Instead of lecturing others to act "like adults", why don't we stress the need for maturity? Adulthood does not by its own beget maturity. In Ancient Rome, the Paterfamilias did not declare his son to be a man until he demonstrated by his conduct that he was willing to take care of himself and behave like a free man in civilized society. A male could have been fifteen, twenty, or even thirty years old before his father would accord him the dignity of being a man.
Mature behavior comes in all shapes and sizes, regardless of the age of the person who steps up to the standard.
Mature people know that they do not have to force circumstances around them to get what they need. They do not have to lie, cheat, steal, manipulate to make things work out.
Mature people accept that they cannot have everything they want it . . .at least right away.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
On "Acting Like Adults" Part II
Acting like an adult is not the same as being an adult.
Playing the part is still childish, no matter how serious one claims to be.
Caring about others may be more dysfunctional than watching out for one's own.
Doing what you want may serve others more than trying to be useful in a way that others may appreciate.
Instead of people wasting their time and energy trying to guess and second-guess what other people want, we would all be better served by adults acting like "children" in that they look out for their own interests first, without violating the rights of others to care for their own.
Playing the part is still childish, no matter how serious one claims to be.
Caring about others may be more dysfunctional than watching out for one's own.
Doing what you want may serve others more than trying to be useful in a way that others may appreciate.
Instead of people wasting their time and energy trying to guess and second-guess what other people want, we would all be better served by adults acting like "children" in that they look out for their own interests first, without violating the rights of others to care for their own.
On "Acting Like Adults"
One of the favorite taunts in on-going, tense negotiations is to lambaste the opposition as childish, or not "acting like adults".
When did people get the idea that "acting like adults" in itself guaranteed successful and mature action?
In some contexts, "adult" suggests perversion, or material not fit for general consumption. If that is not the case, then what are we talking about?
I assume that "acting like adults" means taking responsibility for one's actions. It involves taking chances when a major decision has to be made. It means that people will respect the needs of the other party in negotiating a difficult compromise.
Yet the taunt "we need to start acting like adults" is in itself misinformed, blameworthy, and snide.
Let's not ignore the trite yet necessary fact that most "adults" do not act like "adults."
Let's also consider that there are some characteristics of children worthy imitating to some degree. Children are willing to be lead as well as to lead, when it becomes necessary. When they do not feel threatened, they are not afraid to share what they have. They can trust others. Adults in difficult times need to be willing to do these things.
Adults do not wait for other people to act like adults, I guess. They do not talk about it, or taunt others for failing to do so.
When did people get the idea that "acting like adults" in itself guaranteed successful and mature action?
In some contexts, "adult" suggests perversion, or material not fit for general consumption. If that is not the case, then what are we talking about?
I assume that "acting like adults" means taking responsibility for one's actions. It involves taking chances when a major decision has to be made. It means that people will respect the needs of the other party in negotiating a difficult compromise.
Yet the taunt "we need to start acting like adults" is in itself misinformed, blameworthy, and snide.
Let's not ignore the trite yet necessary fact that most "adults" do not act like "adults."
Let's also consider that there are some characteristics of children worthy imitating to some degree. Children are willing to be lead as well as to lead, when it becomes necessary. When they do not feel threatened, they are not afraid to share what they have. They can trust others. Adults in difficult times need to be willing to do these things.
Adults do not wait for other people to act like adults, I guess. They do not talk about it, or taunt others for failing to do so.
Paris Hilton: "Has-Been" Then and Now
Paris Hilton is, or rather WAS, a celebrity just for being a celebrity.
She was famous just for being famous because she just happened to be in the news a lot. She was known for being about town, doing silly things, or buying lots of stuff.
Her apparently popularity has more to do with the inept emptiness of the media rather than any merit she possessed as a style, starlet, or even a start-up.
She was a has-been to begin with because she was a commodity, pure and simple. Since she was a fad, she would soon die away, as all fads do. Her predicament was compounded by the fact that she knew she was a fad and marketed herself exclusively on that.
Paris Hilton, we hardly knew you, nor did we care much, since we know that you were only famous for being known, and people get tired of knowing the stuff that they have already known for a long time.
Entertainment is funny like. Information is old as soon as it is released. Paris Hilton was famous for being a piece of information. Is there any surprise that she is a "has-been"?
She was famous just for being famous because she just happened to be in the news a lot. She was known for being about town, doing silly things, or buying lots of stuff.
Her apparently popularity has more to do with the inept emptiness of the media rather than any merit she possessed as a style, starlet, or even a start-up.
She was a has-been to begin with because she was a commodity, pure and simple. Since she was a fad, she would soon die away, as all fads do. Her predicament was compounded by the fact that she knew she was a fad and marketed herself exclusively on that.
Paris Hilton, we hardly knew you, nor did we care much, since we know that you were only famous for being known, and people get tired of knowing the stuff that they have already known for a long time.
Entertainment is funny like. Information is old as soon as it is released. Paris Hilton was famous for being a piece of information. Is there any surprise that she is a "has-been"?
The Governemnt is Just BIG, too BIG
The United States Constitution is short, for a reason.
The Framers did not want a government that would be all things for all people.
Who in their right mind would assume that it was government's job to provide for us?
Government is in place to:
1) Protect our rights
2) Protect our borders.
Government is not necessarily a necessary evil. When it grows beyond its acceptable boundaries, then it becomes evil.
Government is not the problem; the people's outrageous and protean definition of what government should do . . .therein lies the problem.
Governments are instituted among men "to protect our rights." Those rights are enumerated very concisely in the Declaration of Independence: "Life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Read, it is not government's job to provide anyone happiness per se. Rather, to provide the means for every person to seek it as they see fit.
Government which runs up huge debt to pay off obligations which it was neither obliged not entitled to provide. . .that is not what government is for.
Let us consider the fate of the miller, his son, and the ass they were taking to town to sell. Every passer-by kept telling them how to carry their animal to their destination. Some said to ride the ass, some said to walk next to. Some said to let it run, and finally one townsman told them to tie the horse to a pole a carry the ass the rest of the way. With all the prodding and changing, the ass got so agitated that it struggled with the miller and his son, pushing them away, and falling into a nearby river, where it drowned.
The moral of this fable is the same for unmitigated government growth:
"If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one."
Government that tries to serve every need will not serve the people's needs.
The Framers did not want a government that would be all things for all people.
Who in their right mind would assume that it was government's job to provide for us?
Government is in place to:
1) Protect our rights
2) Protect our borders.
Government is not necessarily a necessary evil. When it grows beyond its acceptable boundaries, then it becomes evil.
Government is not the problem; the people's outrageous and protean definition of what government should do . . .therein lies the problem.
Governments are instituted among men "to protect our rights." Those rights are enumerated very concisely in the Declaration of Independence: "Life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Read, it is not government's job to provide anyone happiness per se. Rather, to provide the means for every person to seek it as they see fit.
Government which runs up huge debt to pay off obligations which it was neither obliged not entitled to provide. . .that is not what government is for.
Let us consider the fate of the miller, his son, and the ass they were taking to town to sell. Every passer-by kept telling them how to carry their animal to their destination. Some said to ride the ass, some said to walk next to. Some said to let it run, and finally one townsman told them to tie the horse to a pole a carry the ass the rest of the way. With all the prodding and changing, the ass got so agitated that it struggled with the miller and his son, pushing them away, and falling into a nearby river, where it drowned.
The moral of this fable is the same for unmitigated government growth:
"If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one."
Government that tries to serve every need will not serve the people's needs.
My Turn to the Daily Breeze: Hawthorne and Lawndale
I was a long-term substitute teacher for Centinela Valley Union High School District during the 2010-2011 school year. In spite of the "tectonic shifts" that have apparently disrupted the educational status quo at Lawndale and Hawthorne, not enough has changed. I ought to know. Attempting to be part of the solution, I ended up being one more cog in a dysfunctional wheel seemingly designed to grind students and staff.
My first day teaching in the district, the class broke out in rude, disruptive behavior. When I called security, three officers, two assistant principals, (and later one dean) showed up. Students continued yelling, even at the dean!
One of the administrators asked me if I wanted to go home. What kind of a message does that send? I thought to myself. Why let the students prevail when they raise hell? I look back and ask, "Why not send the most troubling elements home, reprimand the rest, and send a clear message that teacher abuse will not be tolerated?
That should have been enough to force me out. Yet in my pride, in my design to try and make this thing work, I stayed on.
The next day, I was transferred to a US History class whose first teacher quit after one week, only to be replaced by one of the coaches for a day or two. For the next six weeks, I endured one of the worst experiences I have ever endured as an educator.
Repeatedly I was questioned by the students, "Are you our new teacher or not?" The administration was trying to fill the empty positions, and they told me I had a small chance at getting the job.
For the next six weeks, I dealt with disruptive students who would not do their homework. Some threw things at me; others repeatedly mocked me; many times the lesson was interrupted.
One student had a terrible reputation of cursing at other staff members on campus, including myself, as well as bothering other students -- nothing was done about it. I was forced to send certain students out of class every day, yet nothing was done about that, either. I called parents, some of whom resorted to blaming me, telling me that I had to get control of the classroom. Where were they when their children were growing up?
Students arrived routinely late, sometimes by thirty minutes. Most teachers allowed it, apparently; students complained repeatedly because I did not.
After nearly two weeks, aside from the hopeful support from a handful of students, most of the kids began to snidely ask: "Have you been fired yet? Did you get fired yet?" It is very difficult to be motivated and to motivate students who are more interested in messing with a teacher than commanding any self-respect and doing something rigorous.
Why did I hang on for six weeks? I had fallen for the fallacy that has deceived many teachers: if the student does not learn, it is the teacher's fault. So I screwed up my courage and kept trying to make it work, mostly out of fear for the future and pride that maybe I could take on five classes with a confirmed majority of unruly students.
It was terrible. I just could not muster the faith or the courage, tried as I could, to make the whole thing ultimately pan out. It takes a village to raise a child: I cannot be the parent, nutritionist, social worker, probation officer, psychiatrist, psychologist, punching bag, and martyr for every troubled young person.
To say the least, I did not get the assignment, and for my part, I am glad. I was fired, yes, you could certainly say that.
It was a terrible six weeks, one that revealed to me why public education is in the toilet, especially at Centinela Valley Union High School District.
Honestly, there were some bright moments, some students who liked me, liked what I was trying to do. When I returned to Hawthorne later that year to cover classes day to day, some of my former students said that they missed me. They told me that the teacher who replaced me was boring. Yet I wonder: did they actually learn anything from me, or did they like me because I was easy prey?
What did I learn from that awful experience? Do not minimize failure or abuse in your life. If you do not like what is happening in your workplace, do something about it or get out. At Hawthorne High School, a change of attitude simply was not enough.
If your have to strive without any real success at something, then that is something that you should not be trying to do, and there is no shame in admitting that. When I accepted that teaching just is not my bag, I could look back on what I endured, and say, "I made out like a bandit, compared to those kids. . ."
I also learned to trust my intuition, to stand up for myself, since for so long I used to question myself.
Earlier this school year, I ran into some of the students whom I had taught for those six weeks. I was no longer the fearful teacher who would grudgingly take abuse. When one of the students began joking about the abusive and disruptive behavior that I had permitted during the previous year. . .
"Poor Mr. Schaper," he started. "We got you fired."
I cut him off right away: "You will not talk to me like that! You treated me poorly in the past, and you have no right to bring up my shame! It was wrong what you did."
After about a two-minute tired, the student sank in his seat, trying to disappear. He said nothing for the next ten minutes.
I had also learned to forgive myself and them; but I was not about to let one person prevent me from moving on.
That young man had enough dignity to cover his mouth in shame. He then quietly asked me, "Do you want me to leave?"
I answered, "Do you need to?"
Right then I demonstrated a powerful principle in assertiveness and self-respect: Respect is NOT something you earn, nor demand -- it is something that you command, that you demonstrate, that you draw out of yourself, regardless of how people treat you.
Now, I can look the world in the eye, not afraid to go with my internal flow, to speak (not scream) my point of view.
I do not regret the past of Hawthorne High School, nor do I wish to close the door on it. Yet I would not repeat it for all the money in the world.
My first day teaching in the district, the class broke out in rude, disruptive behavior. When I called security, three officers, two assistant principals, (and later one dean) showed up. Students continued yelling, even at the dean!
One of the administrators asked me if I wanted to go home. What kind of a message does that send? I thought to myself. Why let the students prevail when they raise hell? I look back and ask, "Why not send the most troubling elements home, reprimand the rest, and send a clear message that teacher abuse will not be tolerated?
That should have been enough to force me out. Yet in my pride, in my design to try and make this thing work, I stayed on.
The next day, I was transferred to a US History class whose first teacher quit after one week, only to be replaced by one of the coaches for a day or two. For the next six weeks, I endured one of the worst experiences I have ever endured as an educator.
Repeatedly I was questioned by the students, "Are you our new teacher or not?" The administration was trying to fill the empty positions, and they told me I had a small chance at getting the job.
For the next six weeks, I dealt with disruptive students who would not do their homework. Some threw things at me; others repeatedly mocked me; many times the lesson was interrupted.
One student had a terrible reputation of cursing at other staff members on campus, including myself, as well as bothering other students -- nothing was done about it. I was forced to send certain students out of class every day, yet nothing was done about that, either. I called parents, some of whom resorted to blaming me, telling me that I had to get control of the classroom. Where were they when their children were growing up?
Students arrived routinely late, sometimes by thirty minutes. Most teachers allowed it, apparently; students complained repeatedly because I did not.
After nearly two weeks, aside from the hopeful support from a handful of students, most of the kids began to snidely ask: "Have you been fired yet? Did you get fired yet?" It is very difficult to be motivated and to motivate students who are more interested in messing with a teacher than commanding any self-respect and doing something rigorous.
Why did I hang on for six weeks? I had fallen for the fallacy that has deceived many teachers: if the student does not learn, it is the teacher's fault. So I screwed up my courage and kept trying to make it work, mostly out of fear for the future and pride that maybe I could take on five classes with a confirmed majority of unruly students.
It was terrible. I just could not muster the faith or the courage, tried as I could, to make the whole thing ultimately pan out. It takes a village to raise a child: I cannot be the parent, nutritionist, social worker, probation officer, psychiatrist, psychologist, punching bag, and martyr for every troubled young person.
To say the least, I did not get the assignment, and for my part, I am glad. I was fired, yes, you could certainly say that.
It was a terrible six weeks, one that revealed to me why public education is in the toilet, especially at Centinela Valley Union High School District.
Honestly, there were some bright moments, some students who liked me, liked what I was trying to do. When I returned to Hawthorne later that year to cover classes day to day, some of my former students said that they missed me. They told me that the teacher who replaced me was boring. Yet I wonder: did they actually learn anything from me, or did they like me because I was easy prey?
What did I learn from that awful experience? Do not minimize failure or abuse in your life. If you do not like what is happening in your workplace, do something about it or get out. At Hawthorne High School, a change of attitude simply was not enough.
If your have to strive without any real success at something, then that is something that you should not be trying to do, and there is no shame in admitting that. When I accepted that teaching just is not my bag, I could look back on what I endured, and say, "I made out like a bandit, compared to those kids. . ."
I also learned to trust my intuition, to stand up for myself, since for so long I used to question myself.
Earlier this school year, I ran into some of the students whom I had taught for those six weeks. I was no longer the fearful teacher who would grudgingly take abuse. When one of the students began joking about the abusive and disruptive behavior that I had permitted during the previous year. . .
"Poor Mr. Schaper," he started. "We got you fired."
I cut him off right away: "You will not talk to me like that! You treated me poorly in the past, and you have no right to bring up my shame! It was wrong what you did."
After about a two-minute tired, the student sank in his seat, trying to disappear. He said nothing for the next ten minutes.
I had also learned to forgive myself and them; but I was not about to let one person prevent me from moving on.
That young man had enough dignity to cover his mouth in shame. He then quietly asked me, "Do you want me to leave?"
I answered, "Do you need to?"
Right then I demonstrated a powerful principle in assertiveness and self-respect: Respect is NOT something you earn, nor demand -- it is something that you command, that you demonstrate, that you draw out of yourself, regardless of how people treat you.
Now, I can look the world in the eye, not afraid to go with my internal flow, to speak (not scream) my point of view.
I do not regret the past of Hawthorne High School, nor do I wish to close the door on it. Yet I would not repeat it for all the money in the world.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Teacher's Unions Are Part of the Disunion in Education
Teacher's unions are under a lot of attack these days.
Is there any reason why they should not be?
They claim to support teachers, mind the best interests of students, and advocate for the needs of the communities they serve. Yet the facts suggest otherwise.
Unions support unions, plain and simple. They claim to ensure that their members have just enough so that they keep paying their dues, when the unions do not have to ask teachers in a school district to join. In fact, they automatically collect their dues right out of the paychecks, whether the teacher wishes to join or not! They even spend the dues on politicians and political causes without the input, let alone approval, of the teachers from whom they stole the money to begin with!
In addition to their outright rapacity, unions do not protect the most vulnerable group of instructors, the new teachers, because the senior-protection clauses in the contract require those "last-hired" to be the "first-fired." When new teachers are inevitably mired in political difficulties with parents or administrators, the union rep on site merely shrugs, saying: "You can be fired for any reason, and there's is nothing we can do about it because that is what is in the contract," which the union had negotiated in the first place.
When a teacher does get tenure (i.e. unmerited job protection), he or she may engage in the most unseemly conduct, whether abusing a student or playing karaoke all day instead of actually teaching, the union will stand 100% by that miscreant because he or she has tenure. Mediocrity sets in really quickly when an employee has guaranteed employment after two years on the site, a devastating outcome for students and dedicated colleagues who do not need tenure in the first place.
Beyond this, unions negotiate exorbitant pension packages and health benefits for their members, which drains the coffers of the state and local communities. There is little surprise that this long-silent constituency is speaking out against having little say in how well their tax dollars are spent, or even whether they are getting their money's worth!
Teacher's unions are a major part of the problem when it comes to resolving the many problems which plague public education, including the need for reforms and accountability for administrators as well as teachers. Fraudulent, deceptive, selfish, and greedy, teacher's unions do nothing for the teachers, they harm students, and they fail the communities which they are supposed to serve.
Is there any reason why they should not be?
They claim to support teachers, mind the best interests of students, and advocate for the needs of the communities they serve. Yet the facts suggest otherwise.
Unions support unions, plain and simple. They claim to ensure that their members have just enough so that they keep paying their dues, when the unions do not have to ask teachers in a school district to join. In fact, they automatically collect their dues right out of the paychecks, whether the teacher wishes to join or not! They even spend the dues on politicians and political causes without the input, let alone approval, of the teachers from whom they stole the money to begin with!
In addition to their outright rapacity, unions do not protect the most vulnerable group of instructors, the new teachers, because the senior-protection clauses in the contract require those "last-hired" to be the "first-fired." When new teachers are inevitably mired in political difficulties with parents or administrators, the union rep on site merely shrugs, saying: "You can be fired for any reason, and there's is nothing we can do about it because that is what is in the contract," which the union had negotiated in the first place.
When a teacher does get tenure (i.e. unmerited job protection), he or she may engage in the most unseemly conduct, whether abusing a student or playing karaoke all day instead of actually teaching, the union will stand 100% by that miscreant because he or she has tenure. Mediocrity sets in really quickly when an employee has guaranteed employment after two years on the site, a devastating outcome for students and dedicated colleagues who do not need tenure in the first place.
Beyond this, unions negotiate exorbitant pension packages and health benefits for their members, which drains the coffers of the state and local communities. There is little surprise that this long-silent constituency is speaking out against having little say in how well their tax dollars are spent, or even whether they are getting their money's worth!
Teacher's unions are a major part of the problem when it comes to resolving the many problems which plague public education, including the need for reforms and accountability for administrators as well as teachers. Fraudulent, deceptive, selfish, and greedy, teacher's unions do nothing for the teachers, they harm students, and they fail the communities which they are supposed to serve.
Response to Fred Fasen: Time for sanity in government
In "Time for sanity in government" (Letter to the Editor July 16,2011) Fred Fasen debates the merits and responsibilities of the United States Government in putting this nation's fiscal house in order.
First, I would submit that there is no support for Fasen's suggestion to raise tax rates on the wealthy will increase revenues. No matter how high this country raises the tax rates on the wealthy, they can find ways around the taxes, whether in shelters, trusts, or charities.
Moreover, Fasen accuses the Republicans of spinning a Ponzi scheme at the expense of the American people. However, we cannot ignore that the Democrats (admittedly, with the help of weak-willed Republicans) have initiated one inept, corrupt Ponzi scheme after another on the American People, from Social Security and Medicare to the needless and wasteful Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act, i.e. Obamacare.
It is respectable that Fasen stresses the need for shared sacrifice in restoring the United States to fiscal solvency. On the other hand he should practice what he preaches, not pointing "the finger of blame" at either party of Washington. Both need to share the responsibility of making the United States a fiscally sound nation again.
First, I would submit that there is no support for Fasen's suggestion to raise tax rates on the wealthy will increase revenues. No matter how high this country raises the tax rates on the wealthy, they can find ways around the taxes, whether in shelters, trusts, or charities.
Moreover, Fasen accuses the Republicans of spinning a Ponzi scheme at the expense of the American people. However, we cannot ignore that the Democrats (admittedly, with the help of weak-willed Republicans) have initiated one inept, corrupt Ponzi scheme after another on the American People, from Social Security and Medicare to the needless and wasteful Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act, i.e. Obamacare.
It is respectable that Fasen stresses the need for shared sacrifice in restoring the United States to fiscal solvency. On the other hand he should practice what he preaches, not pointing "the finger of blame" at either party of Washington. Both need to share the responsibility of making the United States a fiscally sound nation again.
Raise the Debt Ceiling? Raise the Roof!
Let's cut the crap about the Debt Ceiling, the national debt, and annual budget deficits.
Whether or not the United States raises the debt ceiling for more unbacked, unfunded spending, this country must start saving more than it spends, period.
As Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahmoa) mention in a recent news conference, to do nothing is a tax increase.
Fine, if the Democrats want revenue increases, so be it. Let them close the loopholes which protect certain companies. A free market economy may not play favorites with certain industries, no matter how crucial the commodity.
Stop corporate and elite welfare. Cut off all subsidies to farmers, which do not help small land-holders one bit. Right there Congress would slash billions from the federal budget without harming a core constituency.
Yet looking beyond the necessary cuts which need to be made, what will happen if the United States, heaven forbid, fails to raise the dreaded Debt Ceiling?
Interest rates will go up. They should. Easy credit creating speculative bubbles--that is what created the Great Recession in the first place.
Welfare recipients, social security beneficiaries, and veterans will not receive their handouts. That would actually be a good things. Since when have we developed the fuzzy notion that it is a good thing to live off the governtment's dole? You work, you get paid. You should not get paid for not working, no matter what profession calling you took up before your declining years.
Instead of merely raising the Debt Ceiling, let's raise the Roof on the political back-and-forth which will never yield a neat solution to the real budget crisis afflicting this nationm: an unconscionable inflow-outgo spending problem.
Whether or not the United States raises the debt ceiling for more unbacked, unfunded spending, this country must start saving more than it spends, period.
As Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahmoa) mention in a recent news conference, to do nothing is a tax increase.
Fine, if the Democrats want revenue increases, so be it. Let them close the loopholes which protect certain companies. A free market economy may not play favorites with certain industries, no matter how crucial the commodity.
Stop corporate and elite welfare. Cut off all subsidies to farmers, which do not help small land-holders one bit. Right there Congress would slash billions from the federal budget without harming a core constituency.
Yet looking beyond the necessary cuts which need to be made, what will happen if the United States, heaven forbid, fails to raise the dreaded Debt Ceiling?
Interest rates will go up. They should. Easy credit creating speculative bubbles--that is what created the Great Recession in the first place.
Welfare recipients, social security beneficiaries, and veterans will not receive their handouts. That would actually be a good things. Since when have we developed the fuzzy notion that it is a good thing to live off the governtment's dole? You work, you get paid. You should not get paid for not working, no matter what profession calling you took up before your declining years.
Instead of merely raising the Debt Ceiling, let's raise the Roof on the political back-and-forth which will never yield a neat solution to the real budget crisis afflicting this nationm: an unconscionable inflow-outgo spending problem.
Restoration for the Abused through the Most Abused
God who became man, Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, put aside his glory to suffer the pain and temptation that travails human kind--God not only became like one of us, he knows first hand the shock, disorder, and suffering that we face every day.
For the sin of the race, for abuser abused, and those who ignored it entirely, He endured the greatest abuse in recorded history: dying on the Cross, the crudest and cruelest form of torture known to man. While hanging pitifully between heaven and earth, he endured the taunts and jeers of the crowds, despised by religious authorities and abandoned by his followers. Even God the Father turned his back on his own Son, which led Jesus to cry out "My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?"
God himself knows the pain and torture which has wracked victims of abuse. He died on the Cross for every hurt, for every betrayal, for every shame which they have suffered, needlessly and unjustly. The Just for the Unjust, Jesus Christ is the Propitiation for our sins. He more than covers any loss, any sorrow, any wrongdoing done to us.
Because we have been forgiven so much, he grants us the power to forgive others, even those who have violated the most cherished of confidences. Even Jesus endured the greatest betrayal, His own Father rejecting Him, the we may be reconciled to Him here and now and for eternity.
For the sin of the race, for abuser abused, and those who ignored it entirely, He endured the greatest abuse in recorded history: dying on the Cross, the crudest and cruelest form of torture known to man. While hanging pitifully between heaven and earth, he endured the taunts and jeers of the crowds, despised by religious authorities and abandoned by his followers. Even God the Father turned his back on his own Son, which led Jesus to cry out "My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?"
God himself knows the pain and torture which has wracked victims of abuse. He died on the Cross for every hurt, for every betrayal, for every shame which they have suffered, needlessly and unjustly. The Just for the Unjust, Jesus Christ is the Propitiation for our sins. He more than covers any loss, any sorrow, any wrongdoing done to us.
Because we have been forgiven so much, he grants us the power to forgive others, even those who have violated the most cherished of confidences. Even Jesus endured the greatest betrayal, His own Father rejecting Him, the we may be reconciled to Him here and now and for eternity.
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