The Answerer

Oh boy, you have hit the jackpot for much of the world’s troubles. Thank you for bringing up this HUGE problem. This is one reason I like Year 7 kids so much, they are beginning to think – ‘What’s wrong with the world?’ – and it is my favourite subject after the Bible. There is so much injustice in this world – from pure greed by the ‘rich’ countries!

Below are several examples of greed – it is a curse – and I am so glad there will be a “Judgement Day’ later.

As example: the giant chocolate makers in the world – there are only half a dozen really big ones, dominate the prices paid to cocoa producers in West Africa: Ghana, Ivory Coast and so on.

Kids aged 6 years to grown ups have to miss out on school to cut down cocoa pods from the trees to make enough money to live, but not enough for school fees. They cut them open, dry the beans on a cloth on the ground, then sell them for whatever price the market offers. You cannot make chocolate

They live in simple huts with no running water, no proper toilets, no electricity and NO air conditioning in a hot tropical climate! They are all very poor. The beans go into the back door of the giant chocolate makers factories at, say 30 cents a kilo, and come out the front gate at $30.00 to $50.00 a kilo. ‘WE’ rich people in rich countries have the money to buy it too, but are happy to not care about the growers in Africa.

OIL: Seven giant oil companies control the production, price, shipping, refining and sale of most of the world’s oil. In Nigeria 90% of people are very poor. Nigeria has huge deposits of oil, but only the rich and very corrupt people get any.

The giant oil companies of course get the most. Those companies get so much money that oil, in some countries, has got the name “The Curse of Oil.” Why? Because money brings out the worst in people with power and the ‘little people’ get almost nothing. And when the oil runs out that country has nothing to show for it like hospitals, schools, roads and railways.

FOOD: Again giant companies are able to beat down the price they pay farmers for cattle, lambs, chickens, eggs, pork, tomatoes, wheat, beans ,sugar etc, etc. In my town Perth, and in much of Australia, two giant grocery companies keep farmers poor by refusing to pay the farmer a good price for milk, veggies and fruit and we get it cheaper  but farmers never get enough money for their work. And the farmer or growers have the risk of no crop at all if the weather turns bad.

FARMERS NEVER GET RICH! I know a lot and they do not drive Mercs, BMWs or even Rollers. Those cars are for folk who “play the market” for big profits in the cities and take no risks. This is all over much of the world.

The discussions about prices and who gets the money etc., goes on in company board rooms – behind the closed doors – of giant food trading companies and the price is manipulated to make huge profits for big companies.

Get the book ‘Fast Food Nation’ to see how it is all done, by men in nice suits, shirts and ties with families and so on. Thieves and robbers are many of them. That book in about the USA but it applies to much of the world. The book is cheap and easy to read. Ask your local library to get it. On one page there is listed what ‘imitation strawberry flavour’ is made of. Fifty ingredients make it up – 48 chemicals with cinnamon and vodka. There’s no real strawberries in it at all! And what do those chemicals do to your body? I know not!!

I am on my ‘soap box’ now. If you later – or mum or dad now – want to know the truth on these matters here are two books to read: A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order, 2011, by F. William Engdahl. From this book I learnt just why the world’s ‘poor’ are poor. The world’s giant bankers ‘rip them off’ so they cannot buy essential medicines, mostly because of high interest rates on loans and manipulation of the worlds resources (oil & food).

The other, perhaps more frightening is Surviving the Cataclysm, Your Guide Through the Greatest Financial Crisis in Human History 3^rd Edition, 2011, by Webster Griffin Tarpley.

These are quite ‘heavy’ to read but in these two books are the facts behind most of the worlds troubles mentioned in your question, and they are many. May you become one of the people who learn the truth – you’ll never get it from the TV news. “Thank you again for the question.” May the whole world know about it soon. I included those two books because this writing is going on the WWW and I hope more people can know about such wrong things.

Sorry, I don’t know. Maybe he was planning it all. Like The Milky Way galaxy and the universe. Now that was a big planning job! Do you agree? Or maybe God was planning The Big Bang?! Or maybe planning who and how planet earth could be ‘home’ for his human race of people later on. Nobody knows really.

This question has many answers because people are so different all over the world. Children see death as far, far away and that is quite normal and good. Life is to enjoy.

Some babies are born deformed, or with a disability, some severe, some mild and some with an intellectual disability, many of those die early. Most babies are born OK.

Others get killed in motor car accidents or collisions. Others are murdered, some are even poisoned because they tell too much of things they should not tell – like exposing corruption.

Many are killed in wars. Nobody wins in wars – except the makers of guns, bombs, rifles and so on. But most wars are planned to achieve certain gains, or profits for big organisations. I kid you not!

Others die because they: ”Dig their own grave with a knife and fork”. They eat too much, get very fat, get sick and die younger. Others smoke and drink too much.

But the Bible says ”..a man’s life is 70 years; 80 if he is fortunate.” It is normal to die between 80 and 100 years and that’s how God planned it. Then we can go to heaven to be with God for ever and ever – if we choose to. Moses has been there for 3,000 years! The 12 disciples for 2,000 years.

Heaven is not compulsory – you can choose to go where God is not if you care to – with people who are the same. This writer, ‘The Answerer,’ is looking forward to dying (but I don’t want to be there when it happens – it might hurt). Truly, 39 years in a wheelchair, and over 80 years old,- I really have had enough (in a nice way). My Mum got to be 100 years. She said to me once: “Oh Peter, I’m so tired, I would just like to go to sleep and not wake up.” She did, at 100 years plus 3 months. She's in heaven now.

I have only heard of a few older people who want to get to 150 or more. I reckon they had no nagging sickness, plenty of money, and never stopped to see the poverty, sickness, and pain that many people have to live with every day.

You seem as though you think you haven’t any talent and maybe wonder why. Well this writer (The Answerer) did not have much until he got to around 50 or 60 years old. Or, maybe you are thinking that someone else who has too much, or too little.

I believe we all are good at something, and sometimes do not find out about it till later in life.

Richard Branson: (Virgin Air, Virgin Records, etc, etc.) has much trouble reading and understanding things we find easy. I heard that he is dyslectic – finds it very hard to read what we find easy.

In a board meeting of one of his companies he did not understand what ‘net’ and ‘gross’ was. An understanding friend took him out to the kitchen, and on a pair of scales showed him that ‘Gross’ was the total weight of (say) a loaded truck. ‘Net’ (or tare) was the empty weight of the truck. Then he understood. Richard sure does know how and what makes a business succeed. Maybe a stupid teacher told him once that he was no good at reading, writing or spelling. Who’s the millionaire, successful, and always happy guy now? Richard Branson!

This writer ‘The Answerer’ was no genius as a kid. Very ordinary marks in all subjects, but did get 100% for spelling. Little did I know that at 45 years old I would be at university learning to be a teacher. I liked Yr 7 kids in schools, and 2013 was my 25th year teaching Scripture to Yr 7 kids. I love it. And it would seem that answering kids questions is a talent I have – but I did not know it – or it was given to me later.

Dancing! When God gave out rhythm I must have been looking away or something. I have no rhythm. I took private lessons to learn The Modern Waltz for my wedding. I failed – could not ‘hack it’ – for my own wedding! Yes it was embarrassing.

If you think you have none, be patient. Keep trying things and I believe that one day you’ll discover that you are very good at something.

Wow! you do seem to know about the rapture already and I like that. Jesus will be the one to do it – He said so. God stays in His heaven at all times. And it is all spelt out in the Scripture. I like that too. Why? Well if Jesus says something will happen, it WILL happen. Jesus did not use the word ‘Rapture’, but His description of what will happen sounds awfully good.

Christians use the word ‘Rapture’ because it describes how that event will be. I.e. When a singer, pop group, orchestra or solo piano player gives an outstanding performance the crowd give him/her ‘Rapturous applause’ and sometimes they all stand up because it was so very, very good.

So the ‘Rapture’ will be very joyful for Christians. Paul describes the event for some Christians in Thessalonica who were worried that some of them had died before Jesus ‘came back’ as he had told his disciples that He would. To put their minds at rest Paul wrote this : “And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from the Lord:that we who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet Him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself (Jesus)will come down from heaven with a mighty shout and the soul-stirring cry of the archangel and the great trumpet-call of God. And the believers who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord. Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. So comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians.Chapter 4: verses 13 to 18 The Living Bible)

Don’t dismiss Paul as a fool. He was highly intelligent and a member of ‘the best groups in town’. He was a ‘Professional Envoy’ from Jerusalem, given authority to round up any Christians he could find – and they mostly went in chains – to Jerusalem to jail or death. His life did a ‘U-turn’ and he became God’s chosen person to spread the ‘Good News’ about Jesus. That’s in Acts Chapter 9.

It is known as ‘A Damascus Road Experience’ and is still used in sports commentaries about players and coaches and people whose lives take a ‘U-turn’.

I believe that ‘The Rapture’ could be around the same time as ‘Judgement Day’. That is in Matthew Ch. 25, verses 31 to 46. Please note: There is some difference of opinion among Christians as to the exact sequence of ‘The Rapture’, ‘The Tribulation’, and ‘The Second Coming’ of Christ. Many many books have been written on those three events but only God knows the exact timing of those events. An intelligent person will not put dates on it – that would be foolish – and neither does a careful Christian argue about who is right about it all.