I am apparently somehow being confused with someone with my identical first and last name, including spelling, elsewhere in the United States. The other Charles Stricklin has asked me to alter the way I sign my name to include my middle initial. I have declined to do so, at least on a consistant basis.

I was given this name at my birth and, although I’ve answered to the nickname “Chuck” at various times throughout my life, I’ve always introduced myself as Charles Stricklin. To now change everything for the comfort of someone who shares my name but not my views seems… wierd and a hassle.

1. Conservative (or at least kinda Libertarian)
2. A comedian
3. And funny

You seldom get a combination of two of those, much less three!

Yes, I know… I know! Ben Stein and Dennis Miller. I said “funny” not “acerbic” or “mildly amusing at times.”

No, Steven says things I only wish I’d thought of and said on a range of issue and makes mincemeat out of whiney little Liberal canards and talking points. Every Thursday he releases a new video on YouTube that will now be the first thing I view that day each week.

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

– C. S. Lewis

She replied, “I’d give food and houses to all the homeless people.”

Her parents beamed.

“Wow…what a worthy goal”, I told her. “But you don’t have to wait until you’re President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I’ll pay you $50. Then I’ll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.”

She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, “Why doesn’t the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?”

I said, “Welcome to the Republican Party!”

Her parents still aren’t speaking to me.

Note: This is a joke, no, this really didn’t happen to me.

Currently, I’m prescribed Atenolol/Chlorthalidone in two 50-25MG tablets each morning, meaning I require 100MG of Atenolol and 50MG of Chlorthalidoneto keep my blood pressure within normal limits. Each of these tablets, being consider “generics” cost $0.13 each.

One thing this medication does is dramatically cause the levels of potassium in my blood to plummet. Potassium is needed to keep up energy, something I’m in dire need of these days, so my doctor has also prescribed I take 40MEQ (or 4 capsules) of potassium supplements each day to replace the potassium Atenolol/Chlorthalidone robs from my bloodstream.

Each of these 10MEQ capsules cost $1.00. So, each day costs me $4.25 just to keep my blood vessals from bursting and preventing a stroke.

Put another way: $0.26/day to make my heart behave, $4.00/day (or over 15 times more) to replace the naturally occurring element in my blood that the $0.26/day drug steals from it!

Put another way: The medicine I need to keep me alive costs me $8/month, the supplement the medicine I need to keep my alive requires costs me $120/month!

This upsets me.

This morning, Jeff Jones, a friend of mine, came over and help me mount both the Betaduct and my power strip along the back of my desk. I don’t have a decent “before” photo to show how the cabling lay all across the carpet and under my feet, but here’s how it looks now:

There were obvious children’s toys, and one envelope held a Christmas card with an undetermined amount of cash, and every package was addressed to either “Franklin” or “Madison”. The gift giver(s) listed on each package was “Santa’s Elfs” [sic].

I know that the young woman across the breezeway from me has a small boy, so on the offhand chance that her name is Madison and his was Franklin, I knocked on her door. She told me the gifts were not addressed to her, and that she’d seen some people in a van place the gifts at my doorstep. At that exact moment, a gold or silver van drove my rather slowly and what appeared to be a teenaged girl looked directly at me.

I called the apartment manager, and some of the office staff whom I’ve chatted with before came along with her husband(?) to pick up the packages to put in the office. She told me the other apartment 121 on the opposite side of the property is currently vacant, so it wasn’t a case of “right apartment/wrong street” She also told me she knew of no Madison or Franklin, but that she couldn’t possibly remember everyone’s names.

So, if you’re the nice people who wanted to make someone’s Christmas brighter by delivering presents anonymously, the gifts were never delivered because no one knows who to deliver them to, and they’re currently sitting in the apartment manager’s office.

(Note: Read all the answers for the multiple choice questions. In nearly all cases, there’s 1 right answer, at least 1 nearly-right answer and a couple of distractors.)

1. True or false: As long as Christmas has been celebrated, it has been celebrated on December the 25th.

2. Joseph’s hometown was:

a. Nazareth
b. Jerusalem
c. Cairo
d. Bethlehem
e. We don’t know

3. What methods of travel did Joseph and Mary used to travel to Bethlehem?

a. Walked
b. Horse
c. Donkey or mule
d. Camel
e. We don’t know

4. True or false: Joseph and Mary were married when Mary became pregnant.

5. True or false: By the time Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had married.

6. True or false. By the time Jesus was born, Mary was no longer a virgin.

7. What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph?

a. “We have no room in the inn.”
b. “I have a stable you can use.”
c. “Come back after the holidays when there are fewer people.”
d. Both A and B
e. We don’t know

8. Jesus was delivered in a:

a. Manger
b. Stable
c. Barn
d. Cave
e. We don’t know

9. A manger is:

a. A stable for domesticated animals
b. A wooden storage bin containing hay
c. A feeding though for animals
d. A barn

10. What animals were present at Jesus’ birth?

a. Cows, sheep and goats
b. Cows, sheep and donkeys
c. Sheep and goats
d. Camels, cows and sheep
e. We don’t know

11. Who saw the “star in the East”?

a. Shepherds
b. The Magi
c. Both A and B
d. Joseph and Mary
e. King Herod

12. How many angels spoke to the shepherds in the field?

a. 1
b. 3
c. 7
d. A “multitude”
e. A “legion”

13. What “sign” did the angel say the shepherds should look for?

a. A star overhead
b. A baby that doesn’t cry
c. A baby in a stable
d. A house with a Christmas tree

14. What did the angels sing?

a. “Silent Night, Holy Night”
b. “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come”
c. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
d. “Alleluia!”
e. “Glory to God in the Highest!”

15. A “heavenly host” is made up of:

a. A choir of angels
b. An army made up of angels
c. A multitude of angels pointing in a particularly direction
d. An unspecified number of angels serving refreshments
e. None of the above

16. There was snow that first Christmas:

a. Only in Bethlehem
b. All over Israel
c. Somewhere in Israel
d. Nowhere in Israel

17. As a baby, Jesus:

a. Didn’t cry
b. Only cried when the doctor delivered Him
c. Only cried when the manger was uncomfortable
d. Cried like any other baby would

18. How many Magi came to see Jesus? ______

19. Frankincense is:

a. A perfume
b. A precious metal
c. A precious fabric
d. An aromatic gum or resin

20. Myrrh is:

a. A perfume
b. A precious metal
c. A precious fabric
d. An aromatic gum or resin

21. When the Magi found Jesus, He was:

a. Lying in a manger
b. Playing with sheep
c. At His home in Nazareth
d. Discussing scripture with the teachers in the temple

22. When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant:

a. His parents forced them into a “shotgun” marriage
b. Joseph wanted to break off the betrothal
c. Mary got outta town!
d. An angel told them to travel to Bethlehem
e. Both b and c

23. Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt:

a. To be taxed
b. To avoid a harsh travel season
c. He didn’t, he took them straight home to Nazareth
d. Because an angel appeared to him in a dream, warning him to escape King Herod in Egypt
e. Because the Magi warned him that King Herod meant to kill Jesus

When you’ve finished answering these questions (try it without referring to a Bible!) look up the answers below and see how you did.

Answers

1. False. No one really knows when Jesus was born, and December 25th wasn’t observed as the standard date for Christmas until about the 4th century C.E. It’s thought that the date was either chosen to coincide with the Winter solstice or the Roman festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti or “the birthday of the unconquered sun” signifying the first detectable lengthening of daylight hours after the Winter solstice.
2. D. Bethlehem. Joseph, as a head of household, had to return to him hometown or family origins to be counted in the census and pay the tax.
3. E. We don’t know. The Gospel of Matthew skips the travel entirely, the Gospel of Mark starts with Jesus being tempted in the wild, the Gospel of John shortly after Mark with Jesus’ baptism. Only Luke’s Gospel details the events from the annunciation to Jesus’ birth (Luke 1-2) and all it says is “Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David” (Luke 2:4 NIV, abridged). It says nothing of how they got to Bethlehem.
4. False. At the time, Mary was “betrothed” to Joseph, meaning her father and Joseph had entered into a sort of contractual engagement. Mary had probably already begun living with Joseph’s family in preparation for the wedding, but the marriage had not been finalized or consummated.
5. Debatable. It depends whether you believe Luke 2:5: “He went there (Bethlehem) to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child” or Matthew 1:24-25: “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.” Most scholars see betrothal as being “as good as married”, so Matthew might have considered them husband and wife already.
6. False. Joseph and Mary had not married, and as such had not had sex.
7. E. Luke 2:7 says, “…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” We’re simply told there was no room for them in the inn, we don’t have a clue what they were actually told.
8. Luke 2:7 says that Jesus was born, but it doesn’t say where. It also says He was laid in a manger, but for Him for have been delivered there would mean Mary would also have to have been in the manger, and that’s just silly!
9. C. A manger is a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold food for animals (as in a stable). Mangers are mostly used in livestock raising. The word comes from the French manger (meaning “to eat”), from Latin manducare (meaning “to chew”).
10. E. Luke’s Gospel doesn’t go into detail what kinds of animals were present.
11. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’” – Matthew 2: 1-2
12. A. Only one actually spoke to the shepherds. “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”" – Luke 2:8-12 NIV
13. C. The only logical place to find a manger is within a stable. “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:12 NIV
14. E. “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’ ” – Luke 2:13-14
15. B. Both Luke 2:13 and Revelations 19:19 refer to a heavenly host, which is a large army of angels.
16. C. Mount Hermon, at 9,230 feet above sea level, is Israel’s highest peak and portions of it are covered in snow all year long.
17. D. Duh!
18. We don’t know. Tradition holds that three Magi traveled to see the “new king” because three gifts were known to have brought as an offering, except that Matthew 2:1-18 only mentions that Magi spoke to Herod and found Jesus as a child, not how many there were.
19. D. Frankincense (or olibanum) is an aromatic, yellowish resin obtained from Boswellia sacra trees. It is used in incense as well as in perfumes.
20. D. Myrrh is a reddish-brown resinous material, made from the dried sap of the Commiphora myrrha tree found only in Yemen, Somalia and the eastern parts of Ethiopia. When burned, it produces a smoke that is heavy, bitter and tinged with a slight vanilla scent. Unlike most other resins, myrrh expands and “blooms” when burned instead of melting or liquefying. Myrrh was used as an embalming ointment and was used, up until about the 15th century, as an incense in funerals and cremations.
21. C. By the time the Magi would have located Jesus, He would be about two years old, and His parents would have already brought Him home to Nazareth after living briefly in Egypt.
22. E (Both b and c). Matthew 1:19 says, “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Mary would have then most likely have been stoned to death as an adulterer. Luke 1:20-24 describes the angel visiting Joseph in a dream, telling him that Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit and reassured him that they should marry. Luke 1:39-56 details Mary’s three-month stay with her older cousin Elizabeth, who was with child with John the Baptist.
23. D. Matthew 2:13-14 says, “…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt…”

How did you do? If you got:

• 1 to 5 questions correct – Christmas was mostly about Santa at your house, no?
• 6 to 10 questions correct – Been a while since you’ve been in Bible study, hasn’t it?
• 11-17 questions correct – Not bad! Did you pick all this up at Christmas parties?
• 18-22 questions correct – Did you cheat and read your Bible?
• All questions correct – You’re a minister, right?!

1. An Apple iPhone 3G
2. An Apple MacBook Pro
3. A maxed-out Apple Mac Pro
4. Lasik eye surgery
5. New reading glasses
6. Two or three 1.5TB drives
7. A new couch
8. A new dining room table set
9. Office space
10. A Toyota Prius
11. A Canon XH-G1s 3CCD HDV Camcorder
12. New headshots and other marketing photos
13. A vacation in and around Washington, DC (I love history!)
14. A cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line. (Not sure where… Maybe Europe?)
15. An Ibanez SR650PB Bass Guitar and amp

Those are just a few of the things I’d treat myself to.

Before I lay out my argument and thoughts, I should make the reader aware of my own belief system:

• I believe the God of the Bible exists.
• I believe the Bible is the Word of God.
• I believe the Bible is emphatically clear that homosexuality is a sin.
• I believe that government, specifically a representative republic such as we have in the United States, should embrace pluralism and reject any religious belief having an undue influence on society.
• I believe that government’s purpose is to protect civil liberties, protect property rights and defend its own borders, not shape society or attempt to impose behavioral norms (with the exception, of course, the aforementioned civil and property rights. It’s not okay to rape, murder or steal, but besides that, it’s not the government’s purpose to control whether you smoke or eat fatty foods.)

That out of the way, I have a view toward same-sex marriage that may surprise you. Although I think it’s a sin, and I’d leave any church that performs or affirms a same-sex marriage, when it comes to government, I am not entirely opposed. I’m not entirely in favor, either.

However, I see the issue of same-sex marriage as practically a fait accompli; It’s going to happen, and continuing to waste money and energy fighting it is a lose-lose wager for Republicans and Conservatives. By spending millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours with “affirming traditional marriage” (which is code words for “opposing same-sex marriage”) all we do is waste good money after bad, exhaust ourselves and discard any political goodwill with a group of Americans whose numbers in support of the opposition is growing. Sure, pulling out the “affirmation of marriage as a union between one man and one woman” every two-to-four years is a surefire way for a politician to demagogue him or herself into (re)election, but eventually the tide of opinion will turn and voters will see through the pandering.

And what’s with the subject being put to a vote every few years anyway? Since when did we hold that people’s rights were up to majority rule? Slavery and the woman’s right to vote come to mind. And for Conservatives, who’d like to see a smaller, less obtrusive government one day, why retreat back into the law and codifying your religious belief?

The only semi-valid argument I hear coming from the opposition to same-sex marriage might be that if we open up the definition of marriage to include two men or two women, we open it up to other variations: Poligamy, marrying animals, marrying inanimate objects, incest, pedofilia, etc, After all, homosexuality was once considered perverse and unnatural, and if we accepted gay men and lesbians as valid marriage partners, doesn’t that open up the floodgates for other previously consider perverse relationships?

Ultimately, I think that argument is so slippery-slope as to be rejected out of hand. Anyway if, in 2060 or something, public opinion has so radically changed that women marrying dogs and men taking 20 wives is considered normal, I don’t want my government being the arbiter of what’s acceptable socially.

Bottom line: I don’t like it, I don’t want it, and I won’t spend any money or energy arguing in favor of it, but same-sex marriage is coming either way, like it or not. If you’re a clergyman you should be preaching against it every time it’s brought up, but if you’re a politician, you’d be better off avoiding this issue like the plague.