Do all long haired men do drugs?

As I sit here writing this, a man with hair down to his shoulders, this is a question that has bothered me these past 42 years. I was brought up in a Christian home that quoted a phrase from the Bible that says: "... for a man to have long hair is a dishonor," to "prove" that a Christian man shouldn't have long hair. This church (and many other small minded ones like them) got into a frenzy during the 60's. My father, a good Christian man, told me back in 1965, after a heated argument about something silly, "get your hair cut or get out." I got out. (Today, he is one of my best friends and he was only spouting the same crap he had been taught by some ignorant ministers.)

About 15 years later, I entered a church building and the first thing I noticed was a young man with long hair raising his hands, singing, clapping and having a good old time. And this was a regular Sunday night service! First off, I figured he must be on drugs. Secondly, I concluded he was definitely not a Christian. I found out later, he wasn't on drugs and he was definitely a Christian. Or, as he preferred to be called, "a follower of Jesus Christ."

Soon after meeting this "follower of Jesus Christ," 26 years ago now, I became a follower of Jesus Christ. It wasn't long, however, until some other Christians started harassing me about the length of my hair. "Son," they would say as they solemnly looked at my shoulder length locks, "Christians don't wear long hair." What did I do? I got a hair cut. But, I struggled with the close-mindedness and narrow mindedness of Christian then, and have for the past 26 years on this weighty theological issue of hair length.

Seven years ago, I became pastor of a church, where much of the congregation was composed of recovering alcoholics and/or drug addicts. One day, a young man with long hair came up to me and said, "Pastor, can I wear my hair long and be a Christian?" Apparently, he had been attending a church where the pastor had told him that if he was "really a Christian" then he had to get a hair cut. My answer, "Mark, you can grow your hair down to your ass and you will be as much of a Christian, and maybe more, than that pastor."

But, I kept my hair fairly short because of the stigma that society puts on men with long hair. And there was enough stigma associated with our church. There was plenty of talk about that "strange" church that has a clothing bank, food bank, drop-in center and soup kitchen. In reality, we were just doing things that the church should be doing but few of them actually do. Well, the mission that I worked with finally got tired of "that strange bunch we have working with us," and closed our work down. (More on this in later postings.)

Now, I am a "freelance pastor," you might say. I work with a few addicts and am involved as a volunteer prison chaplain. To be more readily accepted at first glance with those I meet and work with, I have started growing my hair long again. It has certainly cut out any possibility of working in most church meeting places, but, so what? I am also able to better identify with the dispossessed and the oppressed because any man wearing long hair today is immediately suspected of being "on drugs." Even today. It didn't end with the 60's.

The Bible verse that some Christians are so fond of quoting to show that "men with long hair can't be Christians," is found in 1 Cor. 11:14. What this verse actually says is that it is "humiliating and degrading to him," that is, for a man to have long hair. And, it is. The stares, whispers and glances you get does bother you. But, it helps me to better identify with those in society who are marginalized and oppressed because of their background, socio-economic status, or mental health. Or appearance. It makes me feel more drawn to those who suffer from addictions, sexual abuse. And the imprisoned, among others.

Not to mention that at my age, of 56, to be able to grow any hair at all is a bonus. So, if you have it, flaunt it?

The long and short of it, however, is that I am not responsible for all the narrow minded, bigoted Christians (and other people) in the world. I'm only responsible for how I act towards them. When I stand before God I won't be responsible for the actions of anybody else. I am only, thank God, responsible for my own actions. And, that's enough to be responsible for in life.

Relativism. Enslaved by Freedom.

We were pleased to see Peter's posting today on relativism. However, he missed a crucial point. In today's Our Daily Bread, the story is told of an individual who manipulates the bathroom scale, to get a more favorable reading. In order to "lose weight," this person turns the weight adjustment knob downwards and voila, "I've lost weight!" As this article goes on to say, "We live in an age when many people believe there are no absolutes. Self-serving behavior is rampant and tramples the moral law given for the protection of society. Our culture prides itself on 'freedom' that is actually slavery..." Those of us growing up in the 60's know all about this. We broke the chains of our parent's generation. We wanted to have fun. We wanted to screw whoever we wanted, whenever we wanted. We wanted to do any drug that came our way. We wanted to be "free." Most of now know, though not all of us admit it, that the so called "freedom" only enslaved us.

Mitch, one of the main characters in "tuesdays with Morrie," a book by Mitch Albom, puts it this way, "He was always ready to openly display the emotion so often missing from my baby boomer generation. We are great at small talk: 'What do you do?" "Where do you live?" But really listening to someone - without trying to sell them something, pick them up, recruit them, or get some kind of status in return - how often do we get this anymore?

Thanks to the relativism we fought for and have received, we have come to use others for our own ends, even though we don't like to admit this. Or, even worse, recognize it. Absolutes? Yes, there are absolutes. But where do they come from? "I am the Lord, I do not change." (Malachi 3:6. The Old Testament.)

A Conservative Canada? Yes, but...

While we support what all of the other freaks wish to do, as seen in the recent posting, United for a Conservative Canada, we would be betraying our theological foundation by fully endorsing it. But, we do wish them well.

Freaks on Retreat. A Manifesto. Of sorts.

Where do we go from here?
It’s been a little under a month since our first Freak blog was published. Since then, we have grown to 12 blogs which are linked through our freaks inc. site. Now is the time to put our feet into the ocean for a few days to see where we go from here. So, as of tomorrow, April 14, there will be no postings until about April 19 as all the Freaks associated with all the sites go on retreat. We will be asking ourselves these questions, among others:
1. Do we continue as blogs or go to a full Web site? Or, both?
2. Will all the Freaks, from all the blogs, join in the upcoming election to lobby against all those politicians who support Bill C-17? Or, do we concentrate our efforts on the Liberals and the NDP and ignore the Bloc and the Conservatives? (If we go after the Bloc, we will have to recruit a French speaking Freak.) And, do we really want to go after the Conservatives? Truth be told, although we have picked on the Conservatives along with all the other parties, most of the Freaks are supportive of the Conservative Party. If this party wins the next election, we are sure they won’t be as anxious to support the spread of non-medical drugs, as are the other political parties. Or, do we remain completely apolitical?
3. How much money do we pour into the upcoming election campaign? Do we try to raise some cash? How many Freaks will put their lives on hold to fight this campaign?
4. How do we fight the campaign? Do we use news releases and telephone interviews with media that are situated within the targeted ridings, as well as updates to our blogs or web page (the latter depends on the time we have before an election to get a Web page up) or do we also use billboards and other mass advertising? This, of course, depends on our finances and would probably necessitate some fund raising. Are there any rich Freaks (or not Freaks) out there, who support our fight against the spread of non-medical drugs, such as pot?
5. Will we finally have an Executive Director to co-ordinate all our FAD (Freaks Against Drugs) business? It is important to have a "front man" for all media contacts. We have two Freaks here who are capable and have the experience to do this, but they are a bit leery of becoming front men because of some of the language, in the past, used on many of our sites. Not only what we have said, but how we have said it is bothersome to both of them. Each site is independent of the other and even within sites, particularly the FAD site, there is more than one person posting. If we are to be taken more seriously, our candidates for Executive Director have said that all postings (at least on the FAD sites) would have to be cleared by them. Some of our more anarchist Freaks have a problem with this.
6. Do we disband? Say, "it was nice to get our feelings out but, there is more to life..." and just let the country go to pot?
7. That’s about it. If you have feedback, please email us at freaksinc2@hotmail.com.
8. Until next week, this is Peter wishing you peace. Freak peace

Olive Oil + Botox = Eternal Life

Growing up in the 60's, fueled by drugs, sex and rock n roll, the mantra my generation subscribed to was, "live hard, die young, and leave a good looking corpse." Well, a number of us did die young, thanks to ingesting unknown drugs. Drugs that often times weren't what we thought we had bought. Acid and grass laced with deadly chemicals and so called magic mushrooms that may have been mushrooms but weren't very magical. Not to mention pills that had no name.

But, here we are now. Freaks in our 50's and 60's who are still alive. Suffering from aching bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. Or, as Leonard Cohen puts it, "aching in the places where we use to play." But, there is hope. A study of 75,000 Europeans, recently published in the British Medical Journal, says that the Mediterranean Diet can prolong life. If you are 60 and above, the report says, a diet based on fruits, vegetables, fish, grains and olive oil can prolong your life a year. Or, as one freak sitting nearby eating his lunch of chips, diet coke and crackers laden with high-fat cheese whiz puts it, "your life will just seem to be a year longer."

If we can't do much about our insides, there is always Botox. And not just for women. A recent study shows that men are increasingly opting for the toxic chemical injections, that won't prolong your life, but it will make you look much younger while your insides are falling apart. Ten years ago men accounted for only 5 percent of all Botox injections in Canada but that has jumped to 15 percent. At a price of $155 per area and up to $1,200 for treatment of multiple areas - with touch ups required every three to four months - it isn't cheap. The bottom line is, we don't want to grow old. We don't want to be reminded of our immortality. Understandable. Because, as the Bible tells us, we were created to live for eternity. Just not in these bodies we drag around. Thank goodness.

The Bible shows, in fact, that every person does live forever. The question is, where will we live? There is hell. There is heaven. The choice where we will live depends on us. We can live this life to please ourselves, or we can life our life as God intended from the beginning. That is, to live daily loving others as much as we love ourselves,while loving God with our heart, soul and mind. (And reading some of the posts on the various freak sites, I don't see a lot of the former. But, that's politics, I guess.) During my lifetime, I have seen people who love others as much as themselves or, to put it another way, treat others as they would like to be treated. I know I'm stepping on political ground here, but I have seen this type of attitude among many of the socialists I have known over the years. Love God with heart, soul and mind? I can point to many conservative friends from the past who do this. Loving God with their heart, soul and mind (or entire being) and loving others as much as they love themselves, at the same time? The truth is, it is actually impossible to live this way, without help. But, we don't have to live this way in our own strength. God gave us an example to show us how to live. That example? Jesus Christ.

And Jesus Christ came not only to show us how to live, he came to give us the power to live the life God requires. And we receive that power when we turn our life over to Jesus Christ. And it's when we turn our life over to Christ, that we become a new person. As the Bible says: "Behold old things pass away. Everything becomes new." We have new purpose. We have a new focus. We have an entirely new life, powered by Jesus Christ, living within us. "It is not I who live, it is Christ living his life through me," is how the Bible puts it. Do we become perfect? No. But we have the ability to live life the way God intended it from the beginning. A life that is totally dedicated to Jesus Christ. A life that leads to eternal life with God. Eternal life, life forever without end, living in a body that does not age, experience pain, or die. The choice is up to us. Where will you spend your life for eternity? "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He even gave up His only-begotten, unique Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish - come to destruction, be lost - but have eternal (everlasting) life."

Should this picture even be posted?

We went through a lot of soul searching before we decided to post this link. It has been posted on most of the freak inc. sites and we questioned if it should even have been posted by them in the first place. We try to stay out of the politicizing that the other freaks thrive on. But, we have decided it is a valid picture and story, so we are posting it. We would question some of the rhetoric that is associated with the pictures, but not the intend of the posting. (This is the link to the pictures which show a young girl before and after dying from an overdose of drugs. Choose yourself whether to view it. It is not a pretty sight.)

Other Freaks Disappoint Us (Part 2). And, the Christian Right, Conservatives and NDP.

Our major concern with Christian involvement in politics, is how politicians and political parties "use" the Christian vote to obtain power. We have seen this over the years in the United States, where both Republicans and Democrats have cozied up to Christians and promised them all kinds of things, many of which were never delivered. Now, we see this happening in Canada with the Conservatives, who seem to be using the same sex battle to garner Christian votes but will probably not deliver on their promises once they attain power. We trust we are not being cynical -we'll leave that to the other freaks - but considering history, this is probably what will happen. When God's people in the Old Testament wanted a king, God told them what they could expect from a human king, something that is as true today in our country as it was thousands of years ago. Here is what we can expect of all politicians (our comments in italic and bracketed): BEGINNING OF QUOTE "He (the king, prime minister, president) will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses (isn't this what happens in war? Where leaders of one country go to war with leaders of other countries. But, their citizens are used as cannon fodder? This happens, regardless of who is in government)...He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves...(taxes, and taxes, and taxes. True, some governments tax less, but then the poor and vulnerable also suffer)...He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage (today, it's more like 50 per cent, not 10 per cent, while many corporations pay little tax or get huge government grants)..." (1 Samuel 8 tells the whole story). END OF QUOTE So, it doesn't matter if our country is ruled by Liberals, NDP or Tory, "it's the same old story." So, Christian voters, don't put your hopes in the Conservative party and their "promise" to push your agenda. We know these politicians, like most other politicians, are good people. Dedicated and sincere people. And many of them are Godly people. But, the bottom line in politics is to gain power and keep power. Of course, they all want to do what is best. At least, the best as they see it. But, remember, politics is all about compromise and if the Christian right think they can support one party and have their agenda pushed, they should look south of the border. It just won't happen. (This message is also for the Christian left who look to the NDP.) Sure, a few bones will be thrown your way, but just enough to keep you in the camp. I can remember that after I left the Marxist trail, and became a follower of Jesus Christ, I wanted to get involved in a political party. So, I choose the one I thought best suited my Christian principles. I joined the NDP. To be more precise, I joined a group called, "Christians in the NDP." In this group were Dan Heap (a very kind and wise Anglican priest), Lynn MacDonald (I trust I have spelled her name right) whose claim to fame was having NDP leader Ed Broadbent stop lighting up his cigars at caucus meetings. Again, she was someone who believed strongly in social justice but, like all politicians, even though a Christian, she was more concerned with the Kingdom of Man than with the Kingdom of God. And they are different kingdoms. Another member was ICS professor, Paul Marshall, who has written extensively about Christians who are being persecuted in various countries around the world because of their beliefs. The long and short of it, after realizing that these NDPers felt that they were going to implement the Kingdom of God on earth through their political involvement, it was obvious to me that I was in the wrong group. I fear, as I see Christians in the Conservatives with this same kind of agenda, while being pulled by others who see this as not the agenda they should be pushing, the Christian right is going to be sorely disappointed if they think they can count on any politician to push their agenda. An agenda, I'm afraid, that is the wrong one to begin with because they confuse the two kingdoms. One we live in, the other is where our true citizenship lies. (Again, our link to our previous posting on this question.)

Our earlier posting created some hard feelings among the other freaks, and for that we apologize. To smooth the waters, we have all agreed to talk over future postings that concern other groups so that a particular posting doesn't come as a big surprise.

The Other Freaks Disappoint Us. (Part 1)

The freaks from FAD (Freaks Against Drugs), FOG (Freaks. Old and Grumpy) and now FIB (Freaks into Bull) are running around here like teenagers as they plot their activities against the Liberals, NDP, Conservatives and an assortment of other, as the put it, "bad guys." I have read their postings and am saddened by the things they are saying about our politicians. I know they don't have much use for politicians but from my own political experience in the past, I know that most people who go to Ottawa to represent us are good, decent men and women who believe passionately about their ideas. And they suffer for the many hours they put into their work, both in health and in emotional attachment to their spouses and children, if they are married. I think that the freaks in the other groups are trying to make up for lost time. They marched against capitalism, imperialism, war and anything else that struck their fancy, during the 60's, but then they got sucked into the system they once criticized and became quite wealthy. Now, they have woke up to the fact that the 60's and all that they agitated for is now destroying the very fabric of society, at least, the fabric of the Kingdom of Man. (The Kingdom of God goes on and is not bothered or affected by what happens in the political and economic world outside our gates. See this earlier posting for more.) As I read the other freak postings, I started to look back to when I became a follower of Jesus Christ 26 years ago, in 1979. I was a Marxist who had marched against the War in Vietnam and yelled, "Yankee go home," in front of the U.S. embassy in Ottawa and Toronto. Not to mention the countless demonstrations, sit-ins, smoke-ins, and one arrest. Well, the war ended, and the South Vietnamese started fleeing their paradise. At least, that's what we figured they would be living in once the War ended and the Americans went home. So, I started to question my belief in Karl Marx. I had been questioning his rhetoric for some time, but the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back was seeing that the new Marxist paradise of South Vietnam wasn't paradise for many of its citizens. From 1981 to 1985. I was stationed in the Philippines as a journalist and one of my beats was Vietnam. In traveling there, I saw how the American economic oppressors had been supplanted by economic and political oppressors from the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries. Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself and getting into other freak territory. What I realized, at age 30, in 1979, was that the answers I had been looking for from age 14, were not going to be found in Karl Marx, Groucho Marx, Jim Beam, Captain Corby, Mary Jane or any human system. So, I began to consider the claims of Jesus Christ. Me, a Marxist, who once thought that "the only good Christian was a dead Christian. Give me a gun and point me in the direction of a church." But, my hatred of Christianity stemmed in part from being sexually abused as an 11-year-old, by a church worker in a Protestant, evangelical church. And, of course remarks such as those by John Lennon, which still ring true; particularly his (paraphrased) quote that "Jesus was a great man. It's some of his followers I can't stand." I had never seriously read the Bible or considered the statements of Jesus Christ, who claimed that he was "the Son of God, the creator of all things." But now, I started to read the Bible to see if Jesus truly was who he said he was, or if he was a mad man, a lunatic. Crazy, man. As I read the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - I prayed, "God, I don't believe you exist. But if you do. Reveal yourself to me." He did. And my life has never been the same again. We'll continue this another time. I want to go back to how I feel the freaks at FAD, FOG, and FIB are missing the boat in their fight against the politicians and political forces. Peg (who I fear is getting caught up in the other freak's hoopla) is still not feeling well from her bout with the flu, and I promised I would help her with the lunch crowd.

Another word on the Pope.

We received an email from the author of this link, Buff Scott. He was responding to our posting, "Is the Pope in Heaven?" He has another view. Click on the link to see how he views the entire papacy and the Catholic Church in general, and very specifically.

Pray for Government. Not Lobby.

Not all freaks at freak inc. are Christians, but a number of people at FAD, are Christians. Although we all have a common cause, in that we are freaks who question where the 60's have led us, we do differ on some crucial issues. Here at FIG, we believe that as Christians, our responsibility to government is to be good citizens, and to obey our government. Unless, the government tells us to do something that goes against God's Word. As the early Church said, "We must obey God, rather than man." (Acts 5:29. This occurred when Christians were told not to tell others about Jesus Christ and what He had done for them.) But to lobby government, as FAD is presently doing, in regards to the legalization of marijuana? We have questions about FAD's actions in this regard. (Or at least, for the actions of Christians in this group.) As noted in a previous posting, we believe, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, we don't get tied up in matters relating to the Kingdom of Man. Our major contact with the government, we believe, is to pray for them. The Bible says we are to pray for them so that "we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:2. And, to try and influence government decisions, considering there is nothing they can do that affects our living as citizenship in the Kingdom of God, is contrary, we believe, to the Bible.) So, we feel that FAD may be overstepping its boundaries, at least the Christians within them, when they seek to use the Internet and a proposed blitz of media across Canada and the targeting of individual MPs who support decriminalization (0n the road to legalization) of marijuana. Those Christians who believe they should be involved in FAD, though we see no Biblical support for their actions, are still our brothers and sisters in Christ, though a bit, we feel, off track.

Is the Pope in Heaven?

Tim Reporting:
Thirty years ago I would have said, "no." Being brought up in a fundamentalist Protestant background, the Pope was seen as part of the "one-world church" that is talked about in the book of Revelation. A tool of the "anti-Christ." (While this may be true in the future, this is not part of our question today.) Ten years ago, I would have softened my answer somewhat by saying, "probably not." Why? Because the Catholic Church is wrapped around many rolls of tradition that have nothing to do with the Bible. (Since becoming a follower of Jesus Christ 26 years ago, the only authority I have as a Christian, is the Bible.) Now, however, becoming more and more aware of the tradition that permeates every Protestant Church - although not to the same extent as seen in the Catholic Church - my answer would be much different. Is the Pope in heaven? If his life was turned over to God - which is what Jesus, in his words and deeds tells us is necessary to enter Heaven - then the answer is an unqualified, "yes." In John 3:3, we read: "Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’" (John 3:1-21 explains this. If you are interested, read it.) In a nutshell, just as everyone is born the first time, the second birth (born again) is when you become aware that your life evolves around you, and this is not what God demands. Then, by turning your life over to God, you become a new creation, a new person. Born again. Is the Pope in Heaven? I would have to say "yes", having watched his life for these past 25 years. This is despite his being the head of a church structure that holds to practices that have more to do with tradition, then with the Bible. But, again, having attended Baptist (of every shade) churches, Pentecostal, Brethren, Anglican, Presbyterian churches, yada, yada, it is obvious they all have practices that revolve around traditions that have nothing, or very little, to do with the Bible. In heaven, I expect to see a number of popes, and I expect there will be a number of Baptist, and other Protestant ministers, who don’t make it. Heaven is not for those who belong to a particular Christian denomination, but for those who have turned their life over to God. Which is why in heaven there will be no Catholics and no Protestants. Only those who have been truly born again and who have called upon the name of God. Those who have become the children of God because Jesus Christ came to not only show us the way to God, but to become the way to God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

FAD CEO to be Appointed, sometime in April

A journalist and political organizer with over 30 years of experience, will be appointed as the first CEO of Freaks against Drugs (FAD) Peter Piper, the chairman of freaks inc., and one of the organization's founding members, said: "There is much that needs to be done in the next several weeks and we saw the need to have a front person who knew the political process and the issues we are seeking to discuss in relation to proposed governmental changes to Canada's drug laws." Besides the new CEOs experience in media and politics, Mr. Piper says there are other qualifications that the members of freaks inc. thought were important. "Our new spokesman is the only one in our group who looks like a freak from the 60's. As well, we feel our CEO has credibility in our battle against the Liberal Government's push to legalize marijuana because he also received a criminal record for drug usage in the 1970's." Mr. Piper concluded by saying, "We will have a spokesman who knows more about the dangers of legislation that will increase the spread of non-medical drugs, than just about anybody else in our group." The new CEO will be based in Nova Scotia. More details will follow.

Giving away all that we have?

We were just reading today's FOG posting. (AluminART, Chrysler and Krap.) It's as good as any illustration on what we have been debating during the past 24 hours. As you know from our last posting we have been trying to start memorizing some Biblical passages but the only one we know, after all this time, is 1 Corinthians 13:3, which goes like this: "What if I (we) gave away all that I (we) owned?" Well, as the FOG posting puts it, more or less, probably a lot better off. As Jesus says: "Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them." (Matthew 6:19) And as the freaks at FOG prove in today's rant, the more we have, the more problems we have. And, even more crucial, is what Jesus says about storing up treasures in heaven, rather than on earth: "Your heart will always be where your treasure is." (Matthew 6:21) What does all this mean? (This is Tom speaking.) I must admit, I have plenty of treasure. A nice, rather large house. A new car. Plenty of toys. And plenty of worries when they break down. And worries when I leave the house after checking the doors to make sure they are locked. I remember a few years back at a men's breakfast we had a woman speaker. She told how she and her husband had a fortune, including nice cars and a large mansion. They felt convicted and convinced and sold it all and went to the mission field for a number of years. They had just arrived back in Canada and were living in a small apartment on a very small pension. I felt sorry for her, even though she wasn't sorry. I said to myself, "Imagine, giving everything up and now coming back home to Canada and having nothing." Now, I wonder, who really has nothing? I think the answer is pretty clear. Me. What about you?

Christians burned at the stake? Never in N.A.

First, to answer Peg regarding her query on our last posting, "What is this Two Kingdom's Stuff"?I know this can be a difficult thing to grasp, although we freaks try to keep things clear. But, considering how the 60's is catching up to us, this isn't always easy. I know this posting seems to put us at odds with the freaks at FAD. But, we are just stating our opinion and if some Christian freak friends of our weren't so busy at FAD, they would be here with us, and we could probably see eye to eye. In fact, I see Peter Piper over at the FAD table now. "Hi, ya, Peter." Peter says hi. But, what we really want to talk about (read the last posting to understand what we were talking about, we don't want to repeat ourselves) is a FIG memory project. First off, it's getting harder and harder for us freaks to remember things and, Secondly, we feel we don't read the Bible enough. So, we decided to kill two birds with one stone. We will start memorizing the Bible. Today's memory work and maybe another day or two until we get it, is from 1 Cor. 13:3, from the New Testament in Contemporary English. Roadie left us a copy before he climbed into his big rig this morning, and it's put out by a group he raves about called Transport for Christ. The little New Testament is "The Road Map of Life." The 1 Corinthians passage goes like this: "What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing unless I loved others." Heavy stuff. Giving away all that I owned. (The freaks over at FOG were talking a bit about possessions today.) The idea of giving all your stuff away is something most Christians in North American don't lose sleep over. (Unless we worry about how we are going to make all the payments for all the stuff we have.) We just collect and collect like everybody does in the Kingdom of Man. The best thing that could happen to us is to go through what Christians in not a few other countries go through. Heavey duty persecution, man. Losing everything. Losing our toys and our trinkets and finding that God becomes more real when we aren't busy laying up treasures on earth. (A buddy told me about this site and you can get some info on persecuted Christians here.) Allowing ourselves to be burned alive? It happened to plenty of Christians in earlier days. But, in spite of all this, the Bible says it all means nothing unless we love others. Don't see this happening in North America. We have to many things we would never give up and being burned alive by governments who hate us? Nah. We will always manage to compromise enough so that the government will leave us alone. Anyways, that's it. When we have this verse memorized we are going to move on to the rest of the chapter. That's it for today.

What is this Two Kingdoms stuff? What does it have to do with Same Sex Marriage?

The freaks who work on this site look upon the freak site, Freaks Against Drugs, with some ambiguity. (Even though we would consider some of them as Christian brothers and sisters, and have had some spirited discussions with them down here at Peg's Lunch). But, we also strongly believe that they must follow their conscience, as we follow ours.) We, however, on this site, believe that the Scriptures teach us that we are part of a Kingdom that is "not of this world," as Jesus put it during his interrogation before being executed. The Bible talks about the Kingdom of God (which is not of this world and which Jesus came to implement but will not be fully realized until his return) and another kingdom, the Kingdom of Man (or Kingdom of this World) which is under the control of Satan. True, we live in the Kindom of Man but we are not of it. Scripture, we believe, teaches us that we are not to get tangled up in the Kindom of Man which, unfortunately, so many Christians do. In doing this, they bring mockery upon the Kingdom of God. Let me illustrate this by looking at the same sex marriage debate raging in Canada at the present time. There are a number of Christian groups saying some pretty unloving and unlovely things during this battle. Their involvement, in our opinion, is partly the result of a philosophy that is dominant in the U.S. among certain "Christian" groups, which, unfortunately, some Canadian Christians have also adopted. This thought seems to imply that through laws we are going to Christianize the world; Constantine, without the sword. What they fail to appreciate is that while within the Kindom of God there is no same sex marriage or same sex sex, (because the Bible forbids it in God's Kingdom) it is an entirely different matter in the Kingdom of Man. (There may be some former homosexuals in the Kingdom of God that may relapse, as we all relapse into sin at times; it's called backsliding.) While homosexuality does exist and is encouraged in the Kindom of Man, there is nothing we can really do about it when it is practiced outside the Kingdom of God. Still, some Christians get a bit fogged up by trying to impose Kingdom of God values on the Kindom of Man. And, when the Kingdom of Man rebels against having their kingdom controlled by Kingdom of God activists, there is a clash. To put it another way, one of the freaks here who is a former minister says: "if someone from the Kingdom of Man came to me and asked me to marry them, I would have to say "no." Why? Because they are asking me, as a representative of God in the Kingdom of God, to do something which is contrary to Kingdom of God values. This couple in question may find a pastor or church that purports to be part of the Kingdom of God to marry them, but to marry a same sex couple is contrary to the very principles of God's Kingdom and obviously, neither the pastor or same sex couple are truly citizens of the Kingdom of God. At the same time, just because this same sex couple , through marrying, clearly indicates that they are citizens of the Kingdom of Man, this does not stop me, as a citizen of God's Kingdom, from showing love and acceptance to them. Now, if these two same people, after I refuse to marry them, go to the government authorities within the Kingdom of Man in an attempt to force me to marry them (something that the government in the Kingdom of Man, in this case the government of Canada, says won't happen; but who believes this will always be the case) I would have to refuse. Even if (when) the government threatens me with imprisonment." In a nutshell, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, we are only going to bring the cause of Christ into disrepute if we try to impose Kingdom of God principles on the Kingdom of Man.