Hypocrisy in the World
Hypocrisy is something that people have dealt with forever. It is a sad fact that many people say something and do another. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer shows a Biblical view of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is something that is written about in the Bible, something that has been written about in books, and something we see in our culture every day.
In our culture, we see many hypocrites. It is upsetting to see how many people say one thing but do another. Our culture tends to constantly talk about how the church is full of hypocrites. While this is true, they are in no place to say so, because they are hypocrites themselves. I believe that everyone who supports abortion is a hypocrite. It is not possible to believe in life, thus thinking it is not acceptable to kill someone, yet believe that abortion is acceptable. This is an obvious form of hypocrisy in our culture. The people in our culture tend to overlook some forms of hypocrisy like the abortion topic while they love to point out the hypocrisy in our church. Our culture is full of “wishy-washy” people who overlook what they want and point out what they want. This is just another example of how hypocritical our culture is.
Chaucer points out hypocrisy in his book, The Canterbury Tales, without trying to hide it. Some of his characters have professions that they go blatantly against with their actions. One of these hypocritical characters in his story is the Friar. This Friar loves to hunt and has many wives. This is showing blatant hypocrisy considering he is supposed to be renouncing things of this world. Chaucer does not try to hide or cover up what his characters do. Instead he seems to be trying to expose and almost poke fun at the hypocrites in the church who are going on this pilgrimage. Chaucer obviously does not agree with this hypocrisy; he thinks it is wrong. He seems to have the same view of hypocrisy as the Bible. This is the correct view to have. He does not hide from the hypocrisy in the church; instead he points it out and knows that it is wrong.
The Bible tells us that hypocrisy is a terrible thing. We are commanded to be against it and not to be hypocrites. 1 John 4:20 tells us, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (English Standard Version). We are called to love our brothers as we love God. If we do not love them, and yet we claim to love God, we are hypocrites and we do not really love God. It is impossible, the Lord says, to not love your brother who you can see yet love God who you cannot see. The Lord is not pleased with the hypocrites in our church. We are supposed to be truthful about everything that we say and do. Yes, we will fall short, but we should not be blatant hypocrites and still claim to be Christians. I believe this is the point that Chaucer was making. The Lord is against hypocrisy and it makes him upset to see his people acting in this way.
Hypocrisy, unfortunately, is something that has surrounded people ever since the Fall. Because of this, people have trust issues from not knowing who to trust. Hypocrisy is such a common thing that it has been written about in the Bible, as well as other books, as a result of seeing it so much in our culture. Chaucer’s view of hypocrisy in The Canterbury Tales is a biblical view that we all should have.
Works Cited
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. New York: Viking, 2009. Print.
ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008. Print.
(I am posting this today because I would like to have a snow day tomorrow) 🙂 Hope y’all are enjoying the snow!
Our culture tends to view “battle of the sexes” nowadays tends to be more of a “how can we make both sexes equal”. People today tend to believe that men and women should be the same and have no gender roles. Husbands and wives should have equal parts in the household. It is completely normal in our culture for a woman to work and provide income for the house while the man stays home with the children. I believe that this is odd because the phrase “battle of the sexes” implies one trying to be better than the other. This is not what we see in our society. We see everyone trying to be equal and I do not believe that is what God wanted us to be. I believe he gave both sexes different roles.
Katie has stated herself that if Hermia had stayed with her father it could have been dangerous. If you are threatened with death, then you need to get yourself away from that situation.
If your parents threatened to kill you, of course you would run away! I believe that someone would do that, even if a lover was not involved, and because a lover was involved, this just intensified the reason for running away.
No parent should control their child’s life in this way. Hermia is old enough to make her own decisions; she does not need her dad controlling her every move. Even if it was a mistake to marry Lysander, it was Hermia’s mistake to make.
She did the right thing by following her heart and removing herself from a dangerous situation.
When faced with a situation like this one, we must consider what the two must be feeling. Hermia did not elope, she would have been forced to marry someone she does not love, become a nun, or be killed.
Someone who is in love with a person does not want to even think about being without their other half. This means the thought of being with another is completely unbearable. To demand someone who is in love to marry someone else causes unfathomable pain to the couple. This is exactly what Lysander and Hermia have to go through.
On top of this demand, Hermia is told that she must marry Demetrius or she must become a nun or be killed. For her own protection and general well being, I think it is right for her and Lysander to have eloped. True love is an unbreakable bond. This means that when faced with a challenge such as this, the only reasonable response is to keep the love and hide away from the things that are trying tear them apart. If they had not done this, they would have not been able to love the ones who they loved and would have been forced to be with someone they did not love. This would have caused unbelievable unhappiness This is why , I believe, it is ok for Lysander and Hermia to have eloped.
Unexpected Role Model
Sometimes, role models come in unexpected places. We tend to look at the bad rather than the good, but sometimes the people who seem like terrible people on the outside have the best hearts. If we dare to look a little deeper, we can see that a criminal, or an outlaw for that matter, can be a role model for us in today’s society. Robin is an outlaw who commits crimes, but if we look deeper into the person that he is, we find a few qualities that make him a role model.
Throughout Robin’s life, he is selfless and brave. He does not care if he dies in order to save someone else, and this shows the quality of bravery. This bravery attracts many people to join his band, and I believe that his selflessness rubs off on them. Though many times in this book he makes what most people would call mistakes, he is always ready to get back up and try again. Robin acts like a knight to the people in need. Instead of shining armor, of course, he is wearing Lincoln green. This kind of bravery is what our culture needs. We need someone in our culture who questions the government, instead of just accepting what is handed to them. Sometimes we see people who have the same trait of bravery in our culture: servants who are not afraid to go outside of their comfort zone in order to help someone. In addition, Christians are called to be brave. 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (English Standard Version). This verse tells us how we are supposed to act, and it also describes how Robin acts. He is a picture of selfless bravery.
The quality that is the most admirable in Robin, and that relates to his selfless bravery, is his strong bond with his Merry Men. When one of his men is in trouble, he is willing to risk his life and everything he has to save them. When he finds out that Will Stutely has been taken, he says, “Now, if there be any here that care not to risk life and limb, let them bide within Sherwood shades, for I constrain no man to my will; but tomorrow I will bring Will Stutely back or I will die with him” (Pyle 46). This statement tells us much about Robin’s personality. He is willing to die along with his friend if it is not possible to save him. Robin is not afraid to die because his friends are worth so much to him. This is how we should treat our friends. Sadly, many people in our culture do not view friendships like this. People in our culture only care about having many friends and being popular. This is not how Robin, or the Bible, views friendship. In John 15:12-15, Jesus says:
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (New International Version).
The Lord tells us that there is no greater love than that of someone who lays down his life for his friends. We are supposed have a love for our friends like the Lord has for us. This is how Robin views his friends: with amazing love and loyalty.
Many qualities make up a role model, and sometimes we find these qualities in unexpected people. Robin Hood is one of these unexpected role models. It takes a great man to have such a selfless heart. He is willing to do whatever it takes to help someone in need. Moreover, he is willing to risk his life and everything that he owns to save his friends. These are qualities of a true role model, and these qualities are, in fact, found in an outlaw.
English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments with Apocrypha. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.
New International Version. Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Print.
Pyle, Howard. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. New York: Dover, 1968. Print.
Our culture today tends to believe that all Christians are hypocrites. They think that everyone in the church does not act like they say they do. I cannot blame the people in our culture, however, because I do believe that many Christians, including myself, can be hypocrites. We tend to speak God’s word, but we do not act on it. We will put on a face on Sundays but then we will be un-godly throughout the rest of the week. I can see exactly what our culture sees when it comes to Christians and hypocrisy, because this is really how we act, and we need to change it.
God’s Justice and Holiness
The theme of divine justice and holiness can be seen everywhere we go. We can see them in our culture today, in the Bible, and in the book, The Nine Tailors. Divine justice and holiness are traced back to the Lord, and we must strive to be like Him in everything we do.
When thinking about our culture today, divine justice and holiness are not the first things that come to mind. We live in a sinful and conceited world. Because of this, it is difficult for us to see the Lord in our culture today. Divine justice and holiness are only from the Lord; therefore, without Him, we cannot have these things in our lives. People in our culture seem to live without a care in the world. An example of this is abortion. Many people in our society do not realize, or care, that abortion is the killing of an innocent child. We need to care that God is going to judge us with His divine justice. We need to try to live up to the holiness that is the Lord. Of course we cannot do this, but we must try. The Lord has commanded Christians to be set apart and holy. We, sadly, do not see this in today’s culture. People who understand the Lord’s divine justice and holiness are not easily found in today’s culture. We, as Christians, must strive to change this.
The Bible talks about divine justice and holiness many times. Psalm 33:5 (NIV) says, “The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” This tells us that the Lord wants to be just with us. Of course, it pains Him to punish us, but He knows what is best. This is how we know that He loves us. Psalm 106:3 tells us that the Lord blesses those who do what is right. “Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.” (NIV) Also, 1 Peter 1:14-16 states, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (ESV) The Lord is calling us to live a holy life. We are supposed to imitate Christ, and He will judge our lives accordingly. The Lord is the only one who is truly holy, and we are to follow Him. This is what the Bible says about divine justice and holiness.
In the book The Nine Tailors, we find the theme of divine justice and holiness. This book is a mystery that “is just a complicated crossword puzzle.” (Sumpter 318) I think the way the criminal, Deacon, is punished is an excellent example of divine justice. Deacon was a thief and a liar, among many other things. He stole the emeralds and ran away with them. Even though he got away with committing this crime initially, he later received divine judgment when he was killed by the bells. This shows us God’s divine justice because if we do not accept the Lord into our lives, we will have to go through judgment without the Lord on our side. This means that we will be punished and not have eternal life. If we live a life of sin and do not repent to Lord and ask for forgiveness, we cannot be with Him in the end. In this book, we also see the theme of holiness. The characters in the story that are walking with the Lord are saved from the flood. We also see in the book an example of a lack of holiness. Those who were not walking right with the Lord, for example Deacon and Cranton, were not comfortable around the bells. This could be seen like a conscience. The bell ringers were comfortable with the Lord because they “follow righteousness” (Sayers 240).When we are not living a holy life, the Lord speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. The Lord is holy and we can only be with Him if we have his pure and holy Son living in us. These are examples of how we can see the theme of divine justice and holiness in The Nine Tailors.
We can see the themes of holiness and divine justice in the book, The Nine Tailors, in our culture today, and in the Bible. If we have an understanding of divine justice and holiness, it should affect the way we live our lives, making us desire to be holy and righteous.
Works Cited
ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008. Print.
New International Version. Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Print.
Sayers, Dorothy L. The Nine Tailors. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989. Print.
Sumpter, Toby. Omnibus II: Church Fathers through the Reformation. Lancaster, Penn.: Veritas, 2005. 318. Print.
When Tragedies Strike
Tragedy happens around us all the time. When it happens to us, we are devastated. We have to learn how to grow from our troubles. The only way for us to get through tragedies is to turn to the Lord.
In our culture today, when tragedy strikes, people do not cope well. This is because we tend to only see what is going on at that moment. We must learn to take what is happening to us, or to the people around us, and use it in the future. This is how we learn from the tragedies. The main thing tragedies teach us is how to cope with the things going on around us. The problem with our culture is that they do not know how to cope properly. They do not know how to turn to the Lord for help. This is why our culture seems so hopeless when problems come. If they would only realize where the relief from their pain really is, they would not be so hopeless. Our culture also does not realize how tragedy is sometimes directly related to something that was done. America has gotten so far away from God. Our country is no longer “one nation under God.” People in America support abortion and gay marriage. These are things that God is against; therefore, we should be against them too. Because of these downfalls, we are punished. Tragedies come because of things that we as a nation have done. I believe that things that happen in our culture are allowed by God so we will turn to Him. After 9/11, churches were filled, and people wanted answers. God wants us to turn to Him. He is trying to draw our attention. We must learn that He wants us to turn to Him for the answers. This is how our culture must cope when tragedy strikes.
In Julius Caesar, the characters brought tragedy onto themselves. The characters killed Caesar and made things complicated for themselves. They did not deal with these things very well. Even Caesar himself brought forth the tragedy of his own death. Because he was ambitious, he was murdered. This is believed to be Caesar’s punishment. Although, through all of this, I do not believe that the characters learned anything. We, however, can learn from the mistakes made in this book. For example, killing is rarely the answer, and it will get a person into trouble. We should not take this kind of thing into our own hands unless we are commanded by God because it will always end tragically. The punishment for the murder of Caesar was ultimately death. We can see the cause and effect directly here. The characters brought this tragedy of death onto themselves.
The Bible shows us examples of how to handle tragedy. The story of Adam and Eve is probably the most well-known story of cause and effect. When they sinned, the punishment was that sin and suffering were brought into the world. Tragedies should teach us to praise the Lord through everything. Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (New Living Translation). This verse tells us that God is always in control. If we trust in Him, everything will work out for the best. This is true in tragedies as well. We must take heart because the Lord will lead us through. The Lord will not forsake us in our time of need. We can learn to turn to the Lord in the midst of our tragedies. The Bible shows us how to get through tragedies with the help of the Lord.
We cannot avoid tragedies. Whether the tragedy is happening directly to us, or to someone around us, tragedies strike all the time. The only way to get through the tragedies is to go to the Lord. He will lead us through.
New International Version. Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Print.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Julius Caesar.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.
Is one individual’s life worth sacrificing, through a murder, for the good of the country?
I believe that if a person is truly called by God to do so, then it is ok. The Lord has a plan for everything and this means that if someone is in authority, even if they are doing bad things, and the Lord wants them there, they need to stay. We must trust in the Lord instead of leaning on our own understanding. We cannot see the big picture of what the Lord is going to accomplish. So, if it is in the Lord’s plan for that person to be murdered, then so be it, but if it is not, he must remain alive. We also must take into account that a murder is an unjust killing. This means if the leader is murdering others, then he should be killed, but a murder is an unjust killing. The killing of someone who is killing others is justice, not murder. Of course, murder, if it is called by the Lord, it is not unjust. I believe that it all goes back to what God’s plan is.
How do justice and equality relate? People in today’s culture are confused about how these two are relevant to each other. In the book, Unaborted Socrates, Socrates has different ideas about how justice and equality are connected. Ultimately, the Bible tells us the answer to how justice and equality relate.
The Bible states that we are to do what is righteous and just. We know this because we are to follow after the Lord and be like Him. He is the only one who is righteous and just. Psalm 119:121 states, “I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.” (NIV) Our culture believes that justice is important in some areas, but not all areas. Society thinks that justice is expected if someone shoots and kills someone else. Our culture, tragically, does not stand up for the rights of the unborn child. There is no justice for them. Socrates, in the book Unaborted Socrates, believes, like Christians, that justice should be served to unborn babies. It is the murder of an innocent person; therefore, justice is to be served. These examples prove that our culture is confused about justice. God is the only one who is holy and just. We can only be just if we follow Him.
The Bible says that we are all equal in God’s eyes. God does not view any Christians different than another Christian. Galatians 3:28 tells us, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) Our society does not see equality the same way that God does. Our culture desires to make everyone the same. They want us to believe that genders do not matter. We are told that women can do anything that men can and vise-versa. Socrates, in this book, does not seem to believe this. He believes that we should stay true to ourselves. The bottom line is we are all sinners, and we all need a Savior. Jesus is the only one who can save any of us, and that makes us equal.
The Bible shows us that justice and equality are knit together. God sees one Christian no different than he sees another. We are all bound in Christ. Also, we are all sinners who need a Savior. Socrates says that we need justice, and not equality. He does not understand the concept of being knit together in the Lord because he does not believe in the Lord. Our culture believes that they are knit together, but not for the same reasons as Christians. People believe that we are to serve justice for our own good. Also, they believe that we are to all be equal so there are no differences between men and women. Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all sinned, therefore, we alone cannot be just. We need Jesus to be just for us. He is the only one who is truly just. The Bible tells us that we are all bound in Jesus and this shows us how justice and equality are knit together.
The Lord wants us to turn to Him for the answers. The world and the people in it will always fail us, but the Lord never will. We can find our answers in Him. When we want answers about what the Bible says regarding justice and equality, we must turn to the Bible itself.
New International Version. Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Print.
Kreeft, Peter. The Unaborted Socrates. Illinois. InterVarsity Press: 1983, Print.
Ello there 