Why not??

"Don't Read This....?"  Kind of a strange name for a blog, I will admit.  Although, like most of my peculiar actions, there is some method to the madness.  I chose this name for a couple of reasons.


The first is a bit of reverse psychology.  After over forty years of observing human behavior, I have realized that one of the most effective ways to induce people to do something is to forbid them to do it.  Observe any "Do not..." sign placed anywhere there is a steady stream of people passing by.  No matter what the undesired action is (sitting, pressing, touching, talking, walking, spitting, etc.), if a notice is posted that forbids it, not ten minutes will go by until someone does that very thing.  In fact, it seems that people, once they know a certain action is forbidden, will be compelled to do it even if it was something that they would never have thought of doing until they became aware they weren't supposed to.  So, the first reason I named this blog as I did is so that its very name might draw in a few passersby who are unaware of what they are getting into, in the hopes that they might read a few posts, become interested, and stay awhile.


The second reason is the more important one.  I really mean the words "Don't Read This" as more of a warning than a prohibition.  The basic warning here is that you shouldn't read this blog if you are easily offended.  Now please don't misunderstand....there will be no pornographic images or language here; nothing patently offensive, as that would be pointless at best and divisive at worst.  My goal here is to help the readers move forward in their lives, careers, marriages, and spiritual and emotional journeys.  I hope to do this by providing some mixture, the proportions of which are yet to be determined, of amusement, encouragement, and challenge.  Probably heavy on the challenge.  So the entirety of the warning signified by the title of this blog should probably be something like "Don't read this if you are 'excessively offended' by any of the statements below."  And by way of definition, "excessively offended" doesn't mean that you simply don't agree with these statements or even that you are greatly offended by them.  It means that if one or more of the statements below offends or upsets you to the point that knowing the author believes them to be true causes you to be unable to see anything good in anything else that is written here, maybe you should stop reading after this post and find another, more like-minded blog to read.  Civil debate and disagreement, however, are very welcome and will hopefully add at least as much value to this blog as the original posts.


Here are some examples of the kinds of things one might find offensive (or challenging, depending on one's perspective) in future posts on this blog.  This list is not all inclusive by any stretch, since my capacity to "stir the pot" goes far beyond my ability to capture in one blog post.  Here's the list.  I believe all these statements to be pretty much accurate:

• Jesus Christ is "The Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through him." [John 14:6]
• We are saved by grace, through faith, not by our works.
• If we don't have Christ, our good works will never be enough to save us.  If we have Christ, our sins will never be enough to condemn us.
• Homosexuality is a sin according to God's word.  If anyone claims to be a faithful Christian and unrepentantly practices this lifestyle, they have either rejected or misunderstood the meaning of God's word.
• We should love homosexuals.  We should have gay friends and we should invite them into our homes, lives, and churches, and we should show them the love of Christ as much as we do anyone else.  If anyone claims to be a Christian and does not believe this, they have either rejected or misunderstood the meaning of God's word.
• The above two statements could apply to many sins, not just homosexuality.  I have no special axe to grind there, I just picked that one because it's a topic that evokes such strong emotion.
• God's word doesn't say it is a sin to drink alcohol in moderation.  There is nothing sinful about a Christian having a beer, a glass of wine, or a mixed drink.  You really can be a witness by having a beer with a lost person (if you like beer).
• I believe that the custom of dressing up for church is useless at best and harmful at worst.
• I don't believe in altar calls. 
• I think a great percentage of what the modern church spends its time, money, and resources on is "as useless as tits on a boar hog" in the attempt to lead people to Christ and help them grow spiritually.  And yes, I very likely mean 'your' church.
• I believe that the husband is the spiritual leader of the home and that he will answer to God, at least in part, for the spiritual health of his wife and children.
• I think a church that lets an attending married couple reach the point of divorce without getting "all up in their business" and holding them accountable is a poor excuse for a Christian community.
• I think most people are like Mark Twain; they don't go to church because they've already been.
• Lifeway stores are creepy.

I realize full well that many of you may disagree with me on some of these points.  That's perfectly fine.  I have reasons for thinking the way I do, most of them fairly well thought out, and I plan to explain many of them here in the future.  I have no need to "be different" or cause division....I have been called a peacemaker in the past and it's in my nature to try to resolve conflict.  One of my goals here, though, is to cause you to question your beliefs on certain things, figure out exactly why you believe them, and either change your mind or be strengthened in your current convictions to the point that you begin to really live them out in your day to day life.  I pray that you will value Jesus more highly than your long-held beliefs and traditions.


These are just a few of the things I plan to address in one way or another in this blog.  Again, if any of these bother you to the point that you can't get past them, maybe you shouldn't visit here any more.  On the flip side, if you disagree and think I'm spreading false teaching and you don't at least try to correct me, we may both end up being held accountable for it.  So please share your opinions.  I do have reasons for believing what I believe, but I'm not so prideful as to think I have everything right, so I welcome discussion even if it disagrees with my opinions.


I hope you are challenged by this blog.  I hope it offers you a word of encouragement when you need it.  I hope you get a laugh out of it on occasion.  But my greatest hope, if I do manage to keep this going for a year, is that you will somehow be different, in a positive way, for having read what I have to say at the end of that time.  I'm not here to idly amuse or to tell you what I had for dinner or who aggravated me at the store today.  I have no illusions that my life is remotely interesting to anyone else, except in the sense that the things that happen to me also illustrate the things that are common to all of us.


So let's see where this goes.  It may turn out nothing like I'm thinking right now and that's OK.  I may get lazy and never post again.  Paul Jones may make fun of me for not cussing or drunk-blogging.  I may cuss and drunk-blog.  People may get so upset that  I decide to quit doing it and trash the whole thing.  Nobody may read any of this junk.  But the only way you'll ever know is to come back and see, so please do, please participate, please throw your thoughts into the mix and let's see where it goes!