Another Beatles Half-truth

In one sense it is true that "all you need is love" - not in the base sense of the 60's movement, but rather as George Wiegel and Viewpoint explain:

"...the perception of Christian ethics (is too often) dour and negative, but I think this is a stereotype due largely to the fact that too many people have not really thought about Christian ethics beyond a simple perusal of the Ten Commandments.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 22 that the whole ethical teaching of Scripture is summed up in two positive imperatives: We are to love God (Commandments 1-4) and love our fellow man (Commandments 5-10). What can be more affirmative, liberating, and upbeat than that?

Some people object that the Biblical emphasis on sin is negative and oppressive, but this opinion is, I think, based on a faulty view of what sin is. Because we are enjoined by Christ to love, to fail to do so is a moral fault. Any act which is harmful to oneself or another is wrong, or "sin," because it violates the command to love. The Biblical text simply elaborates on all the ways that people do harm and enjoins us to avoid those. It also gives us the "Golden Rule" as a guideline for knowing whether a particular act is just or compassionate.

Thus, so far from being dour and negative, the moral teaching of the Bible is extremely positive. The command to love others expresses itself in at least two ways: The Old Testament emphasizes the need to love by doing justice to others, and the New Testament emphasizes the need to love by showing compassion to others.

Of course, it's not always easy to know the right thing to do in a given situation... Even so, despite the difficulties, together these two imperatives form an ethical system unsurpassed for its simplicity and beauty."

worthwhile charity

If you want to donate your time or money to a worthwhile charity, may I recommend Mission Arlington.

(the link will also be added to the sidebar)

prayer

Finally, something worth posting: a prayer, attributed to Martin Luther:

"Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled.
My Lord, fill it.
I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.
I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.
I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether.

"O Lord, help me.
Strengthen my faith and trust in you.
In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

"I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.
I am a sinner; you are upright.
With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness.
Therefore, I will remain with you of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give."

Out with the old

Things have changed.

I can no longer in good conscience continue to blog in the typically sarcastic, usually angry, and often hateful tone that I have used here at Hatless in Hattiesburg.

The reasons for this decision are difficult to explain clearly, but may be deduced from the most recent series of posts, as well as this earlier post.

Although I still believe that the causes I wrote for (such as anti-abortion, anti-islamofascism, anti-big-brotherism, etc.) are correct, the hateful and arrogant way I tried to oppose and expose them likely did more harm than good. Even my more (allegedly) humorous posts served only as a distraction from more worthy words and goals.

I do not know what the future holds for this blog. I do not plan to shut it down or rework it any time soon, but posts will not be written here in the voice used previously. If there are any new posts here, my goal will be to only write of whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent or worthy of praise, and no more filthiness, silly talk, or coarse jesting.

May each of you and your loved ones have a truly blessed New Year!