Sunday, December 4, 2011
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http://metrophotochallenge.ca/ca2011/view/bvraSaturday, December 3, 2011
Seeing the world’s reaction to the passing of Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs has been interesting.
Seeing the world’s reaction to the passing of Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs has been interesting. It seemed like he was on the frontpage of every website when he died; and of course, he had been on the cover of Time magazine something like seven times during his life. He definitely was a popular man who made some big impacts on the world of technology during his years on planet earth.
To read some of the glowing reviews of this man, you would have thought he was Mother Theresa or something! So, I decided to do some research to see if I could find out more about him. Here are some interesting things that I learned:
Revelation 20:12
Matthew 5:28
Doesn’t pretty much everyone know where the number 666 comes from? Here’s a hint: Revelation 13:17-18.
So here is a ministry that is trying to help people get out of the gay lifestyle and Apple says no thank you.
Here are some quotes from Jobs himself:
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
—Stanford commencement speech 2005
“There’s nothing that makes my day more than getting an e-mail from some random person in the universe who just bought an iPad over in the UK and tells me the story about how it’s the coolest product they’ve ever brought home in their lives. That’s what keeps me going. It’s what kept me five years ago [when he was diagnosed with cancer], it’s what kept me going 10 years ago when the doors were almost closed. And it’s what will keep me going five years from now whatever happens.”
—AllThingsD Conference, 2010
“That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
—Business Week 1998
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me…Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful…that’s what matters to me.”
—Wall Street Journal 1993
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
—Stanford commencement speech 2005
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-quotes)
For the Christians reading this newsletter, do any of the above comments bother you? Does it bother you enough to do something about it? Why have I met so many Christians who seem to idolize Apple products? Why have Christians put ‘RIP Steve Jobs’ on Facebook, when nobody can rest in peace without the Prince of Peace?
I took one of my students from back in the day to a singles meeting in Atlanta called 7:22. They had a guest speaker that night. So after the worship time, he came out to speak and the whole beginning of his talk was about the Apple products that he owned. It went on and on about his love for those products. He then brought a trashcan on stage. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to throw those gadgets in that trashcan and make a point about his idol worship. Nope. Didn’t happen. At the end of the night, as we were walking back to the car, my young friend said, “That man has an unhealthy addiction to his gadgets.” It was the most obvious thing in the world.
My goal is to try and make sure I never give Apple one nickel of my money my whole life. I don’t own any of Apple’s products and plan on keeping it that way. You will not find my books in their download store. You will find them on Kindle and Nook, but not Apple. There is no need to email me about that decision. I do understand that there are problems with those other companies as well. But when are we finally going to make a stand for something that we believe in?
“Mr. Jobs spent his final weeks—as he had spent most of his life—in tight control of his choices.”
“But for Steve, it was all about living life on his own terms and not wasting a moment with things he didn’t think were important. He was aware that his time on earth was limited. He wanted control of what he did with the choices that were left.”
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/technology/with-time-running-short-stev e-jobs-managed-his-farewells.html?pagewanted=all)
Mr. Jobs had the foresight to prepare four years worth of new products that will come down the Apple pipeline.
The only problem is that while it seems like he prepared for everything, he didn’t prepare for his death.
He is quoted as saying, “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-the-best-trib utes)
I am afraid Mr. Jobs was wrong again. There are plenty of people who want to die. Paul said in Philippians 1:21
To read some of the glowing reviews of this man, you would have thought he was Mother Theresa or something! So, I decided to do some research to see if I could find out more about him. Here are some interesting things that I learned:
- He sold one of his companies for $400 million and another (Pixar) for $8 billion!! That is a lot of nickels where I come from. But the Bible has many interesting things to say about wealth.
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
- iTunes has sold over 16 billion songs.
Revelation 20:12
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
- “I have been shameless about stealing great ideas.” —Steve Jobs
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0DUg63lqU)
“Thou shalt not steal.”
- “Traversing India sparked Jobs’ conversion to Buddhism. Kobun Chino, a monk, presided over his wedding to Laurene Powell, a Stanford University MBA.
- Jobs had a daughter, Lisa, out of wedlock with Chrisann Brennan. He denied paternity for many years, swearing in a court document that he was sterile. Later, he had three more kids with Laurene Powell.
- Perhaps the most salient of those values is, simply, to make an outsize impact on society. Or, as Jobs put it, ‘We're here to put a dent in the universe.’”
Matthew 5:28
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
- Steve Jobs credited using the drug LSD as a big part of his success. In an interview with The New York Timesreporter John Markoff, Jobs once said, “Doing LSD was one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life.” He added that Bill Gates would “be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once.”
- The first Apple computer sold for $666.
Doesn’t pretty much everyone know where the number 666 comes from? Here’s a hint: Revelation 13:17-18.
- Apple’s new CEO, Tim Cook, is a homosexual, and he is considered the most powerful homosexual in the Tech industry.
- Apple pulled the app for a ministry called Exodus International that helps people get out of the gay lifestyle.
So here is a ministry that is trying to help people get out of the gay lifestyle and Apple says no thank you.
- Security researchers have discovered that Apple’siPhone keeps track of where you go—and saves every detail of it to a secret file on the device, which is then copied to the owner’s computer when the two are synchronised. The file contains the latitude and longitude of the phone’s recorded coordinates along with a timestamp, meaning that anyone who stole the phone or the computer could discover details about the owner’s movements using a simple program.
Here are some quotes from Jobs himself:
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
—Stanford commencement speech 2005
“There’s nothing that makes my day more than getting an e-mail from some random person in the universe who just bought an iPad over in the UK and tells me the story about how it’s the coolest product they’ve ever brought home in their lives. That’s what keeps me going. It’s what kept me five years ago [when he was diagnosed with cancer], it’s what kept me going 10 years ago when the doors were almost closed. And it’s what will keep me going five years from now whatever happens.”
—AllThingsD Conference, 2010
“That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
—Business Week 1998
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me…Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful…that’s what matters to me.”
—Wall Street Journal 1993
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
—Stanford commencement speech 2005
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-quotes)
For the Christians reading this newsletter, do any of the above comments bother you? Does it bother you enough to do something about it? Why have I met so many Christians who seem to idolize Apple products? Why have Christians put ‘RIP Steve Jobs’ on Facebook, when nobody can rest in peace without the Prince of Peace?
I took one of my students from back in the day to a singles meeting in Atlanta called 7:22. They had a guest speaker that night. So after the worship time, he came out to speak and the whole beginning of his talk was about the Apple products that he owned. It went on and on about his love for those products. He then brought a trashcan on stage. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to throw those gadgets in that trashcan and make a point about his idol worship. Nope. Didn’t happen. At the end of the night, as we were walking back to the car, my young friend said, “That man has an unhealthy addiction to his gadgets.” It was the most obvious thing in the world.
My goal is to try and make sure I never give Apple one nickel of my money my whole life. I don’t own any of Apple’s products and plan on keeping it that way. You will not find my books in their download store. You will find them on Kindle and Nook, but not Apple. There is no need to email me about that decision. I do understand that there are problems with those other companies as well. But when are we finally going to make a stand for something that we believe in?
“Mr. Jobs spent his final weeks—as he had spent most of his life—in tight control of his choices.”
“But for Steve, it was all about living life on his own terms and not wasting a moment with things he didn’t think were important. He was aware that his time on earth was limited. He wanted control of what he did with the choices that were left.”
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/technology/with-time-running-short-stev e-jobs-managed-his-farewells.html?pagewanted=all)
Mr. Jobs had the foresight to prepare four years worth of new products that will come down the Apple pipeline.
The only problem is that while it seems like he prepared for everything, he didn’t prepare for his death.
He is quoted as saying, “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-the-best-trib utes)
I am afraid Mr. Jobs was wrong again. There are plenty of people who want to die. Paul said in Philippians 1:21
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die isgain.”
I can’t wait to die! Dreams come true on that day!! Do you feel that way? While it’s natural to want to live your life here on earth, aren’t you at least a little excited about the last breath that you’ll take? If you are not, examine yourself to make sure you are of the faith. Born again people have nothing to fear in death—they have the joy of finally getting to see Jesus awaiting them!
Sadly, Mr. Jobs was just another wasted life. His life and his death had no eternal value. God graciously allows certain people to have a slow death, so that they can repent of their sins and get right with Him before they die. The good news is that I do know of a man who witnessed to Steve Jobs! He was an Apple employee who took the necessary time to share with him about Jesus Christ. But because of Steve’s rejection of Jesus Christ, there is a big problem:
John 3:36
Sadly, Mr. Jobs was just another wasted life. His life and his death had no eternal value. God graciously allows certain people to have a slow death, so that they can repent of their sins and get right with Him before they die. The good news is that I do know of a man who witnessed to Steve Jobs! He was an Apple employee who took the necessary time to share with him about Jesus Christ. But because of Steve’s rejection of Jesus Christ, there is a big problem:
John 3:36
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
“…salvation is freely offered to some while others are barred from access to it.” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 21, Paragraph 1)
No, Mr. Calvin was wrong. Salvation was offered to Mr. Jobs, and he had the total ability to accept it or the total ability to reject it. His rejection of what Jesus Christ did for him when He died on the cross at Calvary had consequences for him on planet earth, and now will have eternal consequences as well.
Apple’s logo is an apple with a bite out of it. Ironically, the thing that Eve did is the same thing Mr. Jobs did. They both rebelled against God. And there will always be consequences for that.
No, Mr. Calvin was wrong. Salvation was offered to Mr. Jobs, and he had the total ability to accept it or the total ability to reject it. His rejection of what Jesus Christ did for him when He died on the cross at Calvary had consequences for him on planet earth, and now will have eternal consequences as well.
Apple’s logo is an apple with a bite out of it. Ironically, the thing that Eve did is the same thing Mr. Jobs did. They both rebelled against God. And there will always be consequences for that.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Hello Jesus Welcome To My Site
djdriveupbakeshop.weebly.com << Please take a minute to check out the website and a chance to win an 11x14 autographed photograph sent to you and no costs just for your time and effort
Thanks ~Dave
hello Jesus and welcome here to my place which I have called HEAVENBOUNDX777. Jesus says: Thank you. Its my pleasure because "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I will surely be there".
DAVE SAY`S : Thank you. Now lets go on to the main part of the interview.
Jesus says: Yes, go on..
DAVE SAY`S : Is it true that you are the only way, the truth and the life?
Jesus says: Yes you are right. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one cometh to my father except through me. I and my father are one."
DAVE SAY`S : From when did you exist? When were you born?
Jesus says: I AM before the world existed. I was there when the Father created this whole world. I am the first and the last. The Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End.
DAVE SAY`S : Where are you now?
Jesus says: I am right now sitting at the right hand of God, the father. (in heaven)
DAVE SAY`S : What are you doing there?
Jesus says: I am interceding with the Father for you. Each time you commit a sin, I intercede with the father to forgive you.
DAVE SAY`S : Oh that`s so kind of you. Do you forgive me every time I sin?
Jesus says: Yes, I came into this world to save sinners. I shed my blood for the remission of your sins. If you confess your sins I am always faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. But that doesn't mean you can keep on sinning.
DAVE SAY`S : Ya, I understand.. But most of the time, I commit the sin without my own wish. Can you help me ?
Jesus says: Sure, I am always with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you.
DAVE SAY`S : I know that you get hurt when your children fall into sin. But somehow I fall into sin even though I do not want to.
Jesus says: Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin, each victory will help you some other to win. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
DAVE SAY`S : Are you the saviour of this world?
Jesus says: Yes, I saved this world from the clutches of the devil by sacrificing my life on the cross at Calvary.
DAVE SAY`S : Why did you have to die? Was there not any other way?
Jesus says: No. The only way to save mankind was through the shedding of spotless blood i.e. blood without no sin. Since all mankind have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, I had to come to the earth and sacrifice my life.
DAVE SAY`S : Thank you Jesus for sacrificing your life. Did you sacrifice your life only for Christians ?
Jesus says: No. I shed my blood for all mankind. Whoever believes in me shall never perish but have everlasting life.
DAVE SAY`S : So what should I do to reach Heaven?
Jesus says: You have to only believe that I died for you and rose up on the third day. You should confess with your mouth that I am the Lord, the only way, the truth, and the life and then confess your sins. That's all. For without faith it is impossible to please God.
DAVE SAY`S : Then what about reading the bible and praying?
Jesus says: Yes, that is also needed but that cannot save you and bring you to heaven. The Bible is my word. You have to read it, believe it and claim the promises, for me to bless you. Prayer is talking to me. You can tell me all your worries and problems.
DAVE SAY`S : Thank you very much Jesus for spending your precious time WITH me at my heart felt place of poetry,
Jesus says: Welcome. I am sure that your poetry, Dave's heart felt place will be a great blessing to all the members and the readers.
thank-you Jesus love your son Dave.http://metrophotochallenge.ca/ca2011/view/bf50/Can_you_spot_the_Dove_in_the_Wave_here
Thank you also Jesus for this photo you gave me on Easter Sunday April 24/2011 I know this was a true blessing from you as i prayed for you to show me something through my camera lens and you did Father This Photo
thank you Jesus
your son Dave
Thanks ~Dave
hello Jesus and welcome here to my place which I have called HEAVENBOUNDX777. Jesus says: Thank you. Its my pleasure because "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I will surely be there".
DAVE SAY`S : Thank you. Now lets go on to the main part of the interview.
Jesus says: Yes, go on..
DAVE SAY`S : Is it true that you are the only way, the truth and the life?
Jesus says: Yes you are right. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one cometh to my father except through me. I and my father are one."
DAVE SAY`S : From when did you exist? When were you born?
Jesus says: I AM before the world existed. I was there when the Father created this whole world. I am the first and the last. The Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End.
DAVE SAY`S : Where are you now?
Jesus says: I am right now sitting at the right hand of God, the father. (in heaven)
DAVE SAY`S : What are you doing there?
Jesus says: I am interceding with the Father for you. Each time you commit a sin, I intercede with the father to forgive you.
DAVE SAY`S : Oh that`s so kind of you. Do you forgive me every time I sin?
Jesus says: Yes, I came into this world to save sinners. I shed my blood for the remission of your sins. If you confess your sins I am always faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. But that doesn't mean you can keep on sinning.
DAVE SAY`S : Ya, I understand.. But most of the time, I commit the sin without my own wish. Can you help me ?
Jesus says: Sure, I am always with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you.
DAVE SAY`S : I know that you get hurt when your children fall into sin. But somehow I fall into sin even though I do not want to.
Jesus says: Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin, each victory will help you some other to win. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
DAVE SAY`S : Are you the saviour of this world?
Jesus says: Yes, I saved this world from the clutches of the devil by sacrificing my life on the cross at Calvary.
DAVE SAY`S : Why did you have to die? Was there not any other way?
Jesus says: No. The only way to save mankind was through the shedding of spotless blood i.e. blood without no sin. Since all mankind have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, I had to come to the earth and sacrifice my life.
DAVE SAY`S : Thank you Jesus for sacrificing your life. Did you sacrifice your life only for Christians ?
Jesus says: No. I shed my blood for all mankind. Whoever believes in me shall never perish but have everlasting life.
DAVE SAY`S : So what should I do to reach Heaven?
Jesus says: You have to only believe that I died for you and rose up on the third day. You should confess with your mouth that I am the Lord, the only way, the truth, and the life and then confess your sins. That's all. For without faith it is impossible to please God.
DAVE SAY`S : Then what about reading the bible and praying?
Jesus says: Yes, that is also needed but that cannot save you and bring you to heaven. The Bible is my word. You have to read it, believe it and claim the promises, for me to bless you. Prayer is talking to me. You can tell me all your worries and problems.
DAVE SAY`S : Thank you very much Jesus for spending your precious time WITH me at my heart felt place of poetry,
Jesus says: Welcome. I am sure that your poetry, Dave's heart felt place will be a great blessing to all the members and the readers.
thank-you Jesus love your son Dave.http://metrophotochallenge.ca/ca2011/view/bf50/Can_you_spot_the_Dove_in_the_Wave_here
Thank you also Jesus for this photo you gave me on Easter Sunday April 24/2011 I know this was a true blessing from you as i prayed for you to show me something through my camera lens and you did Father This Photo
thank you Jesus
your son Dave
In this
day there is real and lasting treasure. Somewhere in the circumstances, the
people, the moments, the experiences of today there is a unique and valuable
gem that can bring much richness to your life.
If you set
out with the goal of just getting through today, you'll likely pass that
treasure by without even seeing it. If you spend your energy on anger, envy,
worry or gloominess, your eyes will be blinded to the goodness and value that
could otherwise be yours.
For today
is a day when you can make positive, creative and beautiful things happen, if
you will. Today is a day when you can add much meaning and substance to your
world, if you choose.
Like
precious diamonds that are hidden beneath the ground, the most valuable
treasures of this day are not immediately evident. Yet the more love,
creativity and effort you put into life on this day, the more real value you
will uncover.
The most
valuable treasures won't be found in those things from which you attempt to
take. The real treasures will be in those things to which you give the best of
who you are.
Choose now
to do more than simply get through this day. Choose to discover and to live its
richest treasures.
~ Dave . Lahn
Monday, June 27, 2011
Man says God sent him to break into home
FIRST OF ALL JESUS WOULD NEVER EVER SEND SOMEBODY TO COMMIT AN IILEGAL ACT OF ANY KIND JESUS IS ONLY LOVE
Man says God sent him to break into home
26/06/2011 8:36:00 PM
by Nevil Hunt
A Connecticut man says God gave him the go-ahead to break into an unoccupied home. Once inside, he smashed up some furniture and took a shower. It's the kind of story that makes us all feel thankful we're not part of the twisted script.
History tells us that God works in mysterious ways. And that people sometimes mistake their own mental issues for divine guidance.
When Levon Sarkisyan followed what he believed were God's orders, he broke into an unoccupied home in West Hartford, Connecticut. He destroyed statues and a table, then took a shower before putting on a deceased person's clothes.
Sarkisyan faces burglary and mischief charges and has already been released on bail.
While $10,000 in property damage is a problem, we can be thankful no one was hurt.
It's the kind of news story that people get a laugh out of. It makes us all feel a little more normal when we're presented with a case of not-normal-at-all. But delusional behaviour can provide some very unhappy endings.
In 2006, a woman in San Francisco killed her three young sons because God told her to sacrifice them. She was later diagnosed as a diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with delusional thought disorder.
Here in Canada, a Manitoba man was sent to jail in 2003 after testifying that he was ordered by aliens or God to have sex with his 13-year-old daughter. He suffered from a psychotic or a personality disorder, and one document presented in court said he thought he was the Messiah.
Unlike the smashed statue case in Connecticut, there's no humour to be found in either of those cases. But the basic plot is the same: person hears voices, believes them to be authoritative, and acts.
Maybe we should teach people that if God ever speaks to them personally, they should let their family doctor know. Part of demystifying mental health issues is talking about them. Talking about hearing voices isn't a happy topic, but we can't predict who may suffer from these delusions, so better to make sure everyone is aware that there is help available.
People need to hear – loud and clear – that hearing voices is a symptom of an illness we know how to treat. Rarely does the affected person become violent, but nonetheless, they need help to return to reality.
Instead, what we all absorb are stories like Sarkisyan's; news articles that tell us that delusional people are funny and that the justice system will sort them out. That's not a good way to encourage others to self-identify when they feel compelled to act out.
In Sarkisyan's case, there are details about his past behaviour that make it clear he has continuing problems that have not been treated. In 2008 he threatened members of a university fraternity and was convicted of breach of the peace and trespassing.
The Connecticut story doesn't involve a death, but the courts have obviously not fixed the problems of one of the state's citizens. Instead of making us smile, Sarkisyan's story should remind us that mental issues deserve real treatment, not a trip to court.
Should delusional people be hauled off to jail when they break the law? Who should be responsible for ensuring those who need treatment receive it?
Man says God sent him to break into home
26/06/2011 8:36:00 PM
by Nevil Hunt
A Connecticut man says God gave him the go-ahead to break into an unoccupied home. Once inside, he smashed up some furniture and took a shower. It's the kind of story that makes us all feel thankful we're not part of the twisted script.
History tells us that God works in mysterious ways. And that people sometimes mistake their own mental issues for divine guidance.
When Levon Sarkisyan followed what he believed were God's orders, he broke into an unoccupied home in West Hartford, Connecticut. He destroyed statues and a table, then took a shower before putting on a deceased person's clothes.
Sarkisyan faces burglary and mischief charges and has already been released on bail.
While $10,000 in property damage is a problem, we can be thankful no one was hurt.
It's the kind of news story that people get a laugh out of. It makes us all feel a little more normal when we're presented with a case of not-normal-at-all. But delusional behaviour can provide some very unhappy endings.
In 2006, a woman in San Francisco killed her three young sons because God told her to sacrifice them. She was later diagnosed as a diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with delusional thought disorder.
Here in Canada, a Manitoba man was sent to jail in 2003 after testifying that he was ordered by aliens or God to have sex with his 13-year-old daughter. He suffered from a psychotic or a personality disorder, and one document presented in court said he thought he was the Messiah.
Unlike the smashed statue case in Connecticut, there's no humour to be found in either of those cases. But the basic plot is the same: person hears voices, believes them to be authoritative, and acts.
Maybe we should teach people that if God ever speaks to them personally, they should let their family doctor know. Part of demystifying mental health issues is talking about them. Talking about hearing voices isn't a happy topic, but we can't predict who may suffer from these delusions, so better to make sure everyone is aware that there is help available.
People need to hear – loud and clear – that hearing voices is a symptom of an illness we know how to treat. Rarely does the affected person become violent, but nonetheless, they need help to return to reality.
Instead, what we all absorb are stories like Sarkisyan's; news articles that tell us that delusional people are funny and that the justice system will sort them out. That's not a good way to encourage others to self-identify when they feel compelled to act out.
In Sarkisyan's case, there are details about his past behaviour that make it clear he has continuing problems that have not been treated. In 2008 he threatened members of a university fraternity and was convicted of breach of the peace and trespassing.
The Connecticut story doesn't involve a death, but the courts have obviously not fixed the problems of one of the state's citizens. Instead of making us smile, Sarkisyan's story should remind us that mental issues deserve real treatment, not a trip to court.
Should delusional people be hauled off to jail when they break the law? Who should be responsible for ensuring those who need treatment receive it?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
PRO surfer rescues woman swept out to sea
the holy spirit of jesus was there with this man and young woman no matter what
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