Are Christianity & Capitalism Compatible?

I was at the fitness center a couple of days ago and an story about Representative Ron Paul touted on the cover of the May issue on Esquire Magazine caught my eye. I read the extensive article over my two most recent visits, Wednesday and Friday. Here is the third of three quotes from Congressman Paul from that article.

“The more I understand Christianity, to me it’s very libertarian. You talk about salvation, your soul. How can anything be more important? It’s done by the individual. It’s not done collectively. In the New Testament (of the Bible), so often they emphasize the importance of the individual, the ninety-nine and one (the parable of the (lost) sheep, you know. The individual is so important. To me that’s libertarian.” 

--- Ron Paul, quoted in John H. Richardson’s article, “The Founding Father,” Esquire Magazine, May 2011, page 160 

Bipartisan Redistribution of Wealth, Ron Paul’s Insights

I was at the fitness center a couple of days ago and an story about Representative Ron Paul touted on the cover of the May issue on Esquire Magazine caught my eye. I read the extensive article over my two most recent visits, Wednesday and Friday. Here is the second of three quotes from Congressman Paul from that article which impressed me.

“… The right amount of redistribution of wealth is zero.  Everybody talks about bipartisanship, but there’s way too much bipartisanship. Democrats and Republicans both love to spend money.”

--- Ron Paul, quoted in John H. Richardson’s article, “The Founding Father,” Esquire Magazine, May 2011, page 90

How true this is. Look at the Middle East dictators in so much trouble today. Gadafi, Mubarik, Hussein, all became rich skimming the foreign aid we gave their countries. It is the poor and middle class Americans who bear the brunt of the taxes. Taxes hurt affect us more than they do the rich. We don’t have General Electrics accountants, lawyers, and political connections to avoid having to pay taxes. 

Ron Paul's Definition of Foreign Aid

I was at the fitness center a couple of days ago and an story about Representative Ron Paul touted on the cover of the May issue on Esquire Magazine caught my eye. I read the extensive article over my two most recent visits, Wednesday and Friday. Here is the first of three quotes from Congressman Paul from that article which impressed me.

“Foreign aid is “taking money from poor people of a rich country and giving it to the rich people of a poor country.”

 --- Ron Paul, as quoted in John H. Richardson’s article, “The Founding Father,” Esquire Magazine, May 2011, page 90
 

How true this is. Look at the Middle East dictators who have been or are in so much trouble today. Hussein, Gaddafi, Mubarik, etc. all became rich skimming the foreign aid we gave their countries. It is the poor and middle class Americans who bear the brunt of the taxes. Taxes hurt affect us more than they do the rich. We don’t have General Electrics accountants, lawyers, and political connections to avoid having to pay taxes. 

The Birth Certificate and Donald Trump are Fakes

Is it real?  I don’t know yet, but even if it is real, something is fishy about all of this.  Why wait until now to release it?  What did he have to hide?  Even if this alleged birth certificate is real and even if Obama really was born in Hawaii, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he meets the Constitutional requirement of a natural born citizen. 

The meaning of the phrase “natural born Citizen”  has not been examined by any court and there was a lot of debate about the precise definition after the original Constitution was ratified.  Some people thought that it meant anyone who was born in the United States and was a citizen.  Others thought that it meant that one was born to parents who were citizens.  But no court has ever weighed the evidence on both sides of this debate.  Obama’s father was definitely not a natural born citizen.  The idea that everyone born in the United States is automatically a citizen didn’t come about until the 14^th Amendment, but that does not change the meaning of or necessarily change the requirement “natural born Citizen”.  And don't forget the "under the jurisdiction of" requirement.  (To me this is irrelevant because I know that the 14^th Amendment is fraudulent.)  Many people, such as John McCain, were born outside of the United States to parents who were citizens, and he was considered to eligible to become President (by Congress, at least).  So to place everything on the location of the birth is not necessarily right.  We know that the intent of the Founding Fathers was to prevent a man from becoming President with divided national loyalities. 

Even if Obama met the requirements of a natural born citizen at the time of his birth, that does not necessarily mean that he retained these qualifications throughout his lifetime.  Remember that he was raised in Indonesia.  I am told that Barry Soetoro became a citizen of Indonesia and that time one could not have dual citizenship.  Therefore, Obama could not have retained his United States citizenship.  He could then legally become a naturalized citizen again, but a naturalized citizen is not a natural born citizen.  And even if they did allow dual citizenship between the United States and Indonesia, that would have created a divided national loyalty.  So even if he technically were constitutionally eligible to become President it obviously goes against the spirit of the Constitution.  Anyone who is knowledgeable about the Constitution and the most basic details of the history of Obama’s upbringing should never have voted for him.  All that hard work that Founding Fathers did to safeguard our liberty, and the American people were willing to just throw it away so that government could take care of us from cradle to grave.

And what do you think about Donald Trump taking credit for getting Obama to release his birth certificate?  Trump said that he was “proud” of himself for resolving this issue once and for all.  Trump is a fraud.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this newly revealed birth certificate as well as the old one are fraudulent and that Trump and Obama are in cahoots to fool the American people.  This would accomplish two things.  It would further marginalize the birther movement, taking it off people’s minds so that “we can get on with other issues (like how to ruin our economy even more)”.  This would boost Obama’s ratings among anyone on the fence.  Despite Obama’s low approval rate, with a little election fraud, he just might be able to pull it off in ’12.  

The second purpose would be to boost Trump’s approval rating.  He got a lot more media attention because of this.  The media is pretending to be against Trump, calling him stupid for having been a birther, to garner the sympathy vote.  Trump may be the next candidate of the establishment or he could be a back up (like McCain was) in case Obama flounders.  

He is bringing back protectionism into the political discourse.  That is not the answer to our political problems, we need to cut spending!  We are manipulating our currency just as much as China is, so how can we say that they are cheating us?  This is mostly a red herring.  

The Washington Times reported that Trump said that he was in favor of a single payer, universal healthcare.  That would be worse than Obamacare.  And do you really want to vote for someone who made so much money off gambling casinos?  Is that the way to have compassion for people?

Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011

Don't let the title of this bill fool you.  It has all kinds of other junk in it including the continuation of federal funding for Obamacare, funding for Planned Parenthood, and lots of other unconstitutional stuff for the rest of the year.  Some liberals obviously voted for this because it didn't go far enough.  But look at all the Republicans who compromised and voted for this garbage:

House of Representatives vote:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll268.xml

Senate vote:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00061

$4/gallon gas: Thanks to you, Mr. President & your E.P.A.!

I’m glad I filled up my car’s gas tank this weekend, paying an unnecessarily exorbitant $3.729/gallon. But $.271 later and somewhere in Wasting-a-ton, D.C.  our increasingly controversial, unpopular, and inept President is rejoicing with the high cost of this American mainstay. It is what he wanted. However, it is not what We the People want …

Mr. President, it is not the speculators, who are to blame. It is not B.P.'s or Big Oil’s fault. It is you and your fiercely flawed domestic policies coming from the extremist environmentalist led Environmental Protection Agency that deserves the credit. 

If America can survive the next year and a half under your non-leadership, hopefully the vast majority of Americans will regain some semblance of sense (since we are losing our cents) and fire you and your Congressional cronies in November 2012! 

A Liberal picks a fight with Libya

.

“Protection for the malcontents, including Al Queda militants, holed up in Benghazi [in Libya] is the worst rationale for any intervention in the annals of American history. If this twisted logic was to be transferred to Afghanistan and Iraq, the Marines should be saving Taliban outposts from the Afghan Army or providing security for car-bomb drivers against the Iraqi police.”   

---  Yoichi Shimatsu, an expert on Islamic militancy in North Africa, quoted in The New American Magazine, April 18, 2011, Vol. 27, No. 8

The War in Libya is just another instance of flawed, failed foreign policy by an increasingly controversial, unpopular, and demonstrably inept President. This guy needs to go. The American people would do well to fire him in November of 2012. He took it upon himself to enter the War, without consultation or approval of Congress, something for which he railed against his predecessor. Little or nothing is known about the rebels. There is no clear objective. There is no money to fund such an undertaking. There is no end strategy. 

An Easter message

The following is a repeat of last year's Easter post ... Easter, the Resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the remembrance and the celebration of the truly unique nature of Christianity as a belief system. Easter is the ultimate demonstration of the power of God on behalf of mankind.

THE RESURRECTION

On ‘Good Friday’ Jesus was crucified and died. It happened on a Friday. What made it good was that Jesus was sinless, having never sinned, and took the sins of the whole world into His own body on the cross. He then received the wrath of God against Himself for those sins while on the cross. This is shown by His statement, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34. In this way God purchased the right to forgive us of our sins. When a person believes on Jesus and repents of their sins, the Holy Spirit enters into the person and he or she receives the righteousness of Christ. This is the process of being born-again.

Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Christians now worship God on the first day of the week in honor of that first resurrection. The resurrection is proof that all men will be raised from the dead. The righteous to be judged and then rewarded for their works, but the unrighteous to be judged and then thrown into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever.

When Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha was sick Jesus arrived at their house four days after their brother had died. Jesus told Martha that her brother would rise from the dead. Martha told Jesus that she knew he would rise from the dead at the last day. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever lives and believes on me shall never die.” John 11:25,26. Jesus then went on to raise Lazarus from the dead.

If you are born-again and have Jesus dwelling in you, then you have the resurrection in you waiting to happen. If you are not born-again, then you must confess to God that you are a sinner, and you must invite Jesus into your heart. A sample prayer is, “Lord Jesus Christ forgive me of my sins and come into my heart.”

Happy Easter, Happy Resurrection Sunday!

It's time too stop looting America

Date	Dollar Amount
04/21/2011 09/30/2010	14,290,788,661,250.50 13,561,623,030,891.79
09/30/2009	11,909,829,003,511.75
09/30/2008	10,024,724,896,912.49
09/30/2007	9,007,653,372,262.48
09/30/2006	8,506,973,899,215.23
09/30/2005	7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004	7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003	6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002	6,228,235,965,597.16
09/30/2001	5,807,463,412,200.06
09/30/2000	5,674,178,209,886.86

"The Tea Party philosophy is the opposite of the current Washington ethic, too prevalent in both parties, that dictates that the goal of politics is to gather a coalition of 51% of the voters so that it can loot the other 49%. The Tea Party goal, instead, is to return to the principles that maximize opportunity for 100% of the voters."    

--- James V. DeLong, "The Tea Party movement and our collective interest," Tea Party Review, April 2011, Vol. 1, No. 2, page 55

The current Washington ethic is embraced by both the entrenched GOP like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell and the long-standing Democrats like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. This was true when the Republicans had control of Congress and the Presidency, and it was most assuredly  true with the Democratic controlled 111th Congress. This is the reason that the national debt and deficit has risen to such great heights the last decade (See table above). 


The Tea Party minority in Congress represents the majority of the American people. The election of 2010 and 2012 have shown and will show that that continues to be true. It is time for the Republicans to stand, just like Nancy Pelosi did on her demonic principles, willing to lose the election of 2010 to gain the key agenda items by hook or by crook, which she did. John Boehner, if he at all believes equally in the principles he espouses will have the same level of commitment. So far he has not and the nation is worse for it. 


Let's get real. Let's get serious, Mr. Speaker. Stop with the rhetoric. Let's take action. Let's start with not raising the Debt Ceiling without a Balanced Budget commitment from the Democrats and the President. Maybe by passing a Balanced Budget Amendment before raising the Debt Ceiling one dollar more!

Five dollar gas by Memorial Day, thanks to you, Mr. President!

“Gas prices are expected to hit $5.00 per gallon by Memorial Day.

“And, according to the liberal (lame stream) media, these higher gas prices, of course, have nothing to do with President (Barry Soetoro alias Barack) Obama!”

- - NewsBusted, Episode 4/22/2011

  

NewsBusted is a conservative comedy webcast about the news of the day, uploaded every Tuesday and every Friday. Their newest NewBusted episode includes the excerpt above.

See right panel of this blog and click on the picture to watch this 2-3 minute comedy YouTube video.

Pumping Up, Pumping Out Great News

Cartoon by William Warren as found at Liberty.org 4/20/2011

Obama deserves a Gold Medal for all his awesome gymnastic flips

 “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren.  America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.  Americans deserve better.  I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”   --- U.S. Senator Barry Soetoro a/k/a Barack Obama, March 16, 2006

This afternoon I heard Sean Hannity, on his radio show, recite the above quote from now President Soetoro alias Obama. It is but one of several flip-flops that this increasingly unpopular, controversial, and inexperienced “Campaigner-in-Chief” routinely exhibits.

Bill O’Reilly, too, has highlighted more gymnastic moves perfected by the TelePrompTed One in the Fox News video below.

Beck leaving New York, Obama leaving White House in 2012?

Hat tip goes to Newsmax, which posted an article that quoted Glenn Beck saying on GlennBeck.com Saturday live broadcast from Albany: 

“I don’t know where [Obama is from]. I don’t think he’s from where they issue birth certificates. I think he’s from Hell.”

Read more on Newsmax.com: Beck's Next Big Move: Getting Message to America's Youth


'Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!

A Tax Day question: Did our tax dodging Secretary of Treasury pay his taxes?

An article in today’s USA Today Newspaper caught my eye. The article, “Feds pounce on tax evaders, Prosecutions up 25% since 2001.” This immediately brought to mind the controversy surrounding President Barry Soetoro alias Barack Obama’s nomination and subsequent Congressional approval of federal tax payment avoider Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the US Treasury, which ironically oversees the nation's tax collection. Well, did he ever pay those taxes he owed? Did he pay his tax liability this year?

What a wonderful role model our President chose to lead the important federal department. What does that say about the credibility of the nominator as well as the nominee? Timothy “Do as I say, not as I do” Geithner was the best choice out of 300 million mostly people who do pay their taxes?    

The Whole Armor of God, Part 12C

Today I continue my series of articles commenting on the concept and principles involved in the Armor of God, which the apostle Paul described in the New Testament. This is the topic of the Sunday school lesson I am currently teaching. This week I post part three of a three-part discussion on Ephesians 6:18.

The Armor of God – Pray. Watch. Persevere.

The word “Perseverance” means progressing under difficulty.

Does life seem hard for you? Consider what some of the great men of the Bible have said.

Eliphaz, “Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7).

Job, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage (Genesis 47:9).

God told Adam, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:17b-19).

Jesus, who is God in flesh, did not escape difficulty. Isaiah prophesied, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:1-4).

We all encounter difficulty. What is important is to keep going even when all seems hopeless.

There is a God who rules over the universe. Mankind is the most important part of His creation, For He created Man in His own image. He gave His only begotten Son to die for all mankind and be the propitiation for their sins, yes, even yours! He loves each one of us individually.

With life so difficult we must rely on God to help us.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:23-25).

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children , hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalms 34:6-19).

King David of Israel wrote, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid (Psalm 27:1)?

We must remember that it is not by our power and ability that things are accomplished but by God working in us, around us, and through us.

Sarah Palin Speaks at Wisconsin Tax Day Tea Party

TEA PARTY MOVEMENT BEGINS ITS THIRD YEAR

Hat tip to @mikepfs, who tweeted a link to the YouTube video (below)  this afternoon. The Tea Party Movement is alive and well. 

The following excerpt is from Governor Sarah Palin's speech to the Tea Party in Madison, Wisconsin today.

“ … Speaking of President (Barry Soetoro aka Barack) Obama, I think we ought to pay tribute today on this Tax Day Tea Party (in Madison, Wisconsin) because really he’s the inspiration for why it is we are here today. That’s right, the Tea Party Movement wouldn’t exist without Barack Obama.

“You see candidate Obama didn’t have a record … but President Obama certainly has a record and that’s why we are here.

“Hey Media, it’s not inciting violence, it’s not hateful rhetoric to call someone (Obama) out on their record. So that is what we’re gonna do. We are gonna do be clear. That’s right, we’re here, we’re clear, get used to it!”

A Suggested Survival List

To help you prepare for what's coming, check out this article written by Chuck Baldwin.

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20091215.html

Appeals Court Throws Out NDP Ruling

The 7th circuit U.S. Court of Appeals threw out District Judge Barbara Crabb's ruling that the congressional legislation establishing the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.  This is a victory for social conservatives, but there are some caveats.  

1. The ruling does not say that the NDP is constitutional, but only says the Freedom From Religion Foundation has "no standing" because they can't prove that they were harmed by the legislation or its execution.  But using this "no standing" doctrine is dangerous, because it allows courts to pick and choose which violations of the Constitution should be enforced and which one shouldn't.  For example, the courts have used this doctrine to make the 27th amendment a "dead letter" (i.e. it is basically now unenforceable--the congress can violate it as much as they want with no repercussions).  It would have been much better if the court had simply ruled that such proclamations do not violate the Establishment Clause.

2.  Though the National Day of Prayer and the Presidential proclamation of it are not unconstitutional, I believe that in fact the legislation establishing the NDP is unconstitutional.  The law commands the President to make the Proclamation.  Though the President is required by the Constitution to "faithfully execute" the laws passed by Congress, the Congress does not have the power to command the President to do just anything they want.  Its powers are limited to those explicitly listed in the Constitution, according to the 10th amendment.  There is nothing in the Constitution which gives Congress the power to command the President to make a proclamation of any sort except possibly a State of the Union speech (see Article II, section 3).  Now the President also cannot exercise powers which are not given to him through the Constitution, but the proclamation of a day of prayer is not an exercise of powers, and therefore it is not unconstitutional.  But commanding the President to make a proclamation clearly is an exercise of power.  This is something that 7th circuit should have alluded to.  

In any case, just because the Court (or any part of the government) says something is true, that does not mean that it is true.  This ruling could later be overruled and the NDP could again be unconstitutional.  But that would not be the end of world!  The most important thing to remember is that no matter what they say, they can't stop you from setting aside this day as a day of prayer and fasting for our nation.  Who really cares if the President makes the Proclamation?  Its not like as if there would be sincerity in it anyway.

Today is Black Day

No, this doesn’t have anything to do with Black History Month.  Nor does it have anything to do with the day after Thanksgiving, the day that retail stores make such a profit off of the Name of Jesus, pandering to the indulgences of an overfed and oversexed American public.  Nor is it a day of any apocalyptic significance.  But it is kind of like eating bitter herbs at Passover.

To celebrate Black Day, you eat jjajangmyeon.  It is a dish which is served in Chinese restaurants in South Korea.  (But Chinese people know that this has nothing to do with Chinese.)  It tastes terrible.  It is made according to the following instructions (Click here to see a picture):

1. Cook some sutamyeon (thick, handmade wheat noodles).

2. Make the jjajang

            Stir fry onions with ground meat or seafood and vegetables

            Add chunjang (a thick, very salty, black sauce made from roasted soybeans and caramel)

            Dilute the mixture with broth

            Add starch to thicken

3. Pour the jjajang over the cooked noodles and sliced cucumbers (optional)

4. Serve with raw onions sprinkled with rice vinegar and danmuji (a Japanese daikon pickle, daikon is a type of radish)

Why would you do this?  Well, this is a traditional South Korean observance.  You see in South Korea, they observe Valentine’s Day on February 14^th as Americans do except it is the women who are expected to treat the men to chocolates and candy.  But the men are then expected to give gifts to women on White Day which is observed on March 14^th.  But just so no one is left out, anyone who did not receive any gifts traditionally celebrates Black Day (April 14^th) by eating jjajangmyeon.

But I am thinking of a twist on the meaning of this day and making it more American.  Instead of being about sulking over not having a significant other, let’s make it relevant to the situation we are facing in America today.  Consider what has happened to America over the past two decades. 

The Republicans promised us a “Contract with America”.  They said we would have term limits, a Balanced Budget Amendment, and limited government.  During the 6 years of complete Republican control, not only was Roe v. Wade not overturned, but Congress actually when right on passing measures increasing the amount of money appropriated to Planned Parenthood, to the shame of the President and 99% of the Republicans in Congress.  And, of course, we did not get a balanced budget, much less a constitutional amendment guaranteeing it and no term limits or reductions in inflation.  The National Debt just kept going up and up as usual.

Then we elected a Democrat congress and Democrat President.  We elected them on the hopes that they would at least stop the wars and killing overseas.  We elected them in hopes that they would get the economy back on track, and that they would start creating shovel ready jobs with our tax dollars instead of using it to bailing out large corporations.  They did not stop the bailouts.  Obama did not stop the war in Iraq; it is still going.  He did not stop the war in Afghanistan; it is still going.  Not only that, but he has actually expanded the war into Pakistan, killing more innocent children with more predator drone strikes than even President Bush ordered!  And now he has gotten us involved in this war against Libya with no approval from Congress whatsoever!  Obama did not help the economy either.  The National Debt is through the roof!

If you feel you were lied to by the Republican Party, if you wanted a balanced budget, if you wanted a reduction in the National Debt, if Obama’s economic stimulus bill did not get YOU a job while the CEOs of AIG and other institutions got theirs, if you did not get anything from either party, then consider (as you are suffering through your last minute aggravations over your income tax filing) “celebrating” your (political) “singleness” by observing a political version of Black Day.  Don't worry if you get jjajang sauce on your 1040.  Just mail it in anyway as a protest.  The day before Tax Day is the perfect day for Black Day because that's when everybody else gets their "bailout" except you, the hardworking taxpayer.

And if anyone asks you why you are eating black noodles which taste awful, you can tell them this story and start conversation about how we have worshipped government as if it were God and tell them what is needed to restore our government to its proper place.  (And in case you don’t know what that is, it’s the Bible and the Constitution.)

Suspending the Spending: America’s 2011 War on Spending

THE BATTLES

There are three major battles to be fought in the War on Spending. Emulating the Lefts’ fondness of word crafting maybe “War on Spending” should be called “Domestic Monetary Defecation Containment” to more accurately describe the engagement between conservatives and liberal philosophies taking place in Wasting-A-Ton, D.C.  

2011 FY Budget

The first battle engagement was been fought to clean up the irresponsible pile of poop that the Democrats left on America’s doorstep in the form of a no-budget for the FY 2010 budget. In other words, the 111^th Congress neglected its responsibility and never produced a FY 2010 budget. It was a Congress which was too busy spending taxpayer’s hard-earned money during 2010.  At the beginning of the 112^th Congress after an overwhelming vote the previous November which fired 25% of Congress, the GOP out of the gate extensively debated and passed HR 1, which would fund government for the remaining 7 months of the what should have been FY 2010 budget.

The Democratic Congress and the Democratic President fiddled and diddled and diddled some more. They ended up proposing nothing. The Democrats did what the do best they squawked and the balked and they tried to blow the House down. Kicking and screaming the Democrats finally “gave into” a paltry pittance, 1% budget cut in spending for FY 2010. To quote V.P. Biden, a big “*@?#+) deal!” Yippee! Hooray!

Who won the first battle in the “War on Spending?” I don’t know, but I do know who lost. It was the American people ,because 1 % should have been at least 10 or 20 times that amount! $38 Billion out of $3,850 Billion is: _______________ Fill in the Blank

a.                   Nothing

b.                  Insufficient

c.                   A Joke

d.                  All the above

2012 FY Budget

The second battle begins by a shot fired by a Congressman from Wisconsin, the site of Governor Walker, renewed reason and rationality. Congressman Paul Ryan proposed cutting the budget by $6.2 Trillion dollars. Today Dear Leader, the increasingly controversial and unpopular President Barry Soetoro aka Barack Obama proposed merely half of that amount in spending cuts ($3 Trillion) and another cool $1 Trillion in tax increases. Originally our illustrious TelePrompTed President’s 2012FY Budget included no spending curtailment. So apparently, the President thinks he can fool a large number of Americans again, that he has moved to the center by his grand spending plan. So I guess “$4 Trillion over Twelve Years” is better than nothing? This battle rages.

Raising the Debt Ceiling, or Not

The third battle is looming on the mid May horizon - whether or not Congress approves the raising of the roof over the growing bean stalk of a debt ceiling. Do we sit back and let the Congress continue to spend what it does not have with impunity for what we do not need, or do we get serious about addressing the Federal Deficit once and for all Americans and stop wasteful spending?

The next few months will be interesting to watch this War develop and the Great Campaigner’s lack of leadership when it comes to this War on Spending (“Domestic Monetary Defecation Containment.”)

The Hefty Mental Cost of Abortion

Having an abortion is a decision that carries with it a number of physical, mental and emotional consequences that remain generally unpublicized in the media. While pro-choice advocates make arguments regarding a “woman's right to choose” they tend to ignore the fact that, in addition to the dead child the process results in, the women who undergo the procedure can develop any number of mental issues afterward as the weight of their act dawns on them. As even students getting their online health care degrees will say, keeping your lifestyle intact and saving money on child can't compare to a clean conscience and a clean bill of mental health.

The following story (a summary of a case study) illustrates the mental cost that some women experience after an abortion. Sally got pregnant at age 18 after she moved in with her boyfriend. She turned to her friends and family who encouraged her to get an abortion because having a baby at such a young age would prevent her from many of the things that she wanted to do with her life. When Sally was in her sixth month of pregnancy she went to a clinic to have a surgical abortion. While there wasn't much physical pain, the emotional pain lasted much longer. She couldn't believe that she had just given birth to her own dead baby.

After Sally and her boyfriend married at age 20, she conceived for the second time but because of the tumultuous status of their relationship, she had a second abortion. Sally was relieved at first that she wouldn't have to raise the child but when she was watching television one day, she watched as an abortion was performed and the image immediately haunted her. It finally hit Sally that the babies she had aborted were actually living humans and she spent the next several years dealing with the pain of her realization. Looking back, Sally realized that her abortion led her to a dangerous lifestyle and a series of unstable relationships. After her divorce, she began to sleep around with men who she didn't know and began using drugs and alcohol. Sally felt that by aborting her baby, a part of her also died.

This mental strain is not uncommon among women who have abortions. It often takes women several years to come to the realization that they have killed their own flesh and blood, and some may be married and have children when they come to realize the lasting impact the decision has had on them. This is why it's so important for women considering abortions to turn to their community, friends and family for help; otherwise they might rush into a faulty decision, the long-term effects of which, even in only a worldly sense, far outweigh any paltry benefits that might tempt them.

An article from the BBC examines the mental anguish that can be caused by abortion and found that an abortion can cause up to five years of grief on average. The article also references a University of Oslo study, which looked at a total of 120 women, 40 of which had a miscarriage and 80 of which had abortions. The study found that after miscarriage, women experienced mental pain for up to six months after the loss of their baby while the women who had abortions had mental pain for a substantially longer period of time. Likewise, only 2.6 percent of women who had a miscarriage were still experiencing mental distress after two years, whereas 20 percent of the abortion group were experiencing mental stress after two years. The study also found that the abortion group had to try hard not to think about the abortion.

Even the pro-choice support group Exhale tells women that they may feel grief after an abortion, and that it's “normal.” They claim that with proper counseling women can overcome the feelings of grief they receive after ending their child's unborn life. Of course, the only sure way to avoid this crisis of conscience is to never have the abortion in the first place, but that's not what they like to focus on.

In fact, many women who have abortions do not seek post-abortion counseling to deal with the lasting regrets. An article titled "Is There a Post-Abortion Syndrome?" in the New York Times explains how Rhonda Arias, now post-aborting counselor, went through with her own abortion and realized that much of the pain she dealt with stemmed from not receiving counseling after the procedure. After having her first abortion, she felt that she had made the wrong decision and felt an extreme sense of guilt. Her second abortion was six years later and left her with similar scars. Following her second abortion, Arias became very depressed and began to drink and abuse drugs. She attempted suicide and went on to have a third and fourth abortion before, as she puts it, she had a revelation from God. Arias then started her own abortion recovery ministry to help women struggling with the mental pain of abortions and convince others to avoid the same self-destructive path she chose.

The repercussions of having an abortion can manifest themselves in different ways for different women. Women can feel anything from unspecific guilt or loss to mental anguish once they realize the scope of their deed. Many women belatedly realize that they should have had the baby and put it up for adoption rather than ending its life. These are all feelings and emotions that are normal following an abortion, a woman will never forget that they ended their child's life before it was born. Too bad more women don't know that beforehand.

A Revolting Development in America

Cartoon by William Warren as found at GetLiberty.org on 4/11/2011

2012 Campaign TV Ad: Barack Obama's Legacy of FAILURE

Hat tip goes to the Our Country Deserves Better PAC, Tea Party Express, and the CampaignToDefeatObama.com for this new TV ad.  It “highlights” the actions and inactions of our increasingly unpopular, controversial and inept President.

 

The Whole Armor of God, Part 12B

Today I continue my series of articles commenting on the concept and principles involved in the Armor of God, which the apostle Paul described in the New Testament. This is the topic of the Sunday school lesson I am currently teaching. This week I post part two of a three-part discussion on Ephesians 6:18.

The Armor of God – Pray. Watch. Preserve.

Pray. Watch. Persevere. (Ephesians 6:18)

Watch means being attentive to what is going on around you and being alert to any danger and acting accordingly.

Paul writes to Timothy that he is to take heed as to his own conduct and the doctrine that he teaches. Doing this, he will save not only himself but also those that hear him (I Timothy 4:16). Timothy was further instructed to “study to show himself approved unto God: A workman that does not to be ashamed, correctly interpreting the word of God” (II timothy 2:15). This is good instruction for each of us today. Solomon wrote that we are to keep our heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Our heart is where we do our thinking. We keep it by paying attention to what we are thinking about. If what we are thinking is contrary to the word of God we must stop what we are thinking and think on something else which does conforms to the word of God. King David wrote, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) David did not rely on his own ability to think correctly but on God’s strength and ability. David further asks God to check him out and to lead him. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm139:23, 24) Do you think you could pray God’s searching and leading for yourself?

Jesus told his disciples to watch and pray in order that they would not enter into temptation, when they were on the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38) Temptations come to us in many ways. It is in yielding to the temptations, that we sin. Jesus is implying that in being alert for temptations and by prayer we can successfully resist yielding to temptations. Yes, you can do it.

Angels said that Jesus would come back to earth the same way He left, and that was in a cloud. (Acts 1:9-11) This must be in reference to when Jesus comes for the believers because when He comes at Armageddon He will be riding a white horse. His coming will be quick, “In the twinkling of an eye.” (I Corinthians 15:51, 52) For this reason Jesus says be ready for when He comes. (Matthew 24:44). He further says, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:35, 36)

God spoke to Ezekiel and said, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” (Ezekiel 3:17) I ask you, Is the Christian the watchman for their generation of lost people?

Put a hold on ObamaCare ...

Fellow blogger Matt posted an informative article on Thursday regarding the Individual Mandate provision of ObamaCare. He cited Cincinnati attorney and Tea Party leader Jack Painter's comprehensive and forceful arguments against the constitutionality and dangers of the Individual Mandate. See Matt's post here. 


I came across a comment written 2/1/2011 in the Washington Examiner by Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton, which compliments Mr. Painter and proposes the next action to be taken regarding this unconstitutional law.

"Congress should declare a moratorium on the health care reform law (ObamaCare) until the courts can settle the issue of its linchpin -- the individual mandate. Even supporters of ObamaCare, perhaps even Obama himself, might concede that the law won't work as intended until the courts settle the core constitutional issues. What harm would there be in placing ObamaCare on hold?"

Unfortunately, funding for ObamaCare was not dropped from the CR or the FY 2011 budget as originally submitted by the GOP. Therefore, another block has been laid further cementing this terrible, intrusive, liberty-robbing law. Elections have consequences and the 2008 Election results haunt us still. 


To me it would have been worth drawing the line in the sand over not funding ObamaCare, Planned Parenthood and EPA. However the go-along-to-get-along unprincipled Republicans chose to drop this hot potato.