The Church Needs to Wake Up!

Christian Smith and other researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted more than 3,000 interviews with adolescents. Their findings show that there is a systemic problem in the Church. The youth of America have developed a totally different view of who God is and how we have a relationship with Him. The researchers are calling this new belief system, Moral Therapeutic Deism.

These teens do not consider this to be a new religion, they consider it Christianity, because most of them regard themselves as Christians. But, their beliefs are far from the normal Christian doctrines that have been taught for two millennia. The researchers identified common beliefs held among these teens, when it comes to their beliefs in God. None of these common beliefs include a way of redemption from sin. Indeed, sin is not even included in the dialog. The central core belief of Christianity is that Christ Jesus is the Saviour of all of mankind and without His redemptive blood, we would all be lost. But this is no longer considered a necessary belief to be considered a Christian. This new "christianity" is not just among our youth, but is also becoming the norm in a large section of our society.

The Bible gives a description of peoples attitudes during the last days. “You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 - ISV). Don't these verses describe our society pretty well? Notice near the end that some people will seem like Christians, but inwardly, they will not be truly committed to the Word.

How did we get into this position?
It seems that many leaders in the Church have adopted the attitude that the Church needs a kinder and gentler gospel. All this talk of sin and death makes people uncomfortable. So, they changed the focus from Jesus atoning for our sins to God wants us to feel loved. After all, doesn't the Bible tell us that God is love? The "new" gospel is God loves you and wants you to be happy. Too many Churches have become little more than civic organizations. Their emphasis is no longer on making disciples of Christ Jesus, but on making people feel good about themselves and their relationship with God.

What must we do to overcome this problem?
The Bible is the answer. We must get back into the Word, for only within the pages of the Bible lies the Truth and it cannot be found anywhere else. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ISV).

Paul told us in 2 Timothy that these people “hold to an outward form of godliness, but deny its power.” We have to change the way the Church reaches out to people. Our first priority must be to make disciples, people who are committed to following the teachings of Jesus. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 - NET)

We must let go of the fear that some people will reject the Gospel. Jesus was not afraid to take a stand that was so demanding of people that some walked away from Him. Remember the story of the rich young ruler? Luke 18:18-30 (NASB). This young man came seeking, but when Jesus required of him something that he was not willing to depart with, the young man left. Jesus let this young man walk away. Did Jesus not care? Certainly He did, because “He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 - ISV). So, why didn't Jesus chase this man down and ease the requirements to make this man stay. Luke 18:28-30 (ISV) tells us, “Then Peter said, “See, we have left everything we have and followed you.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come.” Jesus had called to these men, "come" and they had dropped everything to follow. He would not lower the standard for the rich young ruler, nor will He lower it for this generation.

The Church must proclaim to the world the standards set by Jesus. Let us not have a spirit of fear, but when someone comes seeking, let the Church boldly proclaim to them the Good News.

What is Truth? Two Opposing World Views.

Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? God has turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense, hasn't he? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know God, God decided through the nonsense of our preaching to save those who believe. Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom. For God's nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
(1 Corinthians 1:20-25 - ISV)

"What is truth?" This is the question that Pilate asked, when he was questioning Jesus. It is the same question that many people ask today. We live in a society that seems incapable of deciding whether or not there is any truth. If anyone dares to declare that there is truth, then scorn is cast against them. They are derided for being "judgmental." The source of "truth" for many people in our society comes from self, each and every one of us gets to decide what truth is. It is really quite convenient, no one can challenge you, because your "truth" is yours alone and no one can take it from you. For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness." (1 Corinthians 3:19 - NET)

Is it possible to answer Pilate's question, "What is truth?" I guess it really depends on your world view. Do you have a Biblical world view or a Humanist world view? The Biblical world view professes that what is contained within the pages of the Holy Bible are God's truths. Humanism is a system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth. So, how does the world define truth? The Princeton wordnetweb website defines truth as: a fact that has been verified. Now this is a perfectly reasonable definition for the Humanist. The Humanist world view demands proof, preferably scientific proof, backed up with statistics and analysis. Their "truths" are not static, they change when "new" knowledge is gained or societies' opinion shifts. The Humanist god is self, and its religion is science. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world's perspective and the world listens to them.
(1 John 4:5 - NET)

But, I would bring forth the proposition that truth is truth whether it has been verified or not. Just because we discover something does not make it true, it was already true. We were just ignorant of that particular truth. When Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity, wasn't gravity already true? When Galileo discovered that the earth revolved around the sun, did that only become true at the point of discovery or was it already true? If truth can only be ascertained through verification, then mankind will continue to stumble through the darkness without any hope that he will find Truth. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2: 12-14 - NET)

NeoGnostics - Modern Day Heretics?

You may have never heard of Gnosticism before, but I am sure that you have heard its teachings. Gnostics are not talking about the God that most Christians refer to. They describe a spiritual being that, according to them, is far above the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Oprah promotes a teaching that says that God is so big that it is impossible for the human mind to understand anything about him. This is a central view in the Gnostic belief system, but it is quite contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible is full of attributes that describe God and how He thinks and feels, giving the reader a very good understanding of who and what God is. (Bible Gateway Link to "God is")

NeoGnosticism, my term, is an insidious belief system that can morph its way into any religion and it has made inroads into modern Christianity. It brings a mythical aspect to Christianity, with claims that you will have a better understanding of the scriptures. Gnosticism has always claimed to be more spiritual. This is the lure that is used by Gnostics, that they can provide you with "deeper" spiritual knowledge. No longer do the scriptures "mean what they say and say what they mean;" no, many Christians now depend on "revelations" from God to interpret the scriptures. Now, experience is just as important as scripture when it comes to rationalizing about how many Christians live their lives. Therein lies the problem. Too many Christians have turned to experience and "revelation" to guide them in their walk instead of obeying the scriptures. (Bible Gateway link to "Obey")

This is the essence of NeoGnosticism, that just following the teachings of the scriptures is no longer enough for the believer, we can have other sources of "truth" that can also help us in our Christian walk. Because of our modern sensibilities, it has become almost impossible to declare that something is true. We are now seeing the result of a whole generation of kids that were raised on the idea that there are no absolutes. "What is wrong for you, may be right for someone else" and visa-versa. Everyone is now entitled to have their own truth, which must not be challenged because you do not have the right to "push" your beliefs onto others.

This is true in the Church also. We are always "agreeing to disagree" even when something is clearly stated in scripture. The doctrine of "I believe" or "What that means to me is..." has become the defacto belief system in the Church. We are willing to believe in the teachings contained in the Bible as long as those teachings conform to our belief system. Modern day Christians are quite willing to jettison Biblical doctrine for a doctrine that is more in line with their own personal sensibilities.

So, what is to be done about this intrusion of doctrine into Christianity? First and foremost, Christians need to start reading the Bible. Romans tells us that through the scripture, we will have hope;"For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope." (Romans 15:4 - LEB).

Secondly, Christians must return to the understanding that only in the scriptures will truth be found. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, reminds Timothy of the value that the scriptures bring to the man of God; "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ISV)

Third, If we believe that all truth is contained in the scriptures, then we need to find our interpretations of scripture from the scriptures themselves and not from our own interpretations. In Peter's second letter, he writes, "First of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever originated through a human decision. Instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21 - ISV)

Jesus gave us the great commission; "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 - NIV). If we are to teach what Jesus has commanded, then by necessity we must believe that His commandments are true. And if His commandments are true, then by necessity, they must be obeyed.

Have we become a modern day Israel?
"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. But of Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." (Romans 10:16-21 - ESV)

Sinking Island or A Biased Press?

Have you heard about the island that disappeared under the sea off of the Indian coast? An article on Wikipedia reports that In 1974, U.S. satellites picked up this tiny island and estimated its size at 27,000 square feet. It grew to about 110,000 square feet in size at low tide and its elevation above sea level was never more than about 2 miters at low tide.

The BBC, Associated Press, LA Times and many others are reporting that this island disappearance has been caused by global warming (oops, I mean climate change). But it is very interesting that this island did not exist until after the Bhola cyclone in 1970. The claim is that the ocean has been rising at a rate of 5mm per year since around the year 2000 and 3mm per year before that.

Now I have a few questions to ask. If it is "global warming" that has caused the ocean to rise and submerge this island, was it not "global cooling" that caused the ocean to lower and therefore expose this island"? This island is located at the mouth of the river Hariabhanga that is the border between India and Bangladesh. This whole region is nothing but deltas and mangroves. Could this possibly be just another delta island, like many around the world, that comes and goes according to the flow of the river and the tides?

What about the math? Reportedly, this island was only 2 miters high at low tide. One miter equals 1000 millimeters, therefore, at most this island was 2000mm high at low tide. It became an island sometime after 1970 and by 1974 could be seen by satellite. The Daily Star reported that in 1981 the Indian government sent a navy ship and raised the Indian flag to claim the island for India. Now, let's just say that the island has been sinking ever since 1981. From 1981 until 2010 would be 29 years. Let's also say that the rate of ocean rise has been 5mm per year since 1981; 29 years times 5mm per year would equal 145mm rise on the island since 1981. If the island was 2000mm at low tide and the ocean has risen 145mm in the 29 years, is it really global warming that has sunk this island?

The problem here is not whether islands are disappearing or not, but that the press is biased in its reporting of the global warming/climate change debate. The media are doing a disservice to the people who read their articles and watch their programs, when they just blindly report these claims of global warming as fact without any investigation into the validity of the science behind these claims. The recent scandals in the meteorological science world should put the media on notice that the information being passed on to them from the scientists needs to be confirmed by independent sources. The very least that the media should do is to provide opposing views of these events and allow the public to make an informed decision.

The Healing of a Nation

II Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (KJV)

Who are His people? This is an O.T. verse, but Christians are the people that are called by HIS name. In this verse, we are commanded to do four things.

Humble ourselves.
Webster defines humble as: "To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiency of; to make meek and submissive." Have we become proud and arrogant? Do we depend on God or have we become self-sufficient? Are we submissive to the Word?

James 4:4-10: Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world's friend makes himself God's enemy. Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, "The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning"? But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. (NETfree)

Pray.
How should we pray then?
Matthew 6:1: "Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven." (NETfree)

Matthew 6:6: "But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." (NETfree)

Matthew 6:9-13: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (KJV)

Seek my face.
How are we to seek the Lord? Webster defines seek as: 1. To go in search of; to look for; to search for; to try to find. 3. To try to acquire or gain; to strive after. God desires that we pursue Him with our whole being, nothing held back. Although we are not to seek Him in our own way, but through obedience to the Word.

Deuteronomy 4:29-30: But if you seek the LORD your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul. In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, if you return to the LORD your God and obey him (NETfree)

Mark 12:30: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. (World English Bible)

I Samuel 15:22: Then Samuel said, "Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams. (NETfree)

Turn from our wicked ways.
Ephesians 4:22-32: You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image - in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity. The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. (NETfree)

Colossians 3:1-11: Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. (NETfree)

God says that if we will humble ourselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from our wicked ways, THEN, He will hear, He will forgive, and He will heal our land. Christianity is not the Shriners or Kiwanis. We have not joined a club, we have joined a way of life! We are in an endurance race to the end of our lives here on this earth. Has Christianity lost its influence over society? If the answer is yes, then is it because the world can no longer see a difference between them and us? Have we made becoming a follower of Christ so easy that it no longer has any real meaning? Jesus said to "count the cost" of becoming a disciple of His. What does it cost us today to be a disciple of Christ Jesus?

Let us strive to be disciples of Christ Jesus and God will bring healing to our land!

Hebrews 10:19-24: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works (NETfree)

Obama and Gay Marriage

President Obama attended the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group. He promised those in attendance that he would end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy currently in effect in the U.S. military. The President also called on the Congress to repeal DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress in September of 1996.

The DOMA law has 2 purposes. One is to define marriage as a legal union exclusively between one man and one woman. The second purpose allows a state to refuse to recognize the "marriage" of same sex individuals from another state. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine currently allow "same sex marriage," with New Hampshire's "gay marriage" laws going into effect in January, 2010. California has also just joined with New York State and Washington DC in recognizing such "marriages" from other jurisdictions.

In September, 2009, the Respect for Marriage Act bill was submitted with 91 sponsors into the House of Representatives. This bill would repeal DOMA law. Some on the left claim that it would not force states to accept "same sex marriages" from other states, but if you read the bill, that is exactly what it will do. It strikes down the portion of the DOMA law that gives states the right to refuse to recognize "same sex marriage" from other states. Twenty-nine states have Constitutional amendments that define marriage as between a man and a woman. I believe that if DOMA is repealed then the federal government will eventually force all states to recognize "same sex marriages."

Now many in the homosexual community declare that Jesus never has anything to say about homosexuality, but in Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus defined marriage by quoting from the Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24: "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." It seems to me that by defining marriage has between a man and a woman, there is no room left for "same sex marriages."

Who is this Creator? John 1:1-18 declares who the creator is, Christ Jesus. John 1:1-3 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:17 - For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

President Obama has stated that he reads the Bible every day. I wonder why he would dismiss these verses and others that speak about homosexuality. Is he, like so many others, deciding what is true in the Bible and what is not true? Do we have the right to make a distinction about which parts of the Bible we will follow and which parts we will dismiss? The answer is no, we do not have the right to judge the Bible. Jesus is the Word, therefore the Creator and He has declared that marriage is between a man and a woman. I pray that President Obama will heed the words of our Creator, Christ Jesus, and stop promoting a life style that goes against the laws of nature, as defined by God.

Misconceptions About Health Care Inside and Outside of America

Until recently, I was under the impression that all of the other developed countries of the world only had communist style socialized medicine. I thought that they were all owned and operated by the government. No private hospitals or doctors. No private insurance. Bureaucrats making medical decisions. The perception given by many is that what we have here in America is the best in the world and any system other than ours is a disaster. All you ever hear is horror stories, long waits for medical treatment, antiquated equipment, people suffering and dying due to a lack of funding, old people being refused treatment. You have heard the stories and probably most are true. But are these stories the norm for the average person or are they the exception?

In his book, "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care", T.R. Reid has gone around the world researching health care. Through his research and travels he is able to provide a window into the different health care systems that each country uses. He details the four major types of systems being used around the world today.

The Beveridge model was developed in Great Britain, and is used in Spain, Italy, Cuba, and most of Scandinavia. This is government run health care funded by taxes. No health insurance companies or private hospitals. Most doctors are government employees, but some are private and all are paid by the government. In America, the members of Congress have their health care needs meet through this model, as do the Armed Forces and the VA.

Originally developed in Germany, the Bismark model is also used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Japan. This system uses private doctors, hospitals and insurance. To control cost, the government regulates the medical community and the insurance companies, which are non-profit. If you have employer provided insurance or you purchase insurance privately, you are using a form of this model. Instead of the government regulating medical cost, your insurance company does and makes a profit for its investors.

Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea use the National Health Insurance model which has elements of both the Beveridge and Bismark models. Health care is provided by private doctors and hospitals, but the government is the insurance company and the citizens pay premiums. This is the system used by those who receive Medicare or Medicaid. By the way, the name Medicare originated in Canada.

Most poor countries have the Out-of-Pocket model because they do not have the ability to provide any of the others. This is the model that Americans without insurance must live with. According to the Census Bureau (Link) the percentage of people without insurance in America is 15.4% or a little over 46 million. It is not that these people do not receive any health care, its just that when they are seriously ill then the tax payer ends up paying much of the bill.

As you can see, the United States uses a variety of systems to provide health care. If these other countries are providing health care for all of their citizens, why can't this be done in America? America already has some "Socialized Health Care," through the Beveridge and the National Health Insurance models. Why does America spend more for its health care every year than any other country, 16-17% of GDP, but not everyone is covered? For those who say that the status quo is fine, how would you provide health care to the 46 million who have no insurance? Isn't someone already paying for any health care that the uninsured receive? Anyone who is seriously sick can go to the emergency room and receive services, this is mandated by Federal Law. But that is a very expensive way to provide coverage.

To me these are some of the questions that need to be asked. I hope that this has been helpful to you as the debate on health care in America continues.

Health Care Debate

President Obama spoke to a joint session of Congress last night about the health care legislation that is moving through Congress. He outlined what he would like the legislation to contain. There is justifiably great debate over the cost of new health care legislation and the impact that it would have on our national debt and the economy. Many fear that to provide health care for every American will come at too great of an expense and that as a result our taxes will spiral out of control and/or the quality of our health care will go down. A large segment of our society truly fear what is commonly referred to as "Socialized Medicine."

We have all heard the horror stories of long waits and people dying while waiting to receive treatment for their ailment. I remember reading a story about how a Canadian woman who went into labor prematurely with major complications had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital in the U.S. This story seemed to dramatically underscore the problem with "Socialized Medicine." But, upon further investigation it was revealed that the Canadian hospital was perfectly capable of caring for the woman and her child, but their neo-natal unit was full to capacity and that in order to provide the best care for them both, they were moved to the U.S. hospital. The point is that often times the stories that we hear about unacceptable healthcare in other countries with "Socialized Medicine" are not always as dramatic as they first seem.

The President outlined many aspects of this health care reform that he would like to see included in the upcoming bill. Republicans need to stay engaged in the process and not just opt out because they do not get to showcase all of their ideas about health care. The Democrats won control of the Congress and the White House and now they have the opportunity to try things their way. Democrats need to remember that with leadership comes responsibility. They have a responsibility to make sure that the concerns of all Americans are addressed and not to run rough shod over the opposition, just because they can. Both parties need to remember that they represent all Americans and that we sent them to Washington to serve the people.

We have government run Fire Departments, Police Departments, Ambulance Services, Roads, Schools, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Veterans Administration, FBI, Airports, MIlitary, etc., etc., etc. Most of the time this myriad of local, state & federal agencies provide us with outstanding services and a better quality of life. Let's not shy away from providing all Americans health care just because the government is involved.

Have the Terrorists Won?

I was amazed at what I was reading. Without firing a shot the Islamic terrorists had scored a tremendous victory in America. Yale University Press has decided not to reproduce the cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad in a new book titled "The Cartoons That Shook the World" by Brandeis University professor Jytte Klausen. (Foxnews.com carried the story; see it here). These are the cartoons that caused so much violence when the Dutch newspaper published them. The University questioned many experts and the consensus was that if the cartoons were included in the new book, then there would most certainly be more violence. The decision was made by Yale University Press not to include the cartoons.

Are we now living in a society where a small group of radicals can trump the First Amendment? The United States government cannot prohibit free speech, but I guess that if you are willing to be violent enough, then some in the academic world will give up free speech in order to keep that violence from occurring. What's next? Sharia Law? Christians in America are expected to endure any and all forms of criticism and outright hatred without so much as a peep. After all everyone has a right to their own opinion, right? Want to put a crucifix in a bottle of urine and call it art? No problem, Christians might be mad about it and might protest about it, but they cannot stop it because this is "freedom of expression." Have the Islamic terrorists taught us a lesson? That through violence you can restrict free speech in America? I hope not.

The Bill of Rights guarantees that all who live in this country have religious freedom. But as a follower of Christ Jesus, I have seen my rights slowly diminished. There are those in this country that want to completely restrict when, where, and how I am able to share my faith. More and more of my civil rights are being taken from me in the name of "separation of church and state." Christian religious freedoms in America are being eroded mostly by bureaucratic regulations and court decisions that infringe on our First Amendment rights. Christians are treated as second class citizens, not allowed to practice their faith in the public square, because someone might be offended. Yet, now deference is being made to Islamic terrorists would not grant any religious freedom to Americans.

Have we lost the "War on Terrorism?" Should we bring our troops home from Iraq & Afghanistan? Aren't they fighting for FREEDOM? Please do not give in to these terrorists, who would rob of us of the freedoms that have been purchased with the blood of our Fathers and Mothers, Brothers and Sisters, Sons and Daughters, Nieces and Nephews, Aunts and Uncles. You get the point. If there is something in a book that Muslims find offensive, then they have the same freedoms to boycott and peaceful protest that are granted to all U.S. citizens. We have laws to deal with those who commit violent acts in our country. Let us not voluntarily give up our freedoms, but let us deal with those who would use violence to take them away.

Has Civility Ceased to Function in Our Society?

I like to discuss issues with people that have opposing views. I went to the Facebook page One Million Against Sarah Palin to see what they have to say, and I must say that I was quite disappointed. Has civility ceased to function in our society? I have a hard time understanding why there has to be such hate and animosity towards someone with whom you disagree. The Bible tells me to love even my enemies and someone with whom I disagree certainly isn't my enemy. It is one thing to strongly disagree on an issue and to even steadfastly be unmovable from your position, but it is quite another to stoop to the level of name calling and vicious personal attacks on someone just because they have an opinion different from yours. Not everything that conservatives say is always correct, but then again, the same goes for the liberal position. If we truly want to find solutions to some of the complex problems that face our nation, we must learn to work together with civility. As long as anyone who has an opposing position is treated so despicably then we will never be able to find solutions to our problems. To my friends, if you have not been to this group's page, don't go! The vile, disgusting, revolting comments made about Sarah Palin by some of the members are not something anyone should have to read.

Red Letter Christians?

Normally I respect Tony Campolo and his work, but his book excerpt in The Huffington Post, "Who Are Red Letter Christians?" really got my goat. For one thing, I think there is a danger in divvying up the Bible in to More Important and Less Important. I've heard too many people say disparaging things about Paul, and dismiss his letters as something they don't really have to follow. The book of James is in contention as well. The words of Jesus while He lived on earth are of course very important, and I certainly wouldn't want to minimize them. But God says the Bible is the Living Word of God. He calls Jesus The Word. (John 1:1 -- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14 -- "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.")." He says all scripture is relevant for teaching and exhorting. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 - All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." ) He says it is all Truth and not to be added to or taken from. (Revelations 22:18-20, Deut. 4:2).

Putting Jesus' words in red is a man-made contrivance that can muddy the waters a bit, as can all things not directly from God. Already the gays who attend churches teach that since Jesus Himself never uttered words to the effect that homosexuality is wrong, that it must not be wrong. Anyone who wants to say Christians have no call to get involved in politics could well point to the fact that Jesus never mentions or advises that course of action. When He fed the multitudes, after all, He never began a campaign to get the government to begin feeding them. God says in John 1: 17 that the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. We must remember and teach that "what Jesus taught" is the Bible in its entirety. ALL of Jesus' teachings are valuable. And from what I can tell, we are taught to do things individually, or through churches, while praying for our elected and appointed government leaders.

We are indeed taught that visiting orphans and widows in their distress is pure religion, along with keeping ourselves unstained by the world. (James 1:27). We as Christians are exhorted to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, care for the sick, visit those in prison; we as individuals are told to do what God puts before us to do. Large lectures about all the problems in the world, and angry agreement that "other people" aren't doing their share, really don't solve much. We each must quietly do what inconveniences us personally, without fanfare or praise, usually without even the thanks of the person we helped, sometimes with persecution for our efforts. I could not get past the story about the starving Haitian children. All I could think was, "Why didn't you get up and go out and feed them?" Rather than turning this episode in your life in to a lecture about how other Christians "pull down the shades" on the needs of the world, why aren't you repenting of your own reaction? That would have made a powerful point. But saying that the government of America is not budgeting enough to help the world is disingenuous, because not only does America do far beyond what is budgeted whenever there is a crisis of any kind, but the individuals and churches that you mention do far beyond what the citizenry in those other countries mentioned do. If we agitate for the government to do more, we will simply be taxed more. This will lead to us being less able to help as individuals, and will also mean we have no say in what charitable projects are contributed to. There will also be no giving it in Jesus' name if the government is the one doing it.

As for the problems in places like Camden, they do not arise from physical poverty so much as from spiritual and family poverty. Universal health care and minimum wage reform will do little to help. The breakdown of the family, personified in such issues as gay rights and abortion, contribute more to the problems then slender paychecks do. Abortion preys on the weakest and most vulnerable, and if we won't do any thing about that, it's unlikely we'll do much to help those more able to help themselves. I do think we need to follow the words of Jesus - all of them. I do believe we are stewards of the earth, our brother's keeper, and servants to our fellow man. I even believe we need to remind each other of that when we get too comfortable inside our church buildings and begin to think it's all about us. But soapboxes just make the speaker feel self-righteous. We are the body of Christ, each with our own role to play. We should do what God calls us to do, while supporting others in what He calls them to do. That way we can better accomplish the things Jesus Christ, the Head, wants done in the world.

The Most Dangerous Man in America

Yes, It's Rush Limbaugh's moniker. But my question is, dangerous to whom? I cannot believe the ferociousness of the attack against John McCain by Rush and others in the conservative talk show circles. They are just hammering away at him in an obvious effort to derail his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate. I know that McCain has not been the darling of the Republican party. He tends to go his own way and that irritates the party faithful. But, if I was a pundit who favored the Democrats, then I would be waiting with glee at the prospect of McCain winning the Republican nomination, so that I could use all of the stuff that Rush is saying against McCain now. In their effort to undo McCain, the conservative pundits are giving the opposition ammunition for the future.

These pundits have gotten too big for their own britches. They think that we are sheep and that they need to shepherd us in the right direction. The American people are tired of the bickering and partisanship in Washington and want people who will work together for the good of the people. The Rush Limbaughs of talk radio have crowned themselves as the gatekeepers of the conservative point of view. Well, I say that anyone who is self appointed does not have the true welfare of the people at heart. "Lord High Muckety-Muck" as my friend GAH would say, is the title that I would give him.

Now that Mitt Romney has suspended his campaign, what is Rush going to do? Take it all back and now extol the virtues of John McCain? I hope not. McCain does not need the Rush crowd, he has the Republican voters to thank for his rise in political fortune and I hope that he remembers that all the way to the White House. McCain/Huckabee is the ticket I would like to see.