Category Archives: Current Events

I WILL post some items in this category, when I have the guts to do so. I anticipate some non politically correct stuff being posted here that might pith some people off.

Contrary Beliefs 2015-28

Posted in Current Events by

Contrary Beliefs   2015-28

I write this after reading about the atrocities in the middle east and the killing of a Joranian airman that was captured. He was killed by ISIS in a way that is unimaginable by being burned alive while in a cage. I do not and never understand how people can do the things they do.

Contrary Beliefs   2015-28

I list this under “current events” because it relates to almost everyday news items that are shown on TV or in published products like the newspaper. I have detailed writings about what I have shown below, and may include them in a separate category in the future.

I believe that the radical Islamists can believe in their Islam religion as much as they desire, but to feel that I must also adhere to their beliefs is wrong and will always think this way. I do NOT believe in what they believe and can say now that I NEVER will do so.  Notice, I did NOT say ALL Muslims; I again say, RADICAL Islamists, which is different. It is too easy to bunch groups together when it is not right to do so.

If radical Muslims want to believe in what was written in their holy book as pertaining to today, so be it; I do not care. But, if ANY Muslim states I must convert to Islam, I have a GREAT problem with that request. I respect the everyday Muslim people that live their lives in peace.  I am tolerant towards those of the Islam faith and many other people that believe in their religious beliefs. I have nothing but loathing towards the radicals that kill, rape, torture, behead, sell for slaves, force their religion on others, and other things that make them animals, not worthy of respect.  They do so for other reasons; unknown to me and this is not understandable. I would like to think that modern day thinking Muslims believe this also and abhor the radical Muslims that pervert their religion.

I was criticized once for saying I tolerate those of other religions.  I was told that I should also respect those of other religions. Well, actually I do, but not the ones that do things in the name of their religion that goes against common sense and decency.  That includes people of any religion, including mine. It is impossible to give respect when none is due.

Maybe I am not thinking correctly in the minds of many that know me or what I say. Guess what!? I just do not care. I care about many things, but my thoughts are what they are, and it is difficult to retract what I write, if I meant what I wrote at the time.  We CAN change our beliefs over time and I have done so in some cases.

I maintain that I am a practicing Christian, and will remain one, forever. Nobody can change my thought patterns regarding this belief.  I have stated before, “I do not just believe there is a God; I know there is a God.” Some people, not many actually, know where I come from in saying this and it will be awhile until I expound on this further and publish it. I am not ready to do so.

There are loads of theologians that believe they have knowledge of religious things and some make good money writing books about what they think.  I am not one of them; not even close. I do believe in what I write, but these are opinions, and they sometimes can or cannot be proven. Opinions are just that— a belief or judgment that falls short of absolute conviction, certainty, or certain knowledge.

I got off track so will continue a bit more.  Those of any religion, including Christianity and Islam, can believe in what they want to, but the deciding factor will be when the end time has arrived end and we all will find out just what is the truth. I truly hope that we, as a group of the world, find out what we want to find out. In the meantime, the atrocities done by those that the media calls terrorists will be responsible for those acts that are done against humanity and will be judged by the very God they say they represent.

The Christian and Islam religions had human people that in their time created or were instrumental in the creation of the religion that we follow; with even the Hebrew religion having Abraham as the human that God touched as part of the history of their existence. When will those that think they have a claim on God as being part of THEIR religion only, (if they do so) which excludes those of other religions?  How conceited they are and how primitively minded they may appear. Ten thousand years ago (for instance), there was, as is now, only one God and it continues the same way now; one God of the Universe; Period!!!! It is possible that there are some that could argue this point also.

Peace to all,

Den Betts

There is no God 2015-25

Posted in Current Events by

There is no God      2015-25

I read a news article today, on the Huff Post site that said, an actress, Julianne Moore (age 55), stopped believing in God after her mother died from a bacterial infection. She then said that she started therapy in her early 30’s due to being incredibly unhappy. She further stated that there is “no there” there, and continued with something about “structure” and that it is all imposed. She goes on and states that “we impose order and narrative on everything in order to understand it. Otherwise, there is nothing but chaos.” This all sounds a little strange, but maybe I should consider the source and circumstances.

That in itself is a sad story, but hearing it all stated as it is, is also, sad. I will not dwell on her life, which sounds like it has its problems or at least did. This reminds me of what I have read about C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) and his life. He had a similar experience and became an atheist, at age 15, after his mother passed away after an illness. Lewis prayed and prayed and he determined that there was no God because his mother died after many prayer sessions he had with God.

Lewis converted to theism in 1929 after talking with J.R.R. Tolkien a colleague who influenced him in doing so. I guess what I would like to show is the fact that many people turn from God because of “things” or “Life’s” happenings. The statement, “There is no God”  from sadness or private thoughts that make the person change their beliefs. OR, it could be that there was not a definite relationship with God in the first place. The list could go on as to the why’s of disbelief.

To those that have similar episodes in life or continued ones, I highly suggest reading the works of C.S. Lewis. He became, besides a Christian again, a Christian Apologist. This is where one attempts to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defending the faith against objections. It is said that Paul the Apostle, in the early church, was in fact, an apologist, as well as many of the early writers of Christianity.

I have told many that I myself was not a Christian, until I got married. My Aunt Norma insisted that I join the church when I was a teenager. I joined after a 2-3 week course or catechism type thing and that was it! Even after I was married I was basically going through the motions and not really committed to God or Jesus Christ. I guess this is where I can say, “I did not have a relationship with God then.

Did I proclaim, “There is no God”? No, I did not! I just did not pursue the quest of finding Him or reaching out to Him. I have stated in the past,  that Christmas, to me, meant gifts, and Easter was a time of chocolate and marshmallow chickens and that was basically what I saw or as I was brought up. To those that do not allow their children to experience the teachings of Jesus, the Bible, and all the stories that are told in it, I think that is sad also. I can now look back and know that I missed something. I was always at a disadvantage of unknowing of the stories. It is too bad that Aunt Norma did not ask my mother to allow me to learn as others did around me.

Is there a God? I say, I do not just believe so; the fact is, I do not just believe there is a God, I feel that there is absolutely a God!!!!!!  A little convoluted, but that is what I believe. Can I prove it? I could make some claims like C.S. Lewis, a Christian apologetic, did, and perhaps in the future I may attempt to do so. Right now, I will say that I have a relationship with God and Jesus Christ.   Also, I have a story that I will tell in the future that I experienced, which makes me believe in what I believe.

I can only pray that those that have had bad experiences in their lives can overcome those times and reconnect with the God that comforts, consoles, and is always close to those that have those feelings. God does not wave a magic wand to make things the way we want them to be, but He is there always, His presence is near, always. This may not be enough for some, and that is also sad, for those that have the quest of more.

Den Betts – Jan 2015

Racist 2015-24

Posted in Current Events by

Racist    2015-24

The word racist only goes back to about the mid 1930’s, actually, or about 80 years ago. This word was used in regarding the Nazi theories at the time and NOT about other things such as skin color, heritage, culture or what is common today. This term replaced other words such as racialist from around 1917 and way back to 1871 were the racialism word came from then. This is just a little history to mount my discourse on the today word, racist.

Someone who I can still call my friend, named Henry, is an avowed racist and proud of it; I think. Henry does not care if anyone knows this, and I now feel, he will let you know why he thinks this way. I might have known this, or believed it, and did not want to bring it up, but he was saying goodbye to me from a visit after having breakfast and he blurted it out.  I was secretly appalled in hearing this or at least hearing him state the obvious.  Did I know this before – no.  Did I believe it before –yes.  He confirmed it to my face and I think he was waiting for my reaction.  I did not react!

I did not react and I am embarrassed to say so. I could have told Henry, just what I thought and believed and that would have definitely ended a relationship of friendship; I think. He might not have been concerned if that happened, because he also said he is what he is and doesn’t care what others think of how he believes and acts.

OK, that is Henry. I then ask, how many of us have a Henry lurking in the background that we know? Do we accept them as friends, family or acquaintances or do we do something else, like not reacting to them and their beliefs. Or, I ask, how many of us have similar thoughts ourselves, in a way, at times? Or not! It is sometimes easier to put up with than argue with, but is easy the way to not do something?

I feel it is about time that the Henry’s of the world start to fess up and admit they are somewhat slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress and backward in today’s society. Henry would or might say he is living from his life’s experiences. I think that is BS! He might have been exposed to a multitude of people that he thinks, made him racist, but he is ignoring the other balance of society that is also out there, that he doesn’t address.

We as a society are exposed to some people that the media shows as representing the whole of a particular group. The Ferguson, NYC, and Cleveland deaths are examples of both sides of the equation, in recent happenings. I do NOT want to go into these three horrible things, but I do use them to show how we, in today’s society are affected by them. Notice, I did NOT say how I feel about the three recent episodes involving police, just said they were horrible things….  I might expound on them later in a blog, on how I feel overall.

I have written an article about various subjects and am getting ready to throw them out to the world to read and in the reading by others; I will have exposed my inner thoughts about them.  I bet you can hardly wait-ha-ha…..  I have to get the guts to do so, and I am not ready right now…..

I firmly believe there is NO, repeat, NO reason for racism today, or in the past, for that matter. What and why people did in the past does NOT give anyone an excuse for being a racist. Some could use an incident as an excuse for saying they are racist and many do so. Others can use past happenings, such as slavery, as an excuse for being or acting as they do today, but that is not right either. Living in the past with your thoughts about something that you harbor in your mind, is like allowing yourself to be stagnant in life with not much growth. It might be time to drop it and move forward in life. Racism is a cruel way to be shackled in the past without an escape to the future life of enjoyment of others that live around us. What happened in the long (or short) past must NOT be the reason for our thoughts today, simple as that. We CAN learn from the past, but the past is not something to have control on us today.

Peace,

Den Betts

Current Events Categories 2014-8

Posted in Current Events by

Current Events Category         2014-8

When I think of this category I think, “So many subjects and events to write about.” Plus, once I was to write about the event or happening, it could be very soon afterwards, that it is no longer a current event.

At times, many times, the Media rules the event, by showing it on TV or writing about it in the newspaper or a magazine. (There still are newspapers and magazines out there).

It almost seems like an event or occurrence is no longer happening, because the Media have gone onto another subject and the old one is forgotten.  I should say, forgotten by those not intimately involved. Tell the Ebola victims or loved ones of those stricken and have died in Africa from the disease or the people in Dufar, Oman if they are still living with the consequences of atrocities they have suffered!

So maybe this category should read something else, such as “current event as of this date posted” or something like that.

Regardless, I will write about and possibly post something that is in front of us, and give my opinion about it.  The problem with writing about any subject, once you put it on paper and publish it, it is no longer a private thought, but a public one.  It is hard to change what you write one written and then have to give an apology to everyone because new facts come out that change everything.

This should or could be an interesting blog site and category to watch. The main thing is to keep it honest and truthful in the writing.  I had to let someone I know that things that were being sent to me were incorrect and was told “I don’t check them, just forward them.”  He decided NOT to put me on his mass mailing list and took me off; I agreed, and we are comfortable with the arrangement.

The world is made up of all types of people that believe SO, SO, SO many ways of thinking and believing in something. I think it is neat and wonderful to know. I will believe something about a subject, until someone can show me that my thoughts are incorrect or need adjusting. I will adjust and I will change my way of thought about a subject.

I hope you are open to change and if not change, open to a different way of thinking about some things. If not, then, so be it. My goal is not to change anyone, but to give light on a subject that opens the opportunity to see an altered perspective about it.

Centrist Party     http://uscentrist.org

I said somewhere else, sometimes I believe not in the black or white way of thinking, but instead the grey area of thought.  It is not always the correct way, but is a different way.  I sometimes call myself a “Centrist” and as such Do Not have a political party affiliation. Taking a note from the Centrist Party (I thought I said Do Not).   Anyway, I copied a paragraph from them and list it below: