Archive for March, 2008
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Will a governor of moral integrity please stand up? It’s not going to happen in the northeast anytime soon it appears! It’s like a daytime soap opera up there.
“Days of Our New York and New Jersey Governor’s Lives” or “There is no Guiding Light in the Governor’s Mansion” or “As the Sexual World of Spitzer, McGreevey, and Paterson Turns!”
You get the point.
New York Governor Spitzer spends $80,000 on prostitutes and resigns in disgrace.
Former New Jersey Governor McGreevey who resigned in disgrace admits that he had sexual encounters with his wife and another man at the same time. (Caution: Adult Language)
Newly appointed New York Governor Paterson admits he had an affair.
What’s the deal here? Is this the Northeast Chapter of the Bill Clinton Fan Club? Give me a break! Everyone already knows we have a real shortage of leaders with integrity, but this sort of emphasizes that point doesn’t it?!
You’d almost think we were in a Culture War or something…
If this doesn’t convince you of the fact that we are facing an attack on traditional values in this country I’m not sure what will. It’s pretty clear that sexual deviance is becoming the norm. Recreational sex, homosexuality, adultery, you name it. What happened to family values in America?
Don’t count on the news media to condemn it. The way they present these stories, you’d think they get a kick out of it! They only care about ratings, so forget about ethics!
If there is going to be victory in this Culture War it won’t be won by turning to politicians or the media. If things are to change it will be because parents and people of traditional values are willing to be used to help change hearts and minds. How does that happen? With the help and strength of God Almighty. In this culture of moral relativity and no absolutes we must turn to the only ABSOLUTE that exists.
People of the Faith, pray for America, God knows we need His help!
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Monday, March 17th, 2008
What a weekend! I had the opportunity to meet Alan Keyes backstage at this weekend’s fund raiser for the Pregnancy Resource Center. Keyes gave a stirring speech on life! I’ll have to see if I can get a copy of the audio to post on here.
The biggest message I took out of the event was a simple reminder to not get carried away with just the big picture. Sure we are constantly fighting to overturn Roe v. Wade by getting the right judges on the Supreme Court. Sure we would love to see a right to life amendment to the constitution. But, let’s not forget to support organizations like PRC which counsel young women and share pro-life options with them as well as the message of peace found in Jesus Christ. It’s those one on one relationships that are the heart and soul of protecting the sanctity of life.
The other major event of the weekend I was able to participate in was the Minnesota District 15 GOP Convention. The event featured a number of speakers including U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann, Minnesota GOP Chairman Ron Carey, and Minnesota House of Representatives Minority Leader Marty Seifert.
I had the opportunity to give a speech endorsing state representative Steve Gottwalt who was nominated to be the GOP candidate for a second term in district 15A and Josh Behling was nominated for his first opportunity to be the candidate for district 15B.
Last but not least, I’m honored that I was elected to be a delegate from district 15 at the Minnesota state GOP convention coming up later this Spring!
It was quite the weekend to say the least!
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Friday, March 14th, 2008
There are times when you just want to beat your head up against the wall in disgust with the human race or at least the segment of the human race that works in the news media. That is the case right now as I watch and read more stories that are celebritizing a criminal. I’m talking about the prostitute who was hired by former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.
I’m not sure if she willingly came forward in order to gain fame and notoriety or if some sleazy reporter identified her. Either way it makes me angry. Now she is capitalizing on the exposure in order to maximize her fame. Various corporations are gleefully willing to help out. Already one of the top radio stations in New York is playing music that this hooker wrote and had on her MySpace website. Pornographic magazines are making offers to have her pose in their publication. Other publications are offering tons of money for interviews. What’s next? Maybe this criminal will be on American Idol, or have a made for TV mini-series, or maybe she’ll write a book. This is a woman who should be behind bars along with Eliot Spitzer. How disgusting.
I’m not sure who I’m disgusted with the most. The former governor, the hooker, the various media organizations playing this up for ratings without concern for morality or decency, or the American public who let these operations continue to operate without repercussions. Don’t we get it? These kind of messages are rotting our culture! What does this say to kids? Become a prostitute and you may become popular and earn a bunch of cash? I know this world is evil and I know that we can’t shelter our kids from sin but this goes beyond that. This glorifies evil sexually deviant behavior and promotes breaking the laws of our land.
Shame on the cable news channels. Shame on the magazine publications. Shame on the newspapers. Shame on the radio stations. Shame on us (the American people) for not doing more to stop this.
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Friday, March 14th, 2008
The following is my immediate reaction to the John McCain interview by Sean Hannity on Fox News Channel which aired Thursday night (03/13/08).
Areas that John McCain agrees with conservatives on:
1. The War on Terror. If there’s one area that John McCain is highly qualified for it’s Commander in Chief. He understands the importance of winning the war, he understands that Iraq will be a strategic key to this war and that our forces will have forces represented there like they do in Korea, Japan, Germany, Kuwait, and elsewhere. The key is stopping the casualties and stabilizing the region. This is directly opposite of what Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they would do. They would withdraw our troops and leave the area ripe for a new dictatorship, or for Iran to control, or for a new breeding ground for terrorists.
2. Controlling government spending. John McCain claims he will get rid of earmarks and he has officially put together a no new tax pledge. This would be a welcome change and something Republicans need to correct since they have been spending like a bunch of drunken liberals.
3. Judges. John McCain says he will appoint strict constitutionalist judges. He praised Justice Roberts but offered less enthusiastic endorsements of Alito and Scallia. This may cause some to be concerned but again it’s a safe bet that you’re not going to get far left judges from McCain (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) like you would most certainly get from Hillary or Barack.
Areas that John McCain acknowledges he disagrees with conservatives on:
1. Marriage Amendment. McCain reiterated that he does not support a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. He did say he personally believes that it should be the definition of marriage but that states need to decide this not the federal government. He did say that if the courts ruled that a state without gay marriage had to recognize gay marriages from another state that he would then support a federal constitutional amendment. This is a big concern for social conservatives who believe the family is the bedrock of our country and that we need to protect it because it is under attack.
I get the sense that while there is no way John McCain would go on the offense against the family, neither will he delve too deep in fighting the culture war. That is disheartening but it’s not a crushing blow to social conservative causes, just not a great aide. Obama or Hillary would most likely strike blows against the fight for the sanctity of life and the protection of the family and traditional marriage.
2. Tax Cut Opposition. McCain says he opposed the Bush tax cuts because they didn’t include spending restraints and he thought it was weighted toward the wealthy more than the middle class or poor. Democrats like to say that too. It sounds good, but in essence it sounds like he is dismissing the conservative economic policies of tax cuts for the wealthy which actually do benefit the lower and middle class by providing jobs and growing the economy as a whole. This comment has left so many fiscal conservatives with a bad taste in their mouth.
3. Immigration. McCain says he will make border security the first priority before dealing with illegal immigrants already here and what to do with them. The answer seemed good, but he refused to answer whether or not he’d sign the McCain Kennedy amnesty bill if it was presented to him. He just said the bill wouldn’t happen again, which is answering a hypothetical with a hypothetical, a coy way of deflecting a question.
4. McCain Feingold. Mccain claims the legislation is to keep special interest groups out of government, but he dismisses the notion that it limits free speech. It does. Therefore I find his answer is completely unacceptable
5. Working with Democrats on McCain Kennedy,/McCain Feingold, and McCain Leiberman. McCain says, “The American people sent me to Washington to get things done.” This is unacceptable and a poor answer. “Getting things done” is not a good reason in and of itself. Especially when you’re getting things done that are bad.
6. Energy. Mccain says Nuclear power is vital to our energy independence. I concur. Unfortunately Mccain says he will not support drilling in ANWAR saying it’s pristine and would take too long to drill there. I disagree. We can be responsible in drilling for oil in Alaska, off-shore, and we should immediately begin doing this. It’s vital to our economy and the War on Terror. John McCain does not see this unfortunately which is disappointing.
7. Climate Change. McCain believes man-made climate change is real. He has previously said he supports a “user fee” on each gallon of gasoline to combat global warming. I believe this is confirmation that he’s drunken the enviro-wacko Kool-Aid.
Finally, will John McCain have enough tenacity to point out the differences between himself and Clinton or Obama?
“It’s not that they’re not good people, we just differ philosophically,” says McCain referring to liberal Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
McCain is too cordial. He won’t go after Barack Obama for his 20 year relationship with his radical racist mentor and pastor. He also refused to go after Obama for his relationship with one of the members of the Weather Underground that planned to bomb the Pentagon. McCain hammered home the fact he will run a respectful campaign. I think that is honorable, but you have to be careful. It’s a fine line between being cordial and being timid or luke warm. Americans like a fighter and someone
who will go after his opponent for their extreme views which in the case of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are very disturbing.
Was this interview with Sean Hannity an effective way to reach out to conservatives? It’s a good move no doubt, but he has more work to do still. McCain said he won’t ask to go on Rush Limbaugh’s show, and he won’t ask to talk to James Dobson. Immediately after saying that, the next thing out of his mouth was that he needs to unite the party. Wouldn’t asking to be on Rush Limbaugh’s program and asking to talk to James Dobson be doing just that?
Sometimes unity and leadership requires you to be the bigger person and take the first step. If John McCain is going to simply pretend that voices like Limbaugh and Dobson aren’t important to the Republican base he’s living in a world of ignorance and that may cost him the election. Reaching out by going on Sean Hannity’s program is a start but he needs to continue these kind of actions if he’s to energize the Republican base.
*Another issue that was not brought up in detail was John McCain’s support for embryonic stem cell research which is clearly not a true pro-life position. The only mention the pro-life cause got during this interview was when McCain was asked if he’d change the party platform when it comes to the issue of the sanctity of life and he said he would not.
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Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
Shouldn’t Christians want to protect the environment (God’s Creation) and therefore endorse green technology or other strategies to fight man-made climate change?
If the bold predictions by some environmentalists were proven factual there may be some validity to such a question.
The problem is that there are many contrasting views in the scientific community as to the validity of man-made climate change theory.
Many of the environmental extremists make what appear to be ridiculous exaggerations in their doom and gloom predictions. They suggest the earth will soon come to an end. Many people of faith see the destruction of planet earth as an inevitability which is under God’s sovereignty and to suggest that man has the power to change God’s timeline is a silly notion.
There are many, myself included, who feel a great sense of awe when it comes to God’s creation. We do desire that people treat the earth respectfully. The problem is that many of those behind the man-made climate change movement would have it be the highest priority for all of mankind. That is not acceptable for people of faith. There are many more pressing issues of life, death, and sin that must be the focus of believers. Christians must not find themselves worshiping the creation instead of the Creator.
There are plenty of other reasons Christians should be concerned. The extreme movement to fight this theorized epidemic is itself linked to some pretty nasty things.
It has been linked with a disrespect for human life. The idea of population control with emphasis on abortion and euthanasia is disturbingly linked to this movement. In truth those who are most ardent in their support for this movement see man as the problem. They blame man and elevate the rest of God’s creation to a higher value. The Bible is very clear that man is made in the image of God and that cannot be said for any other organism on planet earth.
As Americans, we should be concerned because there have also been plenty of negative reports on the movements affect on our national security, national sovereignty, and our economy.
National security is affected by the environmental extremists who refuse to allow off-shore drilling and drilling in Alaska, so that we can use a proven energy source and immediately begin to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This same movement is also ardent in its opposition to increasing nuclear power, which France has proven is quite effective and safe.
It doesn’t take an economics professor to look at some of the negative impact the movement is having on our economy. Efforts such as ethanol subsidies have affected the price of corn, which is used for feed which in turn affects the price of beef and milk which ultimately screws with the general economy. Not to mention the fact that producing ethanol for fuel is a losing proposition (it takes more energy to produce ethanol than the energy you get from ethanol as fuel).
Furthermore, the environmental extremists are not resolved to demanding global compliance which leaves the United States weakened while countries like China and India continue to produce the most pollution in the world. Has anyone been paying attention to the decreasing value of the dollar and the record high oil? Could the man-made climate change theory and it’s movement be affecting things? I think so.
While I love God’s creation (I just got back from the mountains in Colorado which are always awe inspiring) I know that God is in control of planet earth and I also know that He has appointed tasks for man of the utmost priority and I’m not sure they include running around trying to save the earth from the theory of man-made climate change.
This article was inspired by a news story talking about certain members of the Southern Baptist Convention who came out in support of efforts to fight man made climate change. I’m a little bothered by it, and apparently I’m not the only one.
Scientists Express Opposition to Man Made Climate Change Theory.
The Great Global Warming Swindle.
Science and Environmental Policy Project.
Climate Skeptic.
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Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
They say prostitution is the worlds oldest profession. That may be so, but I’m not sure it was ever mainstream. Unfortunately stories like the one of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer are becoming more and more common. He is the latest high profile official to be caught in this behavior. Who knows how many more aren’t caught.
Strangely, stories like this are somehow shocking to the public. Should they be?
Given the fact that our culture is inundated with sexual imagery and moral relativity is on the rise, why should we be shocked? When hookers are prominently displayed on television, in the movies, and on the Internet one shouldn’t be too surprised by this news.
I’m certainly not condoning the behavior, to the contrary, it’s both wrong and sad. I feel bad for his family, it’s a sad story of self destruction, and the message it sends to the public including our youth is wrong. The Governor’s credibility is ruined, and the public trust is broken. He simply must resign.
Let me expound upon the affect on kids. Politicians aren’t the same kind of heroes that sports figures, movie stars, or musicians are seen as but they are in the spotlight and kids are bound to be affected by this. Maybe the worst part is that young children are once again bombarded with sexuality in the news before they should ever have to know about it.
I believe this story may be the product of our culture which is filled with messages of casual sex and infidelity. Expect more stories like this to continue to pop up unless something is done to reverse the culture and return us to a society where traditional values are held high.
Don’t be discouraged, be inspired to fight. Talk to your (older) kids, use this story to teach them valuable life lessons about the consequences of infidelity and casual sex. Fight the media and it’s advertisers by making wise consumer choices. Finally write letters to corporations and to your politicians and speak out and petition.
The Culture War rages on…
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Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
Earlier I sat down to eat some lunch, flipped the TV on, and found an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies on TV Land (I grew up watching shows like Green Acres, Get Smart, F-Troop, Mr. Ed, and others on Nick at Nite).
These days it’s pretty rare that I’ll flip on a channel like TV Land. Apparently I’ve missed the Culture War being fought on this supposed “family” channel.
Promos for a reality show produced by TV Land were aired repeatedly. The promo for the show called, High School Reunion, prominently talks about the fact that one of the characters is a lesbian. A decade ago this type of program would’ve been relegated to MTV and not a channel that used to proclaim family friendly programming.
I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. TV Land is owned by MTV Networks, which also owns Nickelodeon (a fact that many parents may not be aware of but should know!)
It appears the American Family Association is well aware of the anti-family and anti-Christian tactics of TV Land. They recently filed an alert that can be found here.
What’s even more disturbing is this press release I ran across from 2005. It proudly spells out the intentions of TV Land to promote the homosexual lifestyle, a deviant behavior which many traditional Americans find unacceptable and morally wrong.
So what can traditional Americans do to fight attacks like this on the family? You have to make consumer choices that will teach companies like this a lesson. Watch who is advertising on this network and make consumer choices accordingly. Write letters to the network, spelling out your disgust for their choices.
Believe it or not, consumer choices can make a difference, look at this recent news article about the Ford Motor Company.
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