what I learned from Scrooge today

So beginith the Rant:

If you know me you know I have a distaste for hippies, dislike for liberal minds, and absolutely loathe "progressive" anything (I am referring to the modern use of progressive, verbs need not feel my ire). I have, until recently left my opinions and views to only be shared in the company of a select people. I understand that I can easily overrun a conversation, like a road grater, which can leave weaker conversationalist pushed to the side, or the feelings of folks who don't know me as a kindhearted person bruised by my blunt speaking and matter of fact delivery. Alas, recently I have decided to share my views outside the cabal of like minded people in hopes to educate them on the evils of progressive,liberal thinking.

My beef today is with welfare or entitlement programs in general (low income housing, food stamps, universal health care) These ideas are often pitched as a way to help those who are "in need" by giving them the means to survive when they are without a way to obtain these means on their own. A noble cause. One I can buy into. And possibly understand, if it were ran properly.
The old adage, "Give a man a fish he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish he'll eat for the rest of his life." Tells us that if we just give someone something without equipping them to provide for themselves we are in fact dooming them.
A few more examples.
"Never letting your child read, instead only reading to them." you will have an illiterate child.
"Never letting a person make a decision on their own, and that person will never be able to make a decision without help." you will have a person who cannot lead a life because they are ill equipped.
One more.
"Give free money away with no strings attached, with no cut off date, or expectation of repayment" and you will have people who will never learn to work.
Where am I going with this? People are in need, and have been since the dawn of time, and will continue until God stops the record from spinning.
But handouts, with no limit or requirements or ends) will just make needy people. A class of needy people who are not needy from a disability, mental problems, age, or job loss; rather a group of people who are needy because they have become dependent on a system to feed, house, clothe, and take care of them. A system they both blame for their ills yet completely rely on for sustenance. Crazy huh. What kind of dumb people would ever put into place a program that would handicap an entire demographic of people? Oh... yeah... Our government. Let me boil it down so I'm not misunderstood I hate welfare, I hate entitlement programs, and I think they cause more harm than good.

Having said... er. typed that people will compare me with a hateful, close minded curmudgeon, like the pre-enlightened Mr. Scrooge. Where you would think I would be offended I am completely flattered.
Let me set the scene from the story we all know:
"Mr. Scrooge is at the local trading house, where he shows he is a ruthless business man, who knows how to make a profit. He is approached by two gentlemen who are attempting to raise money from the wealthy to help the poor in the area. Mr. Scrooge then remarks are the workhouses, poorhouses, and jails still open?
The men remark with a yes, unfortunately.
Good then let the poor go there, says Scrooge.
The men remark, but most would rather die than go to one of those places.
Scrooge replies, Well I am taxed, largely, to keep them open. Why are they not used?
The men then ask if scrooge has ever set foot into one of those establishments to which he replies never. The men tell him on how dreadful they are. Scrooge then walks away show disinterest in putting more of his hard earned money into helping the poor.
People see this and hate Scrooge. But why? Because he has the audacity to want to keep his money? Because he does not want to help feed hungry people? Because he feels that his taxes, which are raised with promises to help the poor, are not used properly by the government, and he is expected to pick up the slack? Really?
We should hate the government who fails to help the poor. They take money, large quantities of it, and the best they can do is hell holes that split families up and spread disease and sorrow (see also the conversation had by the homeless in the tunnel during the visit of the third spirit).
The same applies today. Look at your paycheck. Look at how much comes out. Are there fewer poor people because of it? Are there being taken off the streets to live a life of milk an honey? Have you ever heard a person who said I once was on welfare, but thanks to the government I am now on top of the world? Nope.
But, are there people abusing the system? Living a life of imprisonment of class because of lack of education? A people who cannot survive on their own unless someone feeds, houses, and takes care of them? Generation upon generations of people completely dependent on a system with no motivation to remove themselves? Yup.

Am I, as a minister, in a church still providing help to those who fall through the cracks and cannot work the system? Yes.
I wonder what would happen if it were completely left up to not for profits to deal with the problem of benevolence? What if the money wasted by the government was still in our pockets and we were allowed to chose where and who to spend our moneys on? Would we help? Would more people, even the evil rich, feel more apt to lend a hand by choice rather than by force? I know that's a crazy idea. Evil rich people will never give to the needy unless they are forced by law. Right?

Well according to every frigg'n article I have ever read on the subject (just google it) rich conservatives give at least twice that of their liberal counterparts to not for profits. Yup. the evil rich are responsible for funding more humanitarian outreach than the screaming liberal masses (put that in you pipe and smoke it hippie).
To wrap this up. I learned from Scrooge today that people are generous by nature. And when the whole Spirit of God (Christmas Spirit) gets a hold of us we can be down right benevolent. Nothing gives our souls better nourishment than giving to those in need, feeding His sheep. Why? Because we are choosing to, we are answering a calling, we are acting out of faith, and that feels good.
Do you feel happy when you donate to a worthy cause? Do you get that same feeling when you pay your taxes?

So Endith the Rant:

When is it Christmas?

So beginith the Rant:

When is it Christmas? This is a question I am very opinionated about. For starters the answer to this questions helps to take some of the fire out of the "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays" debate.
You see some will say Christmas starts around September when walmart and every other center for commerce start hanging up Christmas decorations to prepare for the upcoming "boom time". If you buy into this idea then yes you should be saying "Merry Christmas" to people right after Labor Day.
Others think that it starts early November, right after Halloween. Some say Black Friday is the official start to Christmas. Let's not forget Advent (winter lent) as the official start of the Church year and the Christmas Season. So, when does "Christmas Start" when should you wish someone a Merry Christmas?

I say Christmas is two days long. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Those two days it is completely acceptable to say Merry Christmas. Any time before that it is completely acceptable to wish folks a Happy Holiday, Seeing as it is a holiday season Thanksgiving, Hanuka, Christmas, New Years, and such. Now as of right now I end my conversations with people by saying, "If I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas."
Really, we should be saying Happy Advent, not Happy Holidays. But that just doesn't sound right. During Easter do you start saying Happy Easter at Ash Wednesday?
A good argument can be, "But Marshall, It's the 'Christmas Season', and that is the point we are trying to get across with the Merry Christmas. We are not diluted enough to think that we are able to stretch out the birth of Christ to more than an Eve and a Day. We understand that the focus of this time of year should be Christmas and therefore we will do our best to remind everyone of that fact." I say, "Good Call". But it still brings to question when does the Christmas Season start? Black Friday? Advent? September?
It's different for every person. As I work in the Church my preparation for Christmas begins with Advent. I pray, I do service, I try to tell everyone close to me how much I love them. But my personal Christmas Spirit doesn't kick in until about a week or so before C-day. And that Spirit doesn't really leave the gates until it hears this song.



So now, for me, it's Christmas.


So endith the Rant:
And if I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas.

And for good measure here is the King, because a little Elvis makes everything better.

yup.

No Rant.
Just thought this made sense.
Enjoy.

Climate Gate... I WAS RIGHT!!

So beginith the rant:

SUCK IT HIPPIES!!! I was right. If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about just GOOGLE "climategate".

I will now just post a past rant for fun. Just to show that I was on the "global warming is a crock of crap" wagon from the get go.

Jan 6th, 2006.

Global warming is a lie.

Why I think global warming is a lie cooked up by hippies to support giant environmental agencies. My proof can be found in science that Mr. Wizard would teach so anyone can follow it. Enjoy, as I single handedly destroy hippie propaganda with third grade science.

Liberal lie:

Our industry, cars, and general burning of fossil fuels is producing an excess of greenhouse gasses that cause the uh, greenhouse effect which works much like a greenhouse

Third grade science truth:

In mere minutes Mt. St. Helen belched into the atmosphere more greenhouse gasses than the United States produced in the last 50 years. What does that mean? It means that volcanoes are erupting all over the earth and have for thousands of years producing more greenhouse gases than we, and by we I mean humans, could ever dream of producing. But wait there is more! Cow burp does produce greenhouse gasses. In the state of Idaho cows out number people 4 to one. One cow produces the same amount of pollution as a car produces in a month. So, in Idaho cows produce more pollution than the people. Take that hippie

Liberal lie:

If the ice caps melt the coastal areas will flood because the ocean will rise up to 10 feet.

Third grade science truth:

This one you can try at home. Take a glass of ice water. Make sure the glass is filled to the top with ice and water. Now wait. As the ice melts notice how much water flows over the edge. Ill give you a hint, none. That's right water displaces the same amount in both solid and liquid forms. Thus, if the ice caps melt the oceans will do what?

Liberal lie:

As the ice caps melt and break apart the ocean will get warmer.

Third grade science truth:

You can try this one at home too. Take two large tubs of water. In one take a plastic bag of ice and drop it in. Test the temp of the water over as the ice bag floats around. In the next tub take the same amount of ice and dump it directly into the water (out of the bag), and measure the temp of that tub. Ill give you a hint there too. The tub with the ice floating around outside of the bag is cooler than the one with the ice in the bag. Eat it hippie

Liberal lie:

We are altering the earths climate making it unnaturally warm.

Third grade science truth:

When dinosaurs walked the earth the average worldly temperature was estimated at 10 to 20 degrees above what we are experiencing today. Seeing how most of the world was covered by a lush rain forest producing enough vegetation for millions of giant creatures to eat. Also this vegetation was prevalent enough that over time it turned into oil. These temperatures were common on the earth until the ice age. Which most speculate was caused by the asteroid that killed out the dinosaurs. This Ice age resulted in the ice caps we have now. So, naturally the world would try to return to the pre-ice age temperature.

Thats all Ive got for now.