Just Who is This Guy, Carl Spackler?

Author’s Note

 

I must laugh because I've often asked myself my foe, my enemy, is an animal. To conquer him I must think like an animal and whenever possible to look like one. I've got to get inside this dude's pelt and crawl around for a few days. Who is the gopher's ally? His friend? The harmless squirrel and the friendly rabbit. I'm going to use you guys to do my dirty work for me.

 

--Carl Spackler from the Caddyshack

 

Reflections

 

.         In the classic golf comedy movie "Caddyshack," Bill Murray plays Carl Spackler, the greenskeeper for the Bushwood Country Club. His character is portrayed as an eccentric loner, who often talks to himself, out the side of his mouth. During the movie, his singular mission is to eradicate the gopher, infesting the golf course. Like Moby Dick, Carl Spackler is Ahab, and the gopher is his white whale, who he will defeat at all costs.

 

         Recently, a modern day, apparently, fictitious Carl Spackler has reemerged. In November 2021, while browsing my book offering on Amazon to check the status, in horror, I discovered a personal attack against me, posing as a book review for my published book.

        

         Wow! I was shocked to read the words, not because it was untrue, but because it was not a review of my book, but a personal attack against me.  Although angry at first, I began to instead wonder why this person hiding behind the character of Carl Spackler, could hate me so much.  The fact the events he described happened seven years prior to me writing the book meant nothing to this “Carl Spackler”, who was Ahab and because I represented his white whale, he would destroy me at all costs.

 

         Now just who is the hypocrite! The person hiding behind the name “Carl Spackler, most likely never read my book, Let’s Humor the Old Man: An Old Man’s Journey to Salvation. For you see, this book is about a sinner, whose rocky journey to salvation was fraught with mistakes, including the events occurring during that season of his life referenced to by “Carl”.

 

         Today, I am not angry at the modern-day fictitious Carl Spackler who wrote the personal attack against me. I view his attack as synonymous with the religious persecution Christians all over the world face each day! I instead pray for him.  My creator God has helped me understand he needs my prayers, not my anger, because he is the true hypocrite in this scenario.

 

         What is a good working definition of a hypocrite? Hypocrisy can be thought of as the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. I would argue that a hypocrite does not confront the person he believes is a hypocrite, but instead hides behind a fictitious character to spread lies about the person, not allowing the person to answer or explain the allegations.

 

 

         What does Jesus say about hypocrisy? In the Bible, the Greek word ὑποκριτής (hupokrites). All eighteen times it is found in the Bible, it comes from Jesus. In Jesus times, this word referred to a stage actor – one who pretends to be someone he or she is not. In the following passage, Jesus rebukes the one who is a hypocrite, who measures out and judges’ others by higher standards than he judges himself, rebukes one who lacks integrity:

 

        

“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment, you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

 

Silent Prayer

 

Our creator God, help us discover who the real hypocrites are!

 

Music

 

Hypocrite Song by Eli

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxrjzF_NwXA

 

Lyrics

 

I've been quick to point a finger
At things I find outrageous
Well, I wonder who I'll point at
When I read my life on pages
When I've played my final number
It really won't take long
To realize I sang a hypocrite song

Oh ly-dee-dye, oh ly-dee-dee
I thank the Lord that there's a Heaven
Full of hypocrites like me
So tell the angels to get ready
Cuz it may not be too long
Until I come and sing my hypocrite song

I preach about redemption
As I look you in the face
Then I'm convinced I must be dyin'
But it's just somethin' that I ate
But it's Jesus who gives mercy
To make a weak man strong
So he can stand and sing
His hypocrite song

I can't wait to see my Savior
And look Him in the face
Shake His hand and plainly thank Him
For forgiving my mistakes
And for helping me remember
That even when I'm right I'm wrong
Then we'll rejoice and sing this hypocrite song

 

Have a great day!

Barry

Really, Push a Camel Through the Needle’s Eye?

                                      Hebron wall - Eye of the Needle

Author’s Note

 

“All things (e.g., a camel’s journey through a needles eye) are possible, it’s true. But picture how the camel feels, squeezed out in one long bloody thread, from tail to snout.

 

--C.S. Lewis

 

Reflections

 

            “I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Matthew 19:24)

 

         This proverbial axiom used by Jesus can be found in Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25. Interestingly, these three accounts are the only references to “needle” in the Bible.  Jesus seems to be describing the conflict between dependence on wealth and entrance into the kingdom of God to his disciples, after advising the rich young man to sell his possessions. This is a form of hyperbole, used often in the rabbinic literature. The Talmud speaks of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle, an impossible reality. But the quotation by C. S. Lewis above, tells us anything is possible based on our understanding of physics.

 

         You might ask, how could C. S. Lewis be right in his description of pushing a camel through the needle of an eye. Astronomers have long studied the theoretical possibility of black holes. The following account, taken from an article by Eric Betz entitled “What Would Happen If You Fell into a Black Hole” (Astronomy, July 28, 2020), describes what would happen if you entered a black hole and supports Lewis’ quotation:        

 

         “But as you flew closer to this strange spot, you’d be stretched in some directions and squished in others, a process that scientists call spaghettification. This is because the black hole's gravity compresses your body horizontally while pulling it like taffy in the vertical direction. If you jumped into the black hole feet first, the gravitational force on your toes would be much stronger than that pulling on your head. Each bit of your body would also be elongated in a slightly different direction. You would literally end up looking like a piece of spaghetti. 

So, as you fell into a stellar-mass black hole, you probably wouldn’t worry much about the existential mysteries you might be able to unlock on "the other side." You’d be as dead as spaghetti-shaped doornail hundreds of miles before you hit the singularity.”

 

         Another meaning attributed to Jesus’ saying equates the term eye of the needle to a gate in the Hebron wall, which was low and shaped like the eye of a needle. This gate was apparently two feet high and would force the camels to stoop down to get through, rather than charge through endangering the city inhabitants!

 

         No matter what the meaning of this hyperbolic passage is, this brings us to the next question of plausibility of many apparent hyperbolic rabbinic passages in the Bible. Another question you might ask, are the teachings of Jesus realistic?

 

         When you begin asking these types of questions, the concept of the inerrancy of the Bible is brought to the forefront. For instance, many biblical scholars dating back to the nineteenth century have challenged the inerrancy of the Bible. Biblical scholars, like Bart Ehrman, talk about the many problems with interpreting the Bible. The Bible is not a single book written by one author, but an anthology of sixty-six books, written by different authors, over a span of centuries, written long after the events they describe. When reading these sixty-six books, the reader needs to interpret the book’s meaning, within the context they were written, considering the agenda each author had during that period in history. What one author says, may not have the same meaning as another author of a different book of the Bible.

 

         Although fundamentalists will strongly disagree with the above discussion, each of us needs to determine if every word of the Bible was truly inspired or do the writings of so many different authors over a period of thousands of years, give the reader a glimpse into the mind of the author, during that period, who have an agenda to advance! We all need to develop our spiritual worldview as we sift through religious and philosophical texts, and through our gift of reasoning, keep what we like, keep what makes sense to us and ignore what we don’t. For an example, during your study of the Bible, using the creator God’s power of reasoning he has given you, look at the teachings of Jesus with a critical eye. Even if you reject some of his teachings, you will learn something from them, maybe a moral view of how others should be dealt with, solidifying your own thoughts about morality!  Another point to consider during your studies…the underlying morality perceived in Jesus’s teachings can also be found in different religions, in the writings of philosophers, and even in the belief system of atheists!

 

Finally, life is too complex to ascribe simple laws to every event that might occur, as the Pharisees tried to do in early Jewish culture. Through the process of reasoning, even if at first hard to swallow, I believe Jesus’ teachings have much merit, and can have a positive impact on our understanding of how to live our lives as individuals and as a society.

 

.

Silent Prayer

 

Oh, creator God, help us to understand what is inspired and what is not!

 

Music

 

Camel Through a Needle’s Eye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVDcoStBatM

 

Lyrics

Well I got something that I think you'll want
It's not for sale, it can't be bought
Lean closer let me fill you in
Baby you need a friend
You got money, you got diamond rings
You're finding out they don't mean a thing
What good's the soul that cannot sing?
So take a chance, take a chance with me
Open your eyes and you will see
I own nothing but I'm a wealthy man
I'll share it with you if you'll take my hand

Your daddy's money gonna give you the blues
Tell your mama take her hands off you
Pick up the cross, God'll see you through
You know I love you baby
I'll love you hard and I'll love you long
And I don't want this love to perish
So listen to the message and the music
And the lyrics of this song

A camel through a needle's eye
Not all the rich have to die
Follow closely, do not stray
You can probably keep the money
Just give your soul away
Don't negotiate, just stop and pray
Lift your head up to heaven and say
Please forgive me, take these things away
And then keep walking, walk tall, doll
Carry that cross

A light unto your path, a lamp unto your feet
You fall down, get back up again
It's foolishness to them that perish
I'm gonna love you 'til your dying day
'Til you're born again or turn me away
It's up to you, there's nothing left to say
Just keep walking

 

Have a great day!

Irreducible Complexity, End of Darwinian Evolution?

Author’s Note

 

“Molecular biology has shown that even the simplest of all living systems on the earth today, bacterial cells, are exceedingly complex objects. Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, weighing less than 10-12 gms, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machine built by man and absolutely without parallel in the nonliving world.” 

― Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory In Crisis

 

Reflections

 

            Our body is composed of trillions of cells. Scientists continue to discover that each cell in our body contains nanomachines, possibly numbering in the trillions. What! Our bodies are composed of trillions of small machines! I can’t but wonder that God is smiling, thinking, wait until the scientists discover it’s even more complicated than that!

 

         In 1996, in his book Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, Michael J. Behe coined the term “irreducible complexity”, defined as a single system which is necessarily composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, and where the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning. This concept challenges Darwinian evolution, and to those who believe in the concept of intelligent design, or a creator God, ends Darwinian evolution as a workable hypothesis. In his book, the Origen of Species, Darwin seems to agree with those who believe in the concept of intelligent design in the following statement: “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.” (Darwin 1859, 158). Well, to those without an agenda, using commonsense, such a complex organ exists, each cell of our body! However, despite a preponderance of evidence that such complex organs exist, Christopher Intagliata, in an article entitled “Breaking Down Irreducible Complexity”, still cannot accept this, clinging to Darwinian evolution:  

 

         “Proponents of intelligent design are right to argue that evolutionary theory, as it currently stands, fails to explain the development of some exceedingly complex organs and molecular processes. Their error is to dally so eagerly in the face of such biological intricacy, insisting that Darwin has failed us. Could be he’s merely stumped us for the time being.” (Intagliata, ScienceLine, 2008)

 

         In fact, creation does contain many cases of irreducible complexity. Examples include but are not limited to the human eye, the human knee, upright stature of humans because of the arched foot, the bacterial flagellum, and blood clotting. In the following verses taken from the Bible, creation reveals a Designer who is powerful, caring, and perfect in knowledge:

 

 

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20)

 

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? (Matthew 6:30)

 

Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill? Job 37:16)

 

         The concept of irreducible complexity brings up another interesting thought. Just what is infinity? Infinity is defined as that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any number. In Christianity, infinity also refers to the attributes of God, that God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, transcendent, and immanent, and most importantly refers to God’s never-ending love for those he created.

 

 

Scientists say the universe expands to infinity, but like my brother Clay likes to say when you reach the end of infinity, what’s on the other side. What if you look in the other direction, from the largest objects in the universe to the smallest? I would like to think, each expands to infinity and somewhere meet, forming a glorious, marvelous continuum, a place called Heaven, where we will spend an eternity with our creator God!

        

 

           

Silent Prayer

 

Oh, creator God, the wonder of your creation never ceases to amaze us!

 

Music

 

Starry Night written by Chris August, performed by R. Moore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d86A9jflswE

 

 

Lyrics

From the birds that sing

In the tallest trees

To the human life

Of you and me

From the desert sands
To the place we stand
He's God of all
He is everything

[Chorus]
I'm giving my life to the only One
Who makes the moon reflect the sun
Every starry night
That was His design
I'm giving my life to the only Son
Who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring
'Cause He is everything
'Cause He is everything

[Verse 2]
From the autumn leaves
That will ride the breeze
To the faith it takes
To pray and see
From the painted sky
To my plank filled eye
He's God of all
He is everything, whoa

[Chorus]
I'm giving my life to the only One
Who makes the moon reflect the sun
Every starry night
That was His design
I'm giving my life to the only Son
Who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring
'Cause He is everything
Everything

[Bridge]
Hallelujah, hallelujah
I believe, oh, oh
Hallelujah, hallelujah
I believe

[Chorus]
I'm giving my life to the only One
Who makes the moon reflect the sun
On that starry night
He changed my life
I'm giving it all to the only Son
Who gave me hope when I had none
So let the praises ring
I'm giving my life to the only One
Who makes the moon reflect the sun
Every starry night
It was His design
I'm giving my life to the only Son
Who was and is and yet to come
Every angel sings
That He is heavenly

Until you're home again

 

Have a great day!

Barry