Youths: Great Potential, But Some Things I Don't Understand

Youths today are amazing, astounding persons in many respects. They often accomplish great things. Many enjoy access to home computers, smart phones, and other modern devices I didn't even dream about when I was growing up. (I was born in 1958, so I primarily grew up during the 1960s and 1970s).

The current generation of youths potentially can do much to help make this world a better place if they use the resources available to them constructively. However, there are some things I fail to understand about these youths.

Why do so many youths get tattoos and piercings? Why do so many seek to visit tanning salons? Why do so many get involved in high risk behaviors such as drug abuse and sexting?

When I was a kid things like drug abuse existed, as did casual sex. But the advent of smart phones seems to make spreading messages about illegal and immoral activities easier and faster.

For much of my childhood, our family had one home phone, which was wired into the wall. Furthermore, my mom was a stay-at-home mom who seemed to almost have a sixth sense about where I was and what I was doing. Maybe she did! Also, many of our neighbors were also stay-at-home moms who could phone or visit mom if they saw me doing something that they thought was wrong.

Of course, many of us did do some things wrong and had opportunities to do many more things wrong if we had chosen to do so. Each generation throughout history has faced a different set of opportunities and a different set of challenges.

Furthermore, overall, I think modern social media like Facebook and Twitter can be a blessing if used properly, as are smart phones. The smart phones that allow sexting also allow parents and children to keep in contact with each other and to make emergency phone calls.

But, to me, it seems texting and video games may take up too much time in the lives of many young people today. Also, today's busier kids with their advanced phones who spend less time with their parents may be more able to engage in high risk behaviors than my generation was during our childhood. And I admit that is only a "maybe," because lots of opportunities for doing things wrong seem to exist for each generation.  

However, I think we need to do a better job of communicating to young people how to behave properly and why it is so important to do so. Far too few young persons seem to understand the risks that come from tattoos, piercings, sexting, etc. Does the typical youth understand how one's life can be impacted forever by one decision on one day to engage in one particular activity? Somehow, we need to communicate the risks that come from one's actions more effectively. I'm confident we can and that the current generation of youths can be our best one ever, but we need to do a better job of training them to ensure this happens.

One resource that may help in this regard is my book, True Christianity: It May Not Be What You Think, which I believe contains much helpful advice that can help Christians (and even followers of other religions, agnostics, and atheists) come closer to living the joyful, healthy, productive lives that the highest righteous authority (which I call God) desires us to, whether we are youths or adults. I self-published the second edition earlier this year.

My bias as the author is probably showing, but I think the book is a valuable resource. However, many other helpful resources are available, too, both religious and secular. Let's take advantage of them and help the upcoming generation be the best one ever. We can do it!

Want No Children? Practice Abstinence or Use Contraceptives

Though I strongly advocate sexual abstinence for singles (and for married couples who want no children), I realize that some people who desire to remain childless lack the discipline to practice abstinence. I urge such persons to use contraceptives consistently and properly.

Abstinence
First and foremost, I urge persons who can to practice abstinence.

• Abstinence has worked for millions of people, including me, through help from what I call the higher power of God, the teachings of parents and others, and logically reading and applying the advice from articles in newspapers, magazines, websites, etc.
• No other method of birth control is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy or the spread of venereal diseases.
• Furthermore, persons who lack the discipline to practice abstinence also often lack the self control, training, or access to use contraceptives properly and consistently.

Many years ago, when I was in about the fifth grade, a girl indicated a desire to have sex with me. I thought about the risk of a pregnancy (and of possible diseases and loss of reputation) and allowed logic to overrule any momentary emotional attraction. I think I had gotten my knowledge through reading newspaper and magazine articles about pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Through the grace of God, I practiced abstinence then and have since. Others can do the same if the teachings are provided, reinforced by others, and teens receive alternatives to the time alone in situations that can lead to succumbing to temptation.

Contraceptives
However, using contraceptives can reduce the likelihood of pregnancy substantially. As I understand it, measures of the effectiveness of contraceptives are typically based on the assumption that couples are having sex on average twice a week over a one year period. Thus, a birth control pill touted as being 99.5% effective would be expected to prevent 99.5% of couples using it from experiencing a pregnancy over the course of a year, if they have sexual intercourse twice a week and the female always takes the birth control pill.   

Using two or more methods of birth control in combination reduces the likelihood of pregnancy even more. Writing hypothetically, persons using a birth control pill that has a 99.5% effectiveness rate in combination with condoms with a 97% effectiveness rate consistently and properly would lead to a .995 + (1-.995)(.97)=.99985 or 99.985% effectiveness.

Proper use during each sexual encounter of multiple methods of birth control can be very effective in greatly reducing the likelihood of pregnancy. Male or female sterilization through a vasectomy for males or a female tubal ligation can be effective, too, but like any surgery there are some risks. Also, it may take months for all semen to clear out after a vasectomy, so alternative contraceptive methods need to be used until then. Furthermore, even vasectomies and tubal ligations are not 100% effective as pointed out by various articles on websites, including WebMD articles titled  "Vasectomy"  and "Tubal Ligation and Tubal Implants."

Final Thoughts
With more effective and more frequent teaching about abstinence that leads far more persons who desire no children to practice abstinence, better access to contraceptives, consistent and proper use of those contraceptives, and more discipline by youths accompanied by better supervision, we can dramatically decrease undesired pregnancies.

I am pro-life, but even pro-choice persons desire to avoid the expense, risk, and pain of an abortion if reasonably possible. If both sides could unite to increase the number of people practicing abstinence and increase contraceptive use by those who can't/won't practice abstinence, we can virtually eliminate unwanted pregnancies.

Assuming legalized abortion (except for rare occasions involving major health risks to the mother and/or child) is a necessary evil, underestimates the effectiveness of proper education, access and use of contraceptives, and of the ability of adoptions, foster parenting, and orphanages to handle a relatively small number of unwanted pregnancies. Improved prenatal care and support for single parents can help, too.

NOTE: This article is expanded and adapted from portions of two comments I made on October 14, 2010 on Newsvine.com, a website that no longer exists. This article was last updated on May 18, 2019.

Rand Paul for President?

As an independent voter who is liberal on some issues and conservative on others, I often find it difficult to find one particular candidate to support for President. But if the Presidential election were held today, I would vote for Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

One reason may be my personal bias as a Kentuckian. And I am one of the people who voted for him when he ran successfully for the United States Senate.

I also like the fact that he seems to think for himself rather than toeing the standard Republican party line. I love his commitment to reduce federal spending, including substantially cutting military spending. I think that this commitment to cut the huge U.S. military spending separates Rand Paul from Republican front runners in the race.

As a medical professional, Rand Paul also may have insights into health care reform that most other Presidential candidates lack. Furthermore, Paul puts his Christian faith into action through doing some pro bono medical care for persons in Kentucky and internationally.

I don't agree with Rand Paul on every issue. But I do believe that he typically sincerely seeks to do the right thing rather than what a political party desires. And some time ago, I read on Rand Paul's website that he is not a Freemason. The masonic lodge may be a good organization, as some claim, but I am not a member. And I feel strongly that Christianity at its best is a great organization and that active members of Christianity sincerely seeking to obey the highest righteous authority, God, need not join a "good" organization that would likely make them bow to a human authority, as I understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) Masons do, with Masons being under the control and authority of human leaders within the lodge.

I don't expect Rand Paul to win. However, I voted for Ralph Nader for President in four consecutive Presidential elections, and Nader never won. But I still feel that Nader was the best qualified candidate, even though I didn't agree with him on every issue either. And if all the registered voters who didn't even bother to cast ballots in the infamous Gore-Bush election in which Nader was a candidate had voted and voted for Nader, Nader would have won.

Folks, let's all seek to vote for and/or pray for the best qualified candidate to help them win. I personally pray for the best qualified candidate to win, even if I vote for the wrong one. In fact, as an independent voter in Kentucky, I won't be eligible to cast a vote in the primary. However, my prayers typically do more good than my votes anyway. I am confident God is in control and answers prayers.

Cursive Writing: Should It Still Be Taught?

I remember learning cursive writing in the third grade in the 1960s. I also remember "writing" being my worst subject in fourth grade, based on my grades. Part of the problem was that I tried to write very fast, so I could go on to something else. Also, part of the problem may have been my not adequately developing my fine motor skills.

Is cursive writing important enough to warrant being a required subject in elementary schools today? I think good arguments can be made both ways. On the plus side, children who learn cursive writing will be able to read materials from the past (as well as the present and the future) that are written in cursive writing. Also, persons who are writing with a pencil or pen can typically write faster using cursive rather than printing, making cursive more efficient for many things, such as taking notes when a computer isn't available.

However, printed letters are much easier to read. Books, magazines, newspapers, e-mails, etc., are all printed with individual letters, rather than the flowing cursive writing. If books and other materials were written in cursive writing, it would likely take us much longer to read them.

When I write fast, my personal cursive handwriting is so poor that even I have trouble deciphering it. I can write neater, but I find that writing cursive neatly takes me as long as printing.

Since a primary purpose of writing (the primary purpose!) is for the writing to be read, why not make it easier on readers by printing instead of using cursive? That's my view.

When I took labs in college in the 1970s and 1980s, we were required to print our notes for experiments rather than do them in cursive. If I remember correctly, the primary reason is that printed materials are easier to read than cursive writing, and if our experiments were real world scientific experiments, records needed to be legible and accessible so the experiments could be read about, studied, and replicated to confirm the results.

Even printing is done far less often now. As computers and word processing become more and more readily available, there is less and less need to print or write things out using pen and paper. I still love printing out hard copies of things, including owners' manuals. But I am thankful that these are not in cursive or hand printed.

Personally, I agree with those who feel that cursive writing ought not be mandatory for elementary school students now. Some persons who have tried deciphering some quickly written things I've done in cursive are probably very happy that most of my writing is now done on a computer. I can write faster and more legibly with the keyboard. You probably can, too. And printing by hand suffices nicely for most things that can't be done with a computer, as I see it anyway. I am one person who is grateful that I seldom need to read or write cursive writing now.

Why Do Terrorists Frequently Target Innocent People?

It seems terrible that terrorists frequently target innocent people. Why do the terrorists deliberately attack such persons?

Multiple Reasons for Targeting the Innocent
I think there are multiple reasons, and I discuss some of them below.

• Innocent persons are often easier to attack than heavily fortified military bases or similar targets.

• Attacking innocent persons often generates far more big news headlines worldwide than the killing of soldiers, thus attracting more attention to the terrorist group and its "cause."

• Attacking public places where large numbers of innocent men, women, and children are gathered and security is limited enables a lot of casualties, thus getting even more publicity for the terrorists than would otherwise occur.

• One goal of terrorists presumably is to terrorize persons into meeting their demands. Killing numerous innocent persons is likely considered a way to instill fear into the masses. Terrorists may think that these terrorized masses will pressure their government(s) to surrender to the terrorists' demands.

• Terrorists to some extent are following examples set by the "good" guys who apparently sometimes targeted innocent civilians to terrorize people into surrendering. For example, during World War II, the Allies heavily bombed Dresden, Germany killing thousands of innocent civilians. Later during World War II, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japanese cities to terrorize the Japanese into surrendering. Terrorists may be seeking to do something similar on a different scale.

• Persons under extreme stress in difficult circumstances often act irrationally. Perhaps some terrorists are even "inspired" by such horrible and irrational incidents as the My Lai massacre committed by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.

A Better Question to Ask?--What Can Be Done to Prevent Terrorists from Targeting Innocent People?
Perhaps a better question to ask than "Why do terrorists frequently target innocent people?" is "What can be done to prevent terrorists from targeting innocent people?" Finding the answer to this second question may be even more difficult. But I think a key is to seek to find the underlying causes that lead persons to become terrorists and to commit acts of terrorism in the first place.

If we can seek to treat all people fairly, seek for all persons to receive a moral upbringing and quality education, and seek for minor grievances to be resolved before that they can escalate into major ones, that would go a long way toward reducing the number of terrorists that are created in my humble opinion. Numerous international aid programs exist (CARE, Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders, etc.) that seek to help, but much more can be done.

Too often countries with powerful militaries (such as the United States) use their positions of power to seek to intimidate and control other countries. Remember the numerous times the United States has sought to overthrow the governments in other countries? Remember the way the United States has often sought to control international trade in products such as crude oil? Countries, groups, and individuals that lack a powerful military must use other methods to achieve their purposes and unfortunately many resort to forms of terrorism that seem to deliberately target innocent people.

As we seek to hold terrorists accountable, perhaps we also need to focus on holding the United States military and the United States government accountable for their abuses. I do not believe any acts of the United States government or its military forces justify the actions of terrorist groups to kill innocent persons, but I do believe that holding the United States government and its military (and the governments and militaries of our allies) accountable for abuses will go a long way toward eliminating excuses that the terrorist groups use for their atrocities.

But there isn't an easy human solution to the problem of terrorism. I think the best solution can only come from the perfect righteous authority, God. Maybe seeking to follow Jesus's command to love even our enemies would be a positive step, though. More humanitarian aid and education might do more good than bombings targeted at terrorists that too often inadvertently hit innocent persons and/or damage their food, water, and electric supplies. These actions may do more to urge additional persons to become terrorists than they do to kill and capture existing terrorists.

I don't claim to have all the answers, though. I pray for God's perfect will to be done--whatever that may be.

The 2020 United States Presidential Election: Seeking 20/20 Vision for 2020

As I write this on November 10, 2015, I wonder if it is too late to get a top notch candidate to run for President in 2016, though there are probably a few reasonably good ones in the race. Perhaps it is time to also think about seeking to get the right person to run in the next election in 2020.

Possible Qualifications
Maybe we need an independent candidate who will do what is right rather than a member of the Democratic, Republican, or some other political party. All political parties have flaws, and if a candidate is supporting the party's political platform instead of God's perfect will, the candidate is in error.

We may also need a candidate who is not a Freemason or a member of any other secretive organization. Masons I've talked with state that it is "a good organization." But I am not a member and feel that persons who are already sincerely seeking to obey the righteous authority, God, need not belong to a human organization that is supposedly good with its rights, rituals, and obligations.

We need a candidate who will be 100% truthful. There may be certain questions the candidate can avoid answering by stating they are "irrelevant" or that "it is better not to answer that question." But it is important not to lie and whenever reasonably possible to provide answers to questions rather than evading them.

We need a candidate whose background, experience, and other qualifications indicate that he or she possesses the education, skills, ethics, intelligence, determination, compassion, etc., that make the candidate the best qualified person willing to seek the office.

We need a candidate who will refuse to take money from donors for future favors, a candidate who will refuse to run false and misleading advertisements. Instead, we need a candidate who will seek to articulate specific goals and plans, who will participate honestly and truthfully in debates with other candidates, and who will get the word out about his views and plans via inexpensive methods of communication (websites, etc.). If such a candidate builds momentum via word of mouth among the masses of people who want a well-qualified, honest candidate, maybe these masses of people knocking on doors, making phone calls, and telling their friends and relatives can make such a candidate a winner as momentum builds.      

Concluding Thoughts
I am confident that there are many qualified candidates among the millions of persons eligible to run for President. And if we don't find a better qualified candidate, maybe I'll even run myself in 2020. Hey, if I vote for myself I'll get at least one vote. But we still have plenty of time to find a better qualified candidate than me (and I am confident there are a huge number of persons that would be better than me), and I really don't want all the responsibilities, etc., that the office of President entails. I hope and pray that the right candidate(s) will step up and run.

I'm praying for the right candidate to win in 2016, too, whoever it may be. But it's not too early to be thinking about 2020, especially if we want the best qualified individual to run, symbolized in this piece's title by the words 20/20 vision. Maybe we can get the best candidate ever. Just as persons can have eyesight better than 20/20, maybe we can have a better candidate than we ever have before. You may think I am being unrealistic. Maybe I am, but I am ready for positive changes in our political system and hope in at least a small way (through this article) to help us progress toward it. Are you ready and willing to help progress toward positive change, too? Do you have ideas about who would be the best choice to run for President of the United States in 2020 (assuming we don't have the best qualified person in office to run for reelection then)?

My Kentucky Hillbilly Accent (And Other Accents and Languages)

I am proud of my southeastern Kentucky hillbilly accent. I still have it after many years living in Lexington, Kentucky. Perhaps we all have certain strengths and weaknesses based on where we are from and our accents help illustrate that. 

Three Specific Examples of Different Accents/Word Definitions
The three paragraphs below discuss three specific examples of the effects of different accents/versions of the English language.


First, though I've encountered relatively little kidding because of my accent, that's not true for some. I remember the first day in a class at the University of Kentucky a few decades ago when the instructor asked each of us to state our name and where we were from. One girl in her hillbilly accent stated her name and the name of the small town in West Virginia where she was from. The instructor and many in the class laughed; she laughed with them. But, when I saw her a few years ago, and she spoke in what I will call "Lexington English," she stated that she had gotten so much kidding about her accent that she had taken voice lessons. Yes, language and accents can be important to many people in various ways.

For the second example, I'll illustrate how closely an accent can identify the neighborhood one grew up in. Recently I rented a car and visited family and friends in southeastern Kentucky. On the return trip, I bought gas in Pikeville. Someone at the station noticed the Colorado license plate on my rental car and that I didn't speak like someone from so far away. I told them that it was a car I'd rented in Lexington where I lived, and that I was visiting family and friends in Jenkins. The person mumbled something like, he may be from Lexington now and here visiting Jenkins, but that's a Pond Creek accent. And he was right. I still speak with the accent I acquired during the years of my childhood that I lived in the Pond Creek area of Pike County, Kentucky.


My third illustration deals with the written English language. I recall reading a book about bicycle repairs during my childhood; the book suggested putting "paraffin" on a bicycle chain to clean it. I couldn't understand why someone would put paraffin (which I considered wax) on a bicycle chain. However, on a hunch I checked the copyright page and learned that the book I was reading was published in Great Britain. I looked in a dictionary and learned that in Great Britain the word "paraffin" means kerosene.

Different Accents and Languages, Assets or Liabilities?
I consider my accent an asset and not a liability. We hillbillies have many positive traits that we can be proud of. And after all, everyone from every location has an accent of some type. As long as we can speak legibly so that we can be understood and can hear well enough to understand others, I think it is fine to have various accents.

If accents (and differences in word definitions) can create problems for English speakers from different countries (and even different places within the same country), I find it difficult to even imagine the difficulties created by language barriers for persons traveling to the United States from around the world, whose native language is not English. I am grateful for dictionaries, as well as for devices that translate from one language to another.

Folks, let's all be proud of our accents, whatever they may be. And let's all be tolerant of the accents of others, whatever they may be. And if one standard English ever prevails that we English speakers all speak, it may improve communications, but I think much will be lost, too. For now at least, as long as we can speak clearly enough to be understood (I think I can?), I think it is a blessing to have some diversity of English accents.

And I am confident that the various languages besides English around the world provide blessings to their speakers, too. I would love for everyone to understand everyone else perfectly, but I am confident that there is a purpose for the various languages, too. Maybe someday someone will create a perfect language that is easy to learn but incorporates the best features of all the languages (and accents) around the world. But I don't expect that anytime soon. For now at least, we have lots of accents and languages, for better or worse. Let's seek to make the best of it.

Developing and Maintaining Quality Relationships

I don't claim to be an expert on developing and maintaining quality relationships. But I have lived in several different locations over the course of my lifetime and been blessed by God to develop wonderful friends in various places and been able to keep in contact with many of them.

Ideally, we are to be friends with everyone and to love even our enemies as Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught. Indeed, if we love our "enemies," there is a good probability that we will find we have no enemies.

I consider everyone a friend. But friendship comes in various forms. We are different types of friends to different people. Some persons who are further along the right path than us can mentor and lead us more than we help them; some are at a similar stage to us and we help one another in approximately equal amounts. For others who are struggling along the way, we may help them more than they help us. As time goes on and relationships progress we can help one another (as well as fellowship) in different ways.

The key to successful relationships though is that they involve someone helping someone else or better yet each individual helping one another. What we want to avoid is allowing ourselves to be dragged down by compromising our morals to make someone else happy.

Christian fun, fellowship, and discipleship are great. But compromising one's morals to "make a friend happy" is wrong. Stand firmly for what is right in a compassionate, loving way. That is a key part of developing and maintaining true friendships.

Do I always succeed in perfectly obeying God's leadership in the way I handle friendships? No, and I doubt that anyone ever does. But I am seeking to progress toward God's perfect path for me whatever that may be.

Furthermore, with e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, cheaper long distance phone rates, etc., it is easier to stay in contact with friends than it was decades ago. This is a blessing. And automobiles and mass transit make travel faster, easier, and cheaper than it was centuries ago when this country was founded.

It is a blessing to enjoy good friends, neighbors, relatives, acquaintances, etc. I am blessed immeasurably and hope you are, too.

The United Nations: It's Not Perfect, But It Is a Good Organization

The United Nations may be less humanitarian in focus than the U.S. Peace Corps, may be less powerful than the United  States military, and certainly lacks the perfection of God. But it has done a lot over the decades of its existence that has likely helped prevent the occurrence of World War III.        

The United Nations deserves much credit for all it does (and has done) for so many countries around the world since its charter took effect on October 24, 1945. As I write this on United Nations Day (October 24, 2015), the UN has accomplished a lot to help maintain peace and meet humanitarian needs around the world over the decades of its existence for its approximately 200 members (193 currently according to the UN website). Learn more about the organization by clicking on the link to the overview page on its website.

For many of the countries that belong to the UN, the UN is a key (if not the key) was to express concerns and seek help when needed militarily, financially, etc. Disaster relief and peacekeeping forces are only two aspects of its services.

It's wonderful that representatives of so many nations speaking so many languages can come together in peace to express their views and seek to work together to make the world a better place. Certainly there are a lot of selfish motives. And certainly a few powerful nations exercise much control, especially on the powerful UN Security Council, where five major nations wield veto power. However, despite this, the UN may be the best human source to seek help from for most of the poor nations in the world that lack a major military force (or a major economy).

Money: Some Things It Can (and Cannot) Buy

Money is valued greatly in our society for what it can do. But there are many things that it cannot do.

The Norwegian writer Arne Garborg wisely stated that money "can buy food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; knowledge but not wisdom; glitter, but not beauty; fun, but not joy; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not faithfulness; . . . ." (as quoted in an English translation on various websites, including MindYourDecisions.com, Quoteland.com, Azquotes.com, and numerous other websites with slight variations in wording.

People who love money so much that they put getting financial wealth first in their lives may get a lot of money through dishonesty or other means, but they won't enjoy themselves. I feel that the important thing to remember is that if we do what is right, our needs are typically taken care of.

Whether a person has a few coins as in the picture below, a huge stack of paper money, or large quantities of money in the bank, the money can't make a person happy.

  

Put the Highest Righteous Authority, God, First

Jesus' words in Matthew 6:25-33 offer a Christian perspective on this. Please consider reading them, especially if you are a Christian.

As I see it, people who put obeying the highest righteous authority, God, first by caring about others, finding a need and filling it, making good use of their time, etc., usually find that they get their needs met either through getting the things they need or getting the money to buy them, along with the ability to enjoy them.

Also, try to remember that some very poor people in monetary terms are/were very joyous because of their blessings, and many wealthy are/were not joyous due to worries about losing their money, fear that someone will steal their money or kill them for it, quarrels with friends and/or relatives over money, poor health, etc.

What is the ideal situation for humans living on Earth? Ideally, perhaps we could all live in a "garden of Eden" with food free for the taking from delicious trees nearby, as well as comfortable temperatures and a wonderful climate that let us enjoy living outdoors without needing to wear clothing, build shelter, or work for other needs. In this "garden of Eden," we could just enjoy ourselves, fellowship with others, and benefit from our blessings from God and others. And if the population of the Earth were smaller, perhaps we could all live in a geographical location that shares many of these characteristics.

Closing Thoughts

Regardless of where we live, we need to avoid succumbing to false and misleading advertising that tries to convince us to spend money on products or services we don't need. Years ago someone stated words similar to, "The purpose of advertising is to make someone unhappy and to convince them that the way to happiness is to buy the product that is being advertised." That statement makes much sense. (By the way, if anyone knows the source of the quote, please let me know. I heard it at least twice, including in a church sermon, but the minister didn't know the original source.)

I'll close by stating that true joy comes from within, from appreciating our blessings, not from what we buy. Let's seek to enjoy our blessings.

NOTE:

This article originally posted on October 5, 2015 was expanded from a comment I made on Facebook.com earlier the same day. 

This article was last revised on April 4, 2023.  

I Don't Understand Why Many "Christians" Hate All Muslims

I love Jesus' teachings to love even one's enemies. Given this teaching, I don't understand why many "Christians" hate all Muslims.

In fact, I frequently try to avoid reading posts in the media from "Christians" expressing hatred toward all Muslims and quoting verses (often out of context) from the Qur'an to support their views.

Instead, one could quote a verse from the Bible in the Old Testament that commands the Israelites to kill even babies and young children (I Samuel 15:1-3) and passages urging the Israelites to make war to steal their "Promised Land." One could also quote a passage in the Qur'an that states Christians and Jews are followers of the book and friends of Muslims (Surah 5:69). Quoting various verses can provide various views.

Sadly, too many radical Muslims and radical Christians quote verses out of context to create hatred. True followers of the highest righteous authority, God (or Allah, the Arabic word for God), would seek to help others, love one another, rather than hate.

I am blessed to have met many wonderful persons in both faiths and feel Muslims and Christians can work together to make the world a better place.

As I see it, the problem often is leaders who seek to sow hatred for their own often selfish purposes. Radical "Muslim" leaders and radical "Christian" leaders who take advantage of gullible followers for their own selfish purposes need to be held accountable.

In the "war on terror" there is terrorism committed by individuals on both sides, as is typically the case in war. Remember that many fine Christians served on both sides even in World War II.

The Qur'an does seem to differ from the Bible in the sense that the early Surahs in the Qur'an seem to be more positively focused, with the latter ones focused more on what could be considered "holy wars." With the Bible, the Old Testament discusses the Jews as a chosen race that are called to make "holy wars" and steal land for their own "Promised Land." Then in the New Testament the focus is on the the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul to love even one's enemies.

My Christian faith may bias me, but I like the progression in the Bible better than that of the Qur'an. Furthermore, I find Jesus' teaching to love even one's enemies better than the teachings of Islam (or Judaism) that I have read--and far superior to "Christianity" as many practice it today. I feel that my Christian faith instructs me to care for all people, whether Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, or whatever. Let's all seek to help each other and we can make ourselves and the world a better place.

NOTE: This September 27, 2015 blog post is expanded from a comment and post that I made on Facebook.com on September 26, 2015.

Loss of Mining Jobs: Many Southeastern Kentuckians May Need to Move

Just as thousands of persons relocated to southeastern Kentucky for jobs when the coal mining industry came, now persons may need to relocate elsewhere due to the lack of jobs. For many, it's not easy to leave. Indeed, those of us born and raised in the mountains who already have moved away often return to visit friends and relatives and to enjoy the beauty of the area--even persons like myself who love the atmosphere of the new locations we moved to.

I grew up in various towns in southeastern Kentucky from my birth in 1958 until I left for college in 1976. My dad had a mining engineering degree and worked for coal mining companies. For much of my childhood we lived in houses in coal camps, houses that were built for the coal companies he worked for.

Over the years dad worked for several different companies. One of them was a coal mining subsidiary of U.S. Steel Corporation in Lynch, Kentucky. At one time Lynch was the largest coal camp in the world, a model camp offering many services to miners and their families, according to Portal31.org and other sources. But U.S. Steel no longer mines coal there. Like many other coal mining operations in eastern Kentucky, it closed down.

Tourism Offers Potential in Some Former Mining Areas
Near Lynch, visitors can pay to tour the nice Kentucky Coal Museum in Benham, Kentucky.

In addition to the coal museum pictured above, a photo below shows the portal to U.S. Steel's mine 31 in Lynch, which is also now a tourist attraction. Another picture below shows the U.S. Steel tipple in Lynch. I took all three photos in July 2019.

Visitors can pay to ride through part of mine 31 and see displays inside it. In Lynch some former coal camp buildings and plaques about them can be viewed free.

Tourism attracts some visitors and revenue to Benham and Lynch, but little compared to the wealth generated by the past coal mining operations in the area. Indeed, the tourist attractions currently probably don't earn enough revenue to cover their operating costs.

However, the potential for more tourism exists in Benham and Lynch, as well as in a few other places near former coal mining areas in eastern Kentucky, perhaps most notably the Breaks Interstate Park area (which already attracts a lot of people) along the Kentucky-Virginia border and Jenkins, Kentucky, which I wrote about in another Google Blogger post.

The Jenkins area features a unique geological fault that attracts visitors, as well as a small mining and railroad museum, a marvelous U.S. Civil War monument that promotes unity and honors those who fought and died on both sides, and some other attractions. The first photo below shows part of the Pine Mountain fault with the unusual lay of the rocks beside U.S. Route 23 above Jenkins. The second and third photos show the Civil War monument located near the top of the mountain above Jenkins. I took all three photos in July 2018.

Like Lynch, Jenkins was a well-built model coal mining town that offered numerous benefits for its miners.

Jenkins was constructed by Consolidation Coal Company in the early 1900s, then sold to a mining subsidiary of Bethlehem Steel Company in the 1950s. This is another company that my dad worked for during his career.

A coordinated marketing effort about beautiful scenery and other attractions could potentially make Benham, Lynch, Jenkins, Elkhorn City, and nearby Pikeville attractive to huge numbers of tourists. But even if it does, tourist revenue would likely pale compared to that generated by past mining operations. And most other former coal mining towns in southeastern Kentucky lack major appeal to tourists.

However, in addition to jobs, tourism could bring an influx of visitors that might add diversity to the region, similar on a smaller scale to the thousands of persons the coal industry brought to the region in the last century that included a melting pot of persons from different cultures.

Southeastern Kentucky is unlikely to ever have enough jobs to match employment during the coal boom, but it can attract tourists to certain areas and create some jobs in the process. Next to home-based businesses, tourism may offer the best opportunities for expanding work in such areas. A few (many?) tourists might even be attracted by the area's beauty and decide to stay.

Southeastern Kentucky Coal Mining Areas: Past, Present, and Future
Coal mining was the major source of employment in southeastern Kentucky during my childhood, and up until fairly recently. In fact, much of southeastern Kentucky would probably still be sparsely populated if not for coal companies creating numerous jobs and bringing workers in to the area to work in the mines and in related jobs.

But, in recent years, many of the coal mines have closed, and some mining companies have filed for bankruptcy. Much of the best and most easily accessible coal has already been mined, and tougher environmental regulations make mining the remaining coal even more difficult.

Mountainous terrain, as well as the lack of navigable rivers or large airports, probably limits the desire of most companies to locate major businesses in the area.

However, many wonderful people live in southeastern Kentucky, including some fine Christians. But, Christians are called to spread the gospel around the world, not to hide it in a hollow. It has been said by some that the success of a Christian Church is not measured by how many persons it brings in, but by how many it sends out to make a positive influence around the world. For example, Pastor Rick Warren of California's Saddleback Church has stated on multiple occasions words similar to, "A church's health is measured by its sending capacity, not its seating capacity."  It may be desirable for a lot of southeastern Kentucky Christians to relocate where their Christian witness can benefit others (and themselves) more.

I don't know why settlers came to southeastern Kentucky in the 1700s and 1800s and earlier, when there was no coal industry in the area. Perhaps some sought privacy in the isolated rural location. Some may just have enjoyed the beauty of the mountain scenery. A few may have been African-Americans fleeing slavery in the south; a few may have been Cherokees fleeing from the Trail of Tears. Maybe some even came from Salem, Massachusetts to obtain religious freedom after the religious persecution there.

Other things being equal, often it is great to stay in the same location. One can get to know one's neighbors, the terrain, etc. Familiarity is nice, and it isn't easy to pack up and move, leaving friends and relatives behind. Moving can be expensive, too. But modern transportation methods and modern communication methods make both moving and staying in contact with those left behind easier now than in the past.

Our nation was settled by persons willing to travel to new areas, often on foot, by horse, or by wagon. Such moving is in theory easier now with automobiles, etc. The southeastern Kentucky area may be one of the parts of the United States where persons are most deeply entrenched, with many families living there for multiple generations.

For the future, mobility may be necessary. I urge persons in southeastern Kentucky who lost jobs in the mining industry that may never be restored to seriously consider moving to other areas, unless they can create or find an alternative career path.

Furthermore, although I am content in Lexington, Kentucky where I live now, I desire to be receptive if God wants me to relocate elsewhere. The key is to be willing to be where God wants us to be, doing what God wants us to do. If we do this, we will enjoy God's blessings.

NOTE: This article was last revised on July 28th, 2021.