President Obama continued last night in his sales pitch for hijacking the U.S. health care system. The "euphemism" is his weapon of choice. A "euphemism" is defined as "a word of phrase used in place of a term that might be considered too direct, harsh, unpleasant, or offensive." Let me give you a few examples: health care "reform" - There is no editing, small change, or even overhaul of the system. He is engaging in an outright attack on our current system in an surreptitious effort to destroy what we know in favor of a government controlled system such as Canada or France; "town hall meeting" - He will not answer questions from anyone unless in a contrived, controlled setting in which he has complete control. I guess he learned his lesson when Joe the Plumber nailed his untruthfulness to the wall on national television. "Pro-choice" - The destruction of a human life because of the selfish choices of two adults who could have chosen while an unborn human being cannot choose its own fate.
His newest and most offensive euphemism is "evidence based care." He has chosen this phrase because it sounds scientific and educated, with a little taste of factual thrown into the mix. It is obviously more palatable and pleasant than explaining that he wants the government bureaucracy to make a blind and "one size fits all" decision about whether YOU receive medical treatment. Medicare and Medicaid do this on a daily basis and it is a disaster!
This lie from the President and the left is so offensive it is disgusting! When will people get sick of this offensive and dishonest stuff coming out of Washington. He and his cohorts have raised it to a pornographic art form. Evidence based care means...
bureaucrats will decide what tests and treatments you receive - not you or your doctor.
There will not be any aggressive or advance treatments because you will have to reach a certain "level" of sickness to have evidence of that sickness.
Innovative treatments will grind to a trickle!
Currently, there are a number of areas in which Medicare and Medicaid will not fund treatments which they are required by law to fund and patients are suing them to force them to pay. These areas often involve arguing over what is sufficient evidence of the effectiveness of the treatment.
Effective treatments which show great promise will not be available to the general public. There will be numerous trials which show the effectiveness of the treatment, procedure, or drug, but it has not yet been "approved" because the FDA has chosen to slow track it or it has been bogged down in their maze of inefficiency. It works and could be saving lives, but because it has not yet completed its "testing process," there is insufficient evidence of its effectiveness and so it will be denied to the public.
This form of lying is an outrage. The President and the left does not even believe enough in their system to fully explain it and let it rest on its own merits. They utilize a political form of dishonesty called the "euphemism." It is American to the core to present an honest position and then debate the merits. It is lying and dishonest to do what America now watches from the President, the Democratic party, many of the Republicans as well, and the mainstream media.
Please teach them what real communication looks like and make it clear to your U.S. Representative and your U.S. Senators that you will vote them out of office if they support this plan in any way, shape, or form.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Importance of Stating Your Position
I recently ran across a bumper sticker with this statement: When the people fear their government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty. This quote is credited to Thomas Jefferson and certainly reflects accurately the sentiments and strongly held beliefs of our founding fathers.
Unfortunately, the government no longer fears the people as it should. The rampant run of far-left policies that are bankrupting our nation for generations and the obvious desire to pass more of this outlandish schemes shows that those in power feel they can act with impunity. The constant state of corruptness and moral bankruptcy in the majority of our elected officials reflects this lack of fear as well.
There are some signs that the system designed by our founding fathers has enough wisdom and strength built into it to survive this onslaught against personal liberty. The will of the people still has an impact when it is expressed. Consider the horrible health care plan being designed by the President and his liberal cohorts. Their hubris is staggering to believe they can throw together in a sloppy fashion a far reaching and fundamental shift of our system to a one-payer system like in Europe. The only reason they would draft such a plan to be presented and then plead for it to be passed by August is their own belief that our desires and best interests are irrelevant.
As the information leaks out and facts become clear of this ridiculous plan, the people have begun to react and react strongly. The outcry is growing and even Democrats who have sacrificed their sole at the altar of Obama have begun backing away. The reason has nothing to do with their belief system and everything to do with what Jefferson foresaw.
We must not stop now because they seem to have stumbled. The only thing that works is when we verbally and strongly hold them accountable. We must constantly remind them of the next election. We must remind them that despite their best efforts to treat their seat as their "right", it is only a privilege temporarily granted by the people. We must be willing to take that privilege away without remorse when they do not vote in accordance with our views and best interests. Please take some time and write to a congressman or senator. Express your views. We must create in them a healthy fear of us or they will create a world in which we must fear them.
Unfortunately, the government no longer fears the people as it should. The rampant run of far-left policies that are bankrupting our nation for generations and the obvious desire to pass more of this outlandish schemes shows that those in power feel they can act with impunity. The constant state of corruptness and moral bankruptcy in the majority of our elected officials reflects this lack of fear as well.
There are some signs that the system designed by our founding fathers has enough wisdom and strength built into it to survive this onslaught against personal liberty. The will of the people still has an impact when it is expressed. Consider the horrible health care plan being designed by the President and his liberal cohorts. Their hubris is staggering to believe they can throw together in a sloppy fashion a far reaching and fundamental shift of our system to a one-payer system like in Europe. The only reason they would draft such a plan to be presented and then plead for it to be passed by August is their own belief that our desires and best interests are irrelevant.
As the information leaks out and facts become clear of this ridiculous plan, the people have begun to react and react strongly. The outcry is growing and even Democrats who have sacrificed their sole at the altar of Obama have begun backing away. The reason has nothing to do with their belief system and everything to do with what Jefferson foresaw.
We must not stop now because they seem to have stumbled. The only thing that works is when we verbally and strongly hold them accountable. We must constantly remind them of the next election. We must remind them that despite their best efforts to treat their seat as their "right", it is only a privilege temporarily granted by the people. We must be willing to take that privilege away without remorse when they do not vote in accordance with our views and best interests. Please take some time and write to a congressman or senator. Express your views. We must create in them a healthy fear of us or they will create a world in which we must fear them.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Senators and Congress did not Understand
In an article this weekend int he Arkansas Democrat Gazette, it was reported - in a small article unfortunately - that both the Senate and the Congress voted themselves a substantial increase in their tax payer funded "expense accounts." These accounts ostensibly are used to fund their legislative activities, pay a staff to aid them in this endeavor. Such an action shows a complete and total lack of understanding of anything about the economic times in which we live.
First of all, these accounts are about one thing - incumbent officials keeping their jobs. Election rates of incumbent officials are ridiculously high and have been documented time and again, obviating any need to do so again. The reasons are simple. Beyond the obvious name recognition of an incumbent, the next greatest issue is money. Our senators and congressman have gerrymandered the election process by using our tax dollars to create huge budgets to use for the purpose of keeping their jobs. They travel around the state to increase their visibility and to campaign on a constant basis. They use tax dollars to contact/communicate on a regular basis.
They will claim this money is to create good governance by giving them the ability to serve their constituency. The amounts of these accounts belie that argument. It is about re-election and gives them a hugely unfair advantage. Moreover, it if was about good governance and was used to help them communicate and understand the needs and thoughts of the people, then they would know from communicating with their constituency that we are in financially difficult times. They would know we hate these on-going and growing deficits. They would know the last thing they should do is increase expenses more by the selfish act of padding their own nests even more!
Their actions are far from anything but rank selfishness and narcissism. It is incredible to think that they would even consider such a move given the hundreds of billions that they are wasting, knowing they are planning to spend even more. They are increasing our taxes at every turn and yet they will increase them more just to pad their nests and insure their own best opportunity for re-election using our money.
I do not want any more of my money to go to them. Moreover, I have never voted for either U.S. Senator and I have not ever voted for our U.S. Representative. I do not want them taking more of my money to further their own self-interests and re-election efforts. They have already mortgaged the future of my children. Now they are taking more money from their mouths, hands, and college funds to increase their own expense accounts to give them more resources to take more of my children's money.
The only answer is to defeat them at the ballot box so they cannot take more of my children's money.
First of all, these accounts are about one thing - incumbent officials keeping their jobs. Election rates of incumbent officials are ridiculously high and have been documented time and again, obviating any need to do so again. The reasons are simple. Beyond the obvious name recognition of an incumbent, the next greatest issue is money. Our senators and congressman have gerrymandered the election process by using our tax dollars to create huge budgets to use for the purpose of keeping their jobs. They travel around the state to increase their visibility and to campaign on a constant basis. They use tax dollars to contact/communicate on a regular basis.
They will claim this money is to create good governance by giving them the ability to serve their constituency. The amounts of these accounts belie that argument. It is about re-election and gives them a hugely unfair advantage. Moreover, it if was about good governance and was used to help them communicate and understand the needs and thoughts of the people, then they would know from communicating with their constituency that we are in financially difficult times. They would know we hate these on-going and growing deficits. They would know the last thing they should do is increase expenses more by the selfish act of padding their own nests even more!
Their actions are far from anything but rank selfishness and narcissism. It is incredible to think that they would even consider such a move given the hundreds of billions that they are wasting, knowing they are planning to spend even more. They are increasing our taxes at every turn and yet they will increase them more just to pad their nests and insure their own best opportunity for re-election using our money.
I do not want any more of my money to go to them. Moreover, I have never voted for either U.S. Senator and I have not ever voted for our U.S. Representative. I do not want them taking more of my money to further their own self-interests and re-election efforts. They have already mortgaged the future of my children. Now they are taking more money from their mouths, hands, and college funds to increase their own expense accounts to give them more resources to take more of my children's money.
The only answer is to defeat them at the ballot box so they cannot take more of my children's money.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Say NO! to supporting government control of healthcare
In driving back to the office from lunch today (in my beloved SUV by the way), I heard Senator Lincoln once again confirm her liberal love for government during a radio interview. She spoke in favor of the need for "healthcare reform" and justified the expensive nature of the proposals being proffered by her party. Her incredibly thin argument was this: The current plan was 50 years in the making and therefore will be expensive to overhaul. That's it. That is all of the economic support necessary to justify the more than 1 TRILLION DOLLARS her party will propose to spend.
She made a over-simplified blanket statement that cost savings would occur by "managing" long term conditions as opposed to treating "acute" cases. Presumably she is attempting to make us believe the government will proactive and guide better preventative medicine and treatment. These arguments are intended to mislead. She is simply using buzzwords to make some argument sound simple that is not. The arguments being proffered by her and her beloved Democratic Party are simply incorrect, inaccurate, and being proffered by the President and their leaders to hide the truth of their goals and agendas.
But I have a second problem with her arguments in addition to their untruthfulness. They are not credible at all. No area of government regulation which currently deals with healthcare issues functions in this fashion at all. Why is it all of a sudden going to change? Medicaid simply does not in anyway shape or form function according to her proposition. In fact, it functions in the opposite fashion. Her position is bogus. Medicaid always lags in its approval of new and innovative treatments. It always fights preventative measures. All decision are made on the basis of short-term cost savings.
The FDA is a horrible agency and does a terrible job in its approval process of new drugs and treatments. There are hundreds of effective treatments going on right now in "trials" that are having amazing effects. They are not being approved because of bureaucracy and politics - and no other reasons. They treat drug companies as the pariah of our nation - the very place that research and development occurs to develop preventative medicine, non-invasive procedures, etc.
Moreover, the experience of other countries with socialistic, single-payer systems disproves her argument. One of the worst issues in everyone of the other countries that functions like she and President Obama would like the U.S. to function is the government's failure to permit advance treatment, preventative medicine, advancement of new and experimental treatments which would ultimately lower health care costs because they may be more expensive in the short-term. Why is a U.S. run system going to be different when the governmental agencies that we have already tend in that same direction? It is the nature of government to make short-term, cost based, no-visionary, lowest common denominator, one-size fits all decisions.
Someone please tell me with a straight face how the U.S. government that has managed healthcare matters in this fashion through its current agencies is going to suddenly become patient friendly, visionary, and interested in long term results. I would love to hear someone make that argument. Senator Lincoln's comments certainly are not convincing and do not prove the case for government run health care. Instead, they simply prove her love for government and her total loyalty to the government expansion agenda of her beloved party. Watch as she steps up this rhetoric in conjunction with the soon to come deluge of lies and misinformation regarding the hijacking of our healthcare system. This is about her party's agenda to expand government as much as we allow them to do it. Let's say NO!
She made a over-simplified blanket statement that cost savings would occur by "managing" long term conditions as opposed to treating "acute" cases. Presumably she is attempting to make us believe the government will proactive and guide better preventative medicine and treatment. These arguments are intended to mislead. She is simply using buzzwords to make some argument sound simple that is not. The arguments being proffered by her and her beloved Democratic Party are simply incorrect, inaccurate, and being proffered by the President and their leaders to hide the truth of their goals and agendas.
But I have a second problem with her arguments in addition to their untruthfulness. They are not credible at all. No area of government regulation which currently deals with healthcare issues functions in this fashion at all. Why is it all of a sudden going to change? Medicaid simply does not in anyway shape or form function according to her proposition. In fact, it functions in the opposite fashion. Her position is bogus. Medicaid always lags in its approval of new and innovative treatments. It always fights preventative measures. All decision are made on the basis of short-term cost savings.
The FDA is a horrible agency and does a terrible job in its approval process of new drugs and treatments. There are hundreds of effective treatments going on right now in "trials" that are having amazing effects. They are not being approved because of bureaucracy and politics - and no other reasons. They treat drug companies as the pariah of our nation - the very place that research and development occurs to develop preventative medicine, non-invasive procedures, etc.
Moreover, the experience of other countries with socialistic, single-payer systems disproves her argument. One of the worst issues in everyone of the other countries that functions like she and President Obama would like the U.S. to function is the government's failure to permit advance treatment, preventative medicine, advancement of new and experimental treatments which would ultimately lower health care costs because they may be more expensive in the short-term. Why is a U.S. run system going to be different when the governmental agencies that we have already tend in that same direction? It is the nature of government to make short-term, cost based, no-visionary, lowest common denominator, one-size fits all decisions.
Someone please tell me with a straight face how the U.S. government that has managed healthcare matters in this fashion through its current agencies is going to suddenly become patient friendly, visionary, and interested in long term results. I would love to hear someone make that argument. Senator Lincoln's comments certainly are not convincing and do not prove the case for government run health care. Instead, they simply prove her love for government and her total loyalty to the government expansion agenda of her beloved party. Watch as she steps up this rhetoric in conjunction with the soon to come deluge of lies and misinformation regarding the hijacking of our healthcare system. This is about her party's agenda to expand government as much as we allow them to do it. Let's say NO!
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Summer is for Reading
I want to encourage you this summer to be a reader. When I mention reading, most of you fall into one of two general categories. First, there are those of you who have already quit reading this because reading is not something you enjoy and skimming a blog on the net is the full extent of your reading pleasure. On the other hand, the other category presents the opposite. You were immediately transported to Barnes & Nobles in an effort to pick out this year's beach chair romance or thriller.
Neither of those responses are my intended target. Before I exhort you to read something more substantive this summer, I want to assure you that I love reading fiction novels. Adventure novels and spy thrillers both are guilty pleasures that I enjoy with great passion. The excitement of a fast-paced story filled with thrills and enjoyable characters is certainly exhilarating and en effective escape from day to day stress.
Summer itself provides enough escape. It is filled with blockbuster movies, vacations, trips to the lake, baseball, and endless distractions. In fact, our culture ha trained us to "take the summer off" in virtually every area of life. We put it on cruise control at church, kids are out of school, and family routines go by the wayside. We put in our time at work and then recreate ourselves into mindlessness. It is not a stretch to state that the average christian, who struggles with a quiet time on good days, will lose most of the summer in terms of any bible study at all.
Satan does not however take the summer off. He finds our holidays to be a time of great harvest. He wreaks havoc in the lives of teenagers and in marriages. Children fail to receive any effective spiritual training - with the possible exception of a week of Vacation Bible School. Churches are forced to reduce or eliminate all but the staple of Sunday morning programming. The spiritual cost to "summer vacation" is devastating.
Try something different this summer. Read a real book. Do a study with your family. Engage your mind and heart this summer. It is the perfect time to grow. Give your kids something to read that is positive and stimulating to their spiritual life and intellect. They have no homework and no risk of work overload. They have far less in the way of time constraints. This is the perfect time to place in front of them some incredible teaching. Read something with them. Start a family reading list or devotional. Prepare them for the next school year. Have them read American history books that fill in the gaps left by their secular history.
Here are a few principles. 1) Select a couple of books for them based upon their age, learning, stage of education, and interests. 2) Select a couple of different genres for diversity and interest. Choose a spiritual book for growth and a book of history of some sort. 3) Discuss the books with them as they read. It certainly would not hurt you to read along with them. 4) Motivate them in such as way as to make it fun and not punishment. Pay them for reading. reward them with trips to the ice cream parlor for each completed chapter. Find some way to make it fun and worthwhile.
Here are some ideas. Biographies: You should read at least one biography every year. Summer is a great time. Choose a historical figure such as a President, General, or famous missionary.
Historical Accounts: Choose a famous event and read a book about it. There are myriads to choose from. Select a specific revival. Select a famous battle from the civil war or World War II. There are wonderful accounts of famous expeditions, inventions, etc.
Literature: Summer is the perfect time to introduce your family to great works of literature - C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, etc.
Audiobooks: This is a great avenue for reading - yes it is reading because it uses the written word to educate, expand, excite, and illuminate. They are so easily obtained today. A cheap subscription to audible.com is worth a mint. You can download them from the internet using a phone, an ipod, or laptop. You can purchase them at used bookstores. You can go in 1/2s with a friend and share them between your children.
Summer is the perfect time to red. It is the perfect time to help your children grow in a new area of their spiritual life. It is a chance to enhance their education and grow their minds by teaching them to enjoy and embrace reading. It is a prefect time to plug the holes in their true understanding to the biblical foundation of our country by reading about the Constitution, the American Revolution, or the faith of our forefathers. It is a time to excite them about the church through biographies of leaders and stories of revival. It is the time to expand their view of their own futures by sharing with them the biographies of great men and women that will teach them to be passionate and visionary.
It all begins with your vision of the summer as the perfect time for reading.
Neither of those responses are my intended target. Before I exhort you to read something more substantive this summer, I want to assure you that I love reading fiction novels. Adventure novels and spy thrillers both are guilty pleasures that I enjoy with great passion. The excitement of a fast-paced story filled with thrills and enjoyable characters is certainly exhilarating and en effective escape from day to day stress.
Summer itself provides enough escape. It is filled with blockbuster movies, vacations, trips to the lake, baseball, and endless distractions. In fact, our culture ha trained us to "take the summer off" in virtually every area of life. We put it on cruise control at church, kids are out of school, and family routines go by the wayside. We put in our time at work and then recreate ourselves into mindlessness. It is not a stretch to state that the average christian, who struggles with a quiet time on good days, will lose most of the summer in terms of any bible study at all.
Satan does not however take the summer off. He finds our holidays to be a time of great harvest. He wreaks havoc in the lives of teenagers and in marriages. Children fail to receive any effective spiritual training - with the possible exception of a week of Vacation Bible School. Churches are forced to reduce or eliminate all but the staple of Sunday morning programming. The spiritual cost to "summer vacation" is devastating.
Try something different this summer. Read a real book. Do a study with your family. Engage your mind and heart this summer. It is the perfect time to grow. Give your kids something to read that is positive and stimulating to their spiritual life and intellect. They have no homework and no risk of work overload. They have far less in the way of time constraints. This is the perfect time to place in front of them some incredible teaching. Read something with them. Start a family reading list or devotional. Prepare them for the next school year. Have them read American history books that fill in the gaps left by their secular history.
Here are a few principles. 1) Select a couple of books for them based upon their age, learning, stage of education, and interests. 2) Select a couple of different genres for diversity and interest. Choose a spiritual book for growth and a book of history of some sort. 3) Discuss the books with them as they read. It certainly would not hurt you to read along with them. 4) Motivate them in such as way as to make it fun and not punishment. Pay them for reading. reward them with trips to the ice cream parlor for each completed chapter. Find some way to make it fun and worthwhile.
Here are some ideas. Biographies: You should read at least one biography every year. Summer is a great time. Choose a historical figure such as a President, General, or famous missionary.
Historical Accounts: Choose a famous event and read a book about it. There are myriads to choose from. Select a specific revival. Select a famous battle from the civil war or World War II. There are wonderful accounts of famous expeditions, inventions, etc.
Literature: Summer is the perfect time to introduce your family to great works of literature - C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, etc.
Audiobooks: This is a great avenue for reading - yes it is reading because it uses the written word to educate, expand, excite, and illuminate. They are so easily obtained today. A cheap subscription to audible.com is worth a mint. You can download them from the internet using a phone, an ipod, or laptop. You can purchase them at used bookstores. You can go in 1/2s with a friend and share them between your children.
Summer is the perfect time to red. It is the perfect time to help your children grow in a new area of their spiritual life. It is a chance to enhance their education and grow their minds by teaching them to enjoy and embrace reading. It is a prefect time to plug the holes in their true understanding to the biblical foundation of our country by reading about the Constitution, the American Revolution, or the faith of our forefathers. It is a time to excite them about the church through biographies of leaders and stories of revival. It is the time to expand their view of their own futures by sharing with them the biographies of great men and women that will teach them to be passionate and visionary.
It all begins with your vision of the summer as the perfect time for reading.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Exciting to see comparable ideas!
On Thursday June 4, I posted a blog presenting my thoughts regarding the continuing viability of christian ideals in our culture. It was exciting today to receive my new edition of World Magazine and see the cover article with this title: is Christianity in the U.S. doomed? Headlines trumpet decline, but a closer look suggests a continued roller coaster ride.
It is an excellent article and in many ways follows a similar line of reasoning. It also arrives at a similar conclusion. I did not know what the think when I started this blog or how to do it. I did believe it was time to present what I view as truthful discussion of issues facing our time. I must confess the first was somewhat greater.
It is satisfying and exciting to read something - AFTER I blogged about it. And in a respected magazine - if you do not read it then you should. Not trying to pat myself on the back, just wanted to share my excitement. Maybe I am not as lost as I thought I was.
It is an excellent article and in many ways follows a similar line of reasoning. It also arrives at a similar conclusion. I did not know what the think when I started this blog or how to do it. I did believe it was time to present what I view as truthful discussion of issues facing our time. I must confess the first was somewhat greater.
It is satisfying and exciting to read something - AFTER I blogged about it. And in a respected magazine - if you do not read it then you should. Not trying to pat myself on the back, just wanted to share my excitement. Maybe I am not as lost as I thought I was.
Integrity Requires Choosing Courage Over Comfort
America has undoubtedly created the most affluent and powerful economy our world has ever known. Having travelled around the world, it is obvious that we are wealthy, even in the midst of a recession as looming as this one has become.
In fact, this affluence is so pervasive that it has become one of the most defining aspects of our culture. While our national affluence has positive benefits, it has also created an insidious assault on our moral character. In our world, we now value above all else - comfort. We seek rest, recreation, and experiences that make us happy. We seek to alleviate pain or discomfort by any and all means. We want things now, without fuss or wait. We are getting fat and lazy as a nation. We now even expect no pain and ease in our exercise routines - and expect them to train us in 15 minutes or less. Our desire to maintain our personal comfort knows no boundaries.
This desire has become so pervasive that it has affected our ability to see and chose what is right. This effect is described with great insight and clarity in The Seven Faith Tribes by George Barna. In this insightful book, worthy of its price and the time required to read it, Barna categorizes and describes the basic faith "tribes" in our culture today. The largest he describes as "Casual Christians." According to his statistical analysis, they make up 150 out of 225 million adults, the largest single category or tribe by a wide margin.
This group views themselves as "christians" but do not practice the disciplines prescribed by scripture. They claim to believe in the Bible, but have little understanding of it and do not profess a belief in it as without error. This affects their actual life practices. Barna makes these statements: "They claim to support "traditional family values" but are equally as prone to adopting nontraditional viewpoints in order to stay connected to people and to remain at peace with their world." "For the most part, they believe that other people see them as leaders, and they do what they can to promote their ideas and goals without stirring conflict or controversy:such friction makes them uncomfortable."
This indictment may be the worst of all: "Most Casuals (59 %) think of themselves as "deeply spiritual" and feel that God has accepted them as they are, for who they are. This contributes greatly to their sense of peace with the world. They have no particular passion about vocally representing God and His ways in the world. Casuals are more interested in living a simple, low-key life filled with happiness and fulfillment than pursuing faith-based truth and righteousness."
It is easy to see why our nation is culturally rotting away - deteriorating from the inside like some decaying corpse. When the major value in life becomes comfort, then what is right has lost its champion. People are more than willing to compromise in order to keep the peace or avoid any discomfort. This may seem like a small matter, but after a couple of generations we reap the crop of this insidious seed: rampant alcoholism as an escape, prescription drug abuse, the over use of "coping drugs", abortion on demand to avoid consequences of "unwanted pregnancies" and the list goes on. It is fed by politicians who blithely proffer promises of handouts and bailouts simply as a means of gaining power. Their offer is effective because of this personality in our culture. It is fed by pastors who only preach the emotional salve of positive thinking or a "name it claim it" view of faith.
This was not a surprise to our Lord. He told us that there are two roads: a narrow one and a wide one. He described the wide road as one of ease, or comfort, and explained that many would take it. He warned us that as time went on people would not want the truth, but teachers who would "tickle their ears" by telling hem what they want to hear instead of challenging them to make courageous choices of obedience and holiness.
It is time for people to learn to grow and emotional backbone and do the work necessary to develop real character. That means growing the intestinal fortitude to choose what is right regardless of the personal cost. But where do we begin to change a culture so driven by this passion for personal comfort? It must begin with christians. We must realize that we have lost our integrity and become a part of the problem instead of being a "light." We must develop the courage to stand for what the Bible says is right in our own personal lives before we will become strong enough to impact our culture.
The average church member attends 50% of the time, only gives and average of 3 hours to spiritual matters (less than television), only gives nominally but claims in surveys to tithe, and will never lead one single person to a salvation decision. Our behavior matches that of the world in every way: divorce rate, bankruptcy rate, Internet usage, television consumption, time spent with our children, etc. We will never impact the world in this fashion.
It takes courage to stand for what is right. It takes courage to say no to live a different way. It takes courage to tithe, turn down promotions, home school or pay for private tuition at a church school, remove your tv, limit video games from your kids and play with them every night, study enough to be an apologist for your faith, and witness to a lost person. It takes courage to minister to broken people and invest in their lives so they can experience the freedom of knowing what it means to grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We cannot really chastise the culture for being courageous when we are not. We need to take up the exhortation God gave to Joshua to be "strong and of good courage." Only then will integrity have a fighting chance to blossom in our culture.
In fact, this affluence is so pervasive that it has become one of the most defining aspects of our culture. While our national affluence has positive benefits, it has also created an insidious assault on our moral character. In our world, we now value above all else - comfort. We seek rest, recreation, and experiences that make us happy. We seek to alleviate pain or discomfort by any and all means. We want things now, without fuss or wait. We are getting fat and lazy as a nation. We now even expect no pain and ease in our exercise routines - and expect them to train us in 15 minutes or less. Our desire to maintain our personal comfort knows no boundaries.
This desire has become so pervasive that it has affected our ability to see and chose what is right. This effect is described with great insight and clarity in The Seven Faith Tribes by George Barna. In this insightful book, worthy of its price and the time required to read it, Barna categorizes and describes the basic faith "tribes" in our culture today. The largest he describes as "Casual Christians." According to his statistical analysis, they make up 150 out of 225 million adults, the largest single category or tribe by a wide margin.
This group views themselves as "christians" but do not practice the disciplines prescribed by scripture. They claim to believe in the Bible, but have little understanding of it and do not profess a belief in it as without error. This affects their actual life practices. Barna makes these statements: "They claim to support "traditional family values" but are equally as prone to adopting nontraditional viewpoints in order to stay connected to people and to remain at peace with their world." "For the most part, they believe that other people see them as leaders, and they do what they can to promote their ideas and goals without stirring conflict or controversy:such friction makes them uncomfortable."
This indictment may be the worst of all: "Most Casuals (59 %) think of themselves as "deeply spiritual" and feel that God has accepted them as they are, for who they are. This contributes greatly to their sense of peace with the world. They have no particular passion about vocally representing God and His ways in the world. Casuals are more interested in living a simple, low-key life filled with happiness and fulfillment than pursuing faith-based truth and righteousness."
It is easy to see why our nation is culturally rotting away - deteriorating from the inside like some decaying corpse. When the major value in life becomes comfort, then what is right has lost its champion. People are more than willing to compromise in order to keep the peace or avoid any discomfort. This may seem like a small matter, but after a couple of generations we reap the crop of this insidious seed: rampant alcoholism as an escape, prescription drug abuse, the over use of "coping drugs", abortion on demand to avoid consequences of "unwanted pregnancies" and the list goes on. It is fed by politicians who blithely proffer promises of handouts and bailouts simply as a means of gaining power. Their offer is effective because of this personality in our culture. It is fed by pastors who only preach the emotional salve of positive thinking or a "name it claim it" view of faith.
This was not a surprise to our Lord. He told us that there are two roads: a narrow one and a wide one. He described the wide road as one of ease, or comfort, and explained that many would take it. He warned us that as time went on people would not want the truth, but teachers who would "tickle their ears" by telling hem what they want to hear instead of challenging them to make courageous choices of obedience and holiness.
It is time for people to learn to grow and emotional backbone and do the work necessary to develop real character. That means growing the intestinal fortitude to choose what is right regardless of the personal cost. But where do we begin to change a culture so driven by this passion for personal comfort? It must begin with christians. We must realize that we have lost our integrity and become a part of the problem instead of being a "light." We must develop the courage to stand for what the Bible says is right in our own personal lives before we will become strong enough to impact our culture.
The average church member attends 50% of the time, only gives and average of 3 hours to spiritual matters (less than television), only gives nominally but claims in surveys to tithe, and will never lead one single person to a salvation decision. Our behavior matches that of the world in every way: divorce rate, bankruptcy rate, Internet usage, television consumption, time spent with our children, etc. We will never impact the world in this fashion.
It takes courage to stand for what is right. It takes courage to say no to live a different way. It takes courage to tithe, turn down promotions, home school or pay for private tuition at a church school, remove your tv, limit video games from your kids and play with them every night, study enough to be an apologist for your faith, and witness to a lost person. It takes courage to minister to broken people and invest in their lives so they can experience the freedom of knowing what it means to grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We cannot really chastise the culture for being courageous when we are not. We need to take up the exhortation God gave to Joshua to be "strong and of good courage." Only then will integrity have a fighting chance to blossom in our culture.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Are We a Muslim or Christian Nation?
President Obama has caused yet another stir amongst Americans with his recent statements defining us as "not a christian" nation and recently saying we are one of the world's largest "muslim" nations because of the number of muslims in America. Both of these statements are non-sensical. If it were not so disastrous, it would be funny to track the President and the Vice-president with a "gaffe-meter" to see which one is the more ridiculous. It is however not a laughing matter but the measure of his liberal, Ivy-league academic agenda.
First, it is clear that Obama made his statement about our nation as no longer "christian" as a statement of our culture and religious focus. Many liberal pundits as trying modify his comments into lesson on Constitutional law by saying he was imply stating the obvious that America does not have an government supported church. That is a lie to try and "spin" his actual comments. He was not speaking on that subject at all. Moreover, it would be silly to do so since he was in Europe s[peaking to a European audience who have no interest whatsoever in our Constitution. He was clearly making a comment on our culture. He was trying to redefine us to Europeans in a way he thinks will help our foreign policy. Whether it helps or not is not part of this discussion. (It does not by the way.) He is working from a liberal agenda and worldview. It is the same one that produces revisionist history books trying to weaken the connection between a Judeo-Christian worldview and the founding of our country.
Second, he is further trying to advance his worldview by making the patently false statement that we are "muslim" because of the numbers here. His numbers are dead wrong and again he is dead wrong. Every reputable statistical model numbers muslims as an extremely small portion of our society. George Barna's recent book The Seven Faith Tribes, produces one such study. He numbers what he calls "captive christians" (those who strive to truly live out the teachings of Christ beyond mere lip service) as approximately 36 million. He also states that a large majority of Americans are "casual christians" - 2/3 of all Americans. These are folks who are nominal and for the most part active little beyond verbal assent and occasional practice. He numbers Muslims this way: "Muslims, while growing in number, make up considerably less than 1% of the American population, but they represent a significant, if controversial, point of view on the faith spectrum." How could these statistics ever be twisted to justify such a statement?
Clearly, the President is educated. Obviously he has more resources at his disposal than anyone else in America, including demographics and statistics. He also polls more than anyone else on the planet. Given these facts, he KNOWS his statement was untrue. It is yet another example that he is unconcerned with the truth. He is more concerned, as are all of his liberal allies, with the narrative he tells in support of his agenda than with the truth.
His first statement shows he cares not for the heritage of our country. The second shows he is more concerned with movement in his direction and will say anything to anyone in order to make an argument for his agenda.
Our heritage is firm despite his disdain for it. It is clear despite the desire of Ivy-league liberal ideologues to re-write history to eradicate this heritage. And despite his protestations to the contrary, our culture still values our heritage of the freedom to worship God and our nation's heart to turn in that direction in times of need. Certainly, our nation is liberalizing - in no small part to the decades long agenda of folks like the President and his allies. But they have not been successful in undoing it.
Churches are still active. Southern Baptists are one of the largest disaster relief organizations in the U.S. The Catholic church has and still is taking care of more AIDS patients in their hospices than any other. While liberals are validating gay marriage and homosexuals, christians are ministering and picking up the pieces of the devastation. They can aggressively hijack the law to further abortion rights, but the country is not listening to them. Trends show the U.S. is rejecting the abortion arguments in favor of pro-life. This is in large measure to the efforts of believers - christians.
We are in a culture war make no mistake. It is a difficult struggle and we have lost many battles. But have no fear, there is fertile ground. The Bible still has power in America. We still have our heritage to build upon as a nation. That heritage is a christian one no matter what others may try to say. People still listen to preachers, read books from a biblical perspective that point to a way of life centered on faith in God, and they still make a point to pray for our men and women in the Armed Forces. These things are not going away. They still give us confidence that the christian values that were woven into the fabric of our heritage are still a viable force in our future - as a christian nation and not as a muslim one.
First, it is clear that Obama made his statement about our nation as no longer "christian" as a statement of our culture and religious focus. Many liberal pundits as trying modify his comments into lesson on Constitutional law by saying he was imply stating the obvious that America does not have an government supported church. That is a lie to try and "spin" his actual comments. He was not speaking on that subject at all. Moreover, it would be silly to do so since he was in Europe s[peaking to a European audience who have no interest whatsoever in our Constitution. He was clearly making a comment on our culture. He was trying to redefine us to Europeans in a way he thinks will help our foreign policy. Whether it helps or not is not part of this discussion. (It does not by the way.) He is working from a liberal agenda and worldview. It is the same one that produces revisionist history books trying to weaken the connection between a Judeo-Christian worldview and the founding of our country.
Second, he is further trying to advance his worldview by making the patently false statement that we are "muslim" because of the numbers here. His numbers are dead wrong and again he is dead wrong. Every reputable statistical model numbers muslims as an extremely small portion of our society. George Barna's recent book The Seven Faith Tribes, produces one such study. He numbers what he calls "captive christians" (those who strive to truly live out the teachings of Christ beyond mere lip service) as approximately 36 million. He also states that a large majority of Americans are "casual christians" - 2/3 of all Americans. These are folks who are nominal and for the most part active little beyond verbal assent and occasional practice. He numbers Muslims this way: "Muslims, while growing in number, make up considerably less than 1% of the American population, but they represent a significant, if controversial, point of view on the faith spectrum." How could these statistics ever be twisted to justify such a statement?
Clearly, the President is educated. Obviously he has more resources at his disposal than anyone else in America, including demographics and statistics. He also polls more than anyone else on the planet. Given these facts, he KNOWS his statement was untrue. It is yet another example that he is unconcerned with the truth. He is more concerned, as are all of his liberal allies, with the narrative he tells in support of his agenda than with the truth.
His first statement shows he cares not for the heritage of our country. The second shows he is more concerned with movement in his direction and will say anything to anyone in order to make an argument for his agenda.
Our heritage is firm despite his disdain for it. It is clear despite the desire of Ivy-league liberal ideologues to re-write history to eradicate this heritage. And despite his protestations to the contrary, our culture still values our heritage of the freedom to worship God and our nation's heart to turn in that direction in times of need. Certainly, our nation is liberalizing - in no small part to the decades long agenda of folks like the President and his allies. But they have not been successful in undoing it.
Churches are still active. Southern Baptists are one of the largest disaster relief organizations in the U.S. The Catholic church has and still is taking care of more AIDS patients in their hospices than any other. While liberals are validating gay marriage and homosexuals, christians are ministering and picking up the pieces of the devastation. They can aggressively hijack the law to further abortion rights, but the country is not listening to them. Trends show the U.S. is rejecting the abortion arguments in favor of pro-life. This is in large measure to the efforts of believers - christians.
We are in a culture war make no mistake. It is a difficult struggle and we have lost many battles. But have no fear, there is fertile ground. The Bible still has power in America. We still have our heritage to build upon as a nation. That heritage is a christian one no matter what others may try to say. People still listen to preachers, read books from a biblical perspective that point to a way of life centered on faith in God, and they still make a point to pray for our men and women in the Armed Forces. These things are not going away. They still give us confidence that the christian values that were woven into the fabric of our heritage are still a viable force in our future - as a christian nation and not as a muslim one.
Being Pro-life is about protecting the defenseless
This week has been yet another opportunity to watch the abortion supporters reveal the insidious selfishness and evil of their support for the killing of innocent life. The hypocrisy in the reporting of Dr. Tiller's death is one example. Make no mistake about it that the taking of any life is a tragedy. It is wrong to take a life violently, even if it was Dr. Tiller. We are pro-life and that has to mean something. It is clear that 99% or more of pro-life people believe this to be immutable. They were not interviewed by the media and this obvious truth was not reported.
Instead, they acted like this was somehow the actions and attitudes of pro-life people. They also glorified him as some humanitarian and hid the fact he consistently performed late-term abortions for dubious reasons. They have an agenda which has nothing to do with truth or facts, but only their opinion. It is all about simply supporting their "side."
The media completely ignores the horrible murder of an Army recruiter - an honorable young man in an honorable profession - to extol the virtues of Dr. Tiller and his "tragic" loss because they are focused on advocating their position.
The liberal abortion supporters reveal the true nature of their selfishness every time they advocate in this manner. They have abandoned any view of morality. They argue against the protection of defenseless human life because that life requires some sacrifice from them. They feel the freedom to ignore the sacrifice of a young soldier to a Muslim terrorist because there is no inherent value in protecting others - the mission of the Armed Forces.
This was never more evident than in a television interview with Patricia Ireland. She is a long time supporter of abortion rights in many roles and is revered by the liberal left. In an interview by Bill O'Reilly, she clearly stated that she believed life begins at conception. She confirmed in her own words, clearly and willingly, that life begins at conception.
When pressed as to the rationale for her support of abortion given this truth, she stated that this defenseless human had not life its life and the mother had hers to live. The mother has dreams, life, other children, a career, and real life that is on-going. For this reason, the law should grant her the right to destroy another life. The logic is clear - another life, especially a defenseless one- is not as important as the one that appears to carry more value in her own eyes.
The evil of this logic is astounding. The arrogance to decide one life is greater and of more importance than another life is evil. The callous disregard for the defenseless is evil. She and others beam with pride at their arguments and state them clearly for all to see. Yet they are so blinded by their evil arrogance and selfishness that it never dawns on them that they are admitting the evil of their position. Those who compromise and vote along with this agenda, such as our delegation from Arkansas and others around the Nation, are guilty of the same selfishness and failure to protect the defenseless.
The true depth of their evil is create and perpetuate a law that protects the selfish whims of the mother - who can defend herself - at the final and eternal expense of a defenseless unborn human being. Proverbs 31:8 is part of a Godly mother's instructions to her son as to the role of a Godly leader. She states unequivocally, "Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die."
As a follower of Christ, it is our duty and joy to defend the defenseless. Pray for your local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Give and support them. Encourage your church to do the same. Write to your Senators and Congressmen. "Open your mouth for the speechless." The government is not doing and will not do it. The media is not and will not do it. We must.
Instead, they acted like this was somehow the actions and attitudes of pro-life people. They also glorified him as some humanitarian and hid the fact he consistently performed late-term abortions for dubious reasons. They have an agenda which has nothing to do with truth or facts, but only their opinion. It is all about simply supporting their "side."
The media completely ignores the horrible murder of an Army recruiter - an honorable young man in an honorable profession - to extol the virtues of Dr. Tiller and his "tragic" loss because they are focused on advocating their position.
The liberal abortion supporters reveal the true nature of their selfishness every time they advocate in this manner. They have abandoned any view of morality. They argue against the protection of defenseless human life because that life requires some sacrifice from them. They feel the freedom to ignore the sacrifice of a young soldier to a Muslim terrorist because there is no inherent value in protecting others - the mission of the Armed Forces.
This was never more evident than in a television interview with Patricia Ireland. She is a long time supporter of abortion rights in many roles and is revered by the liberal left. In an interview by Bill O'Reilly, she clearly stated that she believed life begins at conception. She confirmed in her own words, clearly and willingly, that life begins at conception.
When pressed as to the rationale for her support of abortion given this truth, she stated that this defenseless human had not life its life and the mother had hers to live. The mother has dreams, life, other children, a career, and real life that is on-going. For this reason, the law should grant her the right to destroy another life. The logic is clear - another life, especially a defenseless one- is not as important as the one that appears to carry more value in her own eyes.
The evil of this logic is astounding. The arrogance to decide one life is greater and of more importance than another life is evil. The callous disregard for the defenseless is evil. She and others beam with pride at their arguments and state them clearly for all to see. Yet they are so blinded by their evil arrogance and selfishness that it never dawns on them that they are admitting the evil of their position. Those who compromise and vote along with this agenda, such as our delegation from Arkansas and others around the Nation, are guilty of the same selfishness and failure to protect the defenseless.
The true depth of their evil is create and perpetuate a law that protects the selfish whims of the mother - who can defend herself - at the final and eternal expense of a defenseless unborn human being. Proverbs 31:8 is part of a Godly mother's instructions to her son as to the role of a Godly leader. She states unequivocally, "Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die."
As a follower of Christ, it is our duty and joy to defend the defenseless. Pray for your local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Give and support them. Encourage your church to do the same. Write to your Senators and Congressmen. "Open your mouth for the speechless." The government is not doing and will not do it. The media is not and will not do it. We must.
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