Monthly Archives: March 2019

Understanding Prejudice 2019-025

Posted in Contemplation, Religious by

                                                Understanding Prejudice    2019-025

Understanding prejudice is something that I feel, cannot be done. Prejudice is tied to intolerance to a degree, which is also something that cannot be understood. Can hatred be the factor that feeds those that endorse or hold fast to these beliefs?

What other influences would lead those having such despicable thoughts towards others? The hatred for anything is NOT a justifiable defense for prejudicial intolerance. Neither is using any religion or religious dictate for having thoughts that go against normal decent beliefs.  I would think that the word normal is the key word here.

Self-avowed racists or some that claim they are not, but ARE, due to their words used or actions taken, at times, do NOT care if they are looked at as prejudicial or intolerant. Also, God fearing, holier than thou advocates, that use their Bible as weapons to try and prove their righteousness and disapproval of others are examples of why the problem with religion is religion itself.  

Liberals AND conservatives that stretch their beliefs either to the far left or right and show the world their prejudice and intolerance to others on the other end of the spectrum need to learn what compromise means.

Many, but not all, major faith groups use a variation of the Golden Rule in their beliefs. This thought of “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you is sometimes forgotten.

Listed below are some prejudices that are common, but there are more I am sure. Since I am a Christian, I will use an excerpt from the teacher Jesus Christ as an example of how I feel people could look at others. 

In Mark 12 versus 29-31 it states that Jesus told His disciples how they must adhere to the following: “The most important (commandment) is this:  Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love this Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.”

In other words, being prejudicial and intolerant is NOT the way to be, if you are a Christian and want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  In Luke 14:27 Jesus also said, “And anyone who does not carry His cross and follow Him, cannot be my disciple.”

I just used the Bible to show some thoughts, not as a weapon, but as a guide to living life with Jesus, so you could still call me a hypocrite for doing so, if you wish. 

It is so too easy to show our feelings about something that is prejudicial towards anyone, but if we do so it identifies it as a factual feeling experience, and it can give us an opportunity to change ourselves as part of the process of change and healing oneself.

[RACE]   [AGE]  [RELIGION]  [EDUCATION]   [VOCATION]   [ETHNIC BACKGROUND]   [HABITAT OR LOCALE]

[TRIBAL/CLANS]   [SEX/ SEXUAL ORIENTATIOIN]  [WEALTH/INCOME] [DISABILITIES] [TATOOS/PIERCINGS]

[PET PREFERENCES]   [CASTE BELIEFS]    [MILITARY CHOICES]   [DWELLING ENVY] [SPORTS LIKES]

[MENTAL DISORDERS]   [COUNTRY ORIGIN]   [MARITAL STATUS]   [POLITICAL AFFILIATION]

[DRESS HABITS]   [HAIR STYLES]   [DISABILITIES]   [GENETIC DISORDERS] [DISEASE DISORDERS]

Peace,
Den Betts            bettsden@gmail.com    email or thebettsden.com Blog Site

Love God TOO much? 2019-024

Posted in Religious by

                Love God too Much?     2019-25

Can we love God too much, and think of Him more than we should?

Does going to church all the time suffice to make Him satisfied with our efforts to show Him how much we like/love Him? What does it take to make Him realize we are sincere in our belief in Him? Are we content in our way of showing our love of Him and His son Jesus Christ?

Questions upon questions and most of us ARE satisfied with what and how we hold ourselves in thoughts about Him — NORMAL?!

With God as our Father and Jesus as our savior and teacher, what do THEY expect from us? Using the Scripture in the Bible as a reference or source, it is fairly clear, just what He expects, wants or desires from ALL of us.

It is somewhat easy to do for some of us and very hard for others, to appease God. Too many things we can use as excuses to do or not do, when it comes to NOT loving God in many ways. God has a simple wish that takes effort but is not a hard or difficult thing to do! What is that?

We are to seek and find God and his Kingdom FIRST, and put Him in our lives, above all else, as stated by His son Jesus. I would think that this means He wants us to follow Him and also become a disciple of His son Jesus Christ. We CAN say we do so now, and perhaps we believe this as a fact!

God is our heavenly Father, not our Uncle we see at reunions, or when we want to see Him. He wants us to put Him FIRST and more than just now and then—like on Sundays only.

We can still go to soccer practice, but maybe He wants us to think about Him when we are there. The football or baseball games can still be attended, but they should not be our prime enjoyment in life. We might think about submitting ourselves to God and to surrender ourselves to Jesus and this might be the things He and Jesus desire from us. This CAN be enjoyable if we allow it to be so.

Being a child of God and a disciple of Jesus, are FULL time endeavors and He expects and desires this commitment.  Neither of them wants us to be become 24/7 religious advocates in life, but He does want us to make or take a stand in our commitment in life to them.   

The responsibility of letting others around us know of the teachings of Jesus is ours too, where we tell others about his love for all mankind. This requirement also is there to make disciples of others that surround us, for that mimics what the Disciples of Jesus, did after His death on the cross.

No, I do NOT think we love God to much, just the opposite. I think He is not loved enough! Some of us have made their God a materialistic one and idolize things more than God Himself. This may be the “new norm” in today’s society and the Golden Calf’s like Ba’el, are the Gizmo’s that man has created, and now worship.

 We can believe in Him, we can love Him, we can submit ourselves to Him and surrender ourselves to our Savior, Jesus Christ. That is NOT asking too much of us from Him.

Peace,
Den Betts                            bettsden@gmail.com  Email  thebettsden.com  Blog sitegod, Jesus CHrist

Essence of Thought 2019-023

Posted in Contemplation by

Essence of Thought 2019-023

 

Begone, begone ye cursed thoughts,

Take off and flee to a different day.

Let my mind be at rest for a fleeting moment,

To regroup for a haggard stay.

Interest wanes for continued love,

In dismay, my mind wanders still.

 

Perish the Devil for allowing this,

A wicked way of fortunate bliss.

A rusty pinnacle of frozen tableau,

Given in time for decrepit spray.

Alas, the heart beat continues still,

Allowing a millennium of joy.

 

Where is the harbinger of celestial upheaval?

To judge those left behind.

Thoughts remain to drip to oblivion,

Finally peace reigns in my time.

 

 

Peace,

Den Betts        bettsden@gmail.com   Email

thebettsden.com          Blog