A sign of the times?

image courtesy of google images and is owned by http:??chasingamiracle.com

This writer is heartbroken after reading a recent article on the culture war. He’s reminded of a brief conversation with a local evangelist  regarding an upcoming conference on religious liberties.

In his Fox News article Todd Starnes asks whether Christians have lost the culture war. This writer has had dealings with many folks just like that evangelist from New York Families. New York Families Reasearch Foundation (NYFRf) is an organization which purports that it “seeks to display Christian charity towards our fellow New Yorkers and to build a more just and merciful culture”. 

This writer is not sure what their real motives are given his recent interaction with the evangelist.

The question which concerned Christians ought to ask is not whether they’ve lost the culture war but whether those representing Christianity publicly have lost their minds, not to mention their hearts.

Where are we going?

image courtesy of Google images and is owned by the NewYorkTimes.com

From street level you often can see a lot further and a lot clearer – when you want to – there’s no where near as much superfluous scrap in the way. Have been thinking these days of the rest of the world instead of my own stupid homeless crap. The Ukrainian mess – the intolerance in Russia and Uganda – the back and forth Left v Right political venom here at home; all of this hate. What happened to us as people?

Hunter is reminded of Leviticus 19:34…

“But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God”

as well as Matthew 22:37-40.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Again, what happened to us? There’s not much loving our neighbors going on, it seems. Not judging by what’s going on in much of the world.

All we can do, I guess, is sit and watch things unfold. We can try to spread around as much love and forgiveness as we ourselves can muster, and we can…wait.

and back again – a pissing match ends

Three sailors urinating by Charles Demuth, ca.1930 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Apparently I got what I had been so strenuously, yet blindly, seeking. I clearly sought that which I found. Nov 8th saw the end of my pissing match, though I died in the process. Painkillers combined with sedatives do the trick every time. This suicide has oddly woken me up. I guess the third time really was the charm for me.

I now live with the repercussions (family not speaking to me, court ordered treatment, order of protection, relocation to a decidedly cold climate , homelessness in said cold climate). i live now with the emotional blows which come from shelters turning me away as well as the emotional highlights of Churches where members and leaders don’t walk  around with the plastic smiles of folks going through the motions.

Related articles

• Meet The Icahnator: This Is What Happens When You Piss Off A Billionaire On Prime Time TV (zerohedge.com)
• Obama to state governors: I’ll take your questions, but first let’s kick out the media (hotair.com)
• Fly on the Wall Sunday: Heartbreak (caprimontgomery.wordpress.com)

To die for: suicide and survival

Pissed (album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This series takes a detour from Sniperhunter2012’s usual writing style.

Frequent visitors will observe that your correspondent attempts (as much as is possible) to write in the third person. I do this primarily to convey objectivity. This habit began because prior to launching Sniperhunter2012 I worked with a well known news, commentary, and lifestyle site whose editorial requirements demanded an objective, third person narrative.

This series cannot be written that way. The theme and subject are far too personal.

fair warning to readers: some may find the subject of this series upsetting or disturbing.

Last week I survived my second suicide attempt. Fifteen years ago I failed to die by hanging. Last week a bottle of prescription pills (not mine) was unsuccessful in taking me out. I’m not telling you to gain sympathy, for attention, or to be dramatic for drama’s sake.

As always I write for my own pleasure and insight. I do hope, however, that my comments on these failed attempts to end my life will grab the attention of folks who might, in some small way, benefit or learn from my difficulties. Perhaps they may gain something from my repeated failures. Maybe my anger is useful after all.

I’m fucking pissed at myself and pissed at God, you see.

Perhaps my anger and this tirade will find folks a hell of a lot more open to possibility than I was when I downed those pills and wrapped those ties around my neck.

In His Footsteps – A prayer for the lost

Father & Son (Photo credit: jeroenadema)

YouTube burned in holy fire last week with debate over a phenomenal vid by Jeff Bethke that begs this intriguing question: What if Jesus came to abolish religion?

Getting nearly 22.5 million hits it looks like quite a few people were intrigued by Bethke’s idea.

The Middle East burns in religious rage, holy men like the Dalai Lama discuss mankind moving beyond religion, Pope Benedict seeks reconciliation between Christians and Muslims; all manner of philosophy/spirituality talk is coming to the fore.

God, Jesus, spirituality and religion are on our lips. However, besides the likes of folk like Jeff Bethke who have moral courage enough to ask us to seek answers about fundamentals, how many of us have questions about the Creator and the Creator’s will on our minds these days?

When was the last time we asked the big questions?