Philosophy Archives - Page 7 of 21

8 Reasons Donald Trump Will Beat Hillary

June 16, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Trump’s Neither
Left Nor Right
He’s Trump

Donald Trump is not your average institutional guy. He has never been a politician. He’s worked with many people in his businesses but his history of winning has nothing to do with concessions from peers.

When he announced his candidacy, very few took him seriously. I didn’t. It smelled like another publicity stunt. But Mr. Trump’s actions since have eroded the doubts. He sounds more and more believable all the time.

Even though he’s never held public office, he did run a short lived campaign for the 2000 Presidency. The campaigned stalled because the party he represented – Reform Party – was dysfunctional, according to Mr. Trump.

This isn’t the first time he’s considered the presidency, either. It was a consideration as far back as Ronald Reagan.

That means He’s not a Johnny come lately. He’s primarily a business man but he’s made a habit of speaking out on public affairs many times. The Donald has never been afraid to share his thoughts. People like this.

He has a battle on his hands with Hillary but following are several reasons he might edge her out. [Read more…] about 8 Reasons Donald Trump Will Beat Hillary

Politics, Religion And Half-Loaf Thinking

June 14, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

You Can’t
Believe In Others
If You Don’t
Believe In Self

There are two things that every person should understand.

One is that Jesus saves. Not by accident, not occasionally and not under protest. He wants to save souls. You could say He loves to save and He isn’t alone in that sentiment. Heaven rejoices when just one soul repents.

A second important truth to understand is that Jesus believes in people. I didn’t say He loves people. He loves them, yes, but one of the ways He shows He loves them is by believing in them. Believing in a person is the strongest way to say I love you.

We use the word “love” all the time and we love many things. Saying you love some person or group of persons is culturally expected and politically correct, but it is neither real nor convincing till your actions say “I believe in you!”

Of these two understandings, the most important is the second, believing in people.

I can’t save anyone. You can’t save anyone. Only Jesus can do that. Neither you nor I can even confirm if a person is genuinely saved or not. I might believe someone is saved or want to believe they are saved but there is no way I can prove it.

Only Jesus can save a soul and only Jesus knows absolutely who is and who is not saved. But, even though I can’t save a soul, I can believe in people. You can too. Any person can do this.

Unfortunately, we don’t do this as well as we should and I will admit that it isn’t easy to do. It’s easy to believe in charming people. Extraordinarily capable people inspire belief. Thinking of these people as can-do requires little faith. Ability, confidence and potential ooze from them.

But the idiots and jerks are another story. Those are the ones we struggle to believe in. In fact, the apparent inability of our peers – the turkeys – is often used as an excuse. We don’t soar because we are surrounded by them. It’s their fault, which means we don’t believe in ourselves either.

Rigid Us/Them Thinking

One situation that demonstrates the problem is in personal differences. When we differ, we drift apart and then we feud. Varying perspectives don’t just fail to align, they become enemy lines. The middle ground becomes a chasm, and the chasm widens: me or you, us or them, acceptable or unacceptable, good or bad, our side or their side.

It’s all very polarizing! [Read more…] about Politics, Religion And Half-Loaf Thinking

The Most Important Person In Your Life

June 1, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

The Most Important
Person
Is Not
Who You Think

I recently attended the memorial service of an acquaintance whose death was a shock to everyone. She was quite young. She left two school aged children and a husband who loved her. In fact, everyone loved her. The service was packed, standing room only, which says a lot about the impression she made on folks.

While sitting in the service it occurred to me that we don’t know when or how death might come knocking and it would behoove us all to ask and answer the question:

If I were to die tomorrow and knew it today, what would I consider the most important thing in my life in the present?

My first thought was, that’s a great topic for a sermon, but after thinking about it a bit my enthusiasm was flattened. My original idea wasn’t to think up a collection of Most-Important issues from which you could make a selection. Take some, leave some. I was focused on the ABSOLUTELY most important things for every person. The list I wanted to write included only imperatives. No possibles or maybes.

And you’re probably thinking the same question that occurred to me. How can you say that? We’re all different.

But then I thought again and realized there are a few things that are Most-Important for everyone. Let me explain. [Read more…] about The Most Important Person In Your Life

Solitude, Silence, Contemplation? Please!

February 23, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Sustained Conversation
Curbs Brashness

“Solitude, silence and contemplation?”

A friend recently sent me an email sharing a few snippets from material he had been encouraged to read by a friend who was into a religious leader, whose name I won’t mention.

One of the snippets promoted “solitude, silence and contemplative prayer.” It was somehow interwoven with “loving one another” and being connected to Jesus.

I’m paraphrasing because, quite frankly, all the ideas, though very acceptable separately, came across as mumbo jumbo. It was like the alphabet soup of religious, idiomatic jargon swirling together in a suspended state. The order of the ideas could shift with no change in meaning.

My friend wrote me wanting to know my thoughts.

To be honest, I don’t get it. Besides confusing, it is all so yesteryear.

The terminology harks back to a time when solitude was fairly common, silence was required and contemplation was allowed only in prayer, the silent kind. No audibles allowed.

I don’t know why we still use these terms.

The words were popularized when religion was owned and operated by the powerful few, centuries ago. The Spirit was entirely regulated.

Whatever ideas individuals developed through personal contemplation had to be kept a secret lest they be accused of heresy.

Today we’re smarter. We understand that these words describe the very issues that deprive people of feeling alive. Jesus commented on this very thing, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!”

“Free” being synonymous with “Alive!”

And He said this to the most rigidly religionized people of the day. He didn’t say anything about solitude, silence or contemplation. According to Jesus, all they needed do was “continue in His Word.”

That sounds like action to me.

Should we still be using such words? Let’s look a bit closer. [Read more…] about Solitude, Silence, Contemplation? Please!

Love’s Focus Should Be What?

February 16, 2016 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Make Sure You Look
Where You’re Loving

Everybody loves. Not some, but all. There is no person who doesn’t love.

Every saint loves. Every sinner loves. Good citizens and criminals both love.

The question is never, “Do you love?”

The capacity to love is engaged every waking moment by every person but is sometimes focused in the wrong direction. The important lesson is that we learn to love somebody else. Somebody other than self.

There was never a time when Ebenezer Scrooge didn’t love. He loved before his transformation and he loved after. The difference was “What” he loved, his focus. The people or things he was attached to. [Read more…] about Love’s Focus Should Be What?