A Thanksgiving Testimony

When I was around 11-years-old, I wanted a 10-speed bike. We were not "rich" by any measure, but my dad made enough money to buy me a bicycle. He was so mean!! He made me purchase the bike with "my own money".

It was no shock that the expectations were that I purchase my own "wheels". It was for this reason that, by this time in life, I was an experienced paper boy. I started delivering papers around age 8, so by age 11, I knew how to earn and save money. I would get the bike when I had enough money. I got the bike.

I used to think that my dad had a garden in the back yard so that there would be plenty of work for us (my brothers and I) to do. Almost every summer day included a list of "chores" that we were expected to complete prior to the day's "fun schedule" (i.e., playing baseball until the sun set).

1. Pick one row of broccoli
   
2. Weed two rows of corn
3. Mow the lawn

These were common list items that needed completion before going out to play. And oh yeah, #3 - "Mow the lawn"...I'll never forget the first time I heard another kid say that he got paid to mow the lawn. What is this? Your dad pays you to do that? I'm getting ripped off!!

When I was feeling brave, I confronted my father, "How come I don't get paid to mow the lawn?"

On a good day, I might have received a more reasonable explanation, "You have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a house to live in. Now, get your butt out there and mow!!!"

When his patience had receded, I could have anticipated a more direct response, "You will go out there and mow the lawn because I told you to!!" The expectations were clear. My dad expected me to mow the lawn. I had no choice. I wasn't entitled to anything.

Allowance. What was that? I may have been a teenager before I was even convinced that it was real, that there were kids who got paid to exist. Sure, there were strings attached in some households. The room had to be clean or the trash had to be taken to the curb. Regardless, this is what I discovered my allowance was, "I have allowed you to live this long."

Today, when we, as Americans, reflect on that for which we are thankful, it is this that comes to mind. I am thankful that I have had parents, teachers, directors, coaches, and bosses that have taught me that I am not entitled to a damn thing!!! God gave me two arms, two legs, two hands (with all ten fingers), two feet (with all ten toes), and a brain. If I want something, if I need something, I have been blessed with the tools to get it. If I don't, it is because I chose not to make the necessary efforts.

Today, we live in a society that sees success as luck. The sports figure that makes millions of dollars is lucky. The CEO who makes millions of dollars running a multi-billion dollar company is lucky. The recording artist, who makes millions of dollars from record sales, did so by being lucky. Hard work and sacrifice are never considered as part of the equation.

Guess what. The basketball player wasn't born with the ability to shoot a basketball. He spent hours and hours, days and days, years and years dribbling, shooting, running, sweating. While everyone else was still sleeping, he was at the gym working out. While everyone else was home watching evening television, he was out playing in pick-up games. People will pay millions to watch him play a game because he has paid years of his life to hone the necessary skills. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Guess what. The CEO didn't win the lottery. He didn't "inherit" his job. He worked hard in school. He got good grades. He took risks. He made sacrifices. Company boards and stock holders don't turn the reigns of multi-million dollar companies over to the first person who asks. Elite qualifications are necessary. With the job, the money, and the benefits comes unimaginable pressures. It means that the kids and spouse eat dinner without mom or dad because, after the hourly workers have all gone home, he or she is still at work hammering out a new sale, finishing a project. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

The musician. Having studied music in college, it is always interesting to here people talk about a singer or instrumentalist as being so talented, as though she woke up one morning and realized that she was a concert cellist. Guess what could be heard in the basement of the music building before sunrise. Music students practicing. Guess what could be heard at lunch time. Music students practicing. At night, when other students hit the clubs, drank the beer, and got the phone numbers, guess what could be heard in the basement of the music building...

When I had been out of high school for a considerable period of time, I had an epiphany. Sometimes I won't always get what I want. Sometimes I won't always get to do what I want to do. Sometimes, I will have to make sacrifices in order to provide for needs.

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The batter swings and hits a smokin' ground ball to the shortstop. The fielder is prepared, glove in the dirt, head down. The ball takes a "bad hop". It jumps right into the nose!! A loud pop heard in the stands. He goes down.

I wasn't sure if he was going to get up. I had never heard ball on bone sound so gruesome!!

He did get up. After a trip to the emergency room, at least one surgery, and many doctor visits later, his nose was near its original condition.

This made me think. What if that ground ball had broken my nose instead of hitting my friend in the face? I didn't have any health insurance to cover such an incident. One misplaced rock at a church softball game could have change my life. How responsible had I been?

Abraham Lincoln said, "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." So simple and yet so profound. What makes a chance a chance, an opportunity an opportunity is preparation. Sure, maybe a little luck was involved when a "talent" agent happened to be at a club where the guitarist's band was playing; but had he not put in the practice time, it would not have mattered. Musicians don't get lucky and play well.

Or could luck even be considered a factor? Had the agent not been at that particular club, that particular night, would the band have stopped playing? Not likely. Persistence and dedication would have facilitated more gigs, more tours. Sooner or later, he would be noticed.

Since the softball game, I am thankful for all the doors that God has opened in my life. Each door, however, would not have been a door without preparation, without prior efforts.

The first door was a job at a company where the employer was looking for someone with computer application skills. By this time, I had read numerous books on these applications, spent countless hours online reading tutorials, stayed up many nights until I understood.

While at this company, I continued to read. I spent time with experts in the IT field learning what I could. More and more hours were spent on the computer developing programming skills. Again, God opened another door, this time in an actual IT department. Again, without the time and effort spent improving abilities, it would not have been an opening, not for me anyway.

Now, I am thankful that I have health insurance. While taking one of the face would be painful, it would be no where near as costly. Still, looking back, there was never one second that I felt cheated. Never a time that I considered that someone else was responsible for my well-being.

There have been many people and entities that have helped me along the way. For that, I am deeply grateful. But they did not owe me. It wasn't because I deserved the assistance. It was their kindness and selflessness that deserves the credit.

This outlook is almost non-existent today. Basic human needs and rights have gone from food, clothing, and shelter to cell phones, internet access, and cars. Someone else is responsible for our education. Someone else is responsible for our medical care. We sit. We wait. If it doesn't come, it doesn't happen.

What really blows the mind are those parents with kids who sit and wait. Its not fair!! I can't afford to take my kid to the doctor!! All this while the cable TV is on, some one in the house is surfing the internet...oh, a knock at the door. It is the FedEx guy delivering a new iPhone from Amazon.

Forgive me for being blunt. If I couldn't afford my child's medical care, the cable gets canceled. The internet service gets canceled. The TV is sold. The computer is sold. Unless Amazon distributes health care, there will be no orders.

If this isn't enough, I get a second job. If this isn't enough, and there is still time in the day not spent using the bathroom, I get a third job. If this isn't enough, I sell a kidney, give plasma, etc., etc. It is mind-boggling that parents exist that have two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, and a brain that, instead of taking action and making preparations and sacrifices to care for their children, they spend their time whining about fairness and waiting for someone to do something for them.

We Americans. We moan, we bitch, we complain, we whine. It's not fair. I deserve this. I am entitled to that. It's highly likely that some who read this now haven't absorbed anything since the CEO anecdote. CEO's do nothing but lie, cheat, and steal. How could he even imply that there is anything virtuous in such an evil capitalistic pig.

Consider this. True, this world is full of liars, cheaters, and thieves. Some of them are CEO's. Some of them are musicians, and some are ball players. Regardless of their morality, each of these individuals realized that they have two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, and a brain. Rather than waiting for hand-outs, they did something.

The world is also full of many human beings who are missing a hand, a foot, a leg, an arm, and in some instances, a fully functioning brain. How many more resources would be available to help these in true need if those who were born with all the necessary tools would stop lumping themselves in with those who were not, if helping the needy actually meant helping the needy?

Here is the sick irony. I have met, worked with, and spent time with many people who were not born with the basics for which I have been blessed. Hardly ever can they be heard moping and complaining about fairness. They are happy and content. At times, their contributions to society double that of those who have all their capacities, yet do nothing but consume.

Lets end with a prayer. Dear Lord, thank You for all that we have. The roofs over our heads. The clothes on our bodies. The food in our refrigerators. We especially thank You for our two hands, our two feet, our two arms, our two legs, and our brain. May we use these blessing to their fullest potential, and may we use these blessings to help those truly in need.

Ring-A-Ling-A-Ling

Today, I walked out of a grocery store and was greeted by a Salvation Army bell-ringer. My first thought was wow, they've started kind of early. Maybe they begin every year at this time. I couldn't help, however, assume the bells had begun sooner than normal and consider why? At the risk of being accused of being a "conspiracy theorist" who sees the "black helicopters", I will share my suspicions here.

To many of us authentic Christian Conservatives, the most incredulous component of the recent election was the droves and droves of confessed Christians who flocked to Obama because they proposed that he and the government were the best avenues to address issues such as poverty.

Now as is often necessary, I must include a caveat for those who's lives are directed by emotion and have steam coming out the ears: I didn't say "authentic Christian"; I said "authentic Christian Conservative". Apparently, there are many liberal Christians in existence that do not subscribe to conservatism. Actually, this author would contend that many of these Christians do live conservative lives; they just don't know it, but that is another post. To see more about this topic, read the following posts: "Is Anybody Out There?", "Non Sequitur" and "A Christian Vote - Nah, Let's Move On".

Poverty. It seems to be the new hip and en vogue cause for Christians.

While the Christian Church attempts to separate itself from those elements of humanity that affect other entities (i.e., businesses, families, organizations, etc.), these things are often exemplified in Christianity. The desire to be avant-gard and nouveau are especially apparent. C.S. Lewis would trace these things to pride, what he considered to be the root of all sin, but again, that is another post.

Poverty. It has existed since the ability to get goods and services to all who had need became an improbability. The reasons for this are numerous and will be explored in a soon and future post; however, one reason that poverty exists is because there are people who actually are unable to provide for themselves (i.e., the mentally handicapped, the elderly, etc.). The Old and New Testament contains numerous commands to help these people, including those that came directly from Jesus during his earthly ministry. The Scriptures also list numerous methods and specific instructions on how to care for these people. None of them include the government or politicians.

The last sentence of the previous paragraph is what I cannot balance. It is what spawned my thoughts as to why the Salvation Army had bell ringers out so early this year (of course, maybe the "early bells" are a product of my own paranoia). I couldn't help but wonder about those who want to impose a Christian cause, such as the fight against poverty, on others. How many of these individuals had actually consistently done anything to carry out Christ's commands prior to Obama's ascendance to the national stage.

To this writer, the answer to the above question would qualify motives and credibility. For those supporters for who the answer was "no, nothing", then then a legitimate response could come from Matthew 7:3-5:

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Once these actually do something to help "the needy", then maybe they can consider making others do it...

Now, another paradox for this author is why if Jesus and the apostles didn't use the government and politicians as a tool to combat "poverty", why so many Christians want to do so. If entities, such as the Salvation Army exist, an organization that devotes itself to helping the hungry and the homeless, an organization that attempts to address the immediate needs and then facilitate independence where possible, why didn't these people get involved in the Salvation Army. Why didn't they campaign for others to support the Salvation Army? The Salvation Army exists primarily to combat poverty. Why don't they leave the government to do the things it was intended to do by the Founding Fathers (i.e., field a military, build roads, etc.)?

My primary concern, when seeing the bell-ringer was this: what happens to the Salvation Army's fund-raising (and that of similar organizations) when so many people have decided that it is the government's role to help those in poverty? How many people will walk out of the grocery store, see the bell ringer, think the government does that now and I pay taxes so I'll keep on walking, and cease to drop extra change in the bucket?

Here is another "unintended consequence" of the Obama voters' "good intentions": The dirty little secret is that, possibly unbeknown to the "detesters", the "evil corporations" give billions of dollars to charity each year, money that they can use as tax write-offs. When Obama raises the capital gains tax, when he socks it to those making over 250K...no wait, 200K...no wait, 150K, how much will these "no-good profiteers" continue to give to organizations like the Salvation Army? How much will they have left?

My final questions: Why, in the name of all reason and sense, would people transfer such an important task, helping those in need, to the government from charitable organizations? How successful has the Salvation Army been in fighting poverty? How many people are alive today because of the assistance provided by the Salvation Army? How many causes has the government managed successfully? ...crickets chirping, crickets chirping... How many times has the government run something into the ground? How's Social Security doing? How's Amtrak doing? What kinds of profits does the Post Office report? How many balanced budgets have we had in the last 20 years? Man, that "bail-out" has done wonders for the stock market; hasn't it...

My Prayer
Dear Lord, please help the Salvation Army and those groups like it continue to help those in need.


The line has been cast. The bobber buoyantly moves with the water ripples...

Enters Stage Right: Israel

So much of God's historical script has dealt and will deal with the nation of Israel. Up to this point (Genesis 12), Israel has not yet existed. It is in Genesis 12 that Israel is born, one of the production's main characters.

Israel starts with one man, Abraham, who was first called Abram (see Genesis 17):

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

- Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)

...God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations...for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

- Genesis 17:3-8 (NIV)

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

- Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV)

These passages nearly summarize the Old Testament. It is the foundation of the first covenant, a "testament" of God's contract with Abraham (which became the nation of Israel). God promised Abraham that He would do those things listed above. Besides the fact that he was to follow God's direction, the rest of Abraham's agreement is described in Genesis 17:

Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

- Genesis 17:9-10 (NIV)

I'm glad that I was only a few days old and can't remember...

To miss this part God's screenplay (God's covenant with Abraham) would be like talking during the first half of an intense spy movie, one that actual requires thought, and then trying to follow the rest of the of the storyline. One may get the "gist" of the plot, but actually knowing "the why", "the who" (not the band), "the where" on a higher level would be unlikely.

Now is not the time to go to the rest room. Please hold it. Now is not the time to go and get popcorn. Wait until later. Turn off the cell phone and the TV. It is vital that God's covenant with Abraham is clearly understood.

Among God's commitments to Abraham are the following tenets:

1. That he would have countless descendants
2. That he would become a "great nation"
3. That he would acquire a large potion of land
4. That God would "bless those who bless [Him] that whoever curses [him], [God would] curse"
5. That "through [his] offspring all nations on earth [would] be blessed"

So where does one get the nation of Israel from these promises? The first three.

To finish reading the book of Genesis, one discovers that Abraham had a son named Isaac. Isaac had a son named Jacob. God gave Jacob the name, "Israel". Jacob, or "Israel", had twelve sons who, after some replacements, became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the same twelve tribes that Moses led out of slavery from Egypt.

Much of the "land promise" is fulfilled when Moses' successor, Joshua, leads the nation of Israel (the twelve tribes) in conquest throughout what is now the Middle East, one of the most famous stories being "the battle of Jericho".

Promise #4 will be covered at a later date.

So what is promise #5, that the entire earth would be blessed through Abraham's family tree? This was the "offspring" referenced in Genesis 3:15, the entity that would "crush" the serpents head (see The Antagonist). This is the Messiah, the One prophesied by the prophets in later passages. This was and is God's Son, Jesus.

Genesis 3 records the story of humankind's original sin (see The Antagonist). It was the disobedience that meant certain and eternal death for the entire human race (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). But as will soon be explored in God's masterful drama, the Gospels recorded the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a death that paid the penalty for all who followed, follow, and will follow Him (John 3:16). Now, all those previously sentenced to "death" had a "way out".

Salvation for all from death. What could be a better blessing for "all the nations"?

Read the previous posts in this series:
1) The World Is Crazy: Now What?
2) Cue The Lights
3) The Antagonist
4) Sturm und Drang

Read the next post in this series:
6) An Interlude

A Little Haiku

service of pilgrims
celebration of nations
the eyebrow ascends

Truth

First, I want to apologize publicly to the person who posted a comment on "It Has Only Just Begun". I referenced this comment in the next posting, "A Christian Vote - Nah, Let's Move On". Disagreeing with the comment, my intention was to address the "issue" and not the person. This blog seeks an intellectual dialogue of the issues. If I insulted the person, then I am sorry. This blog is a search for the truth, not a platform for insults.

The other day in Sunday School Class we had a very interesting discussion (as we usually do, I really enjoy hearing the comments of those who attend). We were talking about the concept of "truth". Some think that truth is relative. Some think it absolute. Which is it?

By definition, truth cannot be relative; otherwise, it is perspective, it is opinion. Truth exists independently. What I believe, what others believe does not affect the existence of truth. It does not change. We all could find it. We all could miss it. It doesn't matter, it's still there.

"Well your truth is not the same as my truth, " is what is often heard. Red flag. It cannot be yours, it cannot be mine.

This happens in perspectives of God all the time. Things are said like, "If God is a loving God, He wouldn't really send people to hell." People argue.

"Your a sinner!"

"You're intolerant!"

It doesn't matter what we think. One of the debaters may be right. They both may be wrong. Our thoughts do not determine who God is. He is.

This last election cycle has frustrated me to no end. Some may think it is because my candidate didn't win. I didn't have a candidate. I voted today, not so that someone would win, as an American, I had to make a choice. I chose who I thought would do the least harm.

What has frustrated me to no end has been the abandonment of the truth. I have seen and heard people bend and twist themselves into some of the most amazing intellectual pretzels in order to defend a candidate, a party. Emotional attachments have acted as huge obstacles hiding what has been plainly true.

Emotion. It has lit the fire underneath some of the most horrific historical events. Unbridled emotion has seen men flying airplanes into buildings. It has seen cult leaders whip followers into frenzies that have ended in mass suicides. It was unbalanced emotion that saw an entire country follow a mad man and slaughter six million Jews.

Emotion is not bad. God gave it to us. Emotion without intellect; however, makes the search for truth all the more difficult. Remember, truth exists independently, and it is not affected by feelings. It is feelings that often prevent the discovery of truth.

Why? Feelings are uncontrollable, unpredictable, inconsistent. Truth, however, remains the same. Sometimes, "the truth hurts." Sometimes, the truth is hard. Sometimes the truth conflicts with how we want things to be.

Is this babble? Maybe. But if we let our feelings comprehensively replace reasonable thought, sooner or later we will end up in the wrong place at the wrong time asking, "how did I get here?"

Did the 17 terrorist that brought down the World Trade Center really conduct a selfless and intellectual analysis of their plans? Can rational and logical thought conclude that flying planes into buildings and killing thousands of unsuspecting business people was a necessary act?

Imagine the millions of realizations that had to take place throughout the land as "normal" German citizens took the time to actually consider the logic of what Hitler had been saying. What have we done?

How many times can you think back on a time where you made a bad decision? How many times was it because you let emotion cloud your mind from making the right decision? It will be time for bed before I could even make a dent in my list.

Emotions are unpredictable, uncontrollable. They are what make us human. Without them, the world would be a boring, dry place. Truth is stable. Trying to find it with emotions is like trying to drive with one's hands and steer with one's feet.

Why do I ramble on? This is why. We have become a society that feels, that wants, that wishes. If it "sounds" good, if it "feels" good, then it must be true. The solutions to some problems are painful. The answers to some questions may not be what we wanted. The right thing to do rarely seems to be the easy thing to do.

Be emotional. Celebrate Barack Obama's win!!! Mourn John McCain's loss!!!

When all is said, when all is done, let's seek truth. It may not be what we want to hear. It may not be what we want to feel. It is what is right.

A Christian Vote - Nah, Let's Move On

I was going to finish up with reasons why an Obama vote would not be a Christian vote, but what is the point? I would list his associations, including terrorists. They don't care. That information has been out there for months. Listing it again isn't going to help.

I could compare his economic policies to that of Jesus and the apostles. What? There is not comparison? That's my point.

Jesus said to help the poor. He did. The apostles did. How many times did Jesus or the apostles petition the Roman government to institute social programs? ...crickets chirping, crickets chirping... They never did.

How many times did Jesus or the apostles rant and rave that some people had too much money, that it should be taken from them and redistributed? ...crickets chirping, crickets chirping... That's right, they never did.

Instead, they hit the streets. The got together, pooled their resources. Made a difference. We cry, "separation of Church and State, separation of Church and State, " yet we want to carry out the Christian commission through the government, just like Jesus did (aahhhhhmmmmm).

Never mind that the top 25% of wage earners in this country pay more than 80% of the Federal Income Tax collected. It is honest to say that the poor (who don't even pay taxes in this country, 40% of Americans don't even pay taxes) are unfairly burdened. It is totally rational to suggest that we should raise certain tax brackets to potentially over 50%. Imagine that, some people want to TAKE 50% of another persons income. Yep, just like Jesus did...no wait, Jesus never did that. It's called stealing.

So what do we do? I have ranted and raved over the fact that people don't care. I have complained and whined that ignorance and apathy are dragging the greatest country ever formed right off the cliff. Truth applies only if it fits the agenda. A huge part of the population is so invested in a personality that they are willing to call the world flat again with a straight face.
Like a drug addict who cannot get help until he admits he has a problem. I don't know how to help these that, rather than seek the truth, wake up to form it to their needs.

Consider my last post where I said that Obama views the Constitution as a rough draft, a literary work in need of fixing. Since it was adopted, political scientists and historians have marveled at its mastery. Surely, human beings could not have anticipated all the characteristics of human nature, accounted for the many possibilities and variables, foreseen the changing times, and still composed a rule of law that would breathe and grow to protect freedoms, even those in the age of horse-and-buggies, those in the age of the telegraph, and those in the age of the internet.

Why did it capture their attention? It did so because they were educated and understood human history and government. Instead of sitting in front of the TV every night watching sitcoms, they read and studied. They new that the American Constitution was unlike anything ever crafted before.

When one reads the history of the Founding Fathers, their works, it becomes quickly apparent that they had a deep respect and genuine relationship with their Creator. They were deeply religious men. Time and time again, history records their relentlessness efforts daily seeking God's guidance, blessings, and protection.

The Constitution is not "God-inspired", only the Bible was "God-inspired" (see comment from previous post)? So Rick Warren wrote a Purpose Driven Life of his own device, no "inspiration" from God? It sold millions of copies, changed millions of lives all because of Rick Warren, no help from God?

C.S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letters. Mere Christianity. The Great Divorce. Literary works that have influenced millions of Christians. Clive Staples did this on his own, huh? No help from God? He didn't have any inspiration from God?

John Bunyan woke up one day and said, "I think I'll write a book. I'll call it The Pilgrim's Progress. It will be considered one of the classic Christian allegorical works of all time. I hope I can do it all by myself..."

A little obsessive aren't I? That is my point. I make an entry about the fact that Obama wants to edit what many great scholars consider the greatest framework every composed for a government, that considering the background of the authors, God had to have a hand in it and this is the response I get, "The Bible is the only God-inspired work, nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah..."

What does one do? The comment's author knows that I don't place the Constitution on the same plane as the Holy Scriptures, that I was saying that since these men sought God's guidance, He provided it and Obama wants to change it (I even included references). Normally, I would have let such a comment through and then ignored it for its absurdity. I didn't because it represents a majority of our country.

So many, so many are so emotionally and personally attached to a politician, a political party, etc. that they cannot see straight. Take an intellectual approach, lay out the facts that don't fit their template and watch the logical fallacies fly. Ad Hominem: "Well your a ...." Straw Man: "Well you don't care...You think..." Fallacy of Composition: "The Bible is the only God-inspired work". All elements of sound argument and reason fly out the window. Try to have an intelligent discussion and one would think that you insulted their mother. I have even had discussions where individuals debate facts that are as true as I am bald.

Besides continuing the series, "The World Is Crazy: Now What?", where I am cataloging Biblical instances where similar questions where asked and how God answered, I will spend time "educating". Apparently, the public schools are failing. What am I talking about? My father is a retired teacher, my mother still teaches, my brother is about to graduate and be a teacher, and I studied to be a music teacher. Ask them all, the public schools have failed!!!

Rush Limbaugh says that ignorance is the most expensive commodity in this country. Never has this rung truer than in this election. When tomorrow is done, Barack Obama will have been elected as the 44th President of the United States. He will have done so because a majority of this country looks to him, needs him to save them, to fix their lives, to fix their incomes, to make things right. This is not done by a politician.

It Has Only Just Begun

I keep hearing people say that they can't wait for this election to be over on Tuesday so that we can all go back to our "normal" lives.

Here's the problem, whether you know it or not, whether you accept it or not, once Barack Obama is elected to the Executive Office, he has a liberal democratic legislature, and he has an already liberal judicial branch, "normal" is going to change. That is why this election cycle has been so rabid. It is a potential turning away from the ideals on which this country was founded. Some know this. Some don't. Some want it. Some don't. Some don't care. You will.

Barack Obama views the US Constitution as a good start, a document in need of an editor (see below for sources). The freedoms and liberties for which the election results will show that we take for granted will change to obstacles that must be rearranged in order for a "higher cause".

Rest assured, this is one American that still believes that the Constitution is a God-inspired document that could not have been written by mere mortals alone. I will not stand by and go back to my hobbies, my television, my video games to pacify the time.

As the Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and the Bible itself state, our freedom comes from The Creator. It is Him and only Him that will take it away. Until this happens, those who read this blog can count on a detailed analysis and archival of what will surely be the most drastic restructuring of One Nation Under God in its short 200+ year history.

Sources
Obama's 'Redistribution' Constitution
Obama Interview 1991
Obama 2001: Scrap the Constitution, spread the wealth

A Christian Vote?

Recently, I was in a shoe store with my wife. She held up a pair of long black boots and asked me if they would look good on her. She values my input knowing that I care enough to be honest. She understands the risk, that I might say something contrary to what she wants to hear. My response may not make her feel good, but this is one of the things that I love about my wife, truth is more important than feelings. She appreciates the fact that I am not so selfish as to paint an alternate reality for her so that she will like me, and then let her walk around looking goofy thinking that she looks great in her new boots because I said so. She knows that when I say, "baby, you look good in that", that she must really look good.

"You need to lose some weight before you can wear those boots," is what I said. I will now pause for "station identification" so that some readers have the time necessary to complete a panic attack...

...hang on, we still have some foam that must be wiped away from a few mouths...

...okay, now we can move on...

May I take a stab at what some readers "heard" when I replied to my wife:

1. "Your fat, ugly, and stupid..."
2. "Your so fat that I don't love you anymore..."
3. "If you don't lose some weight, I am going to leave you..."
4. "You would be so ugly in those boots because you are so fat..."

Be honest now, how many "heard" at least one of these phrases or a variation thereof? I didn't say a thing about her being fat. I don't think that she is fat. She knows that I don't care what her weight is. If she wants to swallow an elephant, that is her freedom to do so. I will not love her any less.

She asked if the boots would look good on her. The truth of the matter was that she had put on weight recently, enough that wearing these particular boots would have called attention to the extra lbs, and of course, I guarantee this is not what she wanted. I focused on the specific question, "would the boots look good?" The straight-shooting, truthful answer was that, "no, right now they wouldn't, but after a bit of weight-loss, they would."

Why did I share this story besides the entertainment gained when imagining all the lemon-sucking facial expressions that are probably taking place at this very moment? It is an anecdote for those readers who are about to read further.

In the last post of this writer, I addressed the first argument from the blog posting, "The Conservative Christian Case For Supporting Obama", where it was argued that a vote for Obama was a conservative and Christian vote. Evidence was presented to show the contrary, that a vote for Obama could not be more of a liberal vote (the antithesis of conservatism). Now I will respond to the second half, the notion that a vote for Obama is a "Christian vote". A vote for Barack Obama is not a "Christian vote".

The following ideas may be "heard" by those reading this post:

1. "He says that Barack Obama is not a Christian"
2. "He thinks that a person cannot vote for Barack Obama and be a Christian"
3. "He thinks that Christians should support John McCain"

As mentioned in the previous post, this writer is not qualified to assess Barack Obama's Christian faith. It is not my job. That is what God does.

If this writer is not qualified to determine the authenticity of Obama's Christianity, then it follows that he is not able to qualify others' Christian walks. If someone votes for Barack Obama, I still don't know the condition of his or her "heart". That is what God does.

To be honest, this writer could not care less about John McCain as a presidential candidate. He has not, and does not endorse John McCain for president. He does not look to a politician to fix everything that is wrong in this world. He looks to the ultimate Fixer, God.

Like the "boots", I will address the specific question, "Is a vote for Barack Obama a 'Christian vote'?" No, it is not.

Abortion. Is there anything more evil than killing babies? Seriously, now think about it. We actually have arguments over whether or not it is okay to kill babies. We argue about what is more important, stopping the killing of babies or taxing the "evil corporations" (who, by the way, are the ones that create the jobs that allow all of us to put food on our tables), that there are more important issues, that us conservative Christians are being manipulated into being single-issue voters.

...Single-issue voters, ...hmmmmm...THEY ARE KILLING BABIES!!!!

Jesus loved the children.

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea...See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

- Matthew 18:5-6

I think He was pretty clear here that He doesn't want any harm to come to the children...THEY ARE KILLING BABIES!!!

God the Father was crystal clear when he spoke to Jeremiah the prophet and said, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV).

He was also to the point when He referred to John the Baptist in Luke 1:15 (NASB), "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb."

Just to be perfectly clear that God perceives His creation in a womb a human life, read Isaiah 44:24 (NIV), "This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself..."

When asked when life begins by Rick Warren, the senior pastor of Saddleback Church, Barack Obama said, "Well, you now, I, I think that whether you're looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade." (view it here)

Senator Obama, you make exponentially more than I do, and I can answer this questions with all the "specificity" that is in me. LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION. I'm sure you already knew this, Senator Obama, since a vote for you is a "Christian vote". I'm sure that you are aware of all the scriptures in which God "specifically" said that a human life existed in the womb. It must have been that Rick Warren made you nervous with the question. Darn him for asking it!! You may, however, want to "get your story straight" because Jesus was pretty clear about how he felt regarding those who brought harm to the little children...THEY ARE KILLING BABIES!!!

Maybe, Senator Obama, you don't feel comfortable answering such a difficult question, even when God made the answer apparent. Maybe, you can't say when life begins, but surely, as a Christian, you don't think that it is okay to kill the unborn fetus that God "formed in the womb". Surely, had you lived during the time of John the Baptist, you would not have supported legislation that would have allowed Elizabeth to go to a "doctor" and ask him to stab little baby John the Baptist in the head after he was "filled with the Holy Spirit" in the womb.

What's that? I can't quite hear you, Senator Obama. What? Oh, ahhhaaa...oh, you would support such legislation. Mmmmhhhhh.....Mmmmmmhhh....Oh, you have already. What's that you say, you have a strong history of supporting abortion, including partial-birth abortions where labor is induced, the baby is stabbed in the head, then its bones are crushed? (see Michael Gerson's article, "Obama's Abortion Extremism" for more info.)

What's that? Mmmmhhhh...there's more, you wouldn't do what??!!! You wouldn't support a bill that mandated that children who survived the abortionist's attempts on their lives were to receive proper medical care???!!! (see "Obama's Abortion Challenge" by Ed Laskey, watch this video).

For all the other things to matter, the taxes, the health care, the social programs, the military, etc., etc., there has to be life. It is always "funny" to hear people say that the economy is a more important issue than fighting terrorism. YOU CANNOT BUY AND SELL GOODS WHEN YOU ARE DEAD!!!!

The same thing applies here. We have a citizenry that has romanticized all the "great things" that Barack Obama wants to bestow upon the world, yet the very fundamental element of protecting the lives of unborn children is not something that he supports. Instead, his record shows that he will fight to keep it as a right...A RIGHT TO KILL BABIES!!!!

Do I really need to go on? Purely on his abortion stance, can a vote for Obama be a "Christian" vote? No, it cannot, but I will go on...to be continued...

Non Sequitur

As promised in the previous post, "Anyone Out There?", the phenomenon of "self-professed" conservative Christians devoted to Obama will be explored here.

A vote for Obama is neither Christian nor conservative.

The following caveats must be considered for those who are now having a seizure:

1. The writer does not contend that a vote for McCain, or any other ticket, is a Christian and conservative vote.
2. The writer does not suggest that those who vote for Obama are not Christians. Ultimately, only God can make that determination.

Recently, I read another blogger's post that argued that a vote for Obama is a Christian and conservative vote. I will respond to this author's arguments as a means of supporting the above premise: "A vote for Obama is neither Christian nor conservative." The post is called The Conservative Christian Case For Supporting Obama and it wreaks of logical fallacies. They are so numerous that addressing each would be like trying to bring down an entire flock of geese with a single shot rifle. There are so many that it will be hard to miss, but time constraints will allow some to get away.

The author proposes that the GOP has exploited the conservative Christian right by pushing their emotional "single-issue" buttons (i.e., abortion and gay marriage) in order to retain its vote. I agree whole-heatedly. The Republican Party stopped being conservative after Ronald Reagan left office.

Before continuing, this point must be established. The GOP in no longer synonymous with conservatism. To lump them together, as this author seemingly does, is the logical fallacy of "The Package Deal". It implies that since many members of the GOP in the past were also conservatives, then the Republican Party must be a conservative party. That is no longer the case.

This writer is one voter who no longer associates himself with the Republican party, rather he is one that relates to conservative values and principles. In an effort to retain power, to "get along", to be considered cosmopolitan and progressive, many Republican leaders have abandoned the values that got them to Washington. Rather than represent those who sent them, they have shed their skin so that the main-stream media, who still hates them, will shower them with labels such as "moderates" and "independents".

Many conservatives and Christians are now backing McCain, not because they support him, but because he is the "alternative" to the most liberal candidate ever nominated for office. For them, voting for McCain is a hard bite to swallow, but it is preferred over the poison that will surely and expediently destroy the remnants of conservative and Christian values left in this country. To this writer, a vote for McCain is a delay of the inevitable (see "A Bible Story").

Where the blog's author derails himself is when he reveals his subscription to Liberation Theology, a belief system that combines Marxism with Christianity. Liberation Theology says that the allowance of poverty is one of the greatest sins, that since Christ commanded Christians to help the poor, Christians should do everything within their power to eliminate poverty, including using the state as a means to an end. The author concludes that, since Obama wants to help "... the poor,...the socially disadvantaged and...the economically distressed workers in our society..." a vote for him fulfills the Christian's responsibility to the poor and the sick. He also reasons that the GOP's hesitance to use government as a cure for social ills can be translated into the Republicans not wanting to help the poor and the sick and abandoning the very children they sought to save from abortion.

The above conclusions stand on enormous beams of logical fallacies. The latter will be addressed first.

Republicans and conservatives have been demonized in this fashion for years and years. They don't care about the poor. They don't care about the children. Old people, they will take your medicine. They want people to starve to death. Basically, anyone who doesn't have money, they want to die...

The first fallacy that should be addressed here is the "False Dilemma". In most cases, those guilty of the False Dilemma suggest that there are only two possibilities. In this case, the blogger seems to imply that attending to the needy can only happen through a Barack Obama presidency, that if he is not elected, the poor will continue to be poor, the sick will continue to be sick, the children will continue to starve and die from neglect. Are there really people that believe this to be true? I hope not (see "Pardon The Interruption" for another possibility).

The blog's author uses the False Dilemma as a springboard to launch into a Red Herring fallacy specifically known as a "Straw Man Argument". It is where one takes the opposing argument, twists it, re-packages it, re-presents it, and then argues against the misrepresentation as though it is what was originally said.

Conservatives, not necessarily Republicans anymore, believe that, due to the potential dangers of a larger more powerful government, it should be limited to very basic responsibilities, those outlined in the constitution and principally "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as written by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence (see this writer's posts for commentary: "An Interesting Exchange", "Pardon The Interruption", "A Bible Story"). To say that conservatives don't want to help people based on the fact that they don't want to do so through the government is an illogical conclusion. Conservatives, many of them Christians, not only want to help those in need, but they believe that they have been commanded to do so from their Lord and Savior. They do not believe, however, that it should be done via government intervention, that to do so is to enlist the help of an unnecessary evil.

For a second, I want to step back and make an observation. It has amused me to no end the hypocrisy of those who want the government to "intervene" for the "greater good" (i.e., ending poverty). For example, the referenced blogger complained, "Since this country’s founding, Christians have politicized Biblical values..." I have heard other "Conservative-Christian-Obama-Supporters" reference The Myth of a Christian Nation, that to attempt to legislate morality is contrary to Christ's teaching and ministry (a conclusion in which this writer agrees, see "Leave Them Alone"), that He never used government as a means to bring about social change. The same people argue that voting for Barack Obama is a Christian act since he wants to use the government to implement Christian values (i.e., helping the poor, the sick, the children).

Let me get this straight. Government legislation that imposes Christian values such as pro-life laws and gay marriage bans is contrary to Jesus' life examples; however, we should vote for Barack Obama because he wants to mandate that all citizens engage Christian directives such as caring for the poor, the sick, the children. Hmmm...moving on...

The blog's author lobs himself up a "big fat one" with a False Dilemma implying that Barack Obama and the government are the only avenues to help those that Christ commanded his followers to help. He then takes a "home-run cut" with the Straw Man argument saying that since conservatives and Republicans don't want to elect Barack Obama, it must mean that they don't want to follow Jesus and His commandments. He swings, misses, and throws his back out with the "Emotional Appeal".

The Emotional Appeal may be the clearest give-away that this guy is not a conservative. It is frequently used by "The Left" to justify actions that even they know are not the best decisions. Conservatives say, "let private entities care help those who need help." The missions, the churches, the pantries, the homeless shelters, we the people; these are the arms and feet of the Body of Christ, not the government. The liberal counters with, but there are still people starving. There are still people without health care. There are still homeless people. We need the government to step in and get involved.

It is ironic that this argument is even used because the same people accuse conservatives of being mean, cold, and heartless, yet they "appeal" to our "emotions". Yes, we want to help people. Yes, we do help people. Yes, we are just as sad that the world still overflows with injustice and hardships. No, we do not believe that we should solicit socialist ideas that have already proven unable to eliminate these problems. We will not make things even worse by panicking, abandoning reason, and turning the keys over to Barack Obama and the government.

Ultimately, the blog's author, and other "Conservative-Christian-Obama-Supporters" summarize their support by saying that Obama is a Christian and the GOP is not, that it only throws the Christian right a bone from time to time. Their views are rooted in Liberation Theology that lists apathy towards poverty as one of the greatest sins. With this doctrine, they judge conservatives and Republicans as being guilty of this sin. Above, it has been shown that this is not true. Instead, it is a complex web of logical fallacies used to trap those who "feel" their way through life.

"Conservative-Christian-Obama-Supporters" contend that he is a Christian, that his past actions and future plans embody the Christian faith. As mentioned previously, this writer is not qualified to asses whether or not Barack Obama is a Christian; however, the premise that his "fruits" are those of a Christian tree requires that one disengage intellectual thought and check in at the "Cuckoos Nest". Since this sanatorium seems to filled beyond capacity, the next post will examine this subject.

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

- Matthew 7:16-20, NIV

Anybody Out There?

...I was going to try to make in through the series, The World Is Crazy: Now What?, straight through, but I must take time-out and address something, and it actually relates to the subject, the inexplicable nature of current events.

As written in another post, This Rocks, the world has fallen in love with a demagogue, a "Cult of Personality". Some of the population is uneducated and/or uniformed. While it is unfortunate, their excuse is ignorance, and they are being manipulated via vapid emotional propaganda.

Another group is the purely partisan group who supports a candidate the same way people support a sports team. They ask, "who is the player this year" so that they know for who to cheer. What, he played for the rival last year? Who cares! He's on our team know!!

After the end-of-summer political convention, these partisans embark on a 2+ month rally to defend their nominee at all costs. The first and foremost goal is party victory. Values, convictions, and policies be damned!! The must win.

There is a third group that I couldn't disagree with more ideologically speaking; however, of all the voters, they are the ones that make the most sense. Their actions balance their beliefs. These are the individuals who actually believe what Obama preaches. They want a more socialist country. They want wealth redistribution. They want more government intervention. They are ready and willing to surrender freedom in order to be "taken care of." Considering the entire electorate, it is these voters for which I can just turn the page and keep reading.

So far, I can stomach the first three groups, especially the latter. While the first two are lemmings leaping of the cliff, their actions have a palatable explanation. As with the third group, their support for the liberal, democrat candidate was expected. What would have me pulling my hair out, if I had any, is the final group who has snatched up all the remaining tickets to the political madhouse, a trip that ends in the destruction of all that made this country great. These are the educated and informed voters who are willfully choosing to vote against their values and beliefs.

It defies all logic. There are those who understand fundamental economic principles. They understand capitalism and the workings of a free market. They can articulate the catastrophic events that can take place when socialist principals are applied to a free market. They can forecast inflation; they can articulate the rise of opportunity costs; they can predict the mass exodus of American businesses packing up and moving overseas resulting in an epidemic unemployment.

Still, for who are they voting? Well, duh...for who do you think they are campaigning? The candidate who wants to do all the things that they know will destroy the greatest economy in the history of the world. Makes sense doesn't it? Jesus help me...

What has blown my mind is another subgroup of the final group, those who are self-professed conservative Christians and are dedicated to seeing Barack Obama as the next President. It is beyond any comprehension. It defies all elements of logic and sound argument. It is this subject that I will address in the next post. Please pray for me. I've never been to Mars before...