SO lets take a couple days a year- to amplify greed and celebrate a man's birth who taught us nothing about greed-- he despised it--- Allot of the people who celebrate Christmas aren't even Christian - I know an atheist friend of mine who can't wait for days off and presents- but he brags about how his home "will never have a tree or lights - the symbols of what's wrong with religion " -- This holiday is getting all mixed up-- I really noticed it the first year back from overseas-- and it has gotten worse since then. Makes me sad. Season of giving-- no it is turning into the season of bragging- the season of taking-- the season of deserving. :-(

 

Come on Chad, we all know the state religion in the USA is consumerism and worship of unfettered capitalism.

Actually I've recently been counting my blessings in the form of family, friends and being able to live where I live. I could have been born into much worse as one looks around the world.

 

religion in the USA is consumerism and worship of unfettered capitalism.-- OH great Phrase! Me too-- I have been selfishly spending allot on myself recently- but that is OK I earned the money and wifey is letting me spend it on a hobby :-) I just think it is odd that some of the people who brag the most about Christmas - don't go to church or even acknowledge the reason Christmas is celebrated.

 

A lot of it has to do with has to do with a way a person is raised. Some of it may be experiences that they have had over the years, which harden some souls.

 

I suppose that is true Curtis-- but it also stems from the fact that society as a whole is eroding--- I think i it all comes back to no consequences.

 

The best you can do is live life the best way you know how, treat people with respect, let God do the judging on Judgment Day, and to remind people that Jesus is the reason for the Season. (At least then they get reminded why you celebrate, even if they disagree)

We can't control the direction the world is headed, it was already predicted in the bible, that men will be more feminine, and females will become more masculine, people will become lovers of themselves, etc.. etc... It's part of the grand design, however just be the best you can be, and don't let the outside world distract you.

 

I remember when my wife and I first started dating more than 50 years ago. Her dad and an old neighbor would sit outside and spend hours discussing how terrible the world had become and the communists were going to take over and life would come to an end. The young people listened to rock and roll, that terrible music and TV was going to ruin them all. They could spend hours doing this.

Well, I've lived a pretty good life since then including rock and roll music and TV, I've experienced much more than they did and my kids are having a better life than me. They travel more, experience more, and are better off. I guess my view is the glass is half full. We can dwell on the negative, but it won't get us much. If something is wrong live your life to make that better and try to enjoy the great blessings we have.

 

I need to work on the judging others portion of my life-- I have it pretty good overall- and should be more thankful for that I suppose

 

Heck ya!

You could have been born into a 3rd world country where you walk your kids to school every day in gunfire, not knowing if any of them will return home at the end of the day. You could have no place to work and no way to feed your family, in a country that has no means of assisting you, in an environment that you cannot grow your own food, because of drought, thieves, or poor soil quality.

Life could be so much worse, but it could also be so much better. Imagine if you will if only for a few years, everyone worked towards the same goals and improved the lives of everyone how much better the world could be.

 

I have been to many places like what you describe-- and some worse-- You have not seen real poverty- until you actually leave the US. India being some of the worst.

 

I can't even imagine living in those types of conditions. People have to be snakes to survive. Its crazy.

 

Just imagine Curtis, when I was born the world population was about 2.5 billion people and it is now around 7 billion. The curious question is what happens in nature when any species becomes over populated? Sooner or later something happens to bring it back into balance. We don't know what "balance" means for humans though.

 

Yeah, that is fairly concerning. We want to see everyone we love live a long healthy life, so if Modern Medicine is making people live longer then the only moral way to control population is to use unintrusive forms of birth control, and perhaps limit the number of children each family is allowed. But how humane is that even? And how would it be regulated? maybe it just needs to be suggested rather than enforced? How many crack babies does one single female need?

All I know is if you have a small area filled with a few rats, and they overpopulate to a point that they don't have enough available food, eventually they start eating each other.

Places such as Africa, where they say children are starving keep reproducing like rabbits but then have no means to feed them. Seems like the answer to getting everyone fed is to quit producing more mouths to feed.

 

Often starvation in a certain part of the world is a result of political and social upheaval leading to war. Often those are exacerbated by drought or caused by weather concerns. If you are biblical in perspective the promise is that there will be enough. Of course that depends on mankind doing their part to share.

 

Most of the places in poverty is the result of one person or group of people extolling others. Those in power can choose to help or hinder-- but then people do not help themselves they either flee or submit.Sad but true.