Biblical View of Unions

There are some great things unions have done.  They have brought us shorter work weeks and safety in the work place.  Most anything beyond that has been more devastation than benefit.  Employee benefits in the workplace may seem great, but in the end it actually comes out of your paycheck whether by lower wages than they could otherwise afford to pay or in the cost of goods.  Either way, you eventually end up paying for those benefits.  Some of those benefits you may not actually need or might be covered in services offered by companies you choose outside of the workplace (health insurance for example).  You could actually make more for your family and create a healthy savings account/investment portfolio for your future if unions didn't steal money from your paycheck for their own ambitions.  Hence why before unions caused money to be taken from your pay against your will people could afford to retire with a healthy savings and now few people are lucky enough to retire without having to pull 2 or 3 jobs to still get by.

Matthew 20:1-15

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

² And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

³ And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

⁴ And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

⁷ They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

⁸ So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

⁹ And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

¹¹ And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

¹² Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

¹³ But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

¹⁴ Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

Employment is a contract.  Your employer notifies you of that which he is willing to pay you and the benefits he is willing to provide.  You then decide whether you are willing to work at that wage for that benefit package.  If at any time either of you is unhappy with the arrangement either one of you has the ability to step out of that contract.  The company via lay offs and you via the two week notice.  Unions utilizing the strike option forcing employers to be unable to operate while you refuse to work is a violation of that contract.  It is holding your employer hostage.  You and your employer have come to an agreement and now you are attempting to force the employer to give you that which was not agreed upon.  This would be akin to me buying your house and then deciding that I no longer like the price and refuse to pay you any further money until you agree to reduce what I owe you by 50%.  It is unfair to you and while in reality you would be able to use the legal system to force me to abide by my contract, the union has set laws in place that prevent the employer from being protected from such dishonest tactics.  When you participate in such activities, you are a kidnapper and the wage/benefit increases are the ransom you are demanding.

In Birmingham, Alabama there was an issue with funds in the education system.  State auditors determined that the best means of reducing spending to ensure that the students would be able to retain their education resources was to fire employees in the Birmingham Board of Education.  The Birmingham Board of Education felt, however, that teachers (who are paid far less by the way) should be fired instead despite the fact that schools in the area did not have enough teachers and this under staffing had resulted in crowded class rooms already.  A clash then resulted.  The state fought to protect teachers while the teachers' unions backed the Birmingham Board of Education fighting to ensure that teachers would lose their jobs instead of overpaid Birmingham Board of Education employees.  Fortunately for teachers, the state won.

When it comes to protecting the workers, the union will always protect those that provide them the most power at the expense of the very workers who need them most.  Take for example the Hostess Company.  Over 18,000 families now don't know how they will pay their rent, provide food for their families, or how long it will be until they can find another job.  This in the midst of an economy in a downward spiral the President's policies have only made worse.  Companies are fleeing the U.S. in droves taking their jobs to other countries.  Unions don't care about the worker.  If they did, they wouldn't have strong-armed the Hostess company into bankruptcy causing their workers to all lose their jobs.  Ask those employees now what they would prefer...a reduced paycheck or no job at all.  Unions don't have your best interest at heart and the use of unions to get what you want rather than what is mutually best for you and your employer is theft, it is dishonest, it is immoral, and it hurts the economy nationwide.

Unions Strike Again - Hostess Workers can thank union for their new-found unemployment.

Unions claim to be the backbone of our great country.  Unions have done some good things for workers over the years but these few instances are but an oasis in the desert of evil and vile consequences that only workers and the innocent citizens of this country truly have to face.  Union officials often are able to sit safely exempt from any negative effects.

Take for example Hurricane Sandy in which union officials turned away voluntary help from non-union power company employees who traveled at their own expense from Decatur, Alabama.  Who faced the consequences of this?  Not the union officials sat in their safe homes with power, food, and drinking water.  Meanwhile, over a million people suffered without power...some without access to food and many without safe drinking water were the ones who truly suffered.  As these innocent people suffered, a project was under way to ensure that the Statue of Liberty would have its power restored.  Millions may have had to continue without power as volunteer power company employees were turned away for not being in the union, but at least we can rest assured a hunk of metal offering no food, power, drinking water, or shelter to anyone has had its power restored.

Now, we can see the power of the Unions at work again.  The Hostess company employing over 18,000 people has lost enough money from a week long strike they have had to declare bankruptcy.  Now, due to a union's greed and hunger for power over 18,000 people have lost their jobs.  They now have to concern themselves with the fear of where they will get the money to pay their rent, feed their families, etcetera.  Of course, the media may try to twist this into blaming the Hostess Company, but if not for the union these people would still have their jobs and the means to take care of their families.

Revisiting an old blog...

I came across the below blog that I had written on another site before I got married.  I thought I would repost this:

There are things I need in my wife that are unconditional.  I wouldn't even consider dating a girl that didn't meet the below qualities.

She must be a non-drinker.  She doesn't have to believe that drinking is wrong, she must at least view it as foolish.
She must be a non-smoker and believe smoking to be a sin.
She must be against using drugs.
She must be against books/movies which contain magic (e.g. Harry Potter, Star Wars, etcetera).
She can not swear.
She must dress modestly.
She must be a Christian (not roman catholic, mormon, jehovah's witness, seventh day adventist and other such false religions).
She must recognize the spiritual authority of the husband in the household just as I recognize the important role of the wife as the advisor.  Neither is inferior, both are equal in importance and value.
She must be opposed to abortion no matter what the circumstance and view it as murder and sin.
She must be opposed to homosexuality and view it as sin.
She must be opposed to pre-marital sex.
She should be at least willing to not promote or condone the use of santa clause or such related cartoons with Christmas and not to include the Christmas tree and mistletoe in Christmas celebration.
She should be opposed to the Easter holiday as it is celebrated concerning the easter bunny and the egg hunting.
She should be opposed to the concept of the tooth fairy.

The awesome thing about the above blog is that now I have been married for 4 years and the Lord has blessed me with a wife that meets all these credentials.  She is a wonderful wife, loving, caring, and compassionate.  Isn't God awesome!!!

"It's Just A"

Ever hear the phrase, "It's just a game!" when you were trying to convince someone that a video game was sin to play?  It's a common phrase.  We use the phrase to justify pretty much anything in our lives we want to participate in:

Harry Potter "So what if there is magic...It's just a book!"
The Golden Compass "So what if the witches kill God...It's just a movie!"
Mario Brothers "So what if one of the characters is a homosexual...It's just a video game!"

The classic line is typically followed by "It can't hurt me!".  But can it?  The Bible time and time again says that if we surround ourselves by righteous individuals and the things of God that our spirit will be strengthened and enriched that we will increase in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.  Wisdom is very important Biblically, two entire books are dedicated to the subject of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom and every book of the Bible promotes searching for and acquiring all three.  But can things which promote evil harm us?  The Word of God makes it clear that when we hang out with or surround ourselves by unbelievers that we will be corrupted by them.  So, yes...Books, Movies, Video Games, and even unbelievers can harm us just through association...perhaps not physically...but definitely spiritually.  This damage is typically done quite slowly as the devil seeks to corrupt us and cause us to stray from God in slow processes that are too subtle for us to notice and quickly fix.  This is to ensure that if we were to realize how we have become corrupted, that those things corrupting us will have become addictions or attachments in our lives that we can not easily give up...or...will simply refuse to.  Therefore, we begin to use the line "It's just a..." to justify our sins.  But what if it can not harm us?  What if a video game could not cause any harm to us physically or spiritually?  Is it then alright?  The Bible commands us to fear the Lord...then it defines what that means.  The Bible states that to fear the Lord is to hate evil.  What do people typically act like toward the people or things they hate?  They avoid those things and people at all costs...even if it means they have to sacraficing something.  For example, when the Subway in my area changed owners, the new owner more than doubled the prices, added fees for things that use to be free, stopped allowing unlimited free refills, started using cheaper and inferior food supplies, and stopped maintaining the cleanliness of the store.  His actions were equated to something the Bible states God abhors...a thief and a sloth.  He was purposely breaking Subway regulations to make extra money for himself.  I personally hate being cheated out of my money, so how did I respond?  I stopped buying food from that restaraunt even though it meant that anytime I go bowling I can't eat (since when I go bowling his restaraunt is the only one open inside the building and outside food is not allowed to be brought in the bowling alley) and it meant not eating at my favorite restaraunt anymore.  I've seen people refuse to go to award ceremonies being held in their honor because someone they hate was going to be there.  I've seen people stop going to family reunions because of a family member they hate.  Yet, we are commanded to hate evil and when it comes to a book, movie, or video game promoting evil acts...we say..."It's just a game...it's not like its real."  Are we truly hating evil when we are unwilling to sacrafice our fleshly desires to stand along side God in putting such promotions of evil out of our lives?  No...we are not.

What has this phrase brought us to?  At what point does a game stop being just a game?  For years game companies have been putting out witchcraft based games like Zelda, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, etcetera out and Christians have been playing them under the motto "It's just a game."  But does God hate witchcraft?  Actually...no.  He abhors it.  To abhor something goes far beyond hate.  The words abhor relates to a form of hate that can't be defined in words.  A hate so strong it must be felt to understand and recognize.  If hate can cause someone to avoid something even when it means sacrificing their own desires, pride, greed, or needs...then how much more would God desire us to avoid those things promoting that which He abhors?  But the video game industry saw that its player base was not avoiding witchcraft, and began to use more and more blatant withcraft in its games...then...it went to the next level with games where you work for criminal organizations stealing and committing mild crimes.  Once again, our Christian community began to use the phrase "It's just a game" as we tried to remind them that such things are sin and to entertain evil thougts and enjoy committing evil acts in reality or in fantasy is a sin.  Remember Christ said that whoever lusts after a woman has committed adultery in his heart with her already.  He did NOT say...you can look but don't touch.  After all, it is just a game.  Pornographic movies are not just movies we can watch with lust and enjoy.  Sin is a sin...whether entertained in the mind or through actions.  The Bible states that the wicked THINK evil continually...that they have evil IMAGINATIONS continually.  Video games play on our imaginations, fantasies, and thoughts.  When you play a game where you commit evil acts and you enjoy doing it...you are playing the part of the wicked by having evil imaginations.

But the phrase is not some innocent phrase that has led to us enjoying committing mild crimes and witchcraft...no...the video game industry took itself to the next level with Grand Theft Auto.  The Grand Theft Auto series has been so popular that the newest version Grant Theft Auto IV has cost more money than any other game in the history of the video and computer game industry combined...a whopping $100 million dollars.  What has me worried is not so much the content of the game but the fact that Christians are promoting it.  The website HollywoodJesus.com is a classic so-called Christian site which has promoted many evil movies and games in the past by applying justifications for watching them.  HollywoodJesus.com is actually promoting Grand Theft Auto IV with wild reviews and talking up even its predecessor...Grand Theft Auto III.  A "Christian" on the site raves about its realism and how he can do everything in the game that he can do in real life.  Some things he mentions include stealing, run people over, dealing drugs, and yes...cheating on his girlfriend.  But what else does the game permit players to do?  A nice short list includes:

Stealing cars
Running over pedestrians
Killing Cops
Dealing Drugs
Paying Prostitutes for Sex
Perhaps the Prostitute didn't perform well enough or you just don't like paying for sex...just kill her after the "deed" is done and take your money back

And that's just a short list of the evil acts you can commit in the game.  I wonder, which part of that is so realistic to a Christian?  I haven't done any of those things in my life.  I certainly wouldn't consider it realistic for me to do so.  Which part of this game should be raved about?  Perhaps the best element of the game is what you can not do...

You can not pull out a Bible, preach to those on the street, and save souls for Christ.
You can not spread Chick Tracts around the city for people to read and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
You can not start up a charity and feed the needy while reading the gospel to them.
You can not smuggle Bibles into countries that kill Christians daily.

Yes, after comparing what one can and can not do in the Grand Theft Auto games...it becomes ever so clear why Christians find it so enjoyable..."It's just a game."  If you don't murder prostitutes after having sex with them so you can take your money back in real life because God forbids you from it...rather than because it is immoral...then Grant Theft Auto gives you the opportunity to live out our evil fantasies.  After all...God won't judge us for what we do in a video game.  There are no moral absolutes in video games...just in real life...or...are there?

Think I'm being paranoid or hateful for condemning these games?  Don't take it too serious..."It's just a blog."

Evolution vs. Programmation

For years, fools have believed that MySpace was programmed by some invisible entity known as "Tom". For years, his devout followers have praised him for his programming and dwelled within the MySpace site ever thankful for "Tom's" work. They have stated that the very existence of the MySpace site is evidence of "Tom's" existence.

But, in recent years, scientists have begun to notice a formation of what we believe to be the true origins of the MySpace site. Many years ago, before we first surfed the site, there was an explosion in the internet which caused random sequences of coding to come together and form the website. At the time, the site was full of flaws and many inferior pages. But over time, the coding began to evolve until the site became what it is today. We have been recording various changes throughout the MySpace website over recent years and have come to the conclusion that the website is still evolving.

Many "Programmation" theorists claim that we are simply speculating, or possibly purposely misinterpreting the evidence we have come across. But we are steadfast in our belief that this site exists due to the great wonders of evolution.

If this "Tom" did indeed program the site, than how come we have not seen him? Why does he not prove his existence by appearing before us? We believe that the "Tom" profile was created by the "Programmation" theorists as a ploy to convince the uneducated masses that the site did not evolve.

Join us now in our search for truth...the evolution of MySpace.


I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed this comedic parody. In essence this is simply a craftily designed method of explaining the war between evolutionists and creationists. Creationists look upon everything around them and they believe in creationism simply because they see the creation around them. Evolutionists look at everything and believe in evolution simply because they see the evolution around them. Than, they dig deeper. When they see the atomic composition and complexity of nature, they view it as the randomness of evolution, while creationists view it as the divine creativity of a perfect God.

Obviously, the view point of evolution is foolish… even as the individual in our parody was foolish in his belief that MySpace evolved and was not programmed.