The End of the World Is Nigh . Eventually

Commentary By Gery L. Deer

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California pastor Harold Camping has been in silent seclusion ever since his predicted time of the end of the world came and went without incident. The 89-year-old founder of Family Radio Worldwide has spent considerable money, time and effort over the last several months to convince people that the Christian rapture would occur on Saturday, May 21st.

According to the Bible no one will know the exact date and time of Christ’s return to earth or the end of the world. In Matthew 25: 13 it says, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes." Matthew 24:44 continues the concept, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes."

The biblical language may be a bit over the top, but the intent of the passage is pretty clear. Then again, that’s the thing about biblical quotes; they have a tendency towards the melodramatic. After multiple claims by what would have to be referred to as less than reputable religious leaders over the years, so far, nothing has happened.

Like so many others before him, Camping’s prediction may not haves come true, but the faithful refuse to given up hope. To many of the devout, the excessive number of natural disasters now plaguing the world is doubtless a prelude to the events described in the book of Revelation.

From massive earthquakes in the Pacific to deadly tornadoes in America’s south and Midwest, at a glance, the world does appear to be coming apart at the seams. The recent torrent of man-made problems in the Middle East only exacerbates the panic and theological speculation about the final moments of man’s reign on planet earth.

A broader view of the situation by an observer who is less indoctrinated to religious mythology might reveal a totally different interpretation of recent events. Remove any kind of supernatural influences and one would see that our big blue marble in space is, for lack of a better description, a living entity.

Scientific observations tell us that earth is constantly changing. There is indisputable proof that through the millennia, the planet has experienced ice ages, mass flooding and continent-wide drought, not to mention fluctuations in climate and changes in animal species and population. In fact, earthquakes are a real-time indication that the crust of the earth is always shifting.

But man’s rule over a 6.4 billion year old planet must certainly have a shelf life. So how long will it last? Well, that’s one point that the Bible probably has correct. No one will know.

My guess is that the end will not come about in some predictable, easily recognizable sequence of events leading up to a final end. Instead, the fall of man will probably be far less grand, ending in a long, gradual extinction. And the end of man certainly does not mean the end of the world. Millions of species have come and gone on earth, why should humans be any different?

Experts say that before they mysteriously died out, the dinosaurs had free run of the world for over 200 million years, versus man’s roughly 200,000 year occupation. In theory, we’re smarter than the previous tenants and should be able to hold out at least as long. Or will we?

Animals don’t spend their time looking for new ways to ruin the atmosphere or build atomic bombs to kill each other off in pointless arguments over religious differences. So, it’s always possible that we may shorten our time here because of sheer stupidity.

Then again, I’m not really a fan of the fatalistic view of the future. I would like to think that we will adapt and grow as we always have. It might not be as elegant an ending as the rapture and elevation to a heavenly plane but, after all, we’re only human. And maybe that’s the word that best describes us.

Gery L. Deer is a columnist and business writer based in Jamestown. Read more at http://www.gerydeer.com.

FSC Helps Beavercreek Teen Cope With Bipolar Disorder

BEAVERCREEK – For parents, there is possibly no more frustrating and painful an experience than helplessly watching their children struggle with an illness. Terri and Bill Spatz, of Beavercreek, know those feelings all too well.

A couple of years ago, their youngest son, 13-year-old Brandon, was feeling ill, experiencing pain, shortness of breath, and uncontrollable bursts of emotion. Overcome with anxiety, Brandon told his parents that kids were bullying him at school and he became more anxious and tempestuous as time passed.

“When he was in sixth grade he had so many anxieties that he actually started having what we found out later were panic attacks,” his mother explains. “He would wake up in the morning and my husband would call me at work and have me talk to him. He was just in a panicked state.”

“During his first two panic attacks, we ended up at the emergency room,” Terri says. “We had just come back from a restaurant and we thought he was having an allergic reaction to his food. The last thing on your mind is that your child would have some kind of mental illness.”

Brandon’s parents spent a lot of time taking him to medical doctors to rule out a physical cause of his behavioral issues and physical pain. Eventually, Brandon was referred to a psychiatrist and a counselor and started treatment for what was identified as bipolar disorder.

It was in the middle of a particularly bad panic attack that Terri called the Family Solutions Center (FSC) crisis hotline and was impressed with the people she dealt with there. “The real problem was that there was not a lot of coordination between all of us,” Terry says. “The school counselor, the psychological counselor and the psychiatrist weren’t really communicating with each other. The staff at FSC really brought everything together.”

Formerly Integrated Youth Services, the Family Solutions Center (FSC) Youth Services is part of TCN Behavioral Health Services, Inc., a non-profit contract agency of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Clark, Greene, and Madison County located in Xenia. The facility provides services for children and adolescents who are suffering from depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, behavioral and substance abuse issues, autism and family or parental problems.

Tom Otto is the director of the Family Solutions Center Youth Services program. “We provide mental health, alcohol and drug, and psychiatric treatment for the youth of Greene County,” he says. “The youth recovery program is an intensive acute clinical treatment program designed to stabilize severe mental health problems in clients from 6 to18 years old.”

In his seventh grade year, Brandon was placed in the FSC’s partial hospitalization program. He spent part of his time in the residential care facility and part at home, where he received a regular combination of treatments including behavioral, interpersonal and drug therapy.

“He spent about 12 weeks in the partial hospitalization program and responded very positively,” Terri says. “While he was there he felt like he had some support.”

Soon it was time to get Brandon back into school. He was enrolled at the Greene County Learning Center, a public facility serving children with emotional or behavioral issues preventing them from being successful in their home school environment.

The goal was to help Brandon achieve academically while learning to cope with his challenges so he could eventually return to the local public school system. He will be attending Beavercreek High School this fall.

Though dealing with his illness will be a lifelong endeavor with its ups and downs, Terri says that, overall, Brandon is doing well. “We were relieved that there was help out there and people who understand and care about what families are dealing with. Brandon likes going to school now. He likes the people who are helping him and we’re thankful these services are available.”

The Family Solutions Center is located at 1321 Research Park Drive in Beavercreek. For more information contact TCN Behavioral Health Services, Inc. by calling (937) 376-8701.

Beavercreek Chiropractic Clinic Hosts Professional Workshop

BEAVERCREEK – On Friday May 20th a group of seventeen doctors of chiropractic representing nine states met at Beavercreek Chiropractic for a professional workshop. Known as the Chiropractic Golden Circle, the organization meets three times a year in what Dr. Greg Palkowski, chairman for the meeting, calls a brain trust format.

Chiropractic physicians are highly specialized in the treatment of injuries and disorders related to the musculoskeletal system but also deal with muscle strain, injuries of the extremities as well as arthritis and sinus and allergy conditions. Besides the many hours of continuing education required by state licensing bodies, the members of the Chiropractic Golden Circle stay current by sharing information.

“Our mission is to exchange ideas and help fellow members grow with the greater intention of better serving their patients and the public,” says Palkowski, director of Beavercreek Chiropractic Clinic.

During the session, each participant gives a 15 minute presentation on a wide range of topics including healthcare legislation, chiropractic philosophy and science and the latest in electronic medical record keeping. Of course, for an organization like the Circle to be successful, fellowship is as important as business success.

“The organization is as much fraternal as professional,” Palkowski says, noting the important role played by acts of interpersonal support and communication. “We want work together to achieve the highest possible level of health and personal potential and use that knowledge in caring for our patients.”

Beavercreek Chiropractic Clinic is located at 1654 Mardon Drive in Beavercreek. More information is available by calling (937) 426-9265 or visit http://www.beavercreekchiro.com.

Bin Laden Is Dead. Now What?

Commentary By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

As the free world celebrates the final demise of Osama Bin Laden, it’s important to keep the victory in perspective. The death of this vicious murderer signals neither the end of global terrorism nor the collapse of Al Qaeda.

Security has been increased at air ports and military bases around the country and the world in preparation for possible retaliatory strikes against the United States. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately raise the terror threat level, but are telling the media that they are keeping a, “heightened state of vigilance.”

Once the jubilation settles down, Americans will be saying, “Ok, we got him, now what?” Good question. The answer is that there is no answer. When Adolf Hitler was confirmed dead, the world celebrated. Needless to say, Hitler killed millions more than Bin Laden, but the sentimental comparison is similar.

The difference was that Hitler, for all of his madness, was the leader of a definable government. Once Berlin fell and Hitler was dead, the healing could begin. German citizens could begin rebuilding their country and try to undo the horrors he’d laid at their feet.

Bin Laden, on the other hand, was the leader of an ideal more so than an organization. His murderous followers firmly believe in the fanatical ideas that he preached, most notably that the United States and its allies are the evil scourge of the world and should be eradicated.

There is no doubt that they will continue his efforts undaunted by his death. If anything, he’s now a martyr to them, possibly fueling their fanaticism even further.

The so-called “War on Terror” is not over, by any stretch of the imagination, but the world can breathe for a minute while a stunned Al Qaeda regroups. American and Allied forces will continue their efforts to smoke out the remaining leaders of the organization and fight for freedom and the safety of all the world’s people.

Every free citizen of the world should be mindful of the level of destruction of which crazed fanatics like Bin Laden are capable. It can all happen again. Government leaders should be careful who they befriend. Where will the next threat come from – a terror group, or an organized government?

Instead of airplanes into buildings, the next attack could be nuclear bombs that wipe out an entire city. Intelligence agencies are working hard to stop these actions before they even get out of the planning stages. So far, they’ve managed to stay ahead of the terrorists, but America must not let her guard down for even a moment.

National security is still of the utmost importance. Every day, terror groups are recruiting new members and global intelligence organizations will do everything possible to keep them under surveillance.

In the meantime, how will the death of the world’s most notorious terrorist affect the daily lives of average Americans? With the possible exception of crackpot conspiracy theorists who believe the U.S. government arranged the 9/11 attacks, most Americans will be celebrating Bin Laden’s death. But it is unlikely that there will be any dramatic change to day-to-day activities.

Alabama will continue its tornado recovery efforts. Congress will maintain bickering across the aisle about budget cuts and party objectives. Commuters will worry about rising gas prices and shrinking paychecks.

Kids will be rushed off to school in the morning and those who have been struggling to find work will do their best to remain hopeful and diligent. Life goes on.

What’s next? Only time will tell. Celebrations will continue for a time, but, eventually, people will become complaisant once again. Osama Bin Laden’s death may yield a false sense of security, but the very nature of the enemy behests vigilance and consistency.

Massive Barn Fire In Xenia Township

Photos By Pam Suske and Shawn Keller

This massive barn fire on Gultice Road in Xenia broke out sometime around 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 1st. Xenia and New Jasper Township fire departments worked for several hours to get the fire under control. Greene County Sheriff’s deputies kept the road closed off to traffic until later in the evening. There is no word yet on the cause of the fire.