PaulMoreland.com – Page 5 – Faith, Family, Friends and Firearms

On Guns And Dogs

On March 1, 2017

People are funny creatures. We are as consistent as our inconsistencies allow us to be. Up in arms over one thing, but in denial over another similar situation seems to be all to common.

Over the years I’ve watched the debate over firearms, a topic that seems to bring out the paranoid in many. Devoted bird hunters often look askance at modern semi-automatic rifles. Those who hunt with rifles may look with horror at those who shoot handguns. All the above sometimes shudder at the thought of light weight full automatic firearms and nearly pass out when crew served weapons are mentioned. Yet each of the little niches will fight tooth and nail to defend their own little specialty. This division amongst those who have a love of shooting sports of one kind or another is what has allowed those who abhor ANY type of firearm to write laws stigmatizing certain weapons and limiting freedom for all of us who enjoy one or more aspects of the shooting sports.

The Hammer

By paul

On February 27, 2017

In Culture, Religion

Recently we had a children’s party as part of “Operation Christmas Child” which is part of the Samaritan’s Purse ministry. We partnered with the local representatives of “Operación Niño de Navidad” (the Spanish version of Operation Christmas Child) to take the gospel to the neighborhood where one of the families from our congregation live.

A few thoughts on unjust laws

By paul

On February 10, 2017

In Culture, Freedom, Government

This year in the country in which your humble blogger currently resides, the government enacted a new “police code”. The police have been given greater power to enforce certain politicians’ ideas of “a civil society”, yet in their rush to “make everyone behave” they have acted in an ingenuous (at best) manner. The matter I’ll address in today’s venting of virtual steam is the matter of “leash and muzzle laws”.

Is Taxation Necessarily Theft?

By paul

On January 26, 2017

In Culture, Freedom, Government, Religion

There are meme’s floating around the ‘net with the bold statement “Taxation Is Theft”. Many people have bought into this way of thinking, including many that claim to be Christian in orientation and thought. This idea is very popular with those of a Libertarian leaning and is accepted by many who otherwise claim to be Christian and claim only a libertarian inclination. (the difference between Libertarian and libertarian? – the difference between seeing pedophilia and some other behaviors as acceptable and recognizing that some behaviors are wrong and SHOULD be punished by government)

Isaiah 5:20 – getting things backwards.

By paul

On August 16, 2016

In Culture, Freedom, Religion

The USA, where folks believe there are forty-eleven genders but only two political choices…

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

I mourn for my birth land, she has fallen far below where she began. Reading the documents that placed her on a firm foundation at her birthing, one can see how godly men set forth the foundations for a strong, godly nation. But starting strong is not enough, one must continue strong. Once we, as a nation, began to deny Him Who blessed us with the opportunity to experiment with a nation founded on His Principles, it was the beginning of the end.

Thoughts on the Media

By paul

On July 13, 2016

In Culture, Freedom

We live in an amazing time. One can pick up a device and within seconds connect with someone living half way around the world via text, images or sound. Back in the last half of the last century of the second millennium, the more typical scenario was for someone to send a letter which would arrive in a few days or weeks, unless sent to a really backwards area and then it might take months or never show up. My in-laws sent a telegram before leaving the US to go on the mission field. Arriving at the airport they found no one waiting for them. The telegram arrived days after they did. Telephone service was “iffy” at best clear up to the final decade of the century. When our youngest son was born we called my wife’s parents to let them know. To do so we had to go to a neighbor’s house and borrow their phone. We tried three times and never heard a word from my in-laws. But we DID get the bill. About $10 US equivalent PER CALL – that never went through. So today when we can use VOIP (voice over internet protocol) to chat with friends and family “in real time”, we are truly blessed. Using WhatsApp has been a real boost to keeping in touch with my siblings. Email is checked multiple times a day.

“The Good Lord Willing And The Creeks Don’t Rise”

By paul

On June 22, 2016

In Culture, Freedom

A while back some friends of mine were discussing the origins of an old saying, “The Good Lord willing and the creeks don’t rise”. The question was asked, “Does anyone know if the reference is to a creek (little river, stream, bayou-ette) overflowing its banks, or to the Creek tribe going off the reservation?” It turns out that some folks claim that this goes back to the Creek War of 1813-1814. But those speculating on such origins probably never lived in the backwoods. Unless someone makes the effort to look through historical documents until they come across some ancient writing in which the words are written (I suspect that some variation of this theme may be found on Cuneiform tablets in some ancient city) we may never know for sure. But I heavily suspect that the phrase is ancient indeed, arising long before 1813 and the uprising of the Red Stick Creeks.

They Call It Choice

By paul

On June 22, 2016

In Uncategorized

There it was, a gruesome, troubling image, appearing in various places on Facebook. The image is troubling, but the reality behind it is even more so. And there is a need to make people think. So I downloaded it, opened it in GIMP, added a black frame and the title. Because “choice” is but a word. It can be whitewashed and used anyway the people choose to use it. But linked to an image, an image that shows the consequences of people making the wrong choice, perhaps it will give someone, somewhere, a reason to choose life. Already this picture has impacted people. One acquaintance threatened to “unfriend” me over it (and the fact that I’m vocal in my beliefs, something that makes fence riders uncomfortable). Yes, the image is disturbing, but what SHOULD disturb us is the fact that thousands more such children are destroyed each day. This image is repeated, in even worse forms, time after time after time. And we call ourselves “civilized”.

Doom and Gloom

By paul

On June 22, 2016

In Culture, Freedom

There remain about 5 months ’til US elections 2016 and folks are full of doom and gloom. The gun boards are rife with talk about “What ‘battle carbine’ should I get?”, “What magazines for my ‘battle carbine’ should I get?”, “Who has the best price on bulk ammo?”, “What are you going to do if “Hitlery” gets in?”, etc. There’s a lot of speculation about what the future holds and “The End Of The World As We Know It” (otherwise known as TEOTWAWKI) is “just around the corner”. We haven’t seen this much agitation since, well, the past two presidential elections.

Now, I’m no more in favor of “Hitlery’s” policies than the doom and gloom crowd, nor am I a “Trumper”. This election cycle the words of Charles Spurgeon ring truer than ever. “Of two evils, choose neither.” Yet there are folks howling that one or the other of the above mentioned candidates will certainly sink the sunken ship of the American states.

Apostolic Catholic

By paul

On June 22, 2016

In Freedom, Religion

One of the frequent questions folks ask us is “What religion are you?” This is a good and valid question, especially considering that we live in a country that is nearly 90% Roman Catholic. Well, they are about 51% ACTIVE Roman Catholic but the rest mostly consider themselves “Catholic”. So when they ask I often tell them “I’m Apostolic Catholic, Biblical but non Roman.” That’s always good for a “Huh?” or “What do you mean?”

Well, “Catholic” means “universal”. I’m catholic in my faith in that I hold the universal Christian faith in God the Father, Jesus the Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit as my seal of redemption and the Bible as the Word of God. Apostolic? Well, we believe what the Apostles taught and we seek to live and practice as they did, as we find recorded in the Bible. So, why not Roman? Because Christ’s church was founded in Jerusalem, not Rome. Also, the Roman church diverged greatly from the teachings of Jesus the Christ and His Apostles over the centuries. So it’s simple, “Apostolic Biblical Catholic – non Roman”. A simple concept, but a great way to describe our desire to return to the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles.