Shadows, Guns, and Reality

I wrote this article in 2013, and nothing has changed. Unless, of course, you want to talk about a movement to defund the police, eliminate ICE, make the traditional family obsolete, set up sovereign zones within cities, an increase of violence from racist militias, a fearful demonstration of opposing groups going to marches armed to the teeth, an increase of sanctuary cities, a push to force the Church to accept same-sex marriage, or else the government will retaliate, the growing disrespect for authority and a media growing more and more subversive.

We could also talk about the WOKE movement and the Cancel Culture. One of the weirdest examples of the cancel culture just came to us from Portland.  A school wanted a gender-neutral, kind, protective, new mascot for the school.  They had a Trojan and so now determined that the evergreen tree would be their mascot.  All was going well until someone objected that it was racist because of lynching.  First, I would not want to go to a school where we cheer for a football team:  Go Evergreens!  You could get beat up at ten schools just for suggesting such an idea. Secondly, the sordid history of lynching was never linked to an evergreen tree as far as I know.  I certainly never saw a cattle rustler hanged on an evergreen tree in a Western.  We can get silly and begin to fight things that we imagine.  We also diminish the true vileness of our slavery past. By the way, I saw that Land of Lakes butter took off the picture of the Native American, but they kept the Land,  just saying. 

The news media makes a lot of money on making us angry and getting us to disagree. Controversy creates ratings and dollars for the left and the right. We need to stop falling for it.  Things are worse today than in 2013 and not better; however, I will post below as it was from 2013.

Shadowboxing involves sparring with an imaginary opponent.  It is a type of training that prepares one for an actual opponent, but it is boxing against the air.  It uses a lot of energy but tires only the shadowboxer.  It is part of conditioning and prepares the boxer’s muscles and helps to get him/her in rhythm.  I am no expert, but I know that it only involves one person and his imagination.  The Apostle Paul states:  26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air, I Corinthians 9. 

The gun debate continues in our nation.  In my opinion, most of the talk in Congress is shadowboxing, debating with themselves, and attacking an imaginary opponent.  How does one attack an imaginary opponent?  How do you attack a person out there who is ready to commit another mass murder or murder of one?  The answer in Congress is to pass new laws on guns. The only people who will obey these laws are the law-abiding.  Increased background checks may help if psychiatric files are opened, but this will not happen.  Creating a no-gun registry, as we do for no-fly lists for airlines, may help.  Or creating a 24 hour waiting period for delivery of a gun may help. 

How about spending a billion dollars on ridding Chicago’s gangs of guns?  How about spending even more to stop the illegal trafficking of firearms?  We can’t do that; we don’t have the money.  Consider that the U.S.A. supplies Egypt with about 80% of its arms budget.  Consider the fact that we are sending at least sixteen  F-16’s and 200 Abrams tanks to Egypt as a gift, or are they purchasing them?  It is hard to get clear facts, but it appears they are being paid for from the billion-dollar aid package to Egypt, but that is beside the point.  We should be concerned with weapons in the hands of criminals, but why do we continue to sell or give unstable governments weapons that destroy towns, cities, and villages and kill far more people than a gun?  From 2004 to 2011, according to the Congressional Research Service, the United States was the number one supplier of weapons to the world in general and the developing nations in particular.  The U.S.A. supplies 56% of the weapons to the world and 79% of all weapons to developing countries.

I admit and would desire that the world could be gun-free, then all wars would end!  Wait, there were wars before guns! There must be another reason.  The primary reason for murders, and crime in general, is the condition of the human heart.  The real issue in America is the overt attacks on spiritual values.  Abortion for all.  The morning after pills for girls of any age over the counter.  The continuing redefinition of marriage (it will not stop with same-sex marriage).

The pulling of a Lego set that offends but a crucifix in urine is art.  Then there is Dr. Poole, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, who told students to write the name of Jesus on a paper, throw it to the ground, and stomp on it.  One student, a Mormon, protested and was suspended from the class.  The university backed the professor but did back down some when Governor Scott got involved.  What if Dr. Poole would have used another Prophet or Savior from another religion?  Just wondering.

The greatest hope, indeed the only hope for the human heart, is Jesus.  He transforms the repentant. The more Jesus is marginalized in our society, the further we will fall morally.  

The debate on guns is just shadow boxing–the real issue lies within the heart, and America continues the attempt to drown out the only voice that can help us, the voice of a merciful and loving God.

That is the way I see it.

Jim