<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>paulmoreland.com &#187; Freedom</title>
	<atom:link href="http://paulmoreland.com/category/freedom/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://paulmoreland.com</link>
	<description>Faith, Family, Friends, Firearms</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:11:37 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
			<item>
		<title>If Vehicles Were Treated Like Firearms</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/24/vehicles-treated-like-firearms/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/24/vehicles-treated-like-firearms/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:08:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Firearms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=456</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just think what life would be like if automobiles were treated like firearms.

You could not purchase a long vehicle until you were at least 18.  In some states you would only be able to purchase ANY vehicle after your 21st birthday.
You could only obtain a short vehicle after your 21st birthday.
The military would train young [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Just think what life would be like if automobiles were treated like firearms.</p>
<ul>
<li>You could not purchase a long vehicle until you were at least 18.  In some states you would only be able to purchase ANY vehicle after your 21st birthday.</li>
<li>You could only obtain a short vehicle after your 21st birthday.<span id="more-456"></span></li>
<li>The military would train young folks to use vehicles that they would not be allowed to use in civilian life.</li>
<li>The military would send young people overseas to use vehicles they were prohibited to own at home.</li>
<li>In some states you would be subject to up to a fifteen day waiting period between time of purchase and the day you could take your vehicle home.</li>
<li>In some states you would only be able to purchase one vehicle per month.</li>
<li>In some states you would not be able to obtain military style vehicles &#8211; even if the military features were only cosmetic, not functional.</li>
<li>Automatic vehicles would be subject to a federal tax, extensive background check of the purchaser and you would have to advise the proper authorities prior to transporting them over state lines.</li>
<li>Automatic vehicles would be illegal to own in many states.</li>
<li>Mufflers for your vehicle would be illegal in many states.</li>
<li>Mufflers for your vehicle would be subject to a federal tax, extensive background check of the purchaser and individual serial numbering.</li>
<li>Possessing a vehicle fitted so that a muffler could be installed would be prohibited in many areas &#8211; even if you did not possess a muffler for the vehicle.</li>
<li>A Federal Bureau of Automobiles would be able to drop in and examine manufacturer and dealer records and could arbitrarily shut down the dealer or manufacturer for any violation (intentional or unintentional) of the federal or local vehicle paperwork requirements.</li>
<li>In order to be a vehicle dealer (buying and selling any number of vehicles for profit would constitute being a dealer) you would have to apply for a Federal Vehicle Dealer License.</li>
<li>Congress would constantly be seeking ways to &#8220;shut the car show loophole&#8221; to prevent Mexican drug cartels from obtaining vehicles on the black market.</li>
<li>Every time a vehicle was used to commit a crime the Brady Campaign To End Vehicle Violence would call on congress to enact further restrictions on law-abiding vehicle owners.</li>
<li>Each and every vehicle would have to be accounted for through every step of manufacturing and a federal excise tax would be collected from manufacturers of vehicles and fuel.</li>
<li>Manufacturing a vehicle without the special vehicle manufacturer license would be a felony.</li>
<li>Modifying a vehicle from manual to automatic would be a felony.</li>
<li>Possessing the parts necessary for modifying a vehicle to automatic would be a felony &#8211; even if no modification to the vehicles in possession had been done.</li>
<li>People would be scandalized to find out that you owned an automatic vehicle &#8211; even if all the paperwork, taxes, fees and such were in order.</li>
<li>Preachers would speak from the pulpit about the evils of vehicles and condemn anyone who owned one as a &#8220;violent criminal&#8221; &#8211; no matter how peaceful the person might be and no matter that the vehicle in question had never been used in a crime.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F07%2F24%2Fvehicles-treated-like-firearms%2F&amp;title=If+Vehicles+Were+Treated+Like+Firearms" title="Bookmark this post : If Vehicles Were Treated Like Firearms on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F07%2F24%2Fvehicles-treated-like-firearms%2F&amp;t=If+Vehicles+Were+Treated+Like+Firearms" title="Recommend this post : If Vehicles Were Treated Like Firearms on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F07%2F24%2Fvehicles-treated-like-firearms%2F&amp;title=If+Vehicles+Were+Treated+Like+Firearms" title="Share this post : If Vehicles Were Treated Like Firearms with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/24/vehicles-treated-like-firearms/feed" title="Follow this post : If Vehicles Were Treated Like Firearms comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/24/vehicles-treated-like-firearms/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The New Black Panthers, La Raza and the KKK</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/22/black-panthers-la-raza-kkk/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/22/black-panthers-la-raza-kkk/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:40:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are some racial groups around the United States that are promoting racial hatred and bigotry.  During the last elections several polling places were haunted by persons of a certain race who carried impact weapons, dressed an in intimidating way and basically did their best to keep people of other races from voting.  Racial epithets [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are some racial groups around the United States that are promoting racial hatred and bigotry.  During the last elections several polling places were haunted by persons of a certain race who carried impact weapons, dressed an in intimidating way and basically did their best to keep people of other races from voting.  Racial epithets were used and on occasion even violence was implemented against those with whom they did not agree, either on the basis of opinion or simply because of the color of skin.  The new news media, <strong><a href="http://youtube.com">YouTube</a></strong>, has plenty of videos on the subject for those curious enough to take a look.  Interestingly enough, the current Attorney General has seen to it that charges against such perpetrators were dropped.  Of course, surely it isn&#8217;t because they share the same race, is it?  Isn&#8217;t it time justice were really blind, not hampered by the color of anyone&#8217;s skin?  A white attorney general dropping similar charges against a white perpetrator of racial hate actions would have been called on the carpet, at best.  In fact, we&#8217;ve seen this government even go after their own Navy Seals for doing their job and bringing in a terrorist, why do they cut a racist slack when he was doing his best to disrupt the electoral process?<span id="more-449"></span></p>
<p>Meanwhile, out on the left coast there is a group called &#8220;The Race&#8221;.  They preach racial superiority and perpetrate all kinds of harassment against those of different races.  Since the movement to diminish illegal immigration got underway and brought widespread media attention due to Arizona&#8217;s decision to essentially enforce federal laws against illegal immigrants, there has been a big upsurge of racial tension by those who want the benefits of the civilization created by those of another race &#8211; without the presence of people who belong to that race.</p>
<p>It was not that long ago, historically speaking, that people decried (and rightly so) the white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) who intimidated people who were not white or who were deemed inferior to them based on religion or ethnicity.  But today, the &#8220;New Black Panthers&#8221; and &#8220;La Raza&#8221; are allowed to spew their own version of racial hatred and bigotry, mostly unchallenged by the &#8220;main stream media&#8221; (wouldn&#8217;t lame stream media be a more appropriate designation for them?).</p>
<p>As a Christian I oppose ALL forms of discrimination due to race, ethnicity, country of origin or other superficial and irrelevant characteristics.  The Apostle Paul wrote:</p>
<p><em>Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices <sup id="en-NIV-29512">10</sup>and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.<sup id="en-NIV-29514"> </sup>Therefore, as God&#8217;s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. et the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. </em> (Colossians 3:9-17)</p>
<p>Now THAT is a far better way of living than to hate and ostracize or reject people based on the color of their skin.  I recall what it is like to be a minority.  Shucks, as a TCK or MK (<strong>T</strong>hird <strong>C</strong>ulture <strong>K</strong>id or <strong>M</strong>issionary <strong>K</strong>id) I&#8217;ve always been a minority, even when amongst people with the same skin color.  What I&#8217;ve found over the years is that there are bad apples in any barrel.  You can&#8217;t lump all folks together.  You can&#8217;t paint any group with the same broad brush.  Let&#8217;s learn to take folks as individuals and let each person stand, or fall, on their own merits and character &#8211; or lack thereof.</p>
<p>Isn&#8217;t it time for a NAAAP?  (<strong>N</strong>ational <strong>A</strong>ssociation for the <strong>A</strong>dvancement of <strong>A</strong>LL <strong>P</strong>eople?)</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F07%2F22%2Fblack-panthers-la-raza-kkk%2F&amp;title=The+New+Black+Panthers%2C+La+Raza+and+the+KKK" title="Bookmark this post : The New Black Panthers, La Raza and the KKK on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F07%2F22%2Fblack-panthers-la-raza-kkk%2F&amp;t=The+New+Black+Panthers%2C+La+Raza+and+the+KKK" title="Recommend this post : The New Black Panthers, La Raza and the KKK on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F07%2F22%2Fblack-panthers-la-raza-kkk%2F&amp;title=The+New+Black+Panthers%2C+La+Raza+and+the+KKK" title="Share this post : The New Black Panthers, La Raza and the KKK with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/22/black-panthers-la-raza-kkk/feed" title="Follow this post : The New Black Panthers, La Raza and the KKK comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/07/22/black-panthers-la-raza-kkk/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Health Care</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/05/24/health-care/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/05/24/health-care/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 May 2010 15:26:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=418</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Growing up on the edge of the Amazon rain forest forms the back ground for a lot of my ideas and thoughts.  Having a father and uncle who taught us to be upright and self reliant helped too. We were our own first responders, capable of taking care of any thing common such as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Growing up on the edge of the Amazon rain forest forms the back ground for a lot of my ideas and thoughts.  Having a father and uncle who taught us to be upright and self reliant helped too. We were our own first responders, capable of taking care of any thing common such as a cold, a cut or a fever and even some of the more &#8220;exotic&#8221; situations such as amoeba, giardia, subcutaneous fly grubs, sand fleas, hookworm and hepatitis A &#8211; to name but a few of the things we came across.  When a health issue would come we&#8217;d use common sense and do what we could to take care of it.  Medicine was readily available over the counter at that time.  For common problems we had no need of a doctor to tell us &#8220;You&#8217;ve got amoebas again, take flagyl every day for a week and you&#8217;ll get over it.&#8221; After you or a family member have had amoebas a few times you know the symptoms and the treatment.  Why spend money on a doctor and a lab when they&#8217;ll just confirm the obvious?  Of course if you&#8217;re in a place where the lab technician can&#8217;t ID an amoeba to save their soul and the doctor won&#8217;t trust your knowledge and the pharmacy won&#8217;t sell without a prescription &#8211; you&#8217;re in a bind.  That happened to my mom one time.  Soon after we hit the U.S. she came down with classic amoeba symptoms.  I&#8217;ve no idea how much they spent on doctor and lab &#8211; but the lab never could come up with a diagnosis and the doctor wouldn&#8217;t prescribe based on another person&#8217;s (especially a non-medical professional) experience.  So she suffered until she got back home to Brazil, walked into a pharmacy, bought the medicine and was well in a matter of days.  We took personal responsibility for our health and actions and sought medical attention when something beyond our capabilities came up.</p>
<p><span id="more-418"></span>Back then, medical care was a private affair.  You went to the doctor and paid your bill.  He would diagnose and treat the illness according to his knowledge and skill.  When we came upon a doctor who&#8217;s knowledge was inferior to ours &#8211; we didn&#8217;t go back. Even when the doctor wasn&#8217;t capable of treating a simple case of amoebas we never thought of suing him.  We simply started taking medicine with us to the U.S. &#8211; just in case. And such has remained our practice over the years. Only now we will often visit a national doctor and obtain a prescription for the medicine so that we can satisfy the requirements of U.S. customs officials upon arrival there.</p>
<p>Now the U.S. is faced with a massive overhaul of the medical system.  The problems with this are varied.  People travel from all over the world to be treated in the U.S. &#8211; because the U.S. has one of the best health care systems in the world.  The main problem is the cost associated with treatment there.  And what drives the exhorbitant costs?  Wages are a part &#8211; but not the larfest issue.  The cost of litigation is one of the greatest problems.  If someone is not happy with the results of their treatment, they sue for malpractice.  That is why doctors will order all kinds of tests so that they can prove diligence in a court of law.  A friend of mine recently underwent a long series of tests because his doctor noticed a spot on one of his lungs.  Probable cause? Scar tissue from damage done years earlier. BUT there was a slight chanc of cancer so a long series of tests and procedures was undertaken to show that he had &#8211;  scar tissue, the very thing his doctor&#8217;s experience and intuition indicated at the beginning.  $40,000 dollars or so later and the doctor had prevented any chance of suing him IF by some fluke the scar tissue had proven to be a tumor instead.</p>
<p>The problem with the U.S. health system is the U.S. &#8220;justice&#8221; system.  We have become a nation that will sue at the drop of a hat, and drop the hat ourselves should we feel the need to sue. Gone are the days of personal responsibility.  Now it is always &#8220;someone else&#8221; who is to blame for anything that happens to us. The major problem is that we no longer have a strong judeo-christian foundation. That foundation laid for us by the Founding Fathers has been eroded by decades of concentrating on &#8220;Separation of Church and State&#8221;, castigating the Church and removing any base for moral and ethical teaching from our schools and society.  For decades we have been taught that there is &#8220;no absolute truth&#8221; &#8211; which is the only absolute that is allowed under modern education. We have instilled in our nation the idea that we have descended from apes and amoebas &#8211; and then wonder why folks act like animals.  The law of the jungle has overthrown the law of the land and the survival of the fittest means &#8220;looking out for number one&#8221; &#8211; to the extent of doing what ever it takes to &#8220;get one up&#8221; on the other guy.</p>
<p>Health care &#8211; does it need an overhaul?  People all over the world flock to the US when possible, because it is well known that we have the finest doctors and hospitals on God&#8217;s green earth.  If we truly want to improve the lot of the poor amongst us, we should work on overhauling our &#8220;justice system&#8221;, gutting current tort laws and returning common sense to the place it should have had all along.  People should once more be taught to take responsibility for their actions rather than taking it out on others when they goof up.  And YES that includes doctors, but we need to allow them the latitude necessary to exercise common sense when they treat us for illness and disease.</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F05%2F24%2Fhealth-care%2F&amp;title=Health+Care" title="Bookmark this post : Health Care on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F05%2F24%2Fhealth-care%2F&amp;t=Health+Care" title="Recommend this post : Health Care on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F05%2F24%2Fhealth-care%2F&amp;title=Health+Care" title="Share this post : Health Care with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/05/24/health-care/feed" title="Follow this post : Health Care comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/05/24/health-care/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When Justice Is Not Done</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/21/when-justice-is-not-done/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/21/when-justice-is-not-done/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:32:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. &#8211; Proverbs 21:15
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. - Amos 5:15
&#8220;This is what the LORD Almighty says: &#8216;Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p><em>When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.</em> &#8211; <strong>Proverbs 21:15</strong></p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. </em>- <strong>Amos 5:15</strong></p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;This is what the LORD Almighty says: &#8216;Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.  &#8211; </em><strong>Zechariah 7:9</strong></p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. </em>- <strong>Matthew 23:23</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>Why is it that now evil doers do not fear the government, but the righteous do?</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fwhen-justice-is-not-done%2F&amp;title=When+Justice+Is+Not+Done" title="Bookmark this post : When Justice Is Not Done on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fwhen-justice-is-not-done%2F&amp;t=When+Justice+Is+Not+Done" title="Recommend this post : When Justice Is Not Done on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fwhen-justice-is-not-done%2F&amp;title=When+Justice+Is+Not+Done" title="Share this post : When Justice Is Not Done with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/21/when-justice-is-not-done/feed" title="Follow this post : When Justice Is Not Done comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/21/when-justice-is-not-done/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thoughts On Tax Day 2010</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/15/thoughts-on-tax-day-2010/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/15/thoughts-on-tax-day-2010/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:44:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=399</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God&#8217;s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” (Romans 13:6-7)
This is a day in which millions of Americans will [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p><em>“This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God&#8217;s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” </em>(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=31&amp;search=Romans%2013:6-7">Romans 13:6-7</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>This is a day in which millions of Americans will be sending in their tax forms.  There will also be a lot of groaning, muttering and complaining.  There will also be a lot of preaching on how it&#8217;s our &#8220;Loyal duty&#8221; to pay the taxes.  Few people I know would claim that we should pay NO tax.  MANY people I know believe we are over taxed &#8211; and for wasteful purposes. <span id="more-399"></span>To be forced, via taxation, to participate in that which one considers abhorrent (federally funded abortion, for example) is unjust at the very best.  To be shouted down and called a racist for demurring from the call to foist upon our children&#8217;s children a bill for wasteful spending goes against the grain.</p>
<p>As I was meditating on the verse above today, other verses came to mind.  First, Samuel&#8217;s warning to the Children of Israel when they decided they&#8217;d rather have a human king &#8220;like everyone else&#8221; rather than allowing Jehovah to reign in their hearts and minds.  Here is what Samuel told the people.</p>
<blockquote><p><em><sup id="en-NIV-7381">11</sup> He said, &#8220;This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. <sup id="en-NIV-7382">12</sup> Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. <sup id="en-NIV-7383">13</sup> He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. <sup id="en-NIV-7384">14</sup> He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. <sup id="en-NIV-7385">15</sup> He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. <sup id="en-NIV-7386">16</sup> Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. <sup id="en-NIV-7387">17</sup> He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. <sup id="en-NIV-7388">18</sup> When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.&#8221; </em> (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Samuel%208:11-18&amp;version=NIV">I Samuel 8:11-18</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>Interesting, the king would take TEN PERCENT of their wealth and income. How much more does our government take from us today?</p>
<p>Another passage that came to mind follows:</p>
<blockquote><p>They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval.  With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.  (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%208:4&amp;version=NIV">Hosea 8:4</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>So here&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve been cogitating on.  Do you suppose that setting up a &#8220;king&#8221; or choosing a &#8220;prince&#8221; without asking for God Almighty to guide us would entail an even heavier penalty than that given to the Children of Israel?  Do you suppose that by ignoring God&#8217;s leading in our daily lives as a nation and turning our backs on Him has lead us to the point where these words have come true, &#8220;<em>When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.&#8221;? </em>Indeed, be careful what you wish for &#8211; it may come true.  In 2008 many people wished for &#8220;Hope and Change&#8221; &#8211; never asking what the foundation for such would be nor what &#8220;change&#8221; entailed.  Chopping off your leg is change &#8211; but not necessarily a good one.</p>
<p>But there is another verse that says a lot to us today.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.</em> (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles+7:14&amp;version=NIV">2 Chronicles 7:14</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>Are there enough of God&#8217;s people left who are willing and able to both humble themselves and seek God&#8217;s face?  Will we?  Or will we continue to seek our own paths as a nation and dive deeper into the pit?</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F15%2Fthoughts-on-tax-day-2010%2F&amp;title=Thoughts+On+Tax+Day+2010" title="Bookmark this post : Thoughts On Tax Day 2010 on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F15%2Fthoughts-on-tax-day-2010%2F&amp;t=Thoughts+On+Tax+Day+2010" title="Recommend this post : Thoughts On Tax Day 2010 on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F15%2Fthoughts-on-tax-day-2010%2F&amp;title=Thoughts+On+Tax+Day+2010" title="Share this post : Thoughts On Tax Day 2010 with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/15/thoughts-on-tax-day-2010/feed" title="Follow this post : Thoughts On Tax Day 2010 comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/15/thoughts-on-tax-day-2010/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Boys vs Men</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/07/boys-vs-men/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/07/boys-vs-men/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:23:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=381</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Boys live only for themselves; men fully enjoy life’s pleasure but also live for a higher purpose. Boys try to find themselves in what they buy; men find themselves in what they do. Boys base their identity on what they consume; men base their identity on what they create.  Growing up doesn’t have to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p>Boys live only for themselves; men fully enjoy life’s pleasure but also live for a higher purpose. Boys try to find themselves in what they buy; men find themselves in what they do. Boys base their identity on what they consume; men base their identity on what they create.  Growing up doesn’t have to mean donning a gray flannel suit. It really means taking an active role in the world instead of a passive one. Making an impact. And creating your world instead of consuming it.&#8211;Brett McKay</p></blockquote>
<p>Wow! I just got that from a friend on Facebook.  Good stuff there, and a lot to reflect on.  Really, there is a LOT of difference between men and boys &#8211; and little has to do with age. <span id="more-381"></span> In fact, some boys never grow up, they never desire or strive to become a MAN. They are content to be selfish, tied up in their own little world and their own desires &#8211; never allowing themselves to find TRUE pleasure through serving others and becoming made into the Image of The One Who gave Himself to show us what a real man looks like.</p>
<p>Looking at the life of Christ we can see an fine example of what a real man is.</p>
<ol>
<li>A real man thinks first of others.</li>
<li>A real man can cry with his friends or for the desperate state of his nation.</li>
<li>A real man knows how to work and do it well.</li>
<li>A real man can show tenderness to a woman without lusting for her.</li>
<li>A real man takes time to be alone with God.</li>
<li>A real man does not worry about those who speak falsely against him.</li>
<li>A real man cares for those who are less able or who are vulnerable.</li>
<li>A real man can find humor and joy in the world around him.</li>
<li>A real man can teach others through his example.</li>
</ol>
<p>That&#8217;s a partial list, just off the top of my head &#8211; so to speak.  Becoming a real man should be the goal of every boy. Raising a real man should be the goal of every boy&#8217;s parents.</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F07%2Fboys-vs-men%2F&amp;title=Boys+vs+Men" title="Bookmark this post : Boys vs Men on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F07%2Fboys-vs-men%2F&amp;t=Boys+vs+Men" title="Recommend this post : Boys vs Men on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F04%2F07%2Fboys-vs-men%2F&amp;title=Boys+vs+Men" title="Share this post : Boys vs Men with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/07/boys-vs-men/feed" title="Follow this post : Boys vs Men comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/04/07/boys-vs-men/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>True Strength</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/26/true-strength/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/26/true-strength/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:42:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=326</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is strength?  One might argue that strength is the physical ability to exert sufficient influence upon a material object in order to cause it to move. An old saying, &#8220;Might makes right&#8221; assumes that pure physical strength is, in and of itself, a virtue &#8211; ignoring the fact that might exerted for wrong [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What is strength?  One might argue that strength is the physical ability to exert sufficient influence upon a material object in order to cause it to move. An old saying, &#8220;Might makes right&#8221; assumes that pure physical strength is, in and of itself, a virtue &#8211; ignoring the fact that might exerted for wrong does not transform that wrong to right and merely compounds the wrong committed.</p>
<p>The truth of the matter is, it takes more pure strength to control one&#8217;s self than it does to pound an entire city into submission.  The physically strong man who has no moral force of self control is a moral weakling and is not worthy of admiration because that flaw causes him to lose that which differentiates a real man from a beast. A real man has self control whereas a beast works by instinct, seeking by brute force to gain primacy over others.<span id="more-326"></span></p>
<p>Some argue for their &#8220;honor&#8221;, claiming that some person&#8217;s questioning of their character or parentage justifies their violent reaction and the physical destruction of the questioner. But what about truth? The ability to physically destroy another does not guarantee that the destroyed one did not speak the truth &#8211; it only demonstrates unbridled physical prowess.  If one&#8217;s honor is questioned by a liar, so be it.  Let one&#8217;s virtue answer for itself.  If one lives as one should, one&#8217;s name and virtue are known to those of most importance to one&#8217;s life and no liar&#8217;s word will be heard or believed.  If, however, the questioner is in the right, pounding them into submission does nothing to change the fact that they were right.</p>
<p>True strength comes from within.  It gives one the ability to keep on in the face of &#8220;impossible odds&#8221; and it helps one to stand up for what is right regardless of &#8220;the odds&#8221; or the brute force of that which is wrong. True strength takes over when the body has long since given up.</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F26%2Ftrue-strength%2F&amp;title=True+Strength" title="Bookmark this post : True Strength on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F26%2Ftrue-strength%2F&amp;t=True+Strength" title="Recommend this post : True Strength on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F26%2Ftrue-strength%2F&amp;title=True+Strength" title="Share this post : True Strength with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/26/true-strength/feed" title="Follow this post : True Strength comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/26/true-strength/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Healthcare Bill &#8211; Some Thoughts</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/healthcare-bill-some-thoughts/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/healthcare-bill-some-thoughts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:06:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=323</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, the Congress critters did it &#8211; at least some of them did.  They maneuvered and connived and double dealt and underhandedly passed the so called &#8220;Obamacare&#8221; &#8220;Health Reform Bill&#8221;.  If it is such a good idea &#8211; why was there so much opposition to the bill by common folks?  And if it&#8217;s such a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well, the Congress critters did it &#8211; at least some of them did.  They maneuvered and connived and double dealt and underhandedly passed the so called &#8220;Obamacare&#8221; &#8220;Health Reform Bill&#8221;.  If it is such a good idea &#8211; why was there so much opposition to the bill by common folks?  And if it&#8217;s such a good idea, why do they not obligate Congress and the President to sign on to it &#8211; rather than providing their own first class service that is not available to the &#8220;great unwashed masses&#8221;?<span id="more-323"></span></p>
<p>But what surprises me are the voices lifted in thankfulness for the passage of the bill.  Voices of some who&#8217;s opinions I thought were carefully thought out.  How can a bill that is this expensive and which puts our nation at greater risk of bankruptcy be a good thing?  God teaches us to be careful of our finances and to spend wisely &#8211; this does not seem to be a wise thing at all.</p>
<p>Some Christian leaders are touting this as &#8220;The Bill Jesus Would Love&#8221; &#8211; or something to that effect, because it supposedly addresses the needs of the poor.  But does it?  And even if it does &#8211; is this the way?  When Peter asked about paying the temple tax, Jesus didn&#8217;t send him out to beg, nor did He send him out to steal. He sent him out to catch a fish &#8211; and allow God to provide for his needs.</p>
<p>Now, the question is &#8211; WHY would government even be interested in health care?  What is the history of health care in the first place?  Did you ever think about that?  Health care began when early Christians stayed behind in plague torn cities to take care of the sick and the dying.  They provided for those in need and established the first hospitals.  In fact, around the world we find hospitals that were established by medical missionaries.  People who felt the call to reach out to the sick and needy of the world &#8211; and did so with God&#8217;s help and provision.  So why is it that we now turn to government as the source of taking care of our health care needs?  Is it not because the Church has become irrelevant in many ways &#8211; turning over her work to secular government?  Schools in the US &#8211; started by churches.  Health care &#8211; started by Churches.  Shucks, even the militia was run from the church. (Look it up &#8211; folks carried their muskets to church and practiced drilling and shooting after services)  So why do we now turn those things over to secular government?</p>
<p>And why are we in the mess we are in?  Back in the 60&#8217;s a stay in the hospital cost less than $100 a night (in fact, if I recall correctly it cost less than $50).  So why do we now have such exorbitant costs?  Can you spell &#8220;lawyer&#8221; and &#8220;medical malpractice&#8221;?  Check out how high medical malpractice insurance is these days.  A huge portion of any doctor, anesthesiologist, nurse, hospital, dentist, etc bill goes to pay for medical malpractice insurance.  We&#8217;ve become such a sue happy nation that even negligence on the patient&#8217;s part can result in a multimillion dollar suit being settled against the doctor. Tort reform would do a lot more for us than &#8220;health care reform&#8221;.</p>
<p>So, what&#8217;s the solution?  Is taking from the &#8220;haves&#8221; to give to the &#8220;have nots&#8221; really justice?  No, it is not.  True social justice comes when society reaches out in love to the hurt and the needy &#8211; to give them a hand, not a handout. We have raised whole generations of people who depend on government from the cradle to the grave.  A look at the map of the districts represented by the congress critters who voted for the recent health care bill reveals that they all come from urban settings.  In my home state the largest city is the ONLY congressional district of either party to vote in favor.  Somehow I&#8217;m not surprised that this person voted in the interests of the feed trough mentality constituents &#8211; against the rights of the rest of society.</p>
<p>If the church would be the church, reaching out to the poor and helpless in true love &#8211; we could kiss such asinine legislation as that which our government foisted upon us goodbye.  But as long as the church remains content to limit herself to &#8220;worship services&#8221; and &#8220;praise services&#8221; and the four walls so many identify as the church &#8211; she will remain irrelevant and our culture will continue down the slippery slope towards servitude.</p>
<p>The problem isn&#8217;t that our nation voted in favor of socialism (a system geared for failure), the problem is that the church sees taking from one at the point of a gun to give to another as a way of showing the love of the Savior.</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fhealthcare-bill-some-thoughts%2F&amp;title=The+Healthcare+Bill+%26%238211%3B+Some+Thoughts" title="Bookmark this post : The Healthcare Bill &#8211; Some Thoughts on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fhealthcare-bill-some-thoughts%2F&amp;t=The+Healthcare+Bill+%26%238211%3B+Some+Thoughts" title="Recommend this post : The Healthcare Bill &#8211; Some Thoughts on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fhealthcare-bill-some-thoughts%2F&amp;title=The+Healthcare+Bill+%26%238211%3B+Some+Thoughts" title="Share this post : The Healthcare Bill &#8211; Some Thoughts with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/healthcare-bill-some-thoughts/feed" title="Follow this post : The Healthcare Bill &#8211; Some Thoughts comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/healthcare-bill-some-thoughts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Voices</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/the-voices/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/the-voices/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:25:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=305</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Growing up is not an easy task.  When one is tiny, new born and newly arrived at home, there are no choices and most things are laid out for one with everything necessary being provided.  But as one grows and begins the maturation process one begins to have choices.  At first the choices are simple, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Growing up is not an easy task.  When one is tiny, new born and newly arrived at home, there are no choices and most things are laid out for one with everything necessary being provided.  But as one grows and begins the maturation process one begins to have choices.  At first the choices are simple, such as: &#8220;Shall I wear the red shirt with stripes or the checkered blue one?&#8221;; &#8220;Shall I play with the ball or the fire truck?&#8221;.  But as we grow, we are continually faced with more and more complex choices.  To make things even <em><strong>more</strong></em> interesting we also have voices talking to us about the choices we have.</p>
<p><span id="more-305"></span>The earliest voice we hear is that of our parents.  From the time we were in the womb we were used to hearing those voices, especially that of our mother.  Not all pregnancies are alike, nor are all women the same &#8211; but typically the voice we hear is one of love and eagerness and longing to know us.  This voice is comforting, encouraging, inviting us to come and know a whole new world.  It is a voice we recognize and react to soon after our emergence into the confusing new world of loud sounds and bright lights.  It is the voice that comforts us as we face the confusion around us, often with less than a happy countenance.  And then there is our father&#8217;s voice.  In a well balanced family it is the other voice of comfort that we recognize from our brief stay in the womb.  It is the voice that soothed and comforted our mother, thus bringing comfort to us as well.  These two voices normally follow us through a great portion of our life.  They can serve to guide and give direction &#8211; if we learn to listen to them and they are guided by a higher voice.</p>
<p>Peers, friends, colleagues, companions &#8211; yet another source of voices of influence in our life.  At first, as small &#8220;rug bugs&#8221; sharing a blanket on the floor, they are voices of competition.  They&#8217;ll take a toy but at first this doesn&#8217;t matter that much. Then we reach the age of egocentricity and they are voices of competition, each one arguing over who the toy belongs too.  Thankfully this stage does not (usually) last long and we begin to converse and share thoughts with them.  Gradually their voices become stronger in our ears until sometimes they drown out all others.  And all too often they are voices that do not direct us down the path of greatest good for our future.</p>
<p>As we grow and continue in the maturation process, all too often we pay heed to these voices, especially when we reach the teen years and the struggle for self identity and for independence from our parents.  This struggle is normal and natural because God did not design us to be children forever.  He designed us to grow up, mature, leave what has been our home, find a mate and continue the cycle of life by starting new lives within our family which will in turn give new birth to new lives down the pathway of time.  But this struggle is difficult because as humans we all too often do not want to allow our children to grow up.  We futilely look back and wish they would stay cute and cuddly and listen only to our voice &#8211; because we are afraid of the future and do not trust in our Designer and His plans for our offspring.  And as children the struggle is difficult because we all too often want to throw of ALL influence of our progenitors, mistaking this for true freedom.</p>
<p>There are many things that complicate this process.  Parents who have not known how to be a godly influence can effect us in many ways.  They can, through overly controlling us through all stages of our life, lead us to a point in which we are incapable of making our own decisions.  Or, by the same spirit, they can drive us to the point of rebellion. Two reactions to the same stimulus.  Rare is the individual who can face such a parent and say &#8220;I love you.  I respect you. But this is my life and I choose to follow God&#8217;s direction for it. Thank you for helping me to become the person I am today.&#8221;  Usually the reaction is one of anger and rebellion and shutting ears to the voices we used to love, or a reaction of confusion and despair, allowing the voices to continue to manage our life and to make us incapable of taking our own decisions. And the voices of our peers and &#8220;friends&#8221; can seem to be &#8220;bright hope&#8221; because too often the promise of &#8220;freedom&#8221; and &#8220;individuality&#8221; drowns out the small voice of our own conscience telling us &#8220;Careful! Watch out!&#8221;.  Our tendency as humans seems to be one of trusting more the voices of those who are our peers than those of people who have more experience and wisdom than ourselves. This tendency is what got Adam and Eve in trouble &#8211; because although God said &#8220;Don&#8217;t&#8221;, the voice said &#8220;Do&#8221;.</p>
<p>And that brings us to the most important voice.  The voice of our Creator &#8211; God.  He designed us. He loved us before our mother and father knew of our existence.  He wants what is best for us and His Voice calls out to us from the beginning.  All nature sounds His voice.  As we see the precision of the universe, as we marvel at the irreducible complexity of our own cellular structure, His Voice speaks to us of His Wisdom and Love for us.  We are indeed &#8220;fearfully and wonderfully made&#8221;. If we heed His Voice, if we follow His call &#8211; He will lead us through paths of blessing and we will know true peace.  His Voice calls  to us.  It can be heard if we but listen for it.  Even through the babble and chatter of competing voices, if we listen He will guide us.</p>
<p>It comes down to &#8211; what is most important to your life?  What do you truly cherish?  Do you love your Creator?  Do you want His approval?  Then listen for His Voice and follow His guidance. He will be your true Guide and Stay &#8211; if you allow Him to.</p>
<p>Incidentally, <strong><a href="http://deltackett.com/2010/03/22/me-me-and-my-healthcare/#more-1979">here&#8217;s a little something</a></strong> I ran into as I took a break while writing this piece.  There&#8217;s some interesting things there that also deal with the subject matter of this piece.</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fthe-voices%2F&amp;title=The+Voices" title="Bookmark this post : The Voices on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fthe-voices%2F&amp;t=The+Voices" title="Recommend this post : The Voices on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fthe-voices%2F&amp;title=The+Voices" title="Share this post : The Voices with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/the-voices/feed" title="Follow this post : The Voices comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/23/the-voices/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Further Thoughts On Freedom</title>
		<link>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/13/further-thoughts-on-freedom/</link>
		<comments>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/13/further-thoughts-on-freedom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:56:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>paul</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paulmoreland.com/?p=290</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Apostle Paul wrote, &#8220;It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.&#8221;  Those words ring true not only for religious freedom (the object of the comment above) but also for freedom in general.  God made man a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Apostle Paul wrote, &#8220;It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.&#8221;  Those words ring true not only for religious freedom (the object of the comment above) but also for freedom in general.  God made man a free being.  He designed us for freedom and gave us the ability to think and reason and choose.  This is not an easy life to live &#8211; but it is the one for which He designed us.  In fact, the very freedom and the ability to choose present problems to many people who can not understand that if we have no choice but to do good that our obedience is empty and hollow, mechanical in nature rather than stemming from a heart that is desirous of pleasing one&#8217;s Creator.</p>
<p>The other evening we were discussing the problem of sin and evil with a new Christian.  <span id="more-290"></span>He struggles with the idea of &#8220;Why did God allow us to choose rather than creating a perfect world in which there would be no opportunity for sin?&#8221; And that&#8217;s a tough question if we look at it from our limited perspective.  If there is no choice then there is no opportunity for excellence because we would not know excellence since we have no point of reference.  In a land where the average height is somewhere around five and a half feet, a six foot tall man is a giant.  In a land where the average height is around six foot, he is just average.  It is a matter of perspective.</p>
<p>God gave us the ability to choose because He wants a people who freely come to Him and who seek His ways and His paths over any and all other ways and paths.  Love that is forced is not true love.  Obedience through lack of choice is not true obedience.  And the way to show whether a person really wants to live like He designed us is to allow them to choose between two paths.  If that person freely chooses to seek the path of Light and godliness over the path of darkness and sin, that person obviously WANTS to walk in God&#8217;s paths.</p>
<p>Too often we look at life and the choices before us from a limited perspective.  We don&#8217;t look far down the path to see the results of our choice, we tend to choose on the spur of the moment &#8211; too often being influenced by immediate gratification rather than long term results.  And that is where we tend to mess up.  Building for the long term means making tough choices in the short term.</p>
<p>Here are a few quotes from the founding fathers of the republic known as the United States of America.</p>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. &#8230; Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.&#8221; —Thomas Jefferson</li>
<li>&#8220;If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.&#8221; —Samuel Adams</li>
<li>&#8220;A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one!&#8221; —Alexander Hamilton</li>
<li>&#8220;They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.&#8221; —Benjamin Franklin</li>
<li>&#8220;Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God, I know not what course others may take, but give me liberty or give me death!&#8221; —Patrick Henry</li>
<li>&#8220;Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.&#8221; —George Washington</li>
<li>&#8220;Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.&#8221; —John Adams</li>
</ul>
<p>That last quote came to mind during another recent conversation.  In my current place of abode we are faced with an election for Congress critters and Senators as well as a primary (on the same day) for President. While discussing some of the principals we Christians should take into consideration before casting a vote, the subject of Constitutions came up.  I mentioned that although I&#8217;ve studied and considered the US Constitution in depth, the constitution of my current nation of residence is of such a complexity and length that I&#8217;ve long put off looking at it to any degree.</p>
<p>My friend commented, &#8220;The US Constitution is no longer sufficient to the needs of the nation.&#8221; At my raised eyebrow he went on to explain, &#8220;The US Constitution was designed for a moral and godly people, but the nation has long since departed from those principles.&#8221; OUCH!  I KNOW that&#8217;s true, but still it hurts to hear it from other lips.  And the funny thing is &#8211; he&#8217;s never read John Adams.  That&#8217;s right, he came to that conclusion through observation and consideration &#8211; and smacked it right on the head with accuracy.</p>
<p>He went on to say, &#8220;Our own constitution is complex of necessity.  We as a people are so corrupt that we can be governed in no other way.&#8221;  Again &#8211; he smacked the nail dead center. One of the &#8220;thorns in my side&#8221; here is the level and depth of dishonesty and corruption.  Everyone gripes about the politicians &#8211; but if we were to shoot them all and replace them with &#8220;average joes&#8221; off the street &#8211; we&#8217;d have the same type of problems because the roots of the problem go so deep.</p>
<p>But the thing about freedom is &#8211; we are free to choose wrong or to choose right.  We can choose justice and mercy and righteousness &#8211; or sink into apathy, egotism and filth.  Freedom allows us to choose.  We will become that which we CHOOSE to become.  If we choose to &#8220;go with the flow&#8221; &#8211; the flow goes naturally downward, if it moves at all. Stagnation results from NOT moving.  To move on an upward path requires a driving force, a desire to achieve.  Just think about plumbing for an instant.  If your toilet and drain pipes are not properly sloped they will cause the filth to back up and overflow.  If they are properly sloped they will cause the effluent to gently flow down into the cess pool.  But for the pure water to properly flow up from the well and into the home, there must be a pump to bring about the proper pressure.  As a nation are we merely &#8220;going with the flow&#8221; towards the cess pool of history, or are we ready to turn around and allow the desire for justice and mercy and godliness to to drive us to bring the pure, sparkling water of freedom in Christ to a thirsty world?</p>
<p>In the end, freedom must be chosen.  Freedom must be fought for.  Freedom must be wisely used.  God created us for freedom on all levels.  It is up to us to choose to live as He designed us &#8211; or to badly use that freedom which will lead us to follow the easy flow to corruption.</p>
<ul class="socialwrap size16 row">
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="delicious" href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F13%2Ffurther-thoughts-on-freedom%2F&amp;title=Further+Thoughts+On+Freedom" title="Bookmark this post : Further Thoughts On Freedom on Delicious"><span class="head">Bookmark on Delicious</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F13%2Ffurther-thoughts-on-freedom%2F&amp;t=Further+Thoughts+On+Freedom" title="Recommend this post : Further Thoughts On Freedom on Facebook"><span class="head">Recommend on Facebook</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="stumble" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaulmoreland.com%2F2010%2F03%2F13%2Ffurther-thoughts-on-freedom%2F&amp;title=Further+Thoughts+On+Freedom" title="Share this post : Further Thoughts On Freedom with Stumblers"><span class="head">Share with Stumblers</span></a></li>
<li class="iconOnly"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="rss" href="http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/13/further-thoughts-on-freedom/feed" title="Follow this post : Further Thoughts On Freedom comments"><span class="head">Subscribe to the comments on this post</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="clean"></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://paulmoreland.com/2010/03/13/further-thoughts-on-freedom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
