152 Opinions Are Like...

An old acquaintance of mine was once quoted as saying, "Opinions are like assh*les: everybody's got one."
That was at a time when he was just beginning to ascend the ladder of leadership in our relatively small but notorious faith community.

While my friend probably never would have imagined that his humorous comment might yet haunt him a quarter of a a century later, it goes to show just how far reaching our words can be.

- Providing you're one of those climbing the ladder of authority and position in this world, yes, even if you're part of a group that's totally out of this world...

What he was indicating back then was that opinions - especially those of every little Tom, Dick and Harry - make life harder on those trying to keep their grip firmly on the rail of the ladder.
It's hard having to listen to all that the folks at grassroot level have to say while you're struggling to ascend.

The problem about that attitude, though, is that every now and then some nincompoop comes along whose opinion is actually more than your average Joe's comment on whatever occurence life may offer you an opportunity to add your personal rap about.

Certainly the leaders of the Roman Catholic church weren't thrilled about the opinions of some Italian wise guy named Galileo Galilei in February 1610, and accordingly denounced him - only to graciously pardon him nearly 5 centuries later, since it had long been proven by then that he had been right all along.

Nor were they tickled pink about the notions of those like Luther who thought it was the right of every believer to be able to enjoy hearing or reading the Word of God in their own language, and not just Latin, which most of them didn't understand...
Most of us would certainly agree with Martin nowadays, and dare to differ with the "Latin only" crowd...

Lord only knows how many "heretics" were burned at the stake for voicing uncomfortable opinions which today might be considered tried and proven truths.

So, if I were ever to set out on some venturous ascent of some shaky, lofty ladder, I would bear that lesson from history in mind.

Opinions may be like those most uncomely parts of our bodies which everyone possesses, but those parts are still quite necessary, even if a lot of waste gets flushed out in the process.

Probably my friend has discovered by now that things aren't all that easy anymore nowadays, and opinions not all that easily dismissed.
The world has become a lot more demanding on leadership during the past two decades, and people who know how to use their ears are treasured and wanted (- although they still may be somewhat rare up on the ladder).
Even your average teenager will get offended if you won't spend at least an hour daily listening to their tales of how Jimmy in school said the most uncool thing to Jill "...and it like so totally sucked..." etc., etc., etc.

Of course, the most notorious opinion-bearer of all times didn't exactly thrill the authorities of His day with His stuff about the Kingdom of Heaven belonging to children, and the greatest among us having to become servant of all, according to His rulebook.
That's probably why most of His supposed followers (especially those in higher ranking positions) still don't give a lot of marbles to His opinions, but rather stick to their own.

The truth is, though, that in the end, those sitting at the top of the ladder in His joint (although it's probably going to be anything but a ladder) will be those who will have treated even the least among our brethren the way they would have treated Him; and perhaps the act of lending a listening ear - instead of prematurely dismissing their opinions - may have just been what will have helped you score the necessary points to get there.

But alas, this is but another humble opinion from just another nobody and least of all brethren...

But I guess it's folks like us that blogs are for...

145 The Devil's Motto: World Conquest Through Stupidity

A few years ago I bought a second hand edition of "Widerstand und Ergebung," a book Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (a Christian minister during the 3rd Reich in Germany who was part of the Resistance and was sentenced to death by Hilter himself a few weeks before the war ended), consisting of letters he wrote in prison, where he was awaiting his execution.

I soon came upon the statement, "Stupidity is a greater threat to good than evil itself." That struck me as something strange for a Christian to say. After all, aren't we all supposed be nice and politically correct with each other and our fellowman?

But the more I live to see and learn in this world, the more I realize just how right he was.

Obviously, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was referring to the way the majority of the German people unquestioningly obeyed orders and tolerated and collaberated with what became known as some of the grossest atrocities in history.

Unfortunately, due to the often cited fact that we never learn from history, history also has a tendency to keep repeating itself.
Apart from the ever increasing deliberate dumbing down of not only America, but pretty much also the rest of the so-called illuminated world I've addressed repeatedly, I'm just saying: Galileo.

What in the world did the church (as in Christendom) ever learn from that episode of having to apologize centuries later for having been so dumb?

Apparently exactly the same amount that we always learn from such incidents.

Exactly.

Nothing.

It's not that knowledge or wisdom wouldn't be available. In fact, they're both in the list of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit (gifts as in, available for the asking), which Christendom at large has determined were only for those of God's children who happened to live during the first century. Perhaps St. James was also exclusively addressing first century believers when he wrote that if anyone should lack wisdom, they should ask God for it.

But then, if God is supposed to have stopped talking altogether around that same time, I guess it's easiest to just repeat and believe and "know" whatever we're being told to accept.

If knowledge and wisdom (along with 7 other pretty useful gifts) are weapons that God has equipped us with in our battle against evil, I'm afraid we're losing the war because the vast majority of "Christian soldiers" don't even know that they exist, much less know how to use them. (Coming to think of it, most of them aren't even aware that there's a war going on, much less fighting for the right side).

So, we're just standing by and watch as the Devil, along with his spirit of antichrist (aka "Zeitgeist") conquers the world by telling them that Jesus was nothing but a myth, largely because we fail to arm ourselves with sufficient knowledge that could easily debunk such diabolical claims.
But then, most Christians also believe their preachers' fairy-tales that they're going to be whisked out of this world before any of that evil stuff might ever happen, so why put unnecessary strain on the brain when we still need that thing to enjoy the football game?

The only problem is that the Bible itself predicts that the Antichrist will wage war on the saints (no, not the Jews, since they refused the deal that would have them sanctified), and is already marshaling his forces, so, how is that going to happen if all the saints have gone marchin' in already?

I'm afraid there are just too many things Christians don't want to know. "Ignorance is bliss" is the current motto of the game, "So stick me back in the Matrix and give me my steak to enjoy and let me forget all about this dreadful thing here called reality!"

Unfortunately, that attitude just about drives home perfectly the point of how right on Bonhoeffer was in the above statement.

The history books of a future under God's reign may one day prompt their teachers to ask their students, "What was the most effective weapon Satan used in order to establish his kingdom on earth before the Lord's Return?" And the unanimous, though chilling answer will be chorusing, "Stupidity!!!"

On which side of this war of stupidity against mankind do you stand?