Minkyweasel World

One Girl's Outlook On Life

Archive for the ‘Morality’ Category

More of it going on

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 14, 2011

Murder!

Image via Wikipedia

I have always been interested in the news and make every effort to watch reports on television or listen to them on the radio whilst driving. Over the years I have noticed the increased frequency in the reports of violence, especially murder and also of other crimes in general. In years gone by a murder was reported at national level but sometimes crimes of this nature are only reported locally or only given brief attention elsewhere in the country. Murder it seems has become so commonplace that it doesn’t shock us like it once did. This past week alone I have heard reports of three murders. As for lesser crimes most do not even make the news because there are so many of them being carried out. It is symptomatic of today’s society. Values have deteriorated, we as a society have become morally deficient and the result is an increase in the crime rate. Some people would blame that on a decline in work opportunities, too much taxation, insufficient remuneration or the rising cost of living, anything but a diminished personal morality. What is becoming of this country? Why does it seem to be getting worse? One factor could be the increase in drug abuse and the need to fund it. The cost of drugs forces users to a life of crime in order to pay for the habit but of course had they not indulged in the first place no problem would exist. The same goes for people who drink far in excess of what they should, they see a rapid decline in their living standards to pay for the alcohol they consume. It is down to individuals to take proper control of their lives and say no to things that will lead them down the wrong paths in life, maybe to a life of crime.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Crime, Lifestyle, Morality, Wisdom | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Who is to blame?

Posted by Shirley Anne on November 5, 2011

Blame!²

Image via Wikipedia

Regular readers of these pages will know that I have broached this subject in one form or another in the past. Looking at todays society and in particular the decline in moral standards and behaviour makes me wonder how and why things are they way they are. Probably many of us would be unaware of most of the things that go on around us if it were not for the news broadcasts or programs about police activities which have become somewhat popular lately. There are many reasons why our children and youth get into a life of crime and it is easy to blame them for their unruly behaviour and lack of morals. So if it isn’t a simple question of blaming them then who do we blame? Knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong, what is acceptable and what isn’t is not necessarily why a life of crime is embarked upon however many youths don’t think that their behaviour is wrong. They may feel that it is their right to do as they please and react violently when apprehended. Lessons are sometimes learned but many return to their old ways after receiving and working out their punishment. There is a hard core of persistent re-offenders who it seems never learn from their mistakes. When I see these people being arrested I feel so sorry for them that they should waste their lives in this way. Of course I feel much simpathy for those whose lives have been affected by criminal activity. We have all done wrong things in our lives but it didn’t become a way of life as it is for some. So who is to blame? Is it bad parenting, being in a low-income family, living in underprivileged areas, poor housing conditions, peer pressure or lack of job prospects? Can we place blame on any of these things or is it a more fundamental problem concerning a persons natural inclination to do wrong?

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Community, Crime, Lifestyle, Morality, Values | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Gone to the dogs

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 30, 2011

A dumpster full of waste awaiting disposal

Image via Wikipedia

This country gets worse every day, high taxation, high cost of living, inadequate government, poor judicial system, insufficient funds for policing, health care and many other contentious things. Our moral standards are eroding day by day. There is violence  and fraud everywhere but just as bad are the slovenly habits of a high percentage of the population. Occasionally I see a program on television that exposes the problems we face with discarded rubbish around the country both in and outside of the cities and towns. The countryside doesn’t escape the unlawful deposit of waste by those too lazy and not wishing to pay to be rid of their rubbish. Rivers and canals, roads and byways, buildings and shopping centres, parks and gardens all suffer the onslaught of the phantom illegal dumpsters. Added to this we have graffiti covering walls, animal faeces and urine fouling the environment, cigarette butts, empty beer cans and discarded needles from drug abuse strewn all over the place. The wind blows paper and plastic bags up into the trees which hang there like unwanted decorations. This is slovenliness on a grand scale. I often wonder what the homes of those who treat their environment this way look like. Most of what is done is done in secret but some of it is done blatantly in view of others. There was a time when I used to pull up children I saw throwing rubbish to the ground and asking them to pick it up. I might not be so bold these days for fear of retribution but in certain circumstances I might. There is no excuse for treating our environment like a rubbish dump when the facilities exist for the lawful dumping of our waste and unwanted things. Other countries have problems too, some more than others and I think it is a sign of our times, a lack of moral standards and a disrespect for anything good. There is a constant battle going on in society trying to keep it all under control and I wonder if that battle is being won. I makes me think why so many people want to live here. It seems the benefits outweigh the faults for those seeking citizenship, whether legally or not. Personally I think this country has gone to the dogs.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Community, Environment, Morality, People, Values | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Rogue traders and vulnerable people.

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 6, 2011

Portrait of old woman sitting by a window.

Image via Wikipedia

You’ve seen the programmes on television, rogue traders seeking lots of money for doing very little work in return. Often these so-called traders are unqualified although some are qualified but choose to rip people off. The most vulnerable are the elderly but many other people can easily be fooled too. The reason that many get deceived is due to a lack of knowing what is involved in carrying out any repairs, if there are any required, how long they should normally take and at what cost. Fictitious scenarios proffered by rogue traders often lead gullible people into parting with vast sums of money without realising they are paying too much for work that has not even been carried out. I went to do a small job for an elderly lady recently and it involved changing a faulty light fitting in her bathroom. She needed a new fitting and I had to purchase one for her. She offered me money which I declined to take explaining that wasn’t the way I operated. I would purchase a suitable fitting and fit it for her. Then, and only then would I expect to be paid but only if she was happy with my work. The point is this, she was ready to part with her money before the job was done and so many older folk are vulnerable in this way. Unscrupulous persons take advantage of this and leave many of the elderly robbed of their money. It is a sign of the times. In years past people were more trustworthy by and large although not everyone was but today there seem to be far more rogues about who do not care how they obtain their money as long as they don’t have to work for it. I enjoy watching programs where these despicable rogues are caught in the act but unfortunately they all seem to escape justice and go on to rob more people of their hard-earned cash.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Money, Morality | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Sick people

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 17, 2011

Skin Graft Donor site 8 days after the skin wa...

Image via Wikipedia

I was reading a newspaper in the pub a day or so back and there was a picture of a young woman showing her face after months of facial reconstruction surgery, most of it skin grafts. As with most newspapers the main story was to be found on one of the inside pages so I turned to them to read her story. Last year she had broken off her involvement with her then boyfriend but soon after he called to see her and was trying to force his attentions on her. She was having none of it and told him so. A little while later she was out and about in town and crossing a road when someone approached her and threw the contents of a jar he was carrying into her face. It was acid. She ran screaming and traumatized into a local café straight into their kitchen and frantically washed her face in water. It was too late, she had been left horribly disfigured. She had prospects in the modelling world but now all her hopes had been dashed by that one horrendous attack on her person. It appears that her estranged boyfriend had paid someone to carry out the attack. They, I believe are now in gaol. The pictures of the young woman show her face before the attack, after the attack and after surgery. The last photograph looks remarkably like the first and it shows how well her treatment went. I cannot understand why anyone could be so evil as to carry out such an attack on another human being, or any living creature for that matter but it seems that some people just don’t take the time to think or else they simply have no regard for other people. One thing I notice about it all is how little the guy must have loved her to have resorted to such a depraved act.  There are some sick people in the world!

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Crime, Evil, Morality | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Where’s my axe?

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 11, 2011

Agree To Disagree

Image by Fairy Heart ♥ via Flickr

I’ve never been a person who likes to blow her own trumpet unless I am joking with family or friends. I have never seen the need to argue too much about my corner of the world, my life, my problems, my transition or anything else. Some people have a passion, an urge to make a loud noise to put over their views. I have no axe to grind, I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Neither do I need to justify who I am. In regard to my status, my beliefs or anything about me, in that respect, again I have nothing to shout about. I can understand why some folk are militant when it comes down to the rights of an individual in Society for instance but there are many ways to slice a cake and being militant is only one of those ways and not always the best way. Of course it doesn’t necessarily follow that having a passion for something makes it morally valid or acceptable and folk can shout as loud as they like about an issue but that in itself changes nothing. We are a planet of people of all different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, attitudes and that in itself becomes a stumbling block to any universal acceptance of one another. There will always be dissidents in this world unless all are united under one banner, even then friction will still exist. Simply put, we have to just agree to disagree, live and let live and get on with our own existence. As mortal beings who generally live less than a century we sometimes waste far too much time rocking the boat. We are here but for a short time, why not enjoy it and live in peace? Why all the hassle? Why all the hatred? Why all the axe grinding? What does it achieve? Some people make a nuisance of themselves and for what reason? They will return from whence they came, they will cease to exist just like the rest of us. Make it known that you have an opinion, like I do on here, but leave it at that. Put down the axe, you’ll only hurt yourself if you don’t!

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Community, Happiness, Life, Morality, People, Philosophy, Time, Values, Wisdom | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

No compromise

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 1, 2011

Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)

Image via Wikipedia

I am fed up reading what people say about God when they don’t even know Him. He is described by some as being ‘the great energy’, ‘the essence’, ‘the mighty force’ all kinds of names which all may true of His nature but God is spirit, He is not some remote being that we can only imagine in our thoughts, one that cannot be known on a personal level, He is the Almighty, the Creator and He can be known. He is the Father of all mankind, He is your Father if you believe in Him and put all your faith and trust in Him AND in the One He sent……Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour. God wants us to know Him, He wants a relationship with each one of us and to prove He loves us He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice, a payment for all of our sins. He offers the free gift of a life everlasting if we repent of our ways and accept His gift but like any gift that is presented to us it doesn’t become ours until we take it. We have to repent and accept Jesus’ sacrifice by accepting Him as our Saviour for salvation is through Christ Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus is THE ONLY WAY to God, there is no other way, no religion, no other faith or belief, half-truths, false doctrines, false gods, or any other thing that can be substituted for what God has done for us through His Son, Jesus. Call God by whatever name you wish but you must have this relationship with Him, through Jesus or else there is nothing to look forward to. Gods word tells us that those who believe in Jesus as their personal Saviour and have accepted Him will be resurrected to life eternal,

Revelation 5: 9-10 speaking of Jesus (The Lamb)

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Notice, they will reign on Earth. What happens after the thousand years on Earth isn’t told.

And here in Revelation 7

The Great Multitude in White Robes

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:

Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

13Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ ”

These are those who have placed their hope and trust in Jesus now, in their mortal lives.

For those who are alive when the time of the end is here and still do not repent, God in His word says this..

Revelation 9

1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

12The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Notice especially the last few words…..

There can be no compromise, we cannot afford not to listen, we must not think that just because God loves us all he loves the things we do or the things we believe about Him. God IS a loving god but He is also a God who judges. He sets the rules and if we follow His way He is ready to forgive us our sinful ways. We cannot assume our lives and lifestyles are acceptable to God if they do not conform to His commandments and laws which are the source of righteous morality. May God bless us as we reach out in true repentance.

Shirley Anne

Posted in God, Jesus, Lifestyle, Morality, Relationships, Religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Bert and Ernie!

Posted by Shirley Anne on August 14, 2011

Bert and Ernie: Let me tell you a secret / 200...

Image by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML via Flickr

I have been following a thread concerning the proposed ‘marriage’ of two Muppet characters from Sesame Street. The characters themselves are presented as two males who happen to be friends. Whether it is suggested that they live together I am not sure, Sesame Street isn’t exactly on my viewing list these days. The program is meant for pre-school aged children. It appears that some people want to promote the fact that these two characters are ‘gay’, that is homosexual to give the condition its proper name whilst at the same time promoting the idea that this is quite normal behaviour. They see this as an opportunity to teach children about the wrongs of homophobia but they are also trying to instill behavioural ideas in their little heads that are contrary to the teachings of Scripture. No-one it seems is interested in God these days. As a Christian, a believer in God, I have to say that it isn’t right in Gods eyes to practice homosexuality. I see arguments from both sides, the for and the against but many on both sides are missing the point. It isn’t about being homosexual that we should condemn people or shy away from them or hate them. We are called to love one another, whoever and whatever they may be. No, it isn’t the condition at all, it’s the practice, the execution of perverted thoughts that offend God and it is for this reason as Christians we should make a stand against such things. Love the person but hate the sin, help the person in love without condoning what they do. To turn a blind eye to what this depraved world gets up to is tantamount to condoning the evil and an offence to our Lord God. Let Bert and Ernie remain good friends and leave all this nonsense about marriage alone. It is a children’s program after all. I read yesterday that the series producers made a statement that Bert And Ernie were just friends and are symbols to show children that people can get along with other people even with their differences. They maintain that the two characters are not meant to be gay! Common sense prevails!

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, God, Morality, Religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Ashamed but not surprised

Posted by Shirley Anne on August 10, 2011

A Vandalized light

Image via Wikipedia

I am ashamed of the state of my country. In light of the recent rioting, looting and vandalism in London which has spread to three other cities, Birmingham, Nottingham and Liverpool, I am at a loss as to why people behave as they do. After a young man was shot by the police in London there was a march of protest on Saturday which at first was peaceful but eventually deteriorated into mindless violence and vandalism. Since then there have been more rioting each night which has led to an increase of police presence. Unfortunately the police are stretched to the limit and are finding it difficult to contain the problem, especially as there are several places across the city where the uprising is taking place. The present unrest has nothing to do with the original incident of that man being shot but it is simply an excuse for looting, thieving and vandalism. Many people have lost their homes due to the fires that have resulted, business premises too have been razed to the ground. Short of declaring Marshall law by bringing in the armed forces I am not sure how it will be brought under control.  Of course as usual it is the minority of the population causing the problem and they are mostly young men in their twenties or younger. One might ask why our youth act this way and why their parents don’t enforce their authority. It is a moral issue of course but sadly for some moral standards do not count for anything. I think as a Christian that if more people feared God, believed in Him, we would not be seeing these events unfolding before our eyes. Say what you like but I’m afraid this is yet another example of secularism not working.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Morality, People, Secularism, Values | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

I’m crying

Posted by Shirley Anne on August 9, 2011

New Testament, Old Testament

Image by thousandshipz via Flickr

I am sitting here crying. I have lots of reasons for crying, everyday things connected with relationships, respect, the sins of society, the attitudes of others, oh many things make me cry. This time though my tears are tears of joy. Have you ever cried because you were happy or because you were touched by some compassionate incident? Sometimes I even cry when listening to music! I was reading some articles in relation to Christianity and it’s stance against homosexuality, not those who engage in it but the condition itself. The Bible has strong views regarding homosexuality which can be found in both the New Testament and the Old Testament. Activists will be quick to point out that things found in the Old Testament do not necessarily apply today even if they find those writings to be untrue anyway. It is true that some of the laws as written in the Old Testament do not apply today because they were specific to the life and times of the day and were a matter of civil law. However the laws regarding sexual behaviour are a matter of moral law and do not change with the passage of time so those laws as written in the Old Testament and subsequently in the New Testament are very much still relevent today. It wasn’t this subject or anything about it that opened the floodgates in my eyes though, it was the reassurance I felt of Gods love and forgiveness when we repent. There is no difference between a Christian and anyone else for we are all sinners every one of us. A person can only claim to be a Christian when they repent of their sins and continually strive against the sin in their lives. Whilst I was reading more on this subject through reading about homosexuality and other things, I realised how much God loves me, loves us all. It’s the sin He hates, not the perpetrator. So if we don’t repent we condemn ourselves. I am crying because God loves me.

Shirley Anne

Posted in God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit, Law, Morality, Relationships, Religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Petulant and blind

Posted by Shirley Anne on March 17, 2011

When the Israelites were instructed to drive out all the nations of peoples resident in the land that God had given them, the promised land (symbolic of the heavenly promised land to all believers), they did not do as God had told them. Consequently those people who were allowed to remain became a thorn in their side. One of those people were the Philistines who were the ancestors of present day Palestinians. Surprise, surprise! Now those who are an enmity to God, who refuse to believe His existence will declare that He God, the one they don’t believe in, is not a loving God and they don’t want anything to do with such a God. Totally illogical reasoning to reject someone, not believing in their existence and then blaming them for something. You cannot place blame on something that doesn’t exist! I digress. God had a very good reason to give the instruction He did but because He wasn’t obeyed chaos and unrest resulted. God was using Israel as an example to the rest of His creation. The events in the Bible, the Old Testament, were real events but they represent a spiritual future, they were prophetic events that happened in history. Many of those prophecies have come to pass and the rest have yet to be fulfilled. When these things are revealed to unbelievers they are immediately rejected. That of course is bound to happen but it doesn’t mean prophecy is untrue. The blind are blind and cannot see.

As believers in God we must believe in what He says. We must take Him at His word. The problem is that even some believers do not do this. Certain things are wrong in Gods eyes and He tells us what they are in Scripture. Those who believe will listen but others only wish to hear what they want to hear. If God says that homosexuality is wrong then homosexuality is wrong! If God says that stealing is wrong the stealing is wrong! If God says that He hates mediums and spiritists then they must be wrong! Now because many secularists think these things are not wrong they will automatically disagree. A lesbian, a homosexual, a thief, a fortune-teller will all be against God else they don’t believe what He says. God does not hate these people, far from it! He loves them and only wishes they would turn to Him in repentance. It is not the person He hates, it is what they do! As Christians we should also not hate others nor come against them but at the same time we should witness and pray that they will see sense and turn to God. On a personal note here, I know many homosexuals, lesbians and bi-sexual people, a few, well shall we say, unsavoury characters. I do not hate any of them. I love them, I pray for them and I try to be a witness and an example to them. I see them as God sees them, lost but not knowing it.

In our modern society we have mixed races of people living together, people of different faiths and religions and of different political views. We make an attempt at living in harmony but it is destined to fail on all fronts. This is because we cannot love one another as God has instructed us to do. We simply cannot live in harmony because of our differences. This is one reason that God told the Israelites to drive out the nations before them. God knew that there would be unrest, bitterness and hatred but the Israelites were a stubborn people and would not listen, very much like people today, they just will not listen. There will be a day though, as prophesied, when ALL people will bow the knee before their God or be cast aside. In the meantime the secular world thinks it has the answers to all of society’s problems. It hasn’t and it never will. There is too much intolerance, bigotry, hatred, selfishness, homophobia of all kinds for anything in secular society to work. There is a form of stability but it teeters on a knife-edge. The only way is Gods way. The petulant unbeliever, who only wants everyone else to accept them as they are or because of what they are is automatically at enmity with those who object. If it is a religion then that religion is declared immoral, homophobic and even evil. However it isn’t the religion that is at fault, it is the few vociferous members who, not truly following after God, who are at fault. Religion should not be a tool for ‘secular Bible bashing‘. Gods love is the tool for that task. 

For the love of God is how and why we should be living. Let evil reside with those who hate God.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Christianity, Evil, God, Love, Morality, People, Politics, Prophecy, Relationships, Religion, Wisdom | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Crime and punishment

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 24, 2011

Most societies use a system whereby anyone committing a crime, misdemeanor or other offence are punished for it in some way. Theoretically the more severe the offence the greater the punishment. Pretty reasonable I would think. These are for offences that in some way come against the society in which they are committed. There are however many other offences which are not considered offences against society in a direct way but in essence, in a round about way, do. These are the types of  offences against other people which others seldom see, lewdness, bullying, lying and cheating, thinking evil of someone, doing something which denies someone else peace in their lives and many more ‘little’ things that we all take for granted but do little about. Do these ‘lesser’ crimes and offences deserve to go unpunished? There are no laws other than the laws of God, against hating other people, being selfish, pushing ahead of the queue, putting one’s self first and other anti-social activities. Does this mean we can dispense with any ideas of retribution for acting this way? In fact we are all guilty of such ‘minor’ things sometimes in our lives but most people try to limit this kind of behaviour and often have guilt feelings having known they should not have acted in such a way. It is personal moral standards which prevent us going too far in our dealings with others and in some cases the desire to be true to their religious faith. So there are limits to how far we go but always we are not punished for our actions other that having a guilty conscience. So do we get away scot-free? For the Christian no. . In God‘s eyes all sins are equal and deserving of punishment but for the unbeliever it is assumed that the do get away with it. All sins deserve punishment but there is no way we can make amends. God has other ideas

John 3:16 (New International Version, ©2010)

 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 God provided a way out. Jesus paid the penalty for ALL our sins, large or small. This means that they are ALL forgiven and we can go free but like every other free gift we need to take hold of it for it to become ours! It doesn’t mean we have to earn it by doing good things and living a good life although they are expected. Once we have been forgiven we cannot continue to live the way we used to. So you may think that you live a good life, offend nobody but you’d be wrong. Even some of your thoughts as you read this will prove that. There is a price to pay and if not you then who pays on your behalf?

Shirley Anne

Posted in God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit, Morality, Religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

A rip off?

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 17, 2011

We have a television program here in the UK called Rip off Britain and it brings to light various complaints from viewers regarding their experiences with being ripped off by certain companies and organisations. I am of the opinion that we, as a nation, are being ripped off in all sorts of ways. A few years ago we something called the Poll Tax whereby every adult individual in the country had to pay a fixed sum of money which paid for amenities such as the police, fire brigade, water sewage, waste removal and other services that we each use. Many people did not like the tax as it was the same amount for everybody irrespective of their income. That resulted in an even more unfair system called Council Tax which is essentially the same a Rates. This system  places a levy on each house and apartment in the country the amount of which is determined by the size of the property, irrespective of how many people living there. This means that two people living in a large house (as in my own case) can be charged more than six people living in a smaller house. How can that be fair? We each of us use the same amenities by the same amounts irrespective of the size of the property. A fairer system would be to re-introduce the Poll Tax but link it to a persons income so that the more that is earned the more that is paid. Place a fixed percentage on the taxed amount. This is only one example of the way people are ripped off, there are probably hundreds more.

About forty years ago I remember a television program called ‘Tomorrows World‘. It was a program about technical and medical inventions and progress with an outlook on future developments. On one particular program they showed a method of mixing petrol (gasolene for our american friends) with water using a sonic device. It was tested in a car and proved efficient, without any detrimental effect on the car’s performance. The ratio of the mixture was 25% petrol and 75% water! This would have cut fuel charges by almost 75% assuming there would be little water charges involved. What happened to that device? You can be certain that the inventor was bought out! In an age where we are desperately trying to cut fuel charges and emissions inventions such as these would be really valuable. Of course the government would lose a lot of revenue should such a device become available. Makes me wonder.

No doubt the reader will know of other incidences where we as a nation are being ripped off. Can you?

Shirley Anne xxx

Posted in Community, Money, Morality, Politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Secular law v Gods Law

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 15, 2011

In everything that concerns the exclusively earthly order of things, the Orthodox Christian is obliged to obey the law, regardless of how far it is imperfect and unfortunate. However, when compliance with legal requirements threatens his eternal salvation and involves an apostasy or commitment of another doubtless sin before God and his neighbour, the Christian is called to perform the feat of confession for the sake of God’s truth and the salvation of his soul for eternal life. He must speak out lawfully against an indisputable violation committed by society or state against the statutes and commandments of God. If this lawful action is impossible or ineffective, he must take up the position of civil disobedience (see, III. 5).

This statement forms part of a larger document issued by the Russian Orthodox Church which explains the standards by which the true Church of God scattered throughout the world are obliged to conform.

The whole document can be viewed here http://www.mospat.ru/en/documents/social-concepts/about/

I heard on the news today that the British Government is proposing a new law which will allow ‘gay’ couples, that is same-sex marriages or rather a civil ceremony to be conducted in churches throughout the land. Whether a church is allowed the freedom to refuse or not is not clear to me as yet. Depending on your stance this can either be a good thing or a bad thing. As a Christian I would disagree with such proposals and say that any church group allowing such ceremonies is not being faithful to God and His Laws. If you read fully the above document you will find that although all laws originated from the same source some are merely allowed by God because He allows us the freedom to choose. Naturally therefore, the secularists see no problem in conforming to the proposal. Personally I uphold the right for others to do as they please within secular law but for the Christian it is a matter between them and God. I do not agree however that secular law should be imposed on their religious right to conform to Gods Law within their own establishments. This should also be the rule for other faiths too. It would appear that secular society can try to impose its ideas on Christians but not the other way round. This is democracy at work! The real truth is that Christians are under pressure to conform, comply and one day even deny their faith. This is all written in Scripture as prophecy.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Law, Morality, Politics, Religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

What makes a criminal?

Posted by Shirley Anne on January 27, 2011

I have often wondered why it is that some people turn to crime and others go completely in the opposite direction. Is there an inherent defect in their genetic make-up or is it something that is learnt? Presumably even criminals know the difference between right and wrong or am I wrong in that assumption? There isn’t a day goes by without yet another crime being reported, a murder, a robbery, a burglary, identity theft, fraud, embezzlement or something else. Knowing there are penalties for crime doesn’t prevent the perpetrator in most cases. Those seeking to feed their habit of taking drugs will go to great lengths to obtain the funds to do it and that usually means committing a crime as well as having a motive for doing so. Is there then a motive for all crime or is some of it done on the spur of the moment? It is said that many a crime is opportunistic, without forethought but it takes a person who is inclined to do wrong to carry it out. Some crime is premeditated, either with or without fear of being caught. Would a normally righteous person take to crime if there were no fear in getting caught or would they be tempted if an opportunity arose? As a Christian I believe we are in a constant battle with the forces of evil and have to be on our guard at all times. For those who hold a different view, I wonder what you make of it all? What makes a criminal?

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Crime, Morality, Temptation | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 41 other followers