Which came first, the chicken or the egg? We’ll get back to that in a minute. First I want to take a look at our idea of evolution.

Christianity as a whole opposes the idea of evolution as antithetical to creation. Science is seen as the enemy – marching forward in a stalwart attempt to disprove the Bible and undermine the very foundation of Christian faith. But why? As a believer myself- not to mention a full-time minister- I can find no reason to fear the science behind evolution nor to oppose the theory itself.

Let’s start at the beginning – Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.” Seems clear enough. God created everything; end of story. If you believe the Bible and the Bible says God created then we need no further discussion. But HOW exactly did God create? According the Bible God speaks and things appear. But does that tell us the whole story? HOW do they appear? Which brings up the idea of the chicken and the egg. If God created them both, which came first? Did the chicken appear out of thin air or did it hatch? If it hatched, who incubated the egg? Who laid the egg for that matter? How did it appear? That’s what I want to know, and that is the question I believe scientists are trying to answer. Is it wrong for us to question how supernatural things happen? It makes me think of Psalm 139:13, “…you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Ask any Christian and they will tell you that God creates each of us in the wombs of our mothers. It’s a wonderful, spiritual picture; God himself painstakingly creating life inside each mother’s body. Yet as spiritual as this is, due to the miracles of modern science we are now able to follow the “creation” of a baby from the time sperm joins egg to the time the baby is born. We are able to scientifically explain every minute detail of childbirth. Does that make it less spiritual? Does that disprove the Bible? Does that mean God doesn’t create each of us? Of course not, because there is nothing heretical or anti-God or unspiritual about explaining how the things in our world happen. Exploration of the inner workings our our planet is a natural part of being human. Then why is there such animosity between Christians and scientists? The answer to that question stems from a critical error in the way we think and see the world.

All people view our world through a haze of personal experiences, beliefs, biases, feelings, environmental influences, peer pressure, information, misinformation and a host of other factors that influence our perspective. Sociologists refer to this as our bubble. We each live inside our own bubble that encompasses everything we are- our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, fears, ideals… everything. When anyone posits an idea in opposition to one of our closely held beliefs it is difficult to open our mind and embrace it because our bubbles can only expand so far without bursting. When we experience something that doesn’t fit inside our bubble we really only have two options; reject the idea, or allow our bubble to pop and embrace it. Allowing your bubble to pop can be a painful experience because it may mean letting go of familiar ideas or comforting beliefs. But without those painful experiences we can never expect to grow. As Christians how can we ever expect to have mature faith if we don’t allow our beliefs to grow and come under scrutiny on a regular basis? If your beliefs are so easily shaken, is it really any faith at all? Which brings us back to the idea of evolution. There has been tension between scientists and Christians for ages, notably during the 1600′s as Galileo and his followers fought to uphold the Copernican theory of a sun-centric solar system. The religious system of the day taught that the Earth was the center of the solar system. Any “scientific” idea opposed to the church was seen as utter heresy. It seems an oddly familiar situation, doesn’t it? A firmly held belief comes under scrutiny, the church opposes it, fights against it, attempts to squash it, and ultimately – in the face of undeniable evidence – must allow its bubble to burst to embrace this new idea. Looking back now we can see the folly of their ways. Why was it so important to the church that the earth be the center of the universe? It was because they read a few verses (for example, 1 Chronicles 16:30; Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:5) and used those verses to determine how the solar system should work. We now know that the earth does in fact move and that the sun is the center of our solar system, and is the Christian faith any less because of it? Was God cast down off his throne? Did the Bible disappear? Of course not. God is not so easily shaken. I believe we are currently in the middle of a similar scenario. Science is upholding a “new” idea- that of evolution, and the church is opposing it because it doesn’t fit within our bubble of how things are supposed to work. The idea of evolution doesn’t fit our preconceived notion of how creation should work. But why is that notion so important to us? Does evolution disprove God? Does it inherently go against the Bible? The theory of evolution is simply our best attempt to explain HOW the heavens and the earth were created. Nothing more, nothing less.

Any good scientist is not going to attempt to disprove God. He is simply trying to explain the HOW of our world. He comes at a problem with the mindset to put aside all preconceived notions and personal beliefs in order to eliminate any bias and works to discover the cold hard facts as we can see them. If the facts point towards evolution, what does that mean to us? I think it’s time to allow our bubble to pop.

There’s an old saying that there are three types of people in the world – sheep, wolves, and the sheep dog who watches over them. Which one are you?

No one wants to admit they might be the sheep, but there’s no shame in aknowledging what you are- I’d rather be a sheep than a wolf any day. Sheep really get the best end of the deal. They get to relax and enjoy life. They have no worries outside of their own lives and families. Really there is nothing wrong with being a sheep. But unfortunately sheep can’t take care of themselves. They do fine when following the normal routine of life- wake up, eat, go to work, come home, repeat – but what happens when a wolf shows up? When you’re enjoying life and a wolf comes looking to kill, what will you do? Wolves eat sheep. It’s a fact of life. Their purpose is to destroy everything a sheep is. Oh, you might say wolves aren’t really that bad. They aren’t trying to destroy the sheep, they just need to eat. That’s fine when it’s the sheep next to you being devoured, but what happens when the wolf turns on you? By then it’s too late. Please don’t be ashamed of being a sheep. I’m not trying to criticize you for who you are and how you live your life. But if you are a sheep, please realize that sooner or later a wolf will come looking for you, and when it does you’ll be glad to have a sheep dog standing watch.

The sheep dog does not discriminate between those he is protecting. Whether it’s you, your neighbor, or a sheep across the world, he stands guard all the same. When a wolf raises his head and bares his teeth, the sheep dog fights back. He fights to protect the sheep. He fights will all his might and he will kill the wolf if necessary. Killing is never pretty, but as long as there are wolves who seek to destroy, there is a need for someone to stand up and fight back. This is why I fight. I fight for you. I fight for your freedom. I fight for everyone who is in danger. I am willing to lay down my life to protect yours, and if you are unwilling to stand up and fight beside me, that’s okay – not all of us are sheep dogs. All I ask is that you give me the freedom to do my job. Don’t despise me for what I do, I do it for you.

A Peace Too Costly
http://patdollard.com/2007/05/a-peace-too-costly/

“You have been given the choice between war and dishonor. You have chosen dishonor, and you will have war!”
-Winston Churchill to the English Parliament, 1938

After the English Parliament’s 1938 appeasement in Czechoslovakia, Churchill saw the danger of choosing peace, when honor and common sense called for battle. History, of course, would confirm his point: Refusing to fight an honorable battle may afford a temporary peace, but in the long run, it’s a peace too costly. Delaying a necessary battle may well result in devastating, full scale war. And as always, dishonor looks like an easier choice.

Tyrants never co-exist peacefully. By their nature, they demand increased territory, fewer limitations, more captives.

Men of Honor, fighting mad, enlisted, and committed, no longer surrender territory that belongs to them.

Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister of Britain on 28th May, 1937. Over the next two years Chamberlain’s Conservative government became associated with the foreign policy that later became known as appeasement.

Chamberlain believed that Germany had been badly treated by the Allies after it was defeated in the First World War. He therefore thought that the German government had genuine grievances and that these needed to be addressed. He also thought that by agreeing to some of the demands being made by Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy, he could avoid a European war.

Anthony Eden, Chamberlain’s foreign secretary, did not agree with the policy of appeasement and resigned in February, 1938. Eden was replaced by Lord Halifax who fully supported this policy. Halifax had already developed a good relationship with the German government. After his first visit to Nazi Germany he told his friend, Henry (Chips) Channon: “He (Halifax) told me he liked all the Nazi leaders, even Goebbels, and he was much impressed, interested and amused by the visit. He thinks the regime absolutely fantastic.”

In November, 1937, Neville Chamberlain sent Lord Halifax to meet Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Goering in Germany. In his diary, Lord Halifax records how he told Hitler: “Although there was much in the Nazi system that profoundly offended British opinion, I was not blind to what he (Hitler) had done for Germany, and to the achievement from his point of view of keeping Communism out of his country.” This was a reference to the fact that Hitler had banned the Communist Party (KPD) in Germany and placed its leaders in Concentration Camps.

In February, 1938, Adolf Hitler invited Kurt von Schuschnigg, the Austrian Chancellor, to meet him at Berchtesgarden. Hitler demanded concessions for the Austrian Nazi Party. Schuschnigg refused and after resigning was replaced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the leader of the Austrian Nazi Party. On 13th March, Seyss-Inquart invited the German Army to occupy Austria and proclaimed union with Germany.

The union of Germany and Austria (Anschluss) had been specifically forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. Some members of the House of Commons, including Anthony Eden and Winston Churchill, now called on Neville Chamberlain to take action against Adolf Hitler and his Nazi government.

Hugh Christie an MI6 agent working based in Berlin, met with Hermann Goering on 3rd February 1937. He immediately reported his conversation with Goering and included information that Germany intended to take control of Austria and Czechoslovakia. He also told Christie that Germany mainly wanted “a free hand in Eastern Europe.”

In March 1938 Hugh Christie told the British government that Adolf Hitler would be ousted by the military if Britain joined forces with Czechoslovakia against Germany. Christie warned that the “crucial question is ‘How soon will the next step against Czechoslovakia be tried?’ … The probability is that the delay will not exceed two or three months at most, unless France and England provide the deterrent, for which cooler heads in Germany are praying.”

International tension increased when Adolf Hitler began demanding that the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia should be under the control of the German government. In an attempt to to solve the crisis, the heads of the governments of Germany, Britain, France and Italy met in Munich in September, 1938.

On 29th September, 1938, Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Edouard Daladier and Benito Mussolini signed the Munich Agreement which transferred to Germany the Sudetenland, a fortified frontier region that contained a large German-speaking population. When Eduard Benes, Czechoslovakia’s head of state, who had not been invited to Munich, protested at this decision, Chamberlain told him that Britain would be unwilling to go to war over the issue of the Sudetenland.

The Munich Agreement was popular with most people in Britain because it appeared to have prevented a war with Germany. However, some politicians, including Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden, attacked the agreement. These critics pointed out that no only had the British government behaved dishonorably, but it had lost the support of Czech Army, one of the best in Europe.

One staunch critic of appeasement was the journalist Vernon Bartlett. He was approached by Richard Acland to stand as an anti-Chamberlain candidate at a by-election in Bridgwater. Bartlett agreed and in November, 1938, surprisingly won the previously safe Tory seat. Henry (Chips) Channon , a junior member of the government wrote in his diary: “This is the worst blow the Government has had since 1935?.

In March, 1939, the German Army seized the rest of Czechoslovakia. In taking this action Adolf Hitler had broken the Munich Agreement. The British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, now realized that Hitler could not be trusted and his appeasement policy now came to an end.
Posted by Pat Dollard

An About Face After Being Saved by a Gun Owner

I am one of those people who you loathe. One of those invisible people who come into your living room without asking your permission. One of those people who follow you while you shop, and make it harder for you to make legal purchases. One of those people who try and tell you how to raise your children, as if you don’t know how. One of those who gives ratings to stations that promote our demise as a free nation. I am your enemy. Or at least I was.

I followed it all, all of the propaganda, all of the hoopla. Believed it too. Believed that leaving my house was more dangerous than being in a war. At any given moment one of you evil gun owners would open fire on me. I saw the NRA stickers, the Gun owners of America stickers on the cars that passed, and I thought you were all fools. I did everything in my power financially to try and help more laws pass that would prevent you from owning guns. I wholeheartedly believed that only the Police, and Military should have guns. Every time I heard of a gang shooting, or other criminal act committed with a gun, I honestly believed that if we could curtail the legal sale of guns, we could make a difference.

Boy was I wrong.

I have children, three actually, and to me the only thing more important than raising them properly, was seeing that they aren’t hurt in anyway. I wanted to ban guns, save my children, save all children. No child should have to be part of any kind of death, especially the kind that involves being shot. I gave money to all of the anti gun organizations I could think of, went to the “Million” Mom March, even looked at Rosie when she spoke, and actually admired her. Brought the kids as well, and even yelled some not so nice things to those other marchers. I’m sure some of you know who I refer to.

I was on my way back from the march, on my way back to Connecticut, when I stopped off of the highway at a rest stop by one of those McDonalds they have off I-95. By this time I had dropped off two of my kids with their father, and only had my little one with me. I went into the restroom with her, and on my way out noticed two men hanging out by my car. There were only two other cars in the lot at the time that were anywhere near my vehicle. I immediately felt threatened by their demeanor, but continued on to my car. The smaller of the two approached me with a knife as I was about to open the door to put my child in her car seat. He yelled at me to get in the back of the car, they were taking me for a little ride. I obviously told them to just take my keys, they could have the car, but they insisted I get in the back. I then heard a man yelling something I don’t quite recall, and saw him running towards me with a gun in his hand. The two men vanished into their car, and sped away. I stood there frozen in time, and by the time the gentleman with the gun got to me I just broke down and cried.

To make a long story short, you were all right, and I’m sorry. This man with a gun saved me, and I just keep thinking if I had gotten my wish and guns were banned, there is no telling where I’d be, and what would’ve happened to my daughter. The only regret I have is not getting the man’s phone number who saved my life. I thanked him over and over again, and told him that he saved me, but he calmly said to me something I’d never forget. He said “That’s what people like me are here for Ms., and I’m happy to have been able to help.”

“That’s what people like me are here for,” those words keep on running through my head everyday. Maybe this gentleman by some chance is part of your group, and will read my message. If he does I would just like to say something to him, and to everyone else reading this note.

Thank you for saving my life, and to the rest of you thank you for fighting for this man’s right to protect me and my child. Tell him for me that I will no longer be part of the group who invades his home, and tries to tell him how to store his guns. Tell him I will never be part of any group who tries to make it impossible for him to buy his tool he used to save me. And tell him I will never again tell him how to raise his children properly, because obviously I was oblivious to the fact that responsible people such as him know how to raise their children better than I do. I did rectify that situation the other day; I bought a shotgun for home protection, and am in the process of getting my concealed permit. Next time I will be ready to defend myself, or others for that matter. Some of my friends think I’m crazy, but they try their best to understand. I just tell them that as soon as their child’s life is put in jeopardy by some criminal with a weapon that they will understand, but until then don’t tell me how to live my life. I’ve lost some friends, but surprisingly most of them understand. If not for this man I could very easily have been killed or raped, and my child could’ve been taken from me, so once more I need to say thanks for saving me, and with all sincerity to the rest of you, forgive me, for I have sinned.