Twitter Trolls

A friend who is new to Twitter came to me with a problem. I wanted to share my response, in case my readers face similar.

Twitter trolls will happen, no matter what you do. It's sad, but some insist on trolling as a way to get their kicks. Don't let them irk you.

I usually investigate to discover why the person attacks a tweet that is not addressed ("@") them.

For this particular troll, he is a frustrated Atheist / former-Christian, who is mad at God because God didn't turn out to be the way he wanted. He also suffers from poor health, which only adds to his frustrations and beliefs that if God really was there and really CARED for him, none of this would happen.

Because he now believes that God doesn't exist, he can no longer take his anger/frustrations out on God - so he targets others (particularly Christians) to troll instead.

So you have a choice:

(1) You can try to get into a theological debate, which will only increase his animosity and attacks. He will continue to "dis" you (is that still a term?) and bring in reinforcements by including other Atheists. They will join in trolling you until they drive you in tears from Twitter. You will not get them to listen that way as the ego can only listen to another ego. And egos love fighting with one another.

(2) You can block him, so you don't see any of his tweets, which helps buffer you from his attacks. This, however, gives his ego a boost. Trolls count "blocks" as "points" in their game. It depends on how much your ego wants to let them "win" that stupid game.

(3) You can ignore him; pretend that his tweets do not exist. Shunning does work. Eventually he gives up and goes away.

(4) You can continue to treat him with kindness, love and respect. He will continue to belittle what you say, but at the same time you are teaching through example, rather than through words alone.

On social media sites, you show others - even those you don't realize - what it is to walk in Christ's steps. What it means to forgive and turn the other cheek.

The lyrical Blessing that came to mind: "May good health return; may you wear a gentle smile. May laughter and Love fill your heart all the while." Feel free to use it. I can't claim full credit anyway, as the Spirit helps me.

May your days of trolls be few

May the Spirit guide what to do

~ ESA

Christmas Letter from Jesus/Yeshua

This belongs with the other two posts below. Again, this is an email received that I wish to share. While it is not my intention to negate the messages of the other two, I wanted to give my readers additional food for thought during the Christmas season.

-ESA

____________________________________________________________________

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking my name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate my birth, just get along and love one another. 

Now, having said that, let me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting my birth, then just get rid of a couple of santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn or front windows. If all my followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was my Father who made all trees. You can remember me anytime you see a tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish, as that demonstrates my relation to you and what each of our tasks are.

If you want to give me a present in remembrance of my birth, here is my wish list. Choose something from it: 

• Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to those in prison, hospitals, and/or soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know; they tell me this.

• Visit someone in a nursing home or someone home-bound. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

• Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

• Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of my birth, and why I came to live with you down there. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them too.

• Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

• Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

• Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one.

• While many feast on Thanksgiving and Christmas and nibble cookies and other treats between the two, many others are hungry, eating cat food or moldy food from the "bargain" racks at the back of the supermarket. Use some of the funds you would buy luxury treats for yourself and pick up a case of canned soup or boxed pasta to donate to the local food bank. The shelves are emptier each year as more people can't afford the basics for their families.

• If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary. They take my love and good news to those who have never heard my name. Many also provide means for clean water, better shelters, education, means of income... things many who read this take for advantage in their lives.

• Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to local churches, police stations, and many charitable organizations who distribute them for you. If you keep your eyes open, many stores now have boxes near the registers waiting for these gifts.

• Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to me, then behave like one of my followers. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in my presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget, I can take care of myself. Just love me and do what I have asked you to do. I'll take care of the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. 

And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those you love and remember.

Feel free to share; this was sent by a friend.

I LOVE YOU!

~ Jesus / Yeshua

Ben Stein Commentary

This is a copy of a commentary I found recently that I wanted to share with the posts above and below. This was written and read by Ben Stein on CBS Sunday Morning.

- ESA 

 __________________________________________________________________________

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees "Christmas trees." I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
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It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. it doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

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I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat!
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Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
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In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
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Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her, 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentlemen He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
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In light of recent events... terrorist attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
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Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide.) We said an expert should know what he's talking about. We said OK.
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Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'We reap what we sow.'
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Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
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Are you laughing yet?
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Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list beacuse you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
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Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
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Pass it on if you think it has merit.
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If not, then just discard it...no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
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Ben Stein

Andy Rooney on Prayer

The following was forwarded to me in an email, and I wanted to share it with my readers. Please read with the next two (above) blogposts with this.

- ESA

_________________________________________________________________________________

A very big amen to this:

Pray if you want to!

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada, countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...

“But what about the atheists?” is another argument.

What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us. 

And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. 

It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"
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God bless us one and all... especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada; despite all our faults, we are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make this the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.

Keep looking up.

Kingdom Visitor (Story)

Once upon a time, in a not too distant land there was a king that loved all the people. Because he had such love for the people, he wanted them to be happy and to love each other as he loved them. One day, he called before him all the magistrates in the land and commanded of them to design a way that would best enable all the people to love one another.

The magistrates gathered and spent much time in council determining the best methods to govern the people that would make them love each other so the king would be happy. They decided on a long list of rules that the people would have to memorize and adhere. They decided on celebration days that would, by their annual repetition, reinforce the rules they established. Further, they set up a system where there would be rewards for those who obeyed the rules and punishment for those who did not.

This, they surmised, was the best way to make the people love each other.

Over the years, the magistrates instructed the people in the rules, meted out the rewards and punishments, and watched the people carefully so they knew who to reward and who to punish. In response, some of the people would either vie with each other to do the most loving acts to gain the best of the rewards, or they followed the rules minimally when they knew they were being watched, lest they face the dreaded punishments.

Then one day, a stranger arrived and set up a temporary home among the people of this kingdom. Within a few days, one of the magistrates presented to her a thick bound volume of the rules. But the stranger handed the book back unopened and, instead, took out her visa which indicated she was not a subject of the king, and thus she was not subject to those rules. The magistrate tried to harass her, but she knew that was the law of all the lands and magistrate could not force their ways on her.

At that time, the king wondered how well the system his magistrates established was working. Were the people truly loving one another as he loved them? Was the system enabling their love for each other to flourish? Or were the people merely following the established set of rules because they sought individually to gain a reward or avoid a punishment? So the king decided to find out for himself. He disguised himself and went out among the people.

Where the magistrates were to be found, people performed all kinds of loving acts, helping one another and more. But where there were no magistrates watching, the poor were left hungry, the cold were left outside alone to fend for themselves, the sick were shoved apart from the healthy, and the outcasts were friendless. There was very little love here.

Then the king spied a young woman, a stranger in this land, and she was doing what the people were not, even when the magistrates were not watching. She shared her supper with someone that had none, she helped carry someone's heavy load, and she welcomed the homeless into the rooms she rented so they would not have to suffer the freezing rain and falling snow. Who was this woman?

The king called court the next day and called this woman before him. "I am king of this realm," he told her, "and I have seen what you have done."

"I know of your rules may be different here, your majesty, but as I am not one of your subjects, so your rules do not apply to me."

"So you do not act as you do fearing punishment?"

"No, sir."

"So you do not act as you do expecting reward?"

"No, sir."

The king's cheeks started to glisten with tears and he stepped down from his throne and faced the woman eye-to-eye. "Then why do you do the things you do?"

The woman shrugged, "It's just the right thing to do. We're all part of this world, we should help each other."

The king stepped forward and embraced the woman fiercely!

When he stepped back he announced, "Let this be known across the land, this woman has acted with Love for her neighbor, not because of reward, not out of fear of punishment - for she clearly does not expect either. She acted simply out of the Love found in her heart. THIS! This is what I sought for my people. All I simply ask is that they love one another."

Love
thy
neighbor

-ESA

Religion

This post is intended for many of those who hold fast to their religious practices without ever really listening to those who practice elsewise -- or at least research into WHY we do a particular thing in a particular way as a religious practice. Though this will speak more to Christians, I do ask that NON-Christian readers also try to take something from this also.

Christmas Traditions:
I cannot speak for all Christmas traditions around the world in this space, so I will use what is currently practiced by most American Christians (as I was raised) as an example. Much of what we have and hold dear in our Christmas celebrations is -- get ready -- PAGAN!

Nose count, how many readers did I just loose there?

But it is true. The evergreen Christmas tree and wreath are male and female representations of life continuing through the cold darkness of winter. This and many other traditions, such as the Yule log, mistletoe, holly, candles (now Christmas lights) were absorbed into mainstream Christianity as it moved up into Europe.

How many Christians badmouth and bible-thump pagans all year long and then put up Christmas lights, hang an evergreen wreath at the door - or under the candles (Advent Wreath) - and decorate an evergreen tree?

While I'm not a practicing pagan, I, like the religion before me, do take some of THEIR beliefs and incorporate it into my own. I believe Christ is the Life in the time of death and darkness. He is the Light that shines in the darkness. I believe Christians have a responsibility for making their own lights shine, so I put up light strings during the darkest part of the year (Northern hemisphere). This is a reminder to myself of such responsibility through the year.

Ready for another shock? Yeshua/Jesus was NOT born December 25, 0000. We do not know WHEN He was born.

The Gregorian Calendar, for which is the only one most of us know and the global business/civic community accepts as the standard, was started by Pope Gregory in 1582 - a LONG time after Christ's birth.

Emperor Constantine chose December 25 as the date over 300 years after Christ was born! The day Christians hold dear in their heart has connections to Saturnalia and similar pagan holidays surrounding the winter solstice of December 21st (northern hemisphere). The meaning behind the original holiday: in some parts of the world, that is the day following the shortest / darkest day of the year when a common observer can visibly see the sun returning on it's trek back north.

I cannot think of a more beautiful connection to Christ's birth!

Christ, the Light for humanity in the time of darkness and sin, is coming into the world as the light of the natural world - the sun - makes it's way north to bring forth life (growing season), much as Christ brings forth spiritual life.

Another tradition I connect with Christmas is Hanukkah, the festival of lights that celebrates a miracle when the oil that would barely last one day burned steadily for eight days. Christ is our miraculous Light celebrated around the same time as Hanukkah. Not only that, He Himself lit the Menorah while He lived as a Jew in this world. I ask my fellow Christians to keep that in mind when they badmouth our Judaic brothers and sisters or their traditions.

Easter Traditions:
A few years ago, an 11-year-old Hindu neighbor told my husband - in full honesty from what she's learned and observed - that Easter isn't a religious holiday. After all, the Easter bunny and egg hunts have NOTHING to do with Christ's death on a cross and resurrection thereafter.

She was 100% correct in that observation.

Easter is one of the major holiday observations and should be THE most important one to Christians. It celebrates Christ's death and resurrection - the period when He took our sins upon Himself and died like a sacrificial animal for us - the Lamb of God. Then miraculously passed through death and walked the Earth again, not a spirit or ghost but in flesh where others could touch His hands with theirs.

How many Christians fail to see parallels (sacrificial lamb, resurrection, life after death) found in other religions around the world?

How many Christians criticize others for non-Christian traditions and then tell their children stories of the Easter BUNNY, decorate their home with flowers and images of chicks and cute fluffy new-born life, then send their children on an egg hunt? These are also PAGAN traditions adopted by Christianity.

These are signs and traditions that celebrate LIFE after a season of DEATH. Though Christ's death and resurrection DID occur in the spring (northern hemisphere) as Passover is mentioned, the connection with the pagan holiday makes it even more remarkable. Christ IS Life after Death.

While I had chocolate rabbits at Easter in my childhood, I pick up chocolate crosses for my nieces and nephews. What's become of the simple hunt for eggs - a hunt for the renewal of life following death (a hunt for Christ) - into the collection of presents and baskets piled high with material belongings makes me break down in tears!

This is why a child who was raised outside Christianity can look upon what we do and say with complete honesty - there is NO religious holiday here. We've buried it. :*(

Atheism:
I've had the opportunity to discuss religious beliefs with Atheists. Some are willing to have an honest and open conversation. One recently told me at the end, "While I don't share your beliefs I can see that you have studied much and do not just simply follow blindly - and I respect you and your beliefs because of that."

It is from these conversations that one can learn why people turn away and say there is no God. One strongly driving force is that there are those who try to force their own beliefs and traditions down people's throats and never open their own eyes to understanding these traditions.

Ironically, there are quite a few Atheists who do not understand this: Atheism is a RELIGION too. It is a set of beliefs related to the cause, nature and purpose of the universe.

Those that blast, spam, troll and get into people's faces supporting Atheism are just as bad as those they criticize doing the same for Christianity and other religions. They are as fervent in proclaiming there is no god as those that proclaim there is. Face it; Atheism IS a religion. If you condemn others for doing as you do, condemn your own actions as well in fairness.

That last applies to Atheists and non-Atheists alike!

In Closing:
There are many - too many - people who believe the way they celebrate things is the One True Religion. They fail to see how much we've incorporated into the "Religion" since it's origins.

Too many people shout that their way is the Only Way and do not open their ears to hear what other people say. If they did, they may be surprised that there is FAR more in common than we think.

Sharing Christ's teachings is not insisting that they follow exactly as we do. It is opening hearts to the understanding that we can be forgiven, we can have a fresh start and can continue to strive to do what is right, even though we failed to do that in the past. That we are to Love one another and help one another.

It also means knowing what our actions say. Actions speak louder than words. People may not listen to what we say, but they will observe what we DO. Our actions may be the only bible another reads.

Are we speaking from the Love in our hearts or are we trying to change people so we rack up points on our scorecards? Do we do good in an effort to genuinely help one another or are we building a reputation for our resume and spotlight that we seek? Are we really serving God or ourselves?

We have a responsibility to open our eyes to see our own actions AND why we do it. Constant vigilance is also needed to make sure that hasn't changed, as it will change if left unobserved.

-ESA