Try as I May

Before I get started, I have something totally irrelevant to share with you. I think I have come up with the name by which Al Gore will be known throughout the centuries. "Pope Prius I." Let's get started on those mugs and T-shirts.

With that behind me, let me say that I was moved by the comments I got on last night's post, in which I noted that my religious posts were being blamed for a fall in traffic. You can see what I wrote about it. I pointed out that there were other factors at work, and that I wasn't planning to make any changes. I figured heathens would pop up and tell me what a repressive, backward creep I was. But readers, including non-Christians, were surprisingly supportive.

Reader Kim said: "I almost feel like you are minstering to me. And it gives me so much to think about. God is using your gift with words to spread His word."

It feels great to think I might have done something positive here. I can assure everyone, I am not qualified to be a minister, but I know even ordinary Christians can be of use simply by relating their experiences. If you're getting anything out of what I write, fantastic.

Km says: "I'm happy that you're finding greater peace. And I enjoy watching the journey unfold."

That's an exemplary comment. I often get comments in which people complain that I don't do what makes them happy; here is someone who put my welfare first. If you want to know how good your friends are, it's pretty simple. The more they put your needs ahead of their own and encourage you to improve yourself, the truer they are. I've found that friends who consistently take from me and push me to regress eventually have to be set free.

Dan from Madison says: "I can't speak much to you about your religion. What I can say is that you should tell everyone to pound sand if they don't like your blog."

Can't argue with that. I have often wondered what "pound sand" really means, but I don't want to explore the topic at the moment.

Aaron says: "Living with someone is a real test on whether you're walking the walk in private. And it's a constant opportunity to do kindness. Doing your own dishes can be fine, but relieving a spouse of a chore can be a beautiful act. Less opportunity for that kind of stuff when solo."

Absolutely true. Religious Jews are collectors and disseminators of wisdom, and Aaron is no exception. About Aaron, Ed Bonderenka says: "What Aaron said: wow. How beautifully put. Your choice of friends (who will be friend to you) reflects on you. Aaron reflects well."

I could not agree more.

Rightisright says: "I enjoy your gun and cooking posts. I mostly skip over the religious ones. I had the Bible shoved down my throat as a young'un and no longer have a taste for it. That said, I believe most people who identify themselves as Christian are decent, productive citizens."

Tolerance for Christianity! Completely unfashionable! But I'll take it.

Keith says: "I will never understand people who try to tell others what to write about."

Yeah, imagine getting up in the morning and trying to figure out what to write, in order to make your readers happy. Where is the fun in that? It sounds horrible. Although now that I think about it, I know some bloggers who do that and nothing else.

Another Kim says: "I can identify with your reminiscences on past posts or blogs. I regret things I've said, emailed and posted. You, graciously, let some go."

I can beat that. I've also forgotten them. Not because I'm gracious. Because I forget EVERYTHING.

Jim says:

"Onward Christian Soldier, Steve.

God, Guns and the Grill. (well, the whole kitchen n' kaboodle, m'kay?)

I'm in for all of it, to be perfectly blunt. You just keep writing, and I'll just keep reading.

And enjoying, more with each post."

Wow, Jim, thanks. Jim is from Texas. Can you tell?

Groverat says: "I, for one, or FWIW, enjoy your blog. You have written some extremely insightful stuff lately. and your comment: "so I don't worry about pleasing customers" ---- just remember, in this life we should be playing to an audience of one, and that is God."

Thank you for the encouragement.

Mike LaRoche says: "For what it's worth, I enjoy reading your thoughts on religion. I've fallen away from my own faith (Catholic) over the past dozen years or so, but the points you bring up in your religion posts have made me think about what I may have been missing during that time."

"For what it's worth"? It's worth a lot, from where I sit. Here's my "for what it's worth": it seems to me that daily, consistent prayer drives the process and takes much of the difficulty out of it.

Anthony says: "Though I find some of the technical aspects about reloading a total bore, I enjoy your enthusiasm about God and firearms. Especially, since I'm a yank living in England - where firearms, and in some circles God, are in short supply."

Oh, man. England. Are they as backslidden as the rest of Europe? The technical stuff about reloading is somewhat boring to me, too, and I'm the one writing it. But I get much-needed information that way.

Brian says: "Just some feedback: I visit your site every day because you're a good writer! I skim the gun stuff. That's not one of my interests now. I am not a Christian but I enjoy reading your thoughts on religion."

If you hear about religion from the right person, in the right way, it shouldn't be unpleasant. Many a non-believer has missed his chance because he got the message in the wrong way or from the wrong person. Such as a conquistador seated on his chest.

Josh R says: "I for one have always read your blog as a "guilty pleasure" I am glad you have turned the corner and tidied up a bit."

Working on it.

Electro-Dude says: "what keeps me coming back is the hope that one day I'll once more be able to read about stupid people being eaten by alligators. Those were the golden years my friend, and a category of writing that you made your own."

Yes, I believe I invented the genre.

J. West says:

1. It's your blog.
2. Been reading you for a long time.
3. You generally write well, which is interesting in itself.
4. Look forward to reading you one, two years from now.

Thanks. Hope I still have something to say.

Ryan says:

I have my shares of struggles attempting to learn from past mistakes and all but there is true blessing in reading about someone else's journey. I appreciate that you will present some jewel that I've never considered. And I offer my sincere thanks for that.

I steadfast in my conviction that the Lord will always be there for me, and it continues that I am able to enjoy proper discernment. That said, I know that the reason I originally found your site so long ago was the twisted humor of Nigerian spammers and decadent recipes but the true blessing is finding that someone else struggles just as I do.

Lately I have found myself hoping that questionable stuff I wrote in the past would give me an audience before which to reform and write things that were more useful. Maybe it's happening.

That's about it.

I keep finding good stuff in The Complete Jewish Bible and The Complete Jewish New Testament Commentary. I can't recommend this stuff highly enough. If you want something that will make Bible study new and interesting to you, this is it. In fact, even backslidden Christians might enjoy it, just for the history.

I wanted to write about something I saw in there the other day, but I can't find it. It was about the end times, and how we would venerate youth and have no respect for the old. Has that come true, or what? First rock and roll drove a permanent wedge between the generations. And the misguided Sixties tainted two generations. Now technology is pushing older people out of the mainstream of society. The older you are, the less likely you are to understand technology, and the less competent you seem.

There are few things more perverse or damaging or sinful than disrespect for the old and disproportionate respect for the young. The young know almost nothing. They are full of ideas which seem brilliant to them, but which are actually dangerous, evil, and stupid. When the ideas of the young take precedence, you end up with scenarios like Cambodia under Pol Pot. Things like empathy and patience lose all their value. People are seen as objects. The old find themselves abandoning their hard-won maturity and emulating their ignorant, unseasoned juniors. Cruelty abounds. Maybe that's why the Internet is so cruel. It's slanted toward the young.

I wish I could find the reference I'm thinking of. It said something about people in that time having faces like dogs. I thought that was funny, because for the last ten years or so, we have been coping with an epidemic of creepy, convict-style chin beards. They really do make men look like dogs.

Why is it that I'm the only one who has written about our increasing willingness to take fashion cues from prison inmates? Doesn't anyone else see it? The black tattoos, the chin beards, the shaved heads. Classic convict style. We are emulating the biggest losers in society. Seems like a mistake to me. People have a tendency to become what they imitate.

My impression is that our current youth-worship fad is unprecedented in western history. Am I wrong? I can't think of a time when so much unwarranted deference was given to flaky, half-baked children.

Reader Susan H. sent a link a while back. I haven't explored it very well, but it will be of interest to Christians who want to know more about their religion's Jewish roots. It goes to a site operated by a rabbi named Fruchtenbaum.

Aaron doesn't like this stuff too much. But it's not like there are a lot of sources to choose from. If you're Christian, and you want to learn about the Jewish nature of Christianity, you either go to Messianic Jews or you do without.

Hope some of this proves to be of use.