Wednesday, November 30, 2005
What an interesting debate over the fireworks issue. I thought I would sum up the issue as to how I saw it.
Fireworks cause much damage to people, property and pets. This isn’t good. In fact the damage cause by fireworks this year was up 70% on last year! Anything that causes much damage, with the only pay off being the enjoyment to others must be questioned. There is really no other useful purpose for fireworks than a couple of nights in a year providing pleasure and enjoyment. They don’t cure cancer or serve any other purpose.
In Australia this is a non-issue. Fireworks are banned full stop. Why? Because the potential for bush fires and wide spread damage is huge. The negatives of fireworks far out way the positives.
It isn’t the job of the State to deal with sin in people hearts and lives. Their job is to protect people and ensure that the wider community is safe. The state has decided that things like speeding, drugs, alcohol (to minors) and smoking is dangerous. They ban or limit the use of these things because the impact to the user and the wider community outweighs the pleasure of using or doing these things.
Preventative measures are always going to be far better than fire-fighting (literally in this case). It is morally responsible to remove items that cause public harm and prevent other people being hurt. It is not morally responsible to allow items to be used that cause public harm.
Imagine someone knocked on your door and ask you to sign a petition to ban fireworks. His house was burnt to the ground and one of his children didn’t make it out in time. This was cause by a firecracker going through his window. Would you say to him ‘I am sorry my personal freedom would be diminished by banning fireworks’ and shut the door?
As Christians we should be the first to put our pleasure and enjoyment aside if it is going to protect and help others. As Christians we should not leave temptation in peoples way that would to lead them to sin and hurt others. Banning firecrackers isn’t going to deal with peoples sin but leaving them isn’t going to either.
This issue was never about the general use of fireworks. My issue was with the use of them that is inconsiderate and harmful. Someone being rude and inconsiderate woke me up at 3am. It was suggested to love my neighbour as myself. The loving thing to do isn’t to be ok with people’s sin and not be concerned by it and Jesus wouldn’t have gone outside and joined this person. I did love my neighbour- I felt just as sorry for them being woken up as I was for myself.
Anita posted at
8:04 am
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The fireworks debate will continue- I have had some more thoughts on this. Particularly after it was suggested I was whinging.
Gee- if you can't express the unhappiness of being woken up at 3am, when you are pregnant (and have to get up get a drink, go to the loo and try ignore the nausea to get back to sleep) by someone being inconsiderate when can you!
Anita posted at
4:09 pm
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Tomorrow Hamish and I would have been married 5 years!
This is pretty exciting for us - our first wedding anniversary milestone. It feels good to be at this stage in our life together. With a baby on the way it makes you look at your relationship pretty seriously. Being apart for 3 weeks also has the same effect.
I don't think 5 years of marriage quite qualifies me to hand out the advice. But this I can say- have a humble heart before God and put the other person before yourself. It took me awhile to learn this but I am glad I have. Hardtime times are good times as you change and become more Christlike.
We are happy and I am thankful for that.
Anita posted at
10:11 am
Thursday, November 17, 2005
My favourite food right now: Baked potato with sour cream from Wendys
My favourite drink: Calci-Trim Milk
My favourite sound: my baby’s heartbeat.
My favourite thing to do: Chat to my husband
Anita posted at
4:14 pm
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Fireworks
Why hasn't anyone banned these yet...?
Last night someone thought it would be funny to set one off at 3.30 in the morning on the road outside our house. It was just one but of course enough to wake us up and the rest of the street I imagine. The person must of thought it would be funny- I didn't find it amusing. Getting back to sleep isn't as easy as it used to be.
I used to really like fireworks as a kid, not such a fan of them now. They cause lots of household damage and bush fires not to mention injury to pets and people. They should go! Only only to people to really want them to stay is The Warehouse I imagine, who would make a tidy profit each year. Will be interesting to see who the government panders to -business or the public?
Anita posted at
10:27 am
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Been thinking about really deep parenting issues of late. Well actually not really. Been thinking about things like nappies, TV, Fizzy drink and the like.
Nappies- going to give the cloth ones a shot. Everyone poo-hoos this idea when I tell them and they are probably right. It is heaps easier to uses disposables. But I am really uncomfortable with the impact that they have on the environment and the cost of them! Actually to be totally honest I am also thinking about the diaper less baby idea. Did you know that there are babies that don't actually wear nappies? Their parents take them to the loo and apparently it works well. But I have to get heaps more info and would like to talk to someone who actually manages it.
TV- the sewer of perversion as my bud Scott calls it. And he is right. Add Playstation, DVD's and computer games to that list. Stuff that dulls kids brains and discourages them from reading, playing outside and thinking for themselves.
Fizzy Drink (Sprite, Coke, Fanta etc)- add Juice and any drink with sugar in it. It is going to be like Champagne to my kids. As in they will drink it as much as I drink champagne- pretty much never. Juice is ok -watered down. Milk and water are the best. That goes for me and Hamish too- better do something about my Coke habit (Coke as in Cola).
Anyway as you can see I am pretty full of it but I think if you don't plan this kinda stuff you can let it slip. Easy for a non-parent to say though! Will keep ya posted.
Anita posted at
3:37 pm
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Oh dear. I am drinking my third can of Coke since I have been pregnant. I feel slightly guilty feeding such a dodgy drink to my unborn child but it just makes me feel so much better. It is my emergency-feeling-really-bad drink and it really does the trick! I never drank Sugar/Fat Coke before I was pregnant only Diet coke. I can't decide which is worse artificial sweetener or a couple of teaspoons of unnecessary sugar??
Anita posted at
3:38 pm
Isn't modern technology amazing! I got to see the faces and hear the voices of my husband and sister for the first time in nearly three weeks. It was great and so uplifting. It was great to hear how the team is going and how the Lord has blessed them. It has really put things into perspective for me. Squabbling of semantics of a bible verse isn't what we are about- it is about being agents of God's Grace to a lost and desperate world.
Thanks to Jono and co for setting up the link- it was so cool. Loving the new sound of the praise group! A really rich sound which was a aid to worship and didn't overpower. Fantastic!
Anita posted at
9:01 am
