Merry Christmas! or...

Yeah, I shamelessly stole this off the Internet to post here, and yeah, its been around the block a few times. But I still think its funny, and its my blog after all...

To My Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country, nor is it the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference.

To My Conservative Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2010 (Anno Domini)!

Golden West Camp 2010 - What is Truth?

Golden West Camp 2010 will be in Show Low, AZ from July 24th - July 31st. Currently we have begun to work on putting together the program for camp, which we are writing ourselves this year. Please be in prayer for us as we do this, that God would give us the words to reach the hearts and minds of these kids - really, the leaders of the Church here in Arizona over the next generation. At camp we will be discussing Pilate's critical question to Jesus, in John 18:38 - "What is truth?" This is the deep heart-cry of our culture, but so many have given up trying to answer the question. It has become enough to be entertained, or at the very least, distracted... and it is destroying us. The Church, far from reflecting Christ, reflects the culture. If this is to change it will take very deliberate action on our part.

I write this here on the blog because I won't be posting as much as I have been as we work to put this program together. And if you have questions about camp, or would like to assist with either your time or financial support, you can reach me on my cell phone at 623.341.0240.

Thank you for reading, and for your prayers!

Charles Baldon
Camp Director, Golden West Camp

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rejoice in this Day of Thanksgiving! For the Lord of the Harvest has open the gates, and His Bounty is shared freely with all:
To the weary he has granted Rest,
The heavy laden have been granted Strength to carry on.
He is a Strong Tower to the oppressed, a Shield against the darkening storms of this world.
In the gift of His Son he has granted Hope to the hopeless,
And His Swift Sure Hand upholds the broken, making them whole once again.
Again I say, rejoice! Praise the High King of Heaven as you sit at the feast, and glory in His repast that nourishes the soul.

A Final Solution for Global Warming

A Final Solution for Global Warming

The time has come to pull out all the stops; climate change has become an issue too large to ignore. The crisis is dire, and the very survival of the planet is at stake. With this in mind, I lay out my plan for solving this terrible problem.

Step 1: Justice for the Planet is Justice for Everyone

It is an indisputable fact that global warming has a far greater negative impact on women and minorities than it does on white men. In addition, most of the worst contributors to greenhouse gases - machines such automobiles, power plants, or people that exhale - are a direct result of the reprehensible inventive and reproductive behavior of white men. I therefore propose the immediate liquidation of the male Caucasian population, beginning with those in America and Europe, who also form the dominant and repressive majority within these cultures. This particular solution has many additional social benefits, but the primary and immediate effect will be a reduction in the consumption and use of goods which add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. New fields, forests and even rain forests can then be fertilized with this new abundant resource, finally allowing us to restore balance to our fragile ecosystems. With this primary consumer base eliminated, damaged ecosystems (such as rain forests) will have a chance to recover, as they no longer need be plowed under to allow for the destructive expansion of industry.

Step 2: Reproductive Choice is the Only Choice

We must thank the great nation of China for their valuable contributions to the world in reducing greenhouse gases through their revolutionary social policies, and we must learn to follow their example. Abortion as a fundamental human right is, of course, a given; but we must move forward the idea of mandatory abortion. More than 1 child per household means additional population growth, and population growth is crucial to manage if we are to save this planet. 2.2 live births per female allows for a population to maintain it's size. We must get this number down to 1.0-1.2 as quickly as possible (currently much of Europe, and legal population of America, stand at 1.6 or less). The next step is twofold, after the elimination of white males. First, the entire world must adopt a policy of 'one child per family.' Second, those who we have already identified as potential domestic terrorists here in America (that is, those who consider themselves to be 'pro-life') should immediately follow white males as the next to be liquidated. Someday we might have the courage as a race to embrace the third step, that of widespread sterilization, but we must allow for some time for the various cultures of the world to adapt and embrace change. We can lay the groundwork for this new idea in Step 3.

Step 3: Freedom from Destructive Social Institutions

In addition to mandating '1 child' policies among heterosexual couples, we must continue to ensure that the maximum number of children possible are educated in the government education centers. This has the advantage of giving governments one unified voice in reaching these children with the critical truths they need to hear. We must also continue the advancement of homosexual culture in these centers. Replacement of the restrictive social institution known as 'the traditional family' with that of 'the modern family' has several benefits in the fight against climate change. First and most directly, homosexual couples do not produce children, so by definition each of these modern family units will produce lower levels of greenhouse gases. Second, in replacing the traditional family as the basic social unit, we reduce the influence of certain destructive belief systems (as taught by parents) upon the individual. To a large extent this has been accomplished, as most parents seek to have the government educate their children; but many - particularly in America - are not being reached. Many of these even question the necessity of our efforts, and such questioning endangers all of us in the long term.

Step 4: Acknowledging the Equality of the Species

Once and for all, this antiquated notion that man is the pinnacle of nature must be put to the rest. Arising from the destructive teachings Judaism and Christianity, this idea that men and women are somehow different from other creatures - as they would say, 'created in the image of God' - is completely antithetical to what our governing philosophy must be if we are to save the planet. What right do we have to this planet that every other creature shouldn't also have? In addition to the sheer barbarity of killing our evolutionary cousins for food (please note the genetic similarities between humans and cows), we waste tremendous natural resources breeding many animals for just this purpose... not to mention the enormous amount of greenhouse gases produced by the extra animals, themselves, grown only to feed us. We must begin to examine endangered species in this critical light: how do one or more human lives compare, when measured against the extinction of entire species? More widespread use of hydroelectric power may indeed save additional human lives, but what of the ecosystems damaged by this intrusion? We must allow natural selection to take its course, and throw off the chains of 'compassion.' Those that cannot feed or care for themselves must face the consequences without intervention, for the good of all. This further reduction in the human population can only serve to improve the plight of our imperiled planet.

In summary, we have already taken several of the crucial first steps towards this Final Solution. We have a widespread understanding among the culture of our enemy truly is: those of industry. We have the means to continue our education of the next generation in knowledge of the truth, and we must work to weaken the influence of those whose ideas are most destructive to the cause. Darwin in his brilliant theory has given us the framework, within the realm of science, to alter the destructive philosophies that have controlled the world for far too long. We must continue to strive forward, workers across the world! We must unite to save this planet.

Thanksgiving 2009

And so another holiday season is upon us... seems like Resurrection Sunday was last week, and yet here we are with Thanksgiving 3 days away. Thanksgiving as an annual national holiday began back in 1863. Here is the text of the speech President Lincoln gave:

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

When these words were spoken, the nation was in the middle of a terrible struggle, the Civil War. Why then these words of thankfulness, in such a dark time?

Perspective. Note the language used by our Secretary of State. Can you imagine the current office holder speaking in such a manner, for any occasion? The original purpose behind the day was a moment of reflection, a pause to give thanks to God for his blessings, even in the midst of trial. And that is the perspective we now lack. Ultimately the course our nation takes in foreign policy, health care, union/management relations, or "global warming" is meaningless unless we are building upon the proper foundation. And that foundation is crumbling. Our nation drifts without a sense of purpose, no longer understanding the vision of those who founded it. We either can not or will not acknowledge the great gift our very nation is to us, from God Himself. And as we drift, our sense of gratitude is also fading. Having left ourselves with no greater purpose than our own will, what do we have to be truly thankful for? To whom are we grateful? So much has been given for us. So much has been sacrificed by others so that we have what we have.

This year, I encourage all of us to remember. Implicit within gratitude is memory, the remembrance of what we have been given. Let us thank God even as we ask Him to restore knowledge of Himself to our nation, that our foundation would again grow strong. By His grace we, as the United States of America, have the power to lead the world. But this is not a change that will come about politically. Conservative, centrist, liberal - none of these hold the key. True change will come about as gratitude leads us to greater sense of humility, and humility leads us to knowledge of the Truth.

May God richly bless each of you this day of Thanksgiving, and may he touch your hearts with His wisdom and understanding.

Lies Assaulting Our Ministries, Part 3

Lie #1 - Darwinian Evolution "A Cosmic Accident"

C) History: Is society evolving or has anything really changed?

A previous post addresses this point in some detail. Please skim that before continuing here, so that this will make sense.

If we take the viewpoint that human cultures are evolving, would we not expect to see a change in human behavior over the course of the centuries? And yet we have not seen this change happen in a positive direction. Just look at war over human history; there was very little peace in the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the 20th century was the bloodiest to date. Nothing has changed, we see people attempting to dominate other people throughout all the cycles of human history. So far within the 21st century, we have seen more of the same. So far we have not experienced the worldwide open conflict as the 20th century, but in Africa we see a continent ravaged by war, with the resulting poverty and famine. We see most of the Western world so terrified of a major conflict that they dance to the tune of petty dictators in North Korea and Iran, calling appeasement 'diplomacy.' I would challenge those who think our efforts in North Korea and Iran commendable study the policies of England and France in regards to Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. The comparison is chilling.

Another interesting point to consider is abortion. In our 'progressive' society, we decided in 1973 that this should be permitted, and our Supreme Court decided it was a Constitutional right. So how does the impact of abortion on society, not to mention the women who suffer through it, differ from the impact of child sacrifice to Chemosh in the Old Testament? Is the impact different on the babies who are aborted/were sacrificed? Either way they are dead. How is it we would label our society 'civilized' but theirs as 'barbaric?' Is the difference in the presence of doctor, versus a pagan priest? Or is the difference between the operating table and the stone altar? I do not ask to mock, I ask in an attempt to reconcile what we seem to believe with reality, as it truly is. We want to say that things are different now, that we have advanced. Where is the evidence?

Now we must acknowledge that technology has advanced, and this is a point I don't deny. I would challenge you to think on technology, and break down the net result of our collective advances. Do some live better, longer lives due to advances in medicine and machinery? Absolutely. Does a majority of the population of the world live better lives? Or has the gulf between the technologically advanced and others led to contempt and indifference? Is a gun superior to a bow? What of nuclear weapons? Have things like iPods and cell phones brought us deeper, more fulfilling relationships? Has the Internet increased wisdom, or merely knowledge? How do we define 'better?' What makes one life better than another? This is not to say we should reject technology; we just need to understand its place in an historical context.

These are critical points to consider. I hope the result of our contemplation is humility, an enlarged sense that we are not better, or superior, to those who have come before us. How can I learn from the lives of those in the Bible? Because they struggled with the same things I do. What motivated them, motivates me. What hurt them, hurts me. And when we start to see ourselves in the proper light, knocked down several pegs and in desperate need of the same grace God has given throughout history, it will change the way we think about our present day world. Without a sense of the past, you cannot properly understand the present. Without a sense of the past, we cannot understand the working out of God's plan throughout human history. Too many of us, as Christians, have no sense of the bigger picture because we deny it even exists. Perhaps we don't deny it in our minds, or our words - but what of our actions?

Lies Assaulting Our Ministries, Part 2

Once again, we are trying to cover a tremendous amount of ground in a short time. Please email or comment with questions and I will be happy to expand or explain as requested.

Lie #1 - Darwinian Evolution "A Cosmic Accident"

B) What is our identity? Where does it come from?

Ideas have consequences, and here we begin to see that the long reach of Darwinism extends far beyond the science classroom. If we are the result of random, purposeless forces - what is our value as human beings? What is the worth of a single human life? What is the value of an unwanted baby (or fetus, some would prefer)?

"When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. Each one values his or her life and fights the knife." Ingrid Newkirk's statement is a chilling one, once you think it through. Reading on from PETA's own website, we find that we shouldn't discriminate, even on the basis of species. An animal should have every right that you do. Now, some would say that PETA is a rather extreme choice for an example of the evolutionary mindset. But taking that viewpoint to its logical end, their ideas makes perfect sense: what is the difference between the species? We are all made of the same stuff, we all come from the same place, and we all have our spot in the natural world. A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy; don't bother me with a starving child in Africa when an entire insect species is going extinct. What is the life of one child when measured against the extinction of a species? If I say - as the compassionate heart would like to - that a child is worth more than even millions of bugs, what is my basis for saying so? If I say "Well, in my heart I know what is right," then how do I establish moral superiority over someone like Newkirk, who "knows" a different truth in their heart? Who is right? Where do I go, what truth do I claim, to win this argument? For that matter, from a purely evolutionary mindset, why do I care about a starving boy, anyway? If he can't feed himself, let him die. He was clearly not fit, and natural selection is taking its natural course.

Thank God for Scriptural truth! For we find in the very beginning that man is created in the very image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). His value is innate, his worth established because it is ordained by the Creator. Every unborn child, every starving person on some distant continent - they are all created in the image of God. Human life has greater value than that of the natural world, over which we were given stewardship and authority (Genesis 1:28-29).

We further find that, in addition to being created in God's image, mankind has specific purpose in this world, even before sin entered it (Genesis 2:15-24). Man created to work, woman created to help him; we have distinct roles in both responsibility and relationship.

What does the world say? Just a few days ago, a report on gender (in regards to terrorism) was given to the UN. This viewpoint, that gender is a social construct and not part of who we are created to be, is taught to children everyday in this country in the public schools. And this conclusion follows logically from evolution as well. With the natural world established as the boundary of reality, it follows that there is no behavior that we can engage in that can be considered unnatural. If a man chooses to act as a woman, this is natural. If a woman chooses the life of a man, this is natural. In short, there is no particular role or relationship that cannot be redefined, since these things are merely social constructs in the first place.

Reality doesn't line up with this worldview, however. Read the news, check the Internet. We are surrounded everyday by more and more broken people, wearing themselves out trying to be something they were not created to be. As Christians, this should break our hearts, and here is where we often go wrong: we focus on the sin, and not the sinner. Where we have the chance to show the love of Christ, to show hurting people that it does not have to be like it is, that there is a better way, a plan - instead we judge, so intent on being self-righteous that we forget our own moral corruption. That is, we forget that sin is sin and we are no better than anyone else, we are just saved by grace. None of us are righteous (Romans 3:23). God's grace in our lives is all that separates us from anyone, not that we do anything to deserve it, but that God gives it freely (Ephesians 2:8-9) to those who believe.

In addition to different roles in society, we see different roles within marriage. The Bible teaches clearly that God's order for marriage is the husband in a position of leadership and the wife in a position of submission (Colossians 3:18-39, Ephesians 5:22-33). But here again we need to be careful about using Truth as a bludgeon. The example of our - husband's - leadership is Christ as we witness him here on earth in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Christ willingly surrendered his rights as God to take on the role of Savior, remaining God as He was here on earth but using only the authority given Him by the Father. Jesus set aside everything He was in order to meet the need of a fallen world for a Savior, ultimately dying on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins. Somehow I don't think that kind of leadership is a problem for women, were they to see it properly lived out by the men in their lives. As for women, their submission is to be that of the Church to Christ. Christ did not give the Church a list of do's and don'ts, expecting simple mindless obedience. No, a Christian's life should look different because it is a response to a loving relationship almost beyond comprehension. A wife's submission is the loving, respectful response to the husband's servant leadership and sacrifice.

But the toughest aspect within marriage is the call to do our part, regardless of our spouse's choices. As a reflection of God's unconditional love for us, we must be loving to our wives and respectful to our husbands; the direction of the Bible here is clear (Ephesians 5:33) and unconditional. And this extends to Christians within society as a whole: we need to be living out lives full of grace so that others can see Jesus Christ in us. We need to worry about what we can do for others, and not what others can do for us. We need to focus on our responsibility as Christians, and not our rights. We need to follow the two commandments Jesus Himself gave as the greatest: to love the Lord, and love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:28-34).

To review, we have looked at the authority of the Bible in relationship to evolution; that is, the Bible has no authority if evolution is true, because they cannot coexist. The Bible claims perfection, and if this perfection is lost (due to falsehood in the Genesis account) the whole effort is a waste of time, other than perhaps to "feel good" in some vague religious sense.

And if we embrace evolution, we see that society suffers because the roles of men and women are no longer defined in an absolute way. A person has no greater worth than an animal. A man has no different a role than a woman, and in turn neither has a call to be anything more than an animal here on earth. In contrast, the Biblical model for society lived out offers the greatest joy a person can have. A loving father, a caring mother, obedient children, and a family as a whole putting the needs of others before their own. It sounds Utopian, and yet it is society as it was created to be. Will we embrace it? Will we live in such a way that the world will begin again to see the value in God's social order?

Lies Assaulting Our Ministries, Part 1a

This post is to clarify what is meant by 'evolution' during our discussions.

Evolution is defined as:

Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals, and resulting in the development of new species.

A reader brought up some good points, which I quote here (originally posted on Facebook):

Hi, Charles. I'd like to read more of what you have to offer, but I think it would be helpful to your point to, at least, shift your terminology in-line with accepted definitions. First, a "species" is a breeding population. Two species may still be genetically compatible, but do not normally breed with each in nature. In addition, typically, the union of two different species often produces a "mule," or a sterile offspring. What is sometimes called "microevolution" - a term that is falling out of favor - is more commonly termed "speciation." Speciation is simply when one species gives rise to a new, novel species. Speciation has been observed in the field and in the laboratory. "Macroevolution" -- again, a term falling out of favor - simply describes evolution over the categories of taxa - species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, and kingdom. However, really, "macroevolution" is just countless generational "microevolutionary" steps...

The concern I have here is the subtle shift in definition that has attempted to change the argument. As I stated before, we see variations within types of organisms, but we don't see the change from one type of organism into another. Given all the time requested, even billions of years, the small steps still have to result in one type of organism becoming another one (for evolution to be true). This is what we don't see. If we then say that the time required is far beyond that of the human life span, then we have a scientific problem: our hypothesis cannot be measured or observed, and so can never be proven.

And the 'big picture' questions remain: how do random, purposeless forces give us a universe of order? How did the living arise from the nonliving? Why is there something rather than nothing? How is it we can look at systems many times more complex than, say, a desktop PC, and cry 'random chance?' The PC on which you are reading this blog is incredibly complex, but you yourself are many times more so. Yet I know the PC to have been designed and built according to a plan. How then can I say that you are the result of random processes over billions of years? How do we rationally say that complex order arises from chaos? The fact is, we have to try very hard to deny the design we see in systems all over the world. A very good question is: why is it so important to so many for evolution to be true? What are the consequences if it is not? And once we say that no design exists, that all we have are purposeless, natural forces - we swim in some very dangerous waters, as we will explore going forward.

An excellent resource in the evolutionary debate is a book titled Darwin's Black Box, written by Michael Behe, who is not a Christian - just a scientist presenting issues with evolution. A great resource from a young-earth Creationist viewpoint (the one I defend throughout this series) is Answers in Genesis. Their website and other resources are great for teaching the Biblical viewpoint.

Lies Assaulting Our Ministries, Part 1

This series is taken from a talk I did at the Arizona AWANA Conference 2009 at Palmcroft Baptist Church. Several people asked for information more in-depth than just my handout notes, so here they are.

The purpose of my presentation was to discuss 2 critical lies that face the Church today. These lies come at our families - and the kids coming to our AWANA clubs - from several different cultural places. School, media, the Internet, even sometimes from with the Church... we can't fight knowledge with mere knowledge. 2 hours of AWANA, maybe a couple more hours of church on Sunday can't undo the damage of 80+ hours a week of indoctrination into a conflicting worldview. But we are aware of the effects of the lies in question, and if we truly care about these kids, we can make a difference. The world seeks conformity to its belief system, but it doesn't - and never will - care about these kids as people created in the image of God. We must.

Lie #1 - Darwinian Evolution "A Cosmic Accident"

A) It Erodes the Authority of the Bible

The lie of evolution has probably done more damage in our current America than any other, primarily because of the philosophy marching silently behind it. Many Christians feel cowed by the "scientific" community into some kind of compromise between the Bible and evolution, and many more see it as something that's not worth fighting about. We will first look at evolution in the realm of science, compared to what the Bible teaches: can a Christian who believes Scripture to be inerrant also believe in evolution?

No. In Genesis 1, the Hebrew word for day used is "yom." Yom doesn't always mean a literal day, but when used in conjunction with the phrase "evening and morning," it always refers to a literal day, not a passage of time. A second problem between Scripture and evolution is that, in addition to lots of time, evolution needs lots of death. According to the theory, it takes nearly countless generations for one species to turn into another. A Christian who believes the Bible has another problem at this point: nothing died before Adam sinned. Romans 5 is clear on the point that "through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death by sin." If nothing is dying, nothing is being selected for or against, and thousands or millions of years aren't helping the evolutionary process.

The simple fact of the matter, scientifically, is the lack of any evidence for evolution, anywhere. Finch beaks, dog breeds, moth color - all we can witness are changes within species, not the transformation of one species becoming another. No transitional forms are recorded in the fossil record. We see an earth, as we observe it, where everything continues to produce after its own kind (Genesis 1). And while the existence of a designer cannot be proved according to the scientific method, neither can the purposeless forces of Darwin's theory. The fact comes down to your assumptions before you look at the evidence. Everywhere we look, we see evidence of design, and we believe in the Designer. Proponents of evolution see this same design, complex nearly beyond understanding, and attribute it to natural selection over billions of years. And it is in this moment, as an evolutionist acknowledges that no Designer, no God, exists, that we come to the greatest danger. Evolution is not an assault on true science alone, but on every subject we can study. This is a lie whose reach stretches across the human experience.

How does this all erode the authority of the Bible? We serve a God who claims perfection, in Himself and His Word as it was given to us. If one point of the Bible is false, the whole book is a waste of time. It is not a book of good intentions and tips for living; it is a book of Absolute Truth, or it is a colossal waste of our lives. We don't have the space here to give the whole conflict its just discussion. But you need to understand that your issue, as a Christian, is not with science. Your disagreement is with the false assumptions of many who study science and draw incorrect conclusions because of their prejudice when studying the evidence.

An Open Letter to President Obama on Health Care Reform

Dear President Obama,


I am writing to ask you specifically to keep your promise. I wholeheartedly agree that a transparent and open government leads to a better society, and that citizens can (and should) contribute to our legislative process.

The issue of our day appears to be health care, and how health care reform should look. A bill will soon come out of the Senate Finance Committee that would appear to save citizens money and reduce the deficit. While I don't like the idea of being forced to have health insurance, and I don't see that the Constitution grants either Congress or the President power over health care, I do believe that additional input and debate would be very helpful to the process.

Let us be candid: those who differ with Democrats - Republicans, some Independents, and other Conservatives - cannot stop the passage of the bill. The Democratic Party at this point in American history can do what it chooses to do because they hold the majority of seats in our elected government. All I can do is ask that you do what you said you would do: maintain that government in an open and transparent manner.

My concern is that the bill out of committee, nicknamed the Baucus Bill, will be heavily amended after committee approval - to the point where what was approved, versus what actually gets voted on in the Senate, are two completely different things. My concern arises from the treatment given to the Stimulus Bill; namely, that an enormous bill which no one could have possibly read before voting on it was passed quickly into law.

Again, I fully acknowledge that you have the power to do what you want to do, and you have been given that power - along with your political party - by the American people, according to proper Constitutional process. To be clear then, here is my request: that the final version of the bill be posted online for a period of at least three (3) weeks prior to a final vote by the House and Senate. I request that any changes from the current draft, which the CBO reviewed, be clearly identified as such in the interest of constructive public dialogue.

Health Care is an enormous and extremely difficult issue that affects every American. I ask simply that this issue be given the careful consideration that it deserves, with proper weight and respect given to the viewpoints of all Americans, regardless of their political or ideological positions.

In addition to voicing my concerns here, I will continue to pray for both you and our lawmakers, as you discuss this important issue. May God grant to each of you His wisdom.


Sincerely,

Charles Baldon, Concerned Citizen

Seeing Red Makes Me See Red

It's very disturbing to me, as an American, that the Empire State building lights would be used in this way. What, exactly, are we honoring? Communist China's stellar record on human rights? Their forced abortions, allowing only 1 child per family? Their oppression of the Christian church, since it preaches a God (and higher authority) other than civil government?

Sadly, perhaps we do have a reason to honor them. The Chinese are some of the biggest investors in our national debt, buying our Treasury bonds in enormous numbers. From a Biblical perspective, what is the relationship between debtor and lender? And so perhaps, we light the building as a vassal honors its Lord.

A quote from the article: "That doesn't seem right." No, IT ISN'T RIGHT! And so goes another small part of our liberty as we pay homage to monstrous tyranny.

Response to a Health Care Email

(From an email I got that's been around the Net a few times...)
18 REASONS TO OPPOSE HEALTH-CARE REFORM
1. Although efforts have been made to reform the healthcare industry since 1912, we should not be hasty in doing it.
2. The federal government has no business interfering in people's healthcare decisions, unless a woman is trying to terminate a pregnancy, or the patient’s last name is Schiavo.
3. The government is incapable of running anything efficiently -- but if allowed to offer a healthcare option, will run it so efficiently that it will put private insurers out of business.
4. We already have universal health care: it’s called the Emergency Room. Uninsured people, including illegal aliens, can go there for their health needs, and it only costs the rest of us a few thousand dollars per visi t.
5. The current system, with 47,000,000 uninsured, a million medical bankruptcies annually, 18,000 deaths annually due to lack of insurance, and the highest costs per capita of any first-world country, is working just fine. In fact, we have the best health care system in the world!
6. Many older couples are forced to divorce in order to avoid catastrophic financial losses due to medical expenses -- but it’s the homosexuals who are destroying families.
7. A conversation with your doctor about end-of-life issues (such as how to make out a living will) is an opportunity for your doctor to convince you to kill yourself.
8. We can afford to spend more on our military than all other nations combined, but we can’t afford universal health care.
9. Single-payer, government-run healthcare is good enough for our men and women in uniform, but to offer the same to the general public would be socialism.
10. Pooling our resources to provide roads, schools, clean water, military, police, and fire protection for each other is not socialism. Pooling our resources to provide each other health care is socialism.
11. Socialism is when the government makes any effort to assist needy citizens.
12. Health care is e best handled by individual states; like slavery and racial segregation.
13. We can afford to s ubsidize Iraq and Afghanistan , both of whom have universal healthcare, but we can’t afford it ourselves.
14. Money and corporate profits are more important than people's health. Sure, reforming the companies would save thousands of lives, but shareholders’ portfolios might be damaged.
15. Freeing people from holding on to their dead-end jobs for the insurance and allowing them to become entrepreneurs would bankrupt our country.
16. Someone like physicist Stephen Hawking would have been allowed to die under the wretched British healthcare system. Oh, he’s British? And alive? Never mind
17. We are a “Christian’ nation, but we don’t believe in helping the least among us. Some people just don’t deserve healthcare. Getting sick is God's punishment for doing something wrong.
18. The Obama healthcare initiative is part of the liberal-communist-Nazi-socialist-Islamofascist-gay-atheist-zombie-transsexual-cannibal- sociopath-evolutionist indoctrinating school children agenda to take away your freedom!

My Response:

Point by point thoughts on the email below. I will warn you that God, the Constitution and liberty are discussed in my points.

1. Health care is not a universal human right, and we need to establish this at the forefront of the conversation; I can never be innately entitled to the benefit of someone else’s labor. I am not entitled to the care that a medical professional, or any other caring person, gives me. I see a call as a Christian to care for the needy and the poor as an individual. A government taking from some to pay for the care of others is not compassion, its totalitarianism (or socialism, as we will discuss later). Who then decides how much should be taken, from whom, and to whom should it be given? The poorest of Americans is still roughly 25 times richer than those in most of the world, per capita. Who determines what poor is, or what needy is? Once you have turned from the call of God – because we don’t believe in Him, or because we don’t believe He cares – we are left with civil government. 51% of the vote deciding right and wrong is just as much ‘might makes right’ as a dictatorship; it is the tyranny of the majority.
2. The reference here is to abortion, ruled by the Supreme Court in 1973 to be part of a citizen’s right to privacy, as put forth in the 14th amendment. But this interpretation of the 14th amendment is flawed, in that the 14th amendment’s goal was to make black and white citizens equal before the law. Abortion was never part of the picture when the 14th amendment was passed. In fact, 35 different states had various abortion laws at the time the 14th amendment was ratified, and these remained unchallenged from 1867 until 1973, when a liberal court reinterpreted the Constitution to allow the murder of unborn citizens. In the Schiavo case, we see the natural move from disdain for unborn children moving into disdain for the old and the sick; Schiavo was allowed to die because she was deemed a burden on society.
3. The government has never run a single program efficiently, including its own day-to-day operations. The reason private insurers will go out of business competing against the government is because when private insurers lose enough money, they are forced into bankruptcy and out of business. The government just continues to lose money and literally can print more (the money supply has doubled during 2009). It’s not that the government will suddenly learn efficiency, but that they don’t have to play by the same rules as private industry.
4. The cost to the rest of us is hard to quantify, and there is tremendous abuse of the system. Much of this comes from the fact that we never see exactly how much we spend for medical care. I pay cash for medical needs, despite having the income and ability to afford insurance; among a group of likeminded Christians, we then pay for each other’s medical needs according to a Biblical model (if you have more interest, go to www.samaritanministries.org). Seeing every dollar that is spent makes me more responsible about how I spend my money for medical care. I also don’t run to the doctor for every sniffle because I have an inexpensive co-pay, and I only use a prescription drug when absolutely necessary. The waste in our system comes for the overuse of doctor’s visits and medications by so many people, which will only be further encouraged by a government expansion of the system. The key here is personal responsibility leading to fiscal responsibility, and this problem is not something the government can fix; government involvement assures further waste (see number 3, research this for yourself).
5. Using those same numbers, how is it that we think adding 47 million new patients into the medical system (a number I dispute, but I’ll use it here) will solve the problem without hurting the quality of care, increasing patient wait times, or increasing the cost that we pay in taxes for the program? Simple math would tell us that insuring all these people will cost money, and that money has to come from somewhere. To the second point, people are always going to die, in any system. People die from accidents in hospitals, but do we then say that hospitals kill people, so shut them all down? The problem here is philosophical as much as medical, in that most people no longer believe in anything beyond the current, material world. So our focus has become making this earthly experience everything it can be, since this is all we have. The problem with this worldview is that it is untenable within society; at what point, when my happiness and your happiness conflict, do I have any incentive to put your needs before my own? Again, the truly Biblical worldview answers this tough question with the command to love my neighbor as myself, and do what I can help. Not through government coercion, but through my own actions and giving.
6. I have not seen any statistics that support the first part of this statement, and I fail to see how divorce would help financially. As to the 2nd part, homosexuality is not the core of the problem, sin is. Homosexual behavior is a sin, and it has consequences for societies that accept sinful behavior as the norm. This is not so much a dire warning on my part of some coming judgment, but historical fact. Cultures that have gained the riches leading to lives of vice have generally toppled soon after, having no deeper set of values to pursue as a society than personal pleasure. This is not to say that homosexuals are any worse than any other person; before God we have all sinned, and we all need Jesus Christ equally. Lying, for example, is as much a sin as homosexuality, and just as damaging to culture and society.
7. The language about end of life care has been a hot topic of debate. I think that a society that shows contempt for the unborn and has already begun allowing assisted suicide in some states is not far from wanting to eliminate the biggest ‘burden’ on the system; namely, the elderly. My worldview is that the elderly are to be respected for their wisdom, and cared for by their families – not put into homes and such to die, something I see all too often. Does a conversation with your doctor equate to death camps forming? No, I don’t think so, but I would take into account both the current worldview of your doctor, and how that worldview will change as this system (universal health care) changes over time. At some point, as in Great Britain, someone will put a dollar figure on a human life. Insurance companies do this right now – but this is a system we participate in voluntarily, not a system we are subject to, which is the crucial difference.
8. We don’t spend more on our military than all other nations combined, but I think it amounts to about the next 46 on the list, which is a big number. Could we spend our military dollars in a wiser fashion? I am sure there are ways. It’s not a matter of whether or not the dollars are there for universal health care, but whether the best use of our health care dollars is spent on a government program. The Post Office, the annual operating budget, the Congressional cafeteria, Social Security, Medicare… just show me one program, please, that isn’t losing money and is being run effectively by government officials. The problem is accountability. If we create a government insurance company, the people that oversee it are appointed by elected officials, not stockholders. And how can a President or a Senator serving a limited term be held accountable for what is spent on health care? And when the costs overrun, as they are sure to do (look at Hawaii’s health care system as a state, or Canada, or Great Britain), whose benefits are going to be cut? ‘Well, my kid deserves to be treated’ or ‘my family deserves this.’ It’s the biggest expansion of an entitlement mentality our country has ever seen.
9. Please research the problems with health care for veterans; the system is sadly lacking. Perhaps if it was fixed and running smoothly, this particular argument would show some merit.
10. Socialism by definition is: when a governing body (a small group of citizens) takes from all according to their ability to produce, and redistributes according to need. It is correct to say that we have programs already in place that are socialistic in nature. We have already begun down the path of government care from the cradle to the grave, which is why the health care debate is so crucial; this step, the current one, is the only one we can prevent. We have done nothing for far too long. Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid were and are terrible ideas, stealing individual savings and liberty with the promise that government shall provide. And interestingly, abortion is a contributing factor here, as the average age of a citizen rises due to falling birth rates. This is not to criticize those who participate in the Social Security system, since you have no choice, but rather those who put the system in place. Misguided compassion is very, very dangerous because it has contributed widely to the entitlement mentality in our culture, and eroded any sense of personal responsibility. If you would see someone else’s medical needs paid for, could you not pay for them, yourself? This would be true sacrifice and compassion. Compassion is not forcing government to collect from everyone to help the needy; that is indeed socialism.
11. Charity and meeting the needs of the poor is not the responsibility of the federal government, please read the Constitution for an overview of the limited powers inherent to our central government. I am aware, by invoking the Constitution as it was written, that I have labeled myself as a domestic terrorist. For the record, I am also pro-life. And I read the Declaration of Independence occasionally, also.
12. Again, please read the 10th amendment, perhaps the most crucial among the Bill of Rights. Race relations in America are not helped by turning suffering people into statistics to be wielded in the fight for universal health care. Some states had laws that encouraged racism, but the South did not have a corner on that market. Please look at the riots in New York during the Civil War, due to the fear of whites that free blacks would be stealing their jobs. We spend so much time running around calling everyone racist. God sees the heart, man cannot. I do my best to live at peace with my fellow men and women of any nationality. I don’t know if a person is racist or having a bad day, and perhaps a person of a different ethnic group cut them off in traffic. We are quick to judge, and slow to extend a hand in true compassion. Instead of government programs and mandates, perhaps race relations are best dealt with by individual citizens? Change all the laws you want, you cannot legislate hate out of the hearts of some men. I tend to focus on the fact that I am far from perfect, and that my value (along with every other person’s value) comes from being created in the image of God. Then I can extend the grace and mercy that God has shown me to my fellow man.
13. In short, we should not be ‘subsidizing’ either one. But two wrongs do not make a right. Pointing this fact out does not then mean we should have universal health care in America.
14. This is a slippery slope to head down. Who has the authority to decide who should make money, and who shouldn’t? This is not the role of government. The flaw here comes from the basic assumption that we have a right to something, and rich people from Wall Street are holding us back from it. But it’s too easy to throw around labels like ‘racist’ and ‘corporate greed.’ Are there rich and evil men? Yes! Are there poor and evil men? Yes! To say that reforming these companies would “save thousands of lives” is a careless and irresponsible statement. Which companies? No two are exactly alike. Each are made up of people struggling to provide for their families, pay mortgages, and pay for their own health care. Are there some at the top who make a lot of money? Sure there are. If you worked hard, studied hard, and spent long hours to get to the top, would you not then want the big salary? It is very easy to spend other people’s money. People are people, and not fundamentally different from each other – we all struggle with the same things. This particular comment seems to indicate that those with more money than me are somehow different, and I am entitled to what they have worked for. How would I like that standard applied to me by someone in, say, India, who makes about $2/day?
15. How exactly does government run health care promote the growth of small business? The assumption here is that people will run out and start companies as soon as they ‘leave their dead-end jobs.’ But the bill also penalizes businesses if they don’t offer insurance to their employees, once they have them, in the form of more taxes. I would also challenge the assumption that people will immediately start new businesses. Especially if the cap and trade bill becomes law anytime soon, but that is a whole separate email.
16. Pulling one wealthy man out of the British health care system and stating that he is ‘still alive’ hardly argues that their system is worth emulating. I would encourage you to research how and where wealthy British subjects receive their medical care; many of them come here.
17. We have discussed this already several times. Government insurance for all is not Christian charity, it is in fact a major element of socialism. Christians should be better about helping our fellow men in need, and I agree that we have failed to do a good job in many ways. Please take this as our human failing, and no failing on the part of Christ. But stating that Christians are doing a bad job doesn’t mean that government is going to do a better job. And by the way, Jesus himself spoke against the idea that sickness is always direct result of sin (John 9). We can sin, damage our bodies, and illness is a natural consequence of our foolish behavior; but this is not always the case.
18. Adding numerous mocking adjectives just sounds petty and sarcastic, it doesn’t strengthen the argument. Is universal health care part of an agenda to take away freedoms? I doubt that President Obama would put it that way, but if this passes certain freedoms will be lost. I would no longer be able to share medical needs with other people as I currently do, because by law I would have to either have insurance that I don’t agree with, or pay a big penalty in taxes. I don’t owe a dime to any doctor or hospital, and yet I would lose freedom from this bill. Will some security be gained, by some people? Absolutely. But trading security for liberty is a dangerous game, and throughout human history it has only had one outcome. Freedom in this world, short of revolution such as we saw here in America from 1775-1783, is very tough to come by. When you have it, I would think long and hard about giving it up, even for seemingly good reasons.

My final thought is that health care is a tough topic, and worthy of long discussion. Ultimately I don’t see civil government as the solution to this problem. The major thing that troubles me is how quick we are to run to government for a new law about this, or a new solution to that. Many of our health problems in America stem from our own personal behavior. I am overweight because I don’t eat properly, and I don’t exercise enough (too much time spent writing long-winded emails). Is that society’s responsibility? No, it’s my own. I need to lose weight, and eat more nutritional food. I don’t have a disorder or need weight-loss medication. I need some discipline and hard work. Our lifestyles in this modern age have done much to contribute to our various health problems. Changing how we live, and changing how we think about the health care dollars we spend – our own or the insurance company’s – is the solution to the short term problem, and then perhaps we can look at a long term solution as well. But telling people ‘you need to change’ is much more difficult than telling people ‘we have a program to fix it,’ and so I believe that we will end up with some version of universal health care. But I think it will end up costing us more than we are willing to pay.

Rejoicing in Our Insignificance

Today I was studying in the Word and it struck me just how little I truly matter in the scheme of things. Not in the sense that God does not care for me, but with a sense of awestruck wonder that He does.

Consider the infinite Being that God is. When your head starts to ache, read on. We have trouble understanding the little He has revealed to us about Himself in His Word, let alone understanding the totality of who He is. Our brains literally can't do it - we can't think in terms of the infinite. I think of Job, standing before God in the midst of his suffering, as God appears and questions him (Job 38-42). Can any of us control a tiny thing - a creature like a dinosaur, the weather - something that God created with barely a thought and a word? Consider that it doesn't take even the smallest fraction of God's power to cause the wind to blow, and yet in all our vaunted wisdom we have barely come to the point that we can track where it blows, never mind the very thought that it blows.

And so this insignificance can lead us down one of two paths: we can react with pride, saying 'I am more important than this!' and live a life based on our wisdom, in the way we think best, doing everything we can to increase our standing in this world. Or we can react with humility that leads ultimately to joyful security: we are nothing compared to the vastness of God! And yet he cares for us, elevating us into relationship with Him as His children should we respond in faith to His calling (John 3:16, Acts 16:31). With the merest whisper of a thought we came into being, and with the a similar whisper we leave this earth. But in between God has a plan for us, because he loves us - not due to our significance, but due to His Grace which surpasses all things. From before the foundations of the world we were chosen by Him (1 Peter 1).

So we can rejoice in our insignificance! God's plans - and His ability to enact those plans - far exceed our ability to understand. May we always remember this, that every human in existence bears His image (Genesis 1), and we can be saved through His grace to spend eternity with Him (Ephesians 2). Why does He choose to do this? I have no idea! But I know that He does, and His promises are true (Psalm 146). Amen.

Economics 101

Today we'll quickly cover a couple of basic points on wages and taxes:

First, wages. Minimum wage increases are always popular, and only a troll would oppose increasing it, right? But let's look at what actually happens. Raising employee wages increases costs for a company. That company makes a product or performs a service for which they collect a fee. That fee, or price, pays all of their expenses in making the product or performing the service, and it includes the profit the company earns as well. So, when wages have to increase by federal law, does a company a) sacrifice its profit or b) increase the price of its product? And when that price increases (yes, 'b' is the correct answer), what has happened to the buying power of your dollar? The product is not any different than it was, it just now requires more dollars to purchase. So the buying power of each dollar - not just for those who got their wages increased, but for everyone - just decreased, and we call that inflation. So some people are making more money, but the buying power of a dollar just got reduced for every citizen in society.

Second, taxes. "Stick it to the rich guy!" usually translates into higher taxes for both the wealthy and for companies. But can government truly increase the taxes paid by a company? On paper, yes. But in reality, that company has 4 choices when presented by the government with higher taxes: a) sacrifice its profit, b) reduce its other expenses, c) increase its prices, or d) some combination of 'b' and 'c.' For the sake of keeping this simple, we are going to ignore 'd,' but you can see the effects of that choice as we discuss the others. Choice 'a' is as laughable here as it was above (and ultimately, they'll go out of business). Choice 'b' means fewer employees, or fewer benefits for those employees, lower pay, etc. And in choice 'b,' who is truly paying this increase in taxes? Employees, who are individual citizens. Choice 'c' we discussed above - we all, as consumers, end up paying the tax.

So, when you hear about programs - health care, cap and trade, etc. - that propose to give you (or society) a benefit and charge someone else for the cost, remember our 101 class; 'someone else' actually means you.

Waterboarding, the CIA, and Terrorism

If you haven't been following the most recent developments in the CIA water boarding saga, here is a quick update:

Several former CIA directors wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him to halt the criminal investigation of CIA agents who have used 'enhanced interrogation' techniques in the past. President Obama has declined to get involved with Attorney General Holder's process, stating that he thinks everyone should be accountable to the law, so the investigation will continue.
I have heard Christians come down all over the place on this issue. As Christians who are supposed to love everyone, how could we ever torture someone? How do we balance 'turning the other cheek' with water boarding? Can we treat Islamic terrorists however we want because they don't follow Christ, or because they hate America?

Tough questions all, and we do right in asking them. I think part of the problem for us, as Americans and as Christians living in the 21st Century, is our squeamishness about violence and death. Somehow, in a civilized society of the modern age, death is distasteful (don't miss the irony here, in the fact that the brutal murder of abortion is legal, and even encouraged).

So what does the Bible say? Really, violence is all over the Bible, New and Old Testament, and it's not nearly as prohibited as many believers think. In the Old Testament, Mosaic Law has specific rules about floggings and beatings (Deuteronomy). Samson is granted power from God to destroy the nobility of Philistine society, along with himself (Judges 16). Proverbs speaks repeatedly about rods and fools in the context of discipline. Nehemiah 13 speaks about Nehemiah - considered a wise and just ruler - cursing, beating, and pulling out the hair of his disobedient countrymen in his anger. David spared Saul at least twice, even as Saul sought to kill him (1 Samuel 24, 26), and yet he kills the Amalekite who finally does kill Saul, even though Saul asks to be killed (2 Samuel 1). In the New Testament, Peter kills 2 Christians who give money to the church, but lie about how much of their profit they are giving (Acts 5), and everyone is terrified. Jesus Himself taught us to turn the other cheek when someone strikes us (Matthew 5, Luke 6), and yet He attacks the money-changers in the temple, flipping tables in a terrible righteous anger (John 2, Mark 11) - some Bible scholars think he might have done this twice.

Focusing specifically on David and Jesus, we see the context of what the Bible teaches. When we are wronged, we are to respond in meekness, sparing our enemies and even turning the other cheek. But when God's designs are perverted by evil men and their acts, when others are threatened who are in our care, there is a place for righteous anger. In short, there is a difference between vengeance and justice. Our CIA, acting to secure the safety of America, should have great latitude to interrogate. If the CIA, FBI or the military have good evidence that the suspect knows information that can prove vital to our national defense, then I am in favor of 'enhanced interrogations' far beyond simple water boarding. Death is not too extreme a penalty in this case, depending on the crimes in question. Justice can be served without the proceedings of a court, which is a right specifically given only to American citizens in the Constitution.

In summary, justice must be our goal, not vengeance. We must make wise choices about those who defend us, and then trust their judgment. There is accountability built into our current system, and we should not just wantonly torture anyone. But when tough choices have to be made, we have to give our defenders the ability to defend us, or we will suffer the consequences. President Obama is helping to create a terrible choice for our CIA agents: defend your country and go to prison, or play nice, obey the 'rules,' and bear the terrible responsibility of another attack on American citizens. As a Christian I don't see that torture is prohibited by the Bible, and as an American I certainly hope that we do everything we can to stop evil men from doing evil things.

The Bible is Old! Is It Even Relevant Today?

This is a very common question, especially from young people inside the church who are seeking answers to tough questions. Several variations include:

What can the Bible have to say about modern day problems?
Society is so different, that stuff can’t apply now.
They were so primitive, we’ve come so far from then – times have changed.

The problem with all these statements is the underlying assumption: that society has altered to the point that the Bible can no longer speak its Truth on the issues surrounding us. This is a lie that comes to us from evolutionary theory being applied not just to science, but sociology and history: the idea that society itself is evolving, and that humanity’s various cultures have become something that they were not in the days of the Bible. When we look at the technologies that rule our lives today, they seem to bear this out: life does look a lot different now than it did in during Jesus’ earthly days. But are we truly superior? Does the ability to quickly navigate the virtual world of the Internet, or deftly manipulate the buttons of my iPod to bring forth sound, really demonstrate that I am a superior being to those of earlier cultures?

If we ask ourselves some hard questions, particularly those of us in urban areas, how many real skills to do we actually have? If the power went out tomorrow and didn’t come back on, could we even survive for a month? Sure, we’ve learned how to use computers, cars, and all sorts of neat gadgets. But do you really believe that if Paul had been shown a computer and given some basic instruction, he could not have used it?

Consider several passages of Scripture:

Genesis 1-2, the account of Creation. Adam and Eve were both created directly by God Himself, prior to the Fall. Has anyone lived in a state of physical perfection since then?
Genesis 3, the Fall itself. Things were perfect until sin, at which point death entered the world. Most people would call that a negative.
Genesis 5-6, the genealogy from Adam to Noah. Are people living longer, better lives today than at the beginning? And when people’s lives were longer, what were they doing with their time?
1 Kings 3:5-14, of the wisdom of King Solomon. The Bible is specific here that no one who ever lived or ever will live has been or will be as wise as Solomon was.
Ecclesiastes 1, written by King Solomon about the nature of man and the world. He tells us directly that there is nothing new under the sun: man does today what man has done from the beginning of time, and he will do it again and again unto the end of time.

So then, if the most physically perfect and wisest have already lived thousands of years ago, and we live shorter lives even more affected by sin and death than those who came before us…
In which direction is time truly marching?

Truly, the very first men struggled with obedience to God and with sin. Sin grew until there was one – one! – righteous man left in the entire world. In starting over with Noah’s family, we watched the cycle repeat (Genesis 11) up until Babel, at which point people and languages were scattered. Now we live the shorter lives that God ordained so that we cannot explore the evil of our flesh to the fullness we did before (Genesis 6:3). Many today would point out that we are moving toward a one-world government; we worry about this new development. But what have we just seen from Scripture? This is not new, it’s been tried (and it failed, we must note)! The fact is that our lives are the same as always. We’re born. We marry. We have families, and try our best to provide for them. We live, and then we die. And what do we struggle with today? Obedience to God and with sin. Technology has given us new ways to express our basic natures, but it’s the same basic nature still being expressed. There is nothing new under the sun, and the Bible is no less relevant today than it ever was. Truly, it is more desperately needed today than it has ever been because history is moving in one direction, and it’s not the one we’d like to think.

Have a Yard Sale, Go to Jail!

Behold good intentions running wild in the form of big government! The latest installation in our unfortunately ongoing series has to do with dangerous toys and YOU. Is $200 from a yard sale worth $10,000 in fines? Read here to find out more.

The 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is a great lesson on unintended consequences, and a great lesson on why less government is generally better government. Unsurprisingly, its original scope has been expanded from new toys to used toys, which means any resaler (and yes, yard saler) of prohibited items can be prosecuted.

Now, will they show up at your yard sale and haul you away? I seriously doubt it. But are you comfortable with the fact that they have the power to do so?

"You Lie!"

I don't consider Joe Wilson a hero, and his comment (yelled during President Obama's speech) was inappropriate. While conservatives might agree with Mr. Wilson and say that Obama was indeed lying, the accuracy of the statement is beside the point. Wilson's behavior was wrong in the timing of his comment, for which he apologized, as he should have done - an apology that the White House accepted.

That being said, this report is much more disturbing. The implication here is that any criticism of a Black President made by anything other than a Black citizen or Congressman is racist. Joe Wilson is White, President Obama is Black, and so Joe Wilson must be either racist himself, or he is assisting racists in their cause. It puts any of us who are not Black in the impossible situation of having to prove a negative; that is, that we are not racist when we criticize President Obama's policies.

Questions to consider: what about when Black people criticize a White President? Or a Chinese person criticizing a Black? What about a Black from one country criticizing someone who is Black but from a different country? Am I racist for saying 'Black' instead of 'African American?' Why is someone not racist for calling me 'White' instead of Scottish American?

There are no end to the questions, and really no answers to be had either, outside of Christ. We (as Christians) can say that judgment on the basis of color is wrong, because we are all of us created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We can further warn those who would judge the heart that this is not the realm of mankind (1 Samuel 16:7, Revelation 2:23). In other words, we can say that Joe Wilson is wrong, because he broke the rules of Congress. We cannot call Joe Wilson racist because we don't know the workings of his heart. Were we to witness a series of events in addition to this one, then we could begin to see a pattern of behavior that could be accurately labeled (James 2). But instead we see proponents of an ideology - in this specific case, liberals - painting both Joe Wilson and many of the protesters that were in Washington over the holiday weekend with the same broad brush of 'racist.' They are acting in the exact way they accuse Joe Wilson and others of acting, which is a sin (again, James 2).

Let none of us do this ourselves - either in response to this story, or in life. Loving our neighbors and teaching them Truth in gentleness and patience will lead them to Christ (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Hurling insults and labels back and forth - however accurate we think they are - does nothing to advance His Kingdom.

09-11-2001 Remembered

They'll be many lengthy speeches and opinions given today, which largely serve to elevate the speaker while demeaning the sacrifice of the Americans who died. It is for us, the living, both to remember and learn from what happened, and to study how some of our fellow Americans responded.

I will offer only this, two words that sum up the courage of ordinary citizens thrust into an extraordinary moment:

Let's roll.

Iran: Nuclear Chicken, Part II

If you needed further evidence that Iran has not been dealing squarely with the US, here it is! Apparently a dishonest man is dependably dishonest.

Good to know I didn't completely waste my 2 hours watching that movie.

Let the Little Children Come Unto Me

Here is the text of President Obama's speech today, as released beforehand to the AP. This was broadcast in many public schools directly to the students: (makes for a long post, my comments at the end)

Hello, everyone — how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through 12th grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday — at 4:30 in the morning.
Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility.
I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer — maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper — but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor — maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine — but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life — I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that — if you quit on school — you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.
So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our first lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life — what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home — that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer — hundreds of extra hours — to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.
And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same. That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education — and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you — you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust — a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor — and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you — don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best. It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down — don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

Having read the speech, I like the text. Hear me clearly: I see a problem with the government educating all our children, but I don't see an enormous difference between our government's philosophy taught on a daily basis, and having the actual President come and speak to children.

The issue here is greater than the content of one speech, and it speaks to the heart of education: whose responsibility is it to educate your children? And many of us, having turned that responsibility over to our government on a daily basis, are now upset over the direction of that education (at least in this one instance). I would encourage Christians to research what your kids are being taught everyday, not just during one speech.