Simply Paul

Much of the scholarly commentary and theological thinking on St. Paul is beyond the reach of we mere mortals. It is no wonder that the lay hearer or reader is quickly lost in the technical jargon. One may question whether the said commentary really is about addressing the relevant issues or may it be that the technical filler is used to deflect possible criticism resulting from taking a stand on the bigger issues. If one says all that they believe, the criticism will make a Church career uncomfortable because church folk tend to get upset over non-essentials. The renowned and beloved biblical exegete, William Barclay is a case in point. His Daily Bible Study Series of Commentaries make little space for the concept of Christian universalism. Yet, well into his retirement he confesses in his autobiography to being a Christian universalist. With this kind of cowardice our Church will always be more of a social structure than a biblical fellowship.

This piece is an attempt to simply state the thought and theology of St. Paul. The method is not scholarly but is intended to be the common sense opinion of a lay respecter of the Scriptures, particularly those words of St. Paul. One Pauline passage is central to this attempt to understand the greatest theologian of all time. We are thrilled by this Pauline summary of the grand plan of God, a plan actualized by the risen Christ. The Plan that will be expanded and made relevant throughout all the galaxies, past present and future. Paul obviously had no scientific or cosmological knowledge but his words are so opened ended that something else must have been been going on. No attempt will be consciously made to fit Paul's words into expected theological boxes.

G.Goslaw

California Insanity

So what is coming out of Sacramento these days? Would you believe more of the same insanity? This time our illustrious politicians are funding an expanded 40 million dollar per year Dream Act, AB 131. This will make available to anyone in the world California educational financial aid. All they have to do is illegally enter the state of California and attend a taxpayer funded free California high school for three years. No citizenship questions will or can be asked. College financial assistance will then be made available. For those who graduate with an education funded by the taxpayer, where will they find the jobs?

Where is the head of our politicians or for that matter, the California voters. Isn’t anyone looking down the road just a few short years into the future? We will be another failed state, this time north of the border. We are trading short term Hispanic political points for the long term financial viability of the state. We are insane.

The kicker is that California is so pressed for money Govenor Brown is closing 25% of our state parks to save 33 million dollars a year. These parks have jobs for our citizens. Go figure.

G.Goslaw

Victorville, Ca

2 cents

The liberal media enjoys throwing the theory of evolution in the face of conservative politicians. These politicians derive much of their political support from conservative Christians with a profound distaste for evolutionary thought. The question is intended to embarrass these politicians with their supporters. Is the media question about evolution unfair?

Possibly, evolutionary theory has nothing to do with politics. However, there is no unfair question in the political arena because they all have consequences. Rather than avoiding giving an honest answer, the politician should ask a question of the questioner. Please define your terms, what do you mean by evolution? If you mean by evolution that this present world is the consequence of mere blind chance, then I and all other Christians must reject evolutionary theory. However, this rejection does not necessarily mean that change in all things earthly have not occurred over the last six to eight billion years. The rejection does not necessarily mean that there was an actual “Garden of Eden” and that the first man and woman, “Adam and Eve”, were actual people. Some Christians believe there was such a place in time but other Christians believe that such biblical parables were given to us to describe who we were through the ages and who we are in this time and place.

In the Christian community there need not be and there is not unity of thought except that God is somehow involved in our days. How He is involved is open for discussion without recrimination, most of the time.

G.Goslaw

Victorville, Ca.

SVL and the CC&R's

Letter to the Editor

Daily Press

Victorville,Ca

Rebuttal to Robert Reed’s SVL amendment, August, 25,2011

Thank you Mr. Hoover and Mr. Sabo for your valued input but you intentionally misdirect the reader from your true motivations. The onus of the present CC&R.’s is on the association to gather a 55% renewal vote every 10 years. The Board of Directors would like an automatic renewal so that the onus is on the disenfranchised of SVL to gather a 55% vote. This vote would be practically impossible. The proposed change would mean that the Board of Directors would have a perpetual strangled hold on the affairs of the association. The impact of any descent among homeowners to the actions of the Board would therefore be minimized. That is why the proposed CC&R's amendment is so worded and why Mr. Reed has an excellent point.

G.Goslaw

Proxy for the SVL homeowner Marjorie Goslaw

Victorville, CA.

The American Road

The present state of the American economy cannot continue for the next ten years, we won’t let it. Three things have to change now.

One, the American free trade economy must become one of fair trade. May the free trade lobby in Washington go to hell! Their dollars control our politicians, Democrat and Republican, as they fund their elected politics. All of our status quo politicians have treasonously failed in this regard. They have sold the economic future of American workers to the lowest bidder as they diddle on. We want to work! Corporations are not evil, the title best describes politicians. Workers, let’s make reelection of all politicians impossible by getting involved in the vote. No politician shall serve a second term. The free trade lobby cannot exert their evil influence if we the working people of America stand up and vote.

Two, all people living in this country with no legal immigration status must get legal or return to their country of origin. However, the illegals are not the greater villains. The employers who violate our hiring laws by not requiring legal status, have treasonously earned criminal penalties, that means fines and jail time. Our borders must be enforced. Bring the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and give them a real job, one for which they have been trained. Station them on our borders for drug interdiction and to prevent illegal crossings. We cannot police the world when we cannot police our own country. There is only one other alternative, annex the Mexican failed state as the 51^st state of these United States of America.

Three, hire a different kind of President. We the people do not need another political animal with neither right nor left strips. We the working people have been crushed by both in the last ten years. We need a people’s President. One who is not content to feather the nest of the corporate sector or the public sector by way of bigger and bigger government. One who will cease with the political money games and take action now for the working people. We are the backbone and strength of America but we have been treated by our politicians and presidents as the least of these.

Where are you, Mr. President?

G.Goslaw, Victorville, Ca.

Marriage

Letter to the Editor

Daily Press

Victorville, Ca

Some of us also love and depend on the dictionary but occasionally we miss the full meaning of a word. Mr. Gray, you have done so in your opinion of August 1, entitled “Semantics and marriage”. For fear of beating a dead horse, the fourth definition of marriage offered in my dictionary (Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language) reads, “Any close or intimate union”. Even the definition of “marry” has a broad context, number three states, “to join closely or intimately, unite”.

Every dictionary is a document of past verbal usage and therefore is never fully up to speed with the immediate culture. Thankfully, in today’s culture homosexuality is less a dirty word to be hidden from the children (in most cases), it is more a word that describes the few in every culture, past and present.

The common but sexist usage from the past is in my dictionary but to it’s credit there is an allowance for a definition that includes gay marriage. Your dictionary must have been written by a Neanderthal.

G.Goslaw

Victorville, Ca

Sin has many flavors

Letter to the Editor

Daily Press

Victorville, CA.

Re: “Call it something else”, Michael F. Burt

The legal status quo in our country says that marriage is first and at least a civil legal matter. If the participants want that civil marriage to also be a religious exercise, say in a church, that is their right. The problem arises when our civil laws qualify the participants by requiring two persons of differing genders. If marriage is an American civil legal right, then the laws, to be American, should not be written to enforce any religious or supposed moral qualification for the participants. Civil marriage should be available to all Americans regardless of gender or intended life style. That legal standing should be an American civil right.

The Church can qualify the participants any way it so chooses because it is an available option. The point being is that if the laws were fairly written, there would be no problem. New York has just accomplished such a fair update to there marriage statutes and other states should follow suit. That we as a country are so slow to wake up to this reality can only be explained by American bigotry against gays. Bigotry condoned and supported by the Church and church folk like yourself. Bigotry akin to the racism against the black man that has so defined our culture and is also condoned and supported by the church. Mr. Burt, you claim not speak for God but then you do speak for God, we are confused.

Sin has many flavors.

G.Goslaw

Victorville, CA.