Harassment Class

Last Saturday I was required to take a class on sexual harassment. We make all the usual jokes about it being "how-to" class. Mostly out of frustration. We have so much to do at work, and then they add in mandatory training for something that so rarely occurs. *sigh* At least, not here, it doesn't. Not much.

At least, I don't feel sexually harassed. And I don't know any one in my department who does. I know of two people who have been fired for sexual harassment. One was a time bomb waiting to happen, and the other caught us completely by surprise.

The class was about more than sexual harassment, though. It was about all types of harrassment: sexual, gender, age, race, etc. All in all, it was an okay class. The poor lady taught all 300 of us, in installments, over 4 days. Ours was the last class on the last day: Saturday, from 153-1730. *sigh* There were only 5 of us, so I couldn't sit in the back and snooze either. But, this way, she kept in constant contact with each of us, kept us involved, and the time went by quickly.

There are three qualifications to define something, legally, as harassment. Unfortunately, I only remember the first and the last: Is it unwanted, and does it change/affect the job environment, or something like that. I guess I only remember one and a half, then. Jokes I tell may be funny to my audience, but what about the person standing just outside my door? Do they feel pressured to conform? Does it make the security of their job dependent upon accepting my words/actions?

I consider myself a peon at my job, but I've been there 3 years today. I run errands for my manager, and most of the day crew comes to me for advice on ER registrations. I've become, sort of, a specialist in this area. It feels good, but with this extra ... honor, I guess ... comes extra responsibility. I have to hold myself up above reproach. I should anyway, but, this adds extra weight to my actions, giving them added validity. What I do must be okay, because I'm the one doing it. Right?

I may be joking and playing, but if those around me don't know me, they may take me seriously. Oops.

Thats where one particular phrase from the class sticks out: Content, not intent. I may intend to be funny, but its not my intent that is judged, it is the content of my words and actions. This extends far beyond the boundaries of the workplace, too.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but it is still a road to hell. It is not the good intentions of our lives that God will judge. It is the content. Here's a good illustration. Suppose you have some friends over, and were going to make an omelet for everyone. Nice and easy. You have almost enough eggs, but not quite. Then, way in the back, you see a few more that, you suspect, have been there well past their "sell by" date. Are you going to use them? Just so you have enough for everyone, of course. Are you going to approach God and say, most of my life was good. There's just a few things that I did wrong. Its not going to work.

Many people are expecting to go to heaven because they are trying to be good. Because they go to church. This is sort of wierd. At the hospital, I have ask people if they have a religious preference, just in case we ever need to call a chaplain on their behalf. I'm suprised at the ones who say, "I don't know. I guess I'm a christian." You guess? You don't know.

Its a conscious decision you have to make. You have to choose to put your trust in God, and in his son, Jesus. It will be the content, particularly, this content, that affects your eternal life. Not just your intents.

This Do in .... why?

Last month, I went to church. Surprise, surprise. It was the first Sunday of the month, which meant, we had Communion. I suppose we'll do it again tomorrow.

That sounds really .... tedious. Its supposed to be a celebration. A time to remember. "This do in rememberance of Me," thus saith the Lord. Amen and amen.

Instead, quite often, we are told that we need to examine ourselves. Look inside. Confess our sins. Repent. Be clean. Don't partake in an unworthy manner. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.

At a time when we're called together, to remember Him, we're pointed to ourselves. Time wise, I believe we spent more time on the "us" part of it, than on the "Jesus" part.

I'd like to see more focus on Jesus, the real reason for communion, and less on me.

I am a Fish Tank

The dogs were barking this morning, and I got up to yell at them. Of course, they were quiet by the time I got out there, but, since I was up....

I decided to take care of a few things around the house. I get a lot more done in the mornings, and everything is easier when the kids are asleep.

I started off sweeping and mopping. I wanted to move the fish tank to the other side of the dining area, as it would give us more sitting room.

So, I had to drain it, move the fish, find something to put the fish in, yada yada yada. You get the picture.

I finally remember we had bought a fish pond for outside. So I took about thirty minutes and dug a small hole for it. 24 inch diameter and 6 inches deep. Not really that big, but big enough when its hard packed dirt like we have here.

So, the fish are happy, the dining room looks a little bigger, the floors are clean, and I'm dirty.

Back to the fish tank. I pushed it up against the wall, then had to pull it back out to make room for the filter. Its in a corner, and still tight against the other wall. I needed to slip the power cords between the tank and the wall, and run them over to the outlet.

Low and behold, it was too tight for the cords even. So, I grabbed the tank and pulled a little. It moved some, but it was more of a sway, and the stand didn't budge. The cord dropped about half-way down and stuck. So, I sat down and pulled on the base, right were it sits on the tile. It waas easier, and the whole thing slid over for me. Mission accomplished.

It made me think of life, laws, morality, and government. Funny, huh.

America, according to history as I was taught all those years ago, was founded by men fleeing religious persecution. They wanted to practice Christianity as God was leading them, not as the government told them was proper and accepted.

When they rebelled and formed their own nation, it was based on their principles. Christians morals as taught in the bible, as believed and practiced in their everyday lives. This is the foundation of our legal system, and our everyday freedoms.

Today, we are trying to spread our lifestyle, and our newer version of freedom, around the world. But its not working so well. I've heard it said for years that you can't legislate morality. It appears you can't legislate capitalism or democracy either.

We've stepped in, with the best of intentions, and tried to help Iraq and Afghanistan. To some degree, we probably have. But we've only managed to sway the top of the fishtank. Eventually, if we keep applying pressure, we will move the whole thing.

But there needs to be a grass roots movement for effective change. When the people want something, then the country can change.

Its the same for individuals. There are certain things I know I need to change about myself. Drink more water. Exercise. blah. But necessary. I know these things, and my life has swayed a little. But I need to desire these chnges too.

As Christians, I've seen us divide up the human person into two or three distinct parts. Material and immaterial, or spirit, soul, and body. However you divide yourself up, you're doing it wrong.

You are one. In the beginning, God created man. Not three things that he packed together like free software bundles. I am a man. One being. I need to worship with my whole being. Not just singing with my voice while my mind roams. Or paying attention to the literal meaning of the words while singing with no emotion. Understanding, emotions, and bodily involvement. Stand up, clap, dance a little. (Very little in my case, since I have no rhythm.)

Changes in my life will need to involve my whole being. Not a mental assent, or mere desire. Desire gives strength, knowledge gives direction, and my body is my slave.

Gotta start at the bottom to move the whole fishtank that is me.

Blair warns of 'arc of extremism'

"'This war can't be won in a conventional way, it can only be won by showing that our values are stronger, better and more just, more fair than the alternatives,' he said."

Thats gonna be real hard, convincing the world that American Values are better than those of the rest of the world. Ordaining gays, condoning violence, ignoring our own poor.

Sure, we need to reach out and help the rest of the world. But I think we're not working hard enough to raise ourselves from the pits we've fallen into.

The Muslim world isn't going to see our way of life as better than theirs any time soon. Not unless they let go of their religion, and become secular.

Thats what we've done. Religion is a private affair here in the States, and it isn't allowed to affect our schools, our work, or our political processes. Ours is a secular worldview, and as such, seems better to us. Better education. Better food. Better homes.

But at the price of our souls. Does Mr. Blair really think he can convince this "arc of extremism" that better food is really worth our souls?

Have a heart, President Bush

Wired News: Senate Says Yes to Stem Cells
The Senate passed a bill that would increase federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. It sounds okay, but stem cells come from dead babies. Okay, fetus is politically correct, but 'dead baby' is more accurate.

There are other sources now. We can explore and improve our understanding of these alternates, and not have to resort to embryonic stem cells.

"Actress Mary Tyler Moore was very disappointed by Bush's stance.

'This is an intelligent human being with a heart, and I don't see how much longer he can deny those aspects of himself,' she said."

Funny thing is, Bush does have a heart.

"The simple answer is he thinks murder's wrong," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "The president is not going to get on the slippery slope of taking something living and making it dead for the purposes of scientific research."

Our president does have a heart. Thats why he is so involved in world politics (e.g.--the war in Iraq), and why he refuses to be involved in embryonic stem-cell research. There are many people who may benefit from new findings, but many more infants who will never enjoy a single day playing in the park with their daddies.

Whether he can walk or not.

U.S. House Bill on Persecution in China Draws Fire | Christianpost.com- Christian News Online , Christian World News

"'The Chinese government protects the freedom of religious beliefs of citizens in accordance with the law,' Jiang said. 'After reform and opening up ... we have made great progress in our human rights and people's livelihoods. This is obvious for all to see.'
"

Yes, it is obvious for all to see. Thats why we can condemn their actions, because finally they're obvious to even the blindest lawmaker. "China maintains tight control over all religions. Those who attend underground Protestant or Catholic churches routinely face detention, harassment and sometimes imprisonment." What, its called freedom because I can attend church, but it has to be the one controlled and owned by the goverment? They appoint pastors, then tell them what to preach. They have spies attend church to take names and report on them. And this is the official church! Imagine what they do to members of unofficial churches.

They said that the U.S. needs to stop interfering in "internal affairs under the pretext of religious affairs and human rights." There is the key difference. In American, the individual is highly valued. Not so in China. It is the Government and the Party that are paramount. I agree on the point of not interfering in internal affairs. No one else should tell us how to tax or set our speed limits or vote. Thats government. But we have no right to crush down the individual citizens of our country.

I was going to say "I can't believe China said that," but, unfortunately, I can believe.

Prison Closes Christian Discipleship Program

Christian Today > Christian News, Updated Daily > The Prison Service has ditched a groundbreaking discipleship course for inmates at Dartmoor prison on the grounds that it failed to comply with “diversity policies”.

There were two reasons for the closure of this program. They teach the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, for one. Which upsets anyone who doesn't fall into that category. And if they aren't in this category, where do the fall? Into the SIN category. (And we can't be calling people sinners now, can we? Even if they are in prison for breaking the law, we still can't call them sinners, they have enough issues without lowering their self-esteem.)

Secondly, it doesn't comply with the diversity policies of the prison system. They aren't allowed to, ever so slightly, insult another by ... what? ... telling them the Truth? If they say Jesus is the Son of God, some will be offended. If we say He died, and rose from the grave, others will be offended. And we can't offend, now, can we?

A similar program in American (this one is in Britain) reduced recidivism to eight percent. Its clearly effective. Even the little bit it ran in England, they saw changes. Its not just a Bible study run behind prison bars. Its also a support program for those who have been released.

It works, but it isn't all inclusive, so, they're going to throw it out the window.

We can tolerate anything, except intolerance, it seems.

Certainly a one world religion is coming soon, and its going to damn the whole world.