Money and the Law

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I have had to spend time today with lawyers and various officials. Some of the converszations were about money. Then over morning tea…. I think I said this when discussing how we got this with… “You don’t take your money to the grave“.  It is a tool. It is to be used for other purposes. Or it will own you.

Matthew 6:19-24

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; 23but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Great, but what does this mean? How does this work? Are we truly just? Well, in the agrarian communiie of Jewry, the law gave some guidance.

Leviticus 19:1-18

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

2Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. 3You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. 4Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the LORD your God.

5When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the LORD, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable on your behalf. 6It shall be eaten on the same day you offer it, or on the next day; and anything left over until the third day shall be consumed in fire. 7If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable. 8All who eat it shall be subject to punishment, because they have profaned what is holy to the LORD; and any such person shall be cut off from the people.

9When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.

11You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. 12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the LORD.

13You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.

15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.

17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

These things are best said in the negative. The Kingdom of Gor is not about defrauding others, or eploiting others, or engineering institutional injustice (for whateevr reason — the law must be fair and equal).

And.. it is not about expecting the last but of costs. We are not to harvest to the edge, but leave a margin for those who are struggling. We should not be seeing to lower costs to the bleeding edge, but instead consider our workers — the current practice of permatemping, or shfiting things to other countries (exporting the polluiton and oppression of workers) is equally wrong.

We are instread to treat workers fairly. We are instrad to treat employers fairly.

For the key is at the end of this — we are not to hate our brother, or exploit our brother. This is a warning againts the powerful being oppressors — and the radicals stirring up class hatered. For as Isreal was accountable before God, so are we. God does not play ffavourties.

Shaming as a form of psychotherapy.

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This is a description of how men react to stress, written Roger KIngerlee in Psychology and Psychotherapy, I have stripped out the references and shorted the language.  He begins be describing the male role as (using the new research paradigm, that women are normative) as less empathic, more inhibited, more status seeking, and more sensitive to shame. He then describes what happens when this gets broken down.

Initially, the man in question develops an awareness of distress, mediated by internal sensing mechanisms  for example via intrusional thoughts and/or feelings … associated meta-cognitive beliefs may be activated, including notions that (1) negative feelings or mood states are unacceptable, (2) must be hidden from others, and (3) are shameful. Certain automatic negative thoughts may be generated, often relating to such notions as the man’s perceived weak and shameful nature, or not being a ‘real man’

The meta-cognitive beliefs may also launch the hypothesized reflection abandonment mechanism (RAM). Since the man perceives his distress as taboo, the effect of the RAM is to propel the man away from further reflection on his psychological condition, which he perceives as shameful, and as a threat to his status, towards one or more recognized male externalizing behaviours. From an ethological perspective, this spontaneous behaviour, reliably noted in distressed men, bears some resemblance to innate releasing mechanisms (IRMs) noted in animals . Such behaviours in men – often maladaptive forms of self-soothing, all more common among men than in women in the United Kingdom – may include substance use , ‘acting out’ (e.g., via increased work-related behaviour), or other externalizing, antisocial behaviour such as violence, around 80% of which against strangers in the United Kingdom is committed by men . Some argue, furthermore, that such violence is a direct attempt to avoid shame . Moreover, it may be reasonable, in the light of practice with men, to hypothesize that the RAM also discourages the distressed man from seeking help from others, even from intimates. The possibility of the restoration of health then is, at least temporarily, lost. Compared with women, of course, men find it harder to ask for psychological help – broadly in inverse proportion to their valuing of stereotypical male qualities such as strength

In more extreme situations, the RAM can be hypothesized to act as a pathway to suicide – abandonment of self and other(s). Since, in the distressed man’s perception, reflection on the psychological issues is either difficult, impossible, and/or meaningless, a further self-destructive act that seems logical at the time may be a suicide attempt – which can be seen, among other things, as an effort to regain control.

Stripping out the psychoanalytical jargon, this passage using shaming language. Firstly, the ways that males interact as seen as strange — to the therapist, who is verbal, facile in discussing emotions, generally introspective, and generally comfortable in feminine and feminized situations. The bulk of psychologists and therapists are women. There is an acceptance of the female victim and male brute paradigm.

The methods men use to cope when stressed are then described using pathological language, when many of these ways are not uncommon. Working is seen as acting out — as akin to assaulting strangers, thus lumping the adaptive (those legal and child support bills do not go away) and the criminal.

The authors then point out that men will not seek healing (code tor therapy) — and in a circular argument see this as another form of maladption.

Now, men can and are violent. And men far too often commit suicide. But… at least where I sit, in the acute wards and emergency services, getting the social burden of child support and child access sorted helps more than this kind of exploration.

I do recommend therapy — after the social situation is stable and the legalities have been sorted. To do that, I avoid this kind of language. I avoid saying males are defective. Instead I talk about this being difficult, and how important it is to hand around for the kids… and how to make that work when you are stressed.

This paper, by the way is a systematic review with no data but hypotheses and therapeutic observations. It is another example of why psychotherapy is now loved but by women, and generally feminist women at that.

A male classification of Churchly men.

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This is from Dalrock, and it is Van Roonieck, who usually speaks sense. It is a classification of men, written by men, in the church — Van R used to belong to a mainstram US denomination, as far as I know, and is fairly reformed.

Not always. There ARE righteous Alphas. They are usually religious. And they use their Alpha traits (looks, charisma, status, whatever), to attract and marry the hottest girl in church….and they are off the market forever. The Alphas that are still on the market, past their mid 20s, are generally the evil ones. (Rarely, an Alpha can get to that age while still single, due to extended education; but he marries as soon as he gets his Ph.D. or M.D.)

Comparison chart:

Righteous Alpha: attracts women effortlessly, marries well, marries young, off the market.
Wicked Alpha: attracts women effortlessly, sleeps with lots of women when young; may marry and serially cheat later in life. May pretend to be a Righteous Alpha in order to get laid; targets Christian women with this game. When women — and pastors — bitterly and endlessly complain about the behavior of “men”, they are mostly talking about this subset of men only, though they don’t realize it. (Call this the “Mark Driscoll Fallacy”)
Righteous Beta: works his @$$ off trying to earn money and attract women, but is largely ignored until later in life. Does all the spiritual and character building inner work that Church and family tell him he needs to do, to get a woman, and is bitterly disappointed to find that it doesn’t work. Tends to marry in his 30s, and is often a virgin or relatively inexperienced til then. In church, he is likely to get blamed for the crimes of the Wicked Alphas. Also, he may be shamed for failing to “man up” and marry these good Christian girls, when in fact he’s been trying his damnedest and has been getting endlessly rejected. (Again, think “Mark Driscoll”)
Wicked Beta: gives up, turns to porn and/or prostitution when he realizes that he’ll need to work 60 hour weeks for the next decade before a woman will talk to him. May totally drop out of the career realm and live in mom’s basement, or may earn well and spend the money on himself.

Van Followed with what I think is an accurate comment…

Many pastors appear to be Righteous Alphas, who have no understanding whatsoever as to why it’s so difficult for the majority of young men in their churches to get married off. It was so easy for Pastor Alpha, that he almost can’t help but conclude that the single men under his pastoral care, just aren’t even trying.

My only comment to all of this is that those things that do attract a women (and seem hard wired) are not necessarily virtues. We should honour those who are faithful, not judge them because they have not “married up” or “cannot control their wives”. Because Van R is right. There is the dark side to both groups — for one exploitation, for the other despair.

The text is plain. No comment needed.

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Not much to say this morning. I have various concerns and difficulties at present.

Today’s text, however is clear and plain. It needs no comment.

Matthew 6:7-15

7“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

9“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses

So let us pray.

Piety should be private, not public.

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In this world we reward those who give generously. When you go to many places, you will find signs of donation: plaques, signs on furniture, hallways… indeed the patrons of much of the art ensured that they were either in the paintings or that the funding of them was memorialized.

In the kingdom, it just happens.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

1“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

16“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Many are quite public in their embrace of the rituals of society and piously keep to them. Their coffee is trade aid: their mug proclaims it, their T shirts are “right on” — they wear the ribbons for each cause in turn.

They pander to the needs of society.

Now, there is a need for corporate worship and the proclamation of the word.  There is a place for beauty in music and architecture. But that is not our core business. For our core piety has to be private, quiet, anonymous.

Not drive by glory, nor driven by the state.

But in private…

Being told to shut up. Not.

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Kirk this morning

This morning we were asked to consider if the gospel was merely the sinners prayer, the resurrection of Christ, or the preaching of liberty to the oppressed, or freeing the oppressed … or being blessed enough to have a holiday home and a boat.

(For those who are not Kiwi, that is the kiwi dream. A holiday home and a boat and you are made).

Now, Jonno was preaching, and he argues that it is not what we say but what we do. We should be proclaiming the gospel, but still be feeding the poor. We should help the unjust, but not cease from confronting injustice. And Christ Jesus crucified should still be proclaimed.

Which is why Grant Gillette needs our support. This was in an article written in support of a local left MP, Maryan Street, who wants a pro euthanasia bill:

A medical law and ethics specialist said New Zealand could benefit from clarifying a grey area around assisting suicide, euthanasia and the rights of patients, doctors and family members. End-of-life issues authority, Otago University bioethics centre Professor Grant Gillett, said the issue was not clear.

The terminally-ill were often unsure about the situation, and wanted to know their options but not go through with any.

“It’s a feeling of being socially isolated, a fear they are going to lose control and that the illness is going to take over, that is behind a request.”

He said instead of giving in to the desire for euthanasia, it might be better to create a more caring approach to treatment. There was a greater appreciation that doctors shouldn’t always pull out all the stops, and that because they could treat certain illnesses they sometimes had to show restraint.

“On the one hand that awareness is developing, and people are aware that issues at the end of life are not simple.

“But on the other, people find it difficult to articulate exactly why they don’t feel comfortable about doctors having the power to end people’s lives.”

I firmly believe Doctors have no place in killing people. Even when it is legal. I am against euthanasia. I am against Doctors being involved in the system of judicial execution. People need to know that we will do everything in our power to cure, to control and to comfort. Not suggest they swallow kool-aid flavoured poisons.

But those of faith are being told to shut up. We are not allowed to truly be the kingdom of God — because that means we will confront evil and danger. As Joel Kinsman said in an opinion piece in today’s paper.

As the spokesperson of a Catholic bioethics centre, there are some who discount my message because of my religious affiliation, rather than on the basis of its merits. It’s a classic case of “playing the man instead of the ball”. As two commentators noted in response to comments I recently made about the dangers of legalising euthanasia: “I am sick of the religious trying to force their narrow views on society.

“Dictate what you like to your own flock, stay the hell out of the affairs of people who want nothing to do with your beliefs.”

The point being made by these commentators is that religion should have nothing to do with the debate about euthanasia.

While I think Christians have as much right to express their views as any other New Zealander, I am, in all honesty, not interested in imposing my religious views on anyone. Actually, with respect to euthanasia, my own personal view is irrelevant.

But so, I would argue, is every other personal view. Whether or not people are personally in favour of, or opposed to euthanasia, is ultimately beside the point. To ask this question, as a recent Sunday Star-Times’ poll did, is to ask the wrong question. The crucial question is whether euthanasia can be safely implemented in the current context. Maryan Street, MP, glibly asserts that it can, while ignoring overseas evidence that says otherwise. I and many other New Zealanders of no religious persuasion believe differently. Our argument centres on safety and protection of those who are vulnerable. As another commentator puts it: “No-one’s trying to force their religion down your throat so take a deep breath, try and consider the argument in a rational manner.”

That the dangers of euthanasia are real is readily acknowledged by those wanting to legalise it. It explains why a lot of emphasis is placed on building in so-called safeguards. It has also been admitted by Maryan Street, in a public debate, that no amount of safeguards can stop the law being abused. So the argument about dangers cannot be dismissed as the rantings of “meddling god-botherers”.

In the same issue was this magazine cover

Now, you can pay the article (I won’t. I read the paper in a cafe. Over brunch). which is primarily the local skeptics and rationalists stating the usual memes… that the Church is dangerous, that its teachings are superstition, and that people believe because they are deluded, uneducated, superstitious…

… and that we should shut up. Which requires censorship, or a post modern cone of silence. And, the ability to ignore the unfortunate fact that many of the most clear eyed and tough minded commentators out there are people of faith.

We are here, and we will not be silent.

 

Contempt & power or love and fruitfulness?

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I do not know why I took one of the most difficult parts of the bible, and one of the lectionary readings for this Sunday, as today’s text. There are seven passages for today if you look at the daily readings and the lectionary.

What is running through my head is how does this fit with the Kingdom of God? Jesus took the Law and expanded it into intent. In doing so, he took the law to a point where no person can say that they are without fault.

Unless their conscience is seared. (And it if is, we are truly damned, for we have forgotten what is right and what is wrong. We have no conscience: there is no shame, no guilt, and no salvation.)

1 John 4:7-21

7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

Only two points from this. The commentator divides this passage into four…

Hatred includes contempt. This is where relationships die. You stop caring for the other. They become moronic. They are no longer attractive. The love dies, and hatred arrives. In the end, we choose to love our spouses. Daily. And this can be killed by criticism, coldness, and abandonment just as surely as it is killed by unfaitfhulness.

We are ordered to love each other. This, clearly, is not erotic (only idiots such as the Bergites believe that) but considering each other’s needs, doing the best for each other.

In trust. which brings me to…

Fear is the consequence of unlove. Or Mistrust. Or contempt. You end up in a situation in which you can no longer trust anyone. in. the. organization. and then the correct response is fear.

Love does not come easily. In fact, love is expensive: caution is cheap. If we are in a situation like this… there will be fear.

Father’s Day comes along and… wait a second… we hear again about how hard mom works, how nobody truly appreciates her, and how dad is a big, lazy, stupid lunk that needs to get it in gear. Wait, what?!

That happened a few years ago and I went up to the preacher and tried to point out that slavishly sucking up to mom while kicking the dads squarely in the nads was not good. The guy deflected my criticism and then insinuated that I was oversensitive in being unable to take criticism… and that my anger was clearly due to a lack of spirituality! I was speechless.

And these same people wonder why the women are such great “prayer warriors” and why men tend not to be on board with the whole churchy church thing.

If you, as a leader, are playing power games, criticizing people who disagress with you, you are no servant, and you are treating your parishioners with contempt. There is no longer any love in your congregation.

And you have lost the secret sauce, if you will. For there is but one — and that is that we love each other in Kirk and out of Kirk. (Church to the non presbyterian readers).  It is our love for each other that is our greatest witness.

If there is fear, there is something wrong

Weekend reading.

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Life is getting busy again. I am the official chauffeur for the family, and since the school term has started up various jobs need to be done or delegated daily. So instead of putting together a pile of comments here is a pile of links.

Elspeth.

It’s not all about me, and it’s not all about you either.

A day in the life of a blogging housewife.

Badger Catholic

Paul Ryan’s Cross to Bear

Dalrock

Craven

Cutting leaders off at the knees.

Alte

New job data.

All your bodies are belong to us.

Equality Now!

Constant Prayer.

Elusive Wapati

The multi-gravidic survival advantage.

Dr Helen

No, women are not the second sex.

The men in Julia’s life.

Electric Angel

How Patriarchy crumbled by silent assent.

It’s “take your daughter to work” day!

Have a good weekend, everyone.

 

 

How to be righteous…

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This is the part of the sermon of the mount. The last three days I have commented on this: and I’m continuing today. Jesus is not preaching anything that is that new.  But he is expanding the law, to include the idea of love.

Matthew 5:38-48

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I was almost about to call this — Not natural. For most of us will not be able to do us. We are not saints, but by the power of God.

And that is the point. We are told how to be righteous. We cannot do this. As Paul points out, we are all damned, for we do not exceed the righteousness of the tzaddikim. The kingdom of God works by the laws of love, not those of this world.

Now, the thing about lawsuits is that they lead to fear. People are imprisoned more as an act of terror — to stop opposition, Or to appease the DEA: (Look I think methamphetamine is evil, But banning substances and jailing someone for 114 years for providing this — in fact banning substances allowing organized crime into my country, is equally wrong).

Or stifling creativity by increasing the number of ways you can infringe patent laws or copyright. What works for big pharma should work for everyone. 20 years to market it, then anyone can make it.   Or making divorce easy.

You see, this kingom of God is not about ourselves, it is about spending our lives helping others.  We do not really stay in a marriage or a congregation to meet our needs, but to meet the needs of others. We do not find happiness by chasing it, but instead by doing good and joy… follows.

This is not easy. It is had. And it is not the rules of this world. It is the ruls of the kingdom of God, and only by the Spirit can we get there. And without that, we delude ourselves if we think we can achieve this for more than moments.