Rock bottom. I think it's so important that we understand what those two words mean. The reality is that some of our friends, acquaintances, and colleagues may be in that place right now. The reality is that thousands of people in our country and around the world are there right now. I think it's important to understand the pain they're going through, be able to sympathize with them, and have compassion for them.

Here are two poems written by a good friend of mine, Jessica. Her drawing Heart of Hearts is also featured above.


☙  ❦  ❧  ❦  ☙  ❦  ❧


Addiction

A needle pricks the pale flesh that is draped over shrinking muscles and red bones.
He is the unwanted; the unloved.
No one sees him; no one wants to see him.
People accuse him of being a bum or a whore,
But they don’t see that he has to fight to live.
They don’t see him being molested and raped.
So he has to run away and he runs himself off a cliff.
He takes the demon in a shot of heroin.
And he has no control.
His body craves poison, and if he does take he will die.
But he knows it will kill him slowly.
But to others he is already dead.
He then smiles in agony, knowing that his death may make some foot note in the day’s news.
He knows though that he is unwanted.
He knows that no one cares.
And so he walks up and down;
Waiting, waiting.
Dreaming of a better tomorrow.


☙  ❦  ❧  ❦  ☙  ❦  ❧


Depression

My heart sunk. Too deep, too deep in to the shadows... Tears flood my mind and pour out of me. I cannot see the path that lays before me. I am just being played by the others around me. Like a dead puppet that lost her strings. Watch her cry, watch her die. Let her suffer, Let her lie. I wander though this world, blinded by the thoughts of others, suffering from my hand. These lies, these lies. Why can't I escape? Every step turns into a trail of blood. Every tear is hidden. I cannot get out, this feeling in my soul stays. I cannot get out, can I withstand this pain? I cannot get out, tears screaming in the dark.

Desire

If you desire popularity, know that there will always be people way more sought after than you.

If you desire praise, know that there will always be people much more deserving of it.

If you desire to be beautiful, know that there will always be people who appear much more beautiful than you.

If you desire beauty, know that there will always places and objects more majestic, elegant, and sublime.

If you desire to be trendy, know that that there will always be people more au courant.

If you desire knowledge, know that for every subject and speciality you learn about, there will always be people who knows a heckofalot more than you.

If you desire wisdom, know that there will always be people who can come up with better solutions in less time.

If you desire to be religious, know that you will always find people who make you look like a miscreant.

If you desire sexual fulfilment, know that the term is an oxymoron outside of marriage.

If you desire money, know that there will always be people with 100 times more money than you.

If you desire God, know that He is not far from any one of us.

If you desire love, seek God.

If you desire joy, seek God.

If you desire peace, seek God.

An unborn child is not just another body part of the mother. Every child is a human being with his or her own unique DNA and his or her own separate circulatory system! Children often have a blood type different from their mother, even while in the womb.

It is our government's job to protect all Canadians from discrimination, and unborn children are the only group of human beings in Canada today who are denied human rights protections by our government.

It's time to show the world that unborn children are human beings. It's time to stop funding abortions with taxpayer money. It's time to support pregnant women and help them make the right choice. It is time to save the thousands of unborn children killed every year in Canada.

Christian Music 101

What is Christian music?

     Christian music is not a genre; rather, it is a very broad category of music made by followers of Christ who want to glorify God in some way with their art. "Christian music" is much like the extensive term "Canadian music" – rather than being restricted to one specific form, it is a quite general term that can be applied to music in virtually every genre. There are two basic types of Christian music:

     Worship music is the kind of music that is suitable for singing in church services. These songs usually have "vertical lyrics," meaning that the lyrics of the song are addressed specifically to God, so the people worshiping feel like they are singing to God directly. This includes hymns, gospel music, and contemporary worship. Even within worship music there is a wide range of musical styles, from solemn, traditional renderings of 18th century hymns to the upbeat experimental post-rock songs of Gungor and Bellarive.

     Nonworship music is music written by Christians to glorify God, but meant for general listening rather than being played in a church service for worship. Although there are so-called "Christian record labels," there are also many Christians who publish music with secular, mainstream record labels. The Christian rock scene is vibrant, including the symphonic metal band Skillet, the alternative surf rock band Switchfoot, and the Canadian metal band Thousand Foot Krutch. The Christian rap/hip hop scene is also thriving, led by rappers such as TobyMac and Lecrae.
     Classical music owes a great deal of its success to Christian composers and patrons. Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest composers of all time, was a devout Lutheran and devoted every one of his works "to the glory of God." Christians have also played a large part in the history of country music; Johnny Cash himself was unashamed to say he was a Christian, and sang a number of gospel songs. I've also listened to Christian artists from the genres of synth-pop (Owl City), electronic dance music (GodsDJs.com), jazz (Christian Jazz Artists Network), reggae (Papa San), acoustic rock (Mat Kearney), and even beatboxing (Peterpot).

How much does a band need to sing about God to be a "Christian band"?

     I don't think that a "Christian band" necessarily even needs to mention God in any of their songs. If the band members are true followers of Christ, then their beliefs should be evident in their music. However, explicit references to God or religion are not necessary.
     For example, Adam Young (the genius behind Owl City) rarely mentions God in his music, but keeps his songs clean and positive and isn't afraid to identify as a Christian. In 2011 he told the Christian Post in an interview, "My prayer is that the music of Owl City serves as a bright light in a very dark place, a ray of hope in this haunted house of a world. I want the Lord Jesus to use my music to do WHATEVER it is He wills."

Is it wrong to listen to nonChristian music?

     I think it all depends on whether or not the music you're listening to is going to affect your thoughts and behaviour, tempting you to sin. I listen to lots of music written by nonChristians, but I'm careful to remember that what I listen to can influence me profoundly.

     Lots of modern music has references to using illegal drugs, abusing alcohol, violence, lust and sexual immorality, pride, greed, hate, disregarding the consequences of your actions, and excessive concern with outward appearances and popularity. However, music affects each of us differently.
     If you can listen to Pumped Up Kicks without having the song change your views on violence, then I'd say it's okay to listen to. If you can listen to Thrift Shop without becoming excessively vulgar, materialistic, and prideful, then I'd say it's okay to listen to it. If you can listen to We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (one of my favourite Taylor Swift songs) without getting overly bitter about a breakup you've experienced, then I'd say it's okay to listen to it. But as soon as a song starts inciting you to sin, I would recommend to back away and stop listening. That goes for any song, regardless of the religious beliefs of the person who wrote it.

Homosexuality and the Christian Community

        There is a significant and divisive debate in the Christian community over whether or not homosexuality is sinful. Many people believe that all Christians are "anti-gay," but there is really no consensus on homosexuality among Christians. Some conservative Christians are vehemently opposed to homosexuality and gay rights, believing that homosexuals should "become straight." However, some liberal Christians fully support homosexuality and gay rights, emphasizing God's love and forgiveness. Many Christians find a middle ground, believing that being attracted to the same sex is okay, but that the Bible prohibits sexual behaviour between people of the same gender. This wide range of beliefs is reflected in the differing positions of Christian churches and organizations. The United Church of Canada welcomes homosexuals into its congregations and allows its clergy to perform same-sex marriages. The official catechism of the Roman Catholic church states that homosexuals can be Catholics, but that they are called to chastity. The New York Times reported about a conservative evangelical Baptist church in Ausbury Park, New Jersey that attended the city's annual gay pride celebration, giving out water bottles. The church believes that homosexuality is a sin, but went "to show God's love" to the people there.

        The debate over homosexuality in the Christian community largely centers around particular Bible verses relevant to the issue (e.g. Leviticus 18:22 and 1 Corinthians 6:9). Scholarly, contemporary translations of the Bible (such as the New International Version) support the view that homosexual behaviour is sinful, though not necessarly same-sex attraction (an important distinction). However, some Christians believe that the Bible has been misunderstood and mistranslated, arguing that the Bible means to condemn other practices such as child abuse and rape instead. This is likely a debate that will divide Christians for many years to come, with implications for the relationship between the Christian and LGBT communities. However, Christians from every standpoint should be able to agree on the importance of treating homosexuals with love and respect, as the Bible commands (Mark 12:31 and Proverbs 10:12). It is also helpful to consider that too much of an emphasis on sexuality can detract from the Bible's main message, that of the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ.

In writing this post, I have done my best to put aside my own beliefs on the subect and remain unbiased, in order to present an impartial summary of the differing standpoints Christians have on homosexuality. You can read my personal standpoint here.

Photo credit

Hiding the Supernatural: The origin of matter

Photo credit

        The first law of thermodynamics states that energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change its form. This physical law is one of the foundations of natural science. When there is a undisputed, universal physical law stating that matter cannot be created, how is it possible to explain that matter exists?  There are two possibilities – either matter has always been (it is eternal), or at one time matter did not exist and then began to exist.

        There are many theories for how our universe (matter) came to be. Most people in the world believe that the universe was created by a supernatural being (creationism). Some believe that the universe has always existed. Others believe that the universe began billions of years ago, completely apart from any supernatural intervention.

        The idea that the universe began completely apart from supernatural intervention is not consistent with the first law of thermodynamics. Anything that is of the physical world is subject to the physical laws of the world, and thus subject to the first law of thermodynamics. This law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed. Thus, in order for matter to be created, it must be created by something that is outside of physical laws and outside of the natural world (supernatural).

        The idea that the universe has always existed is actually consistent with the first law of thermodynamics. If matter is eternal, then it never was created. It always was.

        However, this theory does not sufficiently take into account the fact that for everthing that happens in the natural universe, there is a cause. In order for anything with mass to move, it must be moved by something other than itself. Because it is quite evident that there is motion in the natural world, there must have been something that moved first, enabling (e.g. causing) all other motion in the natural world. If there was not a "first mover," then this natural world could not be in motion, because everything natural that is moving is caused to be in motion by something else. This first mover must be outside of the laws of nature, because it has no natural cause for moving. In other words, this first mover must be supernatural.

        The idea that the universe was created by something supernatural is consistent with the first law of thermodynamics, because physical laws only apply to the natural world. If a being is spiritual and supernatural, then it does not belong to the natural world, and it is not restricted by physical laws. The first law of thermodynamics is strong evidence for the theory that the natural universe began from something supernatural (in other words, that the universe was created). I dare say that the first law of thermodynamics effectively proves creationism.

        All naturalistic, materialistic explanations of the origin of the universe merely hide the necessity of a supernatural creator, pretending to offer feasible alternatives to the logical, intuitive idea that the universe was created by a supernatural being. However, upon close analysis, there is no escaping from the truth that there is a creator who does not belong to this universe and is not bound by our physical laws.

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This post was heavily influenced by Thomas Aquinas's proof for the existence of God in his famous book, the Summa Theologica. You can read the book online by following this link. Once you've realized that the book is way to long to read in its entirety, you can read his relatively short proof for the existence of God by following this link.

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The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” – Psalm 14:1