The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

3. How to be a Practical Humanist

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If you've not read the previous two blogs, please do so now (they are not long, but will help makes sense of this post).

I confessed it. I am a practical humanist. I told God He is insufficient by supplanting Him with me. I told God that all He has done for me is not enough by relying on my own strength and methods. I draw my resources from the prosperity of America and not from provisions of my Father, who knows how to give His children all good things. I satisfy myself with the glories of the physical realm and have no regard for the heavenly. I presume on the grace of God instead of depending on the grace of God. I confuse earthly successes with heavenly blessings.

I live as if God was not necessary.

Here are 10 steps to becoming a practical humanist:

1) Swap out God for another, cheaper, more economic one;
2) Model your new god after anything that works for you—you will worship it when you are alone, mostly;
3) Wear the name of God proudly, but don’t associate yourself or your idol with it;
4) Set your schedule for what works for you—freetime and leisure are yours, be a “play”-er, not a “pray”-er;
5) Live according to your rules, your way. Get out of the house as soon as you can and as often as possible;
6) Don’t let anyone get in your way.
7) Live like an animal. Self gratification is instinctual, so “go for it”;
8) Take it. You deserve it;
9) Bending the truth is fine, if it serves your purposes;
10) If it belongs to you, it is yours. If it belongs to someone else, it is yours.