Lost priorities
According to an article, two Iraqi teachers were beheaded in front of their students by terrorists. Let me repeat: they were beheaded. If anyone is having a hard time understanding this, let's put it another way: they had their heads cut off; right in front of their students. This incident only represents the much larger string of brutal, violent, and vicious attacks that have plagued Iraq; even after our "intervention". So much for "freedom on the march"...
Also in the news: As the genocide in Darfur extends all throughout the Sudan, Chad, and most of Central Africa, an estimated 13,000 people a day are being killed, raped, and tortured. Over a million people, driven from their homes, now face death from starvation and disease as the Sudanese government and militias attempt to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching them. The same forces have destroyed the people of Darfur's villages and crops, and poisoned their water supplies, and they continue to murder, rape and terrorize.
In an unrelated story: We have something to celebrate. Molly the Cat has been freed from her own personal Hell. For 13 full days, she was trapped in a brick building. But, after the concerted efforts of dozens of rescue workers (including a "cat therapist". Uh...), vigils from hundreds of activists and supporters, and (apparently) lots of media coverage, we can all rest knowing that Molly the Cat is OK.
People are dying all over the world. But, at least the cat's alive.
If you can't pick up on the scathing sarcasm of my post, I'm scared for you.
Now, I respect animals as much as the next person, but can someone please explain to me how a cat can capture so much human attention, energy, and emotion while innocent people's deaths are casually dismissed? How have we gotten so lost in our priorities?!
- ACL
3 "Insiders" spoke their mind. Join in...:
Good post, Andre. I couldn't agree with you more.
The funny thing is: although I'm a pet owner myself, I don't think that we should ever put animal suffering ahead of human suffering, or vice versa. Every living creature deserves consideration. We can't go around trying to protect animals when humans are out there suffering too.
This post really made me think.
Proverbs 14:12 reads, "There is a way which seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
Deuteronomy 28:28
"The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:"
By these scriptures, we have both the lost and the saved represented here.
In Proverbs, the lost choose their own way, and suffer the eternal consequences: Death--In Hell.
In Deuteronomy, God is speaking to Israel, his chosen people. We can infer that He is also speaking to His Church, modern-day Gentiles. That would be all those saved by the Gospel of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. In the passage leading up to this verse, God is explaining all the blessings that Israel will reap if they follow Him and serve only Him. Then, He explains all the curses that will fall on them if they reject Him and refuse to serve Him.
All that to say this: People today are blinded and have allowed Satan to harden their hearts to the Holy Spirit's conviction. Both lost and saved are victim to his unholy influence. We as Christians must guard against Satan's fiery darts by putting on the whole armor of God, and striving to stay prayed up so he can't get a foothold in the door of our hearts. We have to also work harder every day to share the TRUTH of Jesus' gospel with the lost, so they won't be blinded by Satan, and go to his devil's hell.
When you work with your hands, sometimes you develop calluses. They are from repeated exposure to harm, and it's our body's way to try to prevent further harm. When we are exposed to sin, our hearts tend to grow callused, so that the first time we are shocked, outraged and offended by the sin. But every time we are exposed again, the callus grows a little thicker so that we are gradually numb to the sin. Lost and saved people alike have grown callused to the depravity and horror that man inflicts on our fellow man.
That is Satan at work, Andre, and that's all there is to it. That is the only reason a cat being trapped for 13 days would get more attention than literally thousands of people being starved, raped, tortured and murdered. A sign of the times we live in, my friend.
And I am an animal lover, too, and I would be one of the first to help if an animal is in need of help. But I would also help any human in need if I can, and if a cat and a person were both in a burning building, I'd help the human first, then go back for the cat if I could.
Sorry this is so long, but you seem to bring out the "Teacher" in me with your thought-provoking posts, LOL. This is a keeper, Andre. :)
Andre`
I love animals dearly and fight for their rights but think that the worlds priorities are scrambled , your post is a view of that , Isnt it strange that we would see our media and resources spent willingly on an animal to save its life and humans are dying in droves . It doesnt make headlines most times and if it does ,it is not with the same sensationalism that would be for an animal. I live in a small part of the world where media is average I watch alot of news ,and read a great deal , until recently and a "special event news" broadcast , didnt know what the depth of hardships Africa was having , we heard pieces and tid bits , here and there but, it should be rocking the globe , how can people turn their backs if they can help! And yet , I have seen follow up after follow up on little creatures and news time and money on stories like these (cute animals ), yes it is part of life but where are our HUMAN Priorities??????It is only Geography that seperates us ,These are dangerous times and we all need to stop being ostriches , does it have to be someone you know before we care?it could be soon enough ! Again , you have an great post , made me FEEL your words Take care.GodBless
Greeneyes
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