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).
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
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:
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.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
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.
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.
Thursday, August 13, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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