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strikefinder
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Name: Bruce
Country: United States
State: Delaware
Metro: Milford
Birthday: 2/23/1984
Gender: Male
Interests: People, smart people, wise people, good peolple, ice, and candles.
Expertise: Nothing really....
Occupation: Aviation
Industry: Nonprofit
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  dittohead16
Member Since:
7/3/2005
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| It is just too hard to keep up to blogs, so for right now the most current events in my life can be found at brucejyoder.blogspot.com
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| Today I stayed here at the apartment so that I could read
and study while Steve had his King Air training. Yesterday I took the CAA commercial written test and passed with
an 85%. At least I passed. I guess tomorrow I start the sim training
for my commercial checkride on Friday.
I can’t wait…
Yesterday Steve and I had a conversation about several
observations we have made over the past several days. Although apartheid is a thing of the past here in South Africa,
it is obvious that the effects of this historical injustice still linger today.
We regularly go to a coffee shop called the Mugg and Bean
where we often spend several hours on the Internet. When we get there we are always greeted by a friendly host or
hostess (most often black) whom we immediately are attracted to because of
their friendly and hospitable behavior.
Yesterday when we got there, the manager of the store (who was white)
happened to be present. He gave both of
us a warm greeting and welcomed us to sit wherever we wanted – of course we
wanted to sit next to an outlet.
We ordered our mugguccinos and promptly began surfing the net. Life was good! Until I
began to notice the interaction between the manager and his staff. Although he was subtle, I kept noticing that
he was constantly griping on his workers for what seemed to be petty
issues. It was obvious that the staff
was doing their best to act indifferent to the criticisms but I could tell that
they were unsettled. Steve and I both
agreed that we would not like to work for a man like that. It was then that I realized what was truly
going on. This fellow was not only
wielding his managerial authority over the staff but also his social
superiority. He was treating them more
like servants than staff. Here I sit in a sea of affluent white people being served by
hardworking black people. We are
treated like royalty, they are they are treated like servants. Why were we
treated so well by the manager? Was it
because we are valued customers or because we were white? I would like to think the former but I am
not sure that is the case. I believe I
was witnessing racial injustice right before my eyes. And I was a part of it.
When a black customer walks through the door, does the manager great
that person with the same enthusiasm that he greets all the rest of his
customers? I don’t see it.
This is only one example of many that seems to point to the
present inequity. Who are the ones that
mow your lawns? Who are the ones who
serve your meals? Who are the ones who
clean your house? Who are the ones
manning the security gates? Who are the
ones who run the checkout lines at the grocery store? Who are the ones walking along the side of the road? Who are the ones living in shacks? I would guess that nine out of ten are
black.
One the other hand, who are the ones who can afford to dine
out at nice restaurants? Who are the
ones who live in nice neighborhoods?
Who are the ones driving around in nice BMWs? Who are the managers of the businesses? The majority are white.
Being here in South Africa has given me a chance to step
back in time and observe what might possibly parallel the situation in the U.S.
after the Civil Rights movement. Laws
and behaviors are relatively easy to change but feelings that affect social
acceptance are nearly impossible to alter.
I wonder if most people were blind to gross injustices because it was
simply the status quo. Since I was born
in the eighties and grew up in the nineties, I was unaware of and oblivious to
the ramifications of the Civil Rights movement. Of course I always heard people talk about injustices but it was
not clear for me to see. It is amazing
how much easier it is to form objective opinions (I know that is an oxymoron)
through the lens of an outsider. I
truly cherish the opportunity! | | |
| This book has been on my shelf for a long time now. I have always liked what Donald Miller has to say but for some reason I had a hard time getting through his book, Blue Like Jazz. His style is just a little different than my own. However last night while reading the chapter, Belief: The Birth of Cool, I really resonated with some of his thoughts.
"Tony asked me one time if there was anything I would die for. I had to think about it for a long time, and even after thinking about it for a couple of days I had a short list. In the end there weren't very many principles I would die for. I would die for Penny, for Laura and Tony. I would die for Rick. Andrew would say that dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory. Living for something, Andrew would say, is the hard thing. Living for something extends beyond fashion, flory, or recognition. We live for what we believe, Andrew would say."
"If Andrew the Protester is right, if I live what I believe, then I don't believe very many noble things. My life testifies that the first thing I believe is that I am the most important person in the world. My life testifies to this because I care more about my food and shelter and happiness than about anybody else."
"I am learning to believe better things. I am learning to believe that other people exist, that fashion is not truth; rather, Jesus is the most important figure in history, and the gospel is the most powerful force in the universe. I am learning not to be passionate about empty things, but to cultivate passion for justice, grace, truth, and communicate the idea that Jesus likes people and even loves them."
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| I heard about a new "Christian" video game based on the Left Behind series that is supposed to be an alternative to the violent video games that are bombarding the entertainment market. My initial reaction was to worry about the theological presuppositions that would be introduced to these kids at such a young age but then I became horrified when I realized the contents within the game. Granted I have never played the game but I have reviewed some of the critiques put out by those who oppose Christianity and I am appalled at the testimony that the whole Left Behind movement has made for the cause of Christianity. I was very pleased to here that Focus on the Family removed their support for this game. What some Christians see as evangelism, others see as Christianity showing its real colors. Here is a response to the game that I found when I googled it.
Imagine: you are a foot soldier in a paramilitary group
whose purpose is to remake America as a Christian theocracy, and
establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects
of life. You are issued high-tech military weaponry, and instructed to
engage the infidel on the streets of New York City. You are on a
mission -- both a religious mission and a military mission -- to
convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone
who advocates the separation of church and state -- especially
moderate, mainstream Christians. Your mission is "to conduct physical
and spiritual warfare"; all who resist must be taken out with extreme
prejudice.
I am aware that these people may be exaggerating some of
the intent of this game, but I do believe that they raise a valid
point. We feel that the radical Muslims are primitive, barbaric, and
ruthless when they believe it is their responsibility to eliminate the
"infidel" yet we have "Christian" video games that promote the
elimination of nonbelievers? Are we so far removed from the teachings
of Jesus that we believe this is the correct attitude of followers of Christ? This kind of thing saddens me.
In other news, I finally got all the pics off my camera and on to the computer. Here are a few pics from the last several weekends...
 A highschool friend of Andrew's, Kyle , Andrew, his brother, Cory, and myself posing in from of an armadillo cake..one of many wedding cakes.  got to play around with Picasa...  My siblings at the Christmas table (Evie getting a little carried away with the bottle)
 And the traditional Yoder game of Scum | | |
| The Evangelical Conscience IIGood, a little feedback to soften my approach. I will
give Bush credit for the fact that he has for the most part held consistent to
his original plan for Presidency. Sure I disagreed with him in regards to
his foreign policy, in particular the military action, but I still voted for
him (shame on me) because that seemed insignificant in comparison to the
benefits of having a bonified, born-again Christian in office. Had I to
vote again, I would probably vote for him if it were solely in regards to his
domestic policies. I believe that is why he is so popular among many
Evangelicals. Many, actually all of the good things that I have heard on
behalf of Bush in the last few days pertain to his domestic policies. In
that regards I thank God that Bush has been able to preserve and promote some
of the principles that I value as an evangelical Christian. He has
appointed judges that respect the rule of law and promote moral principles that
we as Christians value. Bush also acted to curb stem cell research and partial
birth abortion, both issues that the religious right fight to abolish. In
addition, today in church Lamar said something to the affect that Bush signed a
bill that provided a $10,000 incentive for those who want to adopt a
child. Finally, he has supported a Constitutional amendment protecting
marriage (which Clinton did as well when he signed the Defense of Marriage Act)
Now lets think globally and look at how his foreign policy has affected the
work of the Kingdom of God. When we
Christians vote in a president, shouldn’t we also consider how it will affect
our brothers and sisters in other nations?
Very few Christians stop to consider the ramifications that our war on
terror has had on the work of missionaries in other nations. Our support of these policies is making it
hell for our churches in Islamic nations.
Today after our invasion of Iraq, Assyrian Christians run the risk of
annihilation. Tony Campolo tells of a
time when he was invited to participate in evangelical ministries in Iraq while
it was still under the evil rule of Saddam Hussein, but he declined. Had he known the turn of events in only a
few short years, he would have dropped everything to participate in that
ministry. Today, under the newly
erected democratic government, Christians are fleeing in droves. Although things were not great before the
war, they are much worse now. I in no
way support any of the evil regimes that have plagued the Middle East for
hundreds of years. However, I believe
that the western world’s response in the form of our war on terror does not
promote the work of the kingdom. Christians once made up 15% of the Palestinian population
but today they only make up 4%. We must
put ourselves in their shoes. It took
many years for Lebanon to rise from its third world state of poverty to
sufficient prosperity – it took only a matter of days for Israel, in the name
of defense, to bomb them back to third world status. Today poverty once again pervades their region. Much of the positive affect of the work that
was done by the Palestinian church before, during and after the war was largely
overshadowed by the western evangelical’s unwavering support of Israel and its
military actions against Hezbollah and Hamas.
To make matters worse, after the war Hezbollah gave large amounts of
money to rebuild war torn Lebanon while the western nations did very
little. Needless to say, Hezbollah
gained credibility while the Christians lost credibility - they see
Christianity in alliance with Israel and western domination. These are just two small examples of the
overreaching negative affect our policies have had on the Christian witness
worldwide.  
I am left to wonder whether voting solely in regards to
domestic issues is a selfish move on behalf of the us Christians. We are passionate about the affect that a Christian President
will have on our immediate environment but we give little thought to the
ramifications that his policy will have on our brothers and sisters across the
sea. Plus I have recently come to wonder what the church is try to do by
forcing Christian ethics on a non-Christian society. We are called to
spread the good new of the gospel into all the world. Where do we
Christians get off thinking that we are called to be the moral police of the
world?? Paul’s letters were not written to tell the non-Christians how to
live but rather the Christians. Jesus did not preach at those outside the
faith but rather his harshest rebuke came to those who were the supposed
righteous in the faith. He called us to be the salt of the earth and the
light of the world. "In the same way let your light shine before
men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven." (Matt 5:16) I feel that trying to force a moral
agenda though the White House is an attempt to take the easy way out while we
ignore these very same problems that plague our churches. I believe that
integrity and obedience within the body of Christ are the only means by which
society will be compelled to turn from its evil ways.I realize that this is a complex issue that cannot be fully addressed in a 1000 word essay. I also only see a fraction of the whole picture from my comfortable chair here in Greenwood. But don't you think that these are concerns that must be addressed as members of the global body of Christ? I encourage you to not first ask, what will benefit America but rather what will benefit the Kingdom of God. Again, what do you think? I liked the feedback from my last post. | | |
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