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Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

There it was, a gruesome, troubling image, appearing in various places on Facebook. The image is troubling, but the reality behind it is even more so.  And there is a need to make people think.  So I downloaded it, opened it in GIMP, added a black frame and the title.  Because “choice” is but a word.  It can be whitewashed and used anyway the people choose to use it.  But linked to an image, an image that shows the consequences of people making the wrong choice, perhaps it will give someone, somewhere, a reason to choose life. Already this picture has impacted people.  One acquaintance threatened to “unfriend” me over it (and the fact that I’m vocal in my beliefs, something that makes fence riders uncomfortable). Yes, the image is disturbing, but what SHOULD disturb us is the fact that thousands more such children are destroyed each day. This image is repeated, in even worse forms, time after time after time.  And we call ourselves “civilized”.

The 18th Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919 and went into effect on January 17, 1920.  This law was designed to put an end to the abuse of alcoholic beverages and to usher in an age of sobriety to the United States of America.  What really happened, however, was that the ratification of the amendment ushered in “The Roaring Twenties“, which were characterized in part by a disregard for the afore mentioned constitutional amendment, a proliferation of “speakeasies” and the rise of bootlegging and violent criminals willing to do what ever was necessary to provide alcohol to those who wished to imbibe in spite of the illegality of such an act.  The fortunes to be made by the relatively simple process of fermentation and distillation drove many to extraordinary lengths to provide that which was prohibited, with utter disregard for the law.  The “Nobel Experiment” came to an end with the ratification of the 21st Amendment  on December 5, 1933. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a movement afoot in which folks declare “We can’t know anything for certain except that we should ‘love’ everyone.” The comments are well meant, after all, folks want to “do what Jesus would do”.  The intention is to convince everyone to walk around “loving on everyone” and creating “one big happy family” out of human kind by ignoring any notion of right or wrong.

On the other hand, there are others who condemn anyone and everyone who disagree with them. They tend to have a legalistic outlook on life and see anyone who disagrees with their particular brand of theology as “obviously headed for hell in a hand-basket”. Their attitude seems to be “my way is better even that God’s way” and “Real love smacks people upside the head for not toeing MY line.”

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200 yards from the site where nearly 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001 by the actions of muslim extremists there is a plot of land upon which adherents of Islam wish to build a 13 story “prayer and cultural center”, an edifice which is being called “The Ground Zero Mosque”. Their plans have fanned the flames of discontent amongst those who remember the celebrations by muslims in the streets around the world that were broadcast in the aftermath of the horrific attacks. However, it is not just non-muslims who are raising their voices. A quick search on a good internet search engine yields a number of articles by and about muslims objecting to this project. From Miss America to imams to political commentators there are voices raised by muslims decrying the intentions of those who have formulated this plan.

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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 “exotic” situations such as amoeba, giardia, subcutaneous fly grubs, sand fleas, hookworm and hepatitis A – to name but a few of the things we came across. When a health issue would come we’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 “You’ve got amoebas again, take flagyl every day for a week and you’ll get over it.” 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’ll just confirm the obvious? Of course if you’re in a place where the lab technician can’t ID an amoeba to save their soul and the doctor won’t trust your knowledge and the pharmacy won’t sell without a prescription – you’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’ve no idea how much they spent on doctor and lab – but the lab never could come up with a diagnosis and the doctor wouldn’t prescribe based on another person’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.

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“This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’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 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’s our “Loyal duty” 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 – and for wasteful purposes. Read the rest of this entry »

Just got this from a friend’s Facebook status.  Fracis Schaeffer had a way with words and some great insight into the human condition.

“In passing, we should note this curious mark of our own age: the only absolute allowed is the absolute insistence that there is no absolute” – Francis Schaeffer

Well, the Congress critters did it – at least some of them did.  They maneuvered and connived and double dealt and underhandedly passed the so called “Obamacare” “Health Reform Bill”.  If it is such a good idea – why was there so much opposition to the bill by common folks?  And if it’s such a good idea, why do they not obligate Congress and the President to sign on to it – rather than providing their own first class service that is not available to the “great unwashed masses”? Read the rest of this entry »

The Apostle Paul wrote, “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.”  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 – 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’s Creator.

The other evening we were discussing the problem of sin and evil with a new Christian.  Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve read this before, but it arrived in my e-mail inbox yesterday and I got that round tuit to read it again today.

The Cycle of Democracy follows this sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty (rule of law);
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage (rule of men).

(Attributed to Frasier Tytler)

It reminds me of the story of the little boy who asked his mother, “Mommy, is it true that God made Adam from the dust of the earth?” Read the rest of this entry »