Questions About God

The following is an excerpt from a message I sent someone who had questions about God. This individual grew up in church but was becoming more atheist, or at least didn’t want to be a Christian anymore. Perhaps scribing it here at the Court will help others, too.

“People who are raised Christian almost invariably become Christians. People who are raised Muslim become Muslims. People who are raised Hindu, or Buddhist, or Pagan become Hindus, Buddhists or Pagans.”

KSC: Yes this happens all the time, and it’s hard for anyone to get out of their “birth belief” because their faith is usually tied to family, or honor, or dishonor for that matter if they choose something else, and also to the socio-politics of that culture. But in my opinion, the stakes are high enough that personal decisions trump the desires of family members or the possibility of being a social outcast. In other words, the claims and implications of the Bible and Jesus are important enough to be considered carefully and thoroughly, like you are doing. Obviously, you really care about understanding the big picture.

“I looked around, and saw all the other people in my church doing nothing, swearing and ignoring everything good Christians are supposed to do. I saw Christians committing sins of adultery and stealing and lying, and wondered why God would allow them into heaven, but not someone far more honest and righteous who happened to be atheist?”

This is all too common. It’s everywhere, but the Bible is crystal clear that God sees all that. He sees the hypocrisy. Nothing gets past Him. Sometimes you might want God to miraculously do something to out their ridiculous hypocritical lifestyles, but remember, in Jeremiah 17:9, it states,

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. who can understand it?? ‘I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind.’”

And the Bible also makes clear that ultimately all the stuff that’s done “in the dark will be brought into light” and no sin will go unpunished, unless the person truly seeks to turn from their life of wrongdoing and deceit and ask forgiveness in Jesus. (While no one is ever perfect, and believers should daily strive to live in the Word, “so-called” Christians like the ones you described will not enter in His kingdom in their present state of sinful living. They are deceiving themselves.)

You might really enjoy reading the book of Ecclesiastes all the way through. It’s after Proverbs. While you’re at it, you can read Proverbs. Lots of good wisdom and honest frustrations that people experience and “why this” and “why that.” It’s worth a read if you haven’t already.

Also keep in mind, that men and women are both highly prized in God’s eyes and held to very high standards by God. But they are weak, arrogant, boastful, and quick to justify themselves like a little child who quickly lies (or blames a sibling) when his parent finds out he scribbled all over the wall or devours half a cake left on the kitchen table. And sometimes, when you combine someone’s strong faith with a lack of education, or lack of good communication you end up with friends or relatives who don’t have a clue how to describe God or the Bible accurately or his plan, and it leaves something to be desired when someone like you has real questions, and you might be smarter than them in some ways.

“Why would God send someone to hell just because they didn’t believe in him? Why did he create the earth in the first place when he could have just kept us in heaven with him? How did we even know that the bible was correct in what it said?”

and

“Shouldn’t he have given this message to the Hindus of India, the Nature Worshippers in America and the ones in South America who practiced human sacrifice? How much pain, heartbreak and bloodshed could have been prevented! Why would God not do this one simple thing? Why would he allow his children to go to war with each other because some worshipped Vishnu and some worshipped Allah? And the penultimate question: Why did God allow bad things to happen? Of course, we all know “The Answer”: “Because it’s all part of his plan.” I fail to see why such a wise powerful God couldn’t find a more peaceful, loving way to carry out his plans.”

KSC: I read a joke on a blog that went something like this.

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: “I don’t believe that God exists.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer.

“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things.”

The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkept. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: “You know what? Barbers do not exist.”

“How can you say that?”Asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!”

“No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

“Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me.”

“Exactly !” affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”

On this same blog, I read a blog comment. It said:

“The argument given in the text is invalid. The argument against it is : If we have to conclude that God exists but pain and pity also have to be – then God is not powerful. Had barber been ‘all powerful’ then people with long beard would not have existed. So, God also has ‘limited power’ as the barber has …Why should we call him God if he doesn’t have unlimited capacity or power? He’s as human as a barber.”

According to the Bible, God is all powerful, but He does not use his power in all ways and all the time to prevent things from happening. Why wouldn’t He, you ask??

First of all, it’s important to understand God’s interaction with mankind from a historical perspective.

If you will, recall the so-called 400 years of silence between the Old Testament and New Testament.

It is an important time to remember because God did not send prophets at this time and did not seek to overturn armies or cultures full of ungodliness. Had God sent prophets to speak against such civilizations as the Greek and Romans, both of whose appearance on the global scene were predicted by the prophet Daniel, and had God wanted to overturn these cultures immediately, we would not have the academic, historic, and social contributions from both the Greek and Roman civilizations. More importantly, we would not have stage set properly for the coming Messiah.

Consider Ray C. Stedman’s The 400 Years between the Old and New Testaments, from the Adventuring through the Bible series.

In it he writes,

After Malachi had ceased his prophesying and the canon of the Old Testament closed — that is, the number of the books in the Old Testament was fulfilled and the inspired prophets ceased to speak — God allowed a period of time for the teachings of the Old Testament to penetrate throughout the world. During this time, he rearranged the scenes of history, much as a stage crew will rearrange the stage sets after the curtain has fallen, and when the curtain rises again there is an entirely new setting.In about 435 B.C., when the prophet Malachi ceased his writing, the center of world power began to shift from the East to the West. Up to this time, Babylon had been the major world power, but this was soon succeeded by the Medio-Persian empire, as you remember from ancient history. This shift had been predicted by the prophet Daniel, who said that there would rise up a bear who was higher on one side than the other, signifying the division between Media and Persia, with the Persians the predominant ones (Dan. 7:5).
At the height of the Persian power there arose in the country of Macedonia (which we now know as Greece), north of the Black Sea, a man by the name of Philip of Macedon, who became a leader in his own country. He united the islands of Greece and became their ruler. His son was destined to become one of the great world leaders of all time, Alexander the Great. In 330 B.C. a tremendous battle between the Persians and the Greeks entirely altered the course of history. In that battle, Alexander, as a young man only twenty years old, led the armies of Greece in victory over the Persians and completely demolished the power of Persia. The center of world power then shifted farther west into Greece, and the Grecian empire was born.

Stedman continues by writing,

A little later on, about 203 B.C., a king named Antiochus the Great came into power in Syria, to the north of Palestine. He captured Jerusalem from the Egyptians and began the reign of Syrian power over Palestine. He had two sons, one of whom succeeded him and reigned only a few years. When he died, his brother took the throne. This man, named Antiochus Epiphanes, became one of the most vicious and violent persecutors of the Jews ever known. In fact, he is often called the Antichrist of the Old Testament, since he fulfills some of the predictions of Daniel concerning the coming of one who would be “a contemptible person” and “a vile king.” His name (which he modestly bestowed upon himself) means “Antiochus the Illustrious.” Nevertheless, some of his own courtiers evidently agreed more with the prophecies of Daniel, and they changed two letters in his title. from Epiphanes to Epipames, which means “the mad man.” His first act was to depose the high priest in Jerusalem. thus ending the long line of succession, beginning with Aaron and his sons through the many centuries of Jewish life. Onias the Third was the last of the hereditary line of priests. Antiochus Epiphanes sold the priesthood to Jason, who was not of the priestly line. Jason, in turn, was tricked by his younger brother Menelaus, who purchased the priesthood and then sold the golden vessels of the temple in order to make up the tribute money. Epiphanes overthrew the God-authorized line of priests. Then, and under his reign, the city of Jerusalem and all the religious rites of the Jews began to deteriorate as they came fully under the power of the Syrian king.

In 171 B.C. Antiochus invaded Egypt and once again Palestine was caught in the nutcracker of rivalry. Palestine is the most fought-over country in the world, and Jerusalem is the most captured city in all history. It has been pillaged, ravished, burned and destroyed more than 27 times in its history.

While Antiochus was in Egypt, it was reported that he had been killed in battle, and Jerusalem rejoiced. The people organized a revolt and overthrew Menelaus, the pseudo-priest. When report reached Antiochus (who was very much alive in Egypt) that Jerusalem was delighted at the report of his death, he organized his armies and swept like a fury back across the land, falling upon Jerusalem with terrible vengeance.

He overturned the city, regained his power, and guided by the treacherous Menelaus, intruded into the very Holy of Holies in the temple itself. Some 40,000 people were slain in three days of fighting during this terrible time. When he forced his way into the Holy of Holies, he destroyed the scrolls of the law and, to the absolute horror of the Jews, took a sow and offered it upon the sacred altar. Then with a broth made from the flesh of this unclean animal, he sprinkled everything in the temple, thus completely defiling and violating the sanctuary. It is impossible for us to grasp how horrifying this was to the Jews. They were simply appalled that anything like this could ever happen to their sacred temple.

It was that act of defiling the temple which is referred to by the Lord Jesus as the “desolating sacrilege” which Daniel had predicted (Matt. 24:15), and which also became a sign of the coming desolation of the temple when Antichrist himself will enter the temple, call himself God, and thus defile the temple in that time. As we know from the New Testament, that still lies in the future.

Daniel the prophet had said the sanctuary would be polluted for 2300 days. (Dan. 8:14) In exact accordance with that prophecy, it was exactly 2300 days — six and a half years — before the temple was cleansed. It was cleansed under the leadership of a man now famous in Jewish history, Judas Maccabaeus. He was one of the priestly line who, with his father and four brothers, rose up in revolt against the Syrian king. They captured the attention of the Israelites, summoned them to follow them into battle, and in a series of pitched battles in which they were always an overwhelming minority, overthrew the power of the Syrian kings, captured Jerusalem, and cleansed the temple. The day they cleansed the temple was named the Day of Dedication, and it occurred on the 25th day of December. On that date Jews still celebrate the Feast of Dedication each year.

The Maccabees, who were of the Asmonean family, began a line of high priests known as the Asmonean Dynasty. Their sons, for about the next three or four generations, ruled as priests in Jerusalem, all the time having to defend themselves against the constant assaults of the Syrian army who tried to recapture the city and the temple. During the days of the Maccabbees there was a temporary overthrow of foreign domination, which is why the Jews look back to this time and regard it with such tremendous veneration.

During this time, one of the Asmonean priests made a league with the rising power in the West, Rome. He signed a treaty with the Senate of Rome, providing for help in the event of Syrian attack. Though the treaty was made in all earnestness and sincerity, it was this pact which introduced Rome into the picture and history of Israel.

As the battles between the two opposing forces waged hotter and hotter, Rome was watchful. Finally, the Governor of Idumea, a man named Antipater and a descendant of Esau, made a pact with two other neighboring kings and attacked Jerusalem to try to overthrow the authority of the Asmonean high priest. This battle raged so fiercely that finally Pompey, the Roman general, who happened to have an army in Damascus at the time, was besought by both parties to come and intervene. One side had a little more money than the other, and persuaded by that logical argument, Pompey came down from Damascus, entered the city of Jerusalem — again with terrible slaughter — overthrew the city and captured it for Rome. That was in 63 B.C. From that time on, Palestine was under the authority and power of Rome.

Now Pompey and the Roman Senate appointed Antipater as the Procurator of Judea, and he in turn made his two sons kings of Galilee and Judea. The son who became king of Judea is known to us a Herod the Great. (“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?’” (Matt. 2:1, 2)

Meanwhile, the pagan empires around had been deteriorating and disintegrating. Their religions had fallen upon evil days. The people were sick of the polytheism and emptiness of their pagan faiths. The Jews had gone through times of pressure and had failed in their efforts to re-establish themselves, and had given up all hope. There was a growing air of expectancy that the only hope they had left was the coming at last of the promised Messiah. In the East, the oriental empires had come to the place where the wisdom and knowledge of the past had disintegrated and they too were looking for something. When the moment came when the star arose over Bethlehem, the wise men of the East who were looking for an answer to their problems saw it immediately and came out to seek the One it pointed to. Thus, “when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son.”

It is amazing how God utilizes history to work out his purposes. Though we are living in the days that might be termed “the silence of God,” when for almost 2,000 years there has been no inspired voice from God, we must look back — even as they did during those 400 silent years — upon the inspired record and realize that God has already said all that needs to be said, through the Old and New Testaments. God’s purposes have not ended, for sure. He is working them out as fully now as he did in those days. Just as the world had come to a place of hopelessness then, and the One who would fulfill all their hopes came into their midst, so the world again is facing a time when despair is spreading widely across the earth. Hopelessness is rampant everywhere and in this time God is moving to bring to fulfillment all the prophetic words concerning the coming of his Son again into the world to establish his kingdom. How long? How close? Who knows? But what God has done in history, he will do again as we approach the end of “the silence of God.”

Another way to view God is to look at God as a loving parent. it’s probably the best analogy one can use to understand God. A loving parent, whether a loving father or mother, ideally wants what is best for his/her child. But with love comes authority and discipline, for the hallmark of true love from a parent is love and authority mixed equally. Otherwise, kids act out uncontrollably and a parent does little to control him and there will be a lack of respect for others and for people in authority. And in contrast, if there is only discipline without love, you have hurt and bitterness.

So God is a balance of love and discipline/authority. You find it all through the Bible. God demands loyalty. He made us after all. He made us in His own image. We look like how God looks. How would you feel, if your own child, comes back to you one day from school and stops listening to you, stops obeying you, almost like you aren’t even there?? And on top of that, when s/he does finally speak to you, they say, I just found out from Tommy at school that you aren’t my real mom, when you know full well you gave birth to that little ungrateful (but still the apple of your eye) child. What if s/he started wanting to spend more time at the neighbors house whom she thinks is her real parent, crying and throwing fits everytime you go over there to retrieve her?? Wouldn’t that hurt you as a parent, or perhaps feel jealous that your child’s “love” is set aside for another family??

Well, the Bible says openly that God is a jealous God, and He has every right to be. We have the audacity and arrogance to deny Him to His face, never look to Him, never open the Bible, never live for Him in truth and in spirit, and then question Him why there is so much crap in the world. It’s because we are disobedient little sons of guns that need discipline. So fear is a healthy thing, because it implies a healthy dose of discipline and consequence if a wrong is not corrected anytime soon (or at the count of 3, like parents often say).

Furthermore, as a parent you could never ever, ever see yourself forcing your child to love you in return. And if you did somehow force them into loving you, would that really be genuine love?? How much better is it when a child for no reason hugs you, and makes something for you, and says “i love you” just because. How much more is God, who is holy, aware of our love for Him than a parent, who is sinful?? and how much more is God, who is perfect and just, aware of our disobedience and disdain than a parent, who is a mere human with faults??

Is this not what God commands, to love Him with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength, and to hate sin and the disobedient ways of a lost world?? Is it not God’s command through Jesus to love one another as though yourself. Is it not Jesus who commanded people to help one another, to look after one another??

Now, look around you. Do you see much of that going on these days?? No, rather quite the opposite. People mistreating and harming one another in action and in words are everywhere. This world needs to embrace the living God, not run from him simply because He is a mystery to our limited knowledge of the universe or the depths of sin capable within humanity. Now, in Christ’s ideal commands to love one another, and in God’s commands to turn from sin, to become a new creation in Him, don’t you think our country would slowly start to resemble a more perfect Union?? It might not fully get there because of the strong influence of our sinful nature, but our culture is exceedingly better off with the Gospel of Grace and Salvation and Love for both our friends and enemies, than a culture completely barren of its existence.

Let us draw closer to those around us with love, by looking to God to cleanse us first, and like a pyramid, as we look to God at the top, we come together with our peers to reach the summit of perfect fellowship. We live in Him, and we live joyously with one another, for without Him, we are far more deceitful and full of lies and anguish than any other creature in the ocean or on land, and that’s no way to act for someone created in His likeness and brought into this world to serve Him and to serve our fellow men and women.

Obama, The Anti-Christ??

The Court received an article, forwarded by e-mail, originally written by columnist, Ken Blackwell, for the New York Sun.

It is time to bring Mr. Blackwell before the court.
The article follows this entry.

Mr. Blackwell, begin your case.

KB: Consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable
 
KSC: Our health care system is in ruins. It is delusional to think otherwise. I know from personal experience and what I’ve dealt with is a complete joke. It has been a royal pain, pardon the pun.

If i explained to you what i’ve dealt with, you would agree it needs an overhaul. We need universal health care, or at least drastic changes away from the status quo, which is a hallmark of conservative thinking. Our government must be open to progress even if it might cost money to big corporations in the short term.
 
And free trade agreements have become an embarrassment and the Clintons have even admitted its faults.

COURT DECREE - EVIDENCE SUBMITTED, PLEASE READ
 http://www.madre.org/articles/lac/colombiafta040108.html
 
(Madre.org – Demanding Human Rights for Women and Families Around The World)
 
The US-Colombia Unfair Trade Agreement: Just Say No!
“With Congress back in session, the Bush Administration is pushing hard to pass another trade agreement based on the failed NAFTA model, this time with Colombia. The Administration is in a race against public opinion, which is quickly turning against the kind of neoliberal trade deals that have worsened poverty and inequality in every country where they have been implemented and led to a massive loss of jobs in the United States. The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Colombia promises more of the same. The deal will also strengthen Colombia’s government, which is responsible for severe human rights violations.” 
 
  
KB: How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.
 
KSC: Big government is made out to be a villian by Republicans because they want things to stay the same. Look at the past several years. Under the Bush administration we have seen record deficits, states in record deficit having to cut program after program, with colleges and universities severly afftected, and thus, affecting enrollment and families. We have seen in the last few years universities actually encouraging high school students to wait to apply to college because they cannot afford to take on new enrollments.

That’s unheard of.

Our country is crumbling under the weight of the lousiest and most ridiculous financial decisions by our government. The Bush administration has failed us in all financial and economic sectors and has the arrogance to think for one minute he has done some good in his presidency. the Bush administration, and all Republicans, favor big business and corporate assistance to run a government. unfortunately a price comes with that.

It’s called favortism, and that is forbidden in the Bible.

These big businesses drive policies because they subsidize the engines of our government. You can bet these companies are in Bush’s back pocket. The Bush administration has boldly stated that sending U.S. jobs overseas is “American” yet in reality nothing is more Un-American. it’s helpful for the bottomline for a large company, making the rich get richer, and the poor out of work. the working class and middle class are being squeezed economically on all sides (housing, gas, health insurance, inflation, etc.) because Bush and Cheney sign everything that shows up for a signature. Bush would probably sign whatever personal faith he has away if it arrived in document form on his table.  God expects us to be good stewards of our talents and our money. Bush has set a sorrowful and terrible example of how to bring ruin to an economy. if just one household followed his lead, the head of household would be a disgrace to his family and a burden to his wife and children, to say the least.

Big Government is painted by Republicans as a meddlesome overbearing entity but that is a scare tactic and nothing more. we need a balance between government that is there to do its job without special interests guiding it and a government that doesn’t interfere at every turn either. even the Bible says it is wise to avoid all extremes, does it not??
 

 
 
KB: Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, “All praise and glory to God!” but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have “hijacked” – hijacked – Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban – ban – on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.
 
KSC: I’m sorry Mr. Blackwell, but you must not be aware that the Gay Agenda has exploded and thrived into new heights both in society and in Hollywood, all under the Bush administration. the truth is that we cannot legislate morality to the extent it should be forced upon the citizens of a country. moral decisions, while helped along with a government, are ultimately the personal decision of each individual, just like one’s acceptance of Jesus as their Savior. You simply cannot legislate a moral demand against the daily decisions made by sinners even though we agree as believers that it’s in everyone’s best interest to do what is right in God’s eyes. You cannot force people to stop drinking alcohol, nor smoking, nor smoking weed, nor considering or having abortions, nor having adultery or fornication, heterosexually or homosexually. these are things that are above the government’s true abilities. we can pick Godly judges but that only goes so far. like i said, the Gay Movement has picked up, sadly, more momentum during Bush’s presidency. Had we had a Democrat in office all this time, the church bells would not ring loud enough of accusations that such gay rights advancments were the direct result of a liberal Democrat in office. 
  
How can we dare claim that middle America is any more wholesome than any other part of the nation?? Does not sin exist everywhere?? Does not greed, contempt, deciet, apathy, racism, and all things sinful find its place in Michigan as well as California?? Does it not exist in Illinois like it does in Florida?? Is middle America that much closer to God than those who can be found in Hawaii??

That is a joke to think the Bible Belt can be worn like an adornment. The Bible Belt is a media term and nothing more and i feel bad if you buy into it. Where you find the so-called Bible Belt, in the South, it can be argued in the same way that there exists more racial tension and a love for guns than anywhere else. But even that might be untrue. There is racism of all forms everywhere and Republicans and Democrats alike who favor having the freedom to own guns.
 
You show ignorance because even if Obama voted against a ban on handguns, do you not realize that Republicans have long favored gun ownership?? It is practically a requirement for any Republican candidate to support the right to bear arms.
 
COURT DECREE - EVIDENCE SUBMITTED, PLEASE READ
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7416120.stm
 
A car dealership in the United States is offering a free handgun with every vehicle sold.
 
He added that the promotion was inspired by recent comments from one of the Democratic nominees for the presidential election, saying: “We did it because of Barack Obama. He said all those people in the Midwest, you’ve got to have compassion for them because they’re clinging to their guns and their Bibles. I found that quite offensive. We all go to church on Sunday and we all carry guns.“ 
 
 
KB: The anti-christ will be a man in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal….the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything.
 
KSC: This is a joke. I mean really. Do you believe that yourself?? Honestly?? Has Obama denied the Father and the Son?? No, he hasn’t. On the contrary, he’s a church-goer, a church based in Biblical scripture with a pastor whom ought to be brought before this court like you Mr. Blackwell. Remember the verses, “What hath light with dark??” and “A kingdom divided cannot stand,” or have you overlooked these??
 
The anti-Christ will decieve definitely but he will outspoken from day one against all that is Godly and of God. Mr. Blackwell, you are just like so many in the media, on both sides, liberal and conservative. We live in a time where those in media, hungry for airtime, for press, for ratings, and for money live to speak outrageous things. They live to stir debate at the expense of truth. They in essence, exchange the truth for a lie, just to make their own resumes look better.

How pathetic.

 
COURT DECREE - EVIDENCE SUBMITTED, PLEASE READ

Ken Blackwell – Columnist for the New York Sun

It’s an amazing time to be alive in America. We’re in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first front-running freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.

We won’t truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won’t arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender. Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.

The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the front runner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him. Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He’s not. He’s the next George McGovern. And it’s time people learned the facts.

Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton.    Never in my life have I seen a presidential front runner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.

Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he’s not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant..  Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let’s look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial “beauty.”

Start with national security, since the president’s most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists – something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.

Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on “the rich.”

How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.

Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, “All praise and glory to God!” but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have “hijacked” – hijacked – Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban – ban – on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values,
not Middle America values.

The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don’t start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of “bringing America together” means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs.

But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and – yes – they’re talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama’s radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.

It’s time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let’s first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.
 
Subject:  Kind of scary, wouldn’t you think Remember–God is good, and is in time, on time in every time

According to The Book of Revelations the anti-christ is:

The anti-christ will be a man in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal….the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything.

The Swinging Pendulum – Pt. 2 – The Extremism Of Homosexuality

In the first part of “The Swinging Pendulum,” I discussed extremism and how it affects all aspects of society. I also mentioned how the pendulum is swinging from one extreme to another in viewing racism in America.

Like racism, homosexuality affects a group, a country, and an individual in a similar manner. Targets of slurs, taunts, and physical harm, homosexuals have sought to find acceptance and friendship in a society fiercely protective of its ideals and morals. Unfortunately such ideals are guarded and upheld by imperfect people, whether Christian or not, who often lack the very love and compassion as commanded by Christ himself, and who find themselves quick to find fault in others while ignoring their own sin and disobedience that God plainly sees.

Nevertheless, regarding homosexuality, make no mistake as the Bible is clear in Leviticus 18: 22:

“‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; this is detestable.’”

and in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11, it states:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor theives nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Now obviously, it takes believing that the Bible really is God’s messages, words, warnings, instructions, and love letters to mankind to accept what Scripture has stated about homosexuality. But for one to simply to choose not to believe in the Bible or to believe it is nonsense written by men does not mean it is. Anyone can refuse to believe anything. But simply believing or not believing has nothing to do with its reality or fallacy. Just consider yourself an ostrich in that case.

So what is a homosexual to do?? What is the extent to which rights are given to homosexuals in a society none too thrilled by its practice?? How should Christians or non-Christians treat homosexuals??

First of all, the Bible is clear that homosexuality was grounds for expulsion, or to be cut off from their fellow people. This isolationist view does paint a somber picture for the life of one who has sex with another of the same gender. But in a world of growing technology, could it be that homosexuality is perhaps a genetic defect, or a chromosomal malfunction, or be the result of some other biological origin rather than a perversion made by choice?? No one can say for sure, but the main thing required is love and compassion. In matters such as these, it is far better to imitate Christ first, and the apostle Paul second, in his letter to the Corinthians.

In 1 Corinthians 5: 12-13, Paul states:

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside.

With regard to public policy and rights afforded, it gets complicated. It first must be understood that morality comes from within. It cannot be legislated with full compliance or success. No amount of legislation, laws and regulations can actually change a person’s desire to obey those in authority. With that said, we are seeing the pendulum swinging from one extreme to another in homosexuality, both in terms of the decrees handed down and in the treatment of others.

The gay and lesbian community has made advances in achieving acceptance like never before. Although lines are being drawn in this divisive issue, homosexuals are increasingly finding acceptance in the ink of a governor’s pen.

According to an article at WorldNetDaily.com, California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, just signed into law the outlawing of terms in California schools deemed negative to the gay and lesbian community. What terms are those?? They would be none other than the words “Mom,” “Dad,” and “husband and wife.” In addition, the governor has ordered public schools to allow boys to use girls’ restroom and locker rooms, and vice versa, if they choose, in an attempt to make them feel most comfortable with their own gender identification.

“We are shocked and appalled that the governor has blatantly attacked traditional family values in California,” said Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute.

“With this decision, Gov. Schwarzenegger has told parents that their values are irrelevant. Many parents will have no choice but to pull their children out of the public schools that have now become sexualized indoctrination centers.”

There is no other way to say it. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s utter lack of good judgement for all has waned in favor of incompetence and political pressure and correctness. Therefore his lack of vision and his gross gubernatorial shortsightedness places his decision front and center before King Solomon’s Court. (Keep in mind, that not on trial here is his effort to help people find acceptance. People of all backgrounds and lifestyles are to be judged by God, but it is his particular response to the problems at hand which is now being addressed.)

To ban the terms “Mom” and “Dad,” and “husband and wife” in public school is ridiculous in its most elementary form. It is profoundly absurd and has opened up a universe of problems in allowing boys to use girls’ restrooms and girls to use boys’ restrooms. Does he honestly think only gays and lesbians are going to “identify” with one restroom or locker room of the opposite sex?? And you thought the Catholic Church was a breeding ground for sexually immorality. Now, all one has to do is claim to be gay, and they’re in, no questions asked.

What clearly is needed here, as in any case, is balance – balance in good judgement, ideas, and acceptance for all. With strong leadership across the board focused on ideals and compassion, it can be achieved. Instead, we have a swinging pendulum, showing the way to a newly acceptable extremism, not the traditional extremism of a Judeo-Christian past, but of an extremism of relative truth, political correctness, and of the morally void present.

The Swinging Pendulum – Pt. 1 – The Extremism Of Racism

Extremism.

What comes to mind when you think of this word?? People going overboard in their beliefs?? People going beyond the measure of what’s needed??

Perhaps you think of these things and alot more. You might even question whether such extremists are acting over the top on beliefs that are moderate to start with, or whether their beliefs are extreme to start with. In any case, we are living in a time where it’s easier to find discord in one another rather than unity, wherein more are viewed as an outsider rather than a companion.

But extremism takes many forms and affects everyone. If you view extremism as the opposite of balance, you can begin to put into perspective how even something like our personal time management can be seen as extremism. What are we giving our time to?? Are we working too much?? Do we find ourselves behaving selfishly too often?? Do we make time for others?? These are simple examples of extremism at work in our lives, but remember what is at work in our personal lives, multiplied by hundreds of thousands and tens of millions, is what is at work in our society as a whole.

Therefore, the extremism shown to a child, whether intentional or not, innocent or not, will rub off on the child as a growing participant in society. And in that society, over time and especially in America, we have seen a shift of extremism, and in countless forms.

In fact, it is a swinging pendulum.

While extremism occurs in small ways, it also occurs in ways that affect people as a group, as a country, and of course, as an individual. Such extremism can be found in hot topics such as racism, homosexuality, politics, and religion. And at King Solomon’s Court, these four issues will be discussed in four parts, all in relation to the notion of balance and God’s Word.

Racism.

This one word represents all that is superficial, lacking knowledge, but full of insecurity, lacking compassion, but full of false pride, lacking familiarity, but full of hypocrisy.

In James chapter 2, James discusses how favortism should be forbidden. In verses 3-5, it states:

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

And in verses 8-9 it is written:

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

In 1 John 3: 16-20 it states,

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

And lastly, in 1 Samuel 16: 7, it states:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

So with just these few verses as a reference, it is evident that racism and favortism should have no place in society, yet they do. But how does this relate to the swinging pendulum??

People are racist for a number of reasons. In some cases, the apple hasn’t fallen very far from the tree, meaning that kids pick up the attitudes and bigotry held by their parents or those close to them. Some like to assume one bad apple equates to nothing but bad apples in the entire barrel. And the list goes on and on. This has been the case as directed, in general, toward minorities, and to make the playing field even, lawmakers have come up with things like Affirmative Action to counterbalance the years of historical unfairness. But incorporating that is, at best, a temporary solution. It cannot be a long term fix because itself is discrimination in reverse. The pendulum is swinging from one extreme to another, from the discrimination of one end of the spectrum to the discrimination of another end of the spectrum. And only true balance is achieved in society when a man’s ability is based on his ability, not his skin color. But until then, we have the swinging pendulum, where one wrong is being used to correct a previous wrong that should never have been in the first place. But in the meantime, we need balance where there is none, until one day, we can have true talent over demographics and mere appearance of equality, and opportunity that triumphs over poverty and idleness.