Democrats, stop kidding yourselves. Abortion is murder --not a difficult choice that a woman sadly makes. I'm not for criminalizing those who have done it, but we need to to stop doing it.
http://www.priestsforlife.org/resources/photosassorted/
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
DOES THE GOP USE/ABUSE EVANGELICALS? --(amended 10/8)
Mudrake said that evangelicals are "pimped" by the GOP --meaning, I guess, that we are "used" just for our votes and that the GOP could care less about our issues.
My answer to that was as follows: Professional party big wigs may "pimp" the prolife Catholics and evangelicals, as he says, knowing this is a large voting bloc they need. BUT they gave us born again Condi Rice, more than 2 pro-life Supreme Court justices, an evangelical presidential speech writer for awhile, several sincerely pro-life senators and representatives and Christians in Congress. (Read Chuck Colson's Born Again--and how a group of Congressmen prayed for him and led him to faith in Christ by giving him C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity to read.)
By the way, I believe Geo Bush's Christianity is real. He ALSO gave us the faith-based initiative possibility, which has helped poor churches have programs for needy people, though there were too many strings attached for evangelicals. He compassionately tried to rescue all the AIDS victims in Africa --which is money down a rat hole if they don't change their promiscuous ways via abstinence education which has reduced new AIDS cases in one nation where they use it. And finally, Geo Bush started out with regular Bible studies and prayer optional for staff in the White House --as a Jewish biographer of the Bush White House pointed out.
I still say, history will reveal that he wasn't wrong about Iraq and not the cause of our economic woes. But he was not able to shrink entitlements --or say no to any group with its hand out because of their own choices (the mortgage and wall street bail-outs.)
Bush vetoed tax- supported stem cell research on abortion victims. Pro-life folks prevented abortions funded by the military health system; the party gave us equal access legislation in the schools, some conservative and God-fearing judges at various levels, SOME successful resistance to the ACLU's war on national monuments, Ten Commandments, religious mottos, etc. and some restrictions on abortion at state and federal level.
The GOP stands for parental rights and vouchers for educational choice, very important to evangelicals.
Because the other party is strong in opposition, it's hard for GOP leaders, sincere or not, pimping or not, to accomplish much re the social issues. GOP majorities have never been that great in Congress that they could reverse Roe, e.g.
It doesn't help when the young evangelical voters are weak on worldview, and unaware of the history of the battle between conservatives and liberals, the conservative gains and losses, having been steeped in liberalness at the secular u's.
Of course, many religious folks have been democrats by family history --believing the democrat party to be the party of the common man, the laborer, the poor. But talk about pimped, the Democratic party really is the party of liberal elites, atheists, God-haters, Christian -haters, and leftwing radicals --THEY lead that party more than evangelicals lead the GOP.
Evangelicals are so busy with family and church; political involvement is difficult. It's hard to find good candidates among these people --because they do prioritize family and church and that keeps them 100 per cent occupied, in addition to their jobs. But there are evangelical republicans who have made our voice heard so loudly, that Mudrake thinks we are the biggest threat to the planet, advocating fundamentalist theocracy. He's wrong, of course.
He thinks we should be denied free speech in the name of separation of church and state and by his view of "hate speech" --which is any speech that says some behaviors are sins; i.e. preaching the Bible on moral matters. HIS is the dangerous thinking, contrary to the First Amendment, threatening to religious freedom.
I swear he would throw me in a North Korean prison for daily beatings --as this one dear Christian lady experienced (Voice of the Martyrs' latest magazine.)
So vitriolic he gets.
Whether or not all the GOP leadership agrees with evangelicals, I will vote for them because they are the pro-life party. I can't vote for people who think abortion is a woman's right and want to fight for that right. It tells me a lot about their respect for God -- that their respect for Him is not enough that I should want them heading our country.
I prefer a president who might actually pray and be heard by the ruler of the universe. As we are going to need the help of God to keep our ship of state afloat.
As for the budget crisis --the greed of the CEO's --often democrats --and the greed and corruption of the lenders (so many grads of liberal education), the decline of ethics in business, the careless spending of the whole nation resulting in credit card debt, I blame the liberals who have wanted our people to lack faith in God --which lack of faith allows for corruption everywhere. Christianity is salt and light --we ought not erode it by public policies nor engender hostility toward Christendom, as Mudrake does. Does he want to live next door to people who determine right and wrong based on their personal desires? instead of eternal truths? I guess he does.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
My answer to that was as follows: Professional party big wigs may "pimp" the prolife Catholics and evangelicals, as he says, knowing this is a large voting bloc they need. BUT they gave us born again Condi Rice, more than 2 pro-life Supreme Court justices, an evangelical presidential speech writer for awhile, several sincerely pro-life senators and representatives and Christians in Congress. (Read Chuck Colson's Born Again--and how a group of Congressmen prayed for him and led him to faith in Christ by giving him C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity to read.)
By the way, I believe Geo Bush's Christianity is real. He ALSO gave us the faith-based initiative possibility, which has helped poor churches have programs for needy people, though there were too many strings attached for evangelicals. He compassionately tried to rescue all the AIDS victims in Africa --which is money down a rat hole if they don't change their promiscuous ways via abstinence education which has reduced new AIDS cases in one nation where they use it. And finally, Geo Bush started out with regular Bible studies and prayer optional for staff in the White House --as a Jewish biographer of the Bush White House pointed out.
I still say, history will reveal that he wasn't wrong about Iraq and not the cause of our economic woes. But he was not able to shrink entitlements --or say no to any group with its hand out because of their own choices (the mortgage and wall street bail-outs.)
Bush vetoed tax- supported stem cell research on abortion victims. Pro-life folks prevented abortions funded by the military health system; the party gave us equal access legislation in the schools, some conservative and God-fearing judges at various levels, SOME successful resistance to the ACLU's war on national monuments, Ten Commandments, religious mottos, etc. and some restrictions on abortion at state and federal level.
The GOP stands for parental rights and vouchers for educational choice, very important to evangelicals.
Because the other party is strong in opposition, it's hard for GOP leaders, sincere or not, pimping or not, to accomplish much re the social issues. GOP majorities have never been that great in Congress that they could reverse Roe, e.g.
It doesn't help when the young evangelical voters are weak on worldview, and unaware of the history of the battle between conservatives and liberals, the conservative gains and losses, having been steeped in liberalness at the secular u's.
Of course, many religious folks have been democrats by family history --believing the democrat party to be the party of the common man, the laborer, the poor. But talk about pimped, the Democratic party really is the party of liberal elites, atheists, God-haters, Christian -haters, and leftwing radicals --THEY lead that party more than evangelicals lead the GOP.
Evangelicals are so busy with family and church; political involvement is difficult. It's hard to find good candidates among these people --because they do prioritize family and church and that keeps them 100 per cent occupied, in addition to their jobs. But there are evangelical republicans who have made our voice heard so loudly, that Mudrake thinks we are the biggest threat to the planet, advocating fundamentalist theocracy. He's wrong, of course.
He thinks we should be denied free speech in the name of separation of church and state and by his view of "hate speech" --which is any speech that says some behaviors are sins; i.e. preaching the Bible on moral matters. HIS is the dangerous thinking, contrary to the First Amendment, threatening to religious freedom.
I swear he would throw me in a North Korean prison for daily beatings --as this one dear Christian lady experienced (Voice of the Martyrs' latest magazine.)
So vitriolic he gets.
Whether or not all the GOP leadership agrees with evangelicals, I will vote for them because they are the pro-life party. I can't vote for people who think abortion is a woman's right and want to fight for that right. It tells me a lot about their respect for God -- that their respect for Him is not enough that I should want them heading our country.
I prefer a president who might actually pray and be heard by the ruler of the universe. As we are going to need the help of God to keep our ship of state afloat.
As for the budget crisis --the greed of the CEO's --often democrats --and the greed and corruption of the lenders (so many grads of liberal education), the decline of ethics in business, the careless spending of the whole nation resulting in credit card debt, I blame the liberals who have wanted our people to lack faith in God --which lack of faith allows for corruption everywhere. Christianity is salt and light --we ought not erode it by public policies nor engender hostility toward Christendom, as Mudrake does. Does he want to live next door to people who determine right and wrong based on their personal desires? instead of eternal truths? I guess he does.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
McCain WON!
I really thought McCain was smooth and did the best. It was surprising to hear the pundits on Fox say differently--but Karl Rove,Shawn Hannity and Fred Thompson played up his strengths. Perhaps the other panel (with Hume, Kristol, Barnes, et al) has been accused of being too one-sided--so they all ganged up on McCain tonight --and will probably swing the other way on the next debates. I always think the media does that --they try to be even-handed until the heat turns up and election day draws nigh!
There was conservative concern about McCain's new proposal of a bail-out of the other poorly advised group of mortgage losers. Where will this bail-out business end??? I think his point would be that ordinary americans are losing their homes --and they should be bailed out if the wall street fat cats are. AS for the latter, I wish they could be made to give up their excessive personal profits from their defunct business.
On Sept. 29, there was a letter to the editor in the Blade that is worth looking up --a man wrote bulleted items about the Wall Street bail-out and noted that the corruption was started and lack of oversight signed by Clinton in 1999. That McCain and Bush tried to get the democrats to see the impending disaster later (McCain alluded to a senators' letter about this tonight.) Democrat senator Barney Franks argued that we want all people to be able to own homes. The writer said that leading democrats, Senator Dodds and upstart Senator Obama, were THE two biggest beneficiaries of the corrupt lending organizations. (If I had that article in the room with me, my info would be better--sorry --just go to Blade website and look up the readers' forum for Sept. 29.)
I want to hear Obama defend his position on FOCA (freedom of choice act regarding abortion.) He is so far left on that topic.
Bill Clinton ALSO said he thought we should reduce the need for abortions, the number of abortions, while keeping it available. He did nothing to keep that campaign promise --and did a lot to demonstrate womanizing before the world. One of his girlfriends, Gennifer Flowers, said he made her get an abortion of their child conceived when he was governor.
Liberal, pro-abortion democrats have no intention of limiting the numbers of abortion when they, like Pelosi and Obama, advocate passage of FOCA--which will nullify any progress made by the states to regulate abortuaries, abortionists, and to limit late-term abortions, prohibit killing the survivors of abortions (Obama voted 4 times to let those survivors die--as though the mother's choice is absolute.) Parental consent laws will be affected. All the gains of the pro-life movement will be eliminated under Obama --because he is philosophically as far left on the subject as one can possibly be.
He will give us leftists on the Supreme Court --and they will uphold unlimited abortion, give us gay marriage, hate crime law that prohibits free speech, especially biblical speech against homosexual activity, in particular. We will see churches and religious schools lose tax deductions if they don't approve homosexuality and hire and admit homosexuals --even though their religious belief says homosexuality is a sin. Schools accepting vouchers will not be allowed to discriminate in hiring or admissions on basis of homosexuality, transgendering. The only way to get a teacher to leave who comes dressed as a man one day and a woman the next day, will be to settle out of court and give them a fortune (as already happened at a Free Methodist college.)
The new national religion will be moral relativity/atheistic secular humanism --or maybe Oprah's new age spirituality. Judeo-Christian values will no longer pre-dominate as the ethical system of our country. Entertainment media will be even more indecent, and porn more prevalent (if possible --like European tv) --and it won't be long before ages of consent are lowered for sexual activity. Sex ed in schools won't be anything decent people want for their children. The benighted leftists won't see any reason not to sanctify polygamy as a rightful choice --completely missing the harms to the young girls, the inability of most men to afford multiple families without welfare. Leftist judges won't acknowledge the inherent inequality in a closed system that teaches women that God wants them to be one of many wives. Muslims will feel free to practice their polygamy here.
I predict we will sink under even greater debt, family alienation, more single parenting, natural disasters as God's judgments, terrorist invasion --as more and more people forget who God is and what He wants from us.
"If america ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great"--French philosopher Alexis de Toqueville, 19th C.
We're already there --if we elect this ardent pro-abortionist.
I was reminded of the movie "Swingvote" where both candidates promised anything to get elected. I think McCain's appeal tonight was to all those who are losing their homes because of their bad loans --who were not helped by the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac bail-out.
Obama's appeal was to those conservatives who believe America should go and stop genocide. McCain should've jumped in there to say that's what we did by going to Iraq --and what we do by opposing abortion.
Both men had grand plans for spending money while claiming they would cut spending.
If we can't tighten the national belt and curb our usual spending habits, and get out of personal and national debt, we are doomed. Sorry to be so pessimistic.
I do think a McCain-Palin vote is a step in the right direction.
We're going to see how bitterly divided this nation is, once again, by this election. The two parties just do NOT share the same worldview, the same view of good and evil.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
There was conservative concern about McCain's new proposal of a bail-out of the other poorly advised group of mortgage losers. Where will this bail-out business end??? I think his point would be that ordinary americans are losing their homes --and they should be bailed out if the wall street fat cats are. AS for the latter, I wish they could be made to give up their excessive personal profits from their defunct business.
On Sept. 29, there was a letter to the editor in the Blade that is worth looking up --a man wrote bulleted items about the Wall Street bail-out and noted that the corruption was started and lack of oversight signed by Clinton in 1999. That McCain and Bush tried to get the democrats to see the impending disaster later (McCain alluded to a senators' letter about this tonight.) Democrat senator Barney Franks argued that we want all people to be able to own homes. The writer said that leading democrats, Senator Dodds and upstart Senator Obama, were THE two biggest beneficiaries of the corrupt lending organizations. (If I had that article in the room with me, my info would be better--sorry --just go to Blade website and look up the readers' forum for Sept. 29.)
I want to hear Obama defend his position on FOCA (freedom of choice act regarding abortion.) He is so far left on that topic.
Bill Clinton ALSO said he thought we should reduce the need for abortions, the number of abortions, while keeping it available. He did nothing to keep that campaign promise --and did a lot to demonstrate womanizing before the world. One of his girlfriends, Gennifer Flowers, said he made her get an abortion of their child conceived when he was governor.
Liberal, pro-abortion democrats have no intention of limiting the numbers of abortion when they, like Pelosi and Obama, advocate passage of FOCA--which will nullify any progress made by the states to regulate abortuaries, abortionists, and to limit late-term abortions, prohibit killing the survivors of abortions (Obama voted 4 times to let those survivors die--as though the mother's choice is absolute.) Parental consent laws will be affected. All the gains of the pro-life movement will be eliminated under Obama --because he is philosophically as far left on the subject as one can possibly be.
He will give us leftists on the Supreme Court --and they will uphold unlimited abortion, give us gay marriage, hate crime law that prohibits free speech, especially biblical speech against homosexual activity, in particular. We will see churches and religious schools lose tax deductions if they don't approve homosexuality and hire and admit homosexuals --even though their religious belief says homosexuality is a sin. Schools accepting vouchers will not be allowed to discriminate in hiring or admissions on basis of homosexuality, transgendering. The only way to get a teacher to leave who comes dressed as a man one day and a woman the next day, will be to settle out of court and give them a fortune (as already happened at a Free Methodist college.)
The new national religion will be moral relativity/atheistic secular humanism --or maybe Oprah's new age spirituality. Judeo-Christian values will no longer pre-dominate as the ethical system of our country. Entertainment media will be even more indecent, and porn more prevalent (if possible --like European tv) --and it won't be long before ages of consent are lowered for sexual activity. Sex ed in schools won't be anything decent people want for their children. The benighted leftists won't see any reason not to sanctify polygamy as a rightful choice --completely missing the harms to the young girls, the inability of most men to afford multiple families without welfare. Leftist judges won't acknowledge the inherent inequality in a closed system that teaches women that God wants them to be one of many wives. Muslims will feel free to practice their polygamy here.
I predict we will sink under even greater debt, family alienation, more single parenting, natural disasters as God's judgments, terrorist invasion --as more and more people forget who God is and what He wants from us.
"If america ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great"--French philosopher Alexis de Toqueville, 19th C.
We're already there --if we elect this ardent pro-abortionist.
I was reminded of the movie "Swingvote" where both candidates promised anything to get elected. I think McCain's appeal tonight was to all those who are losing their homes because of their bad loans --who were not helped by the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac bail-out.
Obama's appeal was to those conservatives who believe America should go and stop genocide. McCain should've jumped in there to say that's what we did by going to Iraq --and what we do by opposing abortion.
Both men had grand plans for spending money while claiming they would cut spending.
If we can't tighten the national belt and curb our usual spending habits, and get out of personal and national debt, we are doomed. Sorry to be so pessimistic.
I do think a McCain-Palin vote is a step in the right direction.
We're going to see how bitterly divided this nation is, once again, by this election. The two parties just do NOT share the same worldview, the same view of good and evil.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Monday, October 6, 2008
DO YOU AGREE WITH OBAMA? TAKE THIS TEST!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY AGAINST OBAMA???
Blogger Mudrake wrote today: "Many children in the U.S. go to bed hungry and are dying needlessly because of stupied fundamentalist Republican policies.
But, Respect Life Sunday is nothing but a single attack on
Obama."
Respect Life Sunday has been observed for years and thus can't be called an attack on Obama--I and people from my church used to join the Catholics along Monroe Street to hold up the distributed posters that say "abortion kills children" --and "Jesus heals and forgives."
Since the demonstration is annual, it has nothing to do with Obama, per se --except that he doesn't believe abortion kills children --and apparently doesn't care what God thinks about the issue. Says he hasn't the "paygrade" to know when human life begins --even though any scientist could tell him. He is very radical on the issue --not even wanting to save kids who survive the abortions --but letting them die in a nurse's arms. He heard all the nurses' and survivor's testimonies about these kids being left to die after surviving the procedure to kill them -- and how the survivors were glad they survived--and yet still maintains his lonely vote against BAIPA. (Born alive infants' protection Act.)
Now, Mudrake, just which Republican policies are sending children to bed hungry at night and causing them to die needlessly??? The gov't has free and reduced-price lunch programs at school, plus the food stamp program -- so why are the kids hungry at night? Have you any idea how much food these poor, hungry kids throw away at school every day? --barrels of food. If they are going to bed hungry, it's probably because Mom spent all the foodstamps on potato chips and pop the first week she got them --instead of planning menus and buying sensibly. I don't know if needy school kids still get school breakfasts; they used to in Toledo. Maybe they found that not enough used that program though they were elegible. They may have had to come early.
I'm not aware of children that don't get enough health care or food to prevent their deaths, if their parents function in their behalf. But no question about it, divorce and single parenting do deprive the children economically--because the most advantaged families typically have a married mother and father in their homes --instead of an absentee dad splitting monies between multiple households in child support. Our moral choices effect poverty even more than gov't. does.
Granted, failing businesses hurt families, too, and gov't can affect business. However, my theory on that is that we should've been building cars Americans needed instead of these gas guzzlers Detroit kept turning out --and more durable cars --as we lost that business to the Asians instead of being the top car producers. That has impacted MUCH industry --especially in our city. This was the fault of CEO leadership --and I saw somewhere that most CEO's are democrats and the corporations tend to be very leftist in their social views and support? So is it really the GOP's fault that the U.S. auto industry has tanked along with much of corporate America?
But, Respect Life Sunday is nothing but a single attack on
Obama."
Respect Life Sunday has been observed for years and thus can't be called an attack on Obama--I and people from my church used to join the Catholics along Monroe Street to hold up the distributed posters that say "abortion kills children" --and "Jesus heals and forgives."
Since the demonstration is annual, it has nothing to do with Obama, per se --except that he doesn't believe abortion kills children --and apparently doesn't care what God thinks about the issue. Says he hasn't the "paygrade" to know when human life begins --even though any scientist could tell him. He is very radical on the issue --not even wanting to save kids who survive the abortions --but letting them die in a nurse's arms. He heard all the nurses' and survivor's testimonies about these kids being left to die after surviving the procedure to kill them -- and how the survivors were glad they survived--and yet still maintains his lonely vote against BAIPA. (Born alive infants' protection Act.)
Now, Mudrake, just which Republican policies are sending children to bed hungry at night and causing them to die needlessly??? The gov't has free and reduced-price lunch programs at school, plus the food stamp program -- so why are the kids hungry at night? Have you any idea how much food these poor, hungry kids throw away at school every day? --barrels of food. If they are going to bed hungry, it's probably because Mom spent all the foodstamps on potato chips and pop the first week she got them --instead of planning menus and buying sensibly. I don't know if needy school kids still get school breakfasts; they used to in Toledo. Maybe they found that not enough used that program though they were elegible. They may have had to come early.
I'm not aware of children that don't get enough health care or food to prevent their deaths, if their parents function in their behalf. But no question about it, divorce and single parenting do deprive the children economically--because the most advantaged families typically have a married mother and father in their homes --instead of an absentee dad splitting monies between multiple households in child support. Our moral choices effect poverty even more than gov't. does.
Granted, failing businesses hurt families, too, and gov't can affect business. However, my theory on that is that we should've been building cars Americans needed instead of these gas guzzlers Detroit kept turning out --and more durable cars --as we lost that business to the Asians instead of being the top car producers. That has impacted MUCH industry --especially in our city. This was the fault of CEO leadership --and I saw somewhere that most CEO's are democrats and the corporations tend to be very leftist in their social views and support? So is it really the GOP's fault that the U.S. auto industry has tanked along with much of corporate America?
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Friday, October 3, 2008
Sarah Palin ~ Admirable Woman in Debate
I was pleased with our girl during the debate. She was self-possessed, confident, poised, spoke well, not shrill or twangy but quite beautifully. I had been praying for her through the day and during the debate and I bet that her faith was the source of her calm and her confidence.
She did miss an opportunity to point out how obstructionist and wrong the dems were when they tried to tie a troop pull-out to aid for protective gear for the troops. Biden was using that fact to demonstrate that McCain sometimes voted against aid for the troops --YES HE DID --when the democrats tied in their pull-out plan.
She also seemed to miss that she was asked to tell about any Achille's heel she might have. But Biden called his passion his Achilles' heel, not admitting to any fault himself. HIs fault was his strength, he seemed to be saying.
Her Achilles heel is her youth upon a national stage --and the fact that she is not used to the cutthroats of D.C. and isn't a slick-talkin' Ivy League lawyer who knows how to lie out of both sides of the mouth.
Geo. Bush also campaigned that he was a uniter and not a divider --but he couldn't crack the pure evil of Democrats who champion abortion, gay behaviors, and big gov't. socialism and Robin Hood economics --who wanted us to bail out of Iraq and let that nation fall to its evil factions.
Bush warned us about the mortgage crisis to come through Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac (however you spell 'em) and Obama himself was an attorney for one of the community organizer loan procurers who were part of the problem --loaning to people who could not keep up with payments. (Jeanette, help me out here --what was the name of his agency?)
McCain warned us 2 years ago, according to Sarah about the mortgage problem. As for him saying that our economy was sound --she referred to the American workers. I believe McCain was referring to the unemployment rate and other economic indicators that were stronger than times past. It's not good to scare people needlessly, causing panic.
But it's to the democrats advantage now to say "the sky is falling," suggesting that this wouldn't happen if they were in charge. Yeah, right! They WERE in charge of the Congress for 2 years now and have done nothing to earn respect.
Nothing scares me more than a totally democrat party gov't. I guess it will fire up the conservatives for the next go around if we get Democrats in office...that is, if we survive God's wrath for choosing people who don't revere His standards regarding the right to life and the necessity of morality. Our days as a free nation may be numbered, as we can't afford our entitlement programs, our natural disasters, our global involvements, and the corruption of the world that has access to our credit card numbers and bank accounts!
She did miss an opportunity to point out how obstructionist and wrong the dems were when they tried to tie a troop pull-out to aid for protective gear for the troops. Biden was using that fact to demonstrate that McCain sometimes voted against aid for the troops --YES HE DID --when the democrats tied in their pull-out plan.
She also seemed to miss that she was asked to tell about any Achille's heel she might have. But Biden called his passion his Achilles' heel, not admitting to any fault himself. HIs fault was his strength, he seemed to be saying.
Her Achilles heel is her youth upon a national stage --and the fact that she is not used to the cutthroats of D.C. and isn't a slick-talkin' Ivy League lawyer who knows how to lie out of both sides of the mouth.
Geo. Bush also campaigned that he was a uniter and not a divider --but he couldn't crack the pure evil of Democrats who champion abortion, gay behaviors, and big gov't. socialism and Robin Hood economics --who wanted us to bail out of Iraq and let that nation fall to its evil factions.
Bush warned us about the mortgage crisis to come through Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac (however you spell 'em) and Obama himself was an attorney for one of the community organizer loan procurers who were part of the problem --loaning to people who could not keep up with payments. (Jeanette, help me out here --what was the name of his agency?)
McCain warned us 2 years ago, according to Sarah about the mortgage problem. As for him saying that our economy was sound --she referred to the American workers. I believe McCain was referring to the unemployment rate and other economic indicators that were stronger than times past. It's not good to scare people needlessly, causing panic.
But it's to the democrats advantage now to say "the sky is falling," suggesting that this wouldn't happen if they were in charge. Yeah, right! They WERE in charge of the Congress for 2 years now and have done nothing to earn respect.
Nothing scares me more than a totally democrat party gov't. I guess it will fire up the conservatives for the next go around if we get Democrats in office...that is, if we survive God's wrath for choosing people who don't revere His standards regarding the right to life and the necessity of morality. Our days as a free nation may be numbered, as we can't afford our entitlement programs, our natural disasters, our global involvements, and the corruption of the world that has access to our credit card numbers and bank accounts!
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
My Little Mommy
I wouldn't write this if I thought she'd see it. But I doubt that she will. Mom had her 89th birthday this month, and my brother and I have known she was failing mentally for 5 years perhaps.
We managed (with helpers Courtney and Inga) to get the house cleaned up for a birthday party that started here and ended up at Stephanie's. It was a lovely fall evening lit by candles, with service of simple appetizers at this house. Uncle Rex (who still looks like Paul Newman in his 70's) and Aunt Ruth (Mom's sister) came along and my brother and wife brought Mother. They all drove 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours to get here. Steph and Charlotte prepared good food and served cider at Steph's where her house also was decorated for fall and glowing red and orange with candles here and there.
Fifteen of us altogether. 8 of us owed our existance to the fact that Mother married my father around 1940. It was still daylight when the night began and a perfect evening --with Glenn Miller-style orchestra music at STeph's --music of my mother's youth --very festive atmosphere.
When we sang happy birthday, Mom sang, too --surprised that it was to her that we were singing and she smiled and laughed at the surprise to herself. Uncle Rex gave her a pink geranium for her birthday, and she was delighted all over again everytime she asked about them and I told her the flowers were for her.
A week earlier, she called to thank me for flowers delivered the day before her actual birthday, but I had not sent them. My brother's family did. I suggested she read the card. I wanted to take credit, but thought better of it.
The others went home leaving her to stay with me a few days. "What? they left me here?" "Yes, Mom, don't you remember, you're staying with me a few days. You brought your things." Next day, "Now who's taking me home today?" I said, "Monday, Mom, Monday." And she'd say, "well, nobody told me I'd be here that long." And we had this conversation several times.
When I took her home, she got so energized about me being there that she insisted on carrying out the lightweight cushions for the front porch glider. They were in my bedroom, not in my way, and I told her to just leave them be. But she wouldn't hear of it. She hauled them out the room and stuck them on the glider on the porch, a Herculean task seeming easy to her this day. And then watered her pink geranium.
She was pacing and picking up invisible dirt on the floor --and offering me things to eat, all at once.
Next morning, she asked me, "who was the girl who drove us home?" "That was just me, Mom." "OH! I thought there were some girls. Well, are the others upstairs?" No, Mom, nobody came; just you and me." "OH, I though we had the girls with us while we were riding in the back seat." "No, Mom, just you and me in the front seat. The back seat had all our stuff and the pink geranium, remember?" "O yes..well, I thought..."
During the weekend at our house, she literally ferreted about in her purse and her duffle bag and train case --over and over again --looking for this and that, sighing in frustration, but she didn't seem to know why or what for. And she ferreted around in her purse constantly, in pursuit of her keys and her glasses. Takes everything out and puts it back in again. This is a little familiar to me as I have a hard time finding my keys or cell phone in my purse which does seem to be a black hole to me already.
I have an idea for an invention--a purse with pockets and label windows sewn on each pocket, where we can slide in a label for keys, glasses, wallets, toiletries, etc. A File-purse.
Her house was very orderly; she made her bed at her house and mine. She recycles newspapers but for some unknown reason bags them in little bundles in plastic grocery bags --which don't belong in the paper bin. She has snacks, cookies, and pop, crackers, eggs, juice, and toast in her kitchen. She faithfully makes an egg for herself every day. But we don't think she eats well or much, otherwise. She had no cottage cheese to eat with her favorite tomatoes and Western dressing. Said she didn't remember that she liked cottage cheese. Guessed she didn't like it anymore. Guessed she'd have to try it, so I put it on her grocery list.
I said, "Looks like you need a new microwave." "A what?" "microwave" "What's that?" I show her. "OOOOH THAT. Well I don't bother with the name of it --I just use it when I need it."
I suggested she turn on her window AC as I was hot Monday night --and she said, "I don't have an air conditioner." "Yes, you do, Mom." "No, I never had an air conditioner." "It's there behind you, Mom, in the window." " O THAT. Is that what that is? Well, that's Ronnie's." "It's yours, Mom. He puts it in for you."
"Well, I never use it." (She knew how to use it last year.)
So I showed her how to turn it on --and made a simple label with the on and off buttons and said "that's all you need to know to run it, Mom." And she worked it for us.
Next thing, she tells me, it ought to be warming up as she turned on the electric baseboard heaters. "You what!? Mom, don't turn the heat on! The air conditioner is on and I'm hot!" She had turned the heat on in my bedroom, too, and we got that rectified.
Jon put her through an informal mental status test over the weekend. One of the test items is to ask a person to remember a simple statement with 4 parts --and he asked her to repeat it several times for him --which she could do. But 5 minutes later, she had no recollection of the statement, even when given clues. Had no memory that she had been asked to remember a statement. He asked her to make a clock face and mark a certain time on it with clock hands drawn on it. She found this very perplexing and couldn't do it right. Had the numbers in right order, but not in the right places. She couldn't tell us who the present president --or the candidates were. But she said she sure was tired of hearing about those people running for office. She had trouble recalling the year, 2008, but did get it. She knew the day was Saturday --but that's not always so, as she often calls the church during the Sunday service to ask when services will start tomorrow --as she thinks it is Saturday. It is a small church and the phone is heard in the service when she calls. We know this, because the minister told my brother.
Church and neighbors notice her decline and occasional problems and call my brother to suggest that she ought not be alone. We agree, but haven't got a solution yet for a lady who thinks she's doing just fine --and wants to be "left alone!"
She was able to give the right meaning for two old sayings, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" --and "A stitch in Time saves nine." She at first said she had no clue --and then thought about each one a little and gave good, correct answers.
She smiles and chuckles when she is caught in a mistake involving memory, and then makes some excuse for why she thought what she did.
She is adamant that she is doing fine. She does not want to leave her home. She is functioning.
I tell her to move our way --as she can hang around with her 10 Toledo relatives at their houses and church. She says she will go to a nice place in her town when she has to go --but it isn't now. I tell her I would feel bad that I couldn't get away to visit her a lot if she stays in her present town, any more than I do now --and I think she will feel more lonely there than here.
She may surprise us both, being real social in a group home, but she really doesn't want to go. And we've never been good at getting Mommy to do something she doesn't want to do. She won't go happily. This is a phase in life I'd like to avoid. I'd almost rather make a place for her in our garage --which my dear husband suggested, a remodeling job. But she would still be near our stove. I'd rather get her into assisted living at Elizabeth Scott's nearby --and have her just hang out at our house during the day. Because I do fear a loss of patience on my part as my mother "ferrets" about my house, trying to organize, and feeling this need to do stuff all the time --with my stuff. Groan. She saw a letter for Rob and wanted to do something with it. She took one of his papers to her house with us and I brought it back.
She was always so sure of what she thought --sound familiar? So precise in her thinking and expression, with attention to details. Probably one of the smartest girls in her class, president of the PTA, S.S. Superintendent for children, churchnewsletter founder/editor. We ran it off with stencils --primitive days. She made me edit an issue my Senior year in h.s. She would always clean the church cupboards and ran the VBS many years. As a senior in h.s. and a college girl, she was a beauty, black hair, dark eyes, and very petite --resembling Chrissy, actually.
She met Dad when his father, president of Huntington College during the Depression, introduced her to him. She was secretary to the president and then joined Dad as a reporter on the college paper which he edited. She thought she wanted to be a journalist. But in those days, marriage WAS a primary goal, and the only paper she worked on after college was the church paper. She did help Prof. Mae Tenney type and prepare her book for publication at Greenville College, where Mom and Dad went together for Dad's senior year. I think they wanted to get away from his parents' watchful eye!
She chose a great daddy for me in Wendell D. Mason --a chemist once honored by the American Chemical Society. He also taught chemistry at IU/PU extension in Ft. Wayne. He was a singer. She played violin and piano. Most importantly, they were real Christians --and they passed the baton of faith.
One thing about Mom --there IS somebody home when you talk with her. She likes to talk about stories of the past, things she remembers. She knows us. She remembers some things short term. It's just sad to take her out of her home where she is content --and put her with strangers when she is so reluctant to go.
If we move her in with us, it will either make or break me, I suspect! It may be the last phase of my maturing before I have to face being alone in a new place myself. But even if I bring her here, she will think it was unnecessary.
Unfortunately, there is no place like home! She likes her routines and her own bed. I understand, Mom, I understand.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
We managed (with helpers Courtney and Inga) to get the house cleaned up for a birthday party that started here and ended up at Stephanie's. It was a lovely fall evening lit by candles, with service of simple appetizers at this house. Uncle Rex (who still looks like Paul Newman in his 70's) and Aunt Ruth (Mom's sister) came along and my brother and wife brought Mother. They all drove 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours to get here. Steph and Charlotte prepared good food and served cider at Steph's where her house also was decorated for fall and glowing red and orange with candles here and there.
Fifteen of us altogether. 8 of us owed our existance to the fact that Mother married my father around 1940. It was still daylight when the night began and a perfect evening --with Glenn Miller-style orchestra music at STeph's --music of my mother's youth --very festive atmosphere.
When we sang happy birthday, Mom sang, too --surprised that it was to her that we were singing and she smiled and laughed at the surprise to herself. Uncle Rex gave her a pink geranium for her birthday, and she was delighted all over again everytime she asked about them and I told her the flowers were for her.
A week earlier, she called to thank me for flowers delivered the day before her actual birthday, but I had not sent them. My brother's family did. I suggested she read the card. I wanted to take credit, but thought better of it.
The others went home leaving her to stay with me a few days. "What? they left me here?" "Yes, Mom, don't you remember, you're staying with me a few days. You brought your things." Next day, "Now who's taking me home today?" I said, "Monday, Mom, Monday." And she'd say, "well, nobody told me I'd be here that long." And we had this conversation several times.
When I took her home, she got so energized about me being there that she insisted on carrying out the lightweight cushions for the front porch glider. They were in my bedroom, not in my way, and I told her to just leave them be. But she wouldn't hear of it. She hauled them out the room and stuck them on the glider on the porch, a Herculean task seeming easy to her this day. And then watered her pink geranium.
She was pacing and picking up invisible dirt on the floor --and offering me things to eat, all at once.
Next morning, she asked me, "who was the girl who drove us home?" "That was just me, Mom." "OH! I thought there were some girls. Well, are the others upstairs?" No, Mom, nobody came; just you and me." "OH, I though we had the girls with us while we were riding in the back seat." "No, Mom, just you and me in the front seat. The back seat had all our stuff and the pink geranium, remember?" "O yes..well, I thought..."
During the weekend at our house, she literally ferreted about in her purse and her duffle bag and train case --over and over again --looking for this and that, sighing in frustration, but she didn't seem to know why or what for. And she ferreted around in her purse constantly, in pursuit of her keys and her glasses. Takes everything out and puts it back in again. This is a little familiar to me as I have a hard time finding my keys or cell phone in my purse which does seem to be a black hole to me already.
I have an idea for an invention--a purse with pockets and label windows sewn on each pocket, where we can slide in a label for keys, glasses, wallets, toiletries, etc. A File-purse.
Her house was very orderly; she made her bed at her house and mine. She recycles newspapers but for some unknown reason bags them in little bundles in plastic grocery bags --which don't belong in the paper bin. She has snacks, cookies, and pop, crackers, eggs, juice, and toast in her kitchen. She faithfully makes an egg for herself every day. But we don't think she eats well or much, otherwise. She had no cottage cheese to eat with her favorite tomatoes and Western dressing. Said she didn't remember that she liked cottage cheese. Guessed she didn't like it anymore. Guessed she'd have to try it, so I put it on her grocery list.
I said, "Looks like you need a new microwave." "A what?" "microwave" "What's that?" I show her. "OOOOH THAT. Well I don't bother with the name of it --I just use it when I need it."
I suggested she turn on her window AC as I was hot Monday night --and she said, "I don't have an air conditioner." "Yes, you do, Mom." "No, I never had an air conditioner." "It's there behind you, Mom, in the window." " O THAT. Is that what that is? Well, that's Ronnie's." "It's yours, Mom. He puts it in for you."
"Well, I never use it." (She knew how to use it last year.)
So I showed her how to turn it on --and made a simple label with the on and off buttons and said "that's all you need to know to run it, Mom." And she worked it for us.
Next thing, she tells me, it ought to be warming up as she turned on the electric baseboard heaters. "You what!? Mom, don't turn the heat on! The air conditioner is on and I'm hot!" She had turned the heat on in my bedroom, too, and we got that rectified.
Jon put her through an informal mental status test over the weekend. One of the test items is to ask a person to remember a simple statement with 4 parts --and he asked her to repeat it several times for him --which she could do. But 5 minutes later, she had no recollection of the statement, even when given clues. Had no memory that she had been asked to remember a statement. He asked her to make a clock face and mark a certain time on it with clock hands drawn on it. She found this very perplexing and couldn't do it right. Had the numbers in right order, but not in the right places. She couldn't tell us who the present president --or the candidates were. But she said she sure was tired of hearing about those people running for office. She had trouble recalling the year, 2008, but did get it. She knew the day was Saturday --but that's not always so, as she often calls the church during the Sunday service to ask when services will start tomorrow --as she thinks it is Saturday. It is a small church and the phone is heard in the service when she calls. We know this, because the minister told my brother.
Church and neighbors notice her decline and occasional problems and call my brother to suggest that she ought not be alone. We agree, but haven't got a solution yet for a lady who thinks she's doing just fine --and wants to be "left alone!"
She was able to give the right meaning for two old sayings, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" --and "A stitch in Time saves nine." She at first said she had no clue --and then thought about each one a little and gave good, correct answers.
She smiles and chuckles when she is caught in a mistake involving memory, and then makes some excuse for why she thought what she did.
She is adamant that she is doing fine. She does not want to leave her home. She is functioning.
I tell her to move our way --as she can hang around with her 10 Toledo relatives at their houses and church. She says she will go to a nice place in her town when she has to go --but it isn't now. I tell her I would feel bad that I couldn't get away to visit her a lot if she stays in her present town, any more than I do now --and I think she will feel more lonely there than here.
She may surprise us both, being real social in a group home, but she really doesn't want to go. And we've never been good at getting Mommy to do something she doesn't want to do. She won't go happily. This is a phase in life I'd like to avoid. I'd almost rather make a place for her in our garage --which my dear husband suggested, a remodeling job. But she would still be near our stove. I'd rather get her into assisted living at Elizabeth Scott's nearby --and have her just hang out at our house during the day. Because I do fear a loss of patience on my part as my mother "ferrets" about my house, trying to organize, and feeling this need to do stuff all the time --with my stuff. Groan. She saw a letter for Rob and wanted to do something with it. She took one of his papers to her house with us and I brought it back.
She was always so sure of what she thought --sound familiar? So precise in her thinking and expression, with attention to details. Probably one of the smartest girls in her class, president of the PTA, S.S. Superintendent for children, churchnewsletter founder/editor. We ran it off with stencils --primitive days. She made me edit an issue my Senior year in h.s. She would always clean the church cupboards and ran the VBS many years. As a senior in h.s. and a college girl, she was a beauty, black hair, dark eyes, and very petite --resembling Chrissy, actually.
She met Dad when his father, president of Huntington College during the Depression, introduced her to him. She was secretary to the president and then joined Dad as a reporter on the college paper which he edited. She thought she wanted to be a journalist. But in those days, marriage WAS a primary goal, and the only paper she worked on after college was the church paper. She did help Prof. Mae Tenney type and prepare her book for publication at Greenville College, where Mom and Dad went together for Dad's senior year. I think they wanted to get away from his parents' watchful eye!
She chose a great daddy for me in Wendell D. Mason --a chemist once honored by the American Chemical Society. He also taught chemistry at IU/PU extension in Ft. Wayne. He was a singer. She played violin and piano. Most importantly, they were real Christians --and they passed the baton of faith.
One thing about Mom --there IS somebody home when you talk with her. She likes to talk about stories of the past, things she remembers. She knows us. She remembers some things short term. It's just sad to take her out of her home where she is content --and put her with strangers when she is so reluctant to go.
If we move her in with us, it will either make or break me, I suspect! It may be the last phase of my maturing before I have to face being alone in a new place myself. But even if I bring her here, she will think it was unnecessary.
Unfortunately, there is no place like home! She likes her routines and her own bed. I understand, Mom, I understand.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Catholic Bigwig at U.T. says Obama is Prolife Candidate
Liberals all must read the same misinfo. Where have we heard it before that the Dems are more "pro-life" because they love poor people more than others do and want to give them more money than Republicans do. Moreover, Dems assert that American poor children don't get adequate healthcare because of REpublicans.
My observation of poor people in the USA has been upclose and personal. I have a friend who raised some children by herself. She was forever going to the ER with them and accumulating duplicate meds for various common ailments and stock piling them on top of the frig and never looking to see if any of them would treat the newest cold virus and symptoms that afflicted her family frequently--but would instead call for new RX's when she already had meds for her symptoms or her kids' symptoms on the fridg. The rest of us run to the med chest and see if anything is still good and applicable to our symptoms. Not her, she ran to the doctor's office or the ER several times a month--chasing every fleeting pain of her own first of all --because it was free--via Medicaid.
The old welfare policy under LBJ was reformed by Republican Congress and reforms signed by Bill Clinton. The old policy encouraged people to make babies out of wedlock, keep the man out of the house, and get more money every month for each baby born out of wedlock. When the law changed (in 92 approx.) the rates of unwed pregnancy and abortion declined.
The Catholic fellow from U.T. claims in the Blade today that 3 times more abortions occur in the minority communitities, so he implies if we gave them more money they would not abort. That may be partially true, but it also increases the rate of promiscuity leading to disease and unwed pregnancies when babies are a source of income. The problem is that they continue to have 300 percent more unwed pregnancies (leading to abortion) than the mainstream. It used to be 800 percent more unwed pregnancy in the black community than in white before Roe vs. Wade. That's not because they're poor--that's because they start sex early and can't afford to do so any more than any other groups can. NO GROUP OF PEOPLE CAN AFFORD PROMISCUITY! It seems to be an intergenerational thing when teens are sexually active early, pregnant and aborting.
Democrats want to throw money at every problem--and not their money but someone else's. Of course their Hollywood spokespersons don't mind high taxes since they make so much excess they'll never miss it like the small business people and average professional folks will. These groups will tighten their belts, stop spending, hiring, investing and expanding business, providing jobs. That's not the sort of "help" we need from the Democrats.
The Catholic leader said Obama was the most "pro-life" of the 2 candidates. Yet, Obama so clearly said he would pass FOCA --Freedom of Choice Act --first thing if the democratic legislatures pass it. That would nullify all the progress made at the state levels regarding parental notification, partial birth abortion ban, and the born alive infant protection act --and the ban on federal funding for research on abortion victims.
One of our forum contributors here said nothing has been accomplished re: abortion in the years of pro-life presidencies and congresses --but that's not true. We have hope in two more pro-life justices on the Supreme Court. We haven't outlawed abortion because we haven't had a majority of God-fearing, pro-life legislators and judges --YET! But we have made some progress by voting pro-life.
IF you're really pro-life, VOTE Pro-Life--and that means GOP. Don't be fooled by these liberals who think pro-life means throwing money around just to encourage people's sense of entitlement and lack of personal responsibility.
Education, extra-marital abstinence, marriage, fidelity, sobriety, avoiding the Lotto and the casino, never starting to smoke --these are the ways to encourage to youth so they can do better than their parents and grandparents and get out of the welfare trap. Of course, conversion and commitment to Christ are the first step on a road that leads to life.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
My observation of poor people in the USA has been upclose and personal. I have a friend who raised some children by herself. She was forever going to the ER with them and accumulating duplicate meds for various common ailments and stock piling them on top of the frig and never looking to see if any of them would treat the newest cold virus and symptoms that afflicted her family frequently--but would instead call for new RX's when she already had meds for her symptoms or her kids' symptoms on the fridg. The rest of us run to the med chest and see if anything is still good and applicable to our symptoms. Not her, she ran to the doctor's office or the ER several times a month--chasing every fleeting pain of her own first of all --because it was free--via Medicaid.
The old welfare policy under LBJ was reformed by Republican Congress and reforms signed by Bill Clinton. The old policy encouraged people to make babies out of wedlock, keep the man out of the house, and get more money every month for each baby born out of wedlock. When the law changed (in 92 approx.) the rates of unwed pregnancy and abortion declined.
The Catholic fellow from U.T. claims in the Blade today that 3 times more abortions occur in the minority communitities, so he implies if we gave them more money they would not abort. That may be partially true, but it also increases the rate of promiscuity leading to disease and unwed pregnancies when babies are a source of income. The problem is that they continue to have 300 percent more unwed pregnancies (leading to abortion) than the mainstream. It used to be 800 percent more unwed pregnancy in the black community than in white before Roe vs. Wade. That's not because they're poor--that's because they start sex early and can't afford to do so any more than any other groups can. NO GROUP OF PEOPLE CAN AFFORD PROMISCUITY! It seems to be an intergenerational thing when teens are sexually active early, pregnant and aborting.
Democrats want to throw money at every problem--and not their money but someone else's. Of course their Hollywood spokespersons don't mind high taxes since they make so much excess they'll never miss it like the small business people and average professional folks will. These groups will tighten their belts, stop spending, hiring, investing and expanding business, providing jobs. That's not the sort of "help" we need from the Democrats.
The Catholic leader said Obama was the most "pro-life" of the 2 candidates. Yet, Obama so clearly said he would pass FOCA --Freedom of Choice Act --first thing if the democratic legislatures pass it. That would nullify all the progress made at the state levels regarding parental notification, partial birth abortion ban, and the born alive infant protection act --and the ban on federal funding for research on abortion victims.
One of our forum contributors here said nothing has been accomplished re: abortion in the years of pro-life presidencies and congresses --but that's not true. We have hope in two more pro-life justices on the Supreme Court. We haven't outlawed abortion because we haven't had a majority of God-fearing, pro-life legislators and judges --YET! But we have made some progress by voting pro-life.
IF you're really pro-life, VOTE Pro-Life--and that means GOP. Don't be fooled by these liberals who think pro-life means throwing money around just to encourage people's sense of entitlement and lack of personal responsibility.
Education, extra-marital abstinence, marriage, fidelity, sobriety, avoiding the Lotto and the casino, never starting to smoke --these are the ways to encourage to youth so they can do better than their parents and grandparents and get out of the welfare trap. Of course, conversion and commitment to Christ are the first step on a road that leads to life.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Monday, September 22, 2008
Obama's Words on Born Alive Infant Protection Act
The following information is taken from Mona Charen's column, 9/22/08, titled "Abortions sometimes do produce live births."
In the Illinois legislature, Barack headed the committee considering the Born Alive Act in that state (which the feds called BAIPA --Born Alive Infant Protection Act) --which would obligate hospitals and doctors to try to save the lives of babies who survived abortion. There were testimonies given about nurses who held babies until they died; about survivors of abortion who are glad to be alive today; about babies who were abandoned in a closet until they died (here in Toledo). When an abortion failed, the "health care" protocol was to give the baby no help; let it die.
In 2001, Barack said of this: "I mean it; it would essentially bar abortions because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute."
In 2003, Barack still opposed the bill (4 times in total) though a "neutrality clause" was added to say this was not to be construed as a limit on Roe Vs. Wade.
Barack said of this, in 2003, not back when he was an ignorant youth saying foolish things in college, but when he was a father himself, 5 years ago --the following:
"...an additional doctor, who then has to be called in an emergency situation and make these assessments is really designed simply to burden the original decision of the woman."
In other words, as Mona Charen put it, Obama's position is this: "A woman who chooses an abortion is entitled to a dead child no matter what." For this, she called him "an abortion extremist." I agree.
In the Illinois legislature, Barack headed the committee considering the Born Alive Act in that state (which the feds called BAIPA --Born Alive Infant Protection Act) --which would obligate hospitals and doctors to try to save the lives of babies who survived abortion. There were testimonies given about nurses who held babies until they died; about survivors of abortion who are glad to be alive today; about babies who were abandoned in a closet until they died (here in Toledo). When an abortion failed, the "health care" protocol was to give the baby no help; let it die.
In 2001, Barack said of this: "I mean it; it would essentially bar abortions because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute."
In 2003, Barack still opposed the bill (4 times in total) though a "neutrality clause" was added to say this was not to be construed as a limit on Roe Vs. Wade.
Barack said of this, in 2003, not back when he was an ignorant youth saying foolish things in college, but when he was a father himself, 5 years ago --the following:
"...an additional doctor, who then has to be called in an emergency situation and make these assessments is really designed simply to burden the original decision of the woman."
In other words, as Mona Charen put it, Obama's position is this: "A woman who chooses an abortion is entitled to a dead child no matter what." For this, she called him "an abortion extremist." I agree.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Sunday, September 14, 2008
ADVICE FOR SARAH PALIN
O I squirmed with Sarah when Charlie Gibson, with his face maliciously gargoyle-like, red eyes gleaming hot with anticipated glee, and blowing smoke from his nostrils --said,
"And what do you think of the Bush Doctrine, Sarah?"
And she hedged and hemmed and hawed a bit. Then smartly, but with obvious nervousness, said, "What aspects?" or some such question.
Sarah, next time, even in the upcoming debate, say, "What's the Bush Doctrine, Charlie? I'm not familiar with the term. You define it and I'll tell you what I think of it, if I can."
99 per cent of the viewers didn't know what it was. I've not heard much about it. Since then, I've looked it up and I know it's the media's interpretation of Bush's foreign policy--leading to "pre-emption" in Iraq. And the source I found in Google said there are at least 4 definitions of the term so she rightly asked Gibson to clarify what he wanted.
Well, we know what he wanted --to trip her up.
They did this sort of thing to Dan Quayle as Geo Bush, Sr's. running mate. The media elite who couldn't run a government if they had to, love to expose the midwesterner for his naivete, his lack of worldly knowledge and sophistication. Especially if he's a republican.
Sarah, you just relax and be your lovely self. Promise to research anything that's important to know when you draw a blank.
Don't let McCain's handlers wear you out. Follow your own instincts. They've served you pretty well thus far.
And relax in your chair. You looked a little tense and lost your model's posture, I thought --and like you didn't get a good night's sleep
We aren't behind you because you know everything there is to know: we are behind you because you share our values and ideals and we think that's important in national leaders who get our vote. And we think you've shown that you can rise to any challenge.
Don't let the Big Bad Boys of Elite Media scare you. They get no votes from us. Don't let anyone re-make you. You are just fine as you are.
"And what do you think of the Bush Doctrine, Sarah?"
And she hedged and hemmed and hawed a bit. Then smartly, but with obvious nervousness, said, "What aspects?" or some such question.
Sarah, next time, even in the upcoming debate, say, "What's the Bush Doctrine, Charlie? I'm not familiar with the term. You define it and I'll tell you what I think of it, if I can."
99 per cent of the viewers didn't know what it was. I've not heard much about it. Since then, I've looked it up and I know it's the media's interpretation of Bush's foreign policy--leading to "pre-emption" in Iraq. And the source I found in Google said there are at least 4 definitions of the term so she rightly asked Gibson to clarify what he wanted.
Well, we know what he wanted --to trip her up.
They did this sort of thing to Dan Quayle as Geo Bush, Sr's. running mate. The media elite who couldn't run a government if they had to, love to expose the midwesterner for his naivete, his lack of worldly knowledge and sophistication. Especially if he's a republican.
Sarah, you just relax and be your lovely self. Promise to research anything that's important to know when you draw a blank.
Don't let McCain's handlers wear you out. Follow your own instincts. They've served you pretty well thus far.
And relax in your chair. You looked a little tense and lost your model's posture, I thought --and like you didn't get a good night's sleep
We aren't behind you because you know everything there is to know: we are behind you because you share our values and ideals and we think that's important in national leaders who get our vote. And we think you've shown that you can rise to any challenge.
Don't let the Big Bad Boys of Elite Media scare you. They get no votes from us. Don't let anyone re-make you. You are just fine as you are.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Christian Life Club in Full Swing!
The church van went to pick up students at the Habitat neighborhood in Spencer Twp. and 21 kids poured out into the street to come to our church! And the alternator gave way --right away. So one of the little girls from my class, Kayla, said, "Let's pray!" and she got all the van kids to join hands around the van and pray for it. The pastor told this story about how prayer is the antidote to worry. The kids weren't worried. The van still did not start --but 4 minivans came from the church with CLC personnel and picked everyone up.
The song times are so fun -- we sing a song about the Love Chapter --"Love is kind...." and one about "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me."
ALL THINGS! The leader says, "even homework?" The kids shout "ALL THINGS!" "EVen chores?" "ALL THINGS!" --and so on.
The Bible indeed teaches good citizenship, faith in God, kindness, and how to be a child of God.
In my class, we worked on our memory verse, Ephesians 4:32, as a rap. And the lesson had to do with accepting others/friendship Badge. The CLC lesson from my leader's guide suggested writing unkind words toward others with a tooth paste tube --I wouldn't let them use anything vulgar (bathroom and bodily function words) --but they came up with plenty of ideas like "Stupid." And then at the end noted that we couldn't put the paste back into the tube by any means. And that saying unkind words and putting people down is just like that. We can't take it back very well --not at all. Those insults are just hanging out there to hurt feelings.
Then we talked about kindness, apology and forgiveness as in their Bible verse:
Brian got the rap noise rhythm going:
"Be ye kind --one toanother --ten-der-hearted--forgivingoneanother --even as God --forChrist'ssakeHath --forgiven--YOU! E---phesians four: thirty-TWO!"
The song times are so fun -- we sing a song about the Love Chapter --"Love is kind...." and one about "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me."
ALL THINGS! The leader says, "even homework?" The kids shout "ALL THINGS!" "EVen chores?" "ALL THINGS!" --and so on.
The Bible indeed teaches good citizenship, faith in God, kindness, and how to be a child of God.
In my class, we worked on our memory verse, Ephesians 4:32, as a rap. And the lesson had to do with accepting others/friendship Badge. The CLC lesson from my leader's guide suggested writing unkind words toward others with a tooth paste tube --I wouldn't let them use anything vulgar (bathroom and bodily function words) --but they came up with plenty of ideas like "Stupid." And then at the end noted that we couldn't put the paste back into the tube by any means. And that saying unkind words and putting people down is just like that. We can't take it back very well --not at all. Those insults are just hanging out there to hurt feelings.
Then we talked about kindness, apology and forgiveness as in their Bible verse:
Brian got the rap noise rhythm going:
"Be ye kind --one toanother --ten-der-hearted--forgivingoneanother --even as God --forChrist'ssakeHath --forgiven--YOU! E---phesians four: thirty-TWO!"
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Friday, September 12, 2008
LIBERAL BLOG HIGHLIGHTS BRUCE LAWRENCE ON FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANS
Author Bruce Lawrence, Defenders of God: The Fundamentalist Revolt Against the Modern Age, defines fundamentalism as " the affirmation of religious authority as holistic and absolute, admitting of neither criticism nor reduction; it is expressed through the collective demand that specific creedal and ethical dictates derived from scripture be publicly recognized and legally enforced ."
If Bruce Lawrence's expression is widely held, then indeed American democracy cannot abide such a sub-group in this nation.
1.religious idealism as basis for personal and communal identity;
True enough, I guess. We try to live by our beliefs and ideals which instruct us to be forgiving, loving, compassionate, unselfish, law-abiding, kind, honest,courageous, etc. We try to do this individually and corporately as families and churches. We believe in being good neighbors. That's not to say that all of us live up to our ideals all the time--but we know we should --and most of us try.
2. fundamentalists understand truth to be revealed and unified;
Revealed, yes. Unified? what does that mean. We certainly don't all agree on Biblical interp, roles of women --thus, many denominations and independent churches.
3. it is intentionally scandalous -- outsiders cannot understand it;
Scandalous??? what does THAT mean?
I think outsiders can understand it, they just don't share our beliefs.
4. fundamentalists envision themselves as part of a cosmic struggle;
I guess so. the battle between good and evil, people of faith and people who despise bht Bible-believing (so-called fundamentalist) Christians, don't believe in God, don't believe the claims about Christ. There is a battle between those who believe in religious liberty and those who want to shut up the Christians, seeing them as dangerous--when the real danger is the Left's desire to squelch the religious freedom and free speech rights of Christians.
5. they seize on historical moments and reinterpret them in light of this cosmic struggle;
Sort of. Some of us do. Some of us see natural disasters, enemy attacks, as possibly judgments from God --calling us to our knees.
The Bible implies this to be so --but also says the rain falls on the just and the unjust. We don't always know God's purposes in the evil He allows --when it is HIS random or purposeful allowance in a fallen world or when it is OUR doing. For sure, man's inhumanity to man is man's doing. But America's defeat at the hands of an enemy could result from our inner moral deterioration and failure to believe in God, hostility toward Christ and His followers. Hedonists fall asleep at the wheel, oblivious to the harm of immorality in a nation.
6. they demonize their opposition and are reactionary;
I think the demonization is worse on the left, frankly. We just define immorality Biblically and say so; you want us stopped, muzzled, eliminated because you claim we are dangerous. You sure aren't doing anything to bring us to your side intellectually with all the ad hominem attacks.
7. fundamentalists are selective in what parts of their tradition and heritage they stress;
Really? Some churches are hung up on the role of women, and there are Calvinists vs. Arminians in scriptural perspective --but we all know we should be busy about the Father's Business of proclaiming Christ to the world and doing compassionate deeds to "the least of these." Some are pentecostal; some are not; some are holiness churches; some emphasize more man's depravity and think he can't live a holy life even with God's help.
So what?
8. they are led by males;
Yes, but women have been very influential --through their children, and the teaching of children, missionary work, and their helpmeet roles and wise counsel and assistance to male leaders, including their husbands.
They have been influential in Bible study leadership --even Beth Moore's studies are admired and followed by men. Some TV women preachers have had effective ministries. They certainly are less run by men than the Catholic church.
9. they envy modernist cultural hegemony and try to overturn the distribution of power.
Huh? Maybe you mean they try to prevent the culture from going to Sodom, Gommorah and Hell in a handbasket? by resisting porn as "free speech," by resisting infanticide by abortion as women's right, by resisting the muzzling of the church by new laws preventing Biblical preaching and teaching if it "offends" someone, by resisting the change in marriage definition, undermining the strength of the traditional nuclear family.
I don't call our leftist critics "a clear and present danger" to the US, as UptheFlag and Mr. Rake call us, though left wing ideals ARE corrosive to decency in our culture --but when you start calling someone "dangerous," isn't the next step the denial of freedom to such a group? After all, we put dangerous people in jail or on a short leash --as they put Christians in jail in Korea and China and Muslim nations for speaking freely of Jesus Christ.
There is evil in the world --and danger --but it is not coming from the Christians.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Thursday, September 11, 2008
LOOKING FOR A CHURCH HOME ? COLLEGE AND GRAD STUDENTS WELCOME!
LOOKING FOR A CHURCH-HOME ?
JOIN US AT HOLLAND FREE METHODIST CHURCH
AN EVANGELICAL, WORSHIPING BODY OF ABOUT 200 WHO WORSHIP WITH BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL.
9:30 AM ~Sunday School Dialogue Series for
college-age and grad students, et al
Pastor Keith Simpson presiding
6:30 PM, Sundays –Dobson video series for parents of young children ~ a fellowship group with Pastor & Mrs. Simpson at their home
We are an out-reaching body with opportunities for children (Wednesday night Christian Life Club, K - 6) , youth and musicians –and opportunities to minister in the community, through the Cherry Street Mission, Angel Food Ministries, short-term missions, Christian Life Club for children, Bible quizzing, bell-ringing for the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity help, Operation Christmas Child and YFC Campus Life
CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS WELCOME!
We have a Christmas Choir to join for a December 19~ 21 Concert, with pageantry, costuming, dance –optional rehearsal dates on Sundays or Thursdays. (Our 2 directors are music teacher/graduates of the Wheaton Conservatory of Music)
The church is located north of (behind) the Spring Meadows Shopping Mall, at 6605 Angola Road. Take Airport Highway west to McCord Road;
North on McCord and right on Angola, to 6605 Angola, the brick colonial church with the white steeple
JOIN US AT HOLLAND FREE METHODIST CHURCH
AN EVANGELICAL, WORSHIPING BODY OF ABOUT 200 WHO WORSHIP WITH BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL.
9:30 AM ~Sunday School Dialogue Series for
college-age and grad students, et al
10:45 AM~ Worship Service
Pastor Keith Simpson presiding
6:30 PM, Sundays –Dobson video series for parents of young children ~ a fellowship group with Pastor & Mrs. Simpson at their home
THE TRUTH PROJECT:
Sunday Nights ~ HOME AWAY FROM HOME MINISTRY for adult singles and young couples (college age, 20’s and 30’s plus) that will participate invideo series of Focus on the Family,
The Truth Project
starting on October 12, 2008, 7:00 PM
This group will be meeting in Rob's home at 7 p.m. Sundays with refreshments.
For information about these groups, call the church at 865-4640 or come to the Sunday AM church service. Or ask this website in comment below
We are an out-reaching body with opportunities for children (Wednesday night Christian Life Club, K - 6) , youth and musicians –and opportunities to minister in the community, through the Cherry Street Mission, Angel Food Ministries, short-term missions, Christian Life Club for children, Bible quizzing, bell-ringing for the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity help, Operation Christmas Child and YFC Campus Life
CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS WELCOME!
We have a Christmas Choir to join for a December 19~ 21 Concert, with pageantry, costuming, dance –optional rehearsal dates on Sundays or Thursdays. (Our 2 directors are music teacher/graduates of the Wheaton Conservatory of Music)
The church is located north of (behind) the Spring Meadows Shopping Mall, at 6605 Angola Road. Take Airport Highway west to McCord Road;
North on McCord and right on Angola, to 6605 Angola, the brick colonial church with the white steeple
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
UPDATE ON PASTOR BIKE! PRAISE GOD!
THIS JUST IN FROM VOICE OF THE MARTYRS:
Thank you for adding your name to the online petition asking the Chinese government to free Pastor Bike. Your voice was heard! Pastor Bike is FREE! On Friday, August 29, prominent Chinese house church leader Zhang Mingxuan, affectionately known as "Pastor Bike," his wife and a co-worker were released from Chinese custody. Pastor Bike was arrested along with his wife and co-worker August 6, two days before the Olympic Games began in Beijing. An outspoken evangelist, Pastor Bike has travelled on his bike to many places in China, handing out Christian literature and Bibles and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for adding your name to the online petition asking the Chinese government to free Pastor Bike. Your voice was heard! Pastor Bike is FREE! On Friday, August 29, prominent Chinese house church leader Zhang Mingxuan, affectionately known as "Pastor Bike," his wife and a co-worker were released from Chinese custody. Pastor Bike was arrested along with his wife and co-worker August 6, two days before the Olympic Games began in Beijing. An outspoken evangelist, Pastor Bike has travelled on his bike to many places in China, handing out Christian literature and Bibles and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Sarah Palin Made the Superior Choice for Women
Sarah saved two babies that liberal women would have aborted, a child with Down's --and a child of an unwed teen mother. And they are beaming with joy as a family!
And what's not to admire about this family? O, of course, they aren't perfect and who knows if Levi, the daughter's boyfriend, will prove worthy of the decision to marry the girl he impregnated? They are sure one handsome comple --and Sarah and husband as well.
And how cool to see Mr. Palin taking on the spouse's role, to make a speech, to wave and shake hands -just as political wives do. And yet, I don't get the sense that he is at all jealous of his wife or feeling sheepish about his secondary role in the political arena. What a guy!!
I see that CNN and CNBC's Olbermann and Maddow have started to mock Palin for being religious. Silly woman--praying for good things for America and Alaska and the people. Praying specifically about a pipeline Alaska wants and so on. No, no! Not a real evangelical --possibly inheriting the mantle of the presidency from an expired McCain someday! The Liberals must be beside themselves with horror and incredulity! How could this have happened! Where did this family come from!!!????
Who would have thought a Republican could have more charisma than Obama?? O, hear the weeping and gnashing of teeth as the snakes roil in their pits! See www.manwiththemuckrake.blogspot.com for an example!
And what's not to admire about this family? O, of course, they aren't perfect and who knows if Levi, the daughter's boyfriend, will prove worthy of the decision to marry the girl he impregnated? They are sure one handsome comple --and Sarah and husband as well.
And how cool to see Mr. Palin taking on the spouse's role, to make a speech, to wave and shake hands -just as political wives do. And yet, I don't get the sense that he is at all jealous of his wife or feeling sheepish about his secondary role in the political arena. What a guy!!
I see that CNN and CNBC's Olbermann and Maddow have started to mock Palin for being religious. Silly woman--praying for good things for America and Alaska and the people. Praying specifically about a pipeline Alaska wants and so on. No, no! Not a real evangelical --possibly inheriting the mantle of the presidency from an expired McCain someday! The Liberals must be beside themselves with horror and incredulity! How could this have happened! Where did this family come from!!!????
Who would have thought a Republican could have more charisma than Obama?? O, hear the weeping and gnashing of teeth as the snakes roil in their pits! See www.manwiththemuckrake.blogspot.com for an example!
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Friday, August 29, 2008
Free Pastor Bike, Chinese Christian
http://www.freepastorbike.com
Sorry, I can't make the url work.
Go here to this Voice of the Martyrs website to sign a petition to free Pastor Bike, a Christian pastor in China who was arrested before the Olympics. There is a U-tube video by the BBC on this page, which tells that the Chinese destroyed houses of their citizens to make way for the Olympics, without compensating the home owners. It also shows the arrest of Pastor Bike.
America must continue to put the pressure on this nation to give human rights if we are going to continue to enrich them with trade. Their one child policy was deplorable in its cruelty, such that the boy to girl ratio in that land bodes ill for their future. Granted, their population was out of control, but there are more humane ways to limit population than abortion --forced abortion, at that. There have been baby girls abandoned in the streets, which is why some Americans have elected to adopt Chinese girl infants.
I recall early in Geo. W. Bush's first term how he went to China and spoke about faith and freedom to a university in front of the Chinese political leaders. It was George's finest hour. He told them how we saw religion as a good thing in our country, making us strive to be better people, kinder people. We didn't see it as "an opiate of the people," he said.
Sorry, I can't make the url work.
Go here to this Voice of the Martyrs website to sign a petition to free Pastor Bike, a Christian pastor in China who was arrested before the Olympics. There is a U-tube video by the BBC on this page, which tells that the Chinese destroyed houses of their citizens to make way for the Olympics, without compensating the home owners. It also shows the arrest of Pastor Bike.
America must continue to put the pressure on this nation to give human rights if we are going to continue to enrich them with trade. Their one child policy was deplorable in its cruelty, such that the boy to girl ratio in that land bodes ill for their future. Granted, their population was out of control, but there are more humane ways to limit population than abortion --forced abortion, at that. There have been baby girls abandoned in the streets, which is why some Americans have elected to adopt Chinese girl infants.
I recall early in Geo. W. Bush's first term how he went to China and spoke about faith and freedom to a university in front of the Chinese political leaders. It was George's finest hour. He told them how we saw religion as a good thing in our country, making us strive to be better people, kinder people. We didn't see it as "an opiate of the people," he said.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible, I John 1:9
Monday, August 25, 2008
OPRAH DOES IT AGAIN! Promoting Transgendering
I tuned in to what may have been an OPRAH re-run last week. Two families were featured in which the father had become a 2nd mother. A plumber who was always self-consciously "macho" --knowing he had a secret desire to dress as a woman and secretly maintained an expensive cache of female clothing and shoes. He had finally become a woman (still walking with a manly swagger) --and so his wife now refers to him as her "spouse." Said she resented a little that people now view her as a lesbian, but she is now her husband's soul-mate --there are no longer any secrets between them. She's gained a best girlfriend. The teen-age son said his main concern was that his parents would divorce --which he perceived as an even greater pain. Divorce does add injury to injury ---as happened when the homosexual pastor left his family to be with his male lover. {The Episcopalian church elevated him to bishop thereafter, which has caused a huge split in that church.)
The plumber's youngest daughter, around 12, wept in the video they presented of her--saying she missed her daddy and being Daddy's Girl. But on the show, she joined with her teen siblings to say it was just fine that Dad had become a second Mom --whom they still call "Dad" or sometimes "Denise" at home. They had been praised by Oprah and liberal community and school to think it was just fine if Dad "needed" to be a woman. No stigma. No embarrassment. Just a trip to OPRAH --celebrity status for their family.
The other couple were Asian doctors. The husband had become a very vain-looking woman. The wife did tear up and say she did miss her husband and how he looked and was as a man. Their little boy on video said, "I want my Daddy back. I don't want to have 2 mommies. I don't like being different. I want a Daddy like everybody else has." He appeared to be about 5 years old.
No comments were made about the sadness of the children or wife who expressed it. Oprah said it would sure be a "deal breaker" for her to have a husband transgender. She commended the spouses, children and neighbors and society in general for becoming more tolerant to such men changing to women.
So, why shouldn't these men be comforted in their transition, for becoming "who I really am"?
Because it is selfishness, clear and simple.
Such men are fixated on gender and wanting to be what their bodies are not. They spend huge amounts of money on their clothing and then will probably deprive the kids of a college education and other comforts while they spend a fortune on transgendering. Or their indebtedness will guarantee that we tax payers pick up the education bill. The physicians and other well-to-do couples will be able to afford the costs, but average folks will find that Daddy's transition is beyond their means.
I hope insurances and government are not covering such self-indulgent, unnecessary mutilation of healthy bodies in order to accommodate the mess between the ears of such people.
In church yesterday, we sang of loving Jesus more than anything else. We hear that His will is more important and better for us than our own. We sing of being like JEsus in self-sacrifice and service to others. We say, "Not my will, but thine be done."
These transgendering fathers, like homosexuals, are fixated on one thing --their desire to be what they are not created to be --no matter how it hurts the wives and kids and parents --no matter if it makes them childless and deprives women of marriage and children. I did not hear them say if they had more than breast surgery. We know of one transgender in Michigan who kept his equipment for his wife's sake. I got the impression these men on the tv show were having the total surgery, but it wasn't stated explicitly that I heard. Thereafter, then, the only kind of sex they have with the spouse is that of lesbians --a pitiful substitute for the real thing. The Asian doctor admitted to bi-sexual interests as a college student, but neither man claimed to want to be a woman in order to be with men.
It's no wonder we've come to celebrate such idiocy --pop culture's leaders, educators and psycho-babblers have been preaching self-esteem above all else and pleasing ourselves and being proud of ourselves for decades. And the latest message is that gender and orientation are fluid according to what one THINKS he wants to be or whom he wants to be with -- OR fixed at birth somewhere in the brain, contrary to the body.
I'm told there were some European studies showing that homosexuals' brains have some functional similarities to the opposite sex. We know that addictive activities and substances can alter brain structure and function. What is more addictive (apparently) than homosexual orgasmic living and extreme promiscuity of that lifestyle? I've no doubt that the Bible is true in saying, "AS a man thinks in his heart, so is he." And the verse is not a license for transgendering. It says we think sinfully --and thus, are sinners.
In the case of transgenders and homosexuals, if the brains are similar to those of the opposite sex, it may be that opposite sex thinking has programmed the brain. I repeat, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." IF a mother and father fail to provide normal role modeling and the daily presence and affection of the same sex parent for their children in their developmental years, perhaps their brains conform to the opposite sex parent's brain.
I'm not thinking that parents must be to blame for such abnormalities --because the culture itself has so much to do with sinful influence. However, Dr. Dobson believes that fathers, especially, must INTENTIONALLY help their little boys feel like "one of the guys," and spend both quality and quantity time with their pre-schoolers and not leave their upbringing entirely to Mom. There is to be opposite sex affirmation from parents, and same sex identification.
We are learning so much more about the brain's change-ability. Is it possible that when one is filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed by a conversion encounter with Christ, that the brain is RENEWED? "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." My husband's grandfather easily gave up a very bad cigarette habit when he accepted Christ into his life. It was overnight. He was transformed by the renewing of his mind--a supernatural act of God. I remember a spiritual experience of my own at age 18 that really changed my personality in some ways --such that I was more outgoing, loving, less shy and self-conscious. I've seen that change in others after they believe, repent, and accept Christ into their lives. There is a new look in the eyes --a new warmth and confidence, too.
We hear of epileptic children now who have half the brain removed to stop incontrollable frequent seizures --and the other half of the brain takes over the functions of the missing half.
So our brains can be altered. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." The verse suggests we have a WILL that can choose how and what we think. Jesus suggests we are RESPONSIBLE for what we think, responsible for our sin. We also know it is inevitable that we have this sin nature --a mind inclined to sin. But we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds when we give our lives to Him.
Did we hear Olympians this year praising God for help in sport? No, we heard how proud the winners were of themselves --or how they did their best and were proud of themselves for doing that. You don't hear the losers tell how they stayed up too late partying or should've practiced harder --and maybe that's not the case. But we didn't hear winners say that they "PRESSED TOWARD THE MARK OF THE HIGH CALLING OF JESUS CHRIST" in the race of life. And maybe they were forbidden to do so. That wouldn't surprise us. Or maybe Olympics is all about victory for me --unlike the missionary star of Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, who said he felt the pleasure of God in Him when he ran --and said He ran for the glory of God. He refused to run on Sundays, as Sunday is "The Lord's Day."
I suggest that if we are fully committed to God, we will accept our bio-assignments to be male or female. There are birth defects and abnormal conditions in life from flawed genes --but so far, we have not found that sexual confusion in our culture has anything at all to do with our brains or our genes --but with "vain imaginations" and the selfishishness that is intrinsic to our sin nature.
The plumber's youngest daughter, around 12, wept in the video they presented of her--saying she missed her daddy and being Daddy's Girl. But on the show, she joined with her teen siblings to say it was just fine that Dad had become a second Mom --whom they still call "Dad" or sometimes "Denise" at home. They had been praised by Oprah and liberal community and school to think it was just fine if Dad "needed" to be a woman. No stigma. No embarrassment. Just a trip to OPRAH --celebrity status for their family.
The other couple were Asian doctors. The husband had become a very vain-looking woman. The wife did tear up and say she did miss her husband and how he looked and was as a man. Their little boy on video said, "I want my Daddy back. I don't want to have 2 mommies. I don't like being different. I want a Daddy like everybody else has." He appeared to be about 5 years old.
No comments were made about the sadness of the children or wife who expressed it. Oprah said it would sure be a "deal breaker" for her to have a husband transgender. She commended the spouses, children and neighbors and society in general for becoming more tolerant to such men changing to women.
So, why shouldn't these men be comforted in their transition, for becoming "who I really am"?
Because it is selfishness, clear and simple.
Such men are fixated on gender and wanting to be what their bodies are not. They spend huge amounts of money on their clothing and then will probably deprive the kids of a college education and other comforts while they spend a fortune on transgendering. Or their indebtedness will guarantee that we tax payers pick up the education bill. The physicians and other well-to-do couples will be able to afford the costs, but average folks will find that Daddy's transition is beyond their means.
I hope insurances and government are not covering such self-indulgent, unnecessary mutilation of healthy bodies in order to accommodate the mess between the ears of such people.
In church yesterday, we sang of loving Jesus more than anything else. We hear that His will is more important and better for us than our own. We sing of being like JEsus in self-sacrifice and service to others. We say, "Not my will, but thine be done."
These transgendering fathers, like homosexuals, are fixated on one thing --their desire to be what they are not created to be --no matter how it hurts the wives and kids and parents --no matter if it makes them childless and deprives women of marriage and children. I did not hear them say if they had more than breast surgery. We know of one transgender in Michigan who kept his equipment for his wife's sake. I got the impression these men on the tv show were having the total surgery, but it wasn't stated explicitly that I heard. Thereafter, then, the only kind of sex they have with the spouse is that of lesbians --a pitiful substitute for the real thing. The Asian doctor admitted to bi-sexual interests as a college student, but neither man claimed to want to be a woman in order to be with men.
It's no wonder we've come to celebrate such idiocy --pop culture's leaders, educators and psycho-babblers have been preaching self-esteem above all else and pleasing ourselves and being proud of ourselves for decades. And the latest message is that gender and orientation are fluid according to what one THINKS he wants to be or whom he wants to be with -- OR fixed at birth somewhere in the brain, contrary to the body.
I'm told there were some European studies showing that homosexuals' brains have some functional similarities to the opposite sex. We know that addictive activities and substances can alter brain structure and function. What is more addictive (apparently) than homosexual orgasmic living and extreme promiscuity of that lifestyle? I've no doubt that the Bible is true in saying, "AS a man thinks in his heart, so is he." And the verse is not a license for transgendering. It says we think sinfully --and thus, are sinners.
In the case of transgenders and homosexuals, if the brains are similar to those of the opposite sex, it may be that opposite sex thinking has programmed the brain. I repeat, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." IF a mother and father fail to provide normal role modeling and the daily presence and affection of the same sex parent for their children in their developmental years, perhaps their brains conform to the opposite sex parent's brain.
I'm not thinking that parents must be to blame for such abnormalities --because the culture itself has so much to do with sinful influence. However, Dr. Dobson believes that fathers, especially, must INTENTIONALLY help their little boys feel like "one of the guys," and spend both quality and quantity time with their pre-schoolers and not leave their upbringing entirely to Mom. There is to be opposite sex affirmation from parents, and same sex identification.
We are learning so much more about the brain's change-ability. Is it possible that when one is filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed by a conversion encounter with Christ, that the brain is RENEWED? "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." My husband's grandfather easily gave up a very bad cigarette habit when he accepted Christ into his life. It was overnight. He was transformed by the renewing of his mind--a supernatural act of God. I remember a spiritual experience of my own at age 18 that really changed my personality in some ways --such that I was more outgoing, loving, less shy and self-conscious. I've seen that change in others after they believe, repent, and accept Christ into their lives. There is a new look in the eyes --a new warmth and confidence, too.
We hear of epileptic children now who have half the brain removed to stop incontrollable frequent seizures --and the other half of the brain takes over the functions of the missing half.
So our brains can be altered. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." The verse suggests we have a WILL that can choose how and what we think. Jesus suggests we are RESPONSIBLE for what we think, responsible for our sin. We also know it is inevitable that we have this sin nature --a mind inclined to sin. But we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds when we give our lives to Him.
Did we hear Olympians this year praising God for help in sport? No, we heard how proud the winners were of themselves --or how they did their best and were proud of themselves for doing that. You don't hear the losers tell how they stayed up too late partying or should've practiced harder --and maybe that's not the case. But we didn't hear winners say that they "PRESSED TOWARD THE MARK OF THE HIGH CALLING OF JESUS CHRIST" in the race of life. And maybe they were forbidden to do so. That wouldn't surprise us. Or maybe Olympics is all about victory for me --unlike the missionary star of Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, who said he felt the pleasure of God in Him when he ran --and said He ran for the glory of God. He refused to run on Sundays, as Sunday is "The Lord's Day."
I suggest that if we are fully committed to God, we will accept our bio-assignments to be male or female. There are birth defects and abnormal conditions in life from flawed genes --but so far, we have not found that sexual confusion in our culture has anything at all to do with our brains or our genes --but with "vain imaginations" and the selfishishness that is intrinsic to our sin nature.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Monday, August 11, 2008
VACATION AT THE LAKE
Once again, vacation was possibly more work than pleasure. Hubby worked on office stuff until the last minute --such that the vacation didn't start until Wednesday --and our toilet line plugged up just before we left, and toilet water backed up into the adjoining shower. We have a newer bathroom that has always given us problems because the contractor and his plumber didn't do something right. But we put a bunch of vinegar down --and after the 2nd toilet on the line overflowed and splashed on the floor getting all over hubby's shoes --the clog finally dissolved--I called off the plumber who was coming--and we left the house!
We get to the lake, and our neighbor sends his dogs to our yard to do his business --and my daughter yelled through closed windows at the offender, "NOT IN OUR YARD!!!" And we know the 2 neighbor guys noticed --as they looked at the house. Did they come out with a pooper scooper? Of course not. But we are tolerant --because he has mowed our yard some springs before we got there --maybe once a year.
Before we arrived, our daughters who got there earlier called to say the brand new air conditioner wasn't working -- and there was a leak under the new sink. So the plumber came out --said there was an earwig in our AC. He got everything working.
I noticed in my new bathroom a flaw in the wall paper where the carpenter had a 2 inch diameter tear where he put in the towel bar. He had stuck it together. It's right where you would notice it if you were sitting on the stool! I asked my daughter if she had noticed that when we were cleaning up and finishing up with the carpenter --she said yes, but she felt sorry for him--because I had gotten him to do an extra job after I paid him. There was a PLANT growing on the roof --and since he had been up there previously to take out the chimney (to make room for the sink in the bathroom, we had taken out a chimney chase,) I thought he could have removed the plant and whatever debris was cultivating it. We were fixing the cottage as a prize for a music booster fund-raiser --a teacher's family was going to spend a few days there --and I didn't want them to see a plant growing on the roof. Plus, he helped her rehang the window valances --all of 5 minutes worth. So she didn't want to point out that he had ruined the new wallpaper already. He also put in the baseboards even though he knew he should wait for the heating guy to give him the new register cover --he didn't know exactly what size it would be --but he put the baseboards in anyway. And then he had to remove the baseboard off the new wallpaper and cut it to fit the register cover. And there was some flaw afterward in how the baseboard butts against the wall, not quite square. I think he was trying to speed up the whole process before I noticed his wallpaper damage.
I paid to have that paper airmailed quickly from England --and paid top dollar to a decorating company according to the price in the wallpaper book. Afterward I found the same paper at Lowe's for 1/3 the price --and would not have had to pay $75 shipping.
O well, when I feel gypped, I just tell myself I'm helping the economy.
Re: the bathroom --You used to be able to sit on the stool and brush your teeth at the same time, not that anybody did--but it was so close, your skirts had to swish against the toilet when you used the sink. By taking out the chimney, getting a new furnace that doesn't use a chimney, we were able to get the sink and toilet on the same wall.
Anyway, I got my young carpenter (in his late 20's) to get a ladder from the garage and the plant off the roof. And I didn't know that he had spoiled my new wallpaper. Some people I know would make him get the bathroom done over. Even to repair it and re-do a section would cause new horizontal seams and not be as nice as it was when the paper hanger did it. So, we're letting it go. It's still a beautiful little cottage bathroom--and so much more user-friendly.
On Saturday, we took the old dusty 1987 Four Winns deck boat on the Chain of Lakes tour through canals and 7? lakes. And in the last lake --after the ice cream and bathroom stop on Marble Lake, my son was driving and the boat started to sound funny and smoke poured from the gear shift area and the motor area. First thing was to move the 2 grandmas in their 80's to the front of the boat instead of by the engine in the back --Grandma's walker was in the way, making this a tough job with too many feet and panic aboard. Though there was no screaming --but minds racing to think what we should do. I was ready to open bottles of water! We should've thought to put on our life jackets and prepared to jump over. The gas tank could've ignited and exploded. I hope we'll remember the lesson learned for any future episode --and have better presence of mind. Hindsight is always best, sad to say.
Son took fire extinguisher to the back --where there were not any flames yet --Husband turned off the ignition--finally. Many boats slowed to inquire how they could help and we didn't know. Fortunately, Jon had his cell phone and called the sheriff. We were drifting under low hanging branches when 2 sheriffs show up. Do they have ropes on their boat? Of course not. Why would the Marine Patrol have tow ropes? So they left us under the trees with daughter squealing over possible bugs in branches --and then they returned and tied us to their tow rope. We had one but not long enough. Right away, their Boy Scout knot knowledge proved deficient --and the knot untied. So they tried again --I think my husband did it finally--he was a Boy Scout and knows his knots. And they pulled us to public access --where we eventually got permission to leave the boat overnight at a neighboring private pier. The sheriffs were very cordial --and I was so relieved that I actually had current boat registration in the boat when they asked to see it--and that they didn't examine our 1980's fire extinguisher.
The next day, our boat was picked up (for a hefty fee) by our boat-shop-owning neighbor to his place of business. He called the next week to say, "Good news --only $1000 of damage --water pump went out and lots of stuff was damaged but not the motor itself." My husband never thinks $1000 is good news.
My husband hates the boat --it's hard to get the grandmas in and out of it and half the time it won't start --but it did on this day. He wants a new fancy pontoon --so he can give them 2 rides a year or so on his 7 days or so at the lake. We do have an old pontoon that works --and we did take a couple nice rides in it with the mothers --but it doesn't go fast --and we needed to make time on the chain of lakes tour --as we had promised to give some other relatives from down the road a sunset cruise on the pontoon later. Besides, our daughter-in-law had never taken the ride through the canals and the lakes and she likes the faster boat, too.
The next day, before leaving for home, I hoped to go Seadooing with my husband --and my Seadoo started to balk and stall right away --after working all week for everybody else. This time I didn't pray it into running --the inspiration was lacking! Once it started up with the help of some guy whose house I stalled in front of --after my husband got a tow rope --so I shot at top speed through the "no wake" zone, not wanting to stall again. I knew I was breaking the "no wake law" --but figured the sheriff would understand the need to get home before stalling again. But here came a pontoon with a bossy young lady telling me that I wasn't to go through that no-wake zone fast like I did. I said I knew that --but had met the sheriff yesterday and figured he'd understand an exception since I needed to keep going fast so it wouldn't stall again.
But it did stall, and while she was scolding me, Hubby was trying to tie me to his seadoo --and the way he did it, had him pulling me sidewise --and I almost tipped over when he sped up --and so there we were, yelling at each other out in public. He wonders why I can't hold the rope such that it won't pull me sideways --but of course, when the slack goes out of the rope, I can't control that rope at all; it's too tight. So he had to be content to pull me home at a snail's pace. Had he been able to reach the place on the Seadoo where the tow rope was supposed to be tied, it wouldn't have gone crooked --but that ring is practically under the boat and he couldn't reach it without getting in the water --and then he wouldn't have been able to get back on his boat.
Otherwise, we had lovely meals, all planned by and shopped for by my daughter (I'm the clean-up crew), enjoyed the new bathroom and the AC, and the new vinyl-sheeting Armstrong Oak-like flooring --also a project of the summer. That was the flooring recommended for swimmers' water. It is a great improvement --though I think I see what are 3 nail pop-ups in the walk way, and have to go back and see if the flooring installer can replace that section and have it look ok. We do have left-over material.
I had one good Seadoo run by myself. And joined in one afternoon of swimming with most of the family.
Also enjoyed visits with some cousins I had not seen for a long time.
Our mothers were both there; my mom stays in her sister's fancy house at the other end of the island --and she spent her days with us --and she is getting forgetful at 88? I've lost track. I'm forgetful, too! She was forever worrying about whether her sister would have other people needing her bed --and with whom she was to have dinner --and where she had left her purse.
Jon's mother, on the other hand, is better off mentally but more frail of body --having broken a hip and having severe osteoarthritis and porosis such that she can't stand up straight very easily. Her legs are like toothpicks and they said her bones are very brittle --but she thinks it's cute to seriously beg for a Seadoo ride and to ride the adult tricycle we have -- It's part of her charm to act like a school girl, always ready for some risky adventure --so she giggles and begs for the rides she wants. And as an only child, she is used to getting what she wants. Fortunately, nobody indulged her this time. We used to take her on most of our vacations to Florida --until she broke the hip (femur, actually) stepping out of a bathroom--and my husband spent the whole week with her in the hospital.
I'm a good wife.
The grandsons had no mishaps and lots of good times --and some fish were caught and cleaned and served by Grandpa. One large lethargic bass was caught with a net --he was just hovering near the pier --and he wasn't taking an interest in the worms. They let him go, thinking he was not in good health.
We also visited the Coldwater Free Methodist Church --and found it to be a thriving congregation with a young dynamic preacher. What was the sermon topic? RELAX! the importance of taking time away from work, and the pursuit of money, for vacation, relationships and church.
We get to the lake, and our neighbor sends his dogs to our yard to do his business --and my daughter yelled through closed windows at the offender, "NOT IN OUR YARD!!!" And we know the 2 neighbor guys noticed --as they looked at the house. Did they come out with a pooper scooper? Of course not. But we are tolerant --because he has mowed our yard some springs before we got there --maybe once a year.
Before we arrived, our daughters who got there earlier called to say the brand new air conditioner wasn't working -- and there was a leak under the new sink. So the plumber came out --said there was an earwig in our AC. He got everything working.
I noticed in my new bathroom a flaw in the wall paper where the carpenter had a 2 inch diameter tear where he put in the towel bar. He had stuck it together. It's right where you would notice it if you were sitting on the stool! I asked my daughter if she had noticed that when we were cleaning up and finishing up with the carpenter --she said yes, but she felt sorry for him--because I had gotten him to do an extra job after I paid him. There was a PLANT growing on the roof --and since he had been up there previously to take out the chimney (to make room for the sink in the bathroom, we had taken out a chimney chase,) I thought he could have removed the plant and whatever debris was cultivating it. We were fixing the cottage as a prize for a music booster fund-raiser --a teacher's family was going to spend a few days there --and I didn't want them to see a plant growing on the roof. Plus, he helped her rehang the window valances --all of 5 minutes worth. So she didn't want to point out that he had ruined the new wallpaper already. He also put in the baseboards even though he knew he should wait for the heating guy to give him the new register cover --he didn't know exactly what size it would be --but he put the baseboards in anyway. And then he had to remove the baseboard off the new wallpaper and cut it to fit the register cover. And there was some flaw afterward in how the baseboard butts against the wall, not quite square. I think he was trying to speed up the whole process before I noticed his wallpaper damage.
I paid to have that paper airmailed quickly from England --and paid top dollar to a decorating company according to the price in the wallpaper book. Afterward I found the same paper at Lowe's for 1/3 the price --and would not have had to pay $75 shipping.
O well, when I feel gypped, I just tell myself I'm helping the economy.
Re: the bathroom --You used to be able to sit on the stool and brush your teeth at the same time, not that anybody did--but it was so close, your skirts had to swish against the toilet when you used the sink. By taking out the chimney, getting a new furnace that doesn't use a chimney, we were able to get the sink and toilet on the same wall.
Anyway, I got my young carpenter (in his late 20's) to get a ladder from the garage and the plant off the roof. And I didn't know that he had spoiled my new wallpaper. Some people I know would make him get the bathroom done over. Even to repair it and re-do a section would cause new horizontal seams and not be as nice as it was when the paper hanger did it. So, we're letting it go. It's still a beautiful little cottage bathroom--and so much more user-friendly.
On Saturday, we took the old dusty 1987 Four Winns deck boat on the Chain of Lakes tour through canals and 7? lakes. And in the last lake --after the ice cream and bathroom stop on Marble Lake, my son was driving and the boat started to sound funny and smoke poured from the gear shift area and the motor area. First thing was to move the 2 grandmas in their 80's to the front of the boat instead of by the engine in the back --Grandma's walker was in the way, making this a tough job with too many feet and panic aboard. Though there was no screaming --but minds racing to think what we should do. I was ready to open bottles of water! We should've thought to put on our life jackets and prepared to jump over. The gas tank could've ignited and exploded. I hope we'll remember the lesson learned for any future episode --and have better presence of mind. Hindsight is always best, sad to say.
Son took fire extinguisher to the back --where there were not any flames yet --Husband turned off the ignition--finally. Many boats slowed to inquire how they could help and we didn't know. Fortunately, Jon had his cell phone and called the sheriff. We were drifting under low hanging branches when 2 sheriffs show up. Do they have ropes on their boat? Of course not. Why would the Marine Patrol have tow ropes? So they left us under the trees with daughter squealing over possible bugs in branches --and then they returned and tied us to their tow rope. We had one but not long enough. Right away, their Boy Scout knot knowledge proved deficient --and the knot untied. So they tried again --I think my husband did it finally--he was a Boy Scout and knows his knots. And they pulled us to public access --where we eventually got permission to leave the boat overnight at a neighboring private pier. The sheriffs were very cordial --and I was so relieved that I actually had current boat registration in the boat when they asked to see it--and that they didn't examine our 1980's fire extinguisher.
The next day, our boat was picked up (for a hefty fee) by our boat-shop-owning neighbor to his place of business. He called the next week to say, "Good news --only $1000 of damage --water pump went out and lots of stuff was damaged but not the motor itself." My husband never thinks $1000 is good news.
My husband hates the boat --it's hard to get the grandmas in and out of it and half the time it won't start --but it did on this day. He wants a new fancy pontoon --so he can give them 2 rides a year or so on his 7 days or so at the lake. We do have an old pontoon that works --and we did take a couple nice rides in it with the mothers --but it doesn't go fast --and we needed to make time on the chain of lakes tour --as we had promised to give some other relatives from down the road a sunset cruise on the pontoon later. Besides, our daughter-in-law had never taken the ride through the canals and the lakes and she likes the faster boat, too.
The next day, before leaving for home, I hoped to go Seadooing with my husband --and my Seadoo started to balk and stall right away --after working all week for everybody else. This time I didn't pray it into running --the inspiration was lacking! Once it started up with the help of some guy whose house I stalled in front of --after my husband got a tow rope --so I shot at top speed through the "no wake" zone, not wanting to stall again. I knew I was breaking the "no wake law" --but figured the sheriff would understand the need to get home before stalling again. But here came a pontoon with a bossy young lady telling me that I wasn't to go through that no-wake zone fast like I did. I said I knew that --but had met the sheriff yesterday and figured he'd understand an exception since I needed to keep going fast so it wouldn't stall again.
But it did stall, and while she was scolding me, Hubby was trying to tie me to his seadoo --and the way he did it, had him pulling me sidewise --and I almost tipped over when he sped up --and so there we were, yelling at each other out in public. He wonders why I can't hold the rope such that it won't pull me sideways --but of course, when the slack goes out of the rope, I can't control that rope at all; it's too tight. So he had to be content to pull me home at a snail's pace. Had he been able to reach the place on the Seadoo where the tow rope was supposed to be tied, it wouldn't have gone crooked --but that ring is practically under the boat and he couldn't reach it without getting in the water --and then he wouldn't have been able to get back on his boat.
Otherwise, we had lovely meals, all planned by and shopped for by my daughter (I'm the clean-up crew), enjoyed the new bathroom and the AC, and the new vinyl-sheeting Armstrong Oak-like flooring --also a project of the summer. That was the flooring recommended for swimmers' water. It is a great improvement --though I think I see what are 3 nail pop-ups in the walk way, and have to go back and see if the flooring installer can replace that section and have it look ok. We do have left-over material.
I had one good Seadoo run by myself. And joined in one afternoon of swimming with most of the family.
Also enjoyed visits with some cousins I had not seen for a long time.
Our mothers were both there; my mom stays in her sister's fancy house at the other end of the island --and she spent her days with us --and she is getting forgetful at 88? I've lost track. I'm forgetful, too! She was forever worrying about whether her sister would have other people needing her bed --and with whom she was to have dinner --and where she had left her purse.
Jon's mother, on the other hand, is better off mentally but more frail of body --having broken a hip and having severe osteoarthritis and porosis such that she can't stand up straight very easily. Her legs are like toothpicks and they said her bones are very brittle --but she thinks it's cute to seriously beg for a Seadoo ride and to ride the adult tricycle we have -- It's part of her charm to act like a school girl, always ready for some risky adventure --so she giggles and begs for the rides she wants. And as an only child, she is used to getting what she wants. Fortunately, nobody indulged her this time. We used to take her on most of our vacations to Florida --until she broke the hip (femur, actually) stepping out of a bathroom--and my husband spent the whole week with her in the hospital.
I'm a good wife.
The grandsons had no mishaps and lots of good times --and some fish were caught and cleaned and served by Grandpa. One large lethargic bass was caught with a net --he was just hovering near the pier --and he wasn't taking an interest in the worms. They let him go, thinking he was not in good health.
We also visited the Coldwater Free Methodist Church --and found it to be a thriving congregation with a young dynamic preacher. What was the sermon topic? RELAX! the importance of taking time away from work, and the pursuit of money, for vacation, relationships and church.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
GOOD MOVIE! SWING VOTE! --A FEEL GOOD PRELUDE TO THE FALL ELECTION
Our 39th Anniversary was Saturday, and we decided to go to a movie and buy the junk food P's: hot pretzels, popcorn, pop and a relish tray --without guilt! Plus hotdogs! That was our special dinner out! And it was my idea as we both had busy day and I liked the idea of leaning back in a theater seat over an uncomfortable dining room chair.
SWING VOTE stars Kevin Costner as a ne'er do well, working class drunk. At least, he drinks too much. His daughter is about 5th grade, I'd guess --and she's the grown-up in the house. And she REALLY wants Dad "Bud" to vote --so she registered him by mail. She also wants him to quit his chronic cussing --says "Jesus is the Savior for billions of people." This is not a laugh-line.
Due to a fluke at the polls, his vote doesn't fully register ---and the state of New Mexico's 5 electoral votes are the ones to determine the presidential election. And his one vote is the decider.
His re-vote is set for 10 days later, and Air Force one and the Republican team fly in to curry his vote --and the Democratic party throws a big party for him. All the social issues groups are camped out in the small town of Texaco, Mexico. The media is there --and the whole world is watching Bud and his daughter Molly.
The story points out that there is nothing sacred about party values when it comes to getting the vote. Campaign managers would sell the souls of their mothers. One of them denies that --and then in an after-thought, says, "Well, you don't know my mother!"
The Democrats do a pro-life ad for Bud's attention as he said about being pro-life, "Isn't everybody??" And the Republicans do a pro-gay marriage ad which gays won't like for the silly stereotypes --and it is comical --and probably too true that political campaign managers don't care about issues as much as winning.
But our candidates have pangs of conscience --and Bud concludes at the final debate, for which he asked, that both men are admirable, worthy leaders.
Bud makes a heart-felt speech about his own life of disinterest, his own lack of sacrifice for ideals and country, his own unworthiness to cast the vote --after a last minute epiphany prompted by his idealistic daughter.
The end is satisfying --and not at all politically polarizing. And the Republican president, played convincingly by Kelsey Grammar, comes across well in the end --surprising for a Hollywood movie. Both candidates are depicted as men of character, in the end.
It moves a little slowly at points, but overall is a thought-provoking, touching and humorous story on the value of every vote. The impact of bad parenting, particularly not keeping our word to our children is part of the story --the sadness and resentment it causes. We see the correlation between one's attitudes, effort and life habits with low income status --in a country that DOES provide opportunity, as Bud notes in his final speech. He had lost his job on election day --and deservedly (and humorously) so.
I like this movie. I think the performances are excellent and the message uplifting.
ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?
SWING VOTE stars Kevin Costner as a ne'er do well, working class drunk. At least, he drinks too much. His daughter is about 5th grade, I'd guess --and she's the grown-up in the house. And she REALLY wants Dad "Bud" to vote --so she registered him by mail. She also wants him to quit his chronic cussing --says "Jesus is the Savior for billions of people." This is not a laugh-line.
Due to a fluke at the polls, his vote doesn't fully register ---and the state of New Mexico's 5 electoral votes are the ones to determine the presidential election. And his one vote is the decider.
His re-vote is set for 10 days later, and Air Force one and the Republican team fly in to curry his vote --and the Democratic party throws a big party for him. All the social issues groups are camped out in the small town of Texaco, Mexico. The media is there --and the whole world is watching Bud and his daughter Molly.
The story points out that there is nothing sacred about party values when it comes to getting the vote. Campaign managers would sell the souls of their mothers. One of them denies that --and then in an after-thought, says, "Well, you don't know my mother!"
The Democrats do a pro-life ad for Bud's attention as he said about being pro-life, "Isn't everybody??" And the Republicans do a pro-gay marriage ad which gays won't like for the silly stereotypes --and it is comical --and probably too true that political campaign managers don't care about issues as much as winning.
But our candidates have pangs of conscience --and Bud concludes at the final debate, for which he asked, that both men are admirable, worthy leaders.
Bud makes a heart-felt speech about his own life of disinterest, his own lack of sacrifice for ideals and country, his own unworthiness to cast the vote --after a last minute epiphany prompted by his idealistic daughter.
The end is satisfying --and not at all politically polarizing. And the Republican president, played convincingly by Kelsey Grammar, comes across well in the end --surprising for a Hollywood movie. Both candidates are depicted as men of character, in the end.
It moves a little slowly at points, but overall is a thought-provoking, touching and humorous story on the value of every vote. The impact of bad parenting, particularly not keeping our word to our children is part of the story --the sadness and resentment it causes. We see the correlation between one's attitudes, effort and life habits with low income status --in a country that DOES provide opportunity, as Bud notes in his final speech. He had lost his job on election day --and deservedly (and humorously) so.
I like this movie. I think the performances are excellent and the message uplifting.
ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
Saturday, August 2, 2008
A Most Insightful Criticism of Communism
I read this about a month ago on wikipedia and thought it was brilliant. It's from the Dali Llama:
I think the major flaw of the Marxist regimes is that they have placed too much emphasis on the need to destroy the ruling class, on class struggle, and this causes them to encourage hatred and to neglect compassion. Although their initial aim might have been to serve the cause of the majority, when they try to implement it all their energy is deflected into destructive activities. Once the revolution is over and the ruling class is destroyed, there is nor much left to offer the people; at this point the entire country is impoverished and unfortunately it is almost as if the initial aim were to become poor. I think that this is due to the lack of human solidarity and compassion. The principal disadvantage of such a regime is the insistence placed on hatred to the detriment of compassion.
original source
While most critics will cite the loss of incentive as the principle problem with communism since everyone would ideally get the same amount of goods and services, which I think is a good point, I think this criticism goes further to the heart of the problem.
The Dali Llama for this reason considers himself a half Marxist. He, like most communists doesn't believe that the governments that champion Marxism really represent the system. According to him, though the implementation of Marxism has often been a disaster, Marxism itself is founded upon moral principles of equality while capitalism is based upon personal gain.
I think both systems can fail for the same reason. They both treat the human situation as primarily economic. Capitalism only works best when you have good people who will use their resources not just for themselves but for others and for the long term good. But Marxism cannot be good thoroughly as it is a godless system.
Reflecting on the Dali Llama's comment, it seems to me that Marxism has worked out as an affront to humanity itself as it flies in the face of the most important goals for humans. It stands as an outright perversion of the second greatest commandment to love one's neighbor, where in Marxism we are called to love 9 out of 10 of our neighbors (in a materialistic way) but to hate that one in 10 who has more than the others and take his possessions by force to distribute to everyone else. Of course it is explicitly Godless as well which is an affront to the most important commandment.
Of course some people see the economics of the early church as communistic. For one, they forget that communism is an explicitly Godless system, so that identification will never work out. But scripture as a whole and even the new testament more specifically doesn't completely fit these descriptions of communism nor capitalism. There is an instance in acts where many in the early church held goods in common, but at the same time, there were other churches where Paul encouraged those who were able to support widows to do so thus the church would be able to use its resources in other ways. Clearly the implication is that people had funds that were their own.
The point here is taking care of one's neighbors, but there's no way to do that set in stone.
But what else could we say of scriptural economics. On the one hand, there is the parable of the vineyard owner who paid everyone a denarius no matter when they came to work demonstrating that the vineyard owner paid each according to their need. Of course it is emphasized that the owner and workers freely entered this relationship. On the other, the parable of the talents shows a king who rewards hard work by giving more power to the most successful servants. And there were those churches were people held goods in common. What we have here is meritocracy, rulership by the most competent and most successful and privatized socialism. No majority put it to a vote to force the wealthy to give up their wealth and there certainly was no bloody revolution. We do not see nameless faceless bureaucracies doling out checks and food stamps to people with no relationship of gratitude. People of their own free will and their own resources took care of each other.
I think the major flaw of the Marxist regimes is that they have placed too much emphasis on the need to destroy the ruling class, on class struggle, and this causes them to encourage hatred and to neglect compassion. Although their initial aim might have been to serve the cause of the majority, when they try to implement it all their energy is deflected into destructive activities. Once the revolution is over and the ruling class is destroyed, there is nor much left to offer the people; at this point the entire country is impoverished and unfortunately it is almost as if the initial aim were to become poor. I think that this is due to the lack of human solidarity and compassion. The principal disadvantage of such a regime is the insistence placed on hatred to the detriment of compassion.
original source
While most critics will cite the loss of incentive as the principle problem with communism since everyone would ideally get the same amount of goods and services, which I think is a good point, I think this criticism goes further to the heart of the problem.
The Dali Llama for this reason considers himself a half Marxist. He, like most communists doesn't believe that the governments that champion Marxism really represent the system. According to him, though the implementation of Marxism has often been a disaster, Marxism itself is founded upon moral principles of equality while capitalism is based upon personal gain.
I think both systems can fail for the same reason. They both treat the human situation as primarily economic. Capitalism only works best when you have good people who will use their resources not just for themselves but for others and for the long term good. But Marxism cannot be good thoroughly as it is a godless system.
Reflecting on the Dali Llama's comment, it seems to me that Marxism has worked out as an affront to humanity itself as it flies in the face of the most important goals for humans. It stands as an outright perversion of the second greatest commandment to love one's neighbor, where in Marxism we are called to love 9 out of 10 of our neighbors (in a materialistic way) but to hate that one in 10 who has more than the others and take his possessions by force to distribute to everyone else. Of course it is explicitly Godless as well which is an affront to the most important commandment.
Of course some people see the economics of the early church as communistic. For one, they forget that communism is an explicitly Godless system, so that identification will never work out. But scripture as a whole and even the new testament more specifically doesn't completely fit these descriptions of communism nor capitalism. There is an instance in acts where many in the early church held goods in common, but at the same time, there were other churches where Paul encouraged those who were able to support widows to do so thus the church would be able to use its resources in other ways. Clearly the implication is that people had funds that were their own.
The point here is taking care of one's neighbors, but there's no way to do that set in stone.
But what else could we say of scriptural economics. On the one hand, there is the parable of the vineyard owner who paid everyone a denarius no matter when they came to work demonstrating that the vineyard owner paid each according to their need. Of course it is emphasized that the owner and workers freely entered this relationship. On the other, the parable of the talents shows a king who rewards hard work by giving more power to the most successful servants. And there were those churches were people held goods in common. What we have here is meritocracy, rulership by the most competent and most successful and privatized socialism. No majority put it to a vote to force the wealthy to give up their wealth and there certainly was no bloody revolution. We do not see nameless faceless bureaucracies doling out checks and food stamps to people with no relationship of gratitude. People of their own free will and their own resources took care of each other.
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