So, we have CLAIMED to want to help the middle class, and some have even CLAIMED to want to help the poor.
Yet, many who have claimed a concern for the poor and middle class support...
starting the trend of hiring part-time (1981) instead of full time, so that employers do not feel compelled to pay benefits for employees, also making people work 2 or 3 part time jobs just to survive...
breaking down organized labor that empowers workers, even creating "right to work" states that consistently mean lower wages and fewer benefits for workers, so that corporate heads can do what they want to with employees, having eliminated a balance of power
fighting every attempt to move to a living wage, or even raise the minimum wage so that people can make a living and even buy the goods companies are selling
going after a few who commit "welfare fraud" by eliminating that for the many, while ignoring the corporate welfare that cripples the nation
cutting the SNAP funds in the farm bill that help the most vulnerable with food, rather than make the wealthy (individuals and corporations) pay their fair share of taxes
letting the "job creators" lay off much of America, rather than take a little less profit for themselves, their execs and stockholders
de-regulating business that gouges citizens, while legislating the bedroom on many, but bailing out businesses that are "too big to fail", rather than let the laissez-faire (hands off) capitalism work in their cases, naturally
allowing companies to charge 20 cents more per gallon at the pump and 20% more at the supermarket in urban areas over suburban ones, where people are more likely not to have the alternative of shopping around, and where they can least afford the added cost
closing the schools in the inner-city, so that classrooms are more crowded and less controlled... perpetuating the stereotypes actively about urban (black and brown) youth, and making sure that they never have a LEVEL playing field in education and therefore employment and financial well-being...
Indeed - they love the poor so much that they are actively making MORE of them, and plunging those already in poverty into further depths of it... all for their own profit...
We NEED to stand together and fight the greed - THAT is the best thing possible for us to do in remembrance on this LABOR DAY...
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
A Nation
There is a nation that needs your prayer.
They have the highest standard of living in the world, but it is at the expense of others around the world, and when their influence in wealth will not get them what they want, they use their military might to take it.
They have the greatest resources in the world, but continue to waste and destroy them for profit.
They have the greatest educational system in the world, but they exclude many of their own people from it.
Their judicial system was set up for blind justice in a beautiful way, but they now use it to benefit the powerful and oppress the brown and black folk among them.
They have a welcoming beacon in their most busy harbor, but have ignored those who have come and now actively try to deport many of them.
They have set up a wonderful, equal system for democracy, but have now sold it to the highest bidders, and actively work to keep some from exercising their rights to participate in it.
They have the wealthiest individuals and corporations in the world, but still take bread out of the mouths of their most vulnerable rather than make those with all the wealth pay taxes or pull their share of the nation's load.
They have the opportunity to provide healthcare for all their citizens and end the crippling financial burden on families and the nation as a whole, but out of greed and lust for power and the exclusivity of a few, they refuse to let the most vulnerable get the medical care they need.
They have the most diversity of spiritual practitioners in the world, but are intolerant of anyone who is not of the same religious practice of the majority.
They have the chance to be the light to the nations in so many ways, but they continue to do what they do only to benefit themselves, and even in that - only the most wealthy and powerful among them.
The soul of the nation described is dying. Its is the most perfect expression of corporate sin in the history of the world. Yes, a whole nation can and does sin. Pray for the nation described above. Pray that it will learn the lessons of Jesus on how to live Agape Love. Pray that it will turn around from its greed, lust for power and prestige/position above love for others. Pray.
They have the highest standard of living in the world, but it is at the expense of others around the world, and when their influence in wealth will not get them what they want, they use their military might to take it.
They have the greatest resources in the world, but continue to waste and destroy them for profit.
They have the greatest educational system in the world, but they exclude many of their own people from it.
Their judicial system was set up for blind justice in a beautiful way, but they now use it to benefit the powerful and oppress the brown and black folk among them.
They have a welcoming beacon in their most busy harbor, but have ignored those who have come and now actively try to deport many of them.
They have set up a wonderful, equal system for democracy, but have now sold it to the highest bidders, and actively work to keep some from exercising their rights to participate in it.
They have the wealthiest individuals and corporations in the world, but still take bread out of the mouths of their most vulnerable rather than make those with all the wealth pay taxes or pull their share of the nation's load.
They have the opportunity to provide healthcare for all their citizens and end the crippling financial burden on families and the nation as a whole, but out of greed and lust for power and the exclusivity of a few, they refuse to let the most vulnerable get the medical care they need.
They have the most diversity of spiritual practitioners in the world, but are intolerant of anyone who is not of the same religious practice of the majority.
They have the chance to be the light to the nations in so many ways, but they continue to do what they do only to benefit themselves, and even in that - only the most wealthy and powerful among them.
The soul of the nation described is dying. Its is the most perfect expression of corporate sin in the history of the world. Yes, a whole nation can and does sin. Pray for the nation described above. Pray that it will learn the lessons of Jesus on how to live Agape Love. Pray that it will turn around from its greed, lust for power and prestige/position above love for others. Pray.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Foxes watching the hen house
So, In addition to corporate executives being appointed as "advisers" and board members over the nation's resources - i.e. lumber exec's over the forestry department, coal and oil exec's over the other natural resources, etc., etc. in the interests of - of course - the people, right?
De-regulation has been happening for over 31 years, so companies are ignoring anti-trust laws and forming monopolies, no one is regulating pollution, jobs being sent overseas, etc., etc...
Lobbyists and PAC's have been giving large donations to those who make laws over their corporate interests.
Citizens United allows unlimited donations to candidates with NO ACCOUNTABILITY and therefore no limit to their profit through the corruption which is inevitable.
Rupert Murdock owns MOST of the media conglomerates and uses them to promote his causes - the causes of the wealthiest and most powerful like him. The Koch brothers... need I say more?
Now, Scott Bezos of Amazon fame bought The Washington Post. Wasn't that the paper of Watergate exposure fame? No more... gradually, 60 minutes, other "news" programs and networks all sold out. CNN, which once at least "seemed" to be unbiased, has a slightly right of center slant to it now.
Other than independently owned and cooperatively owned networks and newspapers, there are NO politically neutral networks or newspapers left. Even NPR has commercials for corporations that support it.
Newspapers are struggling, at the very LEAST, because nobody reads anymore. TV news networks are so biased that you can find one to agree with your extremes, but not challenge your extremes unless you watch the oppositely polarized network.
They are ALL in the pockets of someone, or like LINK TV and some independent radio networks and newspapers, are discredited regularly by others that are in someone's pocket.
There is nowhere in media where one can find objective truth.
Laissez-faire capitalism has won again. The best biased reporting money can buy is what we get.
More polarization will be the result as the Titans of Media Industry pay off all those whom they can pay off, and we will not know objective truth any longer.
I have been in grief for the death of our democracy at the birth of our more extreme oligarchic plutocracy 32 years ago, and for over 30 years... I still have grief reactions now and then when I am faced with more expressions of the results of that loss... like in the past few days... goodbye objective media... your champions will be remembered and their contributions to our society and the world will be lifted up in amazement, because the truth has now become obsolete...
Pastor Jamie
De-regulation has been happening for over 31 years, so companies are ignoring anti-trust laws and forming monopolies, no one is regulating pollution, jobs being sent overseas, etc., etc...
Lobbyists and PAC's have been giving large donations to those who make laws over their corporate interests.
Citizens United allows unlimited donations to candidates with NO ACCOUNTABILITY and therefore no limit to their profit through the corruption which is inevitable.
Rupert Murdock owns MOST of the media conglomerates and uses them to promote his causes - the causes of the wealthiest and most powerful like him. The Koch brothers... need I say more?
Now, Scott Bezos of Amazon fame bought The Washington Post. Wasn't that the paper of Watergate exposure fame? No more... gradually, 60 minutes, other "news" programs and networks all sold out. CNN, which once at least "seemed" to be unbiased, has a slightly right of center slant to it now.
Other than independently owned and cooperatively owned networks and newspapers, there are NO politically neutral networks or newspapers left. Even NPR has commercials for corporations that support it.
Newspapers are struggling, at the very LEAST, because nobody reads anymore. TV news networks are so biased that you can find one to agree with your extremes, but not challenge your extremes unless you watch the oppositely polarized network.
They are ALL in the pockets of someone, or like LINK TV and some independent radio networks and newspapers, are discredited regularly by others that are in someone's pocket.
There is nowhere in media where one can find objective truth.
Laissez-faire capitalism has won again. The best biased reporting money can buy is what we get.
More polarization will be the result as the Titans of Media Industry pay off all those whom they can pay off, and we will not know objective truth any longer.
I have been in grief for the death of our democracy at the birth of our more extreme oligarchic plutocracy 32 years ago, and for over 30 years... I still have grief reactions now and then when I am faced with more expressions of the results of that loss... like in the past few days... goodbye objective media... your champions will be remembered and their contributions to our society and the world will be lifted up in amazement, because the truth has now become obsolete...
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, August 4, 2013
A Kingdom Value lost on us
Matthew 20:1-10 Yes, please read it.
The landowner went out at 6:00am and hired day laborers for work in his vineyard/factory. He agreed with them, meaning he discussed with them, on the usual daily wage. These were, no doubt, the strongest, most fit and experienced workers who were chosen - the FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS. The landowner went back out at 9am and found others who were not yet hired by anyone and hired them, saying, "I will pay you whatever is right". How relieved they must have been, thinking that no one would hire them that day, so their families would not eat that day, to hear that they would have work (though not the BEST of the lot), and be paid FAIRLY. The landowner went out again at Noon and 3pm and did the same - hired now the least qualified and most desperate to feed their families. Then, the landowner did the unthinkable - he went out at 5pm, one hour before "quittin' time" and hired some who had not been picked by ANYONE, ALL DAY. They worked only one hour, because the work day ended at 6pm. He lined them up, the ones hired at 5pm first and then the rest. He gave those who worked ONE HOUR a FULL, DAILY WAGE, because they also had to feed their families. Those who worked 12 hours thought that they would get more, because if these got the daily wage, surely they were ENTITLED to MORE than them - that would only be FAIR! But the landowner was being, not unfair, but BEYOND FAIR. They didn't like it, because someone ELSE caught a break and got what they needed, when they felt entitled to MORE than they needed for what they did. The landowner gave them a lecture on being envious over his generosity. Those who worked ONE HOUR got a DAILY WAGE, because they - not deserved, but NEEDED the daily wage to feed their families, and they were less likely to get hired the next day again!
You see, the Value of the Kingdom of God is Grace - undeserved loving mercy given freely, and NOT earned merit.
And like salvation by Grace and not earned merit, because we NEED IT, so in THIS PART OF GOD'S KINGDOM we are to live that value.
For instance - in our nation -
What if employers, when the recession hit, took less profit for stockholders and executives, rather than laying of workers whose families needed their income? Some did that - very few. Others laid people off specifically to get large bonuses for themselves.
What if employers paid a LIVING WAGE with BENEFITS, even though it meant less profit for themselves, because their employees NEEDED IT?
What if employers hired at FULL CAPACITY, because there are too many folks unemployed right now, when they could do with fewer employees working harder, and make therefore make more profit (even bonuses) for themselves?
What a concept - executives, owners and stockholders who make the largest incomes take a little less to allow more people to have more of what they NEED!
Unfortunately, I believe people - even those who call themselves "Christians" - will continue to label this ANYTHING they can to keep us from adopting this Kingdom Value taught by Jesus.
And in the end, they will go away sad when Jesus comes calling, because their love for personal profit and wealth was greater than that for others in need, and it keeps them from going with Jesus - Matthew 19:16-22
Sad, indeed!
Pastor Jamie
The landowner went out at 6:00am and hired day laborers for work in his vineyard/factory. He agreed with them, meaning he discussed with them, on the usual daily wage. These were, no doubt, the strongest, most fit and experienced workers who were chosen - the FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS. The landowner went back out at 9am and found others who were not yet hired by anyone and hired them, saying, "I will pay you whatever is right". How relieved they must have been, thinking that no one would hire them that day, so their families would not eat that day, to hear that they would have work (though not the BEST of the lot), and be paid FAIRLY. The landowner went out again at Noon and 3pm and did the same - hired now the least qualified and most desperate to feed their families. Then, the landowner did the unthinkable - he went out at 5pm, one hour before "quittin' time" and hired some who had not been picked by ANYONE, ALL DAY. They worked only one hour, because the work day ended at 6pm. He lined them up, the ones hired at 5pm first and then the rest. He gave those who worked ONE HOUR a FULL, DAILY WAGE, because they also had to feed their families. Those who worked 12 hours thought that they would get more, because if these got the daily wage, surely they were ENTITLED to MORE than them - that would only be FAIR! But the landowner was being, not unfair, but BEYOND FAIR. They didn't like it, because someone ELSE caught a break and got what they needed, when they felt entitled to MORE than they needed for what they did. The landowner gave them a lecture on being envious over his generosity. Those who worked ONE HOUR got a DAILY WAGE, because they - not deserved, but NEEDED the daily wage to feed their families, and they were less likely to get hired the next day again!
You see, the Value of the Kingdom of God is Grace - undeserved loving mercy given freely, and NOT earned merit.
And like salvation by Grace and not earned merit, because we NEED IT, so in THIS PART OF GOD'S KINGDOM we are to live that value.
For instance - in our nation -
What if employers, when the recession hit, took less profit for stockholders and executives, rather than laying of workers whose families needed their income? Some did that - very few. Others laid people off specifically to get large bonuses for themselves.
What if employers paid a LIVING WAGE with BENEFITS, even though it meant less profit for themselves, because their employees NEEDED IT?
What if employers hired at FULL CAPACITY, because there are too many folks unemployed right now, when they could do with fewer employees working harder, and make therefore make more profit (even bonuses) for themselves?
What a concept - executives, owners and stockholders who make the largest incomes take a little less to allow more people to have more of what they NEED!
Unfortunately, I believe people - even those who call themselves "Christians" - will continue to label this ANYTHING they can to keep us from adopting this Kingdom Value taught by Jesus.
And in the end, they will go away sad when Jesus comes calling, because their love for personal profit and wealth was greater than that for others in need, and it keeps them from going with Jesus - Matthew 19:16-22
Sad, indeed!
Pastor Jamie
Why do they hate him so?
OK, so we have a black President. The fervor seen against EVERYTHING being tried to bring the recovery along and help the American people, even things that Republicans would have done themselves, is not about Liberal vs. Conservative. It is simply to make this Presidency look bad - make this "experiment" fail. Those on the "right" will do ANYTHING to sabotage this administration and try to keep this President from succeeding in governance to prove that anyone not white, from wealth and male cannot be effective as a President. This only SHOWS the lengths they will go to out of their RACISM, yes I said it, to KEEP their ethnocentric control... why they say things like "take the country back" and other blatantly racist remarks. That is why they are WILLING to hurt the American people with obstructionist activities that KEEP the economy slow in recovery, at best. They are willing to hurt us to get at our President. Why do they HATE this President more and more uniquely than any other in history? Hmmm... They are acting on a white supremacist - not movement - but belief and philosophy. It is racism, pure and simple.
"By their FRUITS you will know them."- "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Jesus
"By their FRUITS you will know them."- "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Jesus
The best government money can buy
So, Millionaires and Billionaires, like the Koch brothers, those who have the power over our government because they have the money to buy it, want unlimited profits for themselves, quickly, and will do WHATEVER long-term damage to the nation and the world to get it for themselves. They want less regulation on pollutants in the air we breath, water we drink and land we live on, so they can make more profit more quickly. They pay off those in the Senate and House to get what they want. And it's not for the sake of the laborers - they have funded people like Scott Walker and others to bust unions and lower wages and benefits to average workers. It's not for our American Democracy and its citizens - they have funded and supported voter suppression efforts across the country to keep elderly, young, disabled and minority voters from getting to cast their ballots. It is just for themselves, at the price of our democracy, environment and financial stability. And more like these guys are who you want to support in business and in government? How un-American is that? How un-Christian is that?
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Not Out of FEAR!
I have often been made keenly aware that FEAR motivates, not only in situations, but also in life-
orientation.
FEAR is taught, sometimes by people in our lives and sometimes by situations in them.
FEAR leads us to defensiveness, the defending of self, sometimes applied in situations in which it is
not only not needed, but not helpful or healthy to be fearful and defensive.
FEAR quite naturally makes us conservative - to conserve those things for ourselves that may help us
fend off whatever perceived threats we have for our future.
FEAR encourages reservation - the reserving of ourselves from sharing, opening up and receptivity,
so that we are closed up in our encounters with the world and the people in it.
FEAR demands an orientation all about "SELF" preservation, which leads us to be defensive,
conservative and reserved in how we meet the world and the people in it.
FEAR inevitably leads, when it is followed as the course of one's life, to wariness with others, a lack
of trust, suspicion in most situations, eventually hatred of some or many and sometimes the
ruthless, aggressive attacking of others, any others, whom we perceive to be a "threat", because
they "MIGHT" hurt us, somehow.
I like the acronym for FEAR that follows:
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
When FEAR is that which I first meet people or situations in my life, I am meeting others and situations in my life in weakness. I RARELY need to do so. If I meet most people and situations in my life as one who perceives myself as being vulnerable and potentially a victim, that says a lot about how I look at myself, and NOT just how I look at the world and people in it.
I REFUSE to live my life out of a FEAR orientation.
I REFUSE to be conservative with my possessions, thoughts, kindness or feelings.
I REFUSE to be closed up because I once was hurt or could be again.
I REFUSE to be reserved in how I meet the world around me.
I REFUSE to naval gaze because I can only focus on protecting "self".
I REFUSE to hurt others around me because I perceive that they MIGHT be a threat to me.
I REFUSE to let FEAR be my orientation to the world and the people in it.
I do not VALUE living in FEAR, and the things that come out of living in FEAR.
I may be sometimes hurt, sometimes victimized, sometimes exploited, sometimes ignored or abandoned, but out of a FEAR of that, I will NOT always keep myself from fully living my life!
I will NOT keep myself from putting out into the world those things that I believe make the world a better place in which to live! I will NOT allow FEAR to make me put out in the world the things I do not value!
So, call me a LIBERAL - generous and open with concern over the well-being of others... YES, you can label me that. It means I am receptive and open to sharing.
I will NOT be a CONSERVATIVE, because I will NOT let my whole life orientation be formed in FEAR.
Pastor Jamie
orientation.
FEAR is taught, sometimes by people in our lives and sometimes by situations in them.
FEAR leads us to defensiveness, the defending of self, sometimes applied in situations in which it is
not only not needed, but not helpful or healthy to be fearful and defensive.
FEAR quite naturally makes us conservative - to conserve those things for ourselves that may help us
fend off whatever perceived threats we have for our future.
FEAR encourages reservation - the reserving of ourselves from sharing, opening up and receptivity,
so that we are closed up in our encounters with the world and the people in it.
FEAR demands an orientation all about "SELF" preservation, which leads us to be defensive,
conservative and reserved in how we meet the world and the people in it.
FEAR inevitably leads, when it is followed as the course of one's life, to wariness with others, a lack
of trust, suspicion in most situations, eventually hatred of some or many and sometimes the
ruthless, aggressive attacking of others, any others, whom we perceive to be a "threat", because
they "MIGHT" hurt us, somehow.
I like the acronym for FEAR that follows:
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
When FEAR is that which I first meet people or situations in my life, I am meeting others and situations in my life in weakness. I RARELY need to do so. If I meet most people and situations in my life as one who perceives myself as being vulnerable and potentially a victim, that says a lot about how I look at myself, and NOT just how I look at the world and people in it.
I REFUSE to live my life out of a FEAR orientation.
I REFUSE to be conservative with my possessions, thoughts, kindness or feelings.
I REFUSE to be closed up because I once was hurt or could be again.
I REFUSE to be reserved in how I meet the world around me.
I REFUSE to naval gaze because I can only focus on protecting "self".
I REFUSE to hurt others around me because I perceive that they MIGHT be a threat to me.
I REFUSE to let FEAR be my orientation to the world and the people in it.
I do not VALUE living in FEAR, and the things that come out of living in FEAR.
I may be sometimes hurt, sometimes victimized, sometimes exploited, sometimes ignored or abandoned, but out of a FEAR of that, I will NOT always keep myself from fully living my life!
I will NOT keep myself from putting out into the world those things that I believe make the world a better place in which to live! I will NOT allow FEAR to make me put out in the world the things I do not value!
So, call me a LIBERAL - generous and open with concern over the well-being of others... YES, you can label me that. It means I am receptive and open to sharing.
I will NOT be a CONSERVATIVE, because I will NOT let my whole life orientation be formed in FEAR.
Pastor Jamie
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