We live in times when there is much negative news. I thought it would be of value to consider something a little less heavy in nature.
In the last couple of weeks, we in Houston have enjoyed almost daily rainfall. The rainfall has not been overly heavy, but it has been frequent.
One of the challenges of the rainfall is that mosquitoes have become oppressive. If you go out of the house for a walk without insect repellent you are sure to be in need of a blood transfusion when you return home.
The most serious issue in regard to mosquitoes is that they are carriers of disease. The American Mosquito Control Association points out, “Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism -- over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. Not only can mosquitoes carry diseases that afflict humans, they also transmit several diseases and parasites that dogs and horses are very susceptible to. These include dog heartworm, West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). In addition, mosquito bites can cause severe skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva - this is what causes the red bump and itching. Mosquito vectored diseases include protozoan diseases, i.e., malaria, filarial diseases such as dog heartworm, and viruses such as dengue, encephalitis and yellow fever.”
Lately, the Zika virus has begun to plague some areas. The mosquito-borne virus is quite serious and can even impact pregnant mothers.
Why do mosquitoes exist? I do not know the answer that question. One suggestion is that mosquitoes exist so we don’t hate flies as much. To be sure the negative impact of mosquitoes on humans and animals was never God’s intention at the creation.
While on a walk this week, I noted a swarm of dragonflies. In light of the large number of mosquitoes in the neighborhood, I wondered if there was some correlation. To find the answer I did an internet search concerning the dragonfly.
I learned, “One of the benefits of having dragonflies live nearby is that they eat many times their weight in mosquitoes every day. Dragonflies also eat many different kinds of flies. Using a basket-like arrangement of their legs, adult dragonflies can actually catch and eat other bugs while they are flying.” My brief research found that the reason the dragonflies were so plentiful this year is most probably the abundance of food.
Next time you see a dragonfly recognize it is on the prowl to thin out the mosquitoes around your community.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, August 26, 2016
Friday, August 5, 2016
Fake Culture Wars and True Prosperity
I did not watch any of the Republican National Convention, but I did make note of news reports and commentary. I thought a few comments from a speech as recorded in a July 22, 2016 staff article at CNSNews.com were significant enough to note them in this week’s Sabbath Thought.
In that article, it was noted by Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal that “fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline.”
“When I was a kid the great debate was about how to defeat the Soviet Union and we won. Now we are told that the great debate is about who gets to use which bathroom,” said Thiel. “This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares? Of course, every American has a unique identity. I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all, I am proud to be an American.
“I don’t pretend to agree with every plank in our party’s platform,” he said, “but fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline, and nobody in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump.”
The supposed “fake culture war” involves the decades long battle over abortion, the elimination of the Bible and prayer from our schools, the battle over public school curricula that is growing ever more perverse, and the ongoing abandonment of values that have been fundamental to America’s Judeo-Christian ethic.
In essence, Peter Thiel assesses that the battle over traditional values is a waste of time and all that matters is the economy. Our economic decline, in his opinion, has nothing to do with morality.
The theme “It’s the economy stupid!” was fundamental to the Bill Clinton presidential era. For the people of that time, the morality standards of the leader of the country were irrelevant as long as he got the job done. People saw that the nation prospered during the time of his presidency and concluded that good governance did not hinge on morality.
We are quite a few years down the road from the Clinton era and the Republicans have come to the same conclusion, “It’s the economy stupid!” The problem with this conclusion is that it is completely wrong.
Morality and prosperity go hand in hand.
We only have to look at Leviticus 26 to understand how a nation prospers. We are told in Leviticus 26:3-13, 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then:
Additionally, Leviticus 26 tells us what happens to a nation that becomes immoral. We are told in Leviticus 26:14-16, “'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you.” Moses then recorded a long list of terrible outcomes that follow the abandonment of morality. None of the outcomes support the notion that it is meaningless to fight a cultural war for right values.
The sad reality is that both the Republican and Democratic conventions display the complete abandonment of the Christian ethic. Our leaders are blind to what truly matters. In their mind all that matters is economics—jobs and prosperity. Without morality long-term prosperity is a pipedream.
Thankfully, God has opened our minds to see that if we want to truly prosper, we must apply the principles found in the Bible. Will we be rich as a result? Probably not. But we can be sure that we will be blessed in this life, in what truly matters, and in the end we will be part of God’s family forever.
Have a happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
In that article, it was noted by Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal that “fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline.”
“When I was a kid the great debate was about how to defeat the Soviet Union and we won. Now we are told that the great debate is about who gets to use which bathroom,” said Thiel. “This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares? Of course, every American has a unique identity. I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all, I am proud to be an American.
“I don’t pretend to agree with every plank in our party’s platform,” he said, “but fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline, and nobody in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump.”
The supposed “fake culture war” involves the decades long battle over abortion, the elimination of the Bible and prayer from our schools, the battle over public school curricula that is growing ever more perverse, and the ongoing abandonment of values that have been fundamental to America’s Judeo-Christian ethic.
In essence, Peter Thiel assesses that the battle over traditional values is a waste of time and all that matters is the economy. Our economic decline, in his opinion, has nothing to do with morality.
The theme “It’s the economy stupid!” was fundamental to the Bill Clinton presidential era. For the people of that time, the morality standards of the leader of the country were irrelevant as long as he got the job done. People saw that the nation prospered during the time of his presidency and concluded that good governance did not hinge on morality.
We are quite a few years down the road from the Clinton era and the Republicans have come to the same conclusion, “It’s the economy stupid!” The problem with this conclusion is that it is completely wrong.
Morality and prosperity go hand in hand.
We only have to look at Leviticus 26 to understand how a nation prospers. We are told in Leviticus 26:3-13, 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then:
- We will have rain at the right time
- Bountiful harvests and plenty to eat
- Peace in the land and none will make you afraid
- You will overcome your enemies
- Abundant livestock
- And many children
Additionally, Leviticus 26 tells us what happens to a nation that becomes immoral. We are told in Leviticus 26:14-16, “'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you.” Moses then recorded a long list of terrible outcomes that follow the abandonment of morality. None of the outcomes support the notion that it is meaningless to fight a cultural war for right values.
The sad reality is that both the Republican and Democratic conventions display the complete abandonment of the Christian ethic. Our leaders are blind to what truly matters. In their mind all that matters is economics—jobs and prosperity. Without morality long-term prosperity is a pipedream.
Thankfully, God has opened our minds to see that if we want to truly prosper, we must apply the principles found in the Bible. Will we be rich as a result? Probably not. But we can be sure that we will be blessed in this life, in what truly matters, and in the end we will be part of God’s family forever.
Have a happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
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