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Credit: Fariba Nawa.
(WOMENSENEWS)– After reading more than 500 news articles about Afghanistan in the span of six months, I came to the conclusion that Americans, Europeans and Australians think Afghans are savages who are beyond salvation.
It's the heart of darkness and dumbness, so endemically corrupt and with men so evil that the best thing to do is leave them to themselves to fight it out to the last blood. Their culture advocates domestic violence, zealotry and war. Their women are victims who need to be saved. Council on Foreign Relations fellow Leslie Gelb even suggests Afghan women should be evacuated.
In Gelb's Daily Beast article in March headlined "To Hell with Karzai," one comment by someone with the screen name Slander summed up the image of my birthplace in the eyes of many Westerners: "You are brothers like Cain and Abel," Slander wrote in response to someone protesting Gelb's piece. "America should leave your country ASAP, so you can be left alone to continue killing one another instead of Americans. Good luck."
This has become the Western narrative of Afghanistan in the last 12 years while the U.S.-led Coalition has been at war in my homeland.
I combed through the actual articles in search of words that classify Afghans.
Endemic, inherent, corrupt, culture, victim, tribal, medieval, misogynist and war-torn popped up over and over again.
So it's no wonder why readers have a simple-minded and racist mentality about an extremely diverse and complicated country. It's what they're fed.
Latest Magnet is Anti-Violence Law
The latest magnet for this narrative was the debate over the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
A 2009 decree by AfghanPresident Hamid Karzai, invoking international law, made most violent acts against women illegal. As a result, some criminals who committed crimes, such as rape, beatings and bartering young girls, have been prosecuted.
But recently, Fawzia Koofi, a female candidate for the next presidential election and legislator, brought the bill to Parliament over the warnings of women's rights advocates who said conservative legislators would either kill the bill or turn it into a weapon for weakening women's hard-earned rights.
Koofi argued that since the next Afghan president might eradicate the decree it should become permanent Afghan law. She was confident that Parliamentarians would pass it. But when the bill reached Parliament, conservative legislators, including some women, decried it as un-Islamic and blocked it from passing on May 18.
Koofi was wrong and some Afghans accused her of jeopardizing the rights of women so she could score points for her election campaign.
A reporter for the Washington Post covered the controversy by lauding Koofi as the "face of female emancipation in a tribal, male-dominated society." Most of the 552 comments on the piece blame Afghan society and religion as backwards and its men as barbarians.
Better reporting, that didn't pander to stereotypes, would have included an interview with an Afghan male legislator who supported the bill.
Ahmed Behzad, a male legislator, who wants the bill to pass, told me in a phone interview that the conservatives are happy it has fallen into their hands. "They will not let this go now. The President must defend it to make sure the rights of women are not compromised."
It's not just journalists who push the stereotypes. Foreign advisers, policy wonks, military personnel, aid workers and Afghans in positions of power themselves are equally responsible. They're the ones being quoted in most news reports.
For example, United Nations envoy to Afghanistan Jan Kubis in a March 18 press conference explained the 20 percent increase in violence against Afghan women in 2012 on Afghan tradition and culture. "The majority is linked to domestic violence, tradition, culture of the country," Kubis told reporters at the United Nations in New York.
And the press ran with that.
Other Explanations Omitted
Kubis could have said that several reasons account for the rising violence against women. These women are fighting not just patriarchy but 30 years of what war does to a country. War has demoralized Afghanistan men, living with no jobs, no legs and no dignity. Some turn on their women as a result. It has created one million war widows, some who are forced to become prostitutes. Families in debt and afraid of being killed by drug smugglers barter and force their daughters into marriages. The daughters rebel and some are killed.
Then there's the problem of what media marketing professionals think the public wants to hear.
Take my own book, "Opium Nation," about Afghanistan. I didn't choose the title. My preference was "Where the Poppies Bloom." But the marketing team didn't think that would sell well and the publisher had final say.
The truth is that Afghanistan, a country at war for 30 years, has some of the worst human rights abuses against women and children. It supplies 90 percent of the world's opiates. Ethnic and linguistic divisions are rife. These problems need to be covered, of course.
My issue is that the description is one-dimensional and the American mindset regarding Afghanistan has become linear. It fails to recognize other truths.
The Afghan man who has been demonized for the last 12 years is not so evil after all.
For every father who barters his daughter into marriage, there is one who scrutinizes every suitor who asks for his daughter's hand and only agrees to marriage with her permission. For every brother who beats his sister, there is one who will offer his food to her and go hungry himself. For every husband who bans his wife from school, there is one who will send his wife to school while he works menial jobs.
I saw the warmth of Afghan men firsthand as I traveled across the country for five years. I married one during my journey back to my homeland. My husband Naeem is far more open-minded, affectionate and committed than many men I have met in the United States.
Also, women are not just victims; they can be perpetrators. Many cases of violence against women are other women beating their daughters-in-laws or daughters.
Afghan women are humans with flaws. Do not glorify them. Many of those who are attacked fight back, and the increasing numbers of violence actually reveal the empowerment of women.
For the first time, violence is being recorded and reported. In the much-reported case of teenager Sahar Gul, her husband and in-laws beat and tortured her after she refused to be a prostitute. Her refusal is the agency and change against misogyny. Resistance is often met with violence.
But this kind of explanation takes up too much space and time. It's just easier and simpler for the media and experts to blame it on Afghan culture, and then the public does the same.
Fariba Nawa is an Afghan-American journalist, speaker and author of "Opium Nation: Child Brides, Drug Lords and One Woman's Journey through Afghanistan."
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the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
Bible Commentaries F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary Meyer's Commentary
Old Testament
New Testament
Frederick Brotherton Meyer was born in London. He attended Brighton College and graduated from the University of London in 1869. He studied theology at Regent's Park College, Oxford and began pastoring churches in 1870. His first pastorate was at Pembroke Baptist Chapel in Liverpool. In 1872 he pastored Priory Street Baptist Church in York. While he was there he met the American evangelist Dwight L. Moody, whom he introduced to other churches in England. The two preachers became lifelong friends.
Other churches he pastored were Victoria Road Church in Leicester (1874-1878), Melbourne Hall in Leicester (1878- 1888) and Regent's Park Chapel in London (1888-1892). In 1895 Meyer went to Christ Church in Lambeth. At the time only 100 people attended the church, but within two years over 2,000 were regularly attending. He stayed there for fifteen years, and then began traveling to preach at conferences and evangelistic services. His evangelistic tours included South Africa and Asia. He also visited the United States and Canada several times.He spent the last few years of his life working as a pastor in England's churches, but still made trips to North America, including one he made at age 80.
Meyer was part of the Higher Life Movement and was known as a crusader against immorality. He preached against drunkenness and prostitution. He is said to have brought about the closing of hundreds of saloons and brothels.
Meyer wrote over 40 books, including Christian biographies and devotional commentaries on the Bible. He, along with seven other clergymen, was also a signatory to the London Manifesto asserting that the Second Coming was imminent in 1918. His works include The Way Into the Holiest:, Expositions on the Epistle to the Hebrews (1893) ,The Secret of Guidance, Our Daily Homily and Christian Living.
This commentary is a devotional and/or "how to apply the Bible to your life" in nature. The comments are concise but nearly every verse in the Bible is covered, with the exception of 1 Chronicles and parts of Numbers.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK – After co-writing the best-selling adult novel of 2018, Bill Clinton and James Patterson have teamed up for another political thriller.
"The President's Daughter" will be released in June 2021, the book's publishers announced Thursday. As with the million-selling "The President Is Missing," the new novel will be a rare joint release by rival companies: Alfred A. Knopf, which has released Clinton's "My Life" among other works, and Little, Brown and Company, Patterson's longtime publisher.
"I never imagined I'd be writing a book with a master storyteller like Jim, much less two," Clinton said in a statement. "I was grateful for the success of the first book, and I believe readers will enjoy reading 'The President's Daughter' as much as I'm enjoying working on it."
Added Patterson, one of the world's best-selling and most prolific authors: "Working with President Clinton has been a highlight of my career, and I'm thrilled to have the chance to write with him again."
Clinton and Patterson will give interviews for the book, although specific plans are undetermined, in part because of uncertainty about the endurance of the coronavirus pandemic. "The President's Daughter" is not a sequel to "The President Is Missing," but a stand-alone novel with new characters, albeit one with a familiar occupation.
"It follows a former president of the United States, now relocated to rural New Hampshire, whose daughter is kidnapped," the publishers announced. "Like their earlier book, the story will be told with Patterson's signature suspense and will be informed by details that only a president can know."
According to an excerpt from the novel being released next week along with a paperback edition of "The President Is Missing," a motivation for the kidnappers is retaliation for U.S. drone strikes overseas against suspected foes. Drones have long been used for surveillance, but armed drones date back to the administration of Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, and were expanded significantly under President Barack Obama.
"For years," one of the kidnappers thinks, "the West has used these drones to rain down hell fire upon his friends, his fighters, and, yes, his family and other families. Fat and comfortable men (and women!) sipping their sugary drinks in comfortable chairs in safety, killing from thousands of kilometers away, seeing the silent explosions but not once hearing them, or hearing the shrieking and crying of the wounded and dying, and then driving home without a care in the world."
The first book by Clinton and Patterson sold more than 3 million copies even as Clinton initially faced renewed questions in the #MeToo era over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. "The President Is Missing" focused on a potentially devastating cyber attack, but also briefly referred to impeachment proceedings, a reminder of Clinton's being impeached in 1998 after his relationship with Lewinsky was revealed.
The plot for "The President's Daughter" would seem uncomfortable for Clinton, who has a daughter, Chelsea. "This novel is completely and fully fiction," says Washington, D.C. attorney Robert Barnett, who handles book deals for Clinton and Patterson.
"The President's Daughter" is a reunion for the authors and for the book's editors: Michael Pietsch, the CEO of Little, Brown parent company Hachette Book Group, and Knopf publisher and executive vice president Reagan Arthur, the former publisher of Little, Brown. In January, Arthur joined Knopf after the death of its longtime chairman, Sonny Mehta, who worked with Pietsch on "The President Is Missing."
Financial terms for "The President's Daughter" were not disclosed. Clinton and Patterson were represented by Barnett and Deneen Howell of Williams & Connolly. The initial pairing of Clinton and Patterson was suggested by Barnett, according to the two authors, each of whom expressed surprise the other wanted to work with him.


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Private lenders focus on the equity of the property instead of focusing on a person's credit history, income, etc. This is why private mortgage financing is also known as equity lending. Getting a private mortgage can be very beneficial and crucial in some situations. Private financing is often used to pay off judgements against property, settle income taxes owed, stop foreclosures, pay off major collections, renew mortgages, pay estate settlements, complete commercial projects, and more. If you're looking for any kind of mortgage financing I would be happy to help you by answering any of your questions, analysing your situation and then providing you with the best options for your situation. I'm here to help you and your business is important to me. Please do not hesitate to contact my office anytime at 1(888)878-4660 or please fill out the very short application form above my website. This will allow me to start analysing your scenario and get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you very much for considering my services and I look forward to helping you soon!
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During a campaign swing through Iowa this week, Joe Biden mentioned that his family recently dined with former President Barack Obama's family. At a Houston fundraiser, Biden joked about the infamous expletive he deployed in congratulating Obama's health care victory. And Biden recently tweeted an image of Joe and Barack friendship bracelets.
The message is clear: Biden really wants you to know he's still friends with Obama.
He's betting that by dangling nostalgia for the Obama years before Democrats, he can help rebuild the diverse national coalition that twice propelled Obama to victory. Obama hasn't backed any of the two dozen Democrats running for president, and Biden's advisers insist that his 2020 bid is his own. But for now, Obama is playing a starring role in Biden's message.
"It's a nomination strategy, and it's pretty rich in its benefits," David Axelrod, Obama's chief political strategist, said of Biden's frequent references to Obama. "The fact that he had Obama's back is particularly meaningful to African American voters. And I think if he gets this nomination that is going to be the reason why."
Seven weeks after launching his campaign, the 76-year-old leads his party's crowded presidential field with virtually every key demographic, including African Americans, who play a critical role in the nomination process. Some prominent Democrats believe that Biden's connection to the nation's first black president may be why.
But some skeptics believe Biden's early success is simply a reflection of his fame and will crumble under more scrutiny.
"He's assuming that being associated with Barack Obama will bring him the Barack Obama coalition — a multiracial coalition," said Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a national network focused on women of color. "It just simply doesn't translate."
On the ground in South Carolina, where African Americans dominate the first Southern primary, state lawmaker Gilda Cobb-Hunter said Biden's association with Obama may be effective in winning over older African American voters. But it's going to take much more to stand out among a talented Democratic field over the long term, she said.
"If that's his whole game, he's going to have to step his game up," said Cobb-Hunter, who serves as the president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
Nina Turner, co-chair of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, said it's offensive to think black voters would support Biden simply because of his association with Obama.
"The voters deserve more than that," said Turner, who is African American.
"I have yet to hear one person say they're going to vote for somebody because of a relationship they had with Barack Obama. If anything, that notion is insulting," she said. "The question is what you're going to do for the black community when you have the power in the face of a recalcitrant GOP."
Although he has not endorsed a candidate, Obama issued a statement through a spokeswoman upon Biden's entry into the campaign noting, "President Obama has long said selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made"— a plug from the popular former president no other candidate can boast.
Similarly, no other candidate can claim having handled delicate administration functions, such as administering the roughly $800 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was credited with creating millions of jobs at a time the U.S. economy was in crisis.
"I was proud to work with him together on the Recovery Act, which kept us going into a depression in my view and the view of a lot of economists," Biden told the audience in Davenport, prompting a swell of cheers.
Biden's team suggests his message is about much more than Obama.
Indeed, Biden in recent weeks has released detailed policy prescriptions for education and the environment. He's also outlined his own rationale for running, which centers on the rise of white supremacy and hate under President Donald Trump's leadership.
Yet Biden's advisers say he cannot ignore his experience in the White House, which helps him stand out in a far less experienced Democratic field.
Biden talks about his service as vice president and his relationship in front of every audience because "it's a critical part of who he is," said Biden adviser Anita Dunn, who also previously worked for Obama.
"It was a genuinely close relationship and it continues. They definitely have stayed in touch," Dunn added, noting that they shared "eight years of accomplishment, eight years of battles to do what was right for the American people, eight years of shared values."
Biden pollster John Anzalone noted that Biden and Obama shared some major accomplishments, but he said, "It's important that from Day 1, Joe Biden has laid out his own vision, his motivation for getting into the race, why he's running and what he wants to do."
"This is wholly Joe Biden's own run," Anzalone said.
Back in Iowa on Tuesday night, Biden reflected on the successes he shared with Obama, including the rescue package that saved the American auto industry from financial ruin. He drew the biggest applause of the day when he compared Obama's character to Trump's.
"Barack Obama was a president of extraordinary character and decency," Biden said as hundreds of Democrats leapt to their feet. "For eight years, there wasn't one single hint of scandal."


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Chapter III.
The second general principle of the means of mortification proposed to confirmation — The Spirit the only author of this work — Vanity of popish mortification discovered — Many means of it used by them not appointed of God — Those appointed by him abused — The mistakes of others in this business — The Spirit is promised believers for this work, Ezek. xi. 19, xxxvi. 26 — All that we receive from Christ is by the Spirit — How the Spirit mortifies sin — Gal. v. 19–23 — The several ways of his operation to this end proposed — How his work and our duty.
The next principle relates to the great sovereign cause of the mortification treated of; which, in the words laid for the foundation of this discourse, is said to be the Spirit, — that is, the Holy Ghost, as was evinced.
II. He only is sufficient for this work; all ways and means without him are as a thing of nought; and he is the great efficient of it, — he works in us as he pleases.
1. In vain do men seek other remedies; they shall not be healed by them. What several ways have been prescribed for this, to have sin mortified, is known. The greatest part of popish religion, of that which looks most like religion in their profession, consists in mistaken ways and means of mortification. This is the pretence of their rough garments, whereby they deceive. Their vows, orders, fastings, penances, are all built on this ground; they are all for the mortifying of sin. Their preachings, sermons, and books of devotion, they 17look all this way. Hence, those who interpret the locusts that came out of the bottomless pit, Rev. ix. 3, to be the friars of the Romish church, who are said to torment men, so "that they should seek death and not find it," verse 6, think that they did it by their stinging sermons, whereby they convinced them of sin, but being not able to discover the remedy for the healing and mortifying of it, they kept them in such perpetual anguish and terror, and such trouble in their consciences, that they desired to die. This, I say, is the substance and glory of their religion; but what with their labouring to mortify dead creatures, ignorant of the nature and end of the work, — what with the poison they mixed with it, in their persuasion of its merit, yea, supererogation (as they style their unnecessary merit, with a proud, barbarous title), — their glory is their shame: but of them and their mortification more afterward, chap. vii.
That the ways and means to be used for the mortification of sin invented by them are still insisted on and prescribed, for the same end, by some who should have more light and knowledge of the gospel, is known. Such directions to this purpose have of late been given by some, and are greedily catched at by others professing themselves Protestants, as might have become popish devotionists three or four hundred years ago. Such outside endeavours, such bodily exercises, such self-performances, such merely legal duties, without the least mention of Christ or his Spirit, are varnished over with swelling words of vanity, for the only means and expedients for the mortification of sin, as discover a deep-rooted unacquaintedness with the power of God and mystery of the gospel. The consideration hereof was one motive to the publishing of this plain discourse.
Now, the reasons why the Papists can never, with all their endeavours, truly mortify any one sin, amongst others, are, —
(1.) Because many of the ways and means they use and insist upon for this end were never appointed of God for that purpose. (Now, there is nothing in religion that hath any efficacy for compassing an end, but it hath it from God's appointment of it to that purpose.) Such as these are their rough garments, their vows, penances, disciplines, their course of monastical life, and the like; concerning all which God will say, "Who hath required these things at your hand?" and, "In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrines the traditions of men." Of the same nature are sundry self-vexations insisted on by others.
(2.) Because those things that are appointed of God as means are not used by them in their due place and order, — such as are praying, fasting, watching, meditation, and the like. These have their use in the business in hand; but whereas they are all to be looked on as streams, they look on them as the fountain. Whereas they effect and 18accomplish the end as means only, subordinate to the Spirit and faith, they look on them to do it by virtue of the work wrought. If they fast so much, and pray so much, and keep their hours and times, the work is done. As the apostle says of some in another case, "They are always learning, never coming to the knowledge of the truth;" so they are always mortifying, but never come to any sound mortification. In a word, they have sundry means to mortify the natural man, as to the natural life here we lead; none to mortify lust or corruption.
This is the general mistake of men ignorant of the gospel about this thing; and it lies at the bottom of very much of that superstition and will-worship that hath been brought into the world. What horrible self-macerations were practised by some of the ancient authors of monastical devotion! what violence did they offer to nature! what extremity of sufferings did they put themselves upon! Search their ways and principles to the bottom, and you will find that it had no other root but this mistake, namely, that attempting rigid mortification, they fell upon the natural man instead of the corrupt old man, — upon the body wherein we live instead of the body of death.
Neither will the natural Popery that is in others do it. Men are galled with the guilt of a sin that hath prevailed over them; they instantly promise to themselves and God that they will do so no more; they watch over themselves, and pray for a season, until this heat waxes cold, and the sense of sin is worn off: and so mortification goes also, and sin returns to its former dominion. Duties are excellent food for an unhealthy soul; they are no physic for a sick soul. He that turns his meat into his medicine must expect no great operation. Spiritually sick men cannot sweat out their distemper with working. But this is the way of men who deceive their own souls; as we shall see afterward.
That none of these ways are sufficient is evident from the nature of the work itself that is to be done; it is a work that requires so many concurrent actings in it as no self-endeavour can reach unto, and is of that kind that an almighty energy is necessary for its accomplishment; as shall be afterward manifested.
2. It is, then, the work of the Spirit. For, —
(1.) He is promised of God to be given unto us to do this work. The taking away of the stony heart, — that is, the stubborn, proud, rebellious, unbelieving heart, — is in general the work of mortification that we treat of. Now this is still promised to be done by the Spirit, Ezek. xi. 19, xxxvi. 26, "I will give my Spirit, and take away the stony heart;" and by the Spirit of God is this work wrought when all means fail, Isa. lvii. 17, 18.
19(2.) We have all our mortification from the gift of Christ, and all the gifts of Christ are communicated to us and given us by the Spirit of Christ: "Without Christ we can do nothing," John xv. 5. All communications of supplies and relief, in the beginnings, increasings, actings of any grace whatever, from him, are by the Spirit, by whom he alone works in and upon believers. From him we have our mortification: "He is exalted and made a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto us," Acts v. 31; and of our repentance our mortification is no small portion. How doth he do it? Having "received the promise of the Holy Ghost," he sends him abroad for that end, Acts ii. 33. You know the manifold promises he made of sending the Spirit, as Tertullian speaks, "Vicariam navare operam," to do the works that he had to accomplish in us.
The resolution of one or two questions will now lead me nearer to what I principally intend.
The first is, How doth the Spirit mortify sin?
I answer, in general, three ways:—
[1.] By causing our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the flesh, and the fruits thereof and principles of them. So the apostle opposes the fruits of the flesh and of the Spirit: "The fruits of the flesh," says he, "are so and so," Gal. v. 19–21; "but," says he, "the fruits of the Spirit are quite contrary, quite of another sort," verses 22, 23. Yea; but what if these are in us and do abound, may not the other abound also? No, says he, verse 24, "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." But how? Why, verse 25, "By living in the Spirit and walking after the Spirit;" — that is, by the abounding of these graces of the Spirit in us, and walking according to them. For, saith the apostle, "These are contrary one to another," verse 17; so that they cannot both be in the same subject, in any intense or high degree. This "renewing of us by the Holy Ghost," as it is called, Tit. iii. 5, is one great way of mortification; he causes us to grow, thrive, flourish, and abound in those graces which are contrary, opposite, and destructive to all the fruits of the flesh, and to the quiet or thriving of indwelling sin itself.
[2.] By a real physical efficiency on the root and habit of sin, for the weakening, destroying, and taking it away. Hence he is called a "Spirit of judgment and burning," Isa. iv. 4, really consuming and destroying our lusts. He takes away the stony heart by an almighty efficiency; for as he begins the work as to its kind, so he carries it on as to its degrees. He is the fire which burns up the very root of lust.
[3.] He brings the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith, and gives us communion with Christ in his death, and fellowship in his sufferings: of the manner whereof more afterward.
20Secondly. If this be the work of the Spirit alone, how is it that we are exhorted to it? — seeing the Spirit of God only can do it, let the work be left wholly to him.
[1.] It is no otherwise the work of the Spirit but as all graces and good works which are in us are his. He "works in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure," Phil. ii. 13; he works "all our works in us," Isa. xxvi. 12, — "the work of faith with power," 2 Thess. i. 11, Col. ii. 12; he causes us to pray, and is a "Spirit of supplication," Rom. viii. 26, Zech. xii 10; and yet we are exhorted, and are to be exhorted, to all these.
[2.] He doth not so work our mortification in us as not to keep it still an act of our obedience. The Holy Ghost works in us and upon us, as we are fit to be wrought in and upon; that is, so as to preserve our own liberty and free obedience. He works upon our understandings, wills, consciences, and affections, agreeably to their own natures; he works in us and with us, not against us or without us; so that his assistance is an encouragement as to the facilitating of the work, and no occasion of neglect as to the work itself. And, indeed, I might here bewail the endless, foolish labour of poor souls, who, being convinced of sin, and not able to stand against the power of their convictions, do set themselves, by innumerable perplexing ways and duties, to keep down sin, but, being strangers to the Spirit of God, all in vain. They combat without victory, have war without peace, and are in slavery all their days. They spend their strength for that which is not bread, and their labour for that which profiteth not.
This is the saddest warfare that any poor creature can be engaged in. A soul under the power of conviction from the law is pressed to fight against sin, but hath no strength for the combat. They cannot but fight, and they can never conquer; they are like men thrust on the sword of enemies on purpose to be slain. The law drives them on, and sin beats them back. Sometimes they think, indeed, that they have foiled sin, when they have only raised a dust that they see it not; that is, they distemper their natural affections of fear, sorrow, and anguish, which makes them believe that sin is conquered when it is not touched. By that time they are cold, they must to the battle again; and the lust which they thought to be slain appears to have had no wound.
And if the case be so sad with them who do labour and strive, and yet enter not into the kingdom, what is their condition who despise all this; who are perpetually under the power and dominion of sin, and love to have it so; and are troubled at nothing, but that they cannot make sufficient provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof?
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A husband and wife are shopping in their local Wal-Mart. The husband picks up a case of Miller Lite and puts it in their cart.
'What do you think you're doing?' asks the wife. 'They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans', he replies.
'Put them back, it's a waste of money', demands the wife, and so he does and they carry on shopping.
A few aisles further on along, the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket.
What do you think you're doing?' asks the husband. "It's my face cream. It makes me look beautiful,' replies the wife.
Her husband retorts: 'So does 24 cans of Miller Lite and it's half the price.'
Image Credit: I Did a Funny