THE 3 R's

When I started to school, I learned the 3 R's ---Readin', Ritin'and 'Rithmatic. I learned that it was vitally important to know how to read. Equally important was the ability to spell and write. And Math was stressed as a valuable tool. At each Grade Level, we engaged in a class-wide Competition in each of these categories; we were rewarded if we finished 1st, 2nd, or 3rd --- no one else got rewarded. We learned to study hard and we strived to do the best we could.

Growing up, I also learned the other 3 R's -- Reverence for God, Respect for law & order & life, and personal Responsibility. Yes! There is a GOD! He has always been and He will always be. God created vast universes. He invented light to drive away the darkness. God brought law and order out of the chaos. He established Laws for every area of life. Therefore, only GOD is to be worshipped and revered! As I came to know God better, I gained respect for the Laws that govern everything. I learned to respect all living things -- for all living things are sacred & holy because they were created by a holy God. If a person respects & obeys the law -- they have nothing to fear. If one does not respect & obey the law -- they have everything to fear. Finally I learned to be personally responsible for my choices & decisions. If I failed a test, I could not blame the teacher nor could I blame the difficulty of the course. Whatever the situation I found myself in, I had only myself to blame.

Today, Readin' & Ritin', & 'Rithmatic are still taught -- the tragedy is that too many students fail to learn them. More tragic still is the fact that students are rarely taught Reverence for God, Respect for law and order and for life and property, and personal Responsibility. Whenever God is left out, there is only Man left to worship; Man, however can create nothing, knows nothing, controls nothing, owns nothing and exists for only a brief time on earth. Without God, Darkness returns, Chaos runs rampant, and life becomes Hell. If there is no God, people devise their own self-centered laws-to-live-by and truth becomes merely what we say it is at the moment. When we ignore God's Laws, tragedy follows!

In Math, 2 + 2 = 4; if we say that 2+2=5, all our equations will be off. If we defy the law-of-gravity by thinking we can safely jump off a 10-story building, our life will tragically end. So too, if we re-define marriage & family, we have no reverence nor respect for God. Likewise, trying to change our biological identity is like trying to defy the law-of-gravity -- tragedy awaits.

Finally, no one wants to accept personal Responsibility for their lives. That's why, terms like "white privilege" and "white supremacy" are giant lies that encourage and promote the Blame-Game of blaming someone or something else for our situation. NO! God created all races and nationalities and loves us all; all of us are "privileged." Christ died for every one of us, to save us from being enslaved by Sin. No one is "supreme" because none of us are "good"; we are all sinners, in need of God's mercy and forgiveness.

Without Reverence for God, there is no life! Without Respect for life & law, society becomes anarchy! Without personal Responsibility, we are not what we should be or could be!

-- Dr. Don Kuehle is a retired United Methodist minister who lives in Jackson. Opinions are those of the author.

Religion on 09/07/2017