We seem to live in a world of increasing panic and sensationalism.  It's a tool of the media to herd us into a mode of fear and panic in order to get the masses to do whatever it is they want.  Fear and despair is the name of the game and it seems especially so with this current administration.  Have you noticed? 

The latest, of course, is the Swine Flu Pandemic.  I can just see new vaccines cropping up that we will be forced upon the public or our kids won't be able to go to school until they have the latest drug flowing thru their veins.  Line up the pre-K kids now.  Might as well get it over with. 

Before this flu virus we had, the panic of banks going under, jobs being cut, dealerships being bailed out or else.  The media just eats this up.  They are constantly looking for something to panic and wring their hands over and pass along to the rest of us trying to instill fear and panic everywhere they can. 

It's like "here's the scare of the day folks" as they drum up yet another sensational story to spread.  I wonder sometimes if they're actually laughing at us as we run to and fro, this time with paper masks over our faces. 

I used to fall for this stuff.  Not anymore.  I've witnessed too many sensational storms over the years that blew out to sea I guess.  After a while you start to see it's not worth it.  It's not worth them stealing my peace of mind to fall for empty cries of panic and despair. 

Don't get me wrong.  We need to use common sense and always be prepared for anything that might blow into town but last I knew, panic , fear and worry gets us nowhere.  But I think this time around, it got me very cheap plane tickets out of town next week.  I'm going to Lynchburg from Orlando for $39 and from Iowa to Orlando for only $29. Round trip for both my husband and I with taxes included run about $200 total for both of us. 

Maybe the whole thing's a rouse.  After a while the public just won't fall for the warnings when there really is something to warn about. 

I'm worried about that......but only to some degree because I know God has it all under control.  I'm worried because there really is going to be a day coming that will be the real deal.  There's coming a day, when no one is going to listen.  You know the story about the boy who cried wolf?  When the real danger came, he didn't believe it.  I can see that happening. 

Last week a new bill passed Congress.  It was called H.R. 1913 and is better known as the "Hate Crimes Bill" or as in the document itself states "This Act may be cited as the "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009." 

Panic immediately set in among the Christian conservatives, Pastors and laity alike.  They're spreading things that are untrue and are falling for the whole generic fear and panic epidemic that seems to be the genuine pandemic going around these days. 

Case in point......We got an email this week from a local Pastor warning his flock that this new bill meant that Pastors will no longer be able to preach against homosexuality.  He said it will now be a crime to  label homosexuality from the pulpit a sin as the bible states. 

If one goes on the blogs and does a search about this new bill one would see hundreds or thousands of  Christian blogs doing exactly what the media has taught us well.  That is, spreading untruths in order to get people motivated into action.  They're all saying what this Pastor said to us. 

We sent the Pastor a note back asking if he actually read the bill as passed.  He wrote back admitting he hadn't but his sources were reputable including a relative that is an attorney who is "in the know."  He cited a couple of cases outside the U.S. where Pastors were jailed for preaching against homosexuality. 

Really?  I knew about Sweden and Canada and the Pastors that were jailed, but that was there, not here. 

So we got the bill, all 13 double spaced pages of it.  My husband read it three times.  Not once in there does it say that Pastors cannot preach against homosexuality, calling it sinful behavior.

Yet.

We do, however, believe this is just the beginning.  It won't take long to take that next step. 

So, we shake our heads and say this is one of the things that gives Christianity a bad rap.  We need not to rush into panic mode as the world does and instead keep our heads and wits about us. We need to be rational in a crazy world.  We need to set a good example.  Christ said to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." 

When the time comes to really warn the public of the impending danger that will someday come, no one is going to believe us I'm afraid.

And I don't blame them.  I probably wouldn't if I were them either.