Now this may sound harsh . . .

Here is an interesting story.

“I think people sometimes think that poverty is an intractable problem that cannot be solved. I completely disagree with that,” says David Sutherland. In January this year, Sutherland quit his role as Chief Financial Officer for Morgan Stanley to dedicate himself full-time to poverty alleviation work.

So a rich banker, having made all the money he and his family will need for at least 20 lifetimes, decides to retire to run several non-government organizations dedicated to addressing global poverty. He even does it in the name of Christ. David Sutherland is Chairman of the Board for International Care Ministries. This is one cool and chic sandwich. A Mammonite has decided to atone for his sins in the financial business.

“The only reason that everybody doesn’t do poverty is because they can’t figure out how to do it. We’re business people and so we figure out solutions to that. I just felt like if somebody smart and driven was able to spend time doing it, and especially get with a group of people, that you can actually think about solutions to these sorts of problems. You could use those same skills that we use in business to actually make a difference. 

David Sutherland 

The article goes on to wax poetic on his mission to the poor. I cheered until I got to the part where the interview focused on his pet projects. In addition to his role with International Care Ministries, Sutherland has also two non-governmental organizations of his own. The first one offers business consulting services to charities.

Sutherland uses his experience and business skills to assist two other Hong Kong based non-profits working to combat poverty. Asian Charity Services provides business consulting and training to Hong Kong charities working with the city’s poorest. “They basically get investment bankers, all these big guys who have been reasonably successful in life, and now they want to give back”, says Sutherland.

Building better charities with investment bankers sounds like a clever way of building better fund-raisers (a.k.a. money-changers). That warrants the raising of at least one eyebrow. But the second non-governmental organization had me even more nonplused about his motives.

Friends of Hong Kong Charities is an organisation that facilitates donations to local charities by US citizens, helping them to overcome a taxation complication that might otherwise act as a disincentive. If a US citizen based in Hong Kong wants to make a charitable donation, the US system requires tax be paid on this. Friends of Hong Kong Charities is a dual-registered charity that Sutherland created “so that an American citizen that is paying taxes in two countries can get a deduction in both countries if he makes a contribution”, says Sutherland. Friends of Hong Kong Charities funnels these donations to local charities.

No one creates more tax loopholes for the rich in the name of Christ. Keep in mind that these are people who lack for nothing and their offspring will have anything they ever want. So why the hell do these rich Americans that make their living in a city in China need more incentives to donate to charity? It reminds me of a sermon I have read many times (Mark 10:17-31).

In that sermon (also found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke), you will recall that a rich young man ran up to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to be welcomed in the kingdom of God. To his credit, this man followed the ten commandments religiously (or claimed to do so). Jesus looked upon him with love and told him to demonstrate his love for God by giving up his wealth. That young man failed the test and Jesus went on to explain why the rich will be few in God's kingdom. In that context, David Sutherland seems to be encouraging rich folk to donate to charity out of the goodness of their heart (as long as they get more tax breaks for the donations). This story wound up giving me indigestion.

By the way, Hong Kong is one of the wealthiest cities in the world but also home to 1.3 million desperately poor people, many of whom work but earn too little to live in a place this expensive. A few fun facts about David Sutherland's home away from home in Hong Kong far away from his native America.

• 19.6 per cent of the city's population can now be classified as poor, or 15.2 per cent if regular cash welfare payments are included;

• More than half of those who fall under the poverty line have one or more full-time worker in their households;

• One in three elderly people - approximately 296,600 - are poor;

• One in five children - 208,800 youngsters - are poor; and

• 235,600 people on CSSA welfare still fall below the poverty line.

Remind me again why rich American industrialists need more tax incentives to help the poor living under their nose in Hong Kong. It strikes an unpleasant chord.

Entitlement

We hear a great deal about entitlements these days. Politicians love to whine about programs that benefit everyone. These "public servants" worry most about the cost of the programs because of the number of people that qualify, how much they receive, and how long the benefits last. Their goal is trim  these programs regardless of need or principle.

There is another type of entitlement that warrants more attention. It is the narcissistic view of some that the rules of society no longer apply to them. These people are worshippers of self and wealth. To hell with others.

First up, we have an attitude of entitlement from a free market fundamentalist. It comes from Robert Benmosche, CEO of AIG, the insurance company that got burned by playing in the derivatives market and then was bailed out by the taxpayers of the United States. In other words, he ran his business ship aground and then demanded we all pitch in and pay for the mistakes of his company. As we were bailing his butt out of the water, he was passing out $165 million in bonuses to the very people responsible for the wreck. He is still steamed about the public outcry over those bonuses.

That was ignorance … of the public at large, the government and other constituencies. I’ll tell you why. [Critics referred] to bonuses as above and beyond [basic compensation]. In financial markets that’s not the case. … It is core compensation. 

“Now you have these bright young people [in the financial-products unit] who had nothing to do with [the bad bets that hurt the company.] … They understand the derivatives very well; they understand the complexity. … They’re all scared. They [had made] good livings. They probably lived beyond their means. …They aren’t going to stay there for nothing. 

The uproar over bonuses “was intended to stir public anger, to get everybody out there with their pitch forks and their hangman nooses, and all that–sort of like what we did in the Deep South [decades ago]. And I think it was just as bad and just as wrong. 

“We wouldn’t be here today had they not stayed and accepted … dramatically reduced pay. … They really contributed an enormous amount [to AIG’s survival] and proved to the world they are good people. It is a shame we put them through that.”

So the whiz kids made lots and lots of money, started living well beyond their means, and then made high risk bets that put AIG into catastrophic debt. According to the CEO, these hipsters deserve extra cash to stay on with the company so they can enjoy the fruits of taxpayer generosity. Any criticism of the 6- and 7-figure bonuses is as bad as the lynch mobs that once terrorized people of color in the old South. Right. Greed and arrogance on steroids. It is the perfect illustration of the ethical bankruptcy of many corporate leaders.

In their minds, these people felt they were entitled to ever larger paydays without risk or consequence. Their only innovation was dressing up sow's ears and selling them as silk purses to unsuspecting customers.

Next we have spoiled rich kids. These 300 teens thought they were entitled to break in and vandalize the home of a former professional athlete, Brian Holloway. They even posted pictures of their debauchery and destruction on social media. Mr. Holloway had the pleasure of watching the destruction of his home unfold live on Twitter and Instagram. Kelly Lynch describes his reaction in this open letter to the parents of these kids.

Instead of demanding the arrest of your kids, he instead created a website, www.helpmesave300.com, where he reposted their photos, identified the people involved, and called for ways to reach out to young people and show them that there are better ways to spend their time than drinking, drugs and vandalism.

Only one of the 300 teens took responsibility and showed up. The other 99.67% took their attitude of entitlement to the next level.

Kelly Lynch goes on to describe more entitlement in this saga, this time from the parents.

Instead of sitting little Johnny down and reminding him that what he did is not acceptable and then dragging him by the collar to apologize to Mr. Holloway, you chose instead to harass and threaten the victim. Let's not forget here, your child victimized this man by destroying his home. How dare you respond with anything other than regret, embarrassment, and a sincere apology instead of righteous indignation, threats of violence and lawsuits. 

There is no question where these teens learned their irresponsible, self-centered worldview.

The final illustration of entitlement comes from the millionaires that populate the halls of the U.S. Congress. The latest trend is for these privileged people to demand slashing government assistance for the poor, old, sick, and disabled. So we have people that want for nothing feeling entitled to take away any security for the less fortunate. To amp up the perversity, these people even go so far as claim their callousness is God's will by twisting scripture to serve their mean-spiritedness.

The most recent example comes from Kevin Cramer, a congressman from North Dakota that has been a professional political operative his entire career. In other words, this man has never worked outside the rarified world of wealthy donors, lobbyists, and generous salaries paid by the taxpayers.

Earlier today, a constituent of North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer posted a comment on Cramer's Facebook wall. The constituent apparently wanted to make sure that -- after Cramer's vote to take food out of the mouths of hungry children, disabled people, the elderly and many military veterans -- Cramer was aware of some of the Biblical passages supporting the idea of helping the least of these. Cramer's response is kind of stunning. His response is, essentially, to let those people starve. Citing a different Biblical passage, here's what Cramer wrote:

Congressman Kevin Cramer 2 Thessalonians 3:10 English Standard Version (ESV) 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

Cramer's response was to a constituent that dared post Matthew 25:34-43 on the congressman's Facebook wall for all to see. This man is apparently undaunted by Jesus explaining how He will judge the quick and the dead. He is more than willing to bear false witness against the poor by calling them lazy and unwilling to work when the vast majority of those receiving government food assistance are working, but earning too little to support their families. This comes from a man that is paid $174,000 a year to work 125 days, not to mention lifetime health and retirement benefits. He is an entitled hypocrite.

My favorite example of entitlement in the U.S. Congress comes from Stephen Fincher from Tennessee. Like Cramer, he is a big fan of 2 Thessalonians 3:10 as he called the poor freeloaders and frauds on the House floor. His family has also received over $3 million in government farm subsidies from 1999 to 2012.

In Fincher's plan, he recently used a Bible verse about those unwilling to work not eating – as a defense. 

But some have called him hypocritical for reportedly accepting more than $3 million in federal farm subsidies himself since 1999. That includes more than $70,000 in his re-election year of 2012.

He also spearheaded changing how farm subsidies are handed out so large farms (like his) now get large tax cuts instead of direct payments. Profit without social responsibility is his motto.

The reason Christ expressed doubt about the moral fiber of the rich is the attitude of entitlement we see all too often on display. They exhibit narcissism on steroids. No empathy for the suffering of others. Inflated sense that they deserve all they have been given in life and even much more. Their actions have no consequences. They are above reproach. You can see all of those traits on display in the words and deeds of the people cited above.

Jesus used the parable of the faithful servant (Luke 12:42-48) to warn those given much that much more will be expected. The Lord promised dire consequences for the self-centered and self-satisfied, even those that profess faith.

45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

No one should be surprised that Christ had a very pessimistic view of the rich, predicting that most would fail the test of life. Some will exhibit a generosity of spirit that pleases God, but most will only be generous with themselves and their loved ones while giving no thought or care to others. They will succumb to the temptation of self-centeredness that comes from wanting for nothing. Woe to you rich for you have your reward (Luke 6:24).

The question is how should we, the body of Christ, respond during these trying times where the poor are condemned, hated, and left to suffer every indignity possible? Should we approach the rich and appeal to their conscience? Brian Holloway attempted to do that with the 300 children from wealthy families that destroyed his home and he was threatened with violence and lawsuits. Should we engage them by pointing out the error of their ways according to scripture and demand repentance? Do you seriously think that business leaders like Robert Benmosche and political leaders like Kevin Cramer and Stephen Fincher will admit the error of their ways, express remorse, and look to lend a helping hands to the less fortunate? It seems like a colossal waste of time and energy. These people are immune to shame. They respond aggressively to anyone that dares question their actions.

One flaw of liberation theology was attempting to confront and change unjust political and economic systems through political engagement. In the process, some in the church found themselves in bed with those seeking change by any means necessary including violence.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was successful in raising awareness of the evils of racial discrimination through nonviolent protest, but he was murdered when he raised his voice against war and poverty. In our society, mistreating the poor is now perfectly acceptable as long as you do not use skin color as the excuse. Economic inequality and injustices have increased since the death of Dr. King. So far, the arc of history has not bent toward economic justice in a country where Christianity remains the overwhelmingly dominant religion.

Politicians like Cramer and Fincher even tout their Christian credentials, especially when running for office as champions of "family values." Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth but warned that we can lose our savoriness in the eyes of God if we are not careful. In nature salts typically lose their potency by dilution and pollution. These political leaders are pursing materialism (Mammon) while claiming to follow Christ. Their unsavoriness is apparent as they scramble for a sentence of scripture to twist to justify their callousness while ignoring the unmistakeable call for compassion that runs from Genesis to Revelation. Political advocacy by people of faith is not going to change their heart.

Perhaps a more Christ-centered way of bending the arc of history is to find ways to lift the crosses of the poor, sick, disabled, and old that go beyond government assistance and charity. To do that requires people of faith work together and think creatively. Working through or with those infected with the yeast of Mammon will not succeed and more than likely will drag us into the muck with them.

The hardening heart of America

Every day brings more evidence that the least fortunate in our society have become targets of our political leaders. Cities across the nation have rushed to criminalize homelessness by passing ordinances making it illegal to eat, sleep, or beg on our streets. We see people living in cardboard boxes or taking shelter in underpasses. We watch them talk to themselves and simply roll our eyes. No one can claim not to have witnessed unmet needs for shelter, food, and medical care for physical and psychological disorders.

Here is another example of the hardening of our hearts, this time from Pennsylvania. Faith-based organizations have been feeding the homeless in the courthouse parking lot in Harrisburg for the past seven years. It is a central location downtown that allows hundreds of homeless people to be fed efficiently. Now comes word from the powers that be that public property cannot be used to feed the homeless and outreach workers risk arrest for setting up tables in these empty parking lots.

The excuse given by public officials is that the local bank, which rents space from the county, has complained about sanitary problems because of public urination.

There have been incidents, according to the county's Deputy Chief Clerk Scott Burford. Public urination and defecation in the parking lots. Citizens Bank, which rents ground floor space from the county, complained that its ATM kiosk had been turned into a Port-A-John. Employees from both the bank and the county had been "harassed, heckled and followed in some ways," Burford said.

I cannot help but wonder if perhaps the bank harassed the homeless for using its bathrooms and the homeless retaliated by using the ATM as a bathroom. Of course, there is a simple solution. A portable potty could be located in the parking lot to accommodate the needs of the homeless and eliminate conflict with the bank, but that is too logical and caring. Instead, there are "No Loitering" signs posted everywhere and new ordinances to prevent the use of public property to feed the homeless.

The county claims they are not just targeting the homeless. It seems the patrons of local bars have been behaving badly as well.

The county's new enforcement goals will extend beyond the group of homeless men and women who congregate on county property, Burford said. They will also deter Second Street bar patrons that park in the lot, or stop to relieve themselves against a wall on their way home.

Perhaps the homeless have been accused of being a larger public nuisance than they actually are. But who cares about the homeless? They do not have the money to donate to politicians or spend in local businesses. They are just human trash that needs to be kept out of sight and mind for the privileged in our society. At least that seems to be the mindset of local politicians and business leaders.

A couple of other points from the story that deserve mention. First, the problem of homelessness in the Harrisburg area is growing.

Homelessness in Harrisburg has risen 40 percent in the last six years, said Bethesda Mission executive director Chuck Wingate. The volunteers at Isaiah 61 Ministries say they have seen a lot of new faces showing up in line over the summer.

Without a central location, the ad hoc coalition of 25 faith organizations that have come together to serve the area's homeless is likely to collapse. The authorities created new rules but offered no alternatives.

Untreated or poorly managed mental illnesses are prominent in the homeless population in Harrisburg and across the nation. What sort of sick society ignores the needs of people that cannot care for themselves because of psychiatric disorders?

One can only hope and pray that the faith organizations that have been working hard to help the homeless in the Harrisburg area find the strength and inspiration to get around the hardened hearts of local authorities and the moneychangers at Citizens Bank.

The wedding feast

Here is a modern spin on the parable of the wedding feast  (Luke 14:16-24).

Carol Fowler says she was fully prepared to lose the deposits she and her husband Willie put down on a lavish reception for their daughter's abruptly cancelled wedding. 

"We went home that evening and my husband woke up the next morning and I was in the process of cancelling out the venue and he said, 'No, what we'll do is donate it to Hosea Feed the Hungry,'" Carol told ABCNews.com. 

The poor are invited to take the place of the privileged as wedding guests.

A short while later the couple met up with Elizabeth Omilami, head of Hosea, to coordinate the event, which involved busing some 200 homeless men, women, and children to the reception hall for a four course meal complete with plenty of entertaining activities for the young and old alike.

They are grateful for the opportunity and let nothing go to waste.

Foster also noted that the experience of seeing all the empty plates was "eye-opening" for her. 

"You go to weddings sometimes and you see a lot of people really waste food," she said. "We take so many things for granted. These clients or guests, as we call them, they don't."

The host of the feast was pleased.

Something beautiful

Photographer Michael Pharaoh decided to capture the humanity of the homeless living on the streets of Los Angeles. The first photos from that collection can be found here.

"It was interesting to hear all of their stories and how they came to live on the streets. This project was both a sad yet humbling one."

Amen.

"I find suffering here"

A brother in Christ offers an interesting assessment.

CAGLIARI, Sardinia (Reuters) - Pope Francis made one of his strongest attacks on the global economic system on Sunday, saying it could no longer be based on a "god called money" and urged the unemployed to fight for work.

Greed is hurting people in these poor communities.

"I find suffering here ... It weakens you and robs you of hope," he said. "Excuse me if I use strong words, but where there is no work there is no dignity."

The golden calf has returned as many worship wealth and value greed.

"It is not a problem of Italy and Europe ... It is the consequence of a world choice, of an economic system that brings about this tragedy, an economic system that has at its centre an idol which is called money," he said to the cheers of the crowd.

He goes on to say that our economic system throws the vulnerable to the proverbial wolves.

Francis said globalization had brought with it a culture where the weakest in society suffered the most and often, those on the fringes "fall away", including the elderly, who he said were victims of a "hidden euthanasia" caused by neglect of those no longer considered productive.

If you doubt that appraisal, I will show you poor communities where there are high prices, violent gangs, crime, substance abuse, almost no jobs, and little hope of escaping poverty. To further salt the wounds, government programs to help feed the poor and care for the sick have even become political targets. Our society and economic system have failed these people.

I agree with Pope Francis' diagnosis, but it leaves two big questions. Who is going to step up to help? What are they going to do?

A banner day for evil

Just another day in the life of evil.

In Pakistan, there was a mass murder at a church.

A suicide bomb attack on a historic church in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 52 people and wounded over 100 Sunday, officials said, in one of the worst assaults on the country’s Christian minority in years. 

The bombing underlines the threat posed by Islamic extremists as the government seeks a peace deal with domestic Taleban militants. 

It occurred as worshippers were coming out of the church in Peshawar city following services to get a free meal of rice offered on the front lawn, said a top government administrator, Sahibzada Anees.

In Iraq, there was a mass murder at a funeral.

Almost 100 people have died after two suicide bombers targeted a funeral in the Shi'ite neighbourhood of Sadr City in Baghdad. 

One bomber detonated his explosives-laden car as he drove up near a tent where mourners had gathered and another on foot blew himself up nearby. 

A third explosion followed as police, ambulances and firefighter were gathering at the scene.

In Kenya, there was a mass murder at a shopping center.

At least 59 people were killed and 175 injured in Saturday's attack on a Nairobi shopping centre, a Kenyan government minister has said. 

Joe Lenku said 1,000 people had managed to escape from the Westgate centre after the assault by suspected al-Shabab militants. 

He added that between 10 to 15 attackers were still in the building.

Only the truly sick in mind would call these killings just. The evil is clear.

We often hear that religion is somehow the cause of these murders. Yet these events have nothing to do with God. God did not sanction these acts. These acts of inglorious carnage are about power. These are primitive acts where one group of human animals is trying to intimidate another group. For example, a Christian minority has been used a scapegoat and targeted for violence in Pakistan. A Muslim minority targeted members of the Muslim majority during a funeral in Iraq. Somali Muslims killed supporters of the Kenya government in a shopping mall. It is about human beings behaving worse than animals. These murderers failed God.

We are talking about human beings that put power above all else. They feel powerful when other people fear them. It is a strong temptation. We have invested in the world's largest military because many Americans want others to fear us. America has used that military might frequently to kill people in other countries. God had nothing to do with it.

Gang bangers shoot up streets to create fear. Religious extremists do it for the same reason. God has nothing to do with any of it.

People kill others to steal their possessions, even parking places. No God in any of this.

The atheists have it all wrong when they blame violence on religion. In fact, Jesus said not to return evil for evil. Violence is merely a tool used by people that lust for what others have. I am shocked all these people that claim to be experts in human reason fail to see violence for what it is. Violence is a failure to love others. Last time I checked,  Jesus demanded his followers to love others, even our enemies.

Mammon on parade

Payscale has just released its annual list of the most obscenely paid corporate leaders. A bit of background is in order. In 1970, the average CEO was paid about 40 times the median salary of the company's employees. Two decades later, the CEO to worker pay ratio had climbed to nearly 200. In 2012 it reached 354 times. Non-executive pay in this country has essentially stagnated over the past four decades and living wage jobs have been exported to cheap labor markets by the boatload.

The narrative in this country is we live in a "meritocracy." That is, the men and women at the top have "earned" their bloated paychecks, although they get fists full of cash whether their company succeeds or fails. These are supposed to be our role models. Our children should want to grow up and fight their way up the corporate ladder like these gilded idols.

Take a closer look. At the top of the list is the CEO of Walmart, who is paid a mere 1000 times what the average worker in the company makes. This is the same company that put family-owned retail stores out of business all over rural America. Between factory farms and Walmartification, poverty is now all too common in small towns all over the country. And despite $15 to 20 billion in profits every year, Walmart pays most of its retail staff less than $8 an hour, keeps their hours low, and provides few benefits.

You also find Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase. His company has been a part of the largest financial scandals of the past decade, including the 1.5$ trillion LIBOR rate rigging scheme, the mortgage bundling mess at the heart of the housing market crash, energy trading scams, price fixing in the commodity markets, and the "London Whale" scam that cost the company over $6 billion dollars (not counting the $920 million fine for misbehavior). Despite the parade of scandals, this company was bailed out by the taxpayers and Dimon was paid $19 million in salary last year (not counting tens of millions in stock options and benefits).

If my child grew up to look like the people at the top of this list, I would consider myself a complete failure as a parent. These are people who simply do not care how much suffering they create with destructive and even dishonest practices. Their companies now spend millions every year to corrupt politicians and our political process to detriment of our democracy. Market value has replaced values in our society.

This is what I think a hero looks like.

This man is a 55-year-old pastor of a small church on the south side of Chicago. The beautiful child in his lap is his partially blind granddaughter. I meet him an interfaith picnic a few months ago. He spends his time trying to mentor young people in his community and help them find ways off the street and away from gangs. He and his lovely wife have created pop-up festivals, community gardens, and helped rehabilitate abandoned buildings. His faith is alive. You can see Jesus in him (although he is far too humble to accept that characterization).

He describes the challenge in reaching young people in his community as the most difficult thing he has ever tried to do. They describe pursuing an education and a job as "old school" with little chance of success. The only successful entrepreneurs they see in the community are drug dealers. These kids have become numb to the violence all around them..

The values in our society have become perverse. Greed wins out over compassion and justice. Cut-throat competition wins out over cooperation and community. Materialism wins out over people and God. We need Christ more than ever but younger generations are turning away from organized religion in droves.

Take a good look at the suffering all around us and the dark clouds on the horizon. We, the body of Christ, have work to do. Not the kind of work that our society recognizes and rewards, but the kind that finds favor in the eyes of God.

Gang banging

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Oh snap

Our political leaders in the U.S. House decided that the poor should starve until the federal budget is more to their liking. They slapped themselves on the back as they cut $40 billion in food assistance despite millions fewer jobs than people looking for work. Afterwards, these little men and women bounded before cameras to gloat. 

"This bill is designed to give people a hand when they need it most. Most people don't choose to be on food stamps. Most people want a job," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) "Most people want to go out and be productive so that they can earn a living, so that they can support a family, so that they can have hope for a more prosperous future. They want what we want."

Cutting food stamps will create jobs, Mr. Cantor? Of course not. You know that. You just do not care. I am sure the people hurt by this will not live anywhere near you. If there are fewer jobs than people, how exactly will these cuts "give people a hand when they need it most?" None of this passes a smell test. 

Who are these callous, self-centered people and why the hell are they on my television?

Compare for yourself

In this corner we have Rachel Held Evans. She is a hosting a blog discussion on the subject of homosexuality, using the affirmative talk by Matthew Vines as the jumping off point. (A link to his video can be found in the text below.)

I’ve read several books and articles exploring both the traditional and affirming perspectives, but perhaps no one else so succinctly, persuasively, and carefully presents the affirming view than Matthew Vines in his now-famous no-frills, one-hour lecture on the topic, delivered at a church in his Kansas hometown. Upon confronting the reality that he was gay, Matthew, a committed Christian, left college to devote two years to studying the topic. Now he has launched The Reformation Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity. He is currently writing a book for publication by Random House in early 2014.

I saw Matthew's talk about a year ago. It was powerful. Here is a young man devoted to Christ who makes the case that committed same-sex relationships should be accepted in the body of Christ. He is not advocating promiscuity. He is not advocating celibacy. Vows of celibacy often get broken in perverse ways. Think sexual abuse and grossly inappropriate conduct. No, Matthew wants to share his life with a partner in a committed loving relationship as he pursues his call by Christ.

It has seems like a no-brainer to welcome people like Matthew as a brother in Christ. Like Matthew and Rachel, I was raised in a conservative Christian household. Homosexuality was presented as deviance. The big handful of sentences from scripture condemning homosexuality were waved like a flag. I believed all the bluster until I got to know someone who was gay. The only difference between us was that he is attracted to men and I am turned on by women. I could not find another difference. And over the years I have had the privilege to know many incredible people that happened to be gay. One is a painter that was raised Catholic and felt shunned by the church. Yet the walls of his home are covered in crucifixes. He has been in a committed relationship for most of his 70 years of life. He confides that sex now is a just a distant memory because both men struggle with different forms of cancer. The affection between them is palpable. They are caregivers for each other.

There are 613 commandments in the Torah. Jesus boiled them all down to two - love God and love others. Everything follows from these two basic ideas. He set the bar for loving others really high. His example was to go among the people rejected by society, heal their suffering, and share the good news of God's love and grace. He said to love even our enemies, including those that mistreat us. He also had harsh words for religious authorities in a rush to throw stones at sinners. He looked into their hearts and saw sin's corruption. He told the ones without sin to throw the first stone instead of egging on a mob of would be executioners. They all walked away in shame.

Rachel gives her reaction to the video in the comments section. Here is some of what she said:

What I like most about Matthew's presentation is that he deals with some of the lingering questions I always have after hearing the affirming view. His response to the challenge that "all the BIble's references to homosexuality are negative," is, I think, a good one. That has always been a hang-up of mine, and while Matthew's response still leaves a question in my mind (why are there no positive examples of a homosexual relationships in Scripture?) it makes sense. I also think he responds well to the charge that gay Christians who don't want to be celibate are just trying to take the easy way out and are unwilling to commit to the sacrificial nature of following Jesus.

In the other corner, we have the Ridgedale Church of Christ.

But that’s what happened at Ridgedale Church of Christ, which last month asked a family to choose between its support of a gay relative and its membership in the church. The family left their church home of some 60 years over the confrontation and told their story, making headlines from coast to coast.

Katherine Cooper is a policewoman on the force of a nearby city. She petitioned the city council to extend partner benefits to her spouse, a woman she married in another state. The city council agreed. The public hearing caught the attention of church members. Kat Cooper just happens to have grown up in Ridgedale Church of Christ and is the great granddaughter of one of the church's founding members. Church elders told the parents and other relatives to come before the congregation and repent of their support for their loved one. The family chose to leave the church.

Ridgedale Pastor Ken Willis said the family the church approached was asked to repent for their public show of support for a gay relative. Church leaders couldn’t ignore what they felt was a flouting of church values, he said, but the family is welcome back in the congregation.

“God’s mercy endures forever,” he said last week. “But not for those who are in rebellion against God.”

Interesting choice of words - "those who are in rebellion against God." Leaders of Ridgedale Church of Christ wanted to conduct a public stoning of sorts.

Instead of accepting a public shaming, the family walked out. It set a powerful example.

Beyond that, what Ridgedale showed was church members standing up against religious authority in a public fashion. Such stories just don’t find their way to the evening news, the morning paper or national blogs the way the Ridgedale incident did.

Do you see Christ in these church leaders? Do you see Christians being taught to love others as Jesus taught? It is not obvious to me. You mean to tell me those church leaders are without sin?

The tempest caught the attention of others even including high profile leaders like Richard Land. 

Richard Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary and Bible College, said churches should get back in the habit of holding members accountable. Too many have gone soft, he said, as an overreaction to past abuses in which the church publicly humiliated and castigated members. 

“I think we should be practicing church discipline more, but in the right way,” said Land, the onetime head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics and religious liberty commission. “The purpose of church discipline is not to drive people away. It is to make them aware of their sin and the fact that their sin is damaging their relationship with God. It’s a hurdle put up in your way to keep you from going down the wrong path.”

This is the same Richard Land that preemptively blessed the war in Iraq in the name of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). His prophesy that the war was just and consistent with the teachings of Christ can be found here. As we all know now, this turned out to be a war justified on lies. It was the most expensive in our history. Attempts to rebuild the country were filled with incompetence and corruption. We rewrote Iraqi laws to give control of its oil to multinational corporations. The country is still racked by the sectarian violence that could erupt in all-out civil war. The fruits of this war have all been rotten. Now find me any attempt to hold Richard Land accountable for his false prophesy. It took racist comments and plagiarism to get him in trouble with the SBC. Fascinating role model for seminary students.

Now come calls from other church leaders in the area to support Ridgedale Church of Christ. They even charge that Ridgedale is being persecuted for standing up to sinners. You can find a few examples here and here. In their eyes, Ridgedale is just getting tough with sin. They are being condemned by a  secular culture for not bending to changing attitudes toward homosexuality.

Robert Gagnon is the go-to biblical scholar for those that demand that homosexuals be treated as second class citizens and Christians. You can find his reaction to views similar to those of Matthew Vines here.

Imagine you are a person without faith. Would you be more open to God after hearing Matthew Vines or Ridgedale pastor Ken Willis?

But Mr. Putin America is exceptional

Russian president Vladimir Putin created a stir when he dared question American exceptionalism in a New York Times editorial.

And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

The editorial is riddled with hypocrisy. He points out America's checkered history of military interventions while neglecting to mention those of his own country. Putin also forgets to mention that his country armed Syria with chemical warfare agents and delivery systems. Nothing like a lecture on peace by someone with bloody hands.

Even an ethically challenged political leader can occasionally stumble on an indisputable truth. As he notes in the concluding paragraph, we are all equal in God's eyes. That reminder is necessary because too many American politicians like to pretend we are morally, economically, and, of course, militarily superior to the rest of the world as if we are a shining city reflecting God's blessings.

There is little doubt that our foreign policy is quite far from exceptional. For every cent we spend on helping other countries provide its citizens with basic necessities and a few niceties, we spend ten dollars on military training and hardware. I suppose you could call that a perverse form of exceptionality.

Putin overlooked a few other ways in America is truly exceptional.

We stand head and shoulders above the rest of the developed world in our neglect of people with psychiatric disorders. Now if you are blessed with wealth or a generous insurance plan, you can find care for mental illness in a spa-like settings. The less fortunate often find themselves living on the streets or in jails. At least a quarter of the homeless population suffer from debilitating psychiatric symptoms with little hope of effective diagnosis, treatment, or protective care. To further add to the suffering of these people, political leaders across the nation have passed ordinances that effectively criminalize homelessness. Here is a recent example from the great state of Florida. Cook County in Illinois closed the majority of its community mental health centers only to have many former patients wind up in jail.

Ask yourself what kind of civilized nation treats its mental ill with such neglect, contempt, and cruelty. This national disgrace is not limited to our civilian population. Mental health problems are also epidemic in combat veterans that served in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those wounded in combat. There is growing evidence that combat traumatic brain injuries are a major risk factor in the high suicide rate of veterans. Neglecting the mental health needs of the men and woman that have served our nation in uniform is certainly exceptional.

And let's not forget our deadly obsession with guns. We have more guns than people in the United States. We also have the distinction of having gun violence and death rates at least 20 times higher than other developed nations. Rampage killings have become common in our schools, businesses, government buildings, and even military bases. After each bloodbath, the National Rifle Association goes on its own rampage against any politician that dares suggest we need gun control. Our appetite for guns and violence on our streets is indeed exceptional.

The specter of mental illness can also be found in our grim body count statistics. In the first decade of the 21st century, 60% of gun deaths were self-inflicted. That is over 200,000 suicides. Let's call it American roulette. Our gun culture makes it easy to successfully act on suicidal thoughts, which are all too common with depressive disorders.

Pastor Rick Warren's son recently shot himself to death, leaving the family to wrestle with questions of why.

Rick and Kay Warren have been outspoken about the plague of gun violence in the United States, especially since their son, Matthew, took his own life in April after what the family call a lifelong struggle with mental illness. 

“In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided,” Warren wrote to staffers at Saddleback Church, his megachurch in Orange County, California.

Pastor Warren displayed the strength and courage that comes from following Christ when he tweeted  this after his son's suicide:

Someone on the internet sold Matthew an unregistered gun. I pray he seeks God's forgiveness. I forgive him. #MATTHEW 6:15 

2:44 PM - 11 Apr 2013

God's grace and mercy is desperately needed in this country. On Monday, another mentally disturbed individual went on a shooting spree at the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 and wounding 8 others before being shot by police. We learned the shooter was a veteran with mental health problems and a history of gun-related incidents. Like other recent rampage killers, he decided to take innocent lives before committing suicide or being killed by law enforcement. Yet our political leaders have become so intimidated by the gun lobbyists that any discussion of background checks or closing legal loopholes is now prohibited.

Putin is wrong. We are exceptional in some very sick and twisted ways. The combination of our failed mental health system and our love of guns and violence continues to have disastrous consequences. After each tragedy, our glorious political leaders invoke God's name, offer prayers of condolence, and do nothing. That comes across as exceptionally cowardly and cynical.

The only silver lining in the wake of the latest rampage is an exceptional bit of satire. Political operative David Frum tweeted out five rules for how we should talk about gun violence.

Rule 1: It is "ghoulish" to suggest in any way that the easy availability of guns might in any way enable gun slaughter.

Rule 2: Gun crime in the president's hometown proves that guns anywhere else are no fit topic of conversation.

Rule 3: All gun owners are to be complimented as responsible and law-abiding until they personally have hurt themselves or somebody else.

Rule 4: Any attempt to stop mass casualty shootings is "political." Allowing them to continue is"non-political."

Rule 5: Gun ownership is essential to freedom, as in Serbia & Guatemala. Gun restrictions lead to tyranny, as in Australia & Canada.

So you see, Mr. Putin, we are exceptional. Just not in ways we can be proud of. 

Ha ha

A little poetic justice in the morning. The casual sex dating site that owns Penthouse magazine has gone broke.

Sept 17 (Reuters) - FriendFinder Networks, which publishes the adult magazine Penthouse, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday with the aim of cutting its debt load as the company struggled to make certain loan payments, a court filing showed. 

The holding company, which also houses internet sites such as adultfriendfinder.com, listed out estimated liabilities of $500 million to $1 billion and assets less than $10 million, according to a court filing. 

FriendFinder has not turned in a net profit at least since 2008, Thomson Reuters data shows. Total revenue for the four consecutive fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2013 was $293.70 million, a filing showed.

Here is the world's smallest violin playing a sad, sad tune.

Just once

The problem with spending so much money on the military is that the temptation to use it becomes overpowering. Military options always make the short list. It does not matter whether the president is a Republican or Democrat. We have appointed ourselves as the world's SWAT team. Yet, our leaders act genuinely surprised when Americans become targeted by terrorists. If these great minds were half as intelligent as they claim to be, they would examine the fruits of our wars. What peace have we ever achieved with our weapons? There are no good wars, only theoretically "good" reasons to do terrible things. 

We need a fresh approach. Consider Syria. Here is one example of the collapse of critical institutions in that country. 

The conflict in Syria has led to what is arguably one of the world's worst humanitarian crises since the end of the Cold War. An estimated 100 000 people have been killed, most of them civilians, and many more have been wounded, tortured, or abused. Millions have been driven from their homes, families have been divided, and entire communities torn apart; we must not let considerations of military intervention destroy our ability to focus on getting them help. 

As doctors and medical professionals from around the world, the scale of this emergency leaves us horrified. We are appalled by the lack of access to health care for affected civilians, and by the deliberate targeting of medical facilities and personnel. It is our professional, ethical, and moral duty to provide treatment and care to anyone in need. When we cannot do so personally, we are obliged to speak out in support of those risking their lives to provide life-saving assistance. 

Systematic assaults on medical professionals, facilities, and patients are breaking Syria's health-care system and making it nearly impossible for civilians to receive essential medical services. According to WHO, 37% of Syrian hospitals have been destroyed and a further 20% severely damaged. Makeshift clinics have become fully fledged trauma centres struggling to cope with the injured and sick. According to the Violations Documentation Centre, an estimated 469 health workers are currently imprisoned, and about 15 000 doctors have been forced to flee abroad according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Of the 5000 physicians in Aleppo before the conflict started, only 36 remain.1

Syria has no functioning medical care system, but thousands of people are horribly wounded in thus vicious civil war every week. So why aren't we talking about dropping food and medical supplies instead of bombs? Maybe we should push a resolution in the UN to care for Syria's wounded and sick. Let's risk our lives to save some lives in Syria and it should not matter which side of the conflict the wounded happen to be on. That would be truly courageous leadership. That would be Christ-like.

I am confused

It seems like it is becoming more difficult to get people interested in Christ than it was even a decade ago. Calling yourself a Christian has become something of a cliche these days. It has become almost a code word signifying that you can be trusted in personal and business relationships. It is also required when running for public office in many places. I am sure to the non-religious in America we Christians look like a hypocritical bunch. Many who talk a lot about GOD find excuses to treat their fellow citizens with neglect, contempt, or abuse.

Kansas provides one example. State government is filled with people that put their faith on display on the campaign trail. Those professions of faith seems oddly out of character with their professions of policy. The governor and the state legislature have cut benefits for 20,000 low income families even though the state has more than 20,000 fewer jobs than when the Great Recession hit in 2008. What a fine display of less than Christ-like leadership. These benefit cuts will help pay for tax cuts for wealthy individuals and businesses. Nothing is trickling down to the poor. In fact, poverty has increased in Kansas despite some economic recovery.

Some 384,000 Kansans, or 13.8 percent of the state’s population, live at or below the poverty line, $23,050 a year for a family of four. That’s up by nearly 80,000 people since before the recession hit in 2008. Among children, the numbers have jumped 34,000, from 14.5 percent to nearly 19 percent.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/01/05/2626030/brownbacks-policies-aiding-or.html#storylink=cpy

Fear not, these "Christian" political leaders have a plan. They want to encourage education, economic opportunity, and "family values. Yes, the big idea of these big Christians like Gov. Sam Brownback is to tell the poor to get a good eduction, a well-paying job, and married. Of course they cut state spending on public education at the grade and college level. There goes that ladder out of poverty. The economic stimulus plan is to give tax cuts to the well-to-do. News flash. Giving rich people more money has NEVER created more jobs. NEVER. And how very droll to tell the poor to get a job when state officials know there is a shortage of jobs, particularly ones that pay more than poverty level wages. Those are mighty interesting family values on display. For good measure, Kansas has also fought any extension of Medicare, which will leave many low income families without any access to medical care.

No one is tempted to Christ by the example of these hard-hearted politicians that love to talk about their faith to get votes. There is no ambiguity here. Jesus taught His followers to help those in need. No exceptions. Deliberately harming the less fortunate is a definite no-no but no one is telling these politicians to repent. In fact, people calling themselves evangelical Christians will come out in droves to vote for politicians that thumb their nose at the teachings of Jesus. 

A little reminder from Revelation 3:14-18:

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Talking up Christ while trashing the poor epitomizes a lukewarm Christian. When blinded by greed and ambition, it is impossible to keep your eyes on Jesus. These are lousy witnesses for God's love and grace. They tell people to ignore the suffering of their neighbors. This is why the endorsement of politicians and political ideology by churches, denominations, and religious media personalities damages the Christian brand. No one should be surprised when people walk away from organized religion and let go of their faith in Jesus. The only surprise for me is that the exodus has not been faster.

If you want to push policies that are harmful to the citizens of this country and the world community, please do not share your "faith" in Christ. It makes people that truly want to follow Jesus look bad in our society. The opposite of evangelism is to to drive people away from Christ. Jesus expects his disciples to love others as He does us. That means attending to the suffering of others, not pleasuring yourself. Fair warning. You will be toast if this comes out of your mouth on the day of Judgment: ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ Friends don't let friends become crispy critters. 

Scenes of wanton waste and cruelty

This week has seen the strange juxtaposition of the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and our government's call to bomb Syria in response to its use of chemical weapons on its citizens. It was not long after the attacks that we pointed the finger at Afghanistan for harboring bin Laden and his little band of thugs. Because of the Taliban-run government's refusal to turn over the terrorists, we bombed the country to topple the regime. Fast forward 12 years and you find the Taliban still active, the government filled with corrupt politicians, and our military occupation coming to an end. Here is the perfect exclamation point to this absurd nightmare:

Facing a tight deadline and tough terrain, the U.S. military has destroyed more than 170 million pounds worth of vehicles and other military equipment as it rushes to wind down its role in the Afghanistan war by the end of 2014. 

The massive disposal effort, which U.S. military officials call unprecedented, has unfolded largely out of sight amid an ongoing debate inside the Pentagon about what to do with the heaps of equipment that won’t be returning home. Military planners have determined that they will not ship back more than $7 billion worth of equipment — about 20 percent of what the U.S. military has in Afghanistan — because it is no longer needed or would be too costly to ship back home.

Many in this country still feel that Afghanistan was a 'just' war with less than optimal outcomes. That is half right. No one can contest the high cost and poor outcomes of the war. It is the 'just' part that stands out as untrue. In our rush for vengeance, we failed to accomplish anything beyond blowing up things and killing people. I see nothing remotely resembling justice. Just wasted blood, materiel, and money.

Now we are telling the world that military action against the Syrian government is justified. It is just the latest example of what happens when human civilization crumbles into chaos. Both sides are becoming consumed with hatred. In fact, it is a hatred so potent that it will last for generation after generation. Here is a first hand account from a photographer documenting the civil war.

The man was brought in to the square. His eyes were blindfolded. I began shooting pictures, one after the other. It was to be the fourth execution that day I would photograph. I was feeling awful; several times I had been on the verge of throwing up. But I kept it under control because as a journalist I knew I had to document this, as I had the three previous beheadings I had photographed that day, in three other locations outside Aleppo. 

The crowd began cheering. Everyone was happy. I knew that if I tried to intervene I would be taken away, and that the executions would go ahead. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to change what was happening and I might put myself in danger. 

I saw a scene of utter cruelty: a human being treated in a way that no human being should ever be treated. But it seems to me that in two and a half years, the war has degraded people’s humanity. On this day the people at the execution had no control over their feelings, their desires, their anger. It was impossible to stop them. 

I don’t know how old the victim was but he was young. He was forced to his knees. The rebels around him read out his crimes from a sheet of paper. They stood around him. The young man was on his knees on the ground, his hands tied. He seemed frozen. 

Two rebels whispered something into his ear and the young man replied in an innocent and sad manner, but I couldn’t understand what he said because I don’t speak Arabic. 

At the moment of execution the rebels grasped his throat. The young man put up a struggle. Three or four rebels pinned him down. The man tried to protect his throat with his hands, which were still tied together. He tried to resist but they were stronger than he was and they cut his throat. They raised his head into the air. People waved their guns and cheered. Everyone was happy that the execution had gone ahead.

It is impossible to argue with the suggestion that nearly 3 years of "civil" war "has degraded people's humanity," What good will our bombs do in this toxic environment of hatred and grief? The same good they did in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Libya. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And yet, the president is calling for blood, seemingly blind to the less than ideal outcomes in our previous military misadventures. Repeating the same mistakes over and over will somehow turn out better this time. Rubbish!!

Christ calls us to heal the world, not open new wounds. If you want to see why the Lord told his followers to become peacemakers, look no further than the fruits of our military interventions over the past decade or so.

Shameful

More disturbing statistics on our failing economy:

One in five Americans reported in August that they did not have enough money to buy the food that they or their family needed in the past year, more than said so earlier this year and near highs seen since 2008. Similarly, Americans' overall access to basic necessities has not recovered to the levels seen before the economic crisis. These findings suggest that the economic recovery may be disproportionately benefitting upper-income Americans rather than those who are struggling to fulfill their basic needs. 

Stagnant wages are one possible reason why Americans' ability to afford food and other basic needs has not improved since the recession. According to an August 2013 Wall Street Journal analysis of Labor Department data, "the average hourly pay for a nongovernment, non-supervisory worker, adjusted for price increases, declined to $8.77 [in July 2013] from $8.85 at the end of the recession in June 2009." Depressed wages are likely negatively affecting the economic recovery by reducing consumer spending, but another serious and costly implication may be that fewer Americans are able to consistently afford food and meet other basic needs.

Give us this day our daily bread.  Forgive us, Lord, for turning a blind eye to the suffering all around us.

A mere dozen of years

When hate-filled men from several of our Arab allies (Saudi Arabia, Egypt) highjacked and crashed planes into big buildings twelve years ago, I hoped that we would act like a "Christian nation." Instead of moral clarity, we came unhinged.

On the 12th anniversary of those attacks, we are debating whether to bomb targets in Syria. A few years ago, we cobbled together a coalition to bomb Libya. We bombed and invaded Afghanistan and Iraq within two years after the September 11 tragedy.

We declared that terrorists are jealous of our freedoms. To slake their envy, we lost the right to privacy. We can be patted down, scanned, and filmed no matter where we travel. Our government used the attacks as an excuse to spy on us, supposedly to "protect" us from future threats. Corporations are pouring money into our political system to elect politicians that promise to free these private companies from paying taxes and following laws. The only constitutional right that is apparently worth defending is the right to carry a gun everywhere.

Judging from our reactions to September 11 attacks in 2001, it seems to me that the terrorists won. They brought out the worst in us.

Get rid of the barbed wire

The state of Colorado has a plan to repurpose a correctional facility into a homeless housing and services center.

The rural Fort Lyon prison facility, shuttered by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper amid budget cuts in 2011, reopened Tuesday as a repurposed facility intended to aid the state’s homeless population.

After intense back-and-forths and political wrangling at the state Capitol this year, lawmakers passed a measure that appropriated funds to bus the state’s homeless to the rural facility to receive substance-abuse support services, medical care and job training.

Only 14 people have agreed to be bused and "housed" in the facility, but the plans call for up to 300 residents within two years.

The plan has a certain warm and fuzzy appeal.

“This project will give homeless veterans and others new opportunities,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “The men and women who go to Fort Lyon will learn the skills they need to get back on their feet.”

The legislature scaled back funding for the program, which will make it more difficult to operate the facility as anything other than a prison for the homeless. In order to successfully "transition" to subsidized housing elsewhere, one has .

According to a news release from Hickenlooper’s office, after at least one-year of residency at Fort Lyon, clients will be eligible to receive a Section 8 housing voucher from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to return to permanent housing in another community.

I wonder what happens to participants that fail to complete the one-year minimum residency requirement. Perhaps I am not thinking charitably about the program, but you have to be somewhat skeptical of political motives when so many cities across the country have passed laws that criminalize homelessness. At least Colorado has given some thought to helping the homeless.

Just when I thought I have seen everything

. . .  along comes jobless, drunk wasps: Paul Bates of Cleankill Environmental Services described the plague of hooligan wasps this way:

"Worker wasps have finished their life's work as queen wasps have stopped laying and don't need food bringing to them."  

"This means that the workers are free to go out and enjoy themselves which includes stealing meat on the barbecue - there will also be drunk wasps around who have been feasting on fermented fruit and will be extra bold."

Kind of odd that a guy that runs a pesticide company is picked as the only expert. It almost seems like an advertisement instead of a story with some journalistic value.

The British Red Cross has also gotten into the act, although they seem to think it is a story parody.

“It’s hilarious that, now worker wasps have finished their life’s work, all they are doing now is feasting on fermented fruit and getting ‘drunk’. The danger for humans of course is that they may get a bit bold and attack us while we are out having a barbeque in the garden, sun bathing in the park or innocently going our merry way,” said Joe Mulligan, British Red Cross head of first aid.

Any truth to the story that billions of drunk and disorderly wasps are harassing the Brits? Nope. No biblical plague in progress.

"First – wasps never swarm. What people are referring to is large numbers. But if you looked at 30-year picture, this year is on a par with average. It seems like a hell of a lot of wasps because the last two or three years have been terribly wet. Wasps don't like wet weather because they can't hunt and there is high queen mortality if there is a lot of rain in May. They are more numerous this year than last – but I don't think numbers have been particularly high."

I find it odd that an overblown threat from insects also provides an opportunity to accuse the unemployed and retired of being drunk and dangerous. These poor wasps. Once they lose their usefulness to the royal family, they have nothing to do but drink fermented fruit and get in bar fights. They are anthropomorphized to the point that you see these no-good humanoid wasps hanging out on street corners and passing around a liquor bottle in a paper bag. And see what happens when these low wage worker wasps lose their jobs? They become derelicts and a menace to productive humans.

Did you hear about the rich asps that have nothing to do but wait for their summons to sink their fangs into the pale skin of the human queen? I heard these well-healed snakes often get bored waiting and love to bite commoners for sport. Watch your back.

The new lepers

A new Silicon Valley startup wants to help good rich people avoid bad poor people while traveling.

While Silicon Valley brims with brilliant overachievers, its intense inward focus can make for a rather cramped view of the world. Think "satire" that cruelly pokes fun at San Francisco's homeless population, or very serious (and very real) experiments that suggest a homeless man's life could be changed for the better with a few coding lessons.

Today, that worldview was manifested in a startup called Ghetto Tracker, which purports to alert rich travelers to the locations of a city's poor people so they can be avoided. (Ghetto Tracker has since been renamed "Good Part of Town," which does nothing to change its intended purpose.)

The startup's mission is every bit as tone-deaf as one would expect from such a one-percent endeavor. "We use a rating system that allows locals and people familiar with area rate which parts of town are safe and which ones are ghetto, or unsafe," reads the site's self-ascribed purpose for existing.

This company felt there is a viable market for products that help customers avoid neighborhoods where people might be poor. It is a natural progression from rich business folk and politicians making the poor a scapegoat for the slow economy along with taxes and regulations. This trash talk even comes from people that call themselves followers of Christ, especially when running for public office. The politicians elected by money from the rich are quick to falsely accuse the poor of being liars, cheats, and morally defective. There is a very corrupt and evil mindset sweeping America in the 21st century.

What is your obligation to Christ to stop this toxic attitude toward the less fortunate? Read the gospels carefully. Jesus went among the forgotten and marginalized to share God's love for them. He also healed their physical, psychological, and spiritual ills. What Jesus did is the antithesis of what we see in America today. We live in a country where the poor have become targets of hatred instead of love. I assume the Lord would expect us to follow His ethics instead of what passes for ethics among the privileged.

Good news

This is good. The president of National Evangelical Association questioned the wisdom and morality of US-led punitive bombing of Syria.

Evangelicals don’t agree on everything, including what to do about Syria. We grieve the horrific loss of 100,000 lives and the displacement of more than two million refugees in a civil war that is frightening the world. We abhor the use of chemical weapons that have killed civilians, including hundreds of children. But we have the same questions and worries as millions of other Americans and members of Congress on how our country should help. 

On September 3, the National Association of Evangelicals surveyed evangelical leaders to ask “Should Congress authorize direct U.S. military intervention in Syria?” Sixty-two and a half percent said “no.” Thirty-seven and a half percent said “yes.” I was surprised because I expected the answers would be the other way around.

Amen to especially to this:

The Bible teaches us to pray for our leaders. This is a week for extra prayers as our Congress and President decide what to do about Syria. And, let’s add Syrian leaders to our prayer list. Our request is that God will give wisdom to make choices for a lasting peace in the region.

And more good news. The bombing campaign authorization in Congress seems to be in trouble. The current head count in the House is 217 likely no and 42 likely yes votes and the rest undecided.

If you want to punish the Syria regime for gassing its citizens then why not use a trade sanctions rather than firing a few thousand high explosives into the country? Why not lead a diplomatic offensive to isolate the Assad regime? Why not repent to the world of our lies about weapons in Iraq ten years ago and allow the UN to conduct an independent investigation that does not rely on our "intelligence" services?

The Christ that I know would not welcome war or cheer the rush to pull the trigger. Peacemakers are blessed. We are not to avenge the wrongs against us said the Lord. I pretty sure that includes 'no' to assassination by missile of foreign government officials, military personnel, supposed terrorists, and unlucky civilian bystanders.

Deaf to the voices of peace

Christians living in the Middle East are speaking out against western military intervention in the Syrian civil war. 

The group, convened by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, met with about 70 Middle Eastern Christians to discuss the challenges facing Arab Christians. 

“I couldn’t find a Christian leader at the conference who supported military intervention,” Tunnicliffe said in an interview. “The question is, how do you protect Christians if there’s a regime change?” 

Tunnicliffe said two Syrian pastors told him independently that Christians have received threats from those who say a regime change would mean a takeover by Islamists who would force Christians out of the country.

Christians living in western countries are calling for diplomatic solutions. It includes faith leaders across the doctrinal spectrum in the United States. The Catholic Church from Pope Francis on down are praying for constructive engagement rather than dropping bombs.

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican is ramping up its opposition to threatened military strikes against Syria as it draws attention to Pope Francis' plans to host a day of fasting and prayer for peace this weekend. 

The Vatican has invited all ambassadors accredited to the Holy See to attend a briefing Thursday on the pope's agenda for the four-hour vigil Saturday night in St. Peter's Square, and bishops' conferences from around the world have announced plans to host local versions of the vigil as well.

None of this matters. 

WASHINGTON -- Overcoming reservations from the left, the right and the American public, a Senate committee Wednesday passed a resolution to bomb Syria in retaliation for President Bashar al-Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons. 

In a delayed markup of a resolution to authorize the use of military force, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 10 to 7, with one present, to let President Barack Obama mount a bombing campaign aimed at the Syrian regime's weapons of mass destruction for up to 90 days, albeit within a more limited scope than Obama had requested. Specifically, the committee included language that would prohibit the use of U.S. troops on the ground "for the purpose of combat operations.

Pax Americana requires a ready trigger finger. 

The UN investigation of the use of chemical weapons in Syria will not be complete for another two to three weeks. Attacking without making an attempt to go through the UN Security Council further undermines any international legitimacy.

Tension is building between the United States and Cold War rival Russia over an attack on Syria, including each side claiming to have evidence that indicts either the Assad government or anti-government rebels.

By pure coincidence, Israel just test fired its missile defense system with the help of the United States.

May God have mercy on us all.

Mental impoverishment

A few days ago, I discussed a study published in Science that showed the impact poverty and financial concerns have on cognitive function. Matthew Yglesias does a much better job in framing the results that I did.

But the impact on cognitive skills is especially noteworthy for how it should influence our understanding of poverty. Poor people—like all people—make some bad choices. There is some evidence that poor people make more of these bad choices than the average person. This evidence can easily lead to the blithe conclusion that bad choices, rather than economic conditions, are the cause of poverty. The new research shows that this is—at least to some extent—exactly backward. It’s poverty itself (perhaps mediated by the unusually severe forms of decision fatigue than can affect the poor) that undermines judgment and leads to poor decision-making.

There is a large body of evidence that indicates stress disrupts attention, memory, and problem-solving. Chronic stress even causes some areas of the brain to shrink and atrophy.

Yglesias puts the study findings in the context of our nation's increasingly callous and punitive approaches to the people struggling at the bottom of the economic ladder.

This paternalistic notion that we should be relatively stingy with help, and make sure to attach it to complicated eligibility requirements and tests, may itself be contributing to the problem of poverty. At home or abroad, the strain of constantly worrying about money is a substantial barrier to the smart decision-making that people in tough circumstances need to succeed. One of the best ways to help the poor help themselves, in other words, is to simply make them less poor.

If God were as stingy with grace and love as our society is towards those in need, our spiritual poverty would be eternal.