By Fr. Alphonse de Valk, Editor, Catholic Insight
May 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Catholic Insight, Canada's national Catholic magazine of news, analysis and opinion, recently issued a review of U.S. President Barack Obama's first 50 days in office. It has now updated it to reflect his first 100 days and the revised article is presented below.
The anti-life assault begins
The election of Barack Obama as president, Catholic Insight stated in a November 3, 2008 press release, would turn out to be a disaster for the advance of a pro-life culture.
On the most important cultural issue of all, the equality and dignity of all human beings before God, President Obama represents the greatest threat today. His leadership is being hailed as a sign of hope across the world and welcomed with open arms. He has a 100 per cent approval rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America, the U.S.'s leading pro-abortion organization. That rating is based on a record of consistently voting against the unborn.
Obama has told Planned Parenthood he regards so-called choice as "a fundamental issue" on which he will not yield. He voted against an Induced Infant Liability Act in the Illinois legislature in 2002; this would have given legal protection and medical assistance to babies born from botched abortions. He also voted against banning partial-birth abortion in the Senate in October 2007.
On another key issue, the integrity of the traditional family, in 2004 Obama called the Defence of Marriage Act an "abhorrent law" and added: "The repeal of DOMA is essential ... For the record, I opposed DOMA in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from 'marrying.'"
"We must be careful to keep our eyes on the prize - equal rights for every American," he has told homosexual activists. "We must continue to fight for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). We must vigorously expand hate-crime legislation and be vigilant about how these laws are enforced. We must continue to expand adoption rights to make them consistent and seamless throughout all 50 states and we must repeal the 'don't ask, don't tell' military policy."
Apart from issues of human life and the family, there are numerous other question marks surrounding Obama, many of which are covered by Dr. Jerome Corsi in his New York Times bestselling book, The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality (see the review on page 32 of the April 2009 edition of Catholic Insight).
Inauguration
January 20, 2009 Barack Obama is sworn in as president of the United States of America. His original birth certificate is not available. He calls himself a "person of faith," without specifying what faith he means. It is not Christianity as founded by Jesus and entrusted to his Apostles.
In his inaugural address, Obama neglects to mention the American founders' emphasis on life and liberty as the first of the inalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence. Five minutes after Obama becomes president, the White House website changes from pro-life to pro-abortion.
Policies
January 21 The president is at work selecting members of his staff and cabinet while Congress, where Democrats have a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, sets to work developing policies and legislation to advance the agnostic-atheist attack on the Judeo-Christian foundations of law and order.
In Congress, Obama receives assistance from numerous Catholic politicians who have scuttled Catholic moral teaching in favour of "political correctness," I.e., various aspects of modern hedonism and the culture of death. While the overriding focus of attention during the first 50 days is the economy, the bailout of banks, various "stimulus" packages and the housing credit and unemployment crises, the anti-life agenda was set in motion from the beginning.
January 21-22 Obama signs executive orders calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay (January 22), a ban on torture (January 22) and new rules regarding transparency and lobbyists (January 21). This is what draws the attention of the world.
January 21 Meanwhile, the White House website is updated - under the title "Civil Rights," for the LGBT activists, it reads:
- SSM (same-sex "marriage")
- Repeal the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA)
- Repeal the army's "don't ask, don't tell" policy
- Pass "hate crime" legislation granting "transgendered" homosexual activists and crossdressers equal rights
- Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
- Promote "gay adoption" (I.e., motherless or fatherless homes for children)
January 22 Buried in the House Stimulus Bill, in Section 5004, is the "State Eligibility Option for Family Planning." This would make national Medicaid a money machine to the tune of $87 billion for family planning clinics in the United States. (Family planning in the U.S., as well as in Canada and elsewhere, means: "Planning not to have families," i.e., promote contraception, sterilization and abortion.) The U.S. already spends more than $400 million on overseas "family planning" assistance each year.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a guide for the use of embryonic stem cells for human trial. (To this point in time, embryonic stem cell research has never cured or helped any patient; on the other hand, the use of adult stem cells already has some 80 medical achievements on its roster.)
- Two hundred thousand people walk in the March for Life in Washington, marking the 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision establishing abortion throughout the U.S.
- Obama issues a written statement that he backs a woman's "right to choose."
January 23 Obama overturns, by executive order, the Mexico City Policy of previous presidents that forbade the funding of abortions and abortion groups outside U.S. boundaries. (No TV cameras or press were present for the signing on a late Friday afternoon when news services were shut down. Hundreds of millions of dollars will go to support abortions in poor countries, especially in Asia, Africa and South America.)
- Appended to the statement announcing the end of the Mexico City Policy, Obama declared: "In addition, I look forward to working with Congress to restore U.S. financial support for the UN Population Fund." (That funding was halted in 2002 when a State Department investigation showed the Fund supported China's coercive one-child-per- family policy through forced abortions and sterilizations.)
January 25 House of Representatives majority leader Nancy Pelosi (a pro-abortion, pro-same-sex "marriage" Catholic) declares that contraception is now part of the U.S. economy.
January 26 Obama calls upon Democratic leaders to remove the "family planning" provisions supported by Pelosi from the $825 billion stimulus bill, after Americans and media outlets, such as the Drudge Report, ridicule the items as non-starters in stimulating the economy and creating more jobs. Senate Republicans threaten a filibuster.
January 27 A Congressional committee debates the Prevention First Act (PFA), which, if passed, would hand over millions for "family planning" methods, attack freedom of conscience rights for health providers and financially pave the way for the proposed Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which would strip all states of the ability to restrict abortions and homosexual activism. The Prevention First Act was introduced by Senate majority leader Harry Reid (Mormon, pro-abortion) on January 6, 2009. The act claims to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortion and is based on the premise that contraception prevents abortion. (In reality, contraception is the gateway to abortion.)
- Susan Rice, Obama's new ambassador to the UN, pledges support for the convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Already, the CEDAW committee has tried to bully 93 countries into making abortion legal.
- The administrator of the USAID foreign assistance program, pro-lifer Kent Hill, is replaced with Alonzo Fulgham, the CEO of the agency, who announces that the reversal of the Mexico City Policy is being implemented immediately. Fulgham issues a formal notice informing field offices worldwide.
- The director of the UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), pro-abortion Thoraya Obaid (Saudi Arabia), welcomes Obama's restoration of $50 million to the UNFPA's coffers and its coercive population control plans. "Access to reproductive health (a code word for contraception, sterilization and abortion) is the core of equality for women and girls," she says. The funding had been suspended since 2002.
January 28 Obama tells Democrats to remove a bailout for the Planned Parenthood abortion business ($200 million for 295 abortuaries and 850 consultation centres) from the economic stimulus bill after vigorous pro-life protests, for fear that it might jeopardize the bill's passage. It is dropped on January 30.
- The Senate defeats an amendment to restore the Mexico City Policy, 60-37. (Eighteen of 25 Catholic Senators helped defeat it.)
- Pro-life groups continue their massive protests and opposition to the FOCA bill, which has been filed with Congress. The act would outlaw every abortion restriction passed by Congress, state legislatures or local communities. Obama has repeatedly expressed his support for FOCA, the last time on January 22, 2008, the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. FOCA's sponsor is Senator Barbara Boxer (Jewish, pro-abortion).
January 29 The UN children's agency UNICEF launches its annual report, stating: "Having a child remains one of the biggest health risks for women worldwide." It recommends global financing for "family planning" and "reproductive health services" as the primary way to reduce maternal deaths. It then admits that the statistics on worldwide annual deaths are subject "to a high degree of uncertainty."
- The Senate, by a 59-39 vote, rejects national medical coverage in the SCHIP program for unborn children and their pregnant mothers. This, pro-life sources say, will lead to more abortions, supposedly against the president's intention of reducing abortions.
February 5 Obama's new group of 24 faith-based advisors includes Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Washington-based Religious Action Centre of Reform Judaism, which was a sponsor of a 2004 pro-abortion march by Planned Parenthood and NARAL. Other pro-abortion members are added later.
February 6 The Senate refuses to remove a discrimination clause against the religious use of university facilities benefiting from the stimulus bill.
February 19 The federal government is drafting guidelines that will be put in place once Obama approves federal funds for embryonic stem cell research.
February 25 As feared by pro-life groups, the Omnibus Appropriations Bill cuts funding for abstinence education by $54 million, while giving more money to Planned Parenthood programs. This leaves only $95 million for national programs. This money disappears later on.
- Time magazine, in attacking opponents of the FOCA bill, is accused of many inaccuracies, non-sequiturs and misrepresentations. Time has described the bill as "mythical." Yet, Obama announced his intentions to sign such a bill in 2006, again in a July 2007 speech to Planned Parenthood and once more on January 22, 2008 on the Roe v. Wadeanniversary.
February 27 The Obama administration prepares to rescind conscience rules for health care workers. Obama officials tell the Chicago Tribune that, for the Provider Conscience Law and other regulations protecting medical personnel against involvement in abortions, they are opening a 30-day public comment period, after which they will rescind the law. Pro-abortion groups have long desired to coerce all medical personnel and hospitals into providing contraception and sterilizations and committing abortions. As one writer put it, "This is a declaration of war on all who oppose the killing of the unborn."
March 4 The president has begun consulting his top defence advisors on how to lift a ban on gays serving openly in the military.
March 5 The Senate, by a 55-39 vote, rejects an amendment to stop funds from going to the United Nations Population Fund.
March 6 Obama shuts out pro-life groups from attending today's White House health care summit, called to discuss how health care reform should be implemented. Pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood, however, are invited to attend. Planned Parenthood's president, Cecile Richards, called for including access to abortion in any health care reform plan.
- U.S. bishops launch e-mail campaign to "maintain widely-supported pro-life policies" and oppose FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act). It is a follow-up to the postcard campaign begun in January.
March 9 Obama eliminates eight-year-old limits on federal money for the use of embryonic stem cells for research - which kills newly conceived embryos - by presidential decree, in a room packed with scientists. "As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering," the President said, (forgetting that human embryos are killed in the process).
Nowhere in the world has embryonic stem-cell research produced a single therapy or treatment. Meanwhile, adult stem-cell research has over 70 therapies to its credit so far. The President's Executive Order also removes the HHS Secretary's duty to pursue funding for adult stem-cell research.
- This ends ability of pro-abortionists, including President Obama, to say they are "pro-choice" because they no longer allow health officials a choice to oppose or disapprove.
- The HHS administration announces the intention to abolish the "final rule" (protection of conscience for health workers opposed to abortion, contraception, IVF, etc).
Appointments
During the first 50 days, Obama selected the most anti-life, anti-family radicals he could find for his administration.
- Vice-President Joseph Biden (senator, Catholic, pro-abortion, pro-same-sex
"marriage")
- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (Methodist, feminist, extremely pro-abortion). Clinton controls the American UN delegation
- Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano (former governor of Arizona, Methodist, strongly pro-abortion and pro-SSM)
- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (senator from Colorado, Catholic, pro-abortion)
- Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Ken Shinseki (retired four-star general, Medical Corps; disagreed with former secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld)
- National Security Advisor Retired Marine General James Jones
- Labour Secretary Thida (Hilda) Solis (California congresswoman, Catholic, pro-abortion)
- Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood (Rep Congressman, pro-life)
- Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (favours separate schools for homosexuals)
- Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a Bill Clinton holdover)
- Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (1997 Nobel prize in physics)
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan (New York Housing Commissioner)
- Central Intelligence Agency director Leon Panetta (former congressman; Bill Clinton's chief of staff, a pro-abortion Catholic)
- Food and Drug Administration director Margaret Hamburger (New York City health commissioner under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, pro-abortion). An earlier appointment was listed as Jane Henney (headed the FDA under Clinton; professor at the University of Cincinnati, approved abortion drug RU 486 (mifepristone))
- Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (governor of Iowa, 1999-2007; Catholic, pro-abortion)
Legal Counsel
- Attorney-General Eric Holder. The first African-American to hold this office (was deputy attorney-general under Janet Reno during the Clinton years)
- Deputy Attorney-General David Ogden (denies negative effects of abortion; considers pregnancy a form of slavery; was a lawyer for Playboy and other pornographic interests)
- Office of Legal Counsel, White House (assists attorney-general in her role as legal adviser to the president). Dawn Johnsen (pro-abortion, lawyer and legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America, 1988-1993, professor at Indiana University School of Law)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney-General Thomas Perrelli (lawyer, pro-euthanasia, represented Terry Schiavo's husband in his successful quest to have his wife starved and dehydrated to death)
- Solicitor-General Elena Kagan (strong abortion supporter. The solicitor-general represents the government before the Supreme Court)
Health
- Health and Health Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (former governor of Kansas, Catholic, pro-abortion, including support for late term abortions (Ontario and Quebec send late-term abortions to Kansas, paying an average of $5,000 (US) for each.) HHS would play a role in getting abortion coverage in the new health program and make it mandatory that hospitals or insurance companies cover abortion.)
- Health Care Reform Office, White House. Nancy-Ann De Parle, Clinton political advisor (wants health care to cover abortion)
- Deputy Health Care director Jeanne Lambow (pro-abortion)
Other Clinton Holdovers and Washington Lobbyists for White House Appointments (Do Not Require Congressional Approval)
- Chief of Staff, White House. Rahm Emanuel (congressman from Illinois, Jewish, pro-abortion - has a 100 per cent NARAL "pro-choice" rating; pro-SSM)
- White House Political Advisor David Axelrod (Jewish, pro-abortion). Axelrod was Obama's main election strategist during the two-year-long campaign for office
- Director of Communications Ellen Moran (former CEO of Emily's List, a major and wealthy pro-abortion political action committee)
- Director of Domestic Policy Melody Barnes (former board member of Emily's List and Planned Parenthood staff member)
- Director for foreign Women's Issues (a new office to re-affirm the population and development goals of the Beijing 1995 UN conference; i.e., to promote abortions and overturn pro-life laws in foreign countries) Melanne Verveer (former chief of staff to Hillary Clinton; a pro-abortion Catholic). Holds rank of ambassador-at-large
- White House Council on Women and Girls (new office) director Tina Tchen (Chicago Lawyer, vice-president of NOW, feminist, pro-abortion. She has a mandate to examine all federal laws and agencies pertaining to women)
- Council on Environment Quality Nancy Sutley (lesbian).
- Director of the Environmental Protection Agency Lisa Jackson
- Climate "czarina," White House Carol Browner
- Director for the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag (former economic advisor to Clinton)
- Head of the National Economic Council, White House. Lawrence Summers (former Clinton advisor)
- Chairman of the Democratic Party Tim Kayne (governor of Virginia, Catholic, pro- abortion)
Summary
The facts of the first 50 days of the Obama presidency seem overwhelming. According to the 55-page pro-abortion document, "Advancing Reproductive Rights and Health in a New Administration," $4.5 billion in federal funding will be disbursed at home and abroad to "advance reproductive rights." This document is posted on http://www.change.org, Obama's official website for his transition team.
Obama's Steps for the First 100 Days projects the end of the Mexico City Policy, the Hyde Amendment, the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, the Weldon Amendment, restrictions on emergency contraception (Plan B), the termination of all abstinence-only programs and a reversal of the recent HHS regulation protecting pro-life physicians and institutions. By Day 50, many of these had been accomplished already. Any present obstacles to so-called abortion rights not covered by removing these restrictions, such as the ban on partial birth abortion and state laws requiring parental notification, will be covered by the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) or perhaps by many acts or regulations each embodying one particular aspect.
We draw the attention of our readers especially to the coercion which is built into many of these measures. A combined United States-United Nations assault on the freedom of poor countries to determine their own domestic policies on population is already underway.
At home, the Obama regime will take on more abusive, tyrannical features as it seeks to destroy the rights of people to disagree and dissent. All along, this has been the implication of the new legislated rights to kill and to overthrow the natural moral law in family and sexual matters introduced 40 years ago.
The president and his advisors will be making some 7,000 appointments who will influence policy; they will be pro-abortion ones, said one commentator, with the exception being the ambassador to the Vatican. What resistance the Christian community will be able to offer remains to be seen.
March 10 The end of the first 50 days. Except for publicity about the new financing of stem cell research and a mention of the overturning of the Mexico City Policy, adoring liberal daily newspapers have not mentioned Obama's new Death Culture.
March 11 The Obama administration opens an e-mail address for public comments to respond to the decision to dump the Provider Conscience Clause. The e-mail window will close on April 9, after which a simple Executive Order can eliminate the protective shield against discrimination for pro-life health care personnel.
- Obama establishes a White House Council on Women and Girls and appoints pro-abortion Chicago lawyer Tina Tchen as Executive Director. Tchen served as Vice-President of NOW (National Organization for Women). The new Council will examine all federal laws to see how they affect women, especially from the point of view of feminist "rights" supporters.
March 12 The United Nations Annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting continues in New York. The US delegation (Ellen Chester) states that "sexual and reproductive health and rights" will be a priority with them from now on. Their delegation considers abortion to be part of "reproductive health," even though in the past that interpretation was voted down by the majority.
- The Obama administration publishes a proposal in the Federal Register to rescind the pro-life protections for health care personnel in its entirely.
- The Senate stimulus bill contains a bailout package for Planned Parenthood.
- The Senate rejects by a 55-39 vote an amendment to stop US taxpayer funding of the UNFPA. The UNFPA backs policies of forced abortion and sterilizations, as in China.
March 17 President Obama's first federal judicial nominee (to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals) is pro-abortion US district Judge David Hamilton. The President is also bringing back the judicial reviews of the American Bar Association whose members regularly take a pro-abortion stand.
March 18 Cardinal Francis George of Chicago visits President Obama at the White House for an unscheduled visit. Purpose: to express the Catholic Church's opposition to the administration's anti-life agenda. Earlier Cardinal George had expressed the bishops' deep concern about Obama rescinding the conscience protection legislation put in place by the Bush administration.
- The State department confirms that Hillary Clinton will endorse the UN declaration calling for the global "decriminalization of homosexuality." That is a measure former President Bush had refused to sign. President Obama sent a $50 million cheque to the UN Population Fund.
March 20 Notre Dame University President Father John Jenkins invites President Obama to address the commencement exercises on May 17 and receive an honorary Doctor of Law degree. It sets off a tremendous adverse reaction among Catholics aware of the President's pro-abortion agenda.
- All four pro-abortion candidates for the Office of Legal Counsel, David Odgen, Dawn Johnsen, Thomas Perelli, Elena Kagan have received Senate approval.
- Various Congressional Bills are gutting abstinence education while promoting "comprehensive" sex education heavy on contraception. The Administration is now giving financial aid to Marie Stopes International, a British abortion provider with branches throughout Africa.
March 24 All during these weeks the media's entire attention is drawn to the President's economic measures running into the trillions of dollars. Barely a word about the "other" cultural agenda filters through in the media.
March 26 A mandatory national (Obama) youth corps is called for in GIVE (Generations Immigrating Volunteerism and Education Act - H.R. 1388) passed by the House (321-105) and by Senate (79-19). Note: In the USA, classroom indoctrination is now found in "Hate" and "Sexual diversity" training in 3, 500 units by Lesbian Straight Education Network(GSLEN).
March 27 In Mexico Hillary Clinton states that emphasizing and promoting abortion is a key issue in President Obama's foreign policy from now on. Clinton received the Margaret Sanger award from the abortionist Planned Parenthood group, two days after she visited the Catholic Lady of Guadalupe shrine in Mexico.
March 28 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Dem) approves of including abortion in national health plan.
March 30 House of Representatives, with only eight nay votes, passed Bill H.R. 20 (S 304). It requires all new mothers, their spouses and children, to be evaluated for post-partum depression. This Mother's Act seeks to re-classify the natural process of pregnancy and birth as a mental disorder requiring psychiatric treatment and medication. The bill is promoted by the pharmacy industry.
- Another new bill introduced is the Prevention First Act (H.R. 463), promoted by Louise Slaughter (D., Rochester N.Y.). It requires all hospitals receiving federal funds to provide "emergency contraception," and all insurance plans to provide coverage for contraception.
- State Department's new top legal advisor is Harold Koh, pro-abortionist, until now Yale Law School Dean; "trans nationalist," i.e., he believes that American law and values must give way to current international trends, as they do in Europe. For example, Sharia law should apply in America. This office shapes foreign policy in the Courts and in international treaties. He is also Obama's first choice to fill an opening in the Supreme Court.
April 2 An amendment to keep the rights of conscience and protections for health care providers was defeated in the Senate, 56-41. Sixteen Catholic Senators (out of 25) voted against it, despite appeals by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the US Bishops Conference, and Rockville Bishop William Murphy to support it.
- These individuals included: Mark Begich (D., Alaska), Chris Dodd (D., Conn.), Ted Kaufman (D., Del.), Richard Durbin(D., Ill.), Tom Harkin (D., Iowa), Mary Landrieu (D., La), Susan Collins (R., Maine), Barbara Mikulski (D., Md.), John Kerry(D., Mass.), Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), Kristen Gillibrand (D., N.J.), Jack Reed (D., R.I.), Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.), Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.), and Patty Murray (D., Wash.).
- The nine Catholic senators who voted for the amendment were: Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), Mel Martinez (R., Fla.), Jim Risch (R., Idaho), Sam Brownback (R., Kansas), Jim Bunning (R., Ky.), Dave Vitter (R., La.), Mike Johanns (R., Neb.), George Voinovich (R., Ohio), and Robert Casey (D., Pa.).
- The Obama administration is now free to repeal the protections by Executive Order.
- Nina Fedoroff, advisor to Hillary Clinton, claims the world faces overpopulation.
April 3 The UN Commission on Population and Development celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Cairo Conference on Population. The European Union, the US Obama Administration and Canada, propose "fertility reduction" and broad "sexual and reproductive rights." The Holy See and Muslim nations, on the other hand, do not see people as a burden to be controlled, but as a resource to be promoted. They propose poverty reduction, basic education and health care.
April 6 The White House Faith-Based Advisory Council is completed (full membership may be found on White HousePress Release, April 6, 2009). The list includes more pro-abortion and gay "rights" people, including Harry Knox - gay "rights" group; Rev. Peg Chemberlin - National Council of Churches; and Nancy Ratzan - National Council of Jewish Women. Pro-life advocates especially object to Harry Knox, the director of the "religion and faith" program at "Human Rights Campaign," a homosexualist "rights" group. In March, Knox described Pope Benedict as a liar and as a "discredited leader" (for rejecting condoms). He called the Knights of Columbus "foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression."
- On April 10 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appointed Peter Groff as Director of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center in his office. Groff is the Colorado State President in the Legislature and Executive Director for the Center of African-American Policy.
April 7 President Obama, speaking in Turkey: "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation." He also stated: "We convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world-including in my own country." Comment by George Neumayr: Obama expresses his deep sympathy for Islam and his rejection of Christianity. His enemy is not Islam abroad but Christianity at home.
April 8 Vatican informally rejects three suggested Obama ambassadors over their pro-abortion views. Vatican denies all. Insiders give names such as Prof Kmiec and Caroline Kennedy.
April 9 Time for objecting to the overthrow of Provider Conscience Regulation ends. A national poll of Americans finds a strong majority (87%) want to keep protections in place. 340, 000 people had sent e-mails.
- President Obama has nominated pro-abortion Ron Welch as Assistant Attorney-General for legislative affairs. He will also participate in the Senate confirmation process for federal judges and US attorneys.
- The President signs executive order for embryonic stem-cell research under the slogan "science should triumph ideology."
April 14 Pro-life advocates are trying to derail the Senate confirmation of Governor Kathleen Sebelius as HHS Secretary because of her strong support for abortion, including late term abortions.
April 15 The Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security (Secretary Janet Napolitano), issues nine-page report, which registers the pro-life movement among "right-wing extremism in the Unites States." Those concerned call the document "outrageous," describing the tying of conservatives and opponents of abortion to foreign terrorists as a radical deceit.
April 16 Mexico City. Speaking on protecting the so-called right of women to choose abortion, President Obama stated:"…[W]e must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information and prevention services."
- Defence Secretary Robert Gates states that the Obama administration will move cautiously in shifting policies to accepting homosexual activists serving in the military.
April 17 HHS Secretary Janet Napolitano apologizes for footnote tying opponents of abortion to terrorists. Pro-lifers are angry about this smear tactic tried earlier in the State of Missouri.
- The media remain exclusively concerned with: economic bailouts, credit cards, President Obama's foreign policy (reaching out to Cuba, Venezuela), CIA policies, the use of torture, Bank of America's underhandedness, and automobile rescues and management.
April 22 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not appeal the ruling of federal judge Edward Korman that the MAP (Morning After Pill) be made available to 17-year-olds without prescription.
April 23 Secretary of the State Hillary Clinton admits before the House Foreign Relations Committee that as far as the new government is concerned, the term "reproductive health" includes abortion. "The Obama government will promote abortions overseas." "We are now an Administration that will protect the rights of women," she also added: "The 20thCentury reproductive rights movement, really embodied in the life and leadership of Margaret Sanger, was one of the most transformational in the entire history of the human race." (Note: Margaret Sanger was a radical eugenicist and racist of the 1920's and the 1930's who lived and worked in New York City).
- The Administration's new International Ambassador, Melanne Verveer, White House Director for Foreign Women's issues, confirmed President Obama's commitment to population control as outlined, she claimed, at the UN Population Conference in Cairo 15 years ago.
April 27 White House expresses disappointment that former Ambassador Mary Glendon has cancelled her appearance at Notre Dame University.
April 28 Pro-abortion Republican Senator Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania defects to the Democrats.
- The long drawn-out Senate confirmation process for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ends in a 2-1 margin for the Kansas Governor (65-31). Nineteen "Catholic" Senators vote for Sebelius, indicating again that the issue of abortion means little or nothing to them.
April 29 The President urges Congress to pass federal "hate crimes" legislation (H.R. 1913) "to protect citizens from violent acts of intolerance." The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act of 2009 grants the federal government authority to punish crimes that appear to be motivated by "hatred" of a person's sexual orientation. H.R. 1913 "serves only to punish individuals for the beliefs, opinions or convictions held at the time an act is committed" (Liberty University law professor Shawn Akers). " As such H.R. 1913 does not punish criminal intent, but criminalizes thought." The House approved H.R. 1913 and voted 249-175 for the inclusion of sexual orientation as a protected right. Here, as in other countries, no definition of sexual orientation is provided.
April 30 Abortion advocate Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL, "celebrates" the end of the first 100 days of the Obama Administration as a "milestone in these challenging times."
- Alas it is much more. Freedom of speech, thought and religion are now under attack. False "rights" are about to triumph. The Culture of Death is seeking to destroy the Culture of Life. In this it will fail because of the secret power on the side of Life, which will conquer even despite the mass apostasy of its Protestant and Catholic followers.
Sources: Americans for Truth; the American Life League; the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute; the Culture of Life Foundation; LifeNews.com; LifeSiteNews.com; the National Post; the Population Research Institute; Time; United Families.org; The Wanderer; WorldNetDaily.com, Zenit.org.
Father Alphonse de Valk is a historian by profession and presently the editor of Catholic Insight magazine.
The above article is from:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09050808.html
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Four Components of Homosexuality
The problem of homosexuality involves much more than simply a sexual act. Those caught up in this sin usually have entered the homosexual lifestyle to some degree. To better understand the circumstances of the homosexual person seeking help, we've divided homosexuality into four components: behavior, psychic response, identity and lifestyle.
Behavior: Often, it is assumed that all homosexual people engage in homosexual acts, but this is not always the case. Because of fears or strong religious convictions, some may refrain from sexual behavior, yet experience an intense battle with homosexual attractions. Another wrong assumption is that all people who engage in homosexual acts are homosexual. There are significant numbers of heterosexual men who engage in homosexual acts for a variety of reasons, such as being in prison or anywhere where heterosexual sex is unavailable.
Also, we do not believe that a child who is involved in homosexual acts early in life will necessarily become homosexual unless these acts fulfill needs that are not being met in other ways, such as needs for love, acceptance, security and significance. In these cases, the child's involvement in the act is viewed as a "trade-off" for the non-sexual needs he is obtaining. It is possible that the act and the fulfilled needs may become synonymous, which could lead to the development of a homosexual orientation. However, statistics have shown that most children who experience homosexual acts leave them behind, growing up to lead a normal heterosexual life.
Psychic Response: A brief definition of this term is, "sexual excitation (stimulation) caused by visual perception or fantasy speculation." Psychic response is also what people refer to as a "homosexual orientation." Though many people claim that they have experienced visual or sexual attraction for the same sex "as long as they can remember," there is a progression in a person's life that leads to a homosexual psychic response. A child may start out with a need to compare himself with others to see if he measures up to societal standards. When he feels he doesn't compare favorably with others, he develops admiration for those traits and physical characteristics he feels he does not possess. Admiration, which is normal, may turn to envy. Envy leads to the desire to possess others and finally, to consume others. This strong desire eventually becomes eroticized, normally around puberty, leading to homosexual psychic response. As psychic response begins to grip someone's life, a certain amount of scheming takes place. Sexual situations are pictured in the mind. When the first sexual encounter takes place, it may be the result of several years of planning and fantasy. However, homosexual behavior can also precede psychic response, which may then develop as a conditioned response to sexually-gratifying encounters with those of the same sex.
Identity: Some people enter into homosexuality through "identity". These are people who may not have experienced sexual attraction for the same sex or have had any homosexual encounters. However, from an early age, they have felt they were "different" from other people. They felt abnormal, like they do not fit into the heterosexual world. They reason, "If I'm not heterosexual, then I must be gay" and they accept the homosexual label into their lives. Of course, this is a misinterpretation. A person troubled with shyness, fear of the opposite sex, lack of athletic or social skills need not accept the label "homosexual." However, people do grow into labels. Once a label is accepted, the implied characteristics of that label begin to develop in a person's life. What we believe about ourselves is of extreme importance.
Lifestyle: A homosexual may insist that he bears no responsibility for his identity, his psychic response or even his first sexual encounter, which may have been forced upon him. However, every homosexual person must bear the responsibility for his or her choice to enter the homosexual lifestyle. People enter this lifestyle to varying degrees. Some live in the heterosexual world for the most part, seeking out only sporadic, impersonal sexual encounters. Others immerse themselves in the total "gay subculture," a setting in which a person works, lives and socializes in a totally gay environment. There are all the varying degrees in between these two extremes but the gay lifestyle, for many people, is the first place where they have experienced any form of acceptance on a deeper level. In spite of the acceptance that is available, however, the homosexual lifestyle often proves to be a painful and unrewarding way of life, particularly for older gays who are no longer desirable sexually.
As you can see from looking at these four components, homosexuality is a complex problem with many definitions and variations. If someone tells you "I am a homosexual," he has really told you very little about himself. It takes a deeper look to determine the degree to which homosexuality has become a part of his life.
It is true that the way out of homosexuality is not easy, yet there are thousands who have left homosexuality behind and have become "new creations in Christ." Many have married and raised families, while others remain celibate, yet lead joyful lives devoted to God's service. God gives us the desires of our heart. Satan is not pleased when someone sees through the deception of homosexuality and discovers the way out. There are many battles to be fought, but "greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world."
"Do not be afraid or discouraged...for the battle is not yours, but God's."
(II Chronicles 20:15)
The above article is from:
New Hope Ministries
© New Hope Ministries. All rights reserved.
Also see my other blog posts on homosexuality HERE
Behavior: Often, it is assumed that all homosexual people engage in homosexual acts, but this is not always the case. Because of fears or strong religious convictions, some may refrain from sexual behavior, yet experience an intense battle with homosexual attractions. Another wrong assumption is that all people who engage in homosexual acts are homosexual. There are significant numbers of heterosexual men who engage in homosexual acts for a variety of reasons, such as being in prison or anywhere where heterosexual sex is unavailable.
Also, we do not believe that a child who is involved in homosexual acts early in life will necessarily become homosexual unless these acts fulfill needs that are not being met in other ways, such as needs for love, acceptance, security and significance. In these cases, the child's involvement in the act is viewed as a "trade-off" for the non-sexual needs he is obtaining. It is possible that the act and the fulfilled needs may become synonymous, which could lead to the development of a homosexual orientation. However, statistics have shown that most children who experience homosexual acts leave them behind, growing up to lead a normal heterosexual life.
Psychic Response: A brief definition of this term is, "sexual excitation (stimulation) caused by visual perception or fantasy speculation." Psychic response is also what people refer to as a "homosexual orientation." Though many people claim that they have experienced visual or sexual attraction for the same sex "as long as they can remember," there is a progression in a person's life that leads to a homosexual psychic response. A child may start out with a need to compare himself with others to see if he measures up to societal standards. When he feels he doesn't compare favorably with others, he develops admiration for those traits and physical characteristics he feels he does not possess. Admiration, which is normal, may turn to envy. Envy leads to the desire to possess others and finally, to consume others. This strong desire eventually becomes eroticized, normally around puberty, leading to homosexual psychic response. As psychic response begins to grip someone's life, a certain amount of scheming takes place. Sexual situations are pictured in the mind. When the first sexual encounter takes place, it may be the result of several years of planning and fantasy. However, homosexual behavior can also precede psychic response, which may then develop as a conditioned response to sexually-gratifying encounters with those of the same sex.
Identity: Some people enter into homosexuality through "identity". These are people who may not have experienced sexual attraction for the same sex or have had any homosexual encounters. However, from an early age, they have felt they were "different" from other people. They felt abnormal, like they do not fit into the heterosexual world. They reason, "If I'm not heterosexual, then I must be gay" and they accept the homosexual label into their lives. Of course, this is a misinterpretation. A person troubled with shyness, fear of the opposite sex, lack of athletic or social skills need not accept the label "homosexual." However, people do grow into labels. Once a label is accepted, the implied characteristics of that label begin to develop in a person's life. What we believe about ourselves is of extreme importance.
Lifestyle: A homosexual may insist that he bears no responsibility for his identity, his psychic response or even his first sexual encounter, which may have been forced upon him. However, every homosexual person must bear the responsibility for his or her choice to enter the homosexual lifestyle. People enter this lifestyle to varying degrees. Some live in the heterosexual world for the most part, seeking out only sporadic, impersonal sexual encounters. Others immerse themselves in the total "gay subculture," a setting in which a person works, lives and socializes in a totally gay environment. There are all the varying degrees in between these two extremes but the gay lifestyle, for many people, is the first place where they have experienced any form of acceptance on a deeper level. In spite of the acceptance that is available, however, the homosexual lifestyle often proves to be a painful and unrewarding way of life, particularly for older gays who are no longer desirable sexually.
As you can see from looking at these four components, homosexuality is a complex problem with many definitions and variations. If someone tells you "I am a homosexual," he has really told you very little about himself. It takes a deeper look to determine the degree to which homosexuality has become a part of his life.
It is true that the way out of homosexuality is not easy, yet there are thousands who have left homosexuality behind and have become "new creations in Christ." Many have married and raised families, while others remain celibate, yet lead joyful lives devoted to God's service. God gives us the desires of our heart. Satan is not pleased when someone sees through the deception of homosexuality and discovers the way out. There are many battles to be fought, but "greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world."
"Do not be afraid or discouraged...for the battle is not yours, but God's."
(II Chronicles 20:15)
The above article is from:
New Hope Ministries
© New Hope Ministries. All rights reserved.
Also see my other blog posts on homosexuality HERE
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A List of Helpful Websites on the Founders of America, Conservativism, and the Constitution
Educational Resources:
National Center for Constitutional Studies
http://www.xmission.com/~nccs/
Consource.org
An archive for all of America's founding documents
http://www.consource.org/index.asp?sid=13
Founding Fathers Information
http://www.foundingfathers.info/
The Heritage Foundation
A conservative policy think tank
http://www.heritage.org/
Wall Builders
Learn about America's Christian Heritage
http://www.wallbuilders.com/
Founding Fathers Quotes about Christianity
http://christianity.about.com/od/independenceday/a/foundingfathers.htm
http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm
More Founding Fathers Quotes
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/founding.html
http://www.dojgov.net/Liberty_Watch.htm
http://www.cancertutor.com/Quotes/Quotes_Presidents.html
http://www.oaknorton.com/foundingfatherquotes.cfm
Recommended Reading:
The Bible
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=9&lang=2
The 5000 Year Leap
The Real George Washington
The Real Thomas Jefferson
The Real Benjamin Franklin
http://www.xmission.com/~nccs/
The Heritage Guide to the Constitution
http://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Guide-Constitution-Edwin-Meese/dp/159698001X/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241364084&sr=11-1
The American Patriot's Almanac
http://www.amazon.com/American-Patriots-Almanac-Readings-America/dp/1595552677/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241364264&sr=11-1
Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto
http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Tyranny-Conservative-Mark-Levin/dp/1416562850/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241363568&sr=11-1
The Dinosaur Book of Wisdom and Observations
http://preacherjoepaluch.com/
Conservative Commentary, News, Radio & Blogs:
http://www.conservative.org/
http://www.americanpolicy.org/
http://www.citizenlink.org/
http://www.rutherford.org/
http://townhall.com/
http://www.humanevents.com/
http://www.nationalreview.com/
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
http://www.americanthinker.com/
http://www.renewamerica.us/
http://www.onenewsnow.com/
http://www.ruthinstitute.org/
http://www.winst.org/
http://englishfirst.org/
http://www.psaf.org/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/
http://www.drudgereport.com/
http://www.thefoxnation.com/
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html
http://www.hannity.com/
http://www.glennbeck.com/
http://www.marklevinshow.com/
http://fredthompsonshow.com/
http://preacherjoepaluch.blogspot.com/
National Center for Constitutional Studies
http://www.xmission.com/~nccs/
Consource.org
An archive for all of America's founding documents
http://www.consource.org/index.asp?sid=13
Founding Fathers Information
http://www.foundingfathers.info/
The Heritage Foundation
A conservative policy think tank
http://www.heritage.org/
Wall Builders
Learn about America's Christian Heritage
http://www.wallbuilders.com/
Founding Fathers Quotes about Christianity
http://christianity.about.com/od/independenceday/a/foundingfathers.htm
http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm
More Founding Fathers Quotes
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/founding.html
http://www.dojgov.net/Liberty_Watch.htm
http://www.cancertutor.com/Quotes/Quotes_Presidents.html
http://www.oaknorton.com/foundingfatherquotes.cfm
Recommended Reading:
The Bible
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=9&lang=2
The 5000 Year Leap
The Real George Washington
The Real Thomas Jefferson
The Real Benjamin Franklin
http://www.xmission.com/~nccs/
The Heritage Guide to the Constitution
http://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Guide-Constitution-Edwin-Meese/dp/159698001X/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241364084&sr=11-1
The American Patriot's Almanac
http://www.amazon.com/American-Patriots-Almanac-Readings-America/dp/1595552677/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241364264&sr=11-1
Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto
http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Tyranny-Conservative-Mark-Levin/dp/1416562850/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241363568&sr=11-1
The Dinosaur Book of Wisdom and Observations
http://preacherjoepaluch.com/
Conservative Commentary, News, Radio & Blogs:
http://www.conservative.org/
http://www.americanpolicy.org/
http://www.citizenlink.org/
http://www.rutherford.org/
http://townhall.com/
http://www.humanevents.com/
http://www.nationalreview.com/
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
http://www.americanthinker.com/
http://www.renewamerica.us/
http://www.onenewsnow.com/
http://www.ruthinstitute.org/
http://www.winst.org/
http://englishfirst.org/
http://www.psaf.org/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/
http://www.drudgereport.com/
http://www.thefoxnation.com/
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html
http://www.hannity.com/
http://www.glennbeck.com/
http://www.marklevinshow.com/
http://fredthompsonshow.com/
http://preacherjoepaluch.blogspot.com/
God And Humor
Does God have a sense of Humor? Not a topic more serious students of theology pursue, but an interesting one all the same. I first thought about this when a member of my church raised the question "Does God Laugh?" The puritans may laugh at this question, but it does not eliminate the implications of this simple question. Did we get the sense of humor, enjoyed and desired by many around the globe, from God when He created us? Or did we get it as a result of sin? Or did we get it from God after the fall? Was it built into us when God created us in His image? Many traits such as personality, creativity, etc. were built into us when we were created. Or did we get it when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, like the traits of death, sin, etc.? Or did God give it to us after the fall? Attributes like multiple languages, the indwelling of Holy Spirit etc. were given after the fall by God. If the first option is true, a sense of humor is a divine trait and must be encouraged. If not, why did God find it necessary for mankind to have such an ability? Is it an evil, like many things we got as a result of sin, or is it an amoral trait? Is it to be encouraged or discouraged? Now that you have understood the seriousness of the question and stopped laughing at it, let me continue. I searched the Bible for the answer to the question I presented at the beginning: Does God Laugh? The answer is yes. He Laughs. But not as expected.
"But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision." (Psalms 59:8)
"The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming." (Psalms 37:13)
"Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins." (Job 41:29)
God laughs at men because of the futility of their efforts. Yet, it is evident enough that there are things that the Lord finds funny.
Finding the answers to these questions are very difficult, due to the fact that humor is almost entirely absent from the Bible. This fact also supports the theory that God does not have a sense of humor. As Alfred Nort Whitehead (Philosopher) puts it, "The total absence of humor from the Bible is one of the most singular things in all literature." As I studied the Bible, I found that the statement by Mr. Whitehead is not entirely true. Puns and assonance are employed in the Bible many times. But it is not as an expression of joy, as in our times. On the contrary, it is used many times to express grief and sorrow. Jer. 6:1 is one of the many examples of this. These kind of puns promote much weeping, often from the Bible translators who have to translate them. Puns are always a headache for translators because the pun loses its meaning in another language. Whenever one encounters a footnote in the Bible, "This word sounds like the Hebrew word for..." it means that the translators had a tough time.
I personally believe that God has a sense of humor. As a brother in my church so eloquently puts it, "God has every good quality. And a sense of humor is a good quality." A Bible scholar said that the fact that God has a sense of humor is reflected in His creation. He gave the example of the Albatross, plus other examples. The Albatross is a bird with the largest wing span. It is very graceful when it is flying. But when it lands, it falls all over itself, which is very funny to watch. He stated that watching the Albatross land is enough to see that God has a sense of humor. Indeed, watching the Albatross land can evoke a few laughs, but I doubt whether it provides sufficient evidence on this matter. Lets turn to the Bible to see if we can find something we can laugh at.
As I had said earlier, humor is very rare in the Bible. But not totally absent. The Bible writers were primarily Jews. They were so overwhelmed by the magnificence of God that they did not associate God with humor. This was reflected when they wrote the Bible. For the most part, they consciously avoided any humor. Yet there are places when they knowingly or unknowingly allowed some humor to slip through.
My personal favorite of all the humor found in the Bible is found in one of the most popular portion of the Old Testament, The Elijah - Baal Showdown. The whole incident can be seen in I Kings 18:20-40. I would like to draw your attention to the 27th verse.
"And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened."
An impatient Elijah watched with a smile on his lips when the 450 men of Baal did all kinds of stupid things, like jumping up and down around the alter to get Baal's attention. As this show continued on, the smile on Elijah's lips became a snicker and finally, at noon, he started throwing insults at them. He was not afraid because he knew what was going to happen. We further see that God did not mind Elijah's jesting, as He hears Elijah's plea and sends fire from heaven as the grand finale to everything that happened on that day.
Another example of such mockery is found in Paul's writings. Paul is known to be an excellent debater. He knew that one of the techniques employed in debating is to mock the opponent. In the fifth chapter of Galatians, he employs this technique when he tries to show the mistake of some men who advocated circumcision. He first explains that circumcision avails nothing. Then he goes ahead and takes a direct shot at the people who advocated that theory. A hit literally under the belt.
"I wish those agitators would go so far as to castrate themselves!"
(Gal 5:12)
Clearly, Paul does not think much about the "Salvation by Surgery" theory.
Most of the humor in the Bible is in the form of mockery and is used negatively. People of God have been mocked by onlookers, including in the Bible. For example, the disciples were mocked on Pentecost.
"Others mocking said,'They are full of new wine'"
(Acts 2:13)
Even to this day, people who are willing to live for Christ will be mocked and ridiculed by the onlooking world. Even Jesus was mocked by the soldiers, Pharisees and other onlookers before He was crucified. They were forgiven. But there is one incident where the punishment of mocking a man of God was instantly given. This incident can be found in 2 Kings 2:23. When Elisha was going to Bethel after he received a double portion of the spirit from Elijah, some youths came up to him and mocked him saying "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!". They heard about Elijah, the way he went up. They were very sarcastic about that incident and did not hesitate to express their sarcasm. Moments later, two bears came out of the wood and mauled them. They learned their lesson.
Probably the best example is Jesus Himself. Despite being heavily out-numbered, Jesus made a laughing-stock out of the Pharisees. He regularly ridiculed them by making comments such as "they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel" (Matt 23:24) and "Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" (Matt 7:3). It is interesting to read chapters like Matthew 23 where Jesus really chews out the Pharisees. The attempts of the Pharisees to trap Jesus, and the responses of Jesus, are excellent examples of the quality humor in the Bible.
There are many more examples in the Bible to prove that God has nothing against good humor. But we must be cautious in exercising our right. There are boundaries to everything. Even humor has a boundary in the Bible. Let us refrain from joking about God. He is not a person to be laughed at. Unfortunately this kind of humor is very popular these days. Another thing that we should keep in mind is what Paul advised to the people in Ephesians.
"Let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, not foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting."
(Eph 5:3-4)
Let us use the gift of Humor in a good way. Let us enjoy it without exploiting our right to enjoy it. And let us thank God for this wonderful thing called humor.
The above article (with some editing) is taken from:
http://www.geocities.com/binnyva/bible/articles/humor.html
"But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision." (Psalms 59:8)
"The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming." (Psalms 37:13)
"Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins." (Job 41:29)
God laughs at men because of the futility of their efforts. Yet, it is evident enough that there are things that the Lord finds funny.
Finding the answers to these questions are very difficult, due to the fact that humor is almost entirely absent from the Bible. This fact also supports the theory that God does not have a sense of humor. As Alfred Nort Whitehead (Philosopher) puts it, "The total absence of humor from the Bible is one of the most singular things in all literature." As I studied the Bible, I found that the statement by Mr. Whitehead is not entirely true. Puns and assonance are employed in the Bible many times. But it is not as an expression of joy, as in our times. On the contrary, it is used many times to express grief and sorrow. Jer. 6:1 is one of the many examples of this. These kind of puns promote much weeping, often from the Bible translators who have to translate them. Puns are always a headache for translators because the pun loses its meaning in another language. Whenever one encounters a footnote in the Bible, "This word sounds like the Hebrew word for..." it means that the translators had a tough time.
I personally believe that God has a sense of humor. As a brother in my church so eloquently puts it, "God has every good quality. And a sense of humor is a good quality." A Bible scholar said that the fact that God has a sense of humor is reflected in His creation. He gave the example of the Albatross, plus other examples. The Albatross is a bird with the largest wing span. It is very graceful when it is flying. But when it lands, it falls all over itself, which is very funny to watch. He stated that watching the Albatross land is enough to see that God has a sense of humor. Indeed, watching the Albatross land can evoke a few laughs, but I doubt whether it provides sufficient evidence on this matter. Lets turn to the Bible to see if we can find something we can laugh at.
As I had said earlier, humor is very rare in the Bible. But not totally absent. The Bible writers were primarily Jews. They were so overwhelmed by the magnificence of God that they did not associate God with humor. This was reflected when they wrote the Bible. For the most part, they consciously avoided any humor. Yet there are places when they knowingly or unknowingly allowed some humor to slip through.
My personal favorite of all the humor found in the Bible is found in one of the most popular portion of the Old Testament, The Elijah - Baal Showdown. The whole incident can be seen in I Kings 18:20-40. I would like to draw your attention to the 27th verse.
"And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened."
An impatient Elijah watched with a smile on his lips when the 450 men of Baal did all kinds of stupid things, like jumping up and down around the alter to get Baal's attention. As this show continued on, the smile on Elijah's lips became a snicker and finally, at noon, he started throwing insults at them. He was not afraid because he knew what was going to happen. We further see that God did not mind Elijah's jesting, as He hears Elijah's plea and sends fire from heaven as the grand finale to everything that happened on that day.
Another example of such mockery is found in Paul's writings. Paul is known to be an excellent debater. He knew that one of the techniques employed in debating is to mock the opponent. In the fifth chapter of Galatians, he employs this technique when he tries to show the mistake of some men who advocated circumcision. He first explains that circumcision avails nothing. Then he goes ahead and takes a direct shot at the people who advocated that theory. A hit literally under the belt.
"I wish those agitators would go so far as to castrate themselves!"
(Gal 5:12)
Clearly, Paul does not think much about the "Salvation by Surgery" theory.
Most of the humor in the Bible is in the form of mockery and is used negatively. People of God have been mocked by onlookers, including in the Bible. For example, the disciples were mocked on Pentecost.
"Others mocking said,'They are full of new wine'"
(Acts 2:13)
Even to this day, people who are willing to live for Christ will be mocked and ridiculed by the onlooking world. Even Jesus was mocked by the soldiers, Pharisees and other onlookers before He was crucified. They were forgiven. But there is one incident where the punishment of mocking a man of God was instantly given. This incident can be found in 2 Kings 2:23. When Elisha was going to Bethel after he received a double portion of the spirit from Elijah, some youths came up to him and mocked him saying "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!". They heard about Elijah, the way he went up. They were very sarcastic about that incident and did not hesitate to express their sarcasm. Moments later, two bears came out of the wood and mauled them. They learned their lesson.
Probably the best example is Jesus Himself. Despite being heavily out-numbered, Jesus made a laughing-stock out of the Pharisees. He regularly ridiculed them by making comments such as "they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel" (Matt 23:24) and "Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" (Matt 7:3). It is interesting to read chapters like Matthew 23 where Jesus really chews out the Pharisees. The attempts of the Pharisees to trap Jesus, and the responses of Jesus, are excellent examples of the quality humor in the Bible.
There are many more examples in the Bible to prove that God has nothing against good humor. But we must be cautious in exercising our right. There are boundaries to everything. Even humor has a boundary in the Bible. Let us refrain from joking about God. He is not a person to be laughed at. Unfortunately this kind of humor is very popular these days. Another thing that we should keep in mind is what Paul advised to the people in Ephesians.
"Let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, not foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting."
(Eph 5:3-4)
Let us use the gift of Humor in a good way. Let us enjoy it without exploiting our right to enjoy it. And let us thank God for this wonderful thing called humor.
The above article (with some editing) is taken from:
http://www.geocities.com/binnyva/bible/articles/humor.html
Friday, May 22, 2009
For Muslims
A radical Islamic terrorist from Egypt changed from a murderous "Saul" to a forgiving "Paul" after Jesus Christ visited him in a soul-penetrating dream. This hater of both Christians and Jews set out to discredit the Bible, but instead, he was transformed when Jesus appeared to him and changed his heart.
How the Lord Jesus Changed Radical Muslim Khalil's life - (Part 1/3)
How the Lord Jesus Changed Radical Muslim Khalil's life - (Part 2/3)
How the Lord Jesus Changed Radical Muslim Khalil's life - (Part 3/3)
How the Lord Jesus Changed Radical Muslim Khalil's life - (Part 1/3)
How the Lord Jesus Changed Radical Muslim Khalil's life - (Part 2/3)
How the Lord Jesus Changed Radical Muslim Khalil's life - (Part 3/3)
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Gospel in the Old Testament
All are sinners
“The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalm 14:2)
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
“Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5)
Sin separates us from God
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
“When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.” (Exodus 34:33)
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2)
Our good deeds are not good enough
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment [literally, a woman’s menstruating rags]; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
God gave a blood atonement
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” (Leviticus 17:11)
“Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.” (Exodus 12:7)
“The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
God promised a Messiah to bear our sins
The Exalted Servant
“Behold, My servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
Just as many were astonished at you, My people,
So His appearance was marred more than any man
And His form more than the sons of men.
Thus He will sprinkle many nations,
Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him;
For what had not been told them they will see,
And what they had not heard they will understand.
The Suffering Servant
Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.”
(Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
How do we know Jesus is the Promised One?
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
(Micah 5:2)
"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26)
"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10)
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” (Psalm 22)
"The Motions" music video by Matthew West
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Biblical Salvation
Atheists/Agnostics
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good." (Psalm 53:1)
Nobody is really a "good" person. Everyone is a corrupt sinner.
"As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." (Romans 3:10-12)
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
Everyone has broken God's law, the Ten Commandments.
"And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." (Mark 7:20-23)
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21)
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
Even our so-called "good" works are tainted and selfish in God's eyes.
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)
Nobody puts God first every second of every day. Yet that is God's law.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
The natural state of man is self-gratification, not seeking after God.
"The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts." (Psalm 10:4)
You cannot love both God and worldly riches.
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." (Luke 12:15)
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24)
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37)
"So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:21)
You must repent and turn away from your sins. You cannot love God if you love your sin.
"But unless you repent, you too will all perish." (Luke 13:3b)
"In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:1-2)
"From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17)
"He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." (Luke 3:3)
"They went out and preached that people should repent." (Mark 6:12)
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19)
"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus." (Acts 20:21)
"Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." (Matthew 21:32)
Jesus (God the Son) is the ONLY way to God the Father. There is NO other way.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." (1 John 2:22)
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
Salvation is a FREE GIFT. It CANNOT be earned by works.
If I come up to you and hand you a thousand-dollar bill as a gift, and you accept it, you did nothing to earn it. You did not work for it. All you did was trust my offer and believe the fact that this thousand-dollar bill will indeed impact your life for the better, and believe that there was very good reason for you to take it, and you merely accepted it.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
You must ask Jesus to save you. Then confess that He is your Lord and Savior and Master. Once you are saved, go out and tell others how to be saved from Hell.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)
"For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
True salvation results in a changed life.
"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8)
"First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." (Acts 26:20)
A person who is born again can KNOW, without a doubt, that they are going to Heaven. Not just maybe, but definitely. This is because the righteousness of Christ is transferred to their account, and their sins are washed away.
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:12-13)
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12)
"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Romans 3:22a)
"And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Philippians 3:9)
When a person turns their life over to Jesus, they are born again. They are transformed into a brand new creature. They now have a new nature and new desires. God the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside them.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When a person turns to Christ and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord, Savior and Master, the angels in Heaven rejoice!
"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Dereliction of Duty?
“…when the Holy Spirit dwells within us, it’s not hard to worship our glorious and worthy Creator. It’s as natural for Christians to worship the Lord as it is for flowers to open their petals in the warm sunlight.
On the other hand, demonstrating our love for God thought our obedience to His will (John 14:15) doesn’t happen quite as naturally. It takes a concerted effort to obey the Great Commission and follow in Christ’s footsteps, seeking to save the lost. Nevertheless, our professed love and worship of God should show itself in a determined devotion to do His will.”
For those who are born-again Christians, “When was the last time you shared your faith with an unsaved person? When did you last meditate on the fact that all who die in their sins will be cast into a lake of fire? In his book The Coming Revival, Dr. Bill Bright notes that only 2 percent of American churchgoers share their faith with others. That is tragic. If the love of God dwells in us, how can we not be horrified by the fate of the lost? Yet, many professing Christians today are so locked into worship (with the volume turned high) that they seem to give little or no thought to the fate of the ungodly.
To make a very important point, I would like for you to consider the following scenario:
What do you think would be a fitting punishment for this firefighter’s serious crime---probation? Two years in jail? Twenty years? Life? Death? What sentence would you give the negligent firefighter?
Perhaps you’re saying, “That’s ridiculous. A firefighter would never do that.” Allow me to apply the parable: If you and I are not seeking to save the lost “with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 1:23), are we not, in effect, negligent firefighters? That’s a sobering question, isn’t it?
Am I saying that if we don’t evangelize we’re not saved? Of course not. But if we would expect a firefighter to make saving lives a priority, are we honest enough to judge ourselves by the same standard? Are we doing all we can to rescue the lost, or are we sitting passively in the pews while people perish?”
“After all, what the Bible tells us about the fate of the lost (Revelation 20:15) is pretty shocking.”
“Oswald J. Smith said, “Oh, my friends, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the Church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected.” We have been gazing to the heavens while sinners are sinking into hell.
Worship is the highest calling of the Christian, and we can see in the book of Revelation that the Church will one day be consumed in worship before the throne of the Almighty. But when we look back at the book of Acts, we don’t find the Church consumed with worship. Instead, we find that those Christians were devoted to reaching the lost, to the point that they willingly gave their lives to preach the gospel.
Time is short. Let us not sit passively by during these crucial days of opportunity, drowning out the cries of a dying humanity with the sweet sounds of worship. Let us reevaluate our priorities, take off the earphones, unlock the doors, become equipped, and demonstrate the depth of our love for God by rescuing those who are about to perish.”
(pp. 1-3, “The Way of the Master,” by Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort)
People Who Die Without Christ Jesus Go to Hell
by Tim Conway
There's only One Way for people to be saved from Hell
On the other hand, demonstrating our love for God thought our obedience to His will (John 14:15) doesn’t happen quite as naturally. It takes a concerted effort to obey the Great Commission and follow in Christ’s footsteps, seeking to save the lost. Nevertheless, our professed love and worship of God should show itself in a determined devotion to do His will.”
For those who are born-again Christians, “When was the last time you shared your faith with an unsaved person? When did you last meditate on the fact that all who die in their sins will be cast into a lake of fire? In his book The Coming Revival, Dr. Bill Bright notes that only 2 percent of American churchgoers share their faith with others. That is tragic. If the love of God dwells in us, how can we not be horrified by the fate of the lost? Yet, many professing Christians today are so locked into worship (with the volume turned high) that they seem to give little or no thought to the fate of the ungodly.
To make a very important point, I would like for you to consider the following scenario:
An experienced big-city firefighter was charged yesterday with grave neglect of duty. Prosecutors maintain that he abandoned his responsibility and betrayed the people of the city when he failed to release rescue equipment during a recent fire, resulting in the needless and tragic deaths of a family of five.
The lead prosecuting attorney said that for more than three minutes after arriving at the scene, the firefighter sat in his vehicle, wearing earphones and listening to a CD, while a family of five screamed to be rescued from the sixth floor of the burning building. Horrified bystanders reported that, as flames licked at the mother’s clothing, she cried out in terror and fell to her death, still clutching an infant in her arms.
The distraught onlookers also said that the father held two terrified children as he was engulfed by the massive flames. This terrifying drama took place in full view of the firefighter as he remained seated in the fire truck listening to the CD.
Eyewitnesses were sickened when they discovered that the reason the firefighter had remained in the locked emergency vehicle was simply to test a new high-tech CD player that he had purchased as a gift from the fire chief.
The chief immediately distanced himself from the defendant and dishonorably discharged him from the fire department. In a prepared statement, the chief said that there were no words to describe such a betrayal of those the firefighter was sworn to protect.
At the trial, the defense pleaded “no contest,” but added that the defendant had gone to great personal sacrifice to purchase the expensive gift for the chief, and he hoped that the judge would take that into account when passing sentence.
What do you think would be a fitting punishment for this firefighter’s serious crime---probation? Two years in jail? Twenty years? Life? Death? What sentence would you give the negligent firefighter?
Perhaps you’re saying, “That’s ridiculous. A firefighter would never do that.” Allow me to apply the parable: If you and I are not seeking to save the lost “with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 1:23), are we not, in effect, negligent firefighters? That’s a sobering question, isn’t it?
Am I saying that if we don’t evangelize we’re not saved? Of course not. But if we would expect a firefighter to make saving lives a priority, are we honest enough to judge ourselves by the same standard? Are we doing all we can to rescue the lost, or are we sitting passively in the pews while people perish?”
“After all, what the Bible tells us about the fate of the lost (Revelation 20:15) is pretty shocking.”
“Oswald J. Smith said, “Oh, my friends, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the Church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected.” We have been gazing to the heavens while sinners are sinking into hell.
Worship is the highest calling of the Christian, and we can see in the book of Revelation that the Church will one day be consumed in worship before the throne of the Almighty. But when we look back at the book of Acts, we don’t find the Church consumed with worship. Instead, we find that those Christians were devoted to reaching the lost, to the point that they willingly gave their lives to preach the gospel.
Time is short. Let us not sit passively by during these crucial days of opportunity, drowning out the cries of a dying humanity with the sweet sounds of worship. Let us reevaluate our priorities, take off the earphones, unlock the doors, become equipped, and demonstrate the depth of our love for God by rescuing those who are about to perish.”
(pp. 1-3, “The Way of the Master,” by Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort)
People Who Die Without Christ Jesus Go to Hell
by Tim Conway
There's only One Way for people to be saved from Hell
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Rev. “Black Harry” Hoosier (or Hosier) 1750-1810
Harry Hoosier was born a slave in North Carolina, but toward the end of the American Revolution he obtained his freedom, converted to Methodism, and became a preacher. In 1781, he delivered a sermon in Virginia entitled “The Barren Fig Tree” – the first recorded Methodist sermon by an African American. Despite the fact that Hoosier was illiterate, he became famous as a traveling evangelist and was considered one of the most popular preachers of his era. In fact, after hearing Harry preach in and around Philadelphia, Dr. Benjamin Rush (1745-1813), a signer of the Declaration of Independence and an evangelical Christian, declared that accounting for his illiteracy, Hoosier was “the greatest orator in America.”
Early in his ministry, Harry became a close associate of Bishop Francis Asbury (1745- 1816), the “Founding Father of the American Methodist Church.”
(In 1771, Asbury – an Englishman – heard an appeal from John Wesley for preachers to go to America to “spread the Word.” Asbury responded, and during the next four decades he preached almost 20,000 sermons and rode over a quarter of a million miles across America – on horseback! When Asbury first arrived, there were only 550 Methodists in America, but by the time of his death in 1816, there were 250,000 – and 700 ordained Methodist ministers. In 1924 when a statue of Bishop Asbury was erected in Washington, DC, President Calvin Coolidge declared of Asbury that “He is entitled to rank as one of the builders of our nation.”)
Hoosier and Bishop Asbury traveled and preached together, but Bishop Asbury (who drew huge crowds) remarked that Harry drew even larger crowds than he did! In fact, the Rev. Henry Boehm (1775-1875) reported: “Harry. . . . was so illiterate he could not read a word [but h]e would repeat the hymn as if reading it, and quote his text with great accuracy. His voice was musical, and his tongue as the pen of a ready writer. He was unboundedly popular, and many would rather hear him than the bishops.” Harry also traveled and preached with other popular bishops of that era, including the Rev. Richard Whatcoat (1736- 1806), the Rev. Freeborn Garretson (1752-1827), and the Rev. Thomas Coke (1747-1814). The Rev. Coke said of Asbury that, “I really believe he is one of the best preachers in the world. There is such an amazing power that attends his preaching . . . and he is one of the humblest creatures I ever saw.”
Hoosier ministered widely along the American frontier and is described by historians as “a renowned camp meeting exhorter, the most widely known black preacher of his time, and arguably the greatest circuit rider of his day.” However, he was unpopular in the South for two reasons: first, frontier Methodists such as Hoosier tended to lean Arminian in their theology, contrasted with the denominations of the South that were largely Calvinistic (e.g., Presbyterians, Reformed, Episcopalians, Baptists, etc. – yes, the Baptists of that day were largely Calvinistic!); second, Methodists were outspoken against slavery whereas the majority of the South supported slavery. Therefore, southern groups such as the Virginia Baptists came to use the term “Hoosiers” as an insulting term of derision that they applied to Methodists like Black Harry Hoosier, meaning that they were anti-slavery in belief and Arminian in theology.
Fisk University history professor William Piersen believes that this is the source of the term “Hoosier” that was applied to the inhabitants of Indiana. Piersen explains, “Such an etymology would offer Indiana a plausible and worthy first Hoosier – ‘Black Harry’ Hoosier – the greatest preacher of his day, a man who rejected slavery and stood up for morality and the common man.”
Noted African American historian Carter Woodson reported the words of early Methodist historian John Ledman in describing the closing chapter of Harry Hoosier’s life:
After he had moved on the tide of popularity for a number of years . . . he fell by wine – one of the strong enemies of both ministers and people. And now, alas! this popular preacher was a drunken ragpicker in the streets of Philadelphia. But we will not leave him here. One evening, Harry . . . determined to remain there until his backslidings were healed. Under a tree he wrestled with God in prayer. Sometime that night, God restored to him the joys of his salvation [Psalm 51:12]. . . . About the year 1810, Harry finished his course. . . . An unusually large number of people, both white and colored, followed his body to its last resting place, in a free burying ground in Kensington [near Philadelphia].
The Rev. Harry Hoosier was used by God to draw thousands of Americans to Christ during the early decades of the Second Great Awakening.
(from: WallBuilders.com)
K.P. Yohannan
Growing up in a small village in South India, Dr. K.P. Yohannan began his spiritual journey at the age of eight when he gave his life to Christ. His godly mother fasted and prayed each week for God to call one of her six boys to serve the Lord. Her prayers were answered when K.P., her youngest son, surrendered his ambitions to the Lord and committed to full-time service in North India.
After eight years of serving the Lord in the subcontinent, he went to the U.S. for his theological studies and pastored a church for four years. However, he was unable to forget the untold millions who have not heard about the love of Christ in the 10/40 window.
Finally, in 1979, obeying the Lord he resigned from his pastorate to give his full time to missions. From that small beginning, today Gospel for Asia has become an effective mission movement with several thousand workers in 11 Asia nations.
Dr. K.P. spends a significant part of his time traveling to many nations and speaking on the behalf the suffering and needy in our world. His call to the body of Christ is to become His authentic followers and impact their generation for Christ.
He has authored more than 200 books published in Asia and seven in the West, including Revolution in World Missions (ISBN 0-88419-195-8), The Road to Reality (ISBN 0-88419-250-4) and his newest book, Touching Godliness through Submission (ISBN 978-1-59589-055-9). Dr. K.P.'s weekly radio broadcast, "Road to Reality," is heard over 500 radio stations throughout the USA, Canada, U.K., N.Z. and Australia.
(from Gospel For Asia)
Gospel for Asia sermon by K.P. Yohannan Pt-1
Early in his ministry, Harry became a close associate of Bishop Francis Asbury (1745- 1816), the “Founding Father of the American Methodist Church.”
(In 1771, Asbury – an Englishman – heard an appeal from John Wesley for preachers to go to America to “spread the Word.” Asbury responded, and during the next four decades he preached almost 20,000 sermons and rode over a quarter of a million miles across America – on horseback! When Asbury first arrived, there were only 550 Methodists in America, but by the time of his death in 1816, there were 250,000 – and 700 ordained Methodist ministers. In 1924 when a statue of Bishop Asbury was erected in Washington, DC, President Calvin Coolidge declared of Asbury that “He is entitled to rank as one of the builders of our nation.”)
Hoosier and Bishop Asbury traveled and preached together, but Bishop Asbury (who drew huge crowds) remarked that Harry drew even larger crowds than he did! In fact, the Rev. Henry Boehm (1775-1875) reported: “Harry. . . . was so illiterate he could not read a word [but h]e would repeat the hymn as if reading it, and quote his text with great accuracy. His voice was musical, and his tongue as the pen of a ready writer. He was unboundedly popular, and many would rather hear him than the bishops.” Harry also traveled and preached with other popular bishops of that era, including the Rev. Richard Whatcoat (1736- 1806), the Rev. Freeborn Garretson (1752-1827), and the Rev. Thomas Coke (1747-1814). The Rev. Coke said of Asbury that, “I really believe he is one of the best preachers in the world. There is such an amazing power that attends his preaching . . . and he is one of the humblest creatures I ever saw.”
Hoosier ministered widely along the American frontier and is described by historians as “a renowned camp meeting exhorter, the most widely known black preacher of his time, and arguably the greatest circuit rider of his day.” However, he was unpopular in the South for two reasons: first, frontier Methodists such as Hoosier tended to lean Arminian in their theology, contrasted with the denominations of the South that were largely Calvinistic (e.g., Presbyterians, Reformed, Episcopalians, Baptists, etc. – yes, the Baptists of that day were largely Calvinistic!); second, Methodists were outspoken against slavery whereas the majority of the South supported slavery. Therefore, southern groups such as the Virginia Baptists came to use the term “Hoosiers” as an insulting term of derision that they applied to Methodists like Black Harry Hoosier, meaning that they were anti-slavery in belief and Arminian in theology.
Fisk University history professor William Piersen believes that this is the source of the term “Hoosier” that was applied to the inhabitants of Indiana. Piersen explains, “Such an etymology would offer Indiana a plausible and worthy first Hoosier – ‘Black Harry’ Hoosier – the greatest preacher of his day, a man who rejected slavery and stood up for morality and the common man.”
Noted African American historian Carter Woodson reported the words of early Methodist historian John Ledman in describing the closing chapter of Harry Hoosier’s life:
After he had moved on the tide of popularity for a number of years . . . he fell by wine – one of the strong enemies of both ministers and people. And now, alas! this popular preacher was a drunken ragpicker in the streets of Philadelphia. But we will not leave him here. One evening, Harry . . . determined to remain there until his backslidings were healed. Under a tree he wrestled with God in prayer. Sometime that night, God restored to him the joys of his salvation [Psalm 51:12]. . . . About the year 1810, Harry finished his course. . . . An unusually large number of people, both white and colored, followed his body to its last resting place, in a free burying ground in Kensington [near Philadelphia].
The Rev. Harry Hoosier was used by God to draw thousands of Americans to Christ during the early decades of the Second Great Awakening.
(from: WallBuilders.com)
K.P. Yohannan
Growing up in a small village in South India, Dr. K.P. Yohannan began his spiritual journey at the age of eight when he gave his life to Christ. His godly mother fasted and prayed each week for God to call one of her six boys to serve the Lord. Her prayers were answered when K.P., her youngest son, surrendered his ambitions to the Lord and committed to full-time service in North India.
After eight years of serving the Lord in the subcontinent, he went to the U.S. for his theological studies and pastored a church for four years. However, he was unable to forget the untold millions who have not heard about the love of Christ in the 10/40 window.
Finally, in 1979, obeying the Lord he resigned from his pastorate to give his full time to missions. From that small beginning, today Gospel for Asia has become an effective mission movement with several thousand workers in 11 Asia nations.
Dr. K.P. spends a significant part of his time traveling to many nations and speaking on the behalf the suffering and needy in our world. His call to the body of Christ is to become His authentic followers and impact their generation for Christ.
He has authored more than 200 books published in Asia and seven in the West, including Revolution in World Missions (ISBN 0-88419-195-8), The Road to Reality (ISBN 0-88419-250-4) and his newest book, Touching Godliness through Submission (ISBN 978-1-59589-055-9). Dr. K.P.'s weekly radio broadcast, "Road to Reality," is heard over 500 radio stations throughout the USA, Canada, U.K., N.Z. and Australia.
(from Gospel For Asia)
Gospel for Asia sermon by K.P. Yohannan Pt-1
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Rev. Andrew Bryan 1737-1812
Andrew Bryan was born in slavery and grew up as a slave on a plantation in South Carolina. In 1782, Andrew and his wife Hannah became Christians under the preaching of the Rev. George Liele (1752 - 1828), an African American born into slavery who ministered the Gospel to other slaves. (Liele was the first African American ordained as a Baptist preacher.) Only nine months after his conversion, Andrew – still a slave – was preaching to both black and white congregations. He evangelized slaves on neighboring plantations and erected a crude wooden church; his congregation grew rapidly, attended by both blacks and whites. On January 20, 1788, Bryan was ordained as a Baptist minister.
As a result of the rapid growth of his church, persecution was initiated by nearby slave owners who feared a revolt if slaves heard the message of freedom in the Gospel. Hundreds of converted slaves not only were denied water baptism by their masters but also were forbidden to attend Bryan’s services. Many who did attend were flogged and severely punished, and even Andrew was whipped, beaten, and imprisoned (much like Paul and Silas in Acts 16:19-25), and his church was seized. (Andrew’s master, who supported his ministry, helped arrange his release from jail.)
Was Andrew bitter at this unjust treatment? Not at all. Instead, just as Jesus had instructed in Matthew 5, Andrew exulted in his persecution, proclaiming that “he rejoiced not only to be whipped but would freely suffer death for the cause of Jesus Christ;” he also prayed for the men who had persecuted him. This Christ-like behavior in Andrew won the respect of many observers.
Upon the death of his “master” in 1790, Andrew purchased his freedom and that of his wife. In 1794, several influential whites helped him raise the money to purchase property upon which to build a new church – the Bryan Street African Baptist Church (the first black Baptist church in America). Andrew then purchased a lot near the church upon which to build his home.
Within six years, the church had grown to almost 700 members (a large church at any time, it definitely was a mega-church in that era). In 1800, the church was reorganized as the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, and one of its ministries was a black Sabbath school – the first in the city. However, because Andrew’s goal was not simply to have a large congregation and an impressive church, in 1802 he deliberately split the congregation and planted a new church: the Second African Baptist Church of Savannah (its pastor, Henry Francis, started a school in the church to educate black children). The church growth continued, and in 1803 Andrew split the church again, forming the Third African Baptist Church of Savannah. As these churches grew, their congregations pioneered churches in other parts of the State.
At that time in America’s history, Georgia was one of the most stridently pro-slavery states in America. Thomas Jefferson (who in 1783 proposed the first antislavery law in America) noted that it was the influence of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina that kept the national anti-slavery law from passing in Congress. Georgia had even been unable to provide its share of soldiers for the American Revolution because its citizens feared that if they left their plantations to fight for American independence, their slaves would escape. Clearly, slavery was strongly embraced in Georgia, so Andrew labored in a region of the country in which ministry by – or to – African Americans was exceptionally difficult.
Nevertheless, upon Andrew’s death in 1812, the Savannah Baptist Association (comprised of the white Baptists of the city), praised Bryan’s work, proclaiming:
The Association is sensibly affected by the death of the Rev. Andrew Bryan, a man of color, and pastor of the First Colored Church in Savannah. This son of Africa, after suffering inexpressible persecutions in the cause of his divine Master, was at length permitted to discharge the duties of the ministry among his colored friends in peace and quiet, hundreds of whom, through his instrumentality, were brought to knowledge of the truth as “it is in Jesus.”
The ministry of Andrew Bryan brought thousands in Georgia to a personal relationship with God through Christ.
(From WallBuilders.com)
As a result of the rapid growth of his church, persecution was initiated by nearby slave owners who feared a revolt if slaves heard the message of freedom in the Gospel. Hundreds of converted slaves not only were denied water baptism by their masters but also were forbidden to attend Bryan’s services. Many who did attend were flogged and severely punished, and even Andrew was whipped, beaten, and imprisoned (much like Paul and Silas in Acts 16:19-25), and his church was seized. (Andrew’s master, who supported his ministry, helped arrange his release from jail.)
Was Andrew bitter at this unjust treatment? Not at all. Instead, just as Jesus had instructed in Matthew 5, Andrew exulted in his persecution, proclaiming that “he rejoiced not only to be whipped but would freely suffer death for the cause of Jesus Christ;” he also prayed for the men who had persecuted him. This Christ-like behavior in Andrew won the respect of many observers.
Upon the death of his “master” in 1790, Andrew purchased his freedom and that of his wife. In 1794, several influential whites helped him raise the money to purchase property upon which to build a new church – the Bryan Street African Baptist Church (the first black Baptist church in America). Andrew then purchased a lot near the church upon which to build his home.
Within six years, the church had grown to almost 700 members (a large church at any time, it definitely was a mega-church in that era). In 1800, the church was reorganized as the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, and one of its ministries was a black Sabbath school – the first in the city. However, because Andrew’s goal was not simply to have a large congregation and an impressive church, in 1802 he deliberately split the congregation and planted a new church: the Second African Baptist Church of Savannah (its pastor, Henry Francis, started a school in the church to educate black children). The church growth continued, and in 1803 Andrew split the church again, forming the Third African Baptist Church of Savannah. As these churches grew, their congregations pioneered churches in other parts of the State.
At that time in America’s history, Georgia was one of the most stridently pro-slavery states in America. Thomas Jefferson (who in 1783 proposed the first antislavery law in America) noted that it was the influence of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina that kept the national anti-slavery law from passing in Congress. Georgia had even been unable to provide its share of soldiers for the American Revolution because its citizens feared that if they left their plantations to fight for American independence, their slaves would escape. Clearly, slavery was strongly embraced in Georgia, so Andrew labored in a region of the country in which ministry by – or to – African Americans was exceptionally difficult.
Nevertheless, upon Andrew’s death in 1812, the Savannah Baptist Association (comprised of the white Baptists of the city), praised Bryan’s work, proclaiming:
The Association is sensibly affected by the death of the Rev. Andrew Bryan, a man of color, and pastor of the First Colored Church in Savannah. This son of Africa, after suffering inexpressible persecutions in the cause of his divine Master, was at length permitted to discharge the duties of the ministry among his colored friends in peace and quiet, hundreds of whom, through his instrumentality, were brought to knowledge of the truth as “it is in Jesus.”
The ministry of Andrew Bryan brought thousands in Georgia to a personal relationship with God through Christ.
(From WallBuilders.com)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
What's wrong with our country? Let me count the ways...
OK, I'm not going to be 'politically correct' here. In fact, I'm going to complain. And maybe even step on some toes and offend some people. Someone just sent me one of those "I'm a Bad American" e-mails which talks about all the things that are wrong with our country (similar to one of those "angry American" e-mails), and all the things that make them mad about what is happening today. So I'm going to list just a few of those things, and the way I feel about them.
For many years now, Americans have been cutting their own throats by buying foreign products. That has been going on for years now, and we are paying the price for it.
Personally, I think most Republicans are conservative and most Democrats are liberal, but I'm considering independents more and more, because even among Republican candidates, it seems our choices are becoming less and less palatable.
My greatest hero is Jesus....well, He's not merely my hero, but my Lord, my Savior, my Master and my God. But after Him, my heroes are people like Steve Saint (son of martyred Nate Saint of "End of the Spear" fame), John MacArthur (great preacher, though in recent years I have disagreed with one or two things he says), Mark Kielar (of Cross TV's "Word Pictures" who is one of the few on TV today that truly, convictingly, unapologetically and strongly preaches God's truth, and does not teach false doctrines), Charles Spurgeon (one of the greatest preachers of all time, along with Jonathan Edwards), the late Dr. James Kennedy (TV preacher from Coral Ridge Presbyterian church who heroically fought on the front lines against abortion, homosexuality, etc.), David Barton (of WallBuilders.com, who is a great historian and can prove that America was indeed founded on Judeo-Christian principles largely by men who were very strong Christians), Mark Cahill (one of the most active street witnesses for Jesus today), John Piper (great preacher), the late Keith Green (one of the few contemporary Christian singers that I have great respect for, and who did not water down his message), Nick Vujicik (an inspiring Christian with a great attitude who has no limbs, but he travels around the world speaking for Christ, and he doesn't let anything stop him), and people like that.
I think it's ridiculous for blacks to be called "African American" when neither they, their parents, nor their grandparents have even been to Africa, nor do they even speak any African language. By that token, I should be called a "British-American," since my ancestors came over from Great Britain. If people want to remember their heritage, that's fine. But "political correctness" gets silly at times. I also think many blacks limit themselves by holding onto that "poor me" victim mentality. Sure, their ancestors were slaves. But I wasn't around then, and neither were they. Yes, there are whites who hate blacks, but there are just as many blacks who hate whites. And, according to someone I know who has attended all-black churches for years, some of the black churches are one of the sources that feed this prejudice. It would be more beneficial to "African Americans" or "people of color" if they would focus on motivating, encouraging and building up one another, and uniting, instead of living in the past, and instead of fighting each other and tearing each other down. Instead of constantly reminding each other that they are losers and underdogs, it would surely be more helpful to them if they were to focus on the positive things their ancestors have done. There are many black heroes of the past, especially those who were men of God, whose stories should be told for the purpose of motivation and encouragement.
American Indians have more right to complain than blacks do, because many of their nations were wiped out completely, and many of them are oppressed today to a greater degree than blacks are. I was told by a Native American, however, that many American Indians are held back by their addiction to alcohol and their laziness. This is a tragedy. They, too, would benefit greatly if they could put aside their "I'm a loser and an underdog" mentality, but such a change cannot be easy, as they have been abused, cheated, and oppressed by the federal government even till today.
Jews have more of a right to complain about persecution than either blacks or American Indians, because they have been persecuted for thousands of years, and almost exterminated. And the latest attempt to exterminate them, the Holocaust, is even being refused to be accepted as a historical reality by some today, which is a gigantic slap in the face to Jews. I believe Christians have worldwide been physically persecuted more consistently than Jews (via prison, poison, torture, rape, dismemberment, disfigurement [i.e., by acid], murder, etc.), but Jews have been persecuted longer, because they have been around longer.
In contrast, the Cubans in Miami often came over with nothing. And now, they have pretty much taken over Miami, including the language, culture and politics. One thing I can say about Cubans is that they don't sit around feeling sorry for themselves. They are very innovative and creative, and, though many of the ones that I lived around were largely made up of those that Castro sent over when he emptied out his prisons ("mariolitas"), they at least use their brains, and they know how to get by with very little, and they know how to make money (whether legally or illegally), and they are not lazy.
The only problem I have with "In God We Trust" being on our money is that it is no longer true. Too many in this country no longer trust in God. If we were to be honest, putting "In Obama We Trust" on our bills would probably be more correct for way too many Americans. (Maybe those are the ones who should move to a Socialist country.)
I dislike kids and adults, of various organizations, standing in front of stores, or at intersections, begging for money. When I was in Boy Scouts, the Junior Luther League, the High School Wrestling Team, etc., we NEVER went around begging for money. We washed cars, sold doughnuts, held carnivals, etc. Today, too many kids and adults are apparently too lazy to actually EARN money. And those who hold cardboard signs at street lights often make more money begging than I would working eight hours a day. (I offered to take one to a restaurant one time, and he refused. So, obviously, his "Will Work For Food" sign was a lie.)
For many years now, Americans have been cutting their own throats by buying foreign products. That has been going on for years now, and we are paying the price for it.
Personally, I think most Republicans are conservative and most Democrats are liberal, but I'm considering independents more and more, because even among Republican candidates, it seems our choices are becoming less and less palatable.
My greatest hero is Jesus....well, He's not merely my hero, but my Lord, my Savior, my Master and my God. But after Him, my heroes are people like Steve Saint (son of martyred Nate Saint of "End of the Spear" fame), John MacArthur (great preacher, though in recent years I have disagreed with one or two things he says), Mark Kielar (of Cross TV's "Word Pictures" who is one of the few on TV today that truly, convictingly, unapologetically and strongly preaches God's truth, and does not teach false doctrines), Charles Spurgeon (one of the greatest preachers of all time, along with Jonathan Edwards), the late Dr. James Kennedy (TV preacher from Coral Ridge Presbyterian church who heroically fought on the front lines against abortion, homosexuality, etc.), David Barton (of WallBuilders.com, who is a great historian and can prove that America was indeed founded on Judeo-Christian principles largely by men who were very strong Christians), Mark Cahill (one of the most active street witnesses for Jesus today), John Piper (great preacher), the late Keith Green (one of the few contemporary Christian singers that I have great respect for, and who did not water down his message), Nick Vujicik (an inspiring Christian with a great attitude who has no limbs, but he travels around the world speaking for Christ, and he doesn't let anything stop him), and people like that.
I think it's ridiculous for blacks to be called "African American" when neither they, their parents, nor their grandparents have even been to Africa, nor do they even speak any African language. By that token, I should be called a "British-American," since my ancestors came over from Great Britain. If people want to remember their heritage, that's fine. But "political correctness" gets silly at times. I also think many blacks limit themselves by holding onto that "poor me" victim mentality. Sure, their ancestors were slaves. But I wasn't around then, and neither were they. Yes, there are whites who hate blacks, but there are just as many blacks who hate whites. And, according to someone I know who has attended all-black churches for years, some of the black churches are one of the sources that feed this prejudice. It would be more beneficial to "African Americans" or "people of color" if they would focus on motivating, encouraging and building up one another, and uniting, instead of living in the past, and instead of fighting each other and tearing each other down. Instead of constantly reminding each other that they are losers and underdogs, it would surely be more helpful to them if they were to focus on the positive things their ancestors have done. There are many black heroes of the past, especially those who were men of God, whose stories should be told for the purpose of motivation and encouragement.
American Indians have more right to complain than blacks do, because many of their nations were wiped out completely, and many of them are oppressed today to a greater degree than blacks are. I was told by a Native American, however, that many American Indians are held back by their addiction to alcohol and their laziness. This is a tragedy. They, too, would benefit greatly if they could put aside their "I'm a loser and an underdog" mentality, but such a change cannot be easy, as they have been abused, cheated, and oppressed by the federal government even till today.
Jews have more of a right to complain about persecution than either blacks or American Indians, because they have been persecuted for thousands of years, and almost exterminated. And the latest attempt to exterminate them, the Holocaust, is even being refused to be accepted as a historical reality by some today, which is a gigantic slap in the face to Jews. I believe Christians have worldwide been physically persecuted more consistently than Jews (via prison, poison, torture, rape, dismemberment, disfigurement [i.e., by acid], murder, etc.), but Jews have been persecuted longer, because they have been around longer.
In contrast, the Cubans in Miami often came over with nothing. And now, they have pretty much taken over Miami, including the language, culture and politics. One thing I can say about Cubans is that they don't sit around feeling sorry for themselves. They are very innovative and creative, and, though many of the ones that I lived around were largely made up of those that Castro sent over when he emptied out his prisons ("mariolitas"), they at least use their brains, and they know how to get by with very little, and they know how to make money (whether legally or illegally), and they are not lazy.
The only problem I have with "In God We Trust" being on our money is that it is no longer true. Too many in this country no longer trust in God. If we were to be honest, putting "In Obama We Trust" on our bills would probably be more correct for way too many Americans. (Maybe those are the ones who should move to a Socialist country.)
I dislike kids and adults, of various organizations, standing in front of stores, or at intersections, begging for money. When I was in Boy Scouts, the Junior Luther League, the High School Wrestling Team, etc., we NEVER went around begging for money. We washed cars, sold doughnuts, held carnivals, etc. Today, too many kids and adults are apparently too lazy to actually EARN money. And those who hold cardboard signs at street lights often make more money begging than I would working eight hours a day. (I offered to take one to a restaurant one time, and he refused. So, obviously, his "Will Work For Food" sign was a lie.)
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