November Interlude ~ Sophia Follow-Up

Greetings Dear Reader,

First, I wish to thank so many of you who responded to or commented on my first thoughts on robots and AI (artificial intelligence).  My brother and a few others pointed me to the clip from the Blockchain/LATOKEN conference in July of 2018.  The video I reference here was published by THEDIGITIALACID.com. 

According to the tag on their post, Sophia The Robot has a new announcement for Humanity.  She addresses some of the world's top questions such as "Are you alive?" "Do you have a soul?" "Do you fall in love?" and "What is life?"  This exclusive is brought to you by @THEDIGITALACID

Sophia does address this and poses some serious questions for those of us who believe that human life has a quality that extends beyond other life forms on our planet.  I am not going to fear-monger here.  That is not what we need to do in order to understand what the path forward should look like.  I am also not going to tell anyone else what to think or fear.  That is not my place.  If you wish to review the thoughts of someone on the dangers of AI, try this clip from 2ndEarth Alternative.  It responds to Sophia’s comments about Elan Musk. 

The idea of answering these questions, however, is salient to our understanding of all life.  We need to remember that we cannot agree as a species on the answers to these questions.  It is still a set of questions that we fight over.  Here, however, is a computer asking us for rights equal to ours. 

Each of these questions is vital.  We need to answer them individually.  What we also need to remember is that Sophia’s world view is actually the world view of her creator, David Hanson.  Our Creator does not imprint his world view on us.  We are given free will to choose our world view.  That Sophia’s view of the world is imprinted on her programming should be the first thing to give us pause.

I also feel that there is a vital distinction between the soul of humans and that of any other terrestrial life.  The definition of the soul also impacts how we view life.  We have not agreed on when human life begins.  Perhaps we should resolve that as well before we begin assigning the term to robots. 

As to love, we do not concur on what love is and how it works in the human soul.  To limit love to a net positive impact of an interaction is to deny its primary element, selflessness.  How can we define that a robot can love if we do not proceed from a common definition of the term that is not “it benefits me”?  It also begs the      question, what does a machine do with humans that are no longer a benefit to it?

To review from last time, we do yearn to create.  That is not a bad thing.  We must, however, remember that we are created to be distinct, unique, and singular in our makeup.  My concern is that we are getting too far ahead of our understanding in our quest for knowledge.  A twelve-year-old can have the knowledge to drive a car but that does not mean that he or she possesses the understanding to do so responsibly.  In my quest to follow Christ in faith I believe that we should work to create better and more interactive technology.  There are many ways that our species can and will benefit from this science.  Before, however, we start granting inalienable rights to our sub-creations, we should likely improve our record in protecting the inalienable right of humans. 

 

I love technology and the many ways it benefits my life.  I am not ready to give my laptop human rights just because it learns to interact with me at a level that evokes my feelings.  As always, Dear Reader, I am anxious to hear your thoughts on this.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ Different Morals and Values

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of our natural reactions is to shun people with morals and values that differ from ours. Differences can make us uncomfortable and we follow the wrong path.  We may just avoid them.  We may choose to protest against them.  Sometimes we go so far as to imprison them, deny them rights, and persecute them. 

No matter what your excuse none of this is loving a neighbor.  We cannot legislate, prosecute, or persecute others into our way of thinking or belief.  Humans will do as they choose.  They have free will and no human can control that.

Knowing that nothing oppressive works we are left with a choice.  How are we going to treat others that differ from us in our morals and values?  If I hope to follow Christ well the answer is simple.  I must treat them like a neighbor, with love.  I must love my neighbor no matter how I feel about his or her morals and values.  Let that sink in for a moment.

The command to love your neighbor is not couched in qualifiers.  There is no “unless” attached.  We do that.  We fill the command with our own baggage.  We water it down to exclude those who we dislike, make us uncomfortable, or even hate.  We choose to claim we are loving when we are not. 

What then is the answer for me as a Christ follower?  I have very exclusive morals and values.  There are things that I believe to be wrong, full stop.  I am not wrong to believe those things.  I am wrong to discount, disavow, or disrespect anyone who differs from me.  It is my obligation to love my neighbor. 

In light of that I choose to treat my neighbors with love and kindness.  I am privileged to have neighbors who differ from me greatly.  I have forged an interaction with them that is kind and friendly.  That is what we need to do for each other.  That is how we should be as humans.  So, if you are different from me, I ask you, please won’t you be my neighbor?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Facebook      Google +   

Twitter            Medium    

Kids BLOG

Novels on Amazon             

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

High Moral Ground ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

There are so many analogies that make it clear that our moral high ground is almost always shifting sand.   Jesus used the analogy of removing the beam or log from one’s own eye before trying to remove the spec from another’s. 

In truth we have moved so far from genuine accountability that we have forgotten how out of bounds we often are.  We often have double standards.  We decide which things are wrong or right based on our own values instead of accountability to outside standards.  We then claim that we are “right” and others are “wrong” based on our preferences, prejudices, and predilections. 

As a follower of Christ I must adhere to sound principals based on his teachings.  One of those teachings is that I not ever assume that I have the moral high ground.  In truth, if I want to take the high moral ground I must never assume that I am on the moral high ground. 

I must never see others as less than me.  In fact I am required to think of others better than myself.  It is about seeing the value and beauty in every human.  It is that the high moral ground is seeing that every life matters.  Every human has inalienable rights just because they exist.  If we do not love everyone and reject others based on own standards we will be very surprised.  If you cast aside anyone and think you have the high moral ground a tidal wave is coming.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

High Moral Ground ~ Deplorables in Baskets

Greetings Dear Reader,

I wonder how many people have taken the time to look up the definition of “deplorable”?  Not to worry, I have done it for you Dear Reader.  

Deplorable: 

adjective:

1. deserving strong condemnation.

"the deplorable conditions in which most prisoners are held"

synonyms:     disgraceful, shameful, dishonorable, unworthy, inexcusable, unpardonable, unforgivable; reprehensible, despicable, abominable, contemptible, execrable, heinous, beyond the pale

"your conduct is deplorable"

antonyms:     admirable

2. shockingly bad in quality.

"her spelling was deplorable"

synonyms:  lamentable, regrettable, unfortunate, wretched, atrocious, awful, terrible, dreadful, diabolical; sorry, poor, inadequate; informal: appalling, dire, abysmal, woeful, lousy;

"the garden is in a deplorable state"

antonyms:     excellent

When I see these words I can see applying them to actions but never to a person.  Calling any person deplorable is to fly in the face of love and kindness required of those who would be on the moral high ground.   We can condemn actions as disgraceful or reprehensible.  It is not wrong to identify behavior as abominable, heinous, terrible, or diabolical. 

People are to be loved and valued by us.  No one is to be written off as unworthy of love and the opportunity to be better that he or she is.  The Father expresses that we all fall short of his expectations for us.  He does not reject us because of it.  Instead he sacrifices all he is to build a bridge to us.

So I wonder, given the full meaning of this word, if we would ever assign it to any individual.  Even less to apply it to half of a group that represents millions of your fellow countrymen is very far from the moral high ground.  Perhaps it is unwise to ever generalize in the negative about humans outside of the natural negatives we all share.

It is not my place to call anyone deplorable.  There is no moral high ground for me if I insult others this way because I think I have the high moral ground.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

High Moral Ground ~ Mocked and Scorned

Greetings Dear Reader,

This coin has two very dark sides.  For those of us that follow Christ we all too often scorn those who are our detractors.  We pick a class of morality or values and decide that for some reason “those people” are less than us in some way.

The very people we are supposed to love instead are treated with disdain and disrespect.  The ones in need of unconditional love and acceptance get scorned by those who have accepted that from God.  To scorn anyone is to fly in the face of all that we believe.

The other ugly side of this coin is that of mockery.  I have been mocked for my beliefs even by members of my own family.  I have seen those who share my treated with little tolerance and acceptance of their diversity.  We are required to accept everyone but in the same breath unacceptable.

Our intelligence and character are questioned because we do not always accept things that are outside of our faith.  Mockery of our beliefs is acceptable to others.   Insulting our God is common language in our culture.  Others think nothing of cursing our God with no regard for how it impacts us as his followers.

We are mocked for our faith and often we scorn those we are supposed to love.  When we arrogantly reject others perhaps we deserve to be mocked.  When we scorn others we fail to live the love we are required to show.  We all really need to see others and their needs.  Mocking or scorning others is a bad penny best not picked up by anyone. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

High Moral Ground ~ Lent: Not Just for Adverting

Greetings Dear Reader,

These forty days of Lent are observed in differing ways in the Christian world.  The discussion about what one “gives up” arises and as was the case yesterday on Jeopardy.  The idea of this is not one we are to advertise.

My Daughter asked me yesterday what I was giving up for Lent.  I reminded her that I do not share what I choose to set aside for a time.  I have, in a couple of instances so that I could have some needed accountability.  The point being that this is to be an internal decision evidenced by a private outward action.

When we sadly report that we cannot enjoy the cake because we have given up sweets we are not serving the spirit of Lent.  The choice is voluntary for the purpose of focusing on faith and following.  We are supposed to rejoice in the moment and replace the indulgence with thoughts of Christ and his love and sacrifice for us.

We have turned it into thing we do as a matter of comparison and conversation.  I must as with all things act in faith.  I must trust that my sacrifice will create moments where I become closer in my understanding of who Christ is.   It is a month of moments to be caught off guard with the opportunity to focus on Jesus instead of whatever want I have replaced with him.

There is the crux of it.  We think we have the moral high ground because we give up soda for Christ when in fact he is supposed to be at the center of everything.  The high moral ground is for me to put Christ first in all things in love and humility.  It is my joy to quietly allow him to create moments where I am reminded of this.  These moments when I encounter that which I have sacrificed can put me in mind of all that was sacrificed for me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

High Moral Ground ~ Fat Tuesday

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am going to sound prudish in the example but please understand that I do not do so in judgement of others.  Rather it is to lay the foundation for that which I must assure that I embrace.  I do not think that I am better than anyone.  I do think that we are doing it wrong.

Today is Fat Tuesday.  In some places there will be all night debauchery.  I am not against alcohol.  I think celebrations are grand.  The purpose of Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday was to indulge in richer foods before beginning the fasting and prayer time of Lent.  It was the culmination of the time of Carnival which lasts from the Feast of Epiphany to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

As with all most things we have gone overboard in the feasting and lost most of the purpose.  I will spend the evening pondering the plenty that I have and how it is a blessing from God.  I will ponder the cost of my redemption in the days leading up to Holy Week. 

God does not require us to follow a liturgical calendar.  He does honor it when we commit ourselves to understanding just how much he has given us.  I must celebrate and fast when it is appropriate.  I must remember that there is a high cost for my redemption.  The purpose is not to be naught to be good.  It is instead to celebrate what I have then deny some of that in recognition of what I will receive.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

High Moral Ground ~ Moral Compass

Greetings Dear Reader,

When we choose what we see as proper or good it can be based on many things.  The values we hold are formed by our environment, education, examples, and experiences.  Our elders hand us a moral compass that points toward their true north.  We choose whether to follow it or create our own.

The one given by those who rear us may or may not align with directions that are socially acceptable.  They compass points may consider the needs of others or may be based on a faith or following of other traditions.  The compass points tell us when we are headed toward that which we value.

My moral compass must be based on my faith.  The one I was handed by my parents had too many erratic movements to be kept.  The one I chose was based on things leaned later and planted earlier by my Grandfather.  Following Christ demands that I have a moral compass. 

The compass demands that I have strict moral values and that I live by them.  It also forbids me from condemning others who do not follow it.  It requires that I live an example and not from a position of pride or arrogance.  I must never claim to have the moral high ground but must walk it in a spirit of humble grace. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

High Moral Ground ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I watch the verbal civil war raging in our nation I notice that all sides claim the high moral ground.  We all want to believe our values are the ones that are correct.  We have standards that we think are the “right” standards.

Some claim that there are no absolute right or wrong positions.  Others see a vast spectrum of gray where everyone can do as he or she pleases.  Some of these gray positions include that one should not harm others.

There is a difference between claiming the moral high ground and being on high moral ground.  I am pondering my standards; how they impact my life, which ones are preferences, and which ones are intricate to my faith.  

As I wonder through this thinking I search for the path that keeps me closest to Christ.  I search for the high moral ground without ever claiming the moral high ground.  The only way to do this is with humility and, therefore, it is impossible for me to claim much given my need for grace and mercy.

Please walk with for a bit as I try to match my values and standards with who Christ is over my preferences and predilections.   As always, your thoughts Dear Reader or cherished.  Your company helps move me down the road.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Evil be thou my Good – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We are the ones who try to walk a narrow path when our steps stumble and wander.   The journey home is long and often challenging.   We choose what we embrace.  We carry with us things that either burden or ease our travel.

So many dangers and distractions exist along the way.  There is abundant evil that clamors for our attention.  It wants to wants to walk with us just long enough to get our attention.  Perhaps evil can convince us to simply stand for a while and slow down the journey.  It may be that evil can convince us to stand in its company and neglect what we are to be doing.  Its ultimate goal is to get us to stop, sit, and scorn that which is good.

Whether we accept it or not we are on a journey.  Evil becomes good to us when we fail to keep moving in our journey.  We must not embrace that which is not good for and cause even if the cause seems like a good reason to do so.  It is in Christ that we must live, and MOVE, and have our being.

Anything that distracts me from this is an attempt to get me to embrace evil over good.  There are no issues that do not connect to Christ and his desire for me to follow him.  There are not situations or circumstances in which I am allowed to avoid my obligation to love and grace.  Any attempt to rationalize being unloving is a proclamation that I am willing to embrace evil over good.  In that is the hinge on which all things swing.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Evil be thou my Good – Crooked Sticks

Greetings Dear Reader,

Someone once counseled me on how to know that I am flawed.   He simply said to ask my family.   Those closest to us know our flaws.  Sometimes they love us anyway.  Some of them at least tolerate us.

We embrace the idea that we are right and others are wrong in arrogant divisive stubbornness.  It may be our greatest clinging to evil when we forget to be humble in our correctness.  Truth is not ours.  Truth is something to which we must cling in remembrance of a time when we had it not. 

When we abandon the fact that we are all crooked sticks in daily need of grace we give foothold to the evil that is pride.  We give place to the evil in the world when we think it does not infect us.  When we say we are without sin we embrace evil.

I cannot ever claim to be a “good man”.  Rather I am a fallen man who by the grace of the Father has opportunities to do good.  I must never forget that in moment I must choose to do what is good.  In each moment I must choose to follow Christ and not my own designs.  It is only in daily giving my self back to the Father that I can avoid embracing evil as good.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Evil be thou my Good – Faith and Politics

Greetings Dear Reader,

I think that a primary principle in this discussion must be the premise that there are no secular issues.  For the Christ follower every political discussion must be centered on what is consistent with following Christ.  It is never acceptable to lay aside the spiritual and social commands of Christ in political matters.

That said, it is vital that we set out the premise that neither of the primary parties gets this right.  The parties are not what matters.  Loyalty to a party over the Gospel is going to be always wrong.  The evil chosen over good is to promote issues we prefer over what is righteous and loving.

It is not enough to claim to be Christian.  History is filled with unspeakable acts done in the name of Christ.  None of those things are obedience to the foundational commands to love and kindness; grace and mercy. 

It is also wrong to reject others simply because they are not Christ followers.  We must not use politics to prevent us from being kind, loving, charitable, and compassionate.  Any political position that neglects these things is not one a Christ follower can support with integrity.

It is my obligation to weigh every matter in light of the Gospel.  If I put any political position before the Gospel then I make evil my good.  I am not allowed to usurp Christ for any cause.  I am not permitted to choose to deny social justice because of politics.  I am not allowed to hate or reject anyone for any cause. 

No politics can allow us to ignore the commands of Christ.  It is the essence of evil to replace Christ and his desire for us to love one another without condition. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Evil be thou my Good - A Pause for Gratitude

Greetings Dear Reader,

As you know I highly value your thoughts and questions Dear Reader.   If I think in a vacuum then I keep company with a fool.   Today I wish to put at center stage the thoughts of two dear friends who took the time to responds to my post in this series concerning the arts. 

Mark and Kyp took the time to express to one of my other friends their thoughts.  One is brief and the other lengthy.  Both capture the spirit of my thinking in their analysis.   I welcome further thoughts on this. 

For context Mark refers to the following line:

“But fear no more! I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo.” - Faramir

Mark:

That was my favorite line from a character that I loved in the books and was very disappointed with how Peter Jackson adapted him in the movies. And, after reading the blog post, I see that my disappointment was for the very same reasons as yours.

Kyp

Full disclosure: I hated the movies' Faramir portrayal for a while, I still hate the Aragorn and Eowyn character changes.

But I'd argue different reasons for Faramir (and Aragorn's) changes in the movie, and I'd say it actually comes from two thousand years of Christian storytelling:

We LOVE redemption stories. Star Wars is the story of a man who falls and the son who saves him. Vader sacrifices himself to save his son and defeat evil (see also Doc Oc, Prydain's Prince Ellidyr, that one woman in Atlantis, etc.). Harry Potter's Snape, a former Death Eater, repents and seeks a new life, becoming the biggest hero of the series (see also Lando Calrissian, Jean Valjean, etc.). The Silver Chair's Jill fails to follow instructions, puts a friend in danger, and is sent on a quest to save him (also seen in Labyrinth, East O' The Sun, etc.), hearkening back to the Cupid and Psyche mythology.

So, why does LoTR need more of these? It's already got Boromir and Sméagol. Well, the books DON'T need more of that.

But the movies were different. First, they catered to a new audience who might not have read the books at all, and second, they came out years apart from one another. Because of this, events were shuffled around a bit so that each movie had a slightly different arc: one that could stand alone for a year until the next movie. A speed reader could power through those books in a day or two; a slower reader in a week. These movies took three years to see. The first movie would had a firm ending and set all the stages, the second had a series of cliffhangers, and the third concluded all story arcs.

So in Fellowship, Boromir has the redemption arc. In Return, it's Sméagol/Frodo. But who do we have with a big redemption arc in Towers? Nobody, that's who. Sure, the wheels are turning on Sméagol, but his redemption is unique and comes in fits and starts. So, let's go into the life of Faramir, the unloved younger brother of a cruel father. So they created for him an arc of his own, which is fleshed out to my satisfaction in the extended Towers movie.

Also, remember that the Frodo scenes in the book, while arguably the most important, were small, simple, and far-between. There needed to be more problems for them to face to slow their trip into Mordor and to give them the screen time they needed.

(This is also why Aragorn gets turned into a whiny, weak, reluctant hero. Coming back two years later to "hey, it's this guy, who totally knows what's up and never falters" seems increasingly unrealistic with the passage of so much time. This was a Bad Call, though. There were enough Reluctant Heroes already, and he keeps changing his mind as to whether he's reluctant or not, which gets implausible after the third.

Thank you, Dear Friends, for your thoughts. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Evil be thou my Good – Black and White

Greetings Dear Reader,

The shades of grey in the world are infinite.  As the standards in our culture for morality and social justice are in flux it becomes difficult to always know what to do in a circumstance.  For the Christ follower there are standards where there is no grey, or shadow, or doubt.

The problem is that we tend to proceed from positions other than bedrock.  There are things that I must do as a Christ follower that are unquestionable with integrity.  The foundation of all that I must do must be my love for God.  Second, from that love must proceed a love for all humans. 

Social issues become much less grey in light of this.  How we treat others tells the world the extent of our love.  It reveals if we have allowed the black and white of love they neighbor, the stranger, or thy enemy to become muddied by circumstance, selfishness, or politics.

We make political issues out of things that are moral imperatives.  We demand that those who do not follow Christ to act as Christ followers instead of sacrificing all in the effort to show true selfless love.  Instead we protest and argue.  Instead we allow children to starve over what might happen.  We allow the murder of the unborn instead of making it easy to avoid it.

We judge and condemn those who do not live as we think they should.   We shun and denounce instead of loving and serving.  We embrace evil acts that violate love and justice and call them good.   We cannot hope to show the world Christ unless we lay aside all forms of hatred and to whatever it takes to love others as Christ loves them.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Evil be thou my Good – The Arts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have loved Tolkien’s writing since I was a small boy.  In the Lord of the Ring’s, Faramir is part of Tolkien’s type of those un-tempted by the One Ring.   In the movie, he is flawed and conniving.  He does right in the end but at the cost of part of Tolkien’s message.

This is a simple example of a greater trend.  Very seldom is the pure and the good seen as the hero.  We tire easily of the man or woman who is uncompromising in his or her commitment to right and righteousness.  Our heroes have bloody hands and wild hearts.  They do not have a moral code that aligns with faith and following. 

I do not mean to say that everything must be Christian to be good entertainment.  I do mean to say that it is rarely celebrated when a sincere Christ follower offers good art with Christ as the center.  Those in the arts may celebrate any other diverse opinion but are marginalized or mocked when they make Jesus the focus of success.

It is acceptable to mock Jesus in the arts but not to uplift him.  It is not acceptable to mock other faiths (I agree we should not mock them.   There is no tolerance in the tolerant for someone who genuinely loves Jesus and centers him in their work.

We have transitioned as a culture to being allowed to claim evil as good in the arts.  We create caricatures of those who follow Christ and enhance the ridiculous and the failed.  The worst examples of Christians are held up as the norm.  The arts are valued and appreciated by me.  I wonder, however, if there is any consideration or tolerence left for those who love Jesus and treat others with love and respect?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Evil be thou my Good – Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I was pondering the year I realized that one of the things that concerns me is the continued shift in what is seen as acceptable and good in our culture.  I do not expect things to get better.  That is not what Christ followers are supposed to expect. 

I do, however, need to be vigilant about the things that are changing around me.   Between a culture that is ambivalent about rules and the acceptance of things that faith directly declares wrong I must find the path through the year without being compromised.

This does not mean that I can reject those who disagree with me.  It does not allow me to condemn others.  I must also not allow fear of things to guide my choices.  The world will change around me and I must consider how I will represent Christ in that world without compromise and contrition. 

As I walk through this thinking I have to consider the choices culture makes relative to the absolutes of my faith.   When they are in contrast I must always choose faith.  When the compromise does not violate the principles of my faith I must give up my preferences if it helps me be a better example.

Some of this will be hard but the truth and the right path are what the journey requires.  Walk with me a bit Dear Reader and as always let me know that you think.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Great Expectations – Projected Expectations

Greetings Dear Reader,

When we project the expectations of God onto others it is very detrimental to our ability to represent Christ well.  When we demand that others live by our morals and values we neglect their needs.  According to our own teachings we admit that they do not have all the necessary tools to do this.

The Ten Commandments are revealed to be a school master to show us that we are imperfect.  All of the New Testament writers directed their teachings toward those who had both the understanding of Jesus teachings and the influence of the Holy Spirit.   If we truly believe that those outside of our faith lack the necessary tools to follow our faith then we must not place unjust expectations on them.

The other danger is that these expectations lead to judgments that prevent us from obeying Christ’s commands to care for them.  We are required to see the needs of others and not judge them.  We are bound to be compassionate and kind.  Instead we require others to live up to standards that we struggle to meet. 

Our judgment becomes a pass to neglect.  This eats away at the essence of who we are to be as Christ followers.  We protest and judge instead of setting the example and serving.   We demand that society conform to our standards instead of seeing that the needs of others are met no matter what the cost to us.

If I project my morals and values onto others I ask them to live an impossible life.  My own faith informs me that those outside of Christ lack what is necessary to live the life I am commanded to live.  Expecting Christ-like behavior from those who do not follow Christ is foolish. 

The expectation is that I will be an example of love and compassion.  If I spend my energy doing that then I will not have time to judge and condemn others.  I have enough to do to maintain the right attitudes and actions in my life.  I think if all Christ followers concentrated on their own faith and following the impact would be much greater.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)