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| Love One Another |
I have a term which I use, which is conspicuous Christian. We have all met individuals or sometimes families who fall into the subgroup of Christians who enjoy very conspicuous displays of charity or good deeds. They like to be seen by other Christians as doing good. People in this particular category may have actions in private may not be so consistent, or can be downright contradictory. In fact, some of the conspicuous Christians I have known did visible good while being judgmental and even hateful to friends, neighbors or family. In order to be Christian in their eyes, you had to be a Christian just like them. Although, no one is perfect, the inconsistency and hypocrisy in such individuals is striking in the subgroup to which I am referring.
This week I heard another term, which is a bit different, but in the same vein,. CINO, is an acronym for Christian in name only. I suppose one can be a conspicuous Christian or a CINO, or both at the same time. Both hint at the possibility of insincerity or hypocrisy. In the nineties I think the term Holy Rollers was also popular as a disparaging term for Christians. Why am I bringing this up in a survival forum ?
A percentage of people who spend some time in the preparedness community are motivated by faith. Some of them wish to seek Christian like-minded families and learn from them. Some of them look to form loosely connected groups for networking who could aid their family should events occur which leave one or both parents unable to function as before. Some families are drawn to preparedness because it is a tenet of their Christian faith. Some Christian groups believe that we are indeed in the End Times, and that we should be prepared to feed our families for seven years of tribulations. Of course, all the political and economic challenges which are being endured the world over contribute furthur to the malaise and concern. The attack of Christians and Jews worldwide for nothing more than their faith may also contribute to discomfort and perhaps to more attention paid to faith. This alone may drive some to concerns for preparedness for times to come which may well be worse than these.
I too am somewhat motivated by a Christian faith in terms of my activities in preparedness. I suppose I could prepare for my own family and keep my mouth shut, which would by far be the smartest and probably safest though self serving practice. Instead, I write books, blogs, and radio programs on broad preparedness subjects particularly medical preparedness s in the hope that other people, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Sikh, and what-have-you, would be better informed and better positioned to help their families in the event of a natural or man-made emergency. I have known people who considered themselves atheists or even Wiccans to be fine people. They do good works for simply different reasons than I, but they are no less good works. I am pleased with my own faith, but I also accept that each soul who resides on the Earth in this snapshot of time, is on a journey of faith and that other than setting the example, that I cannot motivate others to "do as I do." It has also been my recollection that very few people die as atheists, and that death bed conversion happen a great deal. However, I am on the path prescribed for me, and I can't really presume to direct the path of others, as I think God often already has.
Please remember a few things as we move into more difficult times. Never allow a label to help you make choices regarding alliances or friendships. People who wave a Christian label could be decent honest people, or they may also be profoundly evil. Before you divulge where your "bug out" location is, or how much freeze dried peanut butter you have, you should take years to get to know someone. You and they should have helped each other through terrible times long before you set all your cards on the table. They are not your spouse ! Remember also that a Muslim label does not make someone less than trustworthy. When I was teaching college, I had an older student who had been a specialist physician in Afghanistan and who had been allowed to emigrate to the US when the Taliban had attacked his family. This was a profoundly fine and trustworthy person regardless of the religious label he had. He is a proud gentle Muslim. He was learning medical terminology and the terms of pathophysiology in order to practice in a related medical field in his new country. I have also known Jews and Hindus who are also fine people. The God of us all gave each of us free choice. People who chose or were socialized to be a part of all faiths have the choice as to whether to be profoundly good, or to be profoundly evil. The label may not bear any particular magical charm in one way, or the other.
As the proverbial truck rolls into the ditch wherever we are, remember that friends and alliances often come from places we did not expect, and that sometimes those whom we believed to be our friends in thick or thin might not be up to the task. Paranoia is not necessary, whereas extreme caution before trusting someone with complete information regarding your situation and holdings certainly is.
Blessings to you all, regardless of your label.
