Christmas in Iraq… Again

I write this more as a marker to annotate what has been going on lately and how my Christmas was this year. Had I written this on the 24th I am sure it would have been a rather depressing blog that didn’t go anywhere… good thing I slept on it. Starting today I am on a free 3-day off, it was granted by my section to everyone, I was the last to call upon it and it came just in time. I look forward to doing nothing for the next two days as well. Take that back, I’ll be online I little bit more…

It was appropriate to take a look at the first Christmas out here and I can only dream of such optimism I had then. Perhaps in the next couple days I will be refreshed... perhaps. I suppose the greatest thing I have to learn from this day is my mental breaking point. I don’t think I have experienced such a mentally fatigued state as I have been leading through this month. Go figure, working almost 90-hours a week with no days off are bound to eventually fatigue anyone. I think about the Sabbath and God’s original intent, part of his plan was to give us time to relax. Throughout this year I have had those moments when I wondered if it would be better, be it to be scriptural or not, if I switched to a single full day off instead of two days short days. In the short run the two half nights are much better, they come twice as often… and working nights there isn’t a whole lot to do even if I had a full day off. I need to maintain the night sleep schedule. In the midst of maintaining our work schedule even our relaxation time is hindered for the sake of the work.

Before you pull out a violin to play as you read this uplifting blog, this is not intended for sympathy or tell about all the hardships I endure… hardly, I live in one of the most comfortable areas in all the country. I can get a hot shower, hot meal, and sleep on a bed every night. I have an AC/Heater and constant power for whatever luxuries I decided to bring out here. I am constantly thankful of all I have around me. One does not need to go far to get to areas where others live in tents, get maybe a hot meal a day, and showers are a long desired luxury… When I keep the proper perspective, the fatigue and breaking point I mentioned is about my capacity at this point. It has been about 10 months since I have had a full day to relax, a Sabbath if you will. This is one of those times as I am refreshed I have to ponder what life is like for those who don’t ever take time off. Be it an inability because of the demands of work or an unwillingness for the sake of productivity/success, I have to seriously question a person’s motive for continuing a rigorous work schedule for earthly gain.

Among the things I wish to leave with the Army as I depart in the coming months is a lifestyle job based on earthly work. To say I think about the future would be an understatement. Be it the constant thoughts of “when I get back” or “I can’t wait until” one of those is not a life spent chasing after money, power, or luxury. The life which revolves around work, I never wish to return to. It is not that I want to avoid all other lifestyle jobs; nor do I want to spend a life sitting on a couch doing nothing, but I will pursue the heavenly. Especially in the midst of the Recession, in which I have no worries, I can watch the news and people are scrambling to recover all the material loss they have experienced. What has become of so many millions who spent their lives chasing after the temporary things of this life and have seen it vaporize in the recent months? My heart goes out to them because they have spent so much of their life not knowing how to chase anything permanent.

The first Christmas was spent hoping for a swift year, this Christmas is spent in reflection of that year. I am Thankful for getting through it all, thankful for the things I learned, and thankful for my friends I have made this year. I can start counting the days until I am homeward bound, I’d tell you but I am not allowed… it isn’t long.

By Request: Surge in Firearm Sales

It has got to be more than a year since I have done a blog based on topical request. I am pretty sure when I first started writing I had an open invitation to topical requests so here it goes. Jonathan requested this, I am an NRA Life member, so you can guess the tone/approach that this will be written. Given the two topics to choose from “healthcare reform” or “the surge in firearm sales since the Presidential election”, I thought I’d take a whack at the topic I have the most knowledge about. I will try to contextualize this as best I can in terms of relevance to Californians, as most of you that have access to read this are bound by California law; and also to Christians because I try to link every outlook from a Biblical perspective first.

For those of you that don’t surf the news on an overly anxious basis, reports of firearm sales and Federal background checks (required where necessary to purchase firearms) have been through the roof. I suppose we can credit the NRA and our President Elect for this surge. The NRA ought to be credited due to the massive negative campaigns, for good reason, against our soon to be President and his record on firearms. Being an NRA member and keeping up with recent news, amongst 2nd Amendment enthusiasts there has been a fair amount of fear of the impending legislation on route, despite the claims of the future administration’s support for the 2nd Amendment.

The shotgun blast of topics to be covered, which I find most relevant and probably likely to happen are: overturn Heller Decision, ban certain types of ammunition, reintroduction of a permanent version of the 1994 Assault Weapons law. There are many more issues at hand which might possibly be passed simply because of the strong majority the Democratic party has over congress, but I doubt there will be too much gun control legislation because it has been shown to be hazardous to Democratic political offices. These issues include: banning handguns, federal firearm registration, increased taxes for firearms and ammunition, overturning right-to-carry and concealed carry, rezoning gun stores out of business, opposing self-defense, and using federal courts for lawsuits to bankrupt manufacturers with legal fees.

I mentioned some thoughts before. To add to those previous arguments also consider this,when gun control is established in the name of public safety it communicates to the general public that we are either untrustworthy or incompetent to own a firearm lawfully or safely. The number of accidental deaths caused by guns pales in comparison to the number of lives saved by lawful gun owners being able to defend themselves. In my mind, to advocate a disarmed society is to setup a disillusioned paradise as though sin is not in the world. Instead of making a more peaceful society, as studies show resoundingly, in areas where guns are prohibited, more violence occurs. The United Kingdom is a poster child of this claim. Since they have banned handguns, there have been huge increases in gun violence and stabbings. It has been such a dramatic increase British legislators have considered banning knives…

In June of 2008 the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dick Heller v. District of Columbia, in which it was affirmed that the 2nd Amendment was an individual right to bear arms. This was the opening of a floodgate, for the better part of the last 100 years there have been debates claiming the 2nd Amendment applied only to militia members and not the general public, I found it especially convenient that attached to the militia claim was the fact that militias all fall under the National Guard since 1903. The fear 2nd Amendment advocates have will be the new judges which President Elect (PE) Obama will nominate. It was noted during the Saddleback Forum PE Obama stated that he would not have nominated 4 of the 5 justices which ruled in favor of Heller. PE Obama’s stance towards handguns was established in 1996 during the Illinois Senate race. During that race a questionnaire showed that he supported to “ban the manufacture, sale, and possession of handguns”. His stance was reaffirmed by refusing to be a friend of the court for Dick Heller in the Supreme Court. On 15 February 2008, PE Obama stated that he supported the D.C. ban. However, upon the court’s decision PE Obama claimed he had strong support for the 2nd Amendment.

I think ammunition has a high probability to be banned due to the wording which can be used and the utter damage it will do to the law-abiding gun owner category. In 2005, Sen. Kennedy proposed an amendment to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which protects the gun industry from lawsuits. The amendment also sought to ban centerfire ammunition under the guise as “armor piercing” which would be based upon a bullet’s velocity and energy. Allow me to give some background information of basic ballistics and body armor. The National Institute of Justice rates body armor according to its level of protection. Manufacturers use the standards of protection established by the NIJ to rate their body armor. Generally, most body armor is in the level II or III range because higher protection requires unconcealable armor and/or ballistic plates.Lighter body armor also called flak vests are used to protect people from small caliber handguns and shrapnel. To stop an AK-47 cartridge requires a Level III or higher. The vast majority of hunting cartridges can piece body armor. To get to the levels of body armor which would stop the many common cartridges used for hunting would require body armor that is more protective than what the military fields. It is not because they are full metal jacket rounds designed to pierce armor, it is because they are larger bullets meant to kill large animals with thick skin. To ban ammunition based on velocity and energy is A) extremely effective to banning mass amounts of ammo, B) has such a wide scope because a gun is little use without ammunition, C) it can be roused under “Protection” and possibly pass legislation.

The most likely of gun laws to be passed is a permanent version of the “Assault Weapons” ban and possibly banning all semi-automatic weapons. PE Obama said on 21 October 2004, “I think it is a scandal [President Bush] did not authorize a renewal” of the 1994 ban which banned many firearms defined as assault weapons. This is no big deal to Californians because there are state laws more stringent in place. The primary disqualifier for rifles in California is pistol grips. Having shot a weapon greater than semi-automatic I find it to be a waste of ammunition. There are other no-go’s than pistol grips but that is the single most effective feature preventing popular rifles. Akin to the assault weapon ban is the 10-round limit on rifle and pistol magazines. No big deal that is also already present in California law… yay… the scary possibility, banning all semi-automatic weapons as claimed in a 1998 political survey PE Obama stated as “principle” he supported “ban[ning] the sale, or transfer of all semi-automatic weapons”. A semi-automatic by word definition is a weapon which fires a single round for each depression of the trigger. It is automatic in that the casing is extracted and weapon reloaded as part of the firing action. To ban all semi-automatic weapons would include the 1911 Colt which was the weapon of issue for Dick Heller, and any firearm that is not a revolver or bolt-action. This is a strong majority of firearms throughout the United States. I hope when such a claim was made to ban semi-automatic weapons they confused automatic with semi-automatic, otherwise it can only show contempt for gun owners.

This was 3 issues which are possible of being changed not in favor of law abiding citizens. The NRA believes there are 14 issues which can go awry for 2nd Amendment practitioners. Each claim with strong support of past claims and votes made by PE Obama, check out www.gunbanobama.com to fact check, they do their homework. Could the surge be a bunch of paranoid people stocking up while the weapons they want are legal? Probably… At the same time, just as it is good to prepare for an incoming storm perhaps there is a legal storefront on route. When I drive home I’ll have my share of firearms to bring home with me, thank you Lonestar state. I fear the government that doesn’t want me to be able to protect myself. If nothing else, maybe this is part of the plan to re-stimulate the economy.

“Among the many misdeeds of British rule in India, history will look upon the Act of depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.” – Mohandas Gandhi, An Autobiography

Epilogue: Well, President Obama forced the Affordable Healthcare Act instead of gun control. Minus tales about doctors talking about gun safety, President Obama’s first term was rather harmless to gun owners. His second term… well he can try, but to do so requires a liberal super majority in the House and Senate. There has been a lot that has happened on this front. I probably won’t blog about it.

The High Places

I mentioned before about the Sunday night Bible study I’ve been involved with for several months. I want to say for the last 6 weeks or so we have been doing a survey of the Old Testament. To be honest I never knew there were so many quirky details and stories in the Old Testament. I hope I remember to return to the Old Testament more frequently in my studies. Combine the Old Testament studies with several of the sermons I have been listening to from Mars Hill Church, and I pondering the high places and how they are relevant to us.

With my limited resources I found the High Places were altar-like places scattered throughout the lands in the Old Testament. It was common among indigenous cultures to find hilltops and other high elevation locations and setup obelisks, altars, and other small structures to worship their gods. The gods to which the high places were dedicated varied; amongst the unnamed gods are Baal, Asheroth, Asherah, and Molech. To the best of my understanding Baal was the god of economic success. It was everything from blessings harvests and business, Baal worship was a means to bless earthly success and wealth. In Leviticus 20, Molech was known for child sacrifice, through other historical references altars to Molech were statues with arms perpendicular so as to place an object on the arms. For worship the arms were heated to color changing temperatures and children were placed on the arms to be burned to death.

The first mention I have found of the high places was in the settling of the Promised Land. Continuing through the Old Testament I counted high places mentioned in the connotation of foreign god worship site appears 68 times. It was most apparent to me going through 1 & 2 Kings in which many leaders of Judah and Israel were given several paragraphs summarizing their rule and frequently mentioned was “the high places were not taken away” or worse yet “made offerings at the high places”. Saul was found hanging out at the high places where Samuel found him. Solomon built high places for his foreign wives and eventually made sacrifices to them. Hezekiah, who has been called by many the most righteous King in Jewish history destroyed the high places, only to have his son Manasseh rebuild them.

Yes, this was one of the more research intensive blogs, but here is the relevance. What are our high places? The Jews set the example of false idols and gods, upon hearing I often questioned the application. In California I never came across an idol or temple devoted to Baal. Wandering the streets of London I observed countless memorials and statues to honor their history, yet I never saw an altar to Molech for people to offer their babies. For far too long I held the teachings of false gods to be rather outdated and irrelevant because I had never experienced or even heard of such behavior. What if the worship still continues, we just changed high places and how we offer our worship? Mark Driscoll keenly points out that abortion is modern child sacrifice for sex. People desiring to worship sex more than life sacrifice their babies to continue their worship. What of the worship of money and success? Take your pick, be it magazines like “The Best Life”, TV shows such as “Cribs”, or America’s infatuation with celebrities concerning any and everything they wear and say, because they are rich. Ensuring I point the finger to myself I have to consider where I spend my time and for what purpose. Earlier today, I was busy playing Hitman while listening to a Mars Hill sermon in which Mark pointed out that the average single man plays two hours and forty six minutes of video games, ugh.

I do not intend this to be a legalist calling in which we must monitor our time consumption of activities, cease watching TV, and take no interest in popular culture; far from it. I just wanted to share with you all (I will not say y’all) I have been made more aware of the idols present throughout our society and more importantly the greater application of the Old Testament. Remember, for effective evangelism we must meet them where they are. If I know nothing of the culture I am attempting to reach common sense tells me I will not be effective.

The Prayer I Am Afraid to Pray

Before I dive into my semi-rant/ melancholy diatribe which is what prompted me to start writing; I think it is best to start with the good news. The last two months have been among the best I have had in the last 4 years. Never in my military career have I had such a strong, regular fellowship with a body of Believers. About two months ago, I learned of a small bible study composed of several guys in my unit. After myself and another passionate brother joined the study has exploded. I am in constant awe of the people that continue to join, the progress we can see God works each week, and the constant phileo we share.

The blessings continue in more than just the Sunday night Bible study. Since most of us work nearby I see many of my brothers on a daily basis. We speak often of how we can teach something new or what has been on our hearts. The explosion is not limited to just the Sunday attendance, outreach and the aura of the Spirit has filled the building when we are nearby. The Holy Spirit’s presence is nearby and constantly blessing us. Out of my heart’s response to such stimulation I think that is why I have been on a frenzy of reading, studying, and abstaining from video games for going on 3 months. Few of you can appreciate how big of an accomplishment it is to willingly abstain from games for so long.

We continue to bless each other, be it a Christian Song of the Day email and our discussions of kingdom things via email. I have also gotten the idea to bring my archives of North Coast Sermons, which I have been archiving for the past 3 years, to work. All of a sudden 140 messages looks kind of small when I am going through 3-5 per day. I didn’t want to scare anyone that I am in an overall mode of distress/frustration with such a piercingly honest title. In fact, it is just the opposite; I am cradled in the spirit and surrounded by God’s presence.

From my better approximations I am about 6 months away from being a civilian again. The Light at the End of the Tunnel brightens each week as we get closer to returning home. I look forward to my return back to the States as just a prelude to grander celebration. There are still many prayers to be done concerning the exact transition and dates which are needed to allow me to return to Hume for summer ’09 and the rest of my civilian transition. There are not many ways to compare the anticipation to leave the Army. I am proud of the service I have given. I also await anxiously to practice the liberties I have served to protect. I will forever be grateful of the things I have experienced, the lessons I learned, and people I have met while serving my country.

I guess to truly see where my angst is rooted I must return to Sept of '05, when I was contemplating my enlistment. I knew what I wanted to accomplish in life with almost the same clarity as I do now. The means to accomplish those goals were what I needed the Army to assist me. I was 20 years old, at a bit of a crossroads in my life, one which offered me a new start at a local seminary with little to no means of financing those goals and the realistic notion that a 22 year old seminary trained individual would not find a serious ministry to lead in a properly discerning church. My singleness was a major factor of my personal identity. I wanted to be the “Nice Guy”, I didn’t fear the “Friends Zone.” I knew at that time, just as I did in high school, I wanted a wife, not a girlfriend.

As part of my personal conditions for enlisting I knew I would remain single throughout my Army career. I viewed the soon to be Army life as a spiritual battleground which I needed to use to sharpen my faith, knowledge, and life experience. I suppose that was one of the reasons I refused to enlist for more than 4 years. Within my first year I was reassured of my decision and rather certain the type of woman I seek to be my wife would not be found in the Army. Throughout the training period, there were many high school sweethearts and long time girlfriends which either sent a Dear John Letter or got a ring when they and their soldier faced re-location or long term geographic separation.

While my financial status is substantially better than most people of my age, I see it just the opposite for the married enlisted soldier. There have been few couples I know of who do not have to live month-to-month to get by. The finances of most soldiers puts a significant stranglehold on many families. I saw it better to delay my own family then put them through such potential hardship. Even more, I expect, as most soldiers are instructed to expect, upon our transition back to civilian life, we should have several months worth of expenses saved because it will take time to get a job. I have no problem living off of my savings, but when others depend upon me, I cannot afford such a risk. I think the obligation to family, uncertainty of the jobs on the outside, and short leash of financial balance is what prompts many mid-grade individuals into going the full 20 years for retirement.

So here I am, 24 years old and months away from rejoining the civilian populace. I don’t know if it is envy, impatience or a combination of both which have been stirring in me more noticeably in the recent years, but I am tired of being single. To say been there and done that would be an understatement. The frustration started to peek its head through when I wrote the Joy of Being Single Pt I & II. Those were written at a time when I knew there were still years of singleness left and I ought to find valid lessons from that season. On many levels I wish time could have frozen while I have been in Iraq, Germany and everywhere else. I estimate I’ve missed somewhere in the neighborhood of 30+ weddings of friends since I left. I suppose that is one of the sacrifices I should’ve paid greater attention.

What are the proper answers to my frustrations? Pray for patience. Pray for Strength. Rely on Christ’s strength to get me through; all the while not being too anxious to dive headlong into a relationship which I would not have done while I served. But that is just it; I don’t want to pray for more patience. Not because I don’t want to be patient anymore, but because such a prayer might be granted. One of my favorite sayings and a true lesson for me is “Pray for patience and God will send you a jerk.” It is through the jerk, the opportunity to learn patience on a deeper level is more apparent. The answers to those prayers are exactly the answers I don’t want. I know I ought to persevere, for the sake of my marriage I hope I do. The anticipation is frustratingly close. Am I not satisfied from Christ? I think I am. It is also difficult because as I look to Genesis, if God was all man needed why was Eve created? Creation was good, Man was good; but Man and Woman in Creation were ma'od. I long to know that goodness.

I don’t know if I want any words of encouragement from this, I just wanted to let you inside my head.

Epilogue: Reading this 8 years later I have had a sensible chuckle. Oh grasshopper little did you know the places God would take you. I’m still single, Jesus is still enough. Some days I recognize that better than others.

A Tale of Two Church Leaders

I recently finished two interesting books each on opposing sides of the “Emergent Movement”. I approached the Emergent church in Divergently Emergent Church earlier this summer. I can’t say what prompted my curiosity, because I already had a pile of books on my “to read” list but I was browsing away and with almost impulse buying speed I purchased Mark Driscoll’s Confessions of a Reformissional Rev. and Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. The package arrived rather swiftly, much sooner than I expected, and unlike my usual pattern of adding the new stock to the bottom of the “to read” pile o’ books I read them both within the week.

When I pondered the effects of the Emergent Movement I must say with complete honesty, I had little more experience than “I read an article about it here” or “I read this on wikipedia”. I was not as informed as I should have been. I suppose it was coming clean with myself that I was not as informed as I attempted to be which prompted my impulse buying and swift reading. I knew of Mark Driscoll only from a few references in sermons and I think one clip I saw with him doing a Q&A session several years ago. I was familiar with Rob Bell’s books and have seen several of his Nooma. I knew they were both in the Emergent category, but beyond that was nothing but speculation. As you might have noticed I did not offer kind words towards the Emergent Movement in my previous blog.

I don’t think I could’ve read two other books which offered a more polar opposite sides of the Emergent movement. Mark Driscoll was quick to differentiate himself from Emergent, instead adheres to Missional or Emerging. I am not a fan of titles or terms, especially when dealing with Christ’s Bride. Rob on the other hand never mentioned Emergent/emerging or really any term to identify his set of beliefs. As I continued through his book it was extremely clear Velvet Elvis was not written in a systematic style, to say the least. This blog is the first which I will stop apologizing for encouraging whoever reads my blogs to read the latest and greatest book. Mark Driscoll’s was perhaps the best book I have read concerning church, goals, ministry, and establishing a church according to scripture. His vision of church was the embodiment of what I vision church to be. A church whose primary goal was to effect the surrounding area, it would send people throughout the local community and expect its members to invest into the Kingdom. To call Mark’s style unorthodox would be an understatement, what came across to me as un-compassionate, non-loving, and crude ministry in his earlier years were instead tough love on level I have never experienced. He was not eloquent in his speech or methods, but he had the vision, goals, and heart to accomplish them and has made a radical impact on Seattle.

It was not just the success of a man who founded a church which grew to over 4000+ members in 8 years. Throughout his book it was clear the majority of that time was survival and less than 500 members. I was most compelled by the vision to actively seek the punk rock, smoking, un-churched people, growing a church from a group which did not grow up in church. Mark’s commitment to reach such a socially liberal minded crowd, yet be unflinching in his commitment to orthodox Christian doctrine, captivated me. I was inspired by the audacious idea of encouraging people not committed to the mission to leave. A church which constantly kept the big picture in sight, not to bow down to attendees seeking to use resources not in line with broadening the Kingdom. I have often heard the body of Christ analogy, but never was I reminded of the colon’s importance or its role within the church as well.

On the flip side, Rob explicitly encourages us to change Christian doctrine and theology, and implicitly denies scripture as the God’s Word. I have never outright experienced liberal theology like Rob’s. I thought such people only existed on ABC documentaries or classrooms of colleges. I was in awe that as a leader of a church, Rob would openly say “I didn’t even know if I wanted to be a Christian anymore”, as a result of massive attendance, growth, and normalization of his church. He didn’t refer to Christ’s strength to get him through his stress; in fact he described his faith with a “flavor of the week” type of attitude. Anyone who claims to be a Christian leader and would unapologetically have an “I don’t feel like it anymore” attitude brings serious questions to my mind. What kind of Christian Truth is evident with such a statement?

When I considered his implications and the possibilities he suggested I am terrified. First, I think thousands of people are being mislead into a pseudo Christian faith which I describe to be more like a New Age existentialism with a touch of Jesus in the middle. Second, within the first two weeks of starting his church he had more than 2,000 in attendance, at the time of print his church claimed more than 10,000 members. Unlike a misguided, hateful preacher who seeks to proclaim a God of hate with protests at soldiers’ funerals; Rob has a charismatic, appealing type of faith which is claiming a large population. As I went through his book I found 40 claims which I believed to be either questionable or clear denial of Christian doctrine and authority established through Scripture. I know I don’t know everything, but following my recent studies on theology, I am aware of the bigger picture in which certain claims can lead people to a Jesus who never lived. There is a huge part of me that wished I just read everything wrong instead of actually recognizing the theology and approach to scripture Bell advocated and adhered to.

As the months have been passing and my eagerness to rejoin the civilian world grows, I have been pondering much upon my return. A new chapter of my life is on the horizon, my church is in a state of change, and I look forward to accomplishing my long list of goals which have been set aside for the last several years. I wonder, could such an impact be made to better model our church after the scriptural example of Mark Driscoll’s? I have so many hopes and ideas, yet I fear falling into the trap life tends to ensnare people into a pattern of life as normal.

Epilogue: It has been over a year since Mark Driscoll resigned from Mars Hill Church and subsequently, Mars Hill Church divided into independent churches or closed. It was a sharp reminder that however passionate and truthful a church leader might be, they are not perfect. Given the long history of challenging aspects of Driscoll's style and ministry, I found it profoundly sad that the issue which brought the end of Mars Hill was what I viewed as a misunderstanding compounded by his overbearing leadership style. Rob Bell similarly left his church, I believe it was to go on a speaking tour for a time and he continues to write, he had a number of TV projects. Love Wins essentially served as his theological treatise to depart from orthodox Christian doctrine. Conservative Christian scholars, authors, and leaders examined that writing as Bell's endorsement or adherence to Christian Universalism. A label in my estimation that Bell objects to, not becuase it mischaracterized his position but because it was a label.

Civilian or Citizen?

I suppose this is what I get for bottling up all my thoughts for a month. My free time has been occupied by one of three topics for the better part of this month. Two of which have been rather constant since I have been out here, theology and learning how to be an A+ certified computer technician. The earlier this month I joined an organization which I have had minimal interaction, however, as part of my plans as a veteran and joyful civilian next year I saw it necessary to look into a topic I have long been an advocate but unsatisfyingly knowledgeable about.

Earlier this month I became a Life member of the National Rifle Association. As politically minded as I am it is odd I took so long to join. Some claim firearm ownership as a boyish hobby which its practitioners have never grown out of. In several ways I see firearm ownership as being the kind of American citizen the Founding Fathers wanted to encourage, an advocate of responsibility, and practitioner of Liberty. I tend to distinguish a civilian is a unofficial individual which inhabits the same country and a citizen is an active member of the country seeking to uphold good law and order.

While riding the Underground in London. I was simultaneously inspired and disappointed at the sight of posters calling for volunteer watchmen. The initiative sought civilians to receive several weeks of training and an opened commitment to a certain number of volunteer hours to be trained patrol officers. It was encouraging because the call for the citizenry’s participation in protecting and upholding order and law, but the disappointment was the fact that unarmed citizens were being utilized to attempt to prevent crime. I found the scope of authority to be comparable to a hall monitor on the streets of London. Their authority could easily be negated and they put themselves in harm's way without an effective means to defend themselves being they were equipped with a Maglite and a whistle. I could see it so clearly.

Watchman: "Stop or I’ll call the unarmed police!"

Criminal: "..."

The best possible outcome would have the perpetrator ceasing the activity and likely escaping the scene unless the Watchmen was able to secretly call for support.

The UK has among the strictest gun control in the world. Disarming a nation does lead to a certain level of success because that nation is an island. However, because guns are so unavailable, stabbings lead the way in violent crimes. The violence still exists the means to carry it out are merely modified. To claim carrying a knife can prevent crime in similar manner as carrying a gun can gives me the image of Peter Pan fighting Captain Hook, dagger vs. a sword.

The nature of projectile weapons greatly increases the safety in the attacker-defender scenario. Imagine witnessing a crime about to occur, if I had a knife intervening would require very close contact with the potential criminal, and such intervention would not be effective. The greater the proximity between the intervening party and the potential offending party, the safer both will be. If the intervening party possesses a firearm there is a significant threat to the would-be-criminal while the intervening citizen can remain in relative safety. It is possible the would-be-criminal might also be armed but that is when surprise and a logical approach to the situation (such as calling law enforcement prior to being involved) could be beneficial. While it would ultimately be safer for the uninvolved civilian to not intervene such a decision is the difference between a social leech and an authentic citizen. In fact, society even praises such intervention and in some states requires it with “Good Samaritan law". On the flip side, in this world of political correctness even the well meaning Good Samaritan can become the criminal.

I wrote a paper in community college which analyzed the relationship between the presence of legal firearms amongst California, Texas, New York and Illinois and the per capita violent crimes involving firearms. I also conducted similar analysis on the national level between the US, Switzerland, UK, Japan and Australia. It was hardly a controlled analysis which could make the cover of Time as a breakthrough in research, but the trends were clearly apparent. Among the most vexing facts the anti-gun crowd must address are the defensive gun uses compared to criminal gun uses. This is the best article I have seen that has addressed the numbers.

I also think common sense is also a strong ally. They are all but clichés and bumper stickers at this point but their truth still echoes. An armed law abiding citizen poses greater safety for the individual because they are able to actively engage those who threaten one's’ safety. Be it the articles I have read by 2nd Amendment advocates, Op-Eds, or the recent attention the Open Carry practitioners have been receiving, I detect a strong sense of personal responsibility amongst those who own firearms. While the self defense argument is hardly what I believe to be the constitutional reasoning behind the 2nd Amendment it is one of the most valid arguments against those who wish to disarm the public.

Perhaps the most entertaining side of the 2nd Amendment is the opposition’s arguments against law abiding citizens possessing weapons. Often they sight criminal activity as the result of firearms, however; the problem with their logic is that it does not apply to the law abiding citizenry. Too frequently it seems the opposition does not distinguish between law abiding armed citizens and criminals. Be it those opposed to private gun ownership, Open Carry, or even the existence of firearms, they speak as though they have this immunity to responsibility and those who are armed are this terrified group of individuals lacking trust in law enforcement as the answer to all of crime. The irony that those who are willing to be able to prevent crime are deemed the fearful is inescapable. There seems to me that too many people want a Utopia and the means to get there is by thinking happy thoughts. I see similar rhetoric from peace advocates who speak as though they have experience fighting for a cause when it never cost them more than a paper cut passing out flyers or a sore throat from shouting for their cause. Perhaps the supreme advantage of being a veteran, my experience of sacrifice and service cannot be questioned.

Epilogue: I upgraded my NRA membership when I was at the 2009 Annual Convention. I am still very aware of what is going on in California and nationally concerning firearms policy and law. I have taken dozens of people to local shooting ranges, many of whom had never shot a firearm before. I think education is the best way to approach this discussion. If you read this, want to go to the range, and are within reasonable distance, let me know. I would be happy to teach you. I did not become a computer technician. Hopefully one day, I will be a Professor of Political Science.

Divergently Emerging Church

I remember checking my myspace a couple months ago and the small blurb that attempted to advertise a new website ceased my attention for a quick second. This is the advertisements in the homepage which are usually directed towards topics match interests expressed in your profile, my page tends to get controversial religious based websites, Christian singles, or something relating to my military service. The one which caught my eye and focus for a couple seconds had a phrase on it claimed, if one wants to be a born again Christian one does not need to know doctrine. I wish I could quote it now because it was so absurd, but it was more than claiming personal relationship with Christ was the focus, it denied any rational consideration of orthodox Christian theology.

Fast forward to two weeks ago, I can’t remember what the occasion was, if I am not gaming or watching a movie I have music going. Most of you know my music collection consists mostly of the family radio Christian favorites. I was jamming to MercyMe’s Everything Impossible. I paid slightly more attention to the lyrics for some reason and was rather unsettled by them. Namely a selection of the chorus’ lyrics, “I know it all seems so illogical, but that’s okay”. Whether I can continue to listen to the song in good conscience, I don’t think I can. As with most situations I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, the theme of the song is how we ought to rely on faith and surrendering ourselves to God; however, with such a phrase to which praises one’s ignorance of theology as an act of faith, I cannot accept such a thing.

I question the kind of faith are we living when praise songs and catchy advertisements see irrationality as virtuous? The truly dangerous factor about those two, unless they are secretly heretics, they don’t realize the implications of their claims. If Christianity is illogical I would hope it would be investigated or abandoned.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of the old received their condemnation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.-Hebrews 11:1-3

A frequently referenced verse as it biblically defines faith and its virtue. Faith believes when God created all that exists it was created out of nothing. This particular topic of origins remains unknowable with any form of science. Any claim to such a thing is faith, while many scientific theories will claim a scientific answer it cannot be observed, tested or repeated; therefore, the empirical science’s limit is exposed. When God created the world, the natural law, the laws of science, and our souls, logic and reason were included. The foundational doctrine of God’s immutable character led Christians to discover scientific doctrine ranging from the laws of gravity, periodic table, genetic traits and more. The reasoning behind the claim; if we live in a world in which God does not arbitrarily intervene, in which nature will behave in a predictable manner then it can be tested to discover natural science. Remember it was not atheist scientists who laid the foundation of modern science.

I needed these two examples to lay foundation for where I really wanted to go. I believe we are on the edge of a Christian cultural renaissance, whether it be positive or negative we have yet to see as time and the products of the rebirth. Hopefully, you have guessed that I am speaking about the Emergent Church movement, if it can be called a movement. To pinpoint the definition is like trying to define it is like defining an absolute relativist; perhaps it is just as oxymoronic. I cannot do better than annotate similar behaviors/beliefs expressed from those who claim to be emergent, they have: lost faith/hope/respect in organized religion, emphasized individual faith, referred to undeclared form of organization or non-existent organization, nor set forth doctrine. To me it seems to be a cross between Christian anarchy and relativism.

It occurred to me I did not explain why I think those traits are harmful to the Church. Denying the importance of organized religion is in the words of one unabashed friend, “Calling the bride of Christ a whore”. I point to the model of the Trinity to follow we ought to be in community with other believers. I especially like the Acts 4-5 model in which it almost sounds like the early Christians made a communistic community until it was abruptly ended with a corpses of Ananias and Sapphira. At the same time I think the organization of church, many churches have lost the focus of what pure religion is. I do not believe the best solution is to turn our back on the organized church as a whole, simply reform and refocus where necessary. The increased focus on individual faith I do support. While at times it seems to practice our faith means we must congregate together frequently as an expression of our faith, I see that as our collaboration time, we ought to spend the rest of our time growing with our personal relationship with Christ.

I am hard pressed to find a non-churchese way of describing the “personal relationship with Christ”. An analogy I favor is being a good friend to Christ. Think of it in terms of how we become good friends with other people, I think those bonding characteristics translate well with Christ. A group of people that refuses to be called a group of people is more like being a nonconforming nonconformist. In an effort to not follow status quo, the rebel becomes the status quo and thus a living cliché, church culture is no different. The lack of organization within the emergent movement is beneficial because it requires more active thinking before everyone looks at each other and figures out the irrationality of it all. Namely because the foundation of theology which is common to all protestant Christians, even some emergents have abandoned. Try to sit down and have a conversation about faith in which everyone starts from square one and the shared doctrines have been discarded. The blind man is given the driver seat and thinks he’s ready for NASCAR. The only problem is he’s driving a minivan. I started to point out the dangers of leaving orthodox Christian doctrine in Necessary Beliefs.

Based on the aforementioned aspects of the emergent movement how do I find any positive value? For one, it is a faith much easier to spread; it has growing popularity with my generation especially. It prompts many people to reexamine their own faith and where they ought to go with it. It stirs the waters to say the least. While I find it to be a hazardous direction of theological faith I also believe it is potentially the next Great Awakening. I suggested in Losing Our Minds, that we have ourselves to blame and our culturally relevant forms of evangelism to credit for spreading a theologically weak faith. Perhaps this is the next level, both the Second Great Awakening and the Emergent church have; brought people back to faith, reached out to those who would not consider Christianity, and applied to the masses. I probably should not reference the emergent church as a past tense occurrence; I think we are still in the middle of it. Therefore, we can take the renewed interest in faith; the emphasis on an authentic relationship with Christ, reform the aspects of the Christian church which are un-Christian, then perhaps we revolt against the established church could be a growing experience instead of a dark moment of church history.