Sunday thoughts.

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Lots of thing crowd my mind as I read the blogs today. Christianity, and sanity even, under the legal gun; the wars in the Middle-East; the 'debate' on manmade climate "change"; questions about Christians who love sinners and all that goes with it; and of course my feeble attempts at living then hopefully dying in this world of flesh in which I am only minimally vested.

My mother called this morning. Well, I was not quite awake. I heard the phone but the neurons tasked with doing anything about it did not have complete pathway connections to actually answer the phone. I did sleep well last night and this morning though! When I finally stumbled to my still flimsy functioning form, I called her back. She was, it seems, waiting for a cow to... drop a load. No, really. She was judging some sort of local contest which either compares size of droppings or has something to do with the droppings once they visit the ground. Tossing? I cannot quite recall. Only that I really wanted to laugh, chuckle, chortle, or something but those neurons were not quite connected even by then.

She is really looking forward to the trip. As am I. She just wanted to keep me aware that tomorrow is the day to pick her up. And, to pray the cow finishes soon so that she may go home. Even if I have improved 10,000 percent if that is possible, I still have limits and foibles which make her call meaningful. Even should I get past my foibles of memory and correct my inability to schedule irregular events, history would vindicate her obsession. Waiting in an airport in a nearly foreign land with so many questionable strangers is not a fun thing. The thought of it impels her to keep reminding me.

Regarding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, I have doubts. Getting out, staying for some reason... I would like to see a solid reassessment and choose more from there. The problem I have with a pull out of either or both rests with having no clear civil leadership which I trust to assess whether to pull out or restructure the wars let alone to pull out in such a manner that we do not undo any good we may have done in the regions. For those reasons, I want our troops kept in place until such a time as we have solid leadership and oversight in play. Beyond, I suspect keeping bases in one or both of those regions may be a good thing for shorter or longer terms. For me, in my little armchair world, planting a boot in Iraq was what this was about. Keeping it there goes with that. Rebuilding Iraq or Afghanistan? Meh. Oil? Are you stupid? Terrorism? Meh, to a degree, though planting a boot in the bad neighborhood sure deincentivizes state sponsorship, keeping it there is more of the same.

On another issue, one of my daily reads has been struggling with some things. A loss caused by someone who strayed from the Christian path (as I or she or we or whatever know and accept it). Something like that. When does sin not become a sin? I would guess when we accept that we have sin, when we feel sorrow and shame for the sin, then use the mechanisms we know to seek pardon for the sin, and then we go forth with an attempt to no longer sin. Failing? Yeah, okay, who does not fail? Christ and Mary, who was filled with grace, are the only two who might have a claim to that of all those I am aware. And yet, to live a life of sin? Further, what do we do with those people we love who live this life? Turning our backs is often cited as the means. And yet, to drop those we love while reaching out to those we do not know who do the same thing, seems... wrong too. All I know is that it is a tough world in which to be Christian. For me, I merely pray for guidance and do what I understand and believe to be right. The loss we feel when those people die is no less. And I am not sure it should be?

Here is an open reason why I disregard academia. Need more? How about this? Academia has always been hostile toward Christianity. Usually they do their dirty work in back room socialist style formats, hiding their hatred and bigotry. Now, they are open and upfront about it. It is not likely to improve. As I have said, I can see easily where I may be persecuted, to death, for my Christian faith in my lifetime in this country. On the good side, I have no problem doing that to a degree. It is sad to see a once great Christian nation giving in to this though.

Oh, and another interesting piece, albeit a European one and not technically regarding religion, is absolutely terrifying in the implications involved. Academia, again, at their collective political worst. (You will need to scroll up from the comments. I tried to get a page link to the actual article but was not able to do so.) That in spite of the actual realities of the notion of what that "protection" is legislated to defend.

Just some Sunday Ramblings. I have work to do. Dishes to be 'updated', bedding to be sorted, laundry to be done, and perhaps the home stereo will be put together. And then, empty boxes and other packing material to be handled, plus some more unpacking in the kitchen. I have been doing very well, very well indeed, in this little localized work tsunami. Oh, and that bill. I should write the check, put it in the envelope, fill that out, put a stamp on it, and in one of my breaks, walk it to the post office. I did miss out on the events of this weekend here in town, a great opportunity to have met and be seen, but I had no choice. Soon, or next year.