Decoding myself - part 1 - Ignorance and Wickedness

I hope, through this series that I write about myself... I will be able to examine my thoughts on paper (screen) and unload information off my mind since its getting really tiring...

I think there are only two possibilities (reasons) why a person does a wrong thing.

They are either ignorant of the truth, or they are being wicked.

For example:
An old lady crosses the road.

Case 1:
I didn't see her, so I did not help her because of ignorance.

Case 2:
I did see her, but I did not know that I should help her (I was not taught so). This is also another form of ignorance.

Case 3:
I did see her, but I did not want to help her because I was wondering if I would be late for an appointment which I am unsure if it was more important. This is also ignorance because I cannot make a decision properly because I didn't know whether helping her was more important or arriving on time was more important.

Case 4:
I know that I could be a little late for the appointment and everythign would be okay, but I did not help the old woman cross the road. This is wickedness.

Case 5:
I had nothing to do, I know I should help her, but I choose not to do so although I knew the right thing to do was to help her cross. This is wickedness.

So...

My world is black and white. I loathe the idea of grey areas. I do not believe in grey areas. It is either ignorance or wickedness. Otherwise it is preference. I.e. liking apples over oranges in itself is not a moral matter, therefore "right" and "wrong" is irrelevant.

How does this affect what I think of other people?

I will tell a person the truth once, twice, and perhaps three times. If they still don't do the right thing, then they are being wicked. If they didn't understand, then they are being ignorant. But I bet the chances of the being wicked are greater than being ignorant. So I have a very low opinion of most people, and also myself.

I'm more wicked than I appear.

God save me. Please. Save them too.

Crap

I feel that everything is just so slow. Time passes too slowly. People think too slowly. People talk to slowly.


I realize the world isn't like Engineering.


A good telecommunication system transfer as much data as possible within the shortest span of time without errors.


But human relationships aren't like that.


You talk, you spend time. You can tell the truth yet it takes more than facts for another person to believe. Even if the person believes, it takes time to sink in. Somehow, communication between two people isn't just... passing information.


An engineering system basically needs one thing. Improvement. EVERYTHING is measured in terms of performance. But I realize that very few things in human life is measured by performance. Happiness isn't always the best thing, neither is sadness the worst thing.


Loneliness mean NOTHING in engineering. But it is better for a person to die than to be lonely.


I'm stressed. I have a hard time to piece everything together. I feel like a machine. I feel so much a machine that it is hard to communicate - transmit information to another person... in a normal way.


Save me.


I feel conflict everywhere I go. The only time I am conflict free is when I deal with abstract things like ideas and concepts. I dislike machines. I dislike people. I do not like teamwork.


Yet I know, without people - what is the world? What is life?


I have been climbing a ladder. Some people climb the corporate ladder and strive to get high paying jobs and strike it rich.


I have been climbing a ladder - I have been thinking of things in a way that is inconsistent with many things. I see the same things - but I don't see anything. I perceive, but I'm blind. Thoughts enter my mind, but emotions... I have them - yet I feel half a human.


I am somehow on the wrong ladder.


Shit.


Joel screwed up but doesn't know the alternative.

Rubbish Talk

One thing about being in FOCUS Bible Study Group - I have come to realize that the "extra knowledge" that I have fades in comparison with reading the Bible properly. Knowing a little bit more about psychology, philosophy, and history certainly did help me understand certain concepts better in the world...

But I couldn't help but notice how sometimes this knowledge distorts what is obvious and simple before my eyes. Just like my frist exam paper - the question was exactly like the past year paper... the difference was the guy changing the values from 5mm to 6mm. I overanalyzed (with some pretty flawed logic) and with some wierd understanding... I wrote in the paper that there was a problem with the question, and started deriving basic formulas to get the answer...

Which, was obviously wrong.

As the discussions in Bible Study continued, I was glad that I kept my mouth shut at certain times - or else I will start looking like some glorified smart alec.

What I am being exposed to is that the Bible is sufficient for an average person to learn about God. We just have to read it for what it is.

As I learn more, it irritates me more and more how I hear of people over-spiritualizing the Bible for what it is not, preaching revelations that God never heard, majoring on the minors and minoring on the major (issues).

I had a talk with a lecturer recently, and I have come to understand the term "liberal" and "conservative" more.

Of course their views do not fully represent the whole group's thinking...

but a liberal might think of the Bible as a "guide book" instead of a "rule book". More of a story rather than history. A moral lesson and not a historical fact. i.e. they are more "liberal" with their theology. Liberals would call conservatives "fundamentalists".

of course, fundamentalists/conservatives would argue that they are just simply following the Bible. They say that liberals don't take God's Word as God's Word.

I have never really thought of this dimension of conflict before.

The ones that I have encountered before are:

Mainstream Christianity vs Christian Sects (Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Science)
Protestant Christianity vs Roman Catholicism
Intelligent Design vs Evolution
Arminianism vs Calvinism
Christianity vs Other Religions
Christianity vs Atheism
Book-by-book Biblical Preaching vs Topical Biblical Preaching

now, I can add to the list:
Liberal vs conservative

I looked up to my liberal lecturer. He lectures in Math and also New Testament Greek. This was one of the things I wanted to achieve.

One who masters the science and the arts.

Leonardo da Vincci. but he was a polymath, a genius. I probably won't get there, but if I could get near... He was the model of the "Renaissance man". Ever curious, ever learning, GENIUS!

but today I learnt one thing from Joshua. He said this:

"Really, knowing a lot of things does not mean that you know the Bible well. It is that attitude that we have when we come to read God's Word, isn't it? to be humble ..."

I used to have the logic, if I become a "glorified man" in the eyes of people, that is - to have good reputation, superior knowledge, perhaps what I say might have more impact. For example: Albert Einstein is so often quoted as saying "God doesn't play dice". Intelligent Deseign proponents so often use this line to say that Albert Einstein does not believe in Evolution.

I have to agree - people are normally convinced by very few things.

1) What a lot of people say
2) What some famous person say ( or so they think of as authoritative figures )

But I have known a few things about myself - to know that sometimes I crap about things I don't know. To keep up with the image. I mean, come on - I may know a little bit about people to guess motives and analyze people like I would analyze some cell - but who am I to start speaking authoritatively about many other things? Politics? I know nuts. Education? I know nuts.

I have read some politicians blog, seemingly exposing injustuce, they also blog about religion. As a person who is interested in religion ( and I think I know a fair bit about the issue ), I read his flawed explanations and lousy arguments that only wold convince ignorant people. Like I used to think sleeping together ( that is... just sleeping ) somehow creates babies.

Arguments that fool innocent ignorant people. But since they are famous, they are perceived to be authoritative - and the culture around us is teaching us to be stupid.

WATCH MORE DRAMAS!

THINK LESS!

JUST BE ENTERTAINED!

GO WITH THE FLOW!

A few things I have to know. Though I am somewhat proud of studying engineering (to which when asked why I study engineering, I tell them it trains my thinking), yet I need to know that being good in logical thinking (as much as it is helpful), this knowledge does not commend me before God.

This is where intellectuals might disagree. When they try to rationalize that God accepts just about anyone into heaven ( playing down the issue of sin ), they say that God looks at the heart ( though it is full of wickedness ). But when they are respected by men (though not by God) because of their advance knowledge, they are not willing that God looks at their heart only. They want God to look at whatever they look at. They want to make God see things their way.

And this is dangerous to me, because I have the tendency to do so even more, since I am a more dominant type of person. I will get my way. Even as an ordinary person not being Christian, thinking logically, we ought to know that one person who is good in Chemistry might be a sucker in History.

This is a message to myself that I ought not to be proud, because the Bible writes so clearly -

"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up"

This is a terrible issue in the church actually. Pastors who have read the Bible here and there a little bit, after reading a few famous authors - approaches the Bible with a notion that they know it already. Using the Bible to support their private arguments. And of course, they learnt it from another person who spoke that way. I trust that they are still sincere, yet many of us Christians know the phrase that "one can be sincerely wrong".

Sometimes we use that line to describe a person of another faith - "sincerely wrong". I agree with that, yet we also have issues within the church that we can be (and are) sincerely wrong about. The same way we say that a Christian guy is no more immune to sexual temptations than a non Christian guy.

The society is filled with rubbish talk. It has been high time for a thousand years that we ought to be more sober than we are and understand that the world is not a neutral place. It is a battle. While half of America thinks that they are fighting in Iraq - A war against terrorism. Another half which thinks that there shouldn't be a war, are fighting in the white house for ceasefire ( or peace in their opinion ).

Peace is one of those things that won't naturally come. Peace have to be fought for. We might want peace, but we live with chaotic people in a chaotic world. It is high time that we grow up.

There has been much superstition, mythologies, and crazy notions in the world. Please don't let such things permeate the church. May the Word of God be preached for what it is.

For the sake of being truthful to God - preach the Word of God faithfully.
For the sake of teaching people sound logic - preach the Word of God faithfully.
For the sake of being effective in proclamation - preach the Word of God faithfully.
For the sake of understanding world issues - preach the Word of God faithfully.
For the sake of the satisfaction within our souls - preach the Word of God faithfully.

It is difficult

One thing that is difficult in my life is to have double allegiance.

I hold to certain principles, but sometimes the principles doesn't seem to lead me to what I want. Many people say that there ain't that many clear cut things in life, but how can that be possibly true?

Of course, in the process in pleasing someone - some other person might be pleased. But can we choose to please two different people if they want essentially two different things?

And with issues like principles, there is no compromise to somehow fulfill both. Compromising on a principle isn't near half of keeping it. It is like keeping half a promise when it costs us more to keep the full promise.

We either choose to sacrifice to keep the promise - or break the promise and offer some sort of compensation. But this does not change the fact that the promise is broken. In that sense, only one can be chosen -

Who is the example of a real man that I can follow?

I remember Paul told Timothy to "imitate me, as I imitate Christ". Timothy somehow knew Christ too, but Timothy needed a man to imitate.

Who is willing to step up and say the same thing? Ain't there a man - who is man enough to say such words - follow me.

I'm not sure if only a girl needs to hear those words from the man of her life - but a boy also needs a man whom he can follow, so one day he can say the same thing to another girl. Why isn't there a man for such a time as this? Why have the boys ( who are supposed to be men ) still so playful? Why so childish?

The whole materialism that reflects insecurity - that is then promoted through all sorts of means is tearing down the human institution. Greed and lust is a disgrace. Buy a man with a woman, and buy a woman down the street with spare change. How lowly has this become...

When men aren't real men, how can a woman be a real woman - and we resort to all sorts of trickery, emotional manipulation - sometimes unknowingly, but sometimes knowing full well with a greedy heart.

But there isn't a better choice is there? We all have to settle for second best. So much so that should there arise a man one fine day that we should look up to... We would find it hard to believe since we are so used to the classical acts. It is so hard to think well of anybody, it is so difficult to choose.

It is all the more difficult, because I am one of them. Sheer determination is not futile - so we can probably achieve being a man somehow. But effectively speaking, everything is futile, because it is difficult to look into the future and see the fruits of this labour.

And where there is no vision, the people die.

I Cried

This morning, perhaps about 7a.m. I cried.

I only remembered that I was in the Library, I was crying. Mitchell was saying that it was okay because Jesus forgave everything so I didn't need to cry anymore.

I told him that the reason I cried was exactly because Jesus forgave me everything.

Now I couldn't but think back the first time I watched The Passion of The Christ. Some people cried because they pitied Jesus, some because that it was simply inhumane, or maybe some other reasons.

But I was crying in my heart that time, "Jesus, don't die for me - You don't deserve this"

This morning, I was crying again. In my heart I said "I don't deserve You dying for me". But this time, I didn't say Jesus please don't die for me.

I cried for quite a long while I think, perhaps about 5 minutes in real life?

(5 minutes in real life is quite a long time in the dream-life. I really think so because it seems so that our subconcious minds are reminded of much more things than our conscious mind could even comprehend of processing. Remember getting an idea that took you 2 seconds to understand but takes minutes for you to think of how to put it into words?)

The Christian Student

Post Summary:

This post will look into the matter of the role of a person (e.g. me) as a Christian - then what it means to be a Christian student. Order of logic being: Christian first, then student.



What is the role of a Christian in this world - for that matter, what ought to be the original role of every human being?



God being the Creator, we are His creation. We will exist for His pleasure - whatever His pleasure would mean. What quickly comes to mind is a cruel dictator. What if I said the Germans at one point of time lived for Hitler's pleasure? That is madness. Truly, for a man who is sinful (which each of us are not far from) - to exist for one man's pleasure which is tainted with selfishness and wickedness (as "good" as he may otherwise be), a little corruption will make "existing for his pleasure" a nightmare.



And we know this, humans are at best - flawed, heavily flawed if not twisted. Otherwise, we just have not gotten to the bottom of the human heart.



God is not like that. God is perfectly good. If it is hard to imagine the Christian God, let us just suppose a good God who is infinitely just and infinitely loving.



Some Christians have summed up that the purpose of the Christian life is to worship God - to acknowledge Him as who He is and give due adoration, praise, and worship. Very quickly, the same image of Hitler might hit our minds where the cruel dictators force people to bow down to them by force most of the time if not all the time, a performance that will protect their obscurities. A show to please their fancies.



God is not like that. The fact that billions of people live far from "living for God's sake" up till today lets us know that God is giving us a time to decide who is the king of our lives. He definitely knows that He is the King of the Universe - but whether we regard Him as King or otherwise is quite another matter.



With the understanding that God is perfectly good, wise, and loving (having our welfare in His mind) - I think it might give a better idea to say that it is the honour, duty, and joy of every man (should they fully come to their senses) to do WHATEVER God decrees. One might question, WHATEVER? what if He asks you to kill? Isn't that what is happening in the world today - religious fanatics going out killing people in God's name? (Very soon this will relate to the student's dilemma)



I am to a very large extent glad to say that since Jesus time - Christians are called to offer the other cheek, and nowhere are there records of God commanding us to kill or hurt anybody since Jesus time. But I have to be clear that in ther earlier parts of the Bible before Jesus time, Israel had armies, God did command wars. God even commanded Abraham (for those unfamiliar, he is some big character in the Bible) to sacrifice his son - Isaac. So in that sense, whatever would include killing. But before jumping to conclusions, we have to understand that God's character (perfectly loving, perfectly just, perfectly wise) is the foundation of all His decrees - such that God would call us to do something based on His character. Nowhere in the Bible does God "test people for fun". Very different from some of us who posses some twisted sense of humour.



What does it mean (most of the time if not all of the time) to do whatever God says?



The good thing is that God did say something - and we know the major part of that "whatever" is. Jesus, before returning back to Heaven after His ressurection told His disciples

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."



Since then, people everywhere have been taught not only to believe in Jesus, but also to follow His footsteps - to be a disciple, not just one who hears and simply professes their faith with words. Since this will be the foundation of the following arguments, I better make sure that this point is clear.



Jesus is definitely clear that this world is not "all there is". He knows that the whole world will be judged because He is the judge. He knows that the whole earth will be destroyed because He is making a new one. He knows that the human body will die and decompose and we will not carry this body we have now into eternity. Every human institution will one day fail or fall.



As much as they might serve wonderful purposes now - there will be a day when we won't need "Energy Australia" or "Tenaga Nasional Berhad" anymore and they will run out of business because God will take care of the electricity problem in heaven should we ever have one.



In light of that, therefore what is most important is firstly - God's honour that is being blasphemed throughout the world and the human responsibility to comply to that. The human responsibility to that is to know Jesus - His Judgement, His Interpretation of the World, His verdict on our current state of relationship with God and much more - repent of their wicked ways, and entrust ourselves to God, taking Him at His Word.



This being of utmost important, the duty of every Christian is then to preach God's Word everywhere in one way or the other. One way or the other does not mean that we preach God in our words and not our actions - we preach God every way, in one way or the other. We might be a school teacher, or a government official, or someone in the comercial sector, or a pastor - this is the one way or the other (one form or the other). But we preach God every way - our actions, our attitudes, our secret thoughts, our words, how we treat others, how we treat God, etc.



This is why there is a part in the Bible where a leader called Paul asked the new believers of the day to remain in the same jobs they were in before - but with a new attitude in life. Paul asked slaves of the day (about 2000 years back) to remain as slaves, but to live honestly, although working for their masters, but to live with the attitude that their are serving God their true Master, etc. so that in every area of their lives, they will make known God's Word to others.



Excluding the job of an assasin, drug lords or the like... It is not what job we do that pleases God (as though being a big-time CEO brings more honour to God than a toilet cleaner), it is how we do our jobs that please God. To God - there is no hierachy. If there is, the CEO and the toilet cleaner belongs to the same level.



What does it mean then for a University Student like me?



Before this sound too far fetched, I will tell a little about myself being a student. Having grades to keep, there are times I pump some caffein into myself, stay up late quite often. Being a person who is not very concerned with my health, I now make extra effort to drink more juice, eat my vitamins, get out once in a while for some fresh air. I like sleeping, like many of us. But even having no assignments to rush, other housemates and I stay up late to study.


Thats a little bit about me.

But really, what difference is it being Christian as a student, or any other person? What is this whole getting top grades thing? What does studies mean to us... what does it mean to God, in the span of eternity?



Firstly, there is no difference.



For the second question. The knowledge of how capacitors work, how diodes work, how electricity flows... would be very worthless in the span of eternity.



However, a Christian student is to honour God in his work - for now, our job is to study. We may do many other things in church, or volunteer for charitable purposes. However, considering the amount of time we spent in our studies, it is quite clear what our jobs are.

Though on the outside the Christian and the non-Christian look somewhat the same, yet the Christian student believes something that is contrary to the popular alternative that our studies is our future-


I will study Engineering to become a great engineer, or earn lots of money, or to help many people by inventing wonderful appliances. It is wonderful to have a goal and achieve something great, want to help people, and perhaps to earn lots of money

But from our understanding previously that the world will not last and that what is truly of utmost importance is God's Honour and the human responsibility towards God... We ought not to be distracted from the crucial work of saving souls to chase afer the dreams that are shaped according to our fancies, ours and the world's fancies.



As a Christian student, I still bear the joy and responsibility to preach God's Word through my words, deeds, and attitude. I suppose it is not difficult for us to understand the responsibility part, but let me share some of the joys with you being a Christian student - dismissing the notion that the responsibility is something that is without joy.



As a student, in my studies:



I discover wonderful principles in Mathematics.


3²+4²=5²



We are familiar with this one. We learn this in high school. It is simple, but for some of us who study Mathematics on the tertiary level, we know that all these are beautiful equations. The simpler it is, the more profound. It marvels some of us, it marvels many professors "HOW ON EARTH IS THAT POSSIBLE?"



We learn that many laws govern our universe very beautifully.


They say this is the most beautiful equation that ever existed. You can ask some of your Mathematician friends if you want to understand this. Engineering students should know it too.

On the electrical side, I am also amazed by how laws all work together. Some of us learnt from Physics about simple things such as conservation of energy. But have you ever thought that converting energy from one form to the other (as much as we can calculate the amount of energy and give them a certain name - Joules for it), up till third year, I don't really have any idea of explaining what energy really is? and the the conversion process is still very mysterious?


Invisible magnetic waves created within the dynamo - somehow through some process turn into light, turns into power that can move electric cars. If we really think hard about it, it is quite an insane thing how all these things work together. Chemistry, Biology - all these things are mad stuff. As days goes by, scientists discover more and more wonderful things, like the DNA.


From equations, one who ponders long enough might just see something divine. There many tons of other wonderful equations - equations to prove the fourth dimension, some like to call it the spiritual world - which mathematics can be applied to guide our thinking in such matters.

I can only speak from the scientific point of view, since that is what I am in. I suppose there are similar things in the arts - which I probably know too little to comment on it.

My studies (some parts, not all) teaches me wonderful things about God, and I have to say that God did reveal some part of Himself through mathematics so that I appreciate Him more. Not only more, but also brought me to adore some qualities that another person who does not understand mathematics wouldn't see.


Yes, there are many boring parts in my studies where I learn how all these relates to our real life, how to apply these things. Tons of formulas that are difficult to memorize (which of course, God created both the simple and the complicated formulas - we merely discovered them) bore me. Well, in this world - we don't just feed on thoughts, we have to live, eat, shit, get tired and sleep and do all the "practical" things like use computers, electricity...


Yet somehow - there are times that we feel we were not created to do these things. Sometimes we want to play. Sometimes we want to do something that is truly significant in life , and we say "What on earth has this to do with it?"


Therefore, we look forward to a new world. Where we have new appetite for better things. Where we have a new body and the strength to do the things which truly matters - things that we were really created to do. As Christians, we sometimes do wish to just skip around and sing songs about God - close our eyes and dance around and express our joy to God. Yet it is the small menial things that disturb us. If we close our eyes and skip around, we might just bump into something else and fall down. People might think Christians are crazy or something. A pair of wings to fly would be cool. Being able to dance in the air would be cooler.


But I am sure Heaven would not be disappointing. Worshipping God on earth as a student, many times do not mean the most fun thing on earth to do. I get frustrated all the time. People who know me knows that I always look stressed - and yes, I am stressed all the time. Sometimes I cannot wait to just die and meet God. Yet I know I want to stay on earth, and God willing - as my friends see my attitude towards life - through my studies, through my living with them everyday... perhaps they might to open their minds toward the God of The Bible.


This is also another joy of being a student. I know that when I study, people watch. They watch my attitude. To some extent, they might be just looking for God in me - which I claim to say that Jesus lives in me.


Many times, as a student - it is the small things that frustrate me. Having to hang the clothes, having to wash the dishes. Why can't I just eat and have no dishes to wash? Then there are the "bigger" things. Final exams are just round the corner. I have grades to keep - I have to get a minimum of second upper class, which is part of my scholarship contract. It is my responsibility to keep it, but I prefer to call it a joy to lift the burden off my parents' shoulders by fulfilling my contract.


The world that I live in, is a world full of constraints. But with constraints, we know who our friends are. Loving is not easy, therefore we know what love that perseveres mean. With constraints, we are forced to prioritize and do what is more imporatant first. With constraints, we show our true colours. The higher the pressure, the more amazed I become as I see how God supports me from within.


Honestly, I look forward to a new world. Yet while I am here with all the frustrations... Thank God that He gave me friends and family - inside and outside the church. He has proved Himself faithful throughout the years, and when I come to my senses once in a while... I realize that it must have been tough for God to love someone like me.


It the quiet moments as I lie on my bed, I think back of what God has done, and somehow feel satisfied... even as my head is beating in rhythm with my heart as I ache over unsolved questions on engineering, relationships, my future.

Studies on Mark

http://lookingatlifewithhim.blogspot.com/

A new Series Mark. What I learn about God's Word in FOCUS - IBF Friday Night Bible Studies.

Up till now we have covered up to Chapter 10. I better record things from Chapter 1 before I forget.

Democracy or Monarchy?

Post Summary:
What I understand from the Bible and how it affects my views about Leadership within the family and Leadership within Politics.

Disclaimer: Although I have thought hard and long about these matters, learning to make sense of them in the light of the Bible, they are at best opinions, and they might not fully reflect Biblical principles.

As far as I understand democracy today, it means that the people chooses what form of government they wish to be governed by. Majority wins - and to a large extent, people set up rules that they would like to be ruled by.

Monarchy or other forms of government (i.e. Communism or Republican - ignoring also some other major mindsets which makes them differ from one another), unlike democracy has a more central sort of governance. Governance that would revolve around one person - or a few more prominent leaders. Laws and method of governance would be shaped heavily by HOW and WHAT the leader thinks - majority don't always win.


As I will continue into the pros and cons that an average person would see - Democracy would be something like moderating exam papers. Things are averaged out. For example: If Barrack Obama wins the presidency and he does a bad job for the next 5 years, the effects would not last very long as his performance would cause him to lose votes for the next election. He might have convictions which he stood by that makes him unpopular, but if he wants to stay in Office (whether for his selfish reasons, or some noble purpose), he has to somewhat please the people who holds the power to put him there. In this case, going back a decade or two, Saddam Hussien would have caused less destruction since his people would have brought him down. This I think, is the main advantage of democracy. We could also see how this is good for the fact that - more often than not, people become corrupted and greedy as they amass more wealth and power, to some extent Democracy keeps these issues in check.

On the other hand, the pros of Democracy are where other forms of government like Monarchy would fall short. Haven't we read in history textbooks where kings misuse their power? Think also of the period before the Reformation, where the Roman Catholic church was in a deep corruption issue - that is what normally happens when one person has too much power. Therefore, the effectiveness of the government depends heavily on the character of the leader(s). If the leader is bad, we all to some extent knows what it is like - the lousy and bossy teacher in our classroom is somewhat and image of what monarchy is like. Or for some of us that think of our parents as being some control freaks.

However, another scenario can also occur. At times, by the power of degrading culture and bad media - a whole nation can be affected to think irrationally. For example: look at our materialistic culture. In these cases, even a good leader might not be able to change things just instantly. Look at Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., although at the first place they are not official leaders that were granted high positions, yet they had to fight the government of their day by influencing the people and persuasion. But if they had power to begin with (i.e. royal blood or something) then perhaps they could change things more instantly.


At the end of the world, when Jesus returns - it is Monarchy though. His character is perfect - and his kingdom wouldn't be ruled by the fancies of us which will so many times land us in trouble - superficiality, fights and wars, materialism. The Bible calls Jesus King, and nobody else Prime Minister or Vice President, there will be no election because God - being the Creator has the RIGHT to rule, whether humans fancy that idea or not.

Now the application that hits me hard is then -

When I am in leadership position - what sort of role do I assume? If I am a person who makes mistakes - should I improve myself so that I am worthy of a "Monarchy" type of position? Or should I follow the flow and let the people choose what they want?

For us who had been in those positions where we knew that "We should have done that earlier" after we lost that match, or did a bad job on a group project... Did we not wish that we had absolute power at some point of time so that everybody in the group obeyed what we said and that we could have gotten higher marks?

Some of us who loathe the idea of Monarchy - let us be truthful with ourselves and admit that this proposition was a reasonable stand. In reality, perhaps most situations demand a tension - sometimes we have to be more diplomatic (democratic) sometimes we have to be more firm with our stands.

What then should we do?

I am more biased to the Monarchy idea. If I am not worthy - yet as long as I am "worthier", I should strive to be more worthy so that I am truly worthy to lead - Monarchy style. In short, people say that is being a control freak. But hey, remember the time when everybody "should have just listened to me"?

Yet, I can see that my style of thinking is a very dangerous one. Hitler certain was convicted of some ideas - although the government of that time was some what called democratic - yet in nature it was more like Monarchy. Look what Hitler did. Crazy man.

In my mind, family governance and political governance don't really differ much. But I think I might be misled in this area. Honestly.

This is ...probably, subconsciously, or something like that.... my effort to make myself "worthier" should I one day rise to a position of leadership. But if where I am heading is grossly wrong and dangerous, somebody please save me....

What do you think?

Problems with the lines - Issue 2

It is also mentioned:
(Direct translation)
If you are happy, you let a day go by. If you are sad or angry, you let a day pass by too. Why not then let a day pass happily?

That is to say:
Whether you are happy or you are sad - you let a day pass by. Considering that happiness is so much more enjoyable compared to sadness and anger, wouldn't it be an obvious choice that you should pass the day happily?

Problem:
Is happiness or sadness and anger merely a choice? There are two main conflicting ideas (which are not really very conflicting really) in the society. I will illustrate as below:

First on says that feelings (i.e. happiness, sadness, and anger) are emotion that HAPPENS to you and that you don't control your feelings. That is to say, if somebody makes you happy or a happy event occured, then you become happy and vice versa for sadness and anger.

Second argument states that feeling is pretty much predetermined by the choices you make. If you have a predetermined idea that something is a happy event - you will be "happily" influenced by the occurance of the event (which is really from statement one). Or, you can determine that something unpleasant that has happened as really a learning experience - you made a mistake and therefore you learn from it - therefore you reap some form of happiness from knowing that all is not lost and perhaps the experience has gained you more things than otherwise if you did not make the mistake. Or the other way is to give excuse for someone that has wronged you. For example: Somebody has cut your road on the highway - you think better of him and say that perhaps he was late for work, and you are happy that you gave way to him and made his day a better day.

Now the problem with this two arguments is that we are firstly assuming that happiness is either the ultimate end goal of everything in life (and we choose to view things in a way that would maximize happiness). Secondly, we are also assuming that happiness will be more productive/useful than anger or sadness.

I will start with the second problem first as it is easier to understand, and perhaps it will lay some foundations for the first statement.

Many times in life, we learn more things as we go through periods of sadness. We realize when we cry - the crazy thoughts that go through our mind, how reality flashes before our eyes - the massize amount of memories and truths that race through our heads. Sadness can sometimes blind our reasoning, yet at times sadness forces us to look at life honestly and not always walk on cloud nine. Some thing goes for anger, MOST of the time, we become irrational when we become angry, but if we can still be happy and peaceful about all the murders, rape cases, wars, and all manner of unrest in the world - I suppose we have reached a state where we are selfish and other people's welfare no longer concerns us.

Essentially one, we will flow on to the next argument. If happiness is the end goal in life and that a win-win situation cannot always be achieved, then whose happiness matters more when there is a win-lose scenario? (i.e. for me to be happy, you have to experience sadness - to which we see again, sadness isn't always better than happiness)

Then again, is happiness the end goal of life? A little philosophical - I will make a statement that goes like this. Satisfaction and happiness are two different things. Although satisfaction and happiness are closely related, and that one affects the other in some way, yet they are essentially two different things. Suppose that we think that happiness is the end goal of life and we run after happiness all our life (which is basically what almost everybody in the world does in some way or the other), will we be truly satisfied in the end of it all? If there is a scenario where you cannot get both (an area where reality always hits us hard), what is more important?

Problems with the lines - Issue 1

It is at times mentioned:
Do not major in the minors, and minor in the majors.

That is to say:
Do not take too importantly what is trivial, and to consider trival things that are truly important. Know priorities in life. Don't overreact over small matters. Don't put aside important matters. View things rightly and spend time for things which matter.

Problem:
What then do you consider important? Or more clearly, what is important and how do we know whether one thing is important or not? If the answer to the question is relative - then the quote is meaningless. Just another fancy quote. But assuming that the author believed that priorities in life can be measured, and that one thing can be more important than the other - then this quote is wisdom.