Blog Archives - IRONSTRIKES

Sunday Meditation

1/31/2016

God Is Not Impassive

It is sometimes said of God, that, being infinite and perfect, he is beyond the reach of emotionality; in other words, is an "impassive" existence, a being without feeling. The truth seems to us to be directly the opposite. God, so far from being the negation, is the perfection of feeling; that is to say, he feels, and cannot help feeling, just as he ought to feel, on all possible occasions.

This remark we proceed now to illustrate in some particulars. And, accordingly, it may be said, in the first place, that God, instead of being impassive and without sensibility, is a being of desires and aversions. Can it be supposed, for instance, that any good takes place in the universe, without God's desiring it to take place? And if such a supposition is impossible, it is equally so that any evil can take place without causing in him feelings of dissatisfaction and aversion. And this is not all. He not only desires good to take place, but he rejoices in it, when it has taken place. And he cannot do otherwise. And, on the other hand, he not only disapproves of wrong-doing, and desires that it may not take place, but it cannot take place without exciting grief in him.

It is a great and affecting truth, that the infinite God, in the true sense of the terms, is grieved with sinners. To be indifferent to sin in any of its forms or degrees, which is the same thing as being "impassive" in view of sin, is not in his nature. Such a supposition, namely, the sight of sin without experiencing any emotions, would imply, at least, a great imperfection of character. And if it is impossible for him to be indifferent to sin, it is certainly impossible for him to be pleased with it. To be grieved with sin, therefore, to be grieved with an infinite grief, is the necessary result of the infinity and perfection of his nature.

And it is the same with other feelings. It is probably not necessary to go through with them in detail It is sufficient to say that God has, and necessarily must have, all those feelings which are appropriate to a perfectly wise, benevolent, and holy being. They correspond to things as they take place; and they vary exactly with the changing incidents of those things; every shade of alteration in the facts causing a shade of alteration in the corresponding feelings. So that it is true of the divine mind, that it is constantly in motion and constantly at rest at the same time; — the rest, or rather the perfect tranquility, being the result of the perfection of its movement. It is not the rest of inaction, but of perfect adjustment; not the rest of impassive stagnation, but of emotional and moral harmony.

— edited from A Treatise on Divine Union (1851) Part 7, Chapter 11 by Thomas Cogswell Upham. You can find more of his work at the blog, The Hidden Life, managed by Craig L Adams at: http://thomascupham.blogspot.com

Yearning for perfect love

1/30/2016

When we act out of loneliness our actions easily become violent. The tragedy is that much violence comes from a demand for love. When loneliness drives our search for love, kissing easily leads to biting, caressing to hitting, looking tenderly to looking suspiciously, listening to overhearing, and surrender to rape. The human heart yearns for love: love without conditions, limitations, or restrictions. But no human being is capable of offering such love, and each time we demand it we set ourselves on the road to violence.

How then can we live nonviolent lives? We must start by realizing that our restless hearts, yearning for perfect love, can only find that love through communion with the One who created them.

"Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." - Isaiah 55:2

This post was written by Henri Nouwen. You can find his website here: henrinouwen.org

Dept of Justice Facilitates Sexual Exploitation

1/29/2016

Online Press Conference: U.S. Department of Justice Named To List of Top Facilitators of Sexual Exploitation

WHO: National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)

WHAT: Online Press Conference: U.S. Department of Justice Named to List of Top Facilitators of Sexual Exploitation

WHEN: Monday, February 1, 2016: 11:00-11:30 am ET

WHERE: Streaming online here: http://endsexualexploitation.org/doj/

WHY: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is about to be named by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation as a top facilitator of sexual exploitation. The DOJ, despite being the primary federal criminal investigation and enforcement agency, has abandoned its post in the fight for freedom from sexual exploitation, objectification, and violence. The U.S. Department of Justice refuses to enforce existing federal obscenity laws against pornography even though these laws have been upheld by U.S. Courts and previously enforced. Federal law prohibits distribution of obscene adult pornography on the Internet, on cable/satellite TV, on hotel/motel TV, in retail shops, through the mail, and by common carrier. While the enforcers of the law have refused to do their job, pornography has become so pervasive in American society that it is creating a public health crisis with vast neurologically, psychologically, and sociologically damaging consequences.

To learn more, visit: http://endsexualexploitation.org/doj/

For interviews, please contact Haley Halverson at 202-393-7245, [email protected]

About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national organization addressing the public health crisis of pornography and exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation. NCOSE embraces a mission to defend human dignity and to advocate for the universal right of sexual justice, which is freedom from sexual exploitation, objectification, and violence.
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www.EndSexualExploitation.org

Lucifer - A good TV show?

1/28/2016

Lucifer premiered last Monday night on Fox. As you might expect, the devil is the lead character. He decides to take a vacation, so he abdicates his throne in hell and flees to Los Angeles. There he opens a nightclub and ends up fighting crime alongside a police detective.

It is appropriate that Lucifer's nightclub is named "Lux," which is Latin for "light," since "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Not surprisingly, Lucifer is highly deceptive.

Early in last night's episode, the devil tells a woman who fears she has sold her soul to Satan, "The devil isn't that interested in your soul." Then he claims that "God has nothing to do with your mess."

I was especially troubled by the show's depiction of Satan as compassionate toward hurting people. Lucifer tells one troubled woman, "Pull yourself together. That's it. That's all I'm asking. You're wasting your talent and your life."

He encourages a female LAPD officer who is struggling for recognition, "Ignore them. Trust yourself." He becomes so empathetic that a demon tells him, "Humans are rubbing off on you. Stop caring. You're the devil."

It's no surprise that one reviewer likens Lucifer to "your charming high school friend." If all I knew of Satan was his portrayal in Lucifer, I would think that he wants the best for me.

The truth is, Lucifer wants the worst for me–and for you.

Satan is our arch enemy. His very name means "accuser." Here's what Scripture says about him:

He is "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).
He is a "murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44).
He "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan is the greatest enemy you face. He is "the god of this world" who has "blinded the minds of unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 4:4; see John 12:31; 1 John 5:19). Every problem crippling humanity can be traced back to him, from our fallen world with its diseases and disasters (Genesis 3:17-18; Romans 8:22; 1 John 5:19) to the temptations you face today.

Satan is worse than Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Osama bin Laden, or the leaders of ISIS, combined. In fact, he inspires every atrocity you will read about today. Would you watch a TV show that makes Hitler a "charming high school friend"?

The Bible instructs us to "submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Note the order: Submit to God, and you can resist the devil. You will face no temptation today you cannot defeat in God's strength (1 Corinthians 10:13). But you must turn to the Lord before you can have his power. Self-sufficiency is spiritual suicide.

Here's the good news: If Christ is your Lord, you're on the winning side. Jesus came "to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). One day our enemy will be "thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur" where he will be "tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).

What does it say about our culture that Fox thinks Lucifer will be a successful show? What does your answer say about the urgency of trusting and sharing Jesus today?

This post was written by Jim Denison. You can find his blog here: http://www.denisonforum.org/cultural-commentary

Linking porn to sexual violence

1/27/2016

A new study out of Indiana University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa has warned that porn consumption is significantly linked to increases in sexual aggression. The latest research is a meta-analysis assessing 22 different …Studies Link Porn to Sexual Violence

Family First NZ says that a new study out of Indiana University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa has warned that porn consumption is significantly linked to increases in sexual aggression.

“The latest research is a meta-analysis assessing 22 different studies from seven different countries around the world. This research found that internationally the consumption of pornography was associated significantly with both verbal and physical aggression, among males and females alike. This study should be taken seriously in New Zealand as we tackle unacceptable rates of sexual violence and the ‘roastbusters’ mentality,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

The study “A Meta-Analysis of Pornography Consumption and Actual Acts of Sexual Aggression in General Population Studies” published in the Journal of Communication found that “….the association for physical sexual aggression, although smaller than the association for verbal sexual aggression, was still positive and significant. Pornography consumption was associated with an increased probability of the use or threat of force to obtain sex.”

The findings are consistent with an earlier 2002 meta-analysis by the National Foundation for Family Research and Education (NFFRE) at the University of Calgary which found that viewing pornography leads to perceptions of sexual dominance, sex role stereotyping, viewing persons as sexual objects, sexual aggressiveness, and sexually hostility and violent behaviours. And a meta-analysis of eight studies by Seto and Lalumiere (2010) found that male adolescent sex offenders reported more exposure to sex or pornography than male adolescent non-sex offenders.

This latest study from Indiana University says that “the accumulated data leave little doubt that, on the average, individuals who consume pornography more frequently are more likely to hold attitudes conducive to sexual aggression and engage in actual acts of sexual aggression than individuals who do not consume pornography or who consume pornography less frequently.”
“Social scientists, clinical psychologists, biologists and neurologists are now beginning to understand the psychological and biological negative effects of viewing pornography. They show that men who view pornography regularly have a higher tolerance for abnormal sexuality, including rape, sexual aggression, and sexual promiscuity. Prolonged consumption of pornography results in stronger perceptions of women as commodities or as “sex objects,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“This study adds to the growing evidence that porn harms. If we want to tackle sexual violence, we must first admit the role that pornography plays and the harm that it does to attitudes and actions.”

This post was taken from Family First of New Zealand. To find the original post go here: http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2016/01/studies-link-porn-to-sexual-violence/

The search for "ethical" porn

1/26/2016

“Is there such a thing as ethical porn, and if so, how can we find it?” That's the question asked by Ethan Fixell in an essay for the Daily Dot entitled, “Why You Should Support 'Ethical' Porn.” Fixell writes that he gave up pornography for 30 days in an effort to determine how much control it had over his life. Porn had such a grip that, despite his month-long hiatus, he was unable to give up porn use altogether. But that got him thinking...

“What if, rather than restricting ourselves from all adult content, we could demand a higher level of quality from the industry?” he asks. “What if there was a way to seek out porn only made by enthusiastic performers under 'healthy' working conditions, the same way we seek out organically raised, grass-fed steak?”

Thus, he set off on a phantom search for ethical porn.

He concludes that, “as is the case in any industry,” there are a “handful of sleazy filmmakers who prey on inexperienced performers.” Luckily, “the majority of porn content is produced by responsible and capable performers and producers, under safe, professional, and consensual circumstances.”

What a relief.

But how to tell them apart? Fixell came up with a few pointers for others whose consciences twinge every time their loins stir.

He suggested only paying for pornography from the largest studios, assuming their actions must be above-board. He notes that “subscription websites” feature “interviews with [their] performers before and after each scene, ensuring that all activities were consensual.”

Porn addicts users could also binge-watch their favorite performers, he suggested. They regularly grant interviews discussing how much they enjoy their life in front of the camera.
“Perhaps the best thing a viewer can do for his favorite porn star is to subscribe directly to their website, instead of watching their content on a tube site,” he said – referring to the free, YouTube-like outlets that stream pornography for free. Such sites have severely undercut the porn industry's profit margin.

Following his helpful advice, he reassures his readers, “There’s no reason to feel guilty about watching [porn], or to try and give it up.”

Apparently, he is not the only one concerned with the prospect that the person he is lusting over may be less than enthusiastic about her filmed exploitation. His article got more than 3,100 Facebook shares in just a few days.

But Fixell's counsels – which coincidentally have the effect of filling the porn industry's coffers with cash – ignore the fact that there is no corner of the pornographic industry that does not demean and dehumanize women, no segment that is free of his expressed concerns.

But don't believe me; ask the pornstars and former pornstars themselves.

The Duke porn star Miriam Weeks, who performs under the name “Belle Knox,” has said publicly that her work left her feeling empowered. But she is not always so consistent.
“I’m so used to being on the lookout for scammers, people who are going to try pimp me out or traffic me. I think my experiences have aged me. I don’t have the mind of an eighteen-year-old. I have the emotional baggage of someone much, much older than me,” she said.

Weeks first experienced some doubt about her story when an online video emerged showing her being strangled, slapped, and verbally humiliated. Although she said she was “comfortable” with the limits, she understood that “maybe some of the women” who performed for that site “weren't role-playing, as I was.”

In fact, women have little choice about their roles or what will happen on the set, she and others have acknowledged. Women show up expecting one kind of scene only to be told a much different fate awaits them. If they turn it down, they must pay the producers a kill-fee (in Weeks' case, $300), and she would never be able to work for that company again. So, in the case of the video showing her being abused mentioned above, she consented. But it's hardly without ethical issues.

True, most pornstars say they enjoy having sex on camera – because women who are paid to have sex usually verbally flatter their customers. “I lied to the cameras,” revealed Jan Villarubia, a former pornstar who performed under the name Elizabeth Rollings. “I lied to the fans, 'I love what I do. I love what I do.' Because that's how you make money.”

At the risk of bursting Fixell's bubble, there is no sexual shangri-la in which teeming gangs of nymphettes long to sexually service every anonymous man who approaches them. For the women tasked with portraying such a fantasy, the degrading nature of the work soon takes its toll.

Brittni Ruiz, who used to be “Jenna Presley,” said she turned to drugs “to be able to do the scenes, because I was so robotic. I was like a rubber Barbie doll. I had no emotions. I was plastic.” She used cocaine and heroin before she began violent, self-destructive behaviors such as “cutting” – slashing her skin with knives as a form of stress-release.

Others need drugs to get through the scenes. Vanessa Belmond, formerly pornstar “Alexa Cruz,” told the crew of Date My Pornstar that the sexual situations she filmed were so dangerous she had to take painkillers to get through them.

That physical pain may last for life. Fixell never confronts the reality that virtually every pornstar will have an endless series of STD infections because of the work he and other “ethical porn” enthusiasts consume. Belmond said she had multiple STDs, and contracted one her first day on the set. Villarubia said she caught herpes on the job. And all porn industry shooting has been temporarily halted a handful of times in recent months as performers worry they have passed on AIDS/HIV. Yet porn consumers, and producers, object when performers use condoms to minimize the risk.

How does Fixell feel that these women will end up with the pain of a venereal disease because they chose to provide his product-of-choice?

What of the fact that nearly all of these women are reliving their own sexual abuse, and many are runaways, taking the next logical step after prostitution, or trying to get drug money?

These young women will be stigmatized and often unable to work in other careers because of a choice they made for the sake of a quick buck at age 18, 19, or 20. (Most women shoot only a handful of scenes before exiting the industry.)

Does Fixell really believe that women would consent to be choked, beaten, and humiliated in a medium that can be accessed around the world and that will be preserved forever if they saw any other viable way to make a living?

No “ethical porn” can exist, because pornography is by its very nature exploitative and artificial. It portrays the outer shell of sexuality – the deepest connection between two human beings – without conferring the emotional closeness itself to its viewers or practitioners. Even the biological imperative that scientists credit with giving us the sex drive – the will to procreate – speaks of a longing for something that transcends the boundaries of any one person's existence.

Instead of looking at images of people engaged in an imitation of love, why not search for love itself? Rather than sit in front of flickering images of exploited women, why not attempt to establish an emotional relationship with a woman or man that produces love, marriage, and, perhaps in time, children? “Against such, there is no law.”

This post was written by Ben Johnson. You can find his post here: https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/the-phantom-search-for-ethical-porn

An off-switch for your testicles

1/25/2016

A German carpenter and a urologist are working together on a valve-based "on/off switch" for sperm flow up from the testicles.

This one sounds like it's from the pages of science fiction, and promises to make a lot of people feel perhaps a little uncomfortable.

The Telegraph (UK) reports that a German man has followed through on an idea he's had for over 20 years, to introduce a valve system into the reproductive system of human men, to allow them to effectively switch their fertility off with the flick of a switch.

The inventor, Clemens Bimek, once watched a documentary about contraception when the – conceptually simple, practically very difficult – idea came to him. He is at present the only person to have undergone the procedure, having done so reportedly under local anaesthetic, so that he could guide his urologist through the design.

Excuse me, I'm going to need a moment here... Alright, let's continue.

From the Telegraph report:

The tiny valves are less than a inch long and weigh less than a tenth of an ounce. They are surgically implanted on the vas deferens, the ducts which carry sperm from the testicles, in a simple half-hour operation.

To be honest, the design seems pretty elegant to me. The mechanism involves a mechanical subdermal switch placed beneath the skin of his scrotum.

The idea behind doing this instead of a reversible vasectomy is, simply, because a vasectomy doesn't always end up being reversible. We should note that urologists still have reservations about this new system, of course, but it's pretty exciting that someone's taking an engineering approach to a medical issue like male contraception.

So, next time you feel turned on, make sure you're completely clear on what that means. These switches would introduce a whole new meaning to that idiom.

This post was written by Rowdy de Graaf. You can find his post here: http://www.sciencedump.com/content/switch-your-testicles

Sunday Meditation

1/24/2016

Sorrow for Sin
"And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."
Luke xv. 17, 18, 19.

In dust and ashes let me humbled lie,
For I have sinned against my God and friend;
Nor ever upward lift my troubled eye,
But only tears let fall and groanings send.
And wilt Thou hear, who, merciful as just,
Dost pity on the bleeding bosom take?
Yes, Thou wilt mark the suppliant in the dust,
The bowed and bruised reed Thou wilt not break!
Here is my hope, and it is only here;
For I have sinned — how much God only knows;
Thy law have broken, put away thy fear,
And caused the sneer and scoffings of thy foes.
Low in the dust my worthless head I lay,
Till God shall hear my prayer, and take my guilt away.

This post was taken from American Cottage Life by Thomas Cogswell Upham. You can find more of his work at the blog, The Hidden Life, managed by Craig L Adams at: http://thomascupham.blogspot.com

The mountaintop experience

1/23/2016

At some moments we experience complete unity within us and around us. This may happen when we stand on a mountaintop and are captivated by the view. It may happen when we witness the birth of a child or the death of a friend. It may happen when we have an intimate conversation or a family meal. It may happen in church during a service or in a quiet room during prayer. But whenever and however it happens we say to ourselves: "This is it ... everything fits ... all I ever hoped for is here."

This is the experience that Peter, James, and John had on the top of Mount Tabor when they saw the aspect of Jesus' face change and his clothing become sparkling white. They wanted that moment to last forever (see Luke 9:28-36). This is the experience of the fullness of time. These moments are given to us so that we can remember them when God seems far away and everything appears empty and useless. These experiences are true moments of grace.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them...." - Ecclesiastes 12: 1 (NIV)

In your "mountaintop experience," how were you made aware that you belonged to God and were God's beloved child?

This post was written by Henri Nouwen. You can find his website here: henrinouwen.org

The long way home

1/22/2016

If you’re unsure how to get from point A to point B, what do you do? Recently I discovered the Google Maps app. Key in your starting point, enter your ending point, and voilà! The application will get you there. I have one gripe, however. It sometimes takes me the long way to my destination because it doesn’t always factor in the latest road conditions or take into account which roads are open for shortcuts.

When the Lord intentionally takes us on a longer route, we can rest assured that He has full knowledge of the reason. As the Israelites made their exodus out of Egypt, “God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land” (Exodus 13:17). He chose to lead them on a different path because He knew the weaknesses of His people. Early battles with other nations would have discouraged the band of brick makers and construction workers—people with no combat experience. Their faith needed to be exercised and strengthened. And God prepared a perfect “curriculum” by leading them to the edge of the Red Sea.

Similarly, God has His reasons for the strange paths down which He sometimes leads us. And if He doesn’t take us the shortest way, we can rest in the knowledge that the experience is simultaneously bringing Him glory and providing for our good. His “way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).

In the midst of it all, we can look for assurances of His presence. The Israelites experienced the visible manifestation of God being with them in “a pillar of cloud” and “a pillar of fire” (Exodus 13:22). Today, we have the Holy Spirit to comfort, strengthen, and guide us. Yes, God is with us even when He causes us to take the long way home!

What have you learned from taking difficult paths in life? How can remembering God’s presence encourage you when it seems He’s leading you the long way?

This post was written by Poh Fang Chia of Our Daily Bread. You can find the website at odb.org