The Straw Man Helps us Sleep at Night

There will always be people we disagree with and who disagree with us.  The more that you talk about things that you’re passionate about, the more clear those lines of disagreement are, the more numerous become your opponents.

It’s almost easier to just live life without opinion, to never vote, to commit to no particular group of people (e.g., religion), to choose entertainment over information, and to live life only to please one person . . . yourself.   It does seem easier, but it really isn’t, is it?  We each have opinions and there’s something inside of us that we truly care about - it’s part of what makes us human. 

Our tendency, when approached with a different opinion, is to create a scenario about that opinion, or take a bad example of that opinion, and prop it up as THE opinion.  In debate terms, this is a form of the “straw man” argument, where a viewpoint is distorted or a hidden agenda is assumed of the others’ opinion.  When we do this, then it’s easier to justify our own opinion and we sleep better.  Or do we?

It happens all the time, but rarely is it called out for what it actually is.  Let’s truly get down to the nitty-gritty of how we create “straw men” out of each other.  Hmmm, how do I do this without creating a Straw Man out of those who do this?  Well, it’s rather difficult, but the first order of business is that we need to assume the best (or better) of people and we also need to come to the realization that our argument probably has its deficiencies as well.  Based on these two solutions, there is one area that will continue to be the most guilty of Straw Man - politics.  As a result, we will not seek to solve that problem, but will move on to topics and areas where we can actually make a difference.

How about the present LGBTQ+ discussions that are happening both within church circles and outside of any religious discussion?  What if I, as a straight, married, Christian man, welcomed someone who identifies as being part of the LGBTQ+ community into my life as a friend, a co-worker, or a church-goer?  Using the terms distorted and hidden agenda, some would say that what I’m REALLY doing (hidden agenda) is befriending them in order to get them to see that their behavior is wrong so that they change.  Others would distort my kindness and friendliness into a full  agreement with all that the people in the LGBTQ+ community stand for, as if it’s impossible to truly love someone with whom you don’t see eye-to-eye.

Let’s really get dicey and talk about this issue within church circles.  Woo-Hoo!  If I am willing to use the term “gay Christian” and continue to fellowship with and take communion with and welcome them into the membership of my local church, I am seen by many as not taking God’s creation account seriously enough (distortion) or that what I’m really after or open to is sanctifying gay marriage or helping people fully transition (hidden agenda).  On the other hand, if I were to be of the mindset that I wanted to HELP my brothers or sisters in the Lord who are same-sex attracted, some would wonder, “Why does he think they need help?” Or, “He only cares about them if they were somehow attracted to the opposite sex!”

Already, I have probably fallen into this same fallacy.  Partly because it is just what happens and partly because I want to get down to my point in all of this.  But not quite yet.  First, allow me to give a few more examples of how we suffer from this illness across all areas of our life.  COVID-19 revealed a renaissance of the straw man, making maskers into the paranoid and non-maskers into the careless, or even hateful.  Any opinionated athlete or celebrity loses endorsements or is vilified in the media (there I go into my own “media straw man”) because they don’t get a chance to, or get heard out, for why they believe what they believe (Kyrie Irving, Aaron Rodgers, Lucy Lawless, Johnny Depp, Matthew McConnehay, etc.).  Oops, I’ve actually named names, now I’m opening up myself to people who will try to label my “take” on these people.  How would you respond to the quickly growing trend of women out-earning their husbands or partners (4% in 1960  and nearly 50% in 2020)?  Is this good or bad?  Your concern or celebration over this may open you up to distortions or accusations of hidden agendas.

All sides of all debates in all arenas across all platforms need a good dose of something that plagues every human - humility.  A true humility, those who we can look at and can truly witness their high character, is hard to find.  False humility seems pretty easy to spot, but then when we think we see humility from afar, we doubt it because “there’s got to be something up with them, right?”  Exactly!  That’s the point, there is something up with them, and with you, and with me!  When we can go about our days, have our discussions, and even talk about our disagreements in ways that seek to see the other person accurately (NOT distort) and are seeking to be heard as our true desire (no hidden agendas), then true civility and progress can be made.  Wait, you may say, what is progress?  Getting what YOU want?  Doing things YOUR way?  Making YOUR point in this blog post?  I would say that progress is, in your own sphere of influence, being a person who seeks to see people for who they really are (no distortion) and understand that you will need to work hard to both communicate your thoughts (no hidden agenda) and to change in order to be the person that you want to be.

The Lost Art of Asking for Help

 Kyler Murray of the NFL Arizona Cardinals signed a $230.5 million contract that brings him through the 2028 season.  He was about to start the last year of his contract, but his club clearly wants him to know of their commitment to him.  Murray turned 25 yesterday (Happy Birthday, Kyler!) and stated after his team’s playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, “I’m going to continue to grow and get better.”

This young man (yes, he is still quite young) knows that he must get better and that being an NFL quarterback is no longer just a fun activity, is nothing like college ball, and that he has more than just his own future riding on his shoulders.  His QB rating has gone up each of his three seasons, which is something few other QB’s have been able to say about their first three years.  He clearly deserves this new contract, for his first three years rank quite high up among the greatest first three years ever (not really close to Mahomes, Rodgers, or Marino, but clearly better than Manning, Elway, Brady, and Brees).

 Yet, what gets almost all of the press is one addendum in the contract that seeks to dictate how Murray spends four hours per week during the season.  He must spend four hours each week studying for the upcoming game, without other distractions like internet surfing, gaming, or video-watching.  That’s right, FOUR (4) HOURS-A-WEEK, for about 26-30 weeks, depending on how long the team’s season is.  Why so much press?  Well, initially because it’s odd, not normal for a contract of this magnitude to have such a clause in it.  Then, once talk shows, newspapers, and know-it-all sports “insiders” got ahold of it, they were questioning why in the world Murray would agree to such a stipulation and why the Cardinals felt like they needed this type of “babysitting” for their star player.  These conversations morphed into such ridiculous theories which gave Murray a poor work ethic and even accused the Cardinal’s organization as racist.

 At the risk of being simplistic and for the love of keeping things out of the headlines that shouldn’t be there, allow me to propose another thought here:  Kyler Murray wants to get better and is willing to take the advice of his employer regarding one way that he can get better.

What if it is as simple as that?  Well, first, that’s not really headline grabbing, so we choose not to go down that road.  Secondly, though, very few of us want to admit that we have lots to learn, and even fewer of us will go to the length of putting things in place to keep us learning.  Proverbs 30:2 (a book of some of the wisest sayings ever penned) is a self-declaration that each man, woman, and child should learn to utter for the rest of their days:  “I am more stupid than any other person, and I lack a human’s ability to understand.”

 From this one verse, there are two things we can learn from God and human history:

1.     We are not the sharpest tool in the shed.  You will grow more and learn more when you are of the mindset that most people are smarter than you.

2.     We are limited in our capacity to understand.  You are not God, there is only one God, and the one God has full understanding that He’s willing to guide us with.

Though I’m sure it’s out there, I hadn’t located any writers or sports talkers that supported Kyler Murray’s willingness to be held accountable for something that he needs to get better at.  How about a shout out to his employer (the Arizona Cardinals) for having a wholistic approach to protecting their investment by making sure that this young man develops this important part of his job (and future jobs, as well, whenever he’s done playing football).  Oh, and let’s add a third thing that God teaches us and that, if we’re honest, we know to be true:  We need each other in so many ways.

So, find an employer that cares about you as a person then be loyal to that employer to the point that you willingly admit your weaknesses and develop your strengths for their benefit.  This type of humble approach to life does EVERYBODY good, including yourself.

UPDATE:  The Cardinals chose to take the clause out in order for it not to be a distraction. It's funny how somebody else's brief obsession with what they THINK they know (the press) can dictate how an individual or organization runs their own stuff after giving it alot of thought.

Called to Live

• What's the difference between someone who does a job and someone who enjoys a job?
• What's the difference between an athlete who gets paid to play a sport and an athlete who has a positive effect on a community?
• What's the difference between a student who wants to graduate and a student who wants to make a difference?

I suggest to you that the difference is directly proportional to how much a person is willing to humbly submit to the right authority and to readily listen to the unpopular.

• Is there somebody you work with that stands out as somebody who really enjoys it?
• Is there an athlete you know of that, if they left their team/community, they would be missed beyond their athletic ability?
• Is there a student who seems to have another goal beside just getting through school?

Go ahead, ask them, "What is up with you?" (or something like that :-).  Find out who they listen to or what drives them or why they do what they do.

How do you listen, though, when you're not sure anyone worthwhile is speaking?  There were times when God chose to be silent, or very quiet.  For instance, around 1100 B.C., there was a boy named Samuel who was trying to be faithful to this same God, even though he really didn't know much about Him.  Samuel had no idea what it meant to listen to God, or whether God spoke at all, or THAT He would speak directly to him.  Yet he did!  Why?  We don't know for sure, but I can say, for sure,  that God has never, nor will He ever, leave His creation high and dry, to fend for themselves, without an answer.

We also are able to witness, in I Samuel, chapter 3, that Samuel had what God was looking for (and still looks for today) - a humble attitude and an ear ready to hear anything.  Granted, it took until the 4th try for Samuel to actually know that it was God;  then, though, he responded immediately and proved that he listened mainly to . . . someone else.  This chapter holds the details of Samuel's "calling" and sets the stage for the life of a man who didn't do things unless God told him and who did do the things that hardly anybody else in his day was thinking about.

We, as human beings, are called to live life to the full and, based on the truth about our beginnings, this full life can only come when God is the one we're following, seeking, and honoring.  Here's where life becomes something that we LIVE, not just DO:  "Whoever tries to keep his life will lost it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33).  First, give up trying to solve everything on your own, especially the whole mess about what happens after we die - give it all up to God, make it all about Jesus and his death on the cross in our place, and allow Him to be Who it all depends on.  I know it's hard, I know it's not natural, and I know it speaks against almost everything inside of us - yes, it's the epitomy of an humble heart.  Second, be in a posture and habit and attitude of readiness to hear anything from someone else (your Creator, Savior, and Sustainer), for daily direction.  Remember, you did not choose to live, you aren't here by chance, and you are known.  Therefore, you are CALLED TO LIVE, by a personal God, for a specific purpose, to a specific place, with only Him to please (oh, and, remember, He already loves you loads).

I am free, then, to live life to the full because it's all for Him.  He'll take care of my needs, my significance, and what ultimately happens to me as an employee, an athlete, a student, a homemaker, a wife, a dad . . . you get it!

"God bless America"?

Early Wednesday morning (late night of Election 2012), both candidates ended their speeches with the phrase "God bless America."

I shuddered.

After the long road of declaring your knowledge of everything and your opponent's stupidity in all things . . .
After pointing out that you are RIGHT and that the other person is wrong. . .
After making the motivation of your campaign, in essence, what people want to hear. . .
After lying to yourself and others about what you will do. . .

. . . do we really expect God to bless what goes on from here on out?

If there's an acknowledgement of God at the end of a campaign, what kind of acknowledgment was there during the campaign?  I don't mean blanket statements or addressing praying breakfasts and religious activist groups.  No, I mean acknowledging with humility and bent knee that God is who He reveals Himself to be and that we, in start contrast to Him, are under His sovereignty and lack ability to do anything on our own.

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  Ecclesiastes 12:13

We want the blessings of an all-powerful, loving, merciful God, right?  Yet we, many times, refuse to come to any sort of conclusion that He is in charge and, therefore, has every right to withhold blessing and even pronounce curse.  What?  Curse?  No, not the God I believe in.  He would never do anything to allow anybody to get hurt . . . right?

Without getting too much into how God's control of matters interacts with our free will, the key subject at hand hear is our willingness (and ability) to PLACE OURSELVES UNDER God's ultimate authority.  Think about it:  if He allowed is own Son (Jesus Christ) to suffer at the hands of sinful, mortal man for our sake, why wouldn't He allow suffering for the sake of our eventual benefit and His glory?

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.   2 Corinthians 5:21


If we truly want to be blessed by the Almighty Creator of the universe, then we better humble ourselves under His mighty right hand.  Then, AND ONLY THEN, will we know Him and understand what it truly means to be right(eous)!