I need to preface this with a little bit about my own growing-up years so as to not offend everyone out there who has any kind of religious persuasion. I was raised in a church family with both my father and mother being pastors of a large congregation with satellite churches around the state.
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I need to preface this with a little bit about my own growing-up years so as to not offend everyone out there who has any kind of religious persuasion. I was raised in a church family with both my father and mother being pastors of a large congregation with satellite churches around the state.
So, Ol’ Dutch had a lot of opportunities to hear from the Good Book and should have turned out okay. But, it's been said you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. To which Miss Trixie just said “Amen.” Which makes me wonder if she knows more about the silk purse or a sow's ear?
But anyway, growing up in that household and being exposed to a lot of different denominations over time, Ol’ Dutch got to see how others believed. It was mostly an enjoyable experience plus quite funny at times, also.
This reminiscing about the past was brought about after Miss Trixie was exposed to an overly zealous religious person. Now Ol’ Dutch is far from critical about people who like to pray and I myself am prone to a lot of prayer as I am always getting myself in some pickle that requires heavenly extraction.
Why just recently, in fact, Ol’ Dutch has noticed a lot of people praying in public places. Just stand at any gas pump anywhere in your vicinity and you will hear people saying, “Oh God.” And that is understandable with the current prices as it's a definite disaster that will probably require Divine intervention to resolve.
But outside of getting gas or buying other necessities that will drive a man to prayer or maybe drink, there are people who seem to do nothing but talk about religious things.
I have a friend in fact who says he has read over 600 books on the End Times. That’s when some people predict the world is ending, that folks will be walking around with nanochips and there will be a rapture, or no rapture, depending on your religion. All theories put forth as bankable predictions, even though the Big Guy’s Son Himself said “no man knows the hour of my return.”
But it sells books, makes the writers money and creates a slew of individuals willing to tell you all about it for hours on end if you stand still long enough in one place. And I guess that's okay as they are enthused and excited to think they are the only ones who know “the Big Secret.”
Given enough information whether it be right or wrong, some people just take it a step too far. They spew out everything from conspiracy theories to end-of-the-world scenarios with something like diarrhea of the mouth.
My mother, ever the saintly woman that she was, had a way of sorting out and succinctly stating facts. One of her favorite quotes came from Chief Justice Oliver Wendel Holmes: “Some people are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.”
The Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash, agreed with old Ollie Holmes and sang, “You’re shinin’ your light, and shine it you should, / But you’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good.”
Now Ol’ Dutch knows that we are all called to be witnesses to the truth of the Good Book as we find it, but I also think that living as an example just maybe, just might be more of an influence on our neighbors than a continual spouting of religious nonsense.
You know? The old “love your neighbor as yourself” kind of witnessing. And it will save you a lot of money now being wasted on books and podcasts which the authors of such promise ancient secrets, profound knowledge, and wealth.
Ol’ Dutch has generally found that the authors themselves are utilizing all the ancient secrets and profound knowledge about how gullible people are to bring the writer themselves much wealth. So, I guess it works. For them, at least.
We’re all going through some tough times these days and are turning right and left for answers. You’re still on this earth, because you’ve got some earthly good still to do. So join me in abiding by the Golden Rule and helping others. It can’t hurt.
Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is Kevin@TroutRepublic.com. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com.