Happy 2016!

So I must admit, I'm getting old, for the last few years I've been asleep, along with the hubby before the stroke of midnight.  Our kids wake us up to pop their kiddie bubbly for them, then we all go to bed at exactly 12:05 a.m., every.single.January 1st!

  So I know people make new years resolutions, I've personally never done that because well, I'm a chronic procrastinator, just ask my kids!  Makes me wonder if the people who actually do makes resolutions *ever* keep them?I mean seriously if you feel the need to sit down an make a list of things about yourself, your life, situation, what-have-you, do you really think you're gonna do any of them?  Besides maybe cutting back from 6 cups of coffee a day to 5?!?

  I think that this is one aspect of Romanian mentality that doesn't drive me nuts....they don't make resolutions, they know what needs to be done, and they do it, without any fuss, or social media announcements.  They announce things that matter: marriages, births, baptisms, important life events.  The rest is just the day to day of it all.

  I see all these meme's all over Facebook from friends that say something along the lines of "this is the year you'll receive God's blessings"....I have a problem with that line of reasoning.  I think if you are a Christian and know what the bible says, then you know you only receive His blessings by living a Godly life.  Posting a random meme about God isn't going to reign down pennies from heaven on you.  All through Proverbs and the Gospels, God's word speaks of honest men, doing honest work, and reaping the benefits of working for what they've received, and yes, God rewards the honest, God fearing man with opportunities, blessings, etc.  But everyone seems to be so BLESS ME oriented, as far as money is concerned that they have forgotten that God says that the MEEK shall inherit the earth, and that it is easier for a rich man to enter through the eye of a needle than to enter the kingdom of heaven.

  Okay so there's my Rant for New Years.  Now here's my Rave:  Hubby was out of work for like 5 months, it's been a ROUGH summer, fall, and beginning of winter.  Hubby just left at 3 a.m. this very morning to head back to Malta to start work.  It's gonna be hard on him physically, but it's good that I won't have to keep asking the parental unit for help......that's a BAAAAAAD feeling; being 37 years old and having to ask your parents to help you pay bills and buy food.  But now that he's going back to work, we'll be able to finish doing the home improvements we started!  So YEA for the Toma Family!

 Now for my Rave, which is an old rave.  Romanian version of potato salad, which is called Salata de Beouff.  Not sure if I spelled that right, but OMG it's good!  It's made with, potatoes, green peas, carrots, olives, pickles, chicken breast and home made mayonnaise, which yes, I have learned to make!  This stuff is so good, it will make ya go home and slap ya mamma!  It's made at Christmas and New Year!  Some make it at Easter as well, well, at least I do, cause it's just awesome!

  So there, my Rants, Raves & Faves for the end of 2015!

  

Starbucks, Corrupt Politics and life on the Danube

  So fall has arrived, and this year, fall in Romania is reminding me of Louisiana.  The temps are flip-flopping all over the place.  Some days its sunny, and mild, with just a mild chill in the air, and the next day it's colder than a witch's titty....excuse the expression.  But I like it.  Hubby insulated the house over the summer, which has made QUITE a difference when it comes to keeping in the heat from the "fireplace".  Actually it's more of a type of stove, than a typical fireplace that you find in the U.S.

  So since it's chilly at night, I have a bit more time to surf Facebook and news sites.....the latest thing gaining traction in the U.S.A., besides racial tensions is #Starbucks using Plain red cups this Christmas season.  I've seen several meme's regarding this, and the one that sums it all up the best is one that says something like: "If you need a cup of coffee to something about Christ, then, Honey, I think you are the one who needs Jesus".  And that's pretty much it.  Christmas, or rather December 25th is a pagan holiday, the winter soltice, and many other pagan holidays.  The Gospel of Luke says Christ was born when the sheep were still in the fields.  I live next to shepherds.  The flocks are brought in around November.  Christ was born somewhere between September to October.  Santa Claus is a variation of a Nordic God.  My kids have never been told about Santa Claus, he isn't mentioned in our house.  I've had angry parents confront me, because my kids told theirs that Santa isn't real, that the parents are "santa".  I've had to tell the parents, I don't lie to my kids, I'm not going to say Santa, the Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairy are real, only to have them grow up and think "well she lied about them, she must of lied about God and Jesus too"! Constantine was the emperor who combined pagan holidays with the Catholic church as a political move.  He was never truly a Christian, it was all show for him as a way to gain more of a political foothold.

 Besides, as Christians, do we really, and SERIOUSLY think that God, in His infinite wisdom, really cares whether or not a secular company puts the words Merry Christmas on their merchandise.  The thing is, Christ says that the GREATEST COMMANDMENT, besides loving the Lord thy God, is Loving Thy Neighbor as thyself.  So, why all the anger?  Why all the misguided rage?  We've made ourselves no better than the Jihadists raging holy war in the name of Allah; whom we all condemn.  Christ said that the world would know us by our Love, by our witness of Him in our lives.  Christians should be out there helping the widows and orphans, first, and everyone else after that..... the rest is politics!

  As for the race issue, I have just this to say.... we are ALL ONE RACE, the Human Race.  Doesn't matter if you believe in Evolution or Creation, we all come from the same place  in each theory.  The difference is the amount of melanin each of us have in our skin.  Some have more, making them appear dark brown or black, and then there are those who have less making them light brown or white.  If you're like me, you look like snow white, with freckles, minus the 7 short guys!  So, really, what's all the fuss about?!?  I'll tell you what it's about.  It's about the "Great and Powerful Oz"; those 'wizards' behind the curtains, pulling the stings and levers, editing the evening news, and telling us what to think and buy, etc.  Use the brain you were given. Stop, take a moment, talk to a stranger of a different pigmentation, and you'll see, you think alike, probably believe alike!  We are the only species who fight among ourselves.

  As for the corrupt politics I mentioned in the title.... on Halloween, a club in Bucharest caught fire during a concert, because some idiot set off fireworks inside the club.  So far the body count is up to 45.  The fire marshal never signed off on the building, and the mayor went ahead and signed papers allowing the owner of the club to open.....That's the way things go here, if you can't get what you need from one agency, you go to the one higher, pay that official some money, and everything is done.  Because of this incident, people have taken to the streets in a peaceful manner, protesting the corruption that exists here.  It's about time, because it's unbelievable what can be done with just a few hundred Euro or Dollars!

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black.....

  Okay, so evidently one of the non Orthadox churches here in Romania has some sort of scandal - it's just 1, ONE individual church.  Something about taking money from the people in the church - for all I know it could be about tithing.  I don't know all the particular's - but it has give the Orthadox church here a HUGE stone to throw.  They are trying to convince the RO government to make all other religious sects illegal or something to that effect.

Well here's my issue with the Orthadox church here in Romania.  Drive through the country - go through any small, run-down, and I do mean RUN DOWN village, and what do you see, the Orthadox church spending hundreds of thousands of Euro to build a HUGE, NEW church building in a place where the people have no money.  These people have to decide what they are going to do with their money when they do get some; do they buy food so they can eat, or pay their water or electric bill?  You think I'm joking, no, I'm dead serious.  And here's the kicker:

  Someone in their family dies, they have to PAY the priest to perform the ceremony, even though that person when to mass every Sunday!!!  The dead person's family has to buy and give away food to all the people at the grave site!  Okay, that is a tradition here, I don't know if that has anything to do with the church or the culture.  But you get my point.

  The orthodox church receives money from the RO government.  The priests pay no taxes - have a nice home to live in (monastery) with indoor plumbing (some not all), electricity, clothes, plenty of food, and NEW vehicles to conduct their "business" in.  Not to mention they all have cell phones too!  When you visit the monastery you can purchase things that are made there on the premises.  One convent just outside of Tulcea produces honey and wine - both of which are really good.  So they are always making money some kind of way, but I never see them HELPING those that they expect to attend church every week.

  Want to get married in the church - you have to fork over money for that too, regardless if you attend regularly.  That's not for the use of the church space - that's for the priest, personally!

  During the Christmas and New Year season, the priests go around from house to house, apartment to apartment and "Bless" the homes - guess what, if you allow the priest to perform this rite - you better fork over some money. 

  One priest came to my door twice this past holiday season.  I explained I wasn't Romanian, nor was I Orthodox.  He proceeded to perform his rite anyway, and then I was pressured into kissing a picture of Christ, on BOTH his visits.  Everything in me was SCREAMING, but I was polite, and respectful, and kissed the friggin' icon anyway.  I felt like I'd just committed idolatry, even though I believe in Christ Jesus, and it was an icon of Christ! 

  So why did I do that?  Well because my kids were standing right there, and I didn't want to make a scene and confuse and embarrass them - not yet anyway, I'll wait till they're a bit older...... 

.....plus, for all I know that same priest could be teaching their religion class one day, and I don't want them to have a hard time. 

  As far as I know none of the other denominations charge for any of that.  The church that my sister in law attends is "pentecostal", but not what we think of as pentecostal in the U.S., technically they are somewhat charismatic.  But not like Benny Hinn, et. all.  She has never mentioned them asking the members of the church for money for funerals or weddings, etc.  Basically her church is a lot like the church in Acts Ch.2 - the members meet the needs of the other members.

  The Communist regime was atheistic, but allowed the Orthodox church to remain, out of tradition they said - but really the church operated as tattle-tale agency for the government.  When a person went to confession, or attended mass too often - the priests turned that parishioner into the Securitate; this was one bad a** agency you did NOT want to get tangled up with. 

  Even now, in some of the smaller towns and villages in Romania and Moldova, when a non Orthodox church "opens", more like people meeting in their homes - the Orthodox priests have been known to disrupt the services by throwing rocks through windows, etc. 

  So I guess my statement to the Romanian Orthodox Church is "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

Is God There?

  So I went to a pentecostal church here in Tulcea this morning with my sister in law.  My Romanian is still very, VERY, limited so I understood pretty much nothing.  The services here are much different than what we experience back home, there is a lot of standing, sitting kneeling & praying, then singing.  The several different men got up and spoke, reading scripture [i think], then more down on the knees and praying. 

  I didn't know if people were "speaking in tongues" or just praying out loud in Romanian.  I didn't feel God's presence, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because I didn't understand anything being said, or if it's something else.  Kinda made me wonder. 

  I know that most of what goes on in the mainstream churches in the U.S. is heretical and un-biblical, so it made me wonder if some of the 'charismatic' move has moved on over here too.  I believe in God, His son Jesus, the crucifixion, resurrection, etc.  However, I don't necessarily believe in the whole slain in the spirit & speaking in tongues, 'holy laughter', etc. that runs rampant these days.  Most of that seems demonic, not righteous and holy.  BUT, I do believe that a fraction, a very small fraction of it is real. 

  I think mainly I've just seen the Word so twisted and convoluted in "churches" - that it has left a really bad, bitter taste in my mouth.  I try to not judge and not be bitter, not be so cynical about it, but I guess the whole fool me once: shame on you, fool me twice: shame on me, kinda fits the bill here.  I've been fooled one too many times by charlatans and false teachers, and propho-liars!  I can count on 1, ONE, hand how many TRUE men/women of God that I know, who are teachers/preachers.

  Anyway, so do you think it comes down to understanding what is being said in order to feel God's presence, or is it like most everything else in churches these days - a big show that induces psychosomatic sensations, i.e. the power of suggestion?

Diety vs. non-Diety

  So I was reading my friend J-Lo's blog, and no she's not the one from the block.  She has, like me seens so much false doctrines, and false  teachers, etc.  That has made us both question our beliefs, why do we believe that the bible says this?  So we started digging through the bible, Greek and Hebrew dictionaries.  We both started to discover that most evertyhing that was crammed down our "charismatic" throats as kids was not really what the Bible says.

  I have to wonder why  when we all, and yes, I believe that everyone in this world at some point or other questions the existence of God, or their beliefs in Him; why is it that some of us come to the unshakable belief that God is real, that He exists, that the Bible is His inerrant Word, and that Jesus Christ of the Word made flesh, and then some of us completely deny it.

  Is it maybe that we go into our research determined to prove what we want to believe?  I mean I read Lee Strobel's "A Case for Christ".  He was 100% athiest, his wife got 'saved', which drove him nuts, and  he basically set out researching to prove to his wife that whe believed a fairy tale, but in the process came to know God.  Why is it that two atheiests can read the same things, and come to two different conclusions?  I believe that in Mr. Strobel's case it was due to a praying wife, with many believing  friends  standing in agreement with her that he would come to the Lord.

  I have many issues with  the "church", but not an issue with God. I think sometimes when I say things about the "church", people take it as I'm bitter, and my love for God was waxed cold, but it's really the opposite.  I'm not gonna lie, I don't read my bible the way I should.  I don't do as Paul said and pray without ceasing.  And I am  guilty of REALLY praying when my back is up against the wall, so to speak.  Something that I need to rectify.  But....here would be the perfect time for my dad to pipe in with "Excuses are like rear-ends, everybody's got one!"

 

Living in Darkness, Dying in the Light.

 

  The title of this post is a line spoken by Ben Kingsley’s character in the 2008 movie “Transiberrian”.  He spoke this in response to Woody Harelson’s  character’s question of if he misses the dark, evil days of Communism.  Living in one of the old Eastern Bloc countries, makes this statement ring true, very loud, and long.

  Democracy and capitalism doesn’t seem to work here.  Honestly, what they run in Europe isn’t really Democracy, which never worked any,  which is why the founders of the U.S. instituted a Republic, cause history had shown repeatedly that Democracy is nothing more than mob rule.  What they have in Europe is Socialized Democracy, sure you have freedom of speech, religion, etc. but not the freedom to pursue happiness, because the people are overworked, severely underpaid, and OVERLY taxed.  I mean we have a 19% VAT – that Value Added Tax added to every purchase, that’s on top of other taxes as well.

  My husband, his friends, and the older people have told me what it was like when Nicolae Ceacescu was in power here.  Yes there was food rationing, electricity wasn’t switched on till the sun went down, and of course there was no freedom of the press, you only got a few hours of Television in a day.  People today would DIE without TV!  Books of course were censored, etc. 

   However there was positive, none of the land went to waste – every square inch of this country was plowed, seeded and harvested.  EVERYONE worked!  During Harvest the school aged kids would be sent out to the fields for a week or two to help harvest.  They were given sleeping quarters and 3 full meals a day.  At the end of the harvest, the kids were given some of the harvest to bring home to their mothers, who would then freeze it, or make juices, wines, or jams.  The company you worked for bought you an apartment when you married, as your family grew, the company bought a bigger apartment.  When the revolution happened, you had to buy the apartment from the company, which was pretty cheap, but with the value of the Romanian Leu falling, it was expensive.  My mother and father in law had a pretty hefty sum of money saved up for their retirement, after the revolution is was pretty much worthless.  they bought a new and some other things for the house.

  If you didn’t work, you went to jail, in jail you learned a skill, when you came out (it wasn’t a lengthy stay), if you couldn’t find a job, the state found one for you!  When you had a baby, you stayed home for a year, with pay, with your child.  Your job was held for you.  Kids played outside! 

  Yes, in Communism there is no God, but the people, especially the older people who were alive pre-Communism, taught their children about God.  The Orthodox church was still allowed to run, out of tradition, and of course the state used the priests as spies to inform on their parishioners who attended regularly, who questioned the state in confessionals, etc.  Yes, there were some truly despicable things that were done in the name of Communism, the late Richard Wurmbrand suffered cruelly at the hands of the Communist regime in Romania because of his faith in Christ.  He wrote a great book called “Tortured For Christ” the goes into detail about how Communism targeted the underground church.

  Despite the bad, there are people here, mainly the people my age and older who actually miss Communism, not for the oppression, but because things seemed to be better then economically, etc.  My husband has told me about when he was young he remembers when Ceasescu was coming to visit, suddenly the markets were FULL of fresh fruits, vegetables, household goods, etc., stuff that normally wasn’t found in the market.  Not because it wasn’t there, but because the farmers, or people running the markets, wouldn’t sell it normally, they hoarded it or sold it for higher prices on the black market.  Ceasescu wanted to know that the people he was governing were well, that they were living well.  In the construction industry, the large trucks, and machines were given a quota of so many gallons of diesel to use every month, if they didn’t use it all, they were in HUGE trouble.  Marius said BARRELS of Diesel were being dumped, because the workers weren’t using it all, mainly because they were loafing.  Yeah bank accounts were monitored, if you suddenly had a huge amount of money in the bank, you were investigated. 

  Communism/Socialism, it’s all great in theory, but in practice, it’s disaster for the most part.  Why???  Well because the heart of man is wicked.  Communists and Karl Marx yelled about the evils of Capitalism.  But the same thing happens in Communism, because there will always be people making those power grabs.  They get dirt, blackmail, lie, cheat, steal and even murder to get more ahead, usually financially, and when you have the financial resources, you can gain power, after all money is what makes the world go round!   Yeah it would be nice if we were all equal, that there were no social classes, but even at the height of Communism, there were still the rich, middle class, and the poor.  

  I don’t think Communism is the right answer for any country, not as long as evil runs free in the hearts and minds of men.  I believe that is why God didn’t institute a formal type government in Israel.  It was only after the cry of the Israelites begging to be like other nations that he instituted the Judges, then the Kings, and we see what happened.  Look at history, ALWAYS the wars are started over a power grab!  Money=Power, and visa versa!

Unsound Doctrines

In case you haven't noticed my last two blogs have been about false doctrines and questionable practices within the church (this includes all denominations). My reason for these: I'm fed up! I can't stand by quietly, saying nothing. I have to stand up for TRUTH, because that is what I'm commanded to do; to be a shining light on a hill, the salt of the earth.

I am not, repeat NOT trying to pick on or call out a certain denomination, etc. I have issues with ALL denominations, particularly within the one I was raised, which was more of the pentecostal/charismatic, or full gospel as they called it, church.

I see too many people who are going to stand before God and hear "depart from me ye workers of iniquity", and it grieves me. Or have their works burn up because it wasn't precious, it is just wood, stubble and hay. It scares me that I might be one for perpetrating false doctrines, because I was too lazy or scared to question and test what I was being taught.
That is where I am. I am standing at the crossroads of biblical doctrine. I have been unable to attend a church service for a year, not because of inability of body, or will, but because I'm a stranger in a strange land, surrounded by non-English speaking people. I think God put us here for several reasons, one of which is where I am now - so He can show me through reading His word on my own, without it being prompted by the latest "make me feel good, tickle my ear" sermon, His Truth. He has been showing me where the doctrines we are taught and hold onto aren't really the way we are told they are. They don't line up with scripture.

Make no mistake I've always read my bible, etc. but usually going over what I learned in a church service the day before, etc. Sometimes I would see the error, but figured, what do I know, I'm just a silly woman with a High School education, and three kids. These men and women, some of them have degrees in theology/divinity, etc, and have been walking with the Lord for EONS. They must know better than me!!

But God has been showing me, that's what holds a lot of people back from being able to see the Truth He is revealing to them. To walk in the gifts he has called them to. See, He has shown me that most of the disciples and apostles were low on the socioeconomic and educational food chain, yet look at them! They carried out the Great Commission with unwavering Faith! They wrote most of the new testament, a book by which we live our lives. God used little shepherd boy, David to bring down the terrifying Giant, and govern an entire nation!

So bear with me over the next few posts as I talk about the errors I've found or questions I have. Paul told us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, which is where I am, seeking God, His Word, His truth, instead of listening to ravenous wolves disguised as "good shepherds"

Slain in which Spirit???

I attached a link to another article from Let Us Reason.org here. I think they summed it up very well, with a lot of references to scripture and other books.

The whole being slain in the spirit thing is I believe demonic as it is not mentioned as being used by any of the apostles, disciples of even by Christ himself. The references in the bible about people encountering God's presnece doesn't reflect anything like what is seen in most revival meetings, like Benny Hinn, of whom I have no use.

I have also heard of the story of Annias in Acts ch.5 being used as reference for being slain in the spirit, but that was taken out of context. They were literally SLAIN by the Holy Spirit. The lied to God and were killed because of it.

I do believe that God's presence can manifest so heavily in a person that they cannot stand. They might fall to the ground, sit down, I don't know. I don't think anyone can really do anything in the manifest presence of the Lord.

What I don't believe in is what is done at church services now days. Herding and lining people up like sheep to the slaughter, literally. If it is really God, why do they have to be lined up, why do you have to touch, push, shake or blow on them. Why do you have to say anything?? If they need prayer, wouldn't it be enough to stand in agreement with them in prayer, and if God manifests His presence on them great. If they fall backwards, let them fall, God loves His children and if it is really Him, I don't believe He will allow a person to be physically hurt while in His presence.

Most of the references in the bible, particularly the OT, of people encountering God's presence, fell face forward, in an attitude of submission, worship, etc. Most of the time when this happened, it was God's judgment, or revelation going on. Obviously God can still judge and reveal to whom He pleases. My issue, is why is this "the norm" for Charismatic churches????

What Christmas Has Become

After reading my friend Danielle's blog about Christmas, I had to do one on the same subject, cause A.  it's an awesome topic, and I wanted to expound a little more on her thoughts, and too cause B.  I couldn't comment for some silly reason!

  Danielle pointed out that Christmas has become about self-ish desires, lust, greediness, etc., etc. And that it opened her eyes in a big way about what Christmas is really supposed to be about.  She's completely right.  She goes on to say that she knows families that keep it small at Christmas.  I know people who don't celebrate it at all because to them it isn't biblical, these are mainly Jehovah's Witnesses, of which is course for another subject re: false religions and the occult.  But anyway, Danielle is right.  Christmas is NOT about how much $$ you can spend on everyone.  Even if I had all the money in the world, my kids would still get the 1 crappy dollar store toy from me and their father. 

My thing with Christmas is that is should be a daily celebration for Christian believers, cause without Christ being born, we would still be condemned to eternal separation from God.  I know people who won't put up a Christmas tree because of a scripture in Jeremiah (?) about adorning trees with silver and gold being idolatry.  I had to really pray about that one.  For me a Christmas tree is a pretty decoration that reminds me every time I look at it that Christ came to this earth so free me from sin that I could never sacrifice my way out of!

There are those like the J.W.'s that Christ wasn't born Dec. 25th, that Constantin instituted that to get the pagans into the Catholic Church, and they are right.  Constantin did do that, and No, Christ WAS NOT born Dec. 25th.  More than likely he was born sometime in September or October.  If I am wrong for for "Celebrating" his birth on Dec. 25th, or for celebrating it at all, God will judge me when I stand before Him.

Christmas is supposed to be about showing Christ's Love.  Instead of giving gifts to each other, why not do something really christlike?  Buy various, gender-friendly gifts, and instead of giving to friends, family, co-workers etc., take a gift to your neighbor, keep some in the car, when you feel impressed to give one to a random person, Give it to them!  Invite a family that is down and out into your home for Christmas Dinner, or if you would rather not have stranger's in your home, take them out to dinner!  When they ask you "WHY?
 you can tell them, this is CHRISTmas, I'm doing what Christ did - he gave us the gift of eternal life, this gift or this gesture is  a symbol of what he did for us.

Another thing, I don't care if store's don't say "Merry Christmas", I don't care if they take the word "christ" out of christmas.  in the Greek one for the letters for Christ is the letter "X", so technically, even when they write x-mas - Christ is still there!

See Christ is either In you, or He's not! 

Okay to trash Christ, but not Allah....

  So I opened my I.E. which goes to my homepage: Yahoo.  I see a headline "Landmark spared in disaster flick".  I click the link and see this:  "The Christ the Redeemer statue and Vatican are destroyed in "2012," but not the Kaaba".  So I open the link to read the whole story.  *click on the blog title to go to the Yahoo site and read said story*

  Director Roland Emmerich said he wanted to destory the Kaaba in the move but didn't, because his "...co-writer said 'I won't have a faqua on my head for a movie', and he was right".  CRAZY DIRECTOR MAN SAY WHAT?!?!?  So instead of making entertainment for the masses, Muslims included, you won't bend to your creative will because some Mullah might put a price on your head???   

  But wait, it gets worse!!  The director also said this:  "We have to all, in the western world, think about this. You can actually let Christian symbols fall apart, but if you would do this with [an] Arab symbol, you would have ... a fatwa, and that sounds a little bit like what the state of this world is. So it's just something which I kind of didn't [think] was [an] important element, anyway, in the film, so I kind of left it out."

  So basically in Mr. Emmerich's opinion it totally okay to jest at Christianity, and tear it down, and call it's believer's idiots, but don't do that with Islam, no.....we must do that, because then we will piss off a lot of  "peaceful muslims"!  That's what they say right, Islam is a religion of peace, but don't "destroy" their mecca in a movie, which is make-believe, because then they will be out for your blood!  Isn't this a double standard?

  Yes, there are people out there that claim to be Christians, and do horrendous things, but a Christian leader would never put a price on anyone's head for destroying Christian icons or monuments, whether in reality or make-believe.  Christianity is peaceful, it is about love, and redemption.  However when director's of a movie refuse to do what they want creatively because it  might put a price on their head, then that religion which has been called peaceful, really isn't so peaceful, now is it?!?

  I am tired of the double standard in the world where Christianity is concerned.  It irritates me, and although I know that Christ said we would be persecuted and mocked for His namesake, it still bothers me.  That's my  humanity, I guess.  Make fun of the Christians, burn their churches, jail their pastors and priests for their words - which come from the bible, all in the name of Hate Crimes! But leave the Budda-ists, Hare-Krishna's, Hindu's, Muslim's, Atheists, Agnostic's, basically every other religious belief alone - just go after those Christians! 
 
  Do NOT misunderstand me, no one should be jailed, mocked, hated or persecuted for their religious or non-religious beliefs, but don't talk to me about equal rights and treatment, when the whole world is hell bent on persecuting me for belief Christ Jesus!