.

The reality of the situation is that America should feel a great shame in professing its greatness, when it is surrounded by the ill effects of its inability to do right by so many of its citizens, of which, the essential “crime” of the impoverished seems to be to have been born within an enclave of poverty that they have no hope of ever generating the escape velocity to successfully leave from, because this nation prefers to keep them forever oppressed.