Terrorist attack at Orlando. Why Does God Allow Evil? Making Wise Politicians. Update & Fifth Wheel.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Muslim terrorist carries out most deadly shooting in U.S. history

“In the wake of the June 12 terrorist attack at an Orlando gay night club, we need to consider what’s happened. Many call it “senseless violence,” yet there is in fact a sense to it that is quite disturbing—as is the failure of many to admit that.”

City of Orlando Police Department

Police respond to the June 12 shooting at a gay bar in Orlando, Fla., in which more than 100 patrons were gunned down by a Muslim male who had proclaimed allegiance to the Islamic State.

“The largest terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11 of 2001, and the largest mass shooting in U.S. history, occurred June 12, 2016, at a gay night club in Orlando, Fla. A radical jihadist who swore allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) gunned down 49 people and injured another 53 before he was killed by police. ISIS quickly took responsibility, calling the perpetrator “an Islamic State fighter.” The attack followed calls by ISIS leaders to carry out attacks on non-Muslims during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Yet when President Barack Obama spoke in response immediately after, he would not refer to what happened as Islamic terrorism, following his established pattern, and used this as an opportunity to declare the need for more gun control.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump quickly said the president should resign if he could not identify the country’s enemy here. He also leveled criticism against his Democratic opponent in the presidential race, Hillary Clinton, for similarly refusing to make the identification—though she then said she could use such terminology but did not want to label the whole religion of Islam.

Regarding Obama not mentioning the words “radical Islamic terrorism,” Trump said, “He doesn’t get it or he gets it better than anybody understands. It’s one or the other, and either one is unacceptable” (CNN, June 13, 2016).

The attack has thrown the progressive left into a quandary. Had a “right-wing Christian” perpetrated this act, it would have been used to vilify all conservative Christians who want to deny gay rights. But as it was a Muslim, great effort is made to distance him from “authentic Islam”—lest the left’s alliance with Islam against traditional Christianity be put in jeopardy. The shooter was portrayed as a troubled, unbalanced person—but what Islamic terrorist is not? The real problem is that, while those like him are in the minority among Muslims, they still constitute a sizable number of people—perhaps millions.

This should be a wake-up call to those on the left. Radical Islamists are not their friends. In a number of Islamic countries, homosexual behavior is punishable by death and gays are routinely jailed and/or executed. Commentator Mark Steyn said: “The arithmetic isn’t that complicated. The more Islam the fewer gays … In the end, you have to pick and choose which squares you want in your diversity quilt” (SteynOnline.com, June 13).

While we obviously do not agree with the lifestyle of those who were attacked, we stand outraged and saddened over this murderous attack. And we pray for a world of peace and right understanding under the rule of the Kingdom of God.” (Sources: CNN, Fox News, SteynOnline.com.)

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Hard Questions

Why Does God Allow Evil?

Although this question has puzzled many people, the crucial answer is offered in the pages of the Bible.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/pl-RGqftrk4

Transcript

[Gary Petty] “Do you have some hard questions you would like to ask God? I know I do.

Unfortunately, many people have become disillusioned because of what appears to be inconsistencies with what the Bible teaches about God. They question how a loving God can allow children to starve or why He doesn’t stop senseless violence. Why does God allow evil?

The result of this spiritual disenchantment is that more and more people are deciding that the Bible is a myth, or even worse, a book filled with dangerous superstitions.

If we really want to understand the God of the Bible, we must be willing to honestly face these issues. Deal with the hard questions.

If you’ve become disillusioned because God seems unreachable, arbitrary, unfair, let’s reason together and look at “Hard Questions: Why Does God Allow Evil?”” 

Video and complete transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-television-program/hard-questions-why-does-god-allow-evil

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Making Wise Politicians  (Dry humor here)

From:  “How to Avoid Toxic Metals and Clear Them from the Body”

“Until we can clean up the planet and our act, we fortunately do have a “dirt cheap,” stop-gap way of coping with metal toxicity. That solution is diatomaceous earth. The only caveat is that diatomaceous earth used for human or animal detoxification must be food grade. To detoxify with diatomaceous earth, dissolve less than one teaspoon to one tablespoon for every 100 pounds of body weight in a glass of pure water and drink before bed over a period of months or years. “……….

“…….In conclusion, we propose to treat the cause and not just the symptoms of heavy metal toxicity. To wit, this election year, we vote for detoxification with diatomaceous earth for politicians as well as all those in elective and appointed offices, including judges, police officers and FDA officials. If candidates were required by law to be free of mercury, cadmium, lead and other metal toxicities that affect their mental capacities, we could have more confidence in their leadership and appropriate use of power. Sanity regarding environmental and dietary exposure to toxic metals would, could and should become an inalienable right.

At the very least, it would be great to have an election where candidates avow to to get the “dirt into” themselves and not dish “dirt on” their opponents!”

^{More at: http://www.westonaprice.org/environmental-toxins/mad-as-a-hatter}

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Update:

Roy and I have made a bit more progress in the guest house.  But nothing that really shows.  Before we fill in the big old skylight with sheetrock that currently has a 4’x 6’ piece of Lexan there, we went up to that attic, moved the Lexan aside and pushed overboard all the rolls of carpet that were stored next to the skylight onto the floor of the guest house.  That was the quickest and easiest way to get that carpet downstairs.  Someone is coming to buy some of it.  There is one roll of carpet left up there, the very lovely Axminster carpet that I will be laying in the bedroom when the walls are finished.

We found a beige seamed rug that exactly fit the back of my van, so we installed it.  Now that all the back seats are out I have 4’ x 8’ of space, so the carpet makes it easier to load and unload things like plywood and sheetrock.

Then I acquired a Western style couch with matching loveseat and ottoman.  For staging my house for sale it would look better than my taffeta Old Rose couch.  So we cleaned the Old Rose couch with the carpet shampooer attachment, then we loaded it into my van and took it to the consignment shop for sale.  Then we cleaned the carpet where the Rose-colored couch had been.  The next day the Western couch arrived so we cleaned it.  Then we cleaned the rest of the carpet.  There isn’t any room for the loveseat and ottoman right now, so a friend is storing it for me.

As the carpet that was in the guest house is up for grabs, too, we tore it up with the padding, and put it all outside in the carport ready for the folks to come and get what they want.  So now there are bare floors in the new bedroom and the old living room in the guest house.  Much better to work in there.

On Saturday 25th, the Bible readings were Num. 19:1-21:35, Jud. 11:1-33 and John 3:9-21.  The Teaching was about “Knowledge” from Daniel 12:4 and how our knowledge has increased over the years.

The big pot of farro, beef, and veggies that I took to church which was liked, and I was able to keep some to feed Roy the next day. I try to feed him lunch before he leaves as he is so skinny from an esophogus problem. There are a lot of foods that he can’t eat, but he does better on organic and non-processed food.  He is going for surgery soon.

Friday, I went to the newly-rented apartment of some friends from church.  They have just hung up their keys after 15 years of fulltiming.  I bought their lovely 2008 29’ Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel, Silver Fox Edition. 

Two slide-outs, spacious rear kitchen.

 

 

 

 

It isn’t what I really want, but as it was in my yard for me to sell for them, I figured I might as well get it, as it is in such nice condition.  Now, I am really in debt!!  I hope that I can sell my house soon, or I will have to sell the fifth wheel.

Then on July 2nd. the Bible readings were Psa.100, Num. 22:2-25:9, Micah 5:6-6:8, and 2 Peter 2.1-21, and the Teaching was about “Life’s Purpose.”, and I took a big pot of skillet-buttered cabage with onions and carrots, which all disappeared. 

One of the other dishes brought for the church potluck, chicken in tomato sauce, wasn’t all eaten, so they gave it to me for my neighbor.  I had to do an emergency stop on the way home.    Fortunately, I had the food in a cardboard box, but some of the tomato sauce splashed on my new beige rug in the back of the van.  While we were sorting out which shampooer to use on that rug, we got engrossed in straightening out a bunch of stuff in the storage area, and that looks a lot better now.  Tuesday, when the consignment and donation thrift shops are open, I can take a lot of the stuff that we sorted out.  Hopefully it won’t take too long to empty out this house, as long as I keep clearing out stuff each day.