We are not a sick society;

[Guest Biblicist]

Folks, if you want to measure the health of a society - look at our young people.

It's not looking pretty.

Cameron Batiste of Arnaudville saved his family when a fire broke out at his grandmother's house. After awakening his family, he literally pushed his little brother out a window to safety.

Joshua Droy of Baton Rouge was born with Cerebral Palsy and almost died from a severe flu virus when he was ten. He is still trying to recover, receiving daily physical therapy. Despite his physical difficulties, he was able to serve as a Young Ambassador to Australia, painted houses with Habitat for Humanity, volunteers at a retirement center and works with children at Greenville Elementary in addition to holding down a job at Iberville Motors.

Jonathan Dunlap of Pineville was born 15 weeks premature and weighed under two pounds. Called a "Miracle Baby" by the staff at St. Francis Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, his early arrival left him with a neurological disorder that made it difficult to learn. He has served as a YWCA counselor and lifeguard, been a member of his school's state championship Cross Country Team and volunteers with the Children's Miracle Network and Salvation Army.

Peabody Magnet High senior Jessica Elliot is an outstanding student who volunteers for a wide range of causes including the Food Bank, the Lifeshare Blood Center, the Veteran's Administration Hospital, peer tutoring and working as a D.A.R.E. volunteer at local elementary schools. She was born with a number of life-threatening healthproblems because of her mother's drug use, but she has been able to persevere. In addition to all her other activities, she has taken on the role of primary caregiver for her grandmother who has suffered two strokes.

Cory Mayon has a perfect 4.0 average at Berwick High was named St, Mary Parish Student of the Year. An all-district baseball player, he also donates his time to a number of causes including the Boys and Girls Clubs, United Blood Services, Toys for Tots, UNICEF. He has already taken a number of college courses at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Jordan Prince of Walker is a brain cancer survivor, having been diagnosed when she was eight. Her treatment left her with a hearing impairment, short term memory problems and a number of physical impairments. Despite all this, she is a tireless fundraiser for the Children's Hospital and donates art supplies to the hospital, is an active spokesperson for blood drives, participates in Locks of Love every year and makes jewelry to raise money for local causes.

When Hurricane Rita threatened his hometown of Elton, Luke Richer helped evacuate residents, secure town property, supplied food and water to evacuation shelters and assisted FEMA and the Red Cross. He is also a member of the Jefferson Davis Fire Department with training as a first responder and is certified to handle hazardous material spills. .He was honored for his efforts to save a state trooper involved in a hit and run accident. He was also a four-year starter on the Elton football team.

Ryan Robinson of New Llano is a senior honor roll student at Leesville High School where his peers recently voted him "Most Likely To Succeed." He is already earning college credit by completing two college courses and is working on two more. Ryan serves his community by looking for opportunities to lend a helping hand. He donates his time to children with special needs, visits the elderly in nursing homes, and even provided his own new school uniforms to a young hurricane evacuee living in a shelter. Ryan accomplishes all this while working two part-time jobs to help take care of his family.

There are many more Young Heroes all across America. Google it and thank G-d for kids like these.

I guess it depends on where you are looking.

Amen, Marnie! My son is in the JROTC program at his highschool. The kids in the program with him are respectful, patriotic, kind, generous, smart, friendly, proper, well-behaved, honorable, wholesome kids! I am proud that my son associates with such fine young men and women and I am even more proud that these kids choose to serve our country, even in High School.

[apothanein kerdos]

It's a self-preservation technique, to block out the bad.

Sometimes it's not you who blocks the bad, it's God's hand that holds it back,

knowing when you've seen enough.

He lets us handle what we are capable of handling -but- when it's time to fix a problem,

He causes us to see only the problem until we fix it.

Sometimes we don't choose to chase the storm, it draws us into it.

It's good to keep in mind that God will always stay in control of it, though.

Right...but that's not to say that we aren't the ultimate cause of evil...which is a hard pill to swallow.

I don't believe concentrating and fixating on the bad is what Christ intended for us.

What do you think the Bible does?

Though it offers us hope, this hope comprises a minority of scriptures. Most of the scriptures are dedicated to fallible man and how we bring evil upon our selves.

I think this problem ultimately boils down people having a faulty view on evil. We think if we can find instances of good then we've negated the idea that we are a sick society or that we are not an evil society. Instances of good, however, does not negate the corruption within our society. If you run into a couple where the husband beats his wife, cheats on her, and makes her sleep on the floor...but last week he gave her one dozen roses...do we declare him good? Of course not. Why then do we declare our culture good because of what individuals do?

Our society is sick..all societies are sick...this is why we are told to act like Christ.

[salos]

Smalcald, your post #3 is very good. Thanks!

[nebula]

Amen, JustinM. You hit it right on with your statement above. While we are far from perfect, we are not a sick society either.

2 Timothy 3

2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.

You really don't see this in our society?

The great hope of the United States is the envy of the world.

Where is your Hope?

I count myself blessed to have been born here

I'm sure we all do!

and to have the freedom to worship, to speak, to protest, travel, whatever.

For as long as it lasts. "Tolerance" seems to be turning into a Law that threatens our Christian belief in One Way and moral absolutes.

Those who don't understand how lucky we are simply don't know much about the world, I guess.

No ones' denying that.

But some of us can recognize disintegration when we see it.

[nebula]

Folks, if you want to measure the health of a society - look at our young people.

It's not looking pretty.

Cameron Batiste o

Joshua Droy

Jonathan Dunlap

Peabody Magnet High senior Jessica Elliot

Cory Mayo

Jordan Prince

When Hurricane Rita threatened his hometown of Elton, Luke Richer

Ryan Robinson

There are many more Young Heroes all across America. Google it and thank G-d for kids like these.

I guess it depends on where you are looking.

Hey -

I'm glad that there are some exceptional kids out there!

But seriously - how much time have you spent with average, "every day" teens and young adults? You really should. Then share with me what you learned, OK?

[None]

...but that's not to say that we aren't the ultimate cause of evil...which is a hard pill to swallow.

True, we were born.

But some of us can recognize disintegration when we see it.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

[MorningGlory]

Amen, JustinM. You hit it right on with your statement above. While we are far from perfect, we are not a sick society either.

2 Timothy 3

2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.

You really don't see this in our society?

The great hope of the United States is the envy of the world.

Where is your Hope?

I count myself blessed to have been born here

I'm sure we all do!

and to have the freedom to worship, to speak, to protest, travel, whatever.

For as long as it lasts. "Tolerance" seems to be turning into a Law that threatens our Christian belief in One Way and moral absolutes.

Those who don't understand how lucky we are simply don't know much about the world, I guess.

No ones' denying that.

But some of us can recognize disintegration when we see it.

I choose to see the good in my country, nebula, and I believe if the hope wasn't here the world wouldn't beat a path to our shores and sneak across our borders. But I won't argue that we are far from perfect.

[None]

Right now we're on the highest part of the sinking ship that is the world, so yes, it is very good to be here and I don't blame people for wanting to be here either.