Children's Easter Egg Hunt

Today is Easter!  He is Risen!

This week, on our block, there was a children's Easter Egg Hunt party.  The flier which was sent out to announce the party had, in large bold letters, "BYOB!" Then the anagram was explained: "Bring your own basket." Then, in parentheses: (Adults, bring your own bottle if you wish.)

Some Christians believe that the current observance of Easter in the West is totally pagan. What do bunny rabbits, baby chickens, and Easter Eggs have to do with the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead? Others believe that the secular trappings of Easter are harmless and a fun time for children. Regardless of what you think about the current Western observance of Easter, why would adults feel that they must bring alcoholic beverages to every gathering? Even to a children's party?

Film Comment: This Is the End

Collect up at least one hundred film actors, singers, and entertainers at a wild drug and alcohol fueled party, then start the end of the world, complete with giant monsters and demons. The Earth cracks open and people fall into a burning Hell. Have the actors portray themselves, thrown into this situation.

This Is the End (2013) has a cast filled with big name celebrities: Jamez franco, Seth Rogan, Jay Baruchel, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Dany McBride, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Mindy Kaling, David Krumholtz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Rihanna, Paul Rudd, The Backstreet Boys, and many others.

When the trouble starts everyone runs outside as the world begins to burn and explode around them.  Too dumb, selfish, cowardly, drug-addled, gluttonous, etc. to “escape” some do not even notice the disturbance.  But they soon will. The six main protagonists run back into the “safety” of the house.

The guys tell themselves they will survive because they are “good people,” but they realize that they are not.  The film does not show any of these people in a good light.  They all realize that they are damned.

The film, a comedy with some undeniably hilarious moments, features violence, gore, impalement, decapitation, penis jokes, nudity, profanity, cannibalism,  homosexuality, demons, intentional blasphemy, obscenities, betrayal, alcohol and drug abuse, self-righteousness, taking God’s name in vain, urination, vomit, obscene gestures, discussion of intent to rape in the presence of the intended victim, masturbation, demonic possession, prayer for the death of another person, sexual slavery, cowardice, self preservation at the expense of other’s lives.  Did I forget anything?

The supposedly ”happy” messages of the film are:

1.     Self-sacrifice confers instant entry into Heaven.

2.     In Heaven, we become angels.

3.     In Heaven, you can have anything you want, even a dooble.

4.     There is no need to be a “Christian” to enter into Heaven.

5.     Heaven is just another wild party.

6.     The Rapture looks like an alien abduction with a beam of light pulling the person up into the sky.

This highly offensive film intends to offend in every way imaginable, showing a contempt or disregard for any conventional understanding of propriety or morality.  It made me wonder.  The actors, portraying themselves, know that they are damned.

In the film, they are facing evidence which, at the very least, proves that God and the supernatural are real.

These are extremely talented, supposedly very intelligent comedians who have gone out of their way to intentionally offend nearly everything related to Christianity and the End Times.  Should not this film prod these actors into actually thinking about their real-life situations?

To some, or most of the actors, I am sure that this was all just a big joke.  Perhaps they are like many people and do not believe anything at all.  Post-modern moral and intellectual relativism at its logical conclusion.

…………………………………………

This is an end of the world film where the Earth is not merely damaged, but is actually destroyed.  Two other prominent films of this type are When Worlds Collide (1951), which depicts the chaos which erupts when a planet the size of Earth is on a collision course with our planet.  The other is Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), a surprisingly tender and bittersweet love story.  Either of these two films would be an infinitely better use of your two hours than This Is the End.

What They Think of Us: Curt Cobain and Nirvana

Shortly before he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head, Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) and his band Nirvana, performed this song, Lake of Fire.  Nirvana was an extremely popular band and sold over 75 million record albums worldwide.

Lake of Fire Lyrics:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nirvana/lakeoffire.html

Lake of Fire was originally released by a band called The Meat Puppets.  The most common definition for a meat puppet is someone who is controlled by someone else, having no will of their own.

There have been various attempts to explain the meaning of Lake of Fire.  Obviously, the possibility exists that the song has no meaning at all, but that is not likely. Some say that it is political (anti-military), or that Cobain was thinking about his own death, or that he was having stirrings of religious feelings, or that the song is a reference to drug use.  My personal opinion is that of drug use since one obscure meaning of “fry” is to be under the influence of drugs.  After his suicide, Cobain’s body was found to contain the following drugs: marijuana, LSD, heroin, alcolhol, rohypnol, and diazepam.

Cobain clearly expressed his feelings toward Christianity when he performed Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam, a song written by the Scottish rock band, The Vaselines.  The band has no connection to the Vaseline product. Vaseline is a petroleum jelly product used as a lubricant and a moisture insulator for skin conditions such as rashes, cuts, and burns.

Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam Lyrics:

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Jesus-Doesn't-want-Me-for-a-Sunbeam-lyrics-Nirvana/69C03466661F04E24825682D0003753F

The Most Evil Curse Word in the World

The other day I was walking my dog when I saw a woman trying to get into her back door.  From the noise coming out of the house, it was obvious that her husband and his friends were having a wild party.  The woman was holding a case of beer in one hand and a grocery sack in the other.  She started kicking the door and then yelled out in anger, “JESUS CHRIST!”

She had turned the Holy Name of the Lord into a curse word.  She had turned it into a vile epithet full of venom.  The most precious Name had become the most evil curse word possible.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11

Read what theologian John Piper has to say on this subject.

http://www.christianity.com/theology/what-does-it-mean-to-take-the-lords-name-in-vain-11600552.html

We can take God’s name in vain in numerous ways.

http://mindrenewers.com/2012/03/13/omg-and-other-ways-christians-take-gods-name-in-vain/

Unusual Christian Places: Inflatable Churches

Inflatable Churches

http://www.inflatablechurch.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2wRE-fdm8s

http://condo-user.pamjundy.com/?p=2381

http://www.inreview.com/archive/topic/3274.html

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=584894

My response to this is that any place can be the church; a beach, the racetrack, or your living room.  There are even churches which meet in bars.

Baptists and Pre-Marital Sex

Why do Baptists oppose pre-marital sex?
They fear it might lead to drinking and dancing.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Bartolomeu de Gusmao: (b. 1685, Brazil –d. 1724) Portuguese Jesuit priest, naturalist, philologist, mathematician, linguist, university professor, chaplain to King John V of Portugal.  He designed a lighter-than-air airship but it was never built.

Francesco Lana de Terzi: (b. 1631, Italy – d. 1687) Italian Jesuit priest, naturalist, mathematician, aeronautics theorist, developer of a pre-Braille reading system for the blind.  He worried that flying ships could be used for warfare.

Serzh Azati Sargsyan: (b. 1954, Nagorno-Karabakh) Third President of Armenia, first elected in 2008. Armenian Apostolic.

Ernest Jennings Ford: (b. 1919, Tennessee, USA – d. 1991; aka: “Tennessee Ernie” Ford) Country and Gospel music singer, guitarist, and violinist. His television show always ended with a hymn. He struggled with alcoholism his entire life. Country Music Hall of Fame 1991.

Hugo Chavez: (b. 1954, Venezuela – d. 2013) president of Venezuela 1999-2013, Socialist. Roman Catholic.

Ethical Complicity

It should be emphatically pointed out to those who use illegal mind-altering substances that they are ethically complicit in all the crimes committed to get their drugs into their possession: smuggling, beatings, theft, extortion, bribery, and murder. And those who binge drink need to be constantly reminded of the horrible results of binge drinking: cirrhosis, fetal injury or death, domestic violence, broken family relationships, body-mangling automobile accidents and other emotional, financial, physical, and spiritual carnage.

The Difference Between Presbyterians and Baptists

A Presbyterian friend of mine told me this joke.  Baptists (the religious tradition in which I grew up) have a reputation for being very straight-laced, almost Puritanical.

The Joke:
What is the difference between Presbyterians and Baptists?
Presbyterians will say hello to you when you run into them at the liquor store.

Drug Use in the United States

The United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on Thursday (8 September 2011) released the results from an anonymous drug-use survey it conducted among 67,5000 randomly chosen people.  8.9% of college-age respondents to the survey reported that they regularly use illegal drugs recreationally.  The drugs include marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, LSD, inhalants, and narcotic prescription drugs taken illegally.  Binge alcohol consumption (five or more drinks on the same day), while legal, was still a problem, reported by 40.6%.

It should be emphatically pointed out to those who use any of the illegal substances that they are ethically complicit in all the crimes committed to get their drugs into their possession: smuggling, beatings, theft, extortion, bribery, murder.  And those who binge drink need to be constantly reminded of the horrible results of binge drinking: cirrhosis, fetal injury or death, domestic violence, broken family relationships, body-mangling automobile accidents and other emotional, financial, physical, and spiritual carnage.

At Least Enjoy It

Leo Rosten (b. 1908, Poland - d. 1997, NY) said, "If you are going to do something wrong, at least enjoy it."

Now, Leo's dead, so we can't ask him, but I suspect that he was talking about taking ownership of your actions, ie: personal responsibility. Too many people today want to always blame someone or something else for everything that happens to them. I'm this way because he did or didn't do that. I couldn't do that because of racism. My life is ruined because they wouldn't let me do what I wanted. I had to shoot him because he disrespected me.

There are, sadly, some situations (war, disasters, dysfunctional families where others don't wish to change, etc) which truly are out of our control, but some situations and activities (ie: gambling, smoking, egoism, recreational drug use, pornography, alcohol consumption, excessive flirting, compulsive behaviors, alcohol consumption, overeating, obsessive volunteerism, obsession with a hobby or one's career to the point of neglecting family, etc) must be avoided because of their ability to ensnare us in unexpected ways which can escalate out of our control and from which it is difficult to extricate ourselves.

Another Light Bulb Joke

How many Episcopalians does it take to change a light bulb?

Two.  One to change the bulb and another to mix the drinks.