It's been a long time since posting. I have a new nephew whom I will get to meet for the first time next week. His name is Evan Bradley!! My Uncle passed away from Cancer on Easter Sunday. I'm bad and good times recently. I went on vacation to California for 12 days which was great and I've had some depressed times but things are getting a lot better. I'm learning to have a great time hanging out with friends and it's doing me a lot of good. I have some great friends whom I really care a lot about. I think they too are learning about who I am!
posted by Reverend Ben on Sunday, June 24, 2001

Life and Death.

I don't think anyone actually reads these but here's what I have to share today-

Life-
I am gonna be an Uncle again this week. This will be my second nephew. Unfortunatly my brother lives in PA about 11 hours away. But life brings joy and I am really looking forward to hearing what they will name him, Seeing that first picture, Hearing what my other nephew has to say (he is 5) and holding my nephew for the first time.

Death-
My uncle (the only uncle on my mother's side and the youngest of her siblings) has terminal cancer and is dying. He is the uncle I am closest too as I've grew up next door to them and have been around them all my life. It's hard to watch someone you know and are close to slowly fade into everlasting life. I've done this with my grandparents before.

There is weirdness about this to experience life and death at the same time.
posted by Reverend Ben on Tuesday, March 20, 2001

I have decided that I need to get with this and start making more posts.
Here's what's been on my mind- I guess we can call this my sermon of Life.

We have the conservative christians who label themselves pro-life when in fact we should call many of these people pro-unborn because many are pro dealth penalty. So therefore we can not say they are pro-life. How could you be pro-life if you wanted Timothy McVeigh, for example put to dealth. Granted what he did was terrible but is there any justice in this. When I look at the Bible I see things like turn the other cheek, Jesus saying this is my commandment that you love one another. The greatest of these is love. When I hear people say it also says an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; I realize that this is true in the sense of judgement for God. He alone is to be the judge and I can not place judgement on a person and condemn them to death. I can not say that he took the life of someone and there for must die. That lies in Gods hands and God's hands alone. I can not condemn the young lady at the abortion clinic. I must love her so I would offer her what see she needs to keep the baby because if I tell her not to have an abortion that unborn child becomes mine to raise and keep. At least the minimum thing I must do is help her in the areas that she needs help. If she still has the abortion it is still not mine to be judgemental to her. I still have to love her. God did not say that we are to love one another if they are worthy!!! I guess the moral of this would be that in order for us to love in the true sense of the word, we must learn to set aside all judgemental attitudes and accept people for who they are. Those who bear the name of pro-life must be completely given to that and not pick and chose which lifes are worthy of living.
posted by Reverend Ben on Tuesday, March 13, 2001

While we are in the process of getting things going I have a few thoughts on my mind. I wonder if I can get some government funding from ole W since he is so gung ho on supporting the religious right. Of course it's ovious this would happen since he's been making them promises all during the election. Ashcroft was his move and I don't think he is gonna stop until he has a theocracy in the good old US of A. I stand behind the separation of church and state. I tend to think if the churches want to help people that is great and what they are suppose to do. To use funds obtained from the government to do so is unconstitutional and to me a watering down of the gospel. There is no sacrifice or commitment in taking money from someone else to help others. If you want to follow the biblical process you need to dig deep into your own pockets to help out those in need!
posted by Reverend Ben on Wednesday, January 31, 2001

Welcome to Crocodile Wisdom
The place where you will find my most thought provoking commentary.
posted by Reverend Ben on Thursday, January 18, 2001