We are living in an electronic world that inundates us with more information — some factual and a lot of extraordinarily unproven information — than we can digest or absorb. When we find ourselves surrounded by all this stuff — for lack of a better word, the technical word would be plethora — we bury our heads, ignore, run away or simply throw up our hands and do what always used to work: just plain hope that all the problems caused by this stuff goes, hopefully, away.

Someone wrote or said that we are up against a monster now called "galloping ignorance" and should accept the fact that we cannot stop the public need to gather as much opinion as possible to support, approve or even bless their point of view. I realize — and hate to admit it — that my position on a lot of debatable problems just might be a tad right on the cusp (that sounds pretty authoritative) of being associated with the nut cake fringe. Before I venture too much into the "going where no man has gone before," I must confess that I watch South Park, science fiction movies and read such stuff as "Harry Potter," Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, Soundoff, and have even read most of the banned books. Our Holy Bible has been banned in quite a few places because of certain sections I have classified as "Why did Saul go into the cave, David's Hot Water Bottle and Ouch!" Ask your minister to explain — without allegory — the Song of Solomon.

I read most anything I believe is worth reading because I know of no other way to be informed about things that impact my life and the lives of others. It's not always easy because I realize that most folks have their own personal opinions about what is on the shelves of our libraries, kiosks and available on the internet, at the movies and you name it. That is wonderful! However, I am the sort of individual who must decide for myself whether something is just popular fiction, pseudo-science, widely accepted opinion or truly supported by data, study and reasonable accuracy.

This is what I admire about education. In the classic definition, an education is a way to free individuals from bias, superstition, prejudice and fear, which can — and so often — control and dictate the actions of great masses of people. I remember my first church and a parishioner who came charging into my office one day and said, "I finally figured out what and who you are!"

Oh, oh ... did he find out that I am a closet Pelagian or checked out to find that I am a mixture of Scotch, Dutch, Irish, Native American, Italian and Jew? I asked him to not let the door hit him on the way out. He left with these parting words, "You are a liberal!"

Little did he know that I was a registered Republican who votes for the people and not for the party.

Here's the point. There is enough information out there to stop wars, end global warming, solve hunger, poverty, disease and terrorism. There is enough information out there to bring peace, love, serenity and good will to all. Of course there is!

The problem does not exist with the information, but it exists with the people. Until humanity realizes and accepts the absolute sovereignty of God, there is no hope for peace, equality and resolution. God does not compete or accept human solutions that do not kneel to His direction. 

The fact is is that human reasoning is fallible and compromising.

Be kind to me on this next point. I do not study my Bible for world history, math, geography, paleontology, climatology and the like. I do study my Bible to ask how I can take all this teaching and use it for humankind as God would have me use it.

I believe that a lifetime of learning without direction is a life wasted. A lifetime of learning with God's direction is never-ending.

Thanks God!