Have you ever felt as though you were being torn in pieces by the pressures of life? I remember hearing about a means of execution that involved tying ones legs and arms to four different horses (one per limb), and then they would swat the horses, and you'd be ripped apart.
That's my life. Right now, I've got pressures on top of pressures. I am a student at the local university, I am a full-time employee with the State of WV, I'm a husband, a dad, a Sunday School teacher, a children's church teacher, I manage my church's web page , I do the audio ministry at church (recording the sermons, making duplicates, etc), sometimes run the sound-board, and sometimes play bass at church.
Each one of these activities, alone, is ok. Even a few of them at the same time is alright. But right now, I feel as though I'm drowning and I can't get my breath. Much of the pressure is of my own creation. I picture myself as an A student, a good teacher, and a good husband and father. To fulfill these rolls, I have to dedicate time.
At church Last Night (editing this on 3/30/2006), the pastor talked about redeeming the time, a reference to Ephesians 5:16. He said that we should make the most of every moment, taking into account that we are not super-human and we need rest.
That is exactly what I feel. I feel like I have time for everything (and more), but waste so much time goofing off that I get nothing done. This blog, however, doesn't count. I do it to keep sane. I doubt anyone reads it anyway.
Oh, did you hear about the Catholic church pushing the amnesty program for illegal aliens (folks who do not legally enter the country do not deserve to be call immigrants. That defames the term earned by those who play by the rules and do it right. By the way, it's not being a bigot to say that if a person want to immigrate to this country, then do it according to our laws.) I heard a radio talk show host say that this was an attempt to "interject a religion's doctrine into the state". He went on to say that it was forbidden in the Constitution and that it was an attempt at an theocracy.
Bull snot. It is a means by which the American Roman Catholic church can bolster its numbers, increase its influence, and increase its revenue. It may not pass the stink-test of morally purity...but that is another matter. Strongly held beliefs affect the way a man (or woman, but English doesn't offer a gender-neutral pronoun. I am not going to be politically correct or grammatically incorrect, so I'll use the masculine, thank you very much) sees the world. It affects how he works, how he plays, how he votes, and how he lives. To say that religion doesn't belong in politics is like saying thinking doesn't belong in politics (well, maybe if your a Democrat...Just kidding)
Our Constitution guarantees freedom of Religion, not the freedom from Religion. In order to make sure everyone can worship as he sees fit, Government may not establish a state religion (like the Brits had...Church of England...Henry the Eighth). It is a protection of the freedom to worship by preventing the dominance of one viewpoint over all others.
Freedom means just that. I do not check my faith at the door of the poling place before I vote. Neither should the Muslim, the Buddhist, the Hindu, or the Baal Worshipers, nor anyone else.
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