Hi Tim! Depression And Suicide. Getting It All Wrong.

Hi Tim,

How are you?  The holiday season has had me so busy that I blipped right over your e-mail on the 15th, regarding the Army chaplain who had been reprimanded for trying to help soldiers with depression.  Sad.  No pun intended.

Turns out that Army Chaplain Joseph Lawhorn was conducting a suicide prevention training session at Fort Benning, Georgia.  He passed out pamphlets with both religious and non-religious resources that were available to the soldiers.  Someone who had attended the training reported the instant to the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, who then, in turn, lodged a complaint with Champlain Lawhorn’s superior.  Again, sad.  Again, no pun intended.

You stated that Chaplain Lawhorn had been punished for “simply sharing how his faith in God has sustained him during difficult times.”  I’m not sure if I’d call it punishment.  The colonel at the base simply called the chaplain into his office and warned him to be careful in the event that someone could think that he was promoting one set of beliefs over another.  And I think that’s where the problem rears its head…

You mentioned that the chaplain’s pamphlet included biblical references.  Were they only references to the Christian faith, or did it include references to the Jewish faith?  If they were biblical references, I would imagine that would not speak to the soldiers who may be of the Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, etc., faiths.

Well, it looks as if the chaplain engaged a lawyer, or actually, lawyers.  So I guess it all turned into a big deal.  I’m all about what is right and fair, but maybe we’re overlooking the real concern here:  the soldiers who are having trouble with depression and who are contemplating suicide.  I think that trying to find a solution that would help those soldiers, with the least amount of conflict and hubbub, is ultimately the highest road to take.  But perhaps I’m being too simplistic here.

Myself, I struggle with depression a lot.  I have bipolar disorder, and have been hospitalized for depression and for suicidal thoughts.  No fun.  At all.  But I got help.  And the soldiers should as well.

I checked with my husband, an avowed atheist, as I’ve mentioned before.  He did not one, but two, tours in the Navy.  His take?  He would not have a problem with Chaplain Lawhorn’s pamphlets, as long as they included both religious and non-religious resources for preventing depression and suicide.  That was his take.

I use this phrase a lot.  Much ado about nothing.  Focus on the soldiers.  In Jesus’ name.  No pun intended.

Hope you have a great night Tim!

Yours in Christ,

Jason

Hi Tim! Give Us This Day Our Christmas Bread!

Hi Tim!

I got your e-mail today encouraging me to buy Sunbeam Bread.  As you said, 

Every year beginning just after Thanksgiving, Sunbeam Bread reaches out to remind its customers that Christmas is a time to "reflect on our beliefs and remember those around us, especially those less fortunate."  For 75 years, Sunbeam has put their faith into action by labeling their bread packages with an iconic image of Little Miss Sunbeam kneeling with folded hands and praying Jesus' words in Matthew 4:4, "Not by bread alone."

The image is just plain precious.

You encouraged me to send an email and thank Sunbeam for their annual message.  Not to make excuses, the Christmas season always seems to sap my strength.  In addition to all the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and having to fight the extra traffic through town around the malls, at the office, our busiest time of the year is the fourth quarter, and I'm bushed.  I had to be at the office this morning an hour and a half earlier than my normal time.  That might not seem like a lot, but trust me, I'm no early bird.  So I'm just writing to you, and then I'm going to bed.  I'll hope that Sunbeam gets lots of e-mails from your folks.

Besides, I've mentioned, on more than one occasion, that my husband does the shopping for the house.  He wouldn't buy Sunbeam bread.  He always buys some multi-grain stuff that's supposed to be "good" for us.  He's a real nutrition nut.  And on top of that, he chunks the bread into the freezer.  He only pulls the loaf out every two weeks or so to make us grilled cheese sandwiches with our tomato soup.  So see, we don't use a lot of bread.  And I couldn't buy Sunbeam Bread this year anyway, unless I went to the grocery store myself.  And that ain't gonna happen!  LOL

At any rate, I'm off to bed.  Hope Sunbeam sells a lot of bread this Christmas season.

Here's wishing you the best, Tim.

Yours in Christ,

Jason

Hi Tim! 1 Kid And Counting!

Hi Tim!

Hope you're well.  Sorry.  I'm a little behind.  I hope you didn't think that I'd fallen off the map.  I'm all good.

I was happy to see that I didn't miss much.  The topics of your e-mail were familiar, and ones that we'd already covered:

• PetSmart saying "Bah, Humbug" by not using the word "Christmas" in its holiday advertising.  See link here.
• Your organization, single-handedly (the way I read it), convincing a national chain, The Regis Corporation, to allow its employees to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" to their customers.  See link here.
• Your organization's "Naughty or Nice" list, informing us on which national chains are "Naughty" by using the word "Holiday" instead of "Christmas" in their holiday advertising and which were "Nice" by using the word "Christmas" in their holiday advertising.  See link here.
• And finally, the "homosexual lobby" attacking the Duggar family of TLC's "19 Kids And Counting" TV program.  See links here and here.

So let's just re-cover one of the topics above.  The Duggar family.  The Duggars have a problem with homosexuals.  So I'd surmise that they would have a problem with me, if we met.  I'm not what some people would call a "flaming homosexual."  A "flaming homosexual" might be a man who is overly feminine, speak in a girlish voice, and swish when he walks.  I have some friends who are just like this.  They are FUN!  But me?  I'm just a guy.  But I am out about my sexual orientation.  I talk about my husband.  I talk about gay rights, because we gay men and lesbians simply do not have all the rights of the heterosexuals of this country and of this earth.  This is only a plain fact.

But, not to push the "homosexual agenda," which you sometimes mention, I just want to bring light to one point.  I have a son.  A son that I had in the "natural" fashion.  I was married to a woman, and we had a child together.  I was gay.  I always have been.  But I got married, in the hopes that it would change me.  It didn't.  I'm glad that marriage didn't change me.  I like me for who I am.  Everyone should like themselves for who they are.  Regardless of whether or not somebody has a problem with them.

So the Duggars have "19 Kids And Counting."  Quite a few.  I would think that many folks would think "That's too many!"  Honestly, I would have had a whole houseful too, if I'd not been gay.  So, with me it was "1 Kid And No More Counting."

BUT, a couple of weeks ago, my son let me know that my husband and I are going to be grandfathers!  I am so excited.  And my son is beside himself with happiness.  He wants a houseful of  children too.  But I do have to say that his "1 Kid and Counting" doesn't turn into "19 Kids And Counting!"

Take it easy, Tim!

Yours in Christ,

Jason

Hi Tim! A Hairdo And A Merry Christmas!

Hi Tim,

I'm running out to the gym, but I'm glad that I got your e-mail before I headed out.  I'll probably be tuckered out when I get back home.

Wow!  That was a quick resolution to the alert that you posted earlier today.  Let me sum up for those who might not be on your e-mail list.

Apparently, an American Family Assocation staff member went to SmartStyle in a Walmart to get her hair done.  I didn't even know there were salons in Wal-mart, but I digress.  Anyway, your staff member was told by the stylist that the district manager told the employees to not use phrases like "Merry Christmas" or "God Bless You."  And when your organization called for follow-up, the corporate office said that employees were instructed to tell customers "Happy Holidays," so as not to offend non-Christian customers.

In your call to Take Action, you said, and I quote:

"SmartStyle employees are not cattle or robots. They are real people, with real feelings, who want to give a genuine, heartfelt greeting to their customers."

The images that immediately popped in my mind was a stylist mooing good-bye to a customer, or a stylist making R2D2 good-bye beeps.  LOL.  And "a genuine, heartfelt greeting" is a bit vague.  All I could think was a hearty "WHASSUP?!" when a customer enters the store, or a big "Come back again real soon now, ya' here?"  But I'm just being silly here.

As it turns out, just hours later, you let me know that a spokesperson for the owners of SmartStyle, the Regis Corporation, responded with this:

"Please know that there is not a corporate-wide policy at Regis Corporation regarding greetings during the many holiday seasons throughout the year, including Christmas. We encourage our stylists and staff to greet every guest with respect and courtesy, regardless of the season or time of year.  We are also sharing this throughout the company so everyone has the correct information."

It doesn't seem to me like much of a resolution, since I guess stylists can still say "Happy Hanukkah," "Happy Kwanzaa," or even, "Happy Festivus" to the die-hard Seinfeld fans.

But you did say that no further action was needed in your e-mail.  I'm glad!  It was a long day at the office, and I'm just now headed off to the gym.  It's almost 9 o'clock!

Oh...one more thing.  Looks like the Regis Corporation also owns SuperCuts.  I went to one of those about 20 years ago, and got the worst haircut of my life.  A "Merry Christmas" wouldn't have made it better.  But a "God Bless You" might have.

Have a great night, Tim!

Yours in Christ,

Jason

Hi Tim! "Ol' Unnatural Me" or "Duggar Family Revisted"

Hi Tim!

Got your e-mail today.  Man, I'm glad I caught it.  I just got in from the gym, and it's half past 10 PM.  It was a late evening, so I got to the gym late, because I had dinner with friends.  Another gay married couple and our best friends, a lesbian couple (they're not unnaturally married...LOL..I'll explain what I mean below).

Today's e-mail was about the Duggar Family again.  We communicated about that topic on this post here.  Today you let me know that your petition had been signed by hundreds of thousands of good people, but you were missing my signature.  Sorry, but I couldn't bring myself to sign it.  

You see, after you posted your original story on the Duggar family, I did a little investigation online.  It seems that another organization was pushing a petition to send to TLC to persuade them to cancel the show.

Here's the truth, Tim.  I'm not signing either of them.  I don't watch television.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I have all available seasons of The Big Bang Theory on DVD, and I watch them over and over.  I'm kinda boring that way.

In today's e-mail, you stated that the "good people" who signed your petition refuse to be bullied by a noisy group of angry homosexual activists.  I got bullied once in high school.  Fortunately, it only happened once.  Some girl called me a "faggot" to my face.  Trust me, once was enough.

You mentioned that the Duggar family is "standing firm on God’s word that marriage is sacred and can only be defined as God intended – one man and one woman."  Even being a Christian, I follow the idea of separation of church and state.  My husband and I got married in a courthouse.  The courthouse did have a small "chapel," but the ceremony was...well, I guess it was stately.  LOL

It's not unnatural though.  It's quite nice.

As for the Duggars, I don't have much stake in their show.  Like I said, I don't watch TV.  My husband and I couldn't watch their show if we tried.  We don't have cable.  Yes.  We're cavemen.  LOL

This all seems "much ado about nothing" to me though.  The Duggars and your organization, and the homosexuals of this country will probably never understand one another.  Sometimes, I don't understand your e-mails.  But then I ask God to help me, and I just focus on things that you and I might have in common:

• I'm married.  I guess you are too.
• I have a child.  I would imagine that you have at least one.
• We are both middle-aged white men (but it looks like I have more hair than you...ha, ha..just kidding, buddy)

The upshot is the Duggars television program will not last forever.  Americans have such short attention spans.  And so we're back to "Much Ado About Nothing."  

Let's just laugh.

Have a great night, Tim!

Yours in Christ,

Jason