PLASTIC IS FANTASTIC

Plastic is a fantastic discovery! It’s getting a bad rap these days, although it’s not the plastic per se, but how it is being discarded. Civilization today would not be as civilized were it not for plastic. Food preservation, medical uses, automobile applications, clothing, tools, weapons for national defense, games and toys, electronics, entertainment, straws – government, homes, businesses, churches – these are some of the products and recipients of wonderful plastic.

Of course there is not just one plastic, but thousands of chemical compounds that make up what we call plastics. Plastics are made from petroleum, cellulose, coal, natural gas, and other chemicals. There are seven classifications of plastic, each with its own physical characteristics and primary applications.

Life without plastics would be unhealthy and unsafe. This is why God created so many different chemicals and taught humans to use them for the betterment of everyone who has lived in the past 112 years. The first plastic based on a synthetic polymer was made in 1907 from phenol and formaldehyde, and called “Bakelite.” Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian-born American living in New York State discovered the first viable and cheap synthesis methods for making Bakelite and coined the term “plastic.”

We don’t want to get rid of plastics – we need them more than ever. But we must find a better way to dispose of them. One value of plastics is the thermal energy released in combustion. Some places burn plastics to generate heat and electricity. The fumes need to be scrubbed or collected, of course, but that isn’t hard to do. Some places simply bury them, but they are generally not biodegradable. But burying them is definitely better than littering them where they mar the landscape and may end up in the waters and eventually the ocean. Recycling is a good option, but it seems like the cost of doing so has been prohibitive.

I have faith that as God gave us the means and ways to make plastics, He’ll also inspire us to find a way to deal with their waste stream. Hopefully soon!

COPYRIGHT 2019 BY CARL E GUSTAFSON

GOOD LEADERS AND BAD

History is replete with nations whose leaders were alternately good and bad. The good leaders would provide security and prosperity, and then the bad leaders would come along and cause discord and poverty. The cycle repeated itself time and time again.

The same could have happened in the USA were it not for the president’s limited terms, either by losing an election or by assassination or death, or simply choosing not to run again. And now the President has a limited time he may remain in office which is two terms or eight years. This purges the bad but also, unfortunately, limits the good.

The United States has had forty-five presidents in its 243 year history, which is an average of 5.4 years for each. Compare that to the USSR which had eight leaders in its seventy years, which is about 9 years for each. And ancient Israel and Judah had nineteen kings in about 450 years, averaging 24 years a piece.

The Bible gives a detailed account of both the good and evil kings who reigned over the two nations. The evil ones were evil indeed and the good ones very good. Of course some were just mediocre, like a few of our presidents. What separated the aforementioned kings was their devotion to Jehovah God and his laws and commandments. Theirs was a spiritual standard, and God still has these standards.

But unlike a monarchy, the USA is a representative republic wherein Congress and the Supreme Court have coequal authority with the Executive. So the overall spirituality of our nation is laid at the feet of all three branches. And that actually trickles down to the individuals in our government, both elected and appointed. We vote for the elected officials who in turn appoint staffs, assistants, and department heads. These then hire more unelected persons. All of these make up our federal government. And the states, counties, cities, villages and townships all operate in a similar fashion.

God judged Israel’s leaders, but He also judged the citizens. Some folks followed the leaders, good or bad, and some followed God’s leading despite who was king. We can learn from the Bible or ignore its teachings about national spirituality. We can follow leaders who are opposed to God or we can follow God in spite of what some in the government are saying and doing. The choice is there for each of us.

COPYRIGHT 2019 BY CARL E GUSTAFSON

DIVIDED HUMANITY

Along comes a man who disrupts the status quo of the nation’s leadership. He’s not from the ruling class, not an insider; he’s an interloper in the minds of some. He doesn’t deserve the attention he’s getting. Criticism is heavy against him from some party leaders.

Yet there are many who also like his refreshing character. He’s less political than popular. He’s not afraid to speak his mind and openly criticizes those who condemn him and his ways. He is like a folk hero to a lot of citizens. And his public speaking ability is without peer.

So two camps arise and not many are indifferent toward him. It’s either love or hate, and the haters get more press than the lovers. Some extremists even call for his assassination; others simply for his removal in some “legal” way.

He’s not the first in history to be misunderstood and treated this way. Many others before him were driven away more easily than he, and this tenacity infuriates the haters even more. Their rage is like a derangement.

In some public gatherings violence breaks out between the two camps and people are injured or even killed. The authorities often seem helpless to intervene. The hatred is very evident to outside observers.

And yet he perseveres and attracts larger and larger crowds to his events. It is a worshipful experience for his followers. They chant and cheer and applaud at nearly every statement. They think deeply about his words and challenges and look forward to hearing him for years to come.

But alas, the hatred prevails. Liars are paid to present all sorts of sordid and untrue accusations. The opposition doesn’t allow much of a defense and he is indeed condemned to die after a mock trial.

He is crucified on a cross between two thieves.

COPYRIGHT 2019 BY CARL E GUSTAFSON