Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Posted on October 14th, 2009

Comedian Bill Engvall had a big hit with his comedy routine, "Here's Your Sign." It's all about those stupid questions that people ask, which really don't need to be asked. His premise is simple: Stupid people ought to have to wear a sign. If stupid people wore a sign around their necks that read, "I'm Stupid," then we wouldn't waste so much time...we'd see their sign and know not to bother asking them if we had a question.

One of my favorite questions in his routine is one he told about his own stupid question. He was walking to his car in the parking lot one day and saw a man pushing a wire coat hanger down through a car window. Bill asked--and immediately knew it was a stupid question--"Did you lock your keys in your car?" He said that the man didn't even turn around to look...he just said, "Nope, just washed my car and I'm hanging it out to dry. Here's your sign."

That's a great routine and I think it really could do a lot of good if it were to be put into practice. But there's only one problem...

WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF SIGNS!!!

Anybody been reading the news lately? How about these:

A 6 year old Cub Scout was suspended for 45 days because he brought his camping utensil to school so he could eat with the fork and spoon that it contained. (Yes, it also had a knife, and thankfully wisdom prevailed and his suspension was overturned, but really...they had to actually consider this? Couldn't the teacher just take it away for the day and tell him not to bring it back again?)

A Montana judge has granted parental rights to a non-parent. A woman who was the sole adopter of two children was in a ten year relationship with another woman, but finally came out of that relationship and out of lesbianism. She is now married to a man and her former "partner" whom she never married, nor did the partner adopt the children, has sued the woman for equal parental rights...and the highest court in Montana decided she should have those rights. Glad I'm not in Montana.

Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger signed into law an official "Harvey Milk Day," honoring the first openly homosexual member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This was after it was determined that the calls flooding his office were 4 to 1 against such a proposal. Now the Governor is asking people to call again and voice their opinion. Why? Is it so that he'll know they weren't joking?

President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for what he "plans" to do. That's kind of like winning a Grammy for a song you're planning to write.

And finally, Congress has been voting on a bill that does not yet exist. There certainly can't be any potential problems there, can there?

This blog doesn't have space to show all the news has to say about acts of stupidity in just the last week, let alone what's been going on over the last year or more. But I think that a lot of people are starting to catch on to the fact that there are a growing number of people who need signs.

I guess God knew that man's "wisdom" wasn't going to be enough to get us through.

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (NIV) =  ²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

I thank God that in His wisdom, He sent Jesus to bring me eternal life.

Common Sense

Posted on August 21st, 2009

There once was a time when common sense was known as a good thing. To suggest that someon use common sense implied that the best action in any situation would be recognized by the majority of sensible individuals. Sadly, it appears that common sense is becoming common senselessness.

Two news stories caught my eye yesterday that tend to prove my point. The first one: A young mother is upset because she was asked to either stop nursing her child or at least cover herself. She was upset because this is a natural thing, not a sexual one, and people should be able to accept this as normal behavior. The problem was that the other patrons of that particular Olive Garden weren't appreciative of her choosing to do this at her table while they and their children were eating nearby.

The management of the restaurant politely asked her to either cover herself, stop nursing, or at least relocate to the women's lounge, but she felt that this was an imposition on her and her child. Certainly it couldn't have been an imposition to the numerous people around her who did not come for dinner and a show. Her explanation was that this is natural. There are quite a number of natural things that we do with our bodies that I don't believe others should be expected to watch while they dine out.

It comes down to respecting others around you. I don't think that this young woman ever understood that.

The second story: A mother is up in arms against YouTube for their part in  her son's self-inflicted injuries. It seems that this 13 year old boy and a friend had been watching videos on this popular website and saw a man dressed in a hotdog suit, set himself on fire. Naturally it appeared that this would be a great thing to try!

Of course, the boy said that he didn't want to do it, but his friend doused him with gasoline and threw him a lighter, saying, "Light it!" So the 13 year old held it out away from his body (so that he wouldn't get hurt) and clicked.

YouTube should not be so careless as to allow someone to post a video depicting such behavior. After all, if it happens on TV or the internet, it must be safe, right?

The mother is contending that parents can't always monitor what their children view on the internet, therefore YouTube and other such sites should be responsible enough to take steps to ensure that no one under the age of 18 could ever see stunts like this. Had her son not seen this video, he would not have 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his body right now.

Mom, for the life of your son, don't let him watch cartoons! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff they do in those!

At some point people have to take responsibility for their own actions and own stupidity. Nursing a child is a natural thing, but it's not intended to be shared with others. Being a stuntman may be a great profession, but learn about safety and recognize that combining fire and gasoline doesn't always turn out well.

If these two instances are representative of the mindset of Americans, common sense is quickly becoming a very undesirable thing.

What does "prodigal" mean?

Posted on July 15th, 2009

One of the things I learned about the story Jesus told regarding the "prodigal son" was the meaning of the word "prodigal": it means "wasteful." He wasted his inheritance and he wasted his life. Thankfully, the story has a happy ending and teaches us all a very valuable lesson.

Apparently though, not many seem to be learning about "wastefulness." Our country is experiencing a difficult economy at the moment, and bailouts are abundant to many many large corporations. Whenever one of these companies has the gall to accept the bailouts and then turn around and send employees and management on all-expense paid vacations or conferences, we as a nation are appalled. Mortgage companies, banks, other large corporations have all shown little sensitivity in blatantly using excessive funds for what they call "necessary for morale and motivation." Common sense is truly non-existent.

Who is the latest to jump on this high-cost bandwagon? None other than our own Governmental agency--Social Security.

What? Is this the same agency which is expected to be out of funds within 30 years unless taxes are raised? Yup. But $700,000 isn't out of line for sending about 645 management level employees to a posh 4-star resort for such beneficial seminars as "motivational dancing." Roughly $1000 per person was the cost for this event, which is not the only one that has been held for such employees. About $1 million has been spent on these excursions.

Why would they do something like this? Well, from the reports given, these managers need to learn how to deal with the stress of the jobs they're in. We just don't understand--many of these people deal with death threats over their jobs! I'm just a lowly preacher, but I've had at least a couple of death threats against me. I doubt they were very serious, but who knows?

Here's my cure for dealing with such a serious stress level in a job like that: if it bothers you that much, get a new job.

The unemployment rate in this country is very high and that in itself causes many people a great amount of stress. Should we, as a nation, send all these people to similar seminars on the taxpayers' dime? Sure, it would be nice, but....

You've just got to wonder about what goes on in the minds of folks who make these decisions. Sure, $700,000 or even $1 million wouldn't begin to touch the necessary funding for the thousands upon thousands of American citizens who need help from Social Security, but does that justify the wastefulness of this government agency? Of course not.

What's going on with this nation? Have we all "lost it?"

We are a nation that is turning more and more away from Godliness and Godly principles. It should not surprise us that greed and selfishness are growing.  We must heed the advice of 2 Chronicles 7:14 :

"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."    (New International Version)

Wake up, America.

Is This the Change America Wanted?

Posted on June 4th, 2009

When the earliest settlers of this great land of ours came to this country, they came with more than the purpose of finding liberty and freedom; they came specifically with the intent of extending the kingdom of Jesus Christ. What? You didn't read that in your history classes?

Read the opening statement of the Articles of Confederation of the United Colonies of New England (May 19, 1643 ):

"Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel in purity with peace...."

For many years--actually over two centuries--this nation understood its indebtedness and dependence upon God for protection, providence, and prosperity. Only in the last few decades has this increasingly beomce less recognized.

The keyword heard throughout the Presidential campaign for the now incumbent administration was "change." Change was presented as necessary, desireable, and the answer to the ills of our nation. But is America seeing the "change" that they expected to see? Just what has changed so far?

The Defense of Marriage Act has been threatened and seems likely to be repealed, paving the way for same-sex marriages to be mandatorily recognized by all states and the federal government. More states have adopted same-sex marriage as a protected right. Our nation has been encumbered with an unprecedented debt, based upon a "stimulus" package which was guaranteed not to include earmarks, yet was filled with millions upon millions of dollars for such appropriations. The President, who was raised muslim, in a muslim family, converted to Christianity, has now traveled to muslim countries to "improve relations" between muslim nations and the west, even making the statement (of his own accord, speaking as though for you and me), "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation...."

Is this truly the change that was spoken of during the campaign,  or did the "change" actually "change" after the inauguration?

This may sound like a "political" discussion, but for me it is not at all political; it is moral. I don't care what label a politician or constituent chooses to wear, so long as that person is more concerned about morality and our Christian heritage, than "tolerance" and "equal rights."

Liberty was never intended to include freedom to sin with impunity, yet this country has seen an increasingly rapid decline in religion and morality. This is not the America that our forefathers founded, nor the America that millions of our ancestors have worked, fought, even died to preserve. If you don't think that this nation started and continued through at least the first two centuries as a "Christian nation," then go back and read what George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and even Benjamin Franklin had to say. Oh, and here's a few words from a song that used to really mean something to this country...a little "ditty" known as The Star Spangled Banner:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Christians, it is time to take a stand.