Pondering Pastor

Prior to Pope Benedict’s visit to the United States last week, I jumped over to the Westboro Baptist Church web site to look at their plans for his visit.  Sure enough, they planned to picket at every stop along his route, and then some.

Pope Benedict’s U.S. visit is over, and Westboro Baptist Church is gloating.

“Here’s the picture: The CEO of the largest pedophile machine in the history of the world came to this country – a man who bears the responsibility for literally hundreds of thousands of child molestations on his watch – at the hands of people who are looked upon as moral and spiritual leaders. They are set up in such a way that, not only do they get PAID to do unspeakable things to children, but their organization is set up to produce a new, fertile crop of rapees every year – having schools and daycares attached to every major parish the world over. So, when he gets to this country and walks off the plane IN A DRESS (Ugh!), does the law enforcement of this evil nation drop him like a Chris Hanson interviewee on the front lawn of a bait house? Do they throw him, and all of his leadership, in the penitentiary for the remainder of their natural lives? NO!”

I especially noticed the “dress” part.  In another post, they also comment on his red shoes!  Silly!

All this came after a long rant quoting scripture and identifying the Pope with the antichrist in The Revelation of John.

They claim then that despite police (they refer to the police as “thousands of Officer Johnny Donuts”) attempts to keep them away from the Pope’s motorcade, God arranged it so that the Pope saw their signs.

“In a stroke of divine power, He confused the counsel of the thousands of Officer Johnny Donuts that thought to hide off His servants blocks away from any of the putrid Pope’s procession route to the hellish St. Joseph’s seminary in Yonkers, NY, where he was scheduled to back-slap and glad-hand hundreds of pedophiles and belch forth lies to deluded masses of idolatrous freaks (all in a day’s work). While the power of the dog (Psa. 22:20) conspired to tuck God’s servants in between a ‘Dodge dealah’ and the back of a mom-and-pop restaurant, well off the pedophile parade route, the Lord had arranged things perfectly, so that the hundred or so feet between those two buildings looked straight down a hill toward the off-ramp of the highway exit that the molester mob boss’ entourage took to come into town. Before the law enforcement could realize their blunder, the pope’s peepers got a ‘full eye of loveliness’ (one servant reported) of all of our signs BEFORE he even made it off the highway, and here’s what he saw:   PRIESTS RAPE BOYS, PERVERT POPE, FAGS DOMINATE THE CLERGY, PEDOPHILE RAPE PIMP, FAG PRIEST, FAG PIMP POPE, POPE IN HELL, MOLESTER MAFIA BOSS,  THE GODFATHER OF PEDOPHILES, CATHOLIC PRIESTS ARE LIARS, And… GODS HATES THE POPE”

Apparently, confession & repentance mean nothing to the folks of Westboro Baptist Church, even though they call for confession and repentance all the time.  They wouldn’t know it if they saw it.

Actually, I’m disappointed that they didn’t mention the earthquakes in the Midwest!

Pondering Pastor

One of our culture’s mantras is that we should be free to do whatever we desire, “as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”

My question: How do we determine harm?

In a blog I recently read, the writer compared the overall cost between a Corolla and a Prius.  If someone was choosing between the two vehicles purely based on out of pocket costs, the Corolla is a clear winner.  It would take gasoline prices of $10/gallon before the Prius was less expensive over the course of typical ownership patterns of new car buyers.  The blogger maintained that the Corolla was therefore a more responsible choice for purchase.  The problem is, that focusing on what costs me the least actually increases the likelihood that we will see the $10/gallon gasoline!  Yes, I’m a believer that the popularity of SUVs has contributed to the cost of fuel for all of us.  Is it the sole reason?  Of course not.  The emergence of China’s growing middle class and the resulting demands for energy has me even more concerned.

The Asian Development Bank said today, “Developed nations should stop paying agricultural subsidies to encourage biofuel production because the payments are making staple foods more expensive.”  With apologies to those I know who grow corn in Iowa, I’ve got to agree.  In our thirst for inexpensive fuel, so that we can consume without regard to the impact on others, biofuels made from grain are causing harm around the world.  Food prices are skyrocketing as food (and food for animals we eat) becomes more valuable to us as fuel than it does as food.  What’s wrong with that picture?  It is my hope that the food/fuel conflict will be solved as we learn to use non-food based biofuels (switchgrass or garbage anyone?) if we are going to use biofuels.  If we are reeling from the rapidly increasing price of food … what about the poor … or those in developing countries?

Our desire for inexpensive and convenience products also contributes.  In what arena does bottled water make sense economically?  The U.S. dollar continues to lose value against other world currencies and the price of oil is rising as much because of a weaker dollar as increasing demand.  When we have the kind of unbalanced trade that the U.S. has with China, there is no wonder that the dollar will be weaker.

I’m not sure what launched me into this.  It might have been paying $3.57 for a gallon of gas today.  My fill up of $42 will take me 400 miles.  The guy filling up next to me will have to pay $84 to go as far, will use twice as much gas, thereby raising the cost for both of us.  Our choices have an impact beyond what we normally see.

My next task is to get as much use out of the 400 miles as I can.  I’m doing what I can to lower the cost of gasoline … yes, for even those who get 15 mpg.

Pondering Pastor

Two news items, literally read one after another.

“Poor Hatians resort to eating dirt”

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - It was lunchtime in one of Haiti’s worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti’s poorest can’t afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies. Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country’s central plateau.

The article goes on to describes life on less than $2/day.   The world’s demand for oil and turning food crops into fuel is causing spikes in the cost of food that can’t be easily absorbed by the poor.

“Tom Cruise 1st to get Ducati superbike”

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Tom Cruise is the first on the list to get Ducati’s newest motorcycle — a $72,500 superbike bristling with titanium, magnesium and carbon fiber technology that can scoot up to 200 mph.

Evidence once again of a world out of control.

Pondering Pastor