truthandtransform

[truthandtransform]

Emmanuel

International Relations and Globalization

When it comes to choices, there’s these principles:

It’s good or bad

It has consequences

It is personal or collective

It is influenced by knowledge, value, purpose and inherent essence

Choice should always strengthen our faith. Where there’s freedom, the opposite value is “our rights” Where there is faith, the opposite is doubt. Where there is submission, the opposite is independence.  God wants freedom, faith and submission from us.

The goodness of God is seen as:

redemptive

eternal

he goes beyond comfort

he wants flourishing for all

The various aspects of government and community in Exodus 20-32:

laws of justice and mercy

covenant

festivals

sabbath laws

social responsibility

protection of property

personal injuries

idols and altars

Ten Commandments

Everything belongs to the Lord, the earth, all creatures that is on it, all of us.

Internationalization:

Economic globalization

Information revolution

Ecological crisis

Spread of liberal democracy

International migration

Civilization ties

International security, such as dealing with terrorism, nuclear warheads, organized crime

The Realist viewpoint

Sovereign states should be strong

The world is anarchic place, where constant struggle goes on between states, each of which pursues its own national interest

Revolutions are dangerous

Order in the world can be based on balance of power between nations

War is a natural phenomenon, a sometimes necessary evil, “continuation of politics by other means”

International trade should serve national power

The idealist viewpoint

Power is not the only thing that matters

States have common interests and values

Trade is the key common interest

Global marketplace, Interdependence, desire for rules

Desire for predictability and stability

International system is based on treaties and institutions

A prosperous society is more important than a powerful state

Human freedoms and rights must be respected everywhere

Spread of liberal democracy leads to world peace

Constructionism

Nation states are not all alike

Political culture shapes foreign policy

History shapes foreign policy

Domestic political trends and debates shape foreign policy

States have identity

This influences the way the states interact with each other

United Nations

an international organization to facilitate international cooperation in:

Achieving world peace

Human rights

Social progress

Security

Economic development

There are five nations with veto power: USA, Russia, France, Britain, China

Ten other nations have a two year term on this security council

One last note, hold your opinion with an open hand.  This is one I’ve been meditating on.  I’ve released some of my hard positions in the area of politics.  It’s not so far as becoming a moderate, but I do want to see the other person’s viewpoints.  I don’t immediately dismiss their opinion, but look to what it is based on.  I see that there’s a need for me to be more vocal, not to be passive, to find ways to engage people, not in a flaming war but to look for common ground.  What is their fear, what is their goal?  Perhaps delve into their background.  So I like reading political news and then looking for the opposing view sometimes to get an idea of their perspective.  Now that I’ve seen United Nations and the governmental entities in a new light, I’m seeking ways to engage at the right time, not on that level, but as a concerned citizen that wants the expression of God’s kingdom to come on earth, not waiting for the consummated kingdom, the next world.

[truthandtransform]

Skye Jethani - Life with God

Worldview concepts came alive these past three days with Skye Jethani.  First he turned the “all paths lead to God” upside down and said the idea not a true description.  Turning the pyramid upside down, he suggested all religions has the same origin and lead to different endpoints.

The origin lies in the way we instinctively react to danger…fear  The next reaction is that people work on a way to control the danger, but in truth it’s an illusion of control. All forms of religion is an attempt to gain control over the chaos of this world.  By doing a ritual, following the rules, saying certain words, appeasing the higher being, people attempt to control the bad things that happen or can happen to them.   This is the Life under God proposition.

Another basic attempt to impose control is to say God isn’t powerful, therefore man has all the answers, some yet to be discovered. This one is the Life over God proposition, in which camp resides the atheists, humanist, or even Christians that deny God’s power/Holy Spirit.

Then there’s Christians who recognize God’s power, and believe Jesus’ words, yet remain the power centers, self, instead of intentionally surrendering their life and letting Jesus be the ultimate value or center of living life. They obey the rules in order to receive material things, better jobs, better relationships, and unknowingly submit only to their selfish motives in order to live a life that is superior and “safe.” Skye called them consumerism Christians also described as Life from God.

Another proposition was the one called Life for God.  They take on a cause in Jesus’ name, however it is still from the center of self, rather than deepening communion with God. They feed poor, heal the sick, do the right things, but haven’t grown closer to God or remained dependant on him.  Their identity is in the things they do, rather in the original image of God residing in them.  Also known as Activist Christianity.

Jesus invites us to be with him, reflect him, represent him, to grow in relationship with him. Many of the above have been a part of my experience with Christ, and this opened my eyes to the mixed motives inside of me.  Yet as I put Him first, the part that is different from all the above is that I’ve surrendered to him, put my faith in him and am learning that this is the safest place to be.  Nothing can separate us from His love, not life, not death, not any distance, nor any enemy, so this is true even if it doesn’t feel that way.  Yet I’ve also realized that Jesus shines brightest in our weakness, as we surrender our lives to him.

[truthandtransform]

CRISPR babies may already exist

Even though gene-editing at this embryo level is illegal in most of the world, including China, a Chinese scientist and his team have pursued altering the gene that influences HIV susceptibility. Human genes from parts of Northern Europe have this gene naturally altered, thereby being HIV resistant. This is different for Chinese people.

This is a mind-boggling story. It describes Jiankui He’s efforts to be the first scientist to succeed in this area of gene-editing. He declined to comment about the birth of the CRISPR babies, but the released clinical trial data describes genetic tests on several fetus that had the CRISPR technique to modify the embryo’s genes.  

CRISPR doesn’t always produce positive results in other gene-editing studies, and the idea of babies having these different genes is causing anguish for scientists and the general population. It is another step toward designer babies, that only the wealthy can pursue.  The idea this technique actually helping cure HIV is misguided since the disease is prevalent among certain ethnic poor people who would not access this treatment anyway.

The major problem is the destruction of living beings in the name of progress.  The process has already altered and harmed God’s chosen living beings that were formed in his mind before they were created. This study should be condemned for the newly created gene combinations that can lead to unintended consequences.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612458/exclusive-chinese-scientists-are-creating-crispr-babies/

[truthandtransform]

Where there’s no freedom of speech

Mr Iyer-Mitra languishes in an Indian jail because of his satirical tweet about the local temple in Orissa. He’s been charged with several crimes, such as “obscene act in a public place,” and defamation. He faced up to five years in jail. The local police say he has offended the sensibilities of the 40 million citizens in that region.  However, there hasn’t been any public recrimination or uprising.

Because the offense is seen as promoting friction between various groups on grounds of religion, he’s still unable to free himself after some efforts by his lawyers to do so.  It may be that because Mr Iyer-Mitra was a guest of a former politician, the strings were pulled by the current chief of that political party.

International rights organizations are attempting to get Mr Iyer-Mitra bail, and that hasn’t helped either.

So apparently taking videos and saying something that may have been meant as a joke is clearly not seen as freedom of speech like it is here in United States.  Still, in any location common sense would help people get along better and though I see the injustice here, it’s quite a contrast between the worldview here in USA and the worldview in other locations.  There have been times I’ve wished that the backbiting and name calling would not be so prevalent here in USA.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46204954

[truthandtransform]

Me before You

The cuteness of Lou Clark’s fashion sense, cheerful attitude, and her compassion for the quadriplegic Will Traynor seems so life-giving, but the end of life scenario puts a serious dent in the movie in my opinion.

Clark’s awkwardness, her inability to keep a job, her weird clothes pulls the viewer in to see what will happen. When Will begins to soften toward Clark’s cheerful attitude and her companionship, the romantic hints appear.   At the moment Clark overhears the reality that Will has committed to a date for euthanasia in Switzerland, she’s found a cause.  She pours herself into the mold of the girl who is going to save the guy. In doing this she discovers things about herself and about Will that bring them closer together. But at the peak romantic scene, Will tells Clark he’s still going to Switzerland and end his life. She is devastated, but her love and compassion brings her to him at the last minute and still Will doesn’t change his mind.

The movie’s portrayal of euthanasia for a non-life-threatening situation takes viewers several notches beyond the typical worldview that it is okay for a person to do this. Viewers were told that his pain was so severe he should be allowed to die.  In my mind, if a pain is that severe, then pain-killers don’t work and pain at that level keeps them pretty much bed or house-bound. The movie conveniently ignored that possibility.  The idea that suffering should be ended by taking a dose of lethal medicine is treating life as if the person has no meaning.  Will cannot see that he has value, that there’s more to life than physical abilities, and the moviegoers are treated to making death as romantic as possible.  That is what bothered me the most about this movie.  

I did like the unconditional love portrayed by Clark, however, the movie needed more reality checks in it.