Carman

According to Wiki, Carmelo Domenic Licciardello, known by his stage name Carman, was an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, television host, life coach, and evangelist.  I recently learned that he passed away a few months ago. This hit me hard because of his influence on my life. So, I wanted to take a few moments out to write down my thoughts on his music and its impact on my past, present and future.

The Illogical Use of Polls

Salutations.

Throughout the pandemic, our news media pushed poll after poll in front of our face. What do Americans think of the pandemic? What about the vaccine? What about Trump’s approach? What about Biden’s? Below are just a few polls I easily pulled up by looking through the news today.

You Can’t Stop Hate

Recently, a gunman senselessly killed eight people in Atlanta, six of which were Asian-American. Crowds of people started protesting Asian racism. Politicians, including the president, denounced hate against Asians. They started working on new ‘hate laws’ to address this problem. But, is any of this truly effective? If not, what purpose does all of this serve? And, do we have any true option to combat racism and hate? I hope to explore these questions today.

The Enemy of Good

As most of my friends know, I enjoy drawing from time to time. It is a hobby I have enjoyed since I was a wee little lad. In my early 20’s, I attempted to draw a full comic. Part way through the process, I became frustrated. My art never looked right. The composition was all over the place. A friend with a lot more experience looked everything over and gave me some advice. “Phil, don’t let perfection become the enemy of good.” Today, I feel our society could learn from that lesson.

When Will We Learn?

Recently, RZIM released an independent investigation showing that Ravi Zacharias, leader of the ministry, engaged in serious sexual misconduct multiple times. This revelation shocked both believers and even his opponents, as Ravi’s reputation through life was nearly impeccable. I will not discuss the accusations or my thoughts on them in any great detail. However, for sake of my point, let us assume that the accusations are largely true. After all, the evidence presented certainly points in that direction, and RZIM, the ministry with the most to lose from this, confirms as much.

Be A Light in Darkness

During the 2020 elections, Twitter and numerous other social media companies, took the unprecedented move to silence the sitting president of the United States, stating that he used the platform to spread lies. Furthermore, these alleged lies could possibly give motivation for others to take violent action.

As a result, many of my more conservative friends left these social platforms. I can certainly admire their conviction.  Whether or not we feel Trump’s views are true, we head into dangerous territory here. The idea of free speech carries within it an understanding that people will spread lies and unpopular lines of thought. An attack on free speech is an attack on our faith as this slippery slope usually results in limiting when and where we can talk about God. As Christians, we should work to defend free speech both in law, and in culture.

The Wrong Tool

Salutations.

I have listened to numerous atheist arguments against the existence of God.  One argument, in particular, strikes me as the most illogical. Essentially, the argument states that God does not exist because we have no scientific evidence.  Furthermore, this argument extends to the idea that Christianity must be false, and those who believe in God can therefore be considered a bit crazy, and even dangerous.

Keep Your Eyes On The Creator

Salutations.

Few would refute just how crazy and insane this year has treated us. COVID, and our reaction to its presence, has fundamentally changed our lives across the board. In the United States, we have also seen strong cultural shifts that continue to push our nation into darker directions. Like most, I made it a point to watch the news daily to find out about the latest developments, often spending an hour or more of what little free time I had. What was going on? What was going to happen next? How would it impact me?

An Eternal Perspective

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A number of years ago, I received word that a beloved relative found out she had terminal cancer. I reached out to her, and her husband answered. I asked if I could talk to her, and he told me he would check. He returned and said, “She’ll talk to you, but she asks that you do not talk about religion.”

The request did not surprise me. While I rarely spoke with her about my faith in God, the few occasions that I did revealed the deep differences we had on questions such as the very existence of a deity. 

Face Masks and Abortions

Salutations.

Those who have read my blog for some time know that I describe myself as logical, yet creative person. I love to write, imagine and draw, but I also enjoy math, solving problems and thinking through things. I came to my faith mostly through logical deduction rather than some deep, emotional need. And I constantly review other alternatives, including the modern day narratives our society tries to sell us. I often find the disconnects in logic simply appalling. Today, I want to share a more modern example of such a concern as I compare our society’s reasons for mandated mask wearing during COVID-19 to its reasons supporting a woman’s right to abortions.