Super Moon?

Sunday saw a "super moon" and a lunar eclipse. Carol and I went down to the beach in hopes of seeing the moon rise over the Atlantic Ocean. It was close to high tide and the surf was pretty heavy. The sky was cloudy. We were hopeful that the moon would make an appearance. This was the scene when we arrived. 

It appeared the ship heading out from the Port of Savannah might be our big excitement. The truth is that after dark, if you turn away from the ocean, you will always have this beautiful view. 

We sat at the beach for about 90 minutes enjoying the breeze and the sounds of the surf coming ashore. The wine we brought along also helped. We decided to leave and as we packed up our chairs the moon peeked between the clouds for a couple of minutes. 

Low light pictures with an iPhone aren't all that impressive. 

The super moon has had some other effects here the last couple of days. When you come out to Tybee Island your only road option is U.S. Highway 80. It has been closed for about an hour twice a day for the last two days at high tide. This is what the road was like.

Finally, a picture of the sunrise here on the island. 

Do Unto Others

I spent an hour this morning watching Pope Francis address our elected representatives in a joint session of Congress. Everyone listening heard what they wanted to hear and has already discarded those things that ran counter to their view of the world. Call me skeptical and callous if you must. It will change nothing in Washington. I wish it would. It will not. The two parties are polarized. The Pope's urging to cooperate and compromise were heard and will be ignored. Well, not entirely, both sides will tell the other they she cooperate and compromise. While they hold their position and give up nothing. There are a couple of things he said that I want to address. 

The death penalty. Many so called pro life folks confuse me. They are anti abortion and pro death penalty. Apparently they want to see what kind of person you become before they kill you. I oppose the death penalty. The first one could be viewed as conditional by some, the second shows it is not. Reason one is that there have been too many people who were sentenced to death who have been determined later did not commit the offense. You could reasonably ask me if there was no chance of error would I be in favor? The second reason is economic. The cost to put someone to death is much higher than a lifetime of incarceration. The attorney fees and continual appeals over a minimum of 10 years cost way more than life in prison. Keep in mind that I worked in the Illinois prison system for over 20 years. During that time I met some truly unpleasant individuals. One eventually ended up on death row. The Pope felt that everyone may be capable of rehabilitation. I know some of the men I interacted with were not ready at that time. Could they be ready later? A part of me wants to believe somewhere in them is a speck of hope worthy of redemption. 

The second thing the Pope said is, at least for me, related to the first. It was his invocation of the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He followed up with the admonition that the yardstick you use to measure others will be the yardstick time will use to measure you. It was something I tried to be mindful of when I worked at the prison. If I was sitting in the other chair what would I want? Was it within the rules? Was it a reasonable request? I always tried to keep in mind that my job was not to punish them. It was to keep them safe, keep the other staff and public safe, and to provide them with an opportunity to see there was another way to live. Choices that could be made that did not lead them back to prison. Choices they had to make. I could not choose for them. I do keep in mind something I heard on Dr. Who last week. The good Doctor said: "Sometimes all the choices you have are bad, but you still have to choose." 

So I guess what I walked away with today from the Pope was simple. If I let the golden rule be my guide I may be disappointed in my fellow man but not in myself. I can get away from those who do not treat me in accordance with that rule, but if I live contrary to it I cannot get away from myself. I guess it leads me back to last weeks post about the 10 commandments. Remember, don't be an asshole. 

Back on Tybee Island

We have abandoned Northlandia for the ocean breezes on Tybee. The pictures below are scenes from the island gathered from various sources. None were taken by me. I hope they encourage you to visit. 

September 18, 1970

Perhaps that date has no significance for you. It was, for me, the day the music died. It was the day the greatest guitar player, Jimi Hendix died. Are there greater performers in rock and roll? Sure. Are there other great guitar players? Yes. What sets Jimi Hendrix apart? In my mind it is that no matter where you are when a Jimi Hendrix song comes on and you hear that guitar you know who is playing. It isn't that you wonder, you know. No one before and no one since plays like that man did. You listen to his performance of the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. You hear the rockets, the bombs bursting in air. In his song Machine Gun you can hear the rat tat tat of a machine gun. The haunting notes of The Wind Cries Mary. Some people have a gift. Some can carve wood or stone into sculpture. Some can take a blank canvas and paint something beautiful. Jimi's gift was the magic he could create with a guitar. Take a little time today and listen to something he played. See if you hear the magic. 

It Was a Mistake

Last night the Republican presidential candidates gathered together for their second "debate". The mistake wasn't them gathering to talk. The mistake was mine.  I watched. I know this may be harsh but I want to give my honest assessment of the "best and brightest" the Republican Party has to offer. I spent 20 years working in a prison with rapists, drug addicts, thieves and killers. I was lied to constantly about everything you can imagine. I stood in classrooms and tried to present a class to explain to them the rules and expectations while they were incarcerated. There are days I'm sure that nothing I said made any impact on anyone in the room. I got asked questions about something I had just explained. Stupid questions. The answers I provided were always, to the best of my ability, honest and accurate. Last night I watched a group stand in front of the American people and felt like I was seeing a game of dodgeball. Dip, duck, dodge, repeat. Lie, exaggerate, misdirect, blame, repeat. What did I learn.

1. We spend more on our military than the next 10 countries combined. According to everyone on that stage it is not enough. 

2. Everything that has gone wrong with America is directly the fault of that black fella in the White House. Health care, the decifict, job losses, international affairs were all good till he got elected.

3. Jeb says his brother George was a great president and kept us safe. I seem to remember 9-11-2001 happened on his watch. War in Iraq has done nothing to make us safer. 

4. Abortion and gay marriage are the result of liberal judges and they are destroying America. 

Where was the talk about income inequality? Social security? Hunger? Poverty? Race relations? Criminal justice reform? 

Silence on those. 

I won't watch those clowns again. 

The 10 Commandments

The 10 Commandments List, Short Form

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

I was reading an article the other day that suggested each of us should have a list of 10 commandments we use to guide our lives. Some basic principles by which we live our lives. It seemed to me to be a reasonable suggestion and got me wondering what I might identify as my core principles. It seemed like a good place to start would be with the 10 commandments from the Bible. They are listed in two places in the Bible and are not identical. I chose to use the list that expresses them to their simple essence. 

Since I am a godless heathen it allows me to eliminate commandments one, two and three. You could make the argument that I should include part of the first commandment. "No gods." Could be argued as a commandment for me but I think that statement serves no purpose in how to live a good and moral life. So, I strike the first three. 

Remember the sabbath day? Jews, Muslims and Christians all agree there is a sabbath day. Muslims- Friday, Jews-Saturday, Christians-Sunday. Since the three major religions can't agree on a day and since I eliminated the first three. Well folks, four has to go. 

Commandments five, seven and nine seem to me to be a guide to interpersonal relationships. I will say in regard to number five, I was very fortunate and grew up with parents who were deserving of my honor. Not all parents are deserving. Parents who abuse, mistreat, or abandon their children are not deserving of honor because they were simply biologically capable of producing offspring. Commandment seven admonishes us not to commit adultery. Commandment nine encourages honesty. It seems to me you could reduce these to a simple commandment that encourages us to be honest and faithful in our interpersonal relationships. 

Commandment six in the short list tells us not to murder. My recollection from my church days as a youth was the commandment was taught as thou shalt not kill. Since the Bible is full of other rules that tell you when "God" wants you to kill someone it appears this admonition is somewhat conditional. Being a man of peace I think I would stick with no killing. I cannot think of a circumstance where I could justify killing another human being. 

That leaves us with commandments eight and ten. These two again appear to me to be tied together. Don't covet and you won't steal. You only steal if you covet something. 

So really we have cut the 10 commandments down to three. Be honest and faithful. No killing. Don't steal. 

I am a simple man. Thinking about three commandments all the time is just too complicated. Seems to me it could all be boiled down to one. So what is my single commandment. 

DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE! 

We all know when someone is acting like an asshole. It is tougher to recognize when we are doing it ourselves. My goal is to recognize when I am being an asshole, stop being an asshole and apologize to the person who is having to tolerate my assholic behavior. 

Marriage- Biblical Style

Valerie Tarico is a psychologist and writer in Seattle, Washington and developed the list below. If Kim Davis wants marriages as defined by the Bible I suggest this list would be an excellent outline for her to follow. 

If Kentucky issues only biblical marriage licenses, to which of the following couples should a county clerk grant a license?

1. A man with a consenting woman, but without her father’s permission. 
   No. Numbers 30:1-16 teaches that a single woman’s father has final authority over legal contracts she may enter.
2. A man, a nonconsenting woman, and her father.
   Yes. According to the Law of Moses a female is male property, as are slaves, livestock, and children. (See Exodus 20:17, Exodus 21:7). Her father can give her in marriage or sell her to a slave master. Female consent in the Bible is not a prerequisite for marriage or sex.
3. A married man and three other women. 
   Yes. The Old Testament endorses polygamy, and the New Testament does not reverse this—except for church elders (1 Timothy 3:2). (See Biblicalpolygamy.com)
4. A childless widow and her husband’s reluctant brother. 
   Yes. Genesis 38:8-10 makes it clear that a man has a responsibility to seed children for his deceased brother. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus doesn’t alter the tradition but does say it will no longer apply in heaven. (Matthew 22:24-28)
5. Two men. 
   No. Leviticus is clear. Two men having sex is an abomination, just like eating shellfish, getting tattoos, shaving your beard, or wearing blend fabrics. (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, 11:9-12, 19:28, 19:27)
6. Two women. 
   No, not even with their fathers’ permission. Paul’s epistle to the Romans (1:26) makes it clear that this is degrading and unnatural.
7. A man and a divorced woman. 
   No. Unless her husband divorced her because he found out that she wasn’t a virgin when they married, anyone who marries a divorced woman is committing adultery. A marriage license in this case would be an adultery license. (Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:9)
8. A woman and a divorced man. 
   No. A man who divorces his wife and remarries is committing adultery. (Luke 16:18)
9. A Christian and a Hindu. 
   No. The Apostle Paul calls this being unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14). If the applicants balk at your refusal, you might respond gently with Paul’s own words: “What fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?”
10. A soldier and a virgin prisoner of war. 
    Yes, but you should provide written instructions on the purification ritual required before bedding her. The soldier must shave her head and trim her nails and give her a month to mourn her parents before the first sex act. Also, remind him that if she fails to ‘delight’, he must set her free rather than selling her. (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)
11. A rapist and his victim. 
    Yes, with qualifiers. The woman’s consent is not an issue, but her father should be present as he is owed 50 shekels (approximately $580) for the damage to his daughter. Also, the contract should have an addendum stating clearly that no divorce will be allowed. The rapist must keep her for life since, obviously, no one else will want the damaged goods. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
12. A man and his wife’s indentured/undocumented servant. 
    Yes, although you might remind the man that in this case a marriage license is not a prerequisite to sex, since community property laws apply. However, should God bless this union with babies, any offspring will belong to the man and his wife, not the indentured woman. (Genesis 30:1-22)
13. A man and his mother, sister, half-sister, mother-in-law, grandchild, or uncle’s wife. 
    Probably not. Although God’s law is timeless and unchanging, He does seem to shift on this one. In the book of Genesis, God rewards marriages between siblings—for example, the Patriarch Abraham and his half-sister Sarah. But later texts specifically prohibit a variety of incestuous relationships. (e.g. Lev. 18:7-8; Lev. 18:10; Lev. 20:11; Deut. 22:30; Deut. 27:20; Deut. 27:23)
14. A black woman and a white man, or vice versa.
    Absolutely not. Scripture is full of verses prohibiting interracial marriage. (Gen. 28:6; Exod. 34:15-16; Num. 25:6-11; Deut. 7:1-3; Josh. 23:12-13; Judges 3:5-8; 1 Kings 11:1-2; Ezra 9:1-2, 12; Ezra 10:2-3, 10-11; Neh. 10:30; Neh. 13:25-27)
15. A gentile and a Jew. 
    No. If the Jew should appeal to the Anti-Defamation League, remind them of how dangerous such a union could be: “Thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)
16. A man and a pregnant woman who claims to be a virgin. 
    Yes. You may feel personal misgivings about a marriage that is based in deception from the get-go, but judge not that ye be not judged. One in 200 American women who give birth say they have never had sex. Rather plaguing this young couple with your corrosive doubt, you can encourage them with the biblical virgin birth story, while taking care to avoid any sex-negative implications that might harm their marriage.
17. A man and a goat. 
    Don’t be ridiculous. Can a goat sign a marriage license?
18. A man and a sex-trafficked teen he bought from a gangster. 
    Yes, but not until Kentucky legalizes sex trafficking. Sexual slavery is quite common in the Bible, well regulated (For example, Judges 21 ), and frequently sanctioned or blessed by God. However, the New Testament teaches that we should pay our taxes and be law abiding, even under a secular/pagan government. (Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17)
19. Two zombies. 
    Only if they are not Christians. Jesus states clearly that there will be no marriage for Christians in the afterlife (Matthew 22:24-28). Otherwise, marriage between the dead or undead is not addressed in the Bible, and you should default to whatever the Supreme Court may have ruled on this matter.

Note: Some liberal Christian license seekers may complain to you or your supervisor that these guidelines come mostly from the Old Testament, which has been replaced by a New Covenant under Jesus. Ask them if the Old Testament is still part of their Bible. Remind them that the Ten Commandments are in the Old Testament—all three versions. Lastly, quote the words of Jesus:

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5: 17-19).

Persecution- I Don't Think So

Yesterday was about Kim Davis. Today will continue along those lines but hopefully with a bit broader scope. If you are not aware yet, you will be after today, that I am not a Ted Cruz fan. 

HOUSTON, Texas – U.S. Sen. Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement regarding the arrest of Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis:

“Today, judicial lawlessness crossed into judicial tyranny. Today, for the first time ever, the government arrested a Christian woman for living according to her faith. This is wrong. This is not America.

“I stand with Kim Davis. Unequivocally. I stand with every American that the Obama Administration is trying to force to choose between honoring his or her faith or complying with a lawless court opinion.

“In dissent, Chief Justice Roberts rightly observed that the Court’s marriage opinion has nothing to do with the Constitution. Justice Scalia observed that the Court’s opinion was so contrary to law that state and local officials would choose to defy it.

“For every politician — Democrat and Republican — who is tut-tutting that Davis must resign, they are defending a hypocritical standard. Where is the call for the mayor of San Francisco to resign for creating a sanctuary city — resulting in the murder of American citizens by criminal illegal aliens welcomed by his lawlessness?

“Where is the call for President Obama to resign for ignoring and defying our immigration laws, our welfare reform laws, and even his own Obamacare?

“When the mayor of San Francisco and President Obama resign, then we can talk about Kim Davis.

“Those who are persecuting Kim Davis believe that Christians should not serve in public office. That is the consequence of their position. Or, if Christians do serve in public office, they must disregard their religious faith–or be sent to jail.

“Kim Davis should not be in jail. We are a country founded on Judeo-Christian values, founded by those fleeing religious oppression and seeking a land where we could worship God and live according to our faith, without being imprisoned for doing so.

“I call upon every Believer, every Constitutionalist, every lover of liberty to stand with Kim Davis. Stop the persecution now.”

It is difficult to know where to start with this missive from Mr. Cruz. I suppose perhaps by stating that there was no "judicial lawlessness" or "judicial tyranny" involved in the treatment of Kim Davis. She was not jail for following her Christian faith. She was jailed for failing to follow a decision made by the United States Supreme Court. She was jailed for not upholding the Constitution she vowed to obey. She may follow her faith as she pleases. She may not behave in ways that force those beliefs on others. Mr. Cruz goes on to say that "... the Obama Administration is trying to force to choose between honoring his or her faith or complying with a lawless court opinion." First the decision allowing gay marriage was made by the Supreme Court as was the dismissal of Ms. Davis appeal. The court was doing its job. The court is not ruled by President Obama and five of the nine justices were appointed by Republican presidents. 

Mr. Cruz also states: "Those who are persecuting Kim Davis believe that Christiabs should not serve in public office." While Mr. Cruz uses that statement to pander to the religious right the truth is that is not what is happening. The United States has a secular government with a citizenry made up of many religions and cultures. The government should not and cannot be seen favoring one religious group over another. Evangelicals are claiming persecution when what is actually happening is something quite different. They are not being allowed preferential treatment. Persecution is what is happening in the Middle East. Christians are being removed from their homes and threatened with death if the fail to convert to Islam. Some who have refused have been murdered. THAT IS PERSECUTION!!! Not getting your way, failing to obey the law and going to jail as a result are not. I find it interesting that so many conservatives claim loudly and often that they don't want government in their lives. They want less regulation. Well unless those rules are going to impose something they believe on everyone else. 

Thank you Cory Booker. It is about love and tolerance. Something we see too little of these days. Kim Davis and Ted Cruz are free to believe whatever they want. They cross the line when they want to use government office, authority or power to force those religious beliefs on anyone else. 

It Is NOT Over

I want to spend some time today on Kim Davis. If you are not familiar with her, she is the Rowan County, Kentucky clerk who refuses to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Ms. Davis cites her religious beliefs as the reason for her refusal. She is convinced that the Bible dictates that marriage is limited to one man who is married to one woman. I think there is something missing in the media coverage I have watched on television and read on various Internet news sources. So, let's pull back the curtain. 

Kim Davis experienced a "religious awakening" in 2011. She is a member of the Solid Rock Apostolic Church located near Morehead, Kentucky. It is a Oneness Pentecostal congregation which are often referred to as Apostolic Pentecostal. For those unfamiliar with Apostolic Pentecostals their beliefs include wearing modest clothing. Women wear dresses or skirts that extend below the knee. They do not wear any makeup or jewelry other than a simple wedding ring. Women are not permitted to cut their hair. They are referred to as Oneness Pentecostals because they do not accept the common Christian belief regarding the Trinity. They believe, to put it as simply as possible, that in the same way a man can be a father, son and brother; God can be the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Ghost without being three distinct persons as the Trinity requires. I know exactly how Kim Davis believes. I know her world view. I was, at one time in my life, a member of an Apostolic Pentecostal Church. Some of the Republican candidates for President have thrown their support to Ms. Davis including Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee. They feel Ms. Davis should be able to ignore the dictates of the United States Supreme Court and refuse to issue marriages licenses to same sex couples. She has been offered what many feel is a reasonable accommodation. Licenses can be issue from her office without her name on them. They do not understand what she believes. 

There is no room for her to allow those licenses to be issued from her office. She is the responsible official in the office. She was elected by the public and everything done by or issued from that office is done through or by her authority. She believes that makes her a participant in their sin. She is enabling them to marry and enter into a sinful life. There are people who argue that she could simply issue the licenses and repent of the sin. Her beliefs do not allow that. You cannot willfully sin with the intent to repent later. They also point to her four marriages and argue that there is more scripture against divorce and remarriage than there is against homosexual conduct. Those who make that argument are correct. They miss this point that is central to Kim Davis and her beliefs. She repented of those sins, she was baptized by immersion, ritually participating in the death and burial of her former life. Those repented sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. Her slate was wiped clean. It was as if she had never sinned in the eyes of God. She arose from the waters of baptism a newborn soul. She completed her journey down the Apostolic Christian rabbit hole by receiving the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues as the Apostles did in the Bible in Acts chapter 2. What does all that mean? Mr. Cruz and Mr. Huckabee and the vast majority who support her stance don't understand how she sees them. She will tell them in public she is not their judge. In her heart she believes they are going to hell. They believe the lie of the Trinity, they have been baptized but not solely in the name of Jesus, they have not spoken in tongues. The evidence of their sinful lives is displayed in their immodest clothing, the short hair of their women, the beards of their men and men with long hair, and their makeup and jewelry. Anyone who does not believe as they do is doomed to an eternity in hell. Of course they also believe that once you have laid your hand to the plow to work in the field of life for God, if you walk away you cannot be forgiven. In their eyes, there is nothing I can do to once again redeem myself in the eyes of God. Don't feel bad for me. I realized some time ago that an eternity in hell would be better than an eternity in heaven with them. 

Where does that put us with Kim Davis? Tomorrow she returns to her job as Clerk of Rowan County. She has been ordered not to interfere with the issuance of marriage licenses by any of her deputy clerks. If she does the Judge will hold her in contempt again. She will choose contempt from the Judge rather than condemnation from her God. Her beliefs allow no other outcome. 

Television

I haven't posted in quite some time. Life has a way of rearranging your thinking and schedule. My Mom has been in the hospital and was able to go back home today. She had her gall bladder removed. It's not a big surgery any more especially if you are in your 30's or 40's. Mom is 85. At that age all surgery is serious. She is recovering well and we anticipate a full recovery. 

This will be a brief post. I want you to take a few minutes and find a video to watch on the Internet. Last night Stephen Colbert interviewed Joe Biden. It was the best interview I have ever seen. Forget the politics. Forget the comedy you usually see from Colbert. He is a gifted interviewer. If his show continues along these lines he will change the landscape of late night television. Colbert showed a side of himself we rarely see and it allowed us to see a Joe Biden that normally resides in the shadows. It was the joy and pain of watching two friends talk about love and loss in front of millions of viewers as if no one was watching. It was candid, honest and heartrending. Set politics and entertainment aside for a few minutes and listen to a couple of men talk about grief, loss and faith. One having lost his son to cancer the other losing his father and two brothers in a plane crash. Last night Joe Biden wasn't the Vice President he was a father talking about the grief and pain caused by the loss of his son.