The Jellybean Redistribution Program

You may have seen that Ronald Reagan skit where the President is asking his experts what they think of his "redistribution plan" and are arguing back and forth. And one guy says "No matter how you slice it Whites will always end up on the top and Blacks will end up on the bottom" and another says "It's not just a question of blacks and whites but reds, yellows, and the greens, and all the other constituencies". And it turns out they are talking about jelly beans. But Thom Hartman has been thumping the need for more equitable income in the United States. The reason is pretty simple because all the problems we face about suicide and mental illness and drug addiction, and crime, are all products of the inequity of incomes in the United States. It doesn't have to do with wealth per se, but equity of income. In France and Germany and Scandenavia and Japan and other places they don't have these sort of problems that we do here. But other places such as India and in Africa and even Portugal, you have this inequity problem. Hartman points out that even among the States you see this phenominon. In states like Minnisota and North Dakoda and Utah and Vermont and Wisconsin you have equity of income and the crime statistics are low along with the others such as suicides and mental illness. But in other states such as New York and California they are worse, and worse still are states like Texas and other southern states such as Louisiana and even Florida, where the malodies of society run high. The solution would be clearly the thing conservatives dread, which is an extensive income redistribution plan. The least we could do is raise the income taxes on the wealthy back to fifty percent. That would solve a whole host of problems, not the least of which is the deficet. And Hartman points out that no matter how "right wing" a European nation may appear to swing, not a one of them has suggested abolishing the Health Care programs they have in those nations because they work so well. Even in Canada they have much fewer problems with crimes commited with firearms than we do, despite the fact that percentage wise Canadians have just about as many guns as we do. If you listen to people like Ed Schultz and Thom Hartman you know that gun elimination is not on either's agenda, along with the free and open "way of life" it represents. It is said that we would be "making people give up the Health Care coverage they love" with their private insurers. And yet if you scratch a little below the surface it comes to light that the only reason why some people love their insurance plan is because they have never had to use it. Which is also why so many people are satisfied with their religion. But they dare not test their plan with an actual personal medical disaster that could wipe them out, or you'd soon have them singing a different tune. Some liberals wonder why the United States is the only nation in the civilized world with such an antiquated government. I don't know.

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JESUS – A MOST AMAZING MAN – Part Two

When Jesus was about thirty he began traveling about the land of Palestine. He left Tyre traveled to Jerusalem where he attended a Passover in Jerusalem, and here he drove the money changers out of the temple and the people told him his life would be in peril if he stayed. He gave his "Born Again" speech to Nicodemus about being born of water and of the spirit, and how Salvation is life in the spiritual dimension and this connection with God transcends death. Later on he went to Samaria where they practiced animal sacrifice apart from the Temple in Judea and Jesus told then that "ye worship outside the law of Yahweh and his grace". Then he came to Capernaum and observed a tax collector named Matthew cheating people. Some people told him this is the town of Nahum the prophet and the town has a history of being open to new ideas. Jesus went to Cana and bought a nice house there. It was here that he healed the Roman Centurian's son of a fever saying that he had but to "give the word". Jesus departed and came to Madgola and there he met a woman named Mary, and they fell in love and were married. Jesus had a nice home in Cana that was well maintained by a staff whether Jesus was absent or there. Jesus and Mary were married very near-by. As the ceremony was about to begin there were murmers in the croud. People were saying that if Jesus only knew the true nature of this woman he would never have married her. Some said that seven demons were driven out of her. Others only said that she was a woman of sin. But the ceremony was concluded and they smashed the wine bottle as is the Jewish custom. The reception was in a building nearby. Jesus was hanging around some big vases or ceramic jars and saying incantations and waving his hands over them. When the others arrived and his mother said that they hadn’t ordered enough wine, Jesus turned the water into wine. They brought some to the magistrate of the city who was an honored guest and he said, “Most people let people drink freely and then after a while bring out the wine of poorer sort, but you have saved the best wine till now. Jesus’ brothers were notable for their absence. The people there were people you don’t know but mainly friends from either Magdola, Cana, or Tyre.

Jesus called the first four disciples as described in the boat while they were fishing by the sea and the nets filled up with fish such that the boat was about to sink and so they enlisted the assistance of the other boat. Peter said to Jesus “Get away from me for I am a sinful man”. Jesus and his disciples one day were by the Jordan River to hear the preaching of John the Baptist. According to this movie a lot of stuff attributed to Jesus in the Bible was actually preached by John. John’s message included a lot of stuff on “the coming of the Son of Man” and he invariably used this term, as used in the Book of Enoch. He said, "When the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? And also said "The day of judgement will come as a thief so be awake for it, and it's like if a man knew when the thief would break into his house he would have been awake. He offered up the parable of the talents (longest version) the parable of the wedding feast (longest version) and the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the unrighteous steward, and interestingly also the parable of the wheat and the tares. Then he gave the parable of the tennants in the vinyard who mistreated the prophets. He saw some pharicees and said "Ye vipers. Who told you you could escape the day of wrath?" They switch camera angles and lighting during these speeches to indicate the passage of time. Then Jesus decided to be baptized. When it came his turn he said to John, “If you know who it was who was talking to you, you would ask to be baptized by Me”. John said, “Suffice it to be this way for now for in this we shall do everything that the law requires”. John held Jesus down in the water for what seemed an incredibly long time. During this experience Jesus freaked out and heard voices quoting Ezekiel 28 when it said “Thou art a man and no God, and ye shall die the death of those who go down to the sea”.

Jesus was preaching to a crowd and he said to them “You are the salt of the earth, but if that salt has lost its savor, where again shall it be salted. Do not let yourselves lose your savor. For then the salt is good only to be cast along the path and trodden under the foot of men. You are the light of the world. But do not hide your light under a bushel basket but on a lamp stand for all to see. If you believe in the light- - come to the light- - come now and receive a healing to your body. And people came and he healed them of such things as leporicy and withered limbs and crooked spines, and various fevers and demonic possessions. It was clear that Jesus had found his nitch.

Jesus and his disciples encountered a storm and it occurs just as it does in the Bible and he ordered the wind and waves to be still. When the disciples were at the back of the boat bailing water saying “Help us. Care ye not that we parish?” Jesus kind of just strode the deck with an air about him as a captain supervising the hired help. When they got to the other side Jesus drove the demons out of the man with 2,000 demons, and the demons each rushed into a swine, and the swine rushed over a cliff and were drowned.

Jesus was told by the magistrate of the city to leave town. (next scene) Jesus calls Matthew at his tax accounting office and Matthew leaves his work. Jesus told him that from now on he should not try and swindle people. Jesus dined at Matthew’s house on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. His old tax collector friends were among those who dined with him as Matthew tried to preach to them the error of their ways. But the religious officials took note. The next day Jesus preached parables of the Kingdom of Heaven from a boat omitting notably the one about the wheat and the tares. But Jesus was apparently having an off day and gets tangled up in his words with the explanation of the parables, saying, “Some seed falls on the rocks. Sometimes life can get rocky, and you get hot and tired working in the hot sun. Sometimes there are weeds around. These are like unwanted people in your lives. Some people can be like weeds, you know, springing up unwanted. Weeds are pesky things and sometimes you wish they would just go away - - . The people appeared bored and by their remarks - appeared not to understand a thing he was saying. “God has blinded their eyes” Jesus kept saying. But it’s less them I don’t trust then myself. How do I know I’m on the right path?” Jesus was told of a “Virgin spring” up on a hill that would provide all the answers to life. His disciples needed to get away from things for a while anyhow. While there - - Jesus met a woman at the well who looked like a prostitute, for she was veiled. And she said “If you drink of any other water you will thirst again, but he who drinks of this water shall never thirst again. People began gathering around as Jesus was conversing with this woman about her life. Jesus grew inspired and began preaching quoting Isaiah 61 about opening prison doors and setting the captives free. Then he pointed out how Jehovah often used outsiders to teach Israel a lesson when they needed it and how Elijah during a drought was sent to a woman in the desert- - away from the population- - and Jesus talked about how evil this generation was for thinking God had chosen them above all the others before them. And the people grew angry and rushed tword him carrying weapons and some holding rocks- - and you see a rush of people rushing by. Then the picture comes in Color- - and the people are at the sea shore and others rushing up to see what happened to Jesus but he was nowhere to be seen as the camera pans across the sea and down below. Others said “There is a sheer cliff here and if Jesus had decided to jump he would have been dashed to pieces by the rocks below”.

The scene shifts and an official is emploring Jesus to come to his house because his twelve year old daughter is gravely ill. But on the way Jesus is touched by the woman with the internal hemmerage and he says “Who touched me” and then heals her. When he reaches the home of Jarius, he goes into the bedroom with the little girl named Tabitha. The room is dark and candles are lit. The flute players are playing and the mourners are wailing in the other part of the house. The little girl had died. But Jesus brings her back to life and tells the others “She was only sleeping- - send the musicians and the mourners away- - - and give her something to eat”.

Then we have the saga of John the Baptist first being arrested and then sending an emissary with a note from jail saying “Are you indeed the promised Messiah, or are we to await another?” And then we have all that stuff with the Herodius and her daughter Solome, who seduces King Herod Agrippa with the dance of the seven veils and all and the King rewards her by giving her the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter.

When Jesus hears the news he tells his disciples they need to get away for a while but a croud follows them and demands to be laid hands on for their sicknesses. And some point out that many of these people are homeless and starving and haven’t eaten in days. So we get the feeding of the 5000 here, as in the Bible. Then they row across the Sea of Galilee in the moonlight by night. But Jesus is not in the boat but appears ahead of them apparently walking on the water. The disciples exclaim, “It is a Ghost”. But this time Jesus comes clean and says, “Look, Peter, it’s only a sand bar a few feet down. Come and join me if you have the faith” and so Peter gets out of the boat, but then sinks into a hold and Jesus pulls him out and we know all of that stuff.

Then Jesus takes them to a high mountain waterfall. Here he talks about the natural beauty and splendor of God’s creation all around you. But then to throw in a miracle he turns off the waterfall, and all there is is an occasional dripping from the rocks. Then Peter gets on his knees and says “Truly you are the Son of God” and Jesus says “Blessed are you Simon for flesh and blood have not revealed this to you but my father who is in heaven”. He then said, there are other sights I desire to show you. And says to the disciples, “Try not to get wet on the way down”, and just then the waterfall turns back on full force, as Jesus and the men work their way down off the mountain.