Kings Contrasted

King Xerxes, a.k.a. Ahasuerus, was ruler of the Medio-Persian Empire during the early fifth century before Christ. It is noted in the Scriptures that part of the protocol of Xerxes' court was that no one could approach him, unless first being summoned, without risking a death sentence. Even his wife, Esther, was bound by this jeopardy. One can understand that a busy monarch can't be interrupted by trifles when attending to business, but a possible execution? For family members?
As a king, Xerxes was certainly powerful: his dominion extended from Greece to India. As a man, however, his character seemed to be somewhat average. The Biblical narrative attributes both strengths and weaknesses to him. So what right did he have to act as if he exuded unapproachable glory?

King Jesus dwells in such glory. His dominion is from one end of the universe to the other. His character is "holy, holy, holy." Yet he bids all of us, whether rulers or ruffians, satraps or squatters, princes or paupers, "Come." However, just as Queen Esther thoroughly prepared herself with fasting and beauty treatments when she approached her husband Xerxes on an urgent matter, so must we prepare ourselves for an audience with the King of Kings. First, humble yourself and acknowledge that you are a sinner unworthy of the Lord's favor. Then believe in Christ's life, death, and resurrection, trusting that the blood he shed can wash away the unworthiness from you. Then, as the Bible says, "boldly approach the throne of grace." The Lord is not too busy for you.

Public Sector Unions Bleeding America Dry

This article by DIRECTORBLUE was originally posted here at HotAir.com.

Throughout American history — and as recently as the 1950s — there were no unions for government workers. Public-sector employees were expected to earn a bit less than their private-sector equivalents. The reasons they did so included an interest in public service, job security and reasonable benefits.

But that changed in the late fifties with New York City Mayor Robert Wagner’s cynical appeal to the votes of city workers. He signed an executive order authorizing them to unionize, and soon other local and state Democrat legislators around the country followed his lead.

These efforts culminated in 1962, when President John F. Kennedy granted federal employees the right to collectively bargain. Since then, public sector union membership has skyrocketed while, in the private sector, unions have fallen out of favor.

In 2009, private sector union members were outnumbered for the first time by their public sector counterparts.

The historical basis of unions revolved around workers receiving a reasonable share of a company’s profits. But that tenet is nonsensical when applied to public service. Governments don’t make profits; they simply assess taxes.

The aims of public sector unions conflict directly with the interests of taxpayers.

And because it has been exceedingly hard to fight public sector unions, the salaries and benefits of public employees have skyrocketed in recent years. Since the election of Barack Obama, the number of federal employees making over $150,000 a year has more than doubled to over 10,000.

In 2009 government salaries jumped 2.4%, approximately twice the increase earned by private sector employees. In fact, the average salary of a federal worker is now $71,000, about $22,000 more than the average private sector employee.

Worst of all, public sector unions have negotiated pension plans that are proving financially untenable. Many allow workers to retire at age 55 at around their full salary in their final years of employment. These pensions often include inflation adjustments as well as lifetime free health care.

These plans are so outrageous that state retirement systems, for example, are currently underfunded by about a trillion dollars.

So how have public sector unions achieved these amazing results? The answer is hundreds of millions of dollars, the approximate amount that unions have contributed to federal campaigns since 1990. Almost every dollar went to Democrats or Democrat causes. In the 2008 election alone, some estimates put public sector union contributions to Democrats at $60 million.

These unions are also astroturfing for Democrats, providing slush funds to help liberal causes. An example is ThePartyIsOver.org, a faux populist website designed to discredit TEA Party activists.

The Democrats’ health care bill, the ‘Employee Free Choice Act’ and the $800+ billion stimulus bill all contained payoffs to public sector unions. In fact, while the private sector has shed 7,000,000 jobs since the recession began, the number of public sector jobs has risen every month.

Public sector unions are killing our economic system and the American taxpayer. The debt unleashed by their outrageous benefits plans simply cannot be paid. The union bosses have lied to their members about lifetime benefits and they have betrayed the American people. Public sector unions must be disbanded and outlawed before our country resembles Greece, Spain and other European countries that are teetering on the brink of destruction, thanks to unions just like ours.

The Religious Right vs. The Religious and The Right

I'm encountering increasing opposition to faith-informed political involvement from my brethren in the Church as well as from libertarians on the Right side of the political spectrum.

To my brethren, I would point out that God's people being involved in secular politics has a long and distinguished history. Is there any doubt that God himself made Joseph the Prime Minister of Egypt? Were not Nehemiah and Daniel political figures? Was George Whitfield neglecting his preaching when he led the labor reform movement in Great Britain? Should William Wilberforce have become a preacher rather than remain in Britain's Parliament after his conversion to Christianity? If he had, the British slave trade would have thrived for decades longer. Should the 19th century missionaries to India have concerned themselves with evangelism only? If they had not become politically active, many hundreds more widows would have been burned along with their deceased husbands. Today, prison reforms, anti-slavery movements, and other human rights causes have been led by Christians around the world, not to mention the efforts to curtail the slaughter of unborn children. Are the saints wasting their time in these efforts?

To my irreligious friends on the Right, can you really win elections by continuing to alienate social conservatives? Will accepting abortion-on-demand and embracing (or ignoring) the homosexual agenda serve to rally the millions of conservative churchgoers to the polls? Do not the founding documents of this Republic, documents which you claim to adhere to, honor our Creator as the source of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of justice?

"The Green Death" by Doctor Zero

Cross-posted at www.doczero.org

Who is the worst killer in the long, ugly history of war and extermination? Hitler? Stalin? Pol Pot? Not even close. A single book called Silent Spring killed far more people than all those fiends put together.

Published in 1962, Silent Spring used manipulated data and wildly exaggerated claims (sound familiar?) to push for a worldwide ban on the pesticide known as DDT – which is, to this day, the most effective weapon against malarial mosquitoes. The Environmental Protection Agency held extensive hearings after the uproar produced by this book… and these hearings concluded that DDT should not be banned. A few months after the hearings ended, EPA administrator William Ruckleshaus over-ruled his own agency and banned DDT anyway, in what he later admitted was a “political” decision. Threats to withhold American foreign aid swiftly spread the ban across the world.

The resulting explosion of mosquito-borne malaria in Africa has claimed over sixty million lives. This was not a gradual process – a surge of infection and death happened almost immediately. The use of DDT reduces the spread of mosquito-borne malaria by fifty to eighty percent, so its discontinuation quickly produced an explosion of crippling and fatal illness. The same environmental movement which has been falsifying data, suppressing dissent, and reading tea leaves to support the global-warming fraud has studiously ignored this blood-drenched “hockey stick” for decades.

The motivation behind Silent Spring, the suppression of nuclear power, the global-warming scam, and other outbreaks of environmentalist lunacy is the worship of centralized power and authority. The author, Rachel Carson, didn’t set out to kill sixty million people – she was a fanatical believer in the newly formed religion of radical environmentalism, whose body count comes from callousness, rather than blood thirst. The core belief of the environmental religion is the fundamental uncleanliness of human beings. All forms of human activity are bad for the environment… most especially including the activity of large private corporations. Deaths in faraway Africa barely registered on the radar screen of the growing Green movement, especially when measured against the exhilarating triumph of getting a sinful pesticide banned, at substantial cost to an evil corporation.

Those who were initiated into the higher mysteries of environmentalism saw the reduction of the human population as a benefit, although they’re generally more circumspect about saying so in public these days. As quoted by Walter Williams, the founder of the Malthusian Club of Rome, Alexander King, wrote in 1990: “My own doubts came when DDT was introduced. In Guayana, within two years, it had almost eliminated malaria. So my chief quarrel with DDT, in hindsight, is that it has greatly added to the population problem.” Another charming quote comes from Dr. Charles Wurster, a leading opponent of DDT, who said of malaria deaths: “People are the cause of all the problems. We have too many of them. We need to get rid of some of them, and this is as good a way as any.”

Like the high priests of global warming, Rachel Carson knew what she was doing. She claimed DDT would actually destroy all life on Earth if its use continued – the “silent spring” of the title is a literal description of the epocalypse she forecast. She misused a quote from Albert Schweitzer about atomic warfare, implying the late doctor agreed with her crusade against pesticide by dedicating her book to him… when, in fact, Schweitzer viewed DDT as a “ray of hope” against disease-carrying insects. Some of the scientists attempting to debunk her hysteria went so far as to eat chunks of DDT to prove it was harmless, but she and her allies simply ignored them, making these skeptics the forerunners of today’s “global warming deniers” – absolutely correct and utterly vilified. William Ruckleshaus disregarded nine thousand pages of testimony when he imposed the DDT ban. Then as now, the science was settled… beneath a mass of politics and ideology.

Another way Silent Spring forecast the global-warming fraud was its insistence that readers ignore the simple evidence of reality around them. One of the founding myths of modern environmentalism was Carson’s assertion that bird eggs developed abnormally thin shells due to DDT exposure, leading the chicks to be crushed before they could hatch. As detailed in this American Spectator piece from 2005, no honest experimental attempt to produce this phenomenon has ever succeeded – even when using concentrations of DDT a hundred times greater than anything that could be encountered in nature. Carson claimed thin egg shells were bringing the robin and bald eagle to the edge of extinction… even as the bald eagle population doubled, and robins filled the trees. Today, those eagles and robins shiver in a blanket of snow caused by global warming.

The DDT ban isn’t the only example of environmental extremism coming with a stack of body bags. Mandatory gas mileage standards cause about 2,000 deaths per year, by compelling automakers to produce lighter, more fragile cars. The biofuel mania has led resources to be shifted away from growing food crops, resulting in higher food prices and starvation. Worst of all, the economic damage inflicted by the environmentalist religion directly correlates to life-threatening reductions in the human standard of living. The recent earthquake in Haiti is only the latest reminder that poverty kills, and collectivist politics are the most formidable engine of poverty on Earth.

Environmental extremism is a breathless handmaiden for collectivism. It pours a layer of smooth, creamy science over a relentless hunger for power. Since the boogeymen of the Green movement threaten the very Earth itself with imminent destruction, the environmentalist feels morally justified in suspending democracy and seizing the liberty of others. Of course we can’t put these matters to a vote! The dimwitted hicks in flyover country can’t understand advanced biochemistry or climate science. They might vote the wrong way, and we can’t risk the consequences! The phantom menaces of the Green movement can only be battled by a mighty central State. Talk of representation, property rights, and even free speech is madness when such a threat towers above the fragile ecosphere, wheezing pollutants and coughing out a stream of dead birds and drowned polar bears. You can see why the advocates of Big Government would eagerly race across a field of sustainable, organic grass to sweep environmentalists into their arms, and spin them around in the ozone-screened sunlight.

Green philosophy provides vital nourishment for the intellectual vanity of leftists, who get to pat themselves on the back for saving the world through the control-freak statism they longed to impose anyway. One of the reasons for the slow demise of the climate-change nonsense is that it takes a long time to let so much air out of so many egos. Calling “deniers” stupid and unpatriotic was very fulfilling. Likewise, you’ll find modern college campuses teeming with students – and teachers – who will fiercely insist that DDT thins egg shells and causes cancer. Environmentalism is a primitive religion which thrives by telling its faithful they’re too sophisticated for mere common sense.

The legacy of Silent Spring provides an object lesson in the importance of bringing the global-warming con artists to trial. No one was ever forced to answer for the misery inflicted by that book, or the damage it dealt to serious science. Today Rachel Carson is still celebrated as a hero, the secular saint who transformed superstition and hysteria into a Gospel for the modern god-state. The tactics she deployed against DDT resurfaced a decade later, in the Alar scare. It’s a strategy that offers great reward, and very little risk. We need to increase the risk factor, and frighten the next generation of junk scientists into being more careful with their research. If we don’t, the Church of Global Warming will just reappear in a few years, wearing new vestments and singing new hymms… but still offering the same communion of poverty, tyranny, and death.

Tame the Lame Blame Game

I've long been weary of President Obama's blame-the-GOP mantra, which is often echoed by his defenders. Yes, BHO did inherit some huge problems (most of which he made worse). The economic recession had causes from both the recent as well as distant past. President Bush spent way too much money (not nearly as much as Obama is on track to spend), but what hurt the economy more were the Clinton-era liberal programs forcing mortgage lenders to lend to many thousands of seriously under-qualified folks, which led to the housing bubble growing and popping.

The knee-jerk response of any criticism of Obama is usually, "Well, under Bush..." Who says we have to go back to Bush? There's no logical reason to bring him up. The one we need to go back to is President Reagan. Let's cut spending*, cut taxes, protect human life from conception to natural death, and project American strength around the world. At least Bush did three out of the four. Right now we're doing none of them.

If the liberal defenders of Obama think anyone wants to go back to Bush, they ought to remember how unpopular he was. Liberals opposed him because he was a Republican, moderates because of the war in Iraq, and conservatives because of the spending.

Since there's blame enough for both parties, let's focus on the solutions that Reagan espoused. The same principles that the founders of our country espoused.

*I understand that Reagan didn't cut spending. He wanted to cut domestic spending, but had to compromise with the Democrat Congressional majorities during his administration. He allowed them their spending if they gave him his tax cuts, which revived us from the Carter recession and led to great national prosperity. And Reagan had to spend a lot on the military, to rebuild what Carter had dismantled.

Good times!

What a great week for the USA!
1) A non-liberal was elected as Massachusetts' junior Senator.
2) The Supreme Court freed the First Amendment from the shackles of so-called Campaign Finance Reform.
3) ObamasCare died.
4) Air (anti-)America went out of business.
God give us more weeks like this!

Blogspot Scrooge

Why can't I copy-n-paste an article I wrote on my Facebook into this blog? It's stuff like this that makes me use Facebook more & Blogspot less.

Science is unbiased, scientists are not

Here's the latest on the scientific scandal that's appearing in all media which don't have left-wing biases...which means that if you don't observe Fox News, talk radio, or Drudge, you might not even be aware of it. Be that as it may, I've been complaining for decades about the other topic many scientists alter or conceal evidence about: Darwinism. I'm eager for Fox, talk radio, and Drudge to report just as zealously about that. One day they will, because the mounting evidence will eventually burst the levees of deceit.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia, or...

Paraskavedekatriaphobia = fear of Friday the 13th = irrational.
Try this one instead:
The beginning of wisdom = fear of the Lord.
When we realize we've offended the holy King of Kings with our multitude of sins, that's a good start.
The next step of wisdom = trust in the Lord.
When we admit that we can never be good enough to please him without his help, & we cast ourselves on his mercy.
The completion of wisdom = loving the Lord.
Perfect love casts out fear. Perfect love is the best motivation for obedience.
This love is not mushy feelings. This is Jesus-I-would-do-anything-

for-you commitment.
This love cannot happen without going through the first two steps.
The Christian life is a process of joyfully, mysteriously, excitedly going through these steps repeatedly until we see him face-to-face.

My President's Accusation

"Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit" Democratic voters "and it will encourage the extremists." --President Obama, quoted by Representative Earl Blumenauer, Democrat from Oregon.

No one wants to bring down health care, Mr. President. There are lots of GOP proposals--and you asked for GOP proposals--which would far less expensively solve the health care crisis, but every such idea has been shot down by the congressional majority.

No one is anti-government, Mr. President. But many want Washington, DC restored to the limits that our Constitution placed on it: to protect our right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, to defend our borders, and not much else.

If writing this makes me an "extremist" according to my president, so be it.

Quotes submitted by my Facebook friends

"How strange to use 'You only live once' as an excuse to throw it away." ~Bill Copeland

"It did strike me that religious people have done amazing work to help the poor. But where are the atheists doing exactly the same thing?"~atheist Adrian Wooldridge

“It was the fear of man that caused Pilate’s name to become infamous in the history of the world and of the Church of God, and it will be infamous to all eternity. The fear of man led him to slay the Savior! Take care that it does not lead you to do something of the same kind.”~Charles Spurgeon

"I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful, but I never read in either of them, 'Come to me, you who are weary and burdened, and you will find rest for your soul.'"~Augustine

Modern "Intellectual Thought"

One of the tragedies of modern "intellectual thought" is the minimizing or obliterating of distinctions. Man and woman, human and animal, God and human, good and evil--according to the philosophers and prophets of this age, the counterparts are becoming more and more like each other.

Outrageously Overreaching Orwellian Obama Oligarchy Opts to Overrule

Outrageously overreaching Justice Department overruled voters in Kinston, N.C. to help Democrats in a ruling even the NAACP is troubled over. They forced the small town to include a "D" or an "R" after candidates' names on ballots, despite the town recently voting overwhelmingly against the practice. It seems to me that the reasoning is that they think Blacks want to vote for whoever has a "D".

Let me get this straight...Weeks ago, this Justice Department dropped charges against the Black Panther Party activists who intimidated voters in Philadelphia after the Dept. had already won the cases. So removing party affiliations in local elections--which most American cities do--is a bigger threat to elections than thugs threatening people outside a polling place?

Complete story found here.

Islam and Christianity

There are two world religions that are renowned for having followers devoted enough to give up everything--including their lives--for the propagation of their faith. One flourishes in places where critical examination is usually non-existent, and often punishable by imprisonment or death. The other flourishes in places where critical examination is widespread. Regarding the latter, I can think of people who set out to prove this religion wrong but ended up embracing it. Investigative journalist Lee Strobel, college student Josh McDowell, Cambridge University professor C.S. Lewis, U.S. Army General Lew Wallace, and singer Keith Green all came to faith in Jesus Christ after critical and/or hostile examination.
To further distinguish Christianity from Islam, it has for 2000 years flourished in many places where its followers are seemingly powerless minorities subjected to severe persecution. Islam does not flourish in such places. The difference is that Islam needs worldly power to thrive, while Biblical Christianity actually is often purer and more effective when its adherents have no power.
"So what's your point?" Thank you for asking! The Muslim is usually willing to give up everything because he doesn't know any better. Those whom I know of who follow Jesus and are willing to give up everything have heard from many alternative world views and found them inferior.

Why Does God Allow Bad Things To Happen?

From the double dose of deadly and destructive deluges descending on my second home, the Philippines, to the unexpected death of my brother's unborn baby, bad things have been causing me grief of late. Why would God allow this? Is he not loving? Is he not all-powerful?
Many have turned away from God because of this issue. J.B. Phillips, renowned author and theologian, tells of temporarily abandoning the faith his mother taught him while he watched her deteriorate into sickness, pain, and death over the course of months. C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, called this issue "atheism's number one weapon."
How do we deal with this?In attempting to answer this emotion-laden question, we must first realize that God has provided a little bit of understanding on the subject, but one day we will fully understand.
Paul the apostle wrote:

Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don't know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us.

He has given us just enough light to get by.
Why didn't God create a world with no evil or suffering? He did! When he had finished making Eden, he said that it was "very good". No sickness, pain, or death at all. But God decided to give Adam and Eve free will. The rest of creation acts by natural forces such as instinct, gravity, and Newton's Laws of Motion, but man was made in God's image and given power to choose, to reason. Why did God make us this way? Free will is necessary for love. Have you ever seen a little doll that has a string which, when pulled, would cause the doll to say things such as "I love you"? That doll does not really love anyone.
In the film Bruce Almighty, God gives Bruce his power for a season, but he tells him not to overrule anyone's free will. When Bruce fell in love with a young lady, he asked God how he could get her to love him without taking away her free will. God responded, "Welcome to my world, son. When you figure that out, you let me know."

The prophet Isaiah wrote:

We all like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way.

When Adam sinned, God said:

...the ground will be under a curse because of what you did. As long as you live, you will have to struggle to grow enough food. Your food will be plants, but the ground will produce thorns and thistles. You will have to sweat to earn a living; you were made out of soil, and you will once again turn into soil.

So because of his choice, bad stuff began to enter the world. Moral evil and natural evil each gained a foothold. Nature is under a curse, as Paul wrote:

We know that the entire creation has been groaning as in pains of childbirth right up to this present time.

When mankind told God to "shove off", he partially honored our request. Everything from typhoons to cancer afflicts us as a result of the cumulative sins of mankind. But just think how much progress we would make against natural evil, such as disease and hunger, if we didn't have to spend trillions of dollars combating mankind's moral evil with weapons, burglar alarms, guards, hidden cameras, armies, prisons, courts, etc.
So God didn't create suffering and death, but he did create the potential for it, because it was the only way to give us free will.

"But God knew all along that we would sin, and all this evil would happen!" True.
I have two kids, a seventeen year old daughter and a fourteen year old son. While my son has been a source of joy to me for (almost) all of his days, my daughter has caused me much heartache and sorrow for the last few years. Why would I bring children into the world with such an outcome possible? The years of joy that she brought me when she was younger, the occasional joy she gives me now, and the hope of a much better future make the present pain worth it. In other words, I love her, and I hope for her to love me just as much.
I have two dogs. They never break my heart. They never fail to be happy to see me. But they can never give me the kind of loving relationship that a son or a daughter can. God has a Father's heart, and we were created to enjoy a loving relationship with him.

Pain can be good. It can draw people to God. How many of us largely ignore him until we experience a crisis? Paul wrote:

For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation.

Pain strengthens our character. Romans 5 teaches us that suffering produces perseverance, character, and even hope if we let it.
I went through an extended time of physical and emotional suffering from 1997 to 2000. I never again want to go through anything like that, but I never again want to be the man I was before that pain. I know I'm a better man because of the hard times.
God uses pain to lovingly discipline his people. Hebrews chapter 12 compares the discipline of a dad to that administered by the Heavenly Father.

Pain can be part of a healing process. I heard a man tell the story of how decades ago his young son broke his arm, and at the rural medical clinic, the doctor needed dad to hold his son while the doctor snapped the bone back into place. The dad was heartbroken at the look his son gave him, as if to say, "How can you help this man hurt me so much?" The boy didn't understand that this painful process was for his benefit, his healing.
The Biblical patriarch Joseph witnessed his brothers decide against killing him in favor of selling him into slavery. The slave traders sold Joseph to Potiphar, a high-ranking government official. Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of molesting her, so he was thrown into the dungeon. Years later, Joseph hopes that a friend will help him get out of prison, but the friend forgets about him. For the next seven years the young inmate Joseph could have repeated a mantra such as, "God, why did you allow all of these bad things to happen to me?" But he maintained his trust in God's goodness, and eventually God exalted him to become the Prime Minister of the most powerful nation on Earth, which wouldn't have happened without all of the painful steps along the way. As Joseph said while forgiving his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."

God will end suffering and evil one day. "But why doesn't he punish all who cause pain now?" If he did, we all would have been destroyed in Hell by now. But God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish. However, those who will never repent of the pain they have caused will be punished one day.

God's rewards for his people will far exceed all suffering they have endured. I doubt that any of us has suffered as much as the apostle Paul, yet he wrote these words to the Corinthians:

Our light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

This from a man who experienced beatings, scourgings, shipwreck, being stoned and left for dead, being bitten by a viper, betrayal by countrymen, humiliation, and prison, all considered "light and momentary afflictions" by the apostle.
Let's say January 1 of 2010, you have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But every day for the rest of the year, you experience nothing but delights and blessings. You would look back and say that 2010 was a very good year. If you suffer for a time in this life as a Christian, look at it with an eternal perspective. Forever with no pain, no tears, no sorrow, only joy.

In our pain, God offers us peace and strength to endure it, and he offers us hope for a much better future.

Many thanks to the pastor of Chandler Christian Church, Roger Storms, for allowing me to use his excellent sermon on the topic to base this post on. You can hear the sermon here.

I'm so pleased with my boy!

Jesus Christ said of the Old Testament (the part of the Bible that was finished hundreds of years before his birth), "the Scriptures testify of me." Jesus said of Moses, "He wrote of me." To investigate this, I challenged my fourteen year old son to find seven unique similarities between Jesus and the patriarch Joseph (who lived more than a thousand years before Jesus). There are dozens of similarities. Joseph is known as a prophetic "type" or symbol of the Lord Jesus. I thought the exercise would take him an hour or so. In about 10 minutes he came up with the seven, including one I've never thought of! I'm so pleased with my boy!

Here are the seven:
1- Both Jesus and Joseph knew their future by revelation
2- The sons of Israel didn't believe the predictions about either
3- The conspiracy/betrayal against both involved multiple pieces of silver
4- Each was about 30 yrs old when entering his office
5- Both went from Canaan to Egypt
6- Each dealt with two criminals, one who would be condemned and one who would be forgiven (that's the one I never thought of before)
7- In each narrative, the betrayers meant it for evil, but God meant it for good to save many people

Here is a more comprehensive list:
http://www.aletheiacollege.net/bl/1-4Joseph_As_A_Type_Of_Christ.htm

The Associated Press: Biased or Clueless?

My first thought when reading the foolish assessment of Sarah Palin's alleged foreign policy shortcomings by the Associated Press, through their writer Jeremiah Marquez, was that Marquez is a partisan hack. The offending passage:

Palin...was ridiculed during the campaign after contending her state's proximity to Russia gave her foreign policy experience.

"You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska," she said.

Yes, she said those words, but not in that context. Palin, responding to a question, first listed real foreign policy accomplishments. The two I remember her tell of are that she negotiated one of the biggest governor-to-foreign-nation business deals in history (the natural gas pipeline through Canada), and that she was Commander of the Alaska National Guard, and as such was responsible for the protection of a huge part of the U.S. border. Then she mentioned Russia's visibility for fun.

So are Marquez, and by extension the Associated Press, partisan hacks? Perhaps. Or maybe they're lazy and ignorant, unwilling to dig beneath the mainstream media veneer to find the truth. Or maybe they're lazy, ignorant, partisan hacks.

Been Busy!

Sorry for being away for a while. I've got a number of projects going, including this new blog featuring my wife's work. I hope you'll check it out. Don't worry, jgapinoy will be back soon.

Thinking Outside Of The Box 5

I had hoped to do an "Outside Of The Box" post every day until I had exhausted my repertoire of ideas, but yesterday was the annual commemoration of the initial consummation of the wedded bliss my wife and I share...I was kinda busy. Speaking of weddings...
Some Thoughts For Those Of You Whose Weddings Haven't Happened Yet:

A) Try to determine if a spouse is in God's plan for you. Scripture clearly teaches that some are called to remain single. When I learned that God had called me to children's ministry--eventually doing so full-time in the Philippines--I inferred that I ought to marry, since being a single guy brings certain limitations to the ways one can serve children. I told the Lord about my reckoning, and I asked him to lead me otherwise if he had other plans. He didn't.

B) Set high standards for yourself and for your potential mate. I decided that I would only court a woman if she was dedicated to pleasing and enjoying the Lord Jesus Christ. And I had to continue to have this dedication as well.

C) Baptize your desire for a spouse in constant prayer. There is no way one can explain how I found such a perfect partner for me 7000 miles away, with limited travel and communication, except that we committed ourselves to prayer about it. My beloved and I share so many traits, tastes, and tendencies that it still amazes me that she was raised dirt-poor* on an Asian island, while I came from a middle-class East Coast suburb. And even the personality differences we have complement each other perfectly. I know she is God's gift to me.

D) IF you're sure God wants you married, don't just sit and wait! (Unless you sense that that's what God is leading you to do) Do you sit and wait for a job? For ministry? For a house? For friends?
Naomi wisely counseled Ruth how to obtain her husband, and God blessed her "outreach".
Here are ten suggestions that were written for single women, so the guys will have to adapt them:

1) Set a goal to meet a new unmarried man every week. He doesn't have to be the man of your dreams, but the process of interacting with men will help you to learn about the male gender, so that when you meet "the one", you might know better how to win his heart. And the one who didn't seem to be the man of your dreams might just be him, waiting to be discovered!

2) A great way to meet a man is to ask for help. Any man loves to help a woman. It makes him feel like a knight in shining armor, saving the damsel in distress. So wherever you are, be creative. If you're in a grocery store, after you check to make sure that he doesn't have a wedding ring, ask him if he knows where the soy sauce is. Smile, look him in the eyes, and thank him. It may lead to a conversation, or it may not. If it does, invite him to church! No matter what happens, you probably either learned a little something, or gained a little confidence, or got a chance laugh at yourself from that short interaction. In the church lobby, ask him if he knows where the song leader is. You get the idea. If this seems too bold or too desperate to you, remember Ruth! It's right there in your Bible.

3) You will meet non-Christian men, so please, please don't go past a nominal friendship with them! The Bible clearly teaches us to not marry outside the faith. Dating can lead to marriage, so don't date him if he doesn't have a vibrant, fruitful relationship with our Lord. If you aren't confident that you can faithfully resist temptation on this one, then don't do #1 or 2 outside of the church.

4) Show interest in him by asking questions, but don't dominate the conversation. Find something to compliment him about. Laugh at his jokes. As much as women want romance and love, that's how much men want respect and honor. By the way, these are all good things to keep doing if you marry him!

5) When you begin dating, don't go beyond a little kiss or a quick hug or holding hands. If you get involved physically, you won't have clarity of mind to evaluate him as a potential husband. Providing sexual excitement to you now doesn't mean that he will be a good mate. A Godly man will wait until after the wedding, and he will love you more when you say, "That's enough, dear."

6) Be confident. Don't put yourself down. Women I've met that I was considering dating have told me, "I think I'm fat", or, "I'm not very pretty, but I'm a good cook." Don't bring attention to your faults. This tells a guy that you might be full of self-pity. Focus on him, not your shortcomings.

7) Dress modestly. If a man is attracted to you only because of your mini-skirt, he is no man of God.

8) Check out the many Christian singles' sites on the internet. I know of two that are free (but they ask for donations)--fusion101.com, and christianet.com. Isaac certainly had help from others in getting his bride from afar.

9) Get involved in your church's ministries. Godly men are already doing that, and you can meet them and interact with them as you labor together for the Lord.

10) Above all, pray! Pray for wisdom, pray for guidance, pray for the ability to refrain from physical intimacy, and pray for your single male friends.

_____________

*She never had such basics as air conditioning, a vehicle, a water heater, or even carpet until she married me.
____________

Bonus: listen to this.

Thinking Outside of the Box 4

I'm the guy who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to judge for yourself whether there's a madness to my method, or vice versa, in this series.

We've all seen an various ads for this or that brand of toothbrush, and invariably one of the boasts made is that "because of its unique design, our brush reaches places in your teeth that other brushes can't reach!" Have you ever chewed one of those pills that exposes how much you missed after brushing by turning the food particles remaining in your mouth into a bright color? So this definitely is something to consider.

I have no doubt that toothbrush A, with one design, may reach places that B, with a different design, may miss, but I'll bet B can get to places A can't. And C with yet another design might reach spots that the first two missed. So should you use A, B, or C? Yes. Who says you have to use one toothbrush three times a day, every day? I actually have five that I choose from (in no particular order). Why not? Toothbrushes are cheap--I never spend more than a dollar for a toothbrush. So there's a greater chance that every part of my teeth will be eventually cleaned every day.

The bottom line: My dentist tells me that my teeth and gums are healthier than 95% of her patients.
BTW, don't forget to floss at least once a day!

Thinking Outside Of The Box 3

I'm the guy who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to be the judge whether there's a madness to my method or vice versa, in this series.

I make the world's best-tasting scrambled eggs. And I don't use any kind of cooking oil or spray--they're all either unhealthy or expensive or both. The jgapinoy method is to add plenty of chopped tomatoes just after you dump the eggs into the pan. The tomato "juice" keeps the eggs from burning or sticking to the pan, if you stir things up often enough. And you can keep them on the burner long enough to make sure they're well-cooked, yet they still come out moist. I also like to chop up some ham and onions to throw in, as well as a little pepper. But the tomatoes are the most important ingredient--high in vitamin C, low in calories, and a great "substitute" for cooking oil. No, I wasn't using a non-stick pan. No, the tomato juice doesn't all turn to steam unless you cook much longer than necessary. I've already had a skeptical comment ("silly"), but just try it.

Thinking Outside Of The Box 2

I'm the kind of guy who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to be the judge whether there's a madness to my method, or vice versa, in this series.

Most everyone is trying to get better gas mileage these days, whether you think the Earth is in some kind of danger, or you're just trying trying to save a few bucks. But very few folks with standard transmissions in the US drive in the very efficient way that most of the world has learned to drive, because much of the world pays twice as much per gallon as we do. Instead of shifting at 3000 rpm or higher like your dad taught you, try shifting at 2400. Unless you're in a big hurry or you're on a freeway entrance ramp, you'll probably have plenty of power. Of course, if you hear the engine pinging, shift at a higher engine speed, but if not, your car will be fine and you'll save gas. Generally speaking, the lower your engine speed, the less gas you're using.
I always get 36 or 37 mpg in my 2007 Honda Fit, even though the EPA says it should only get 30.

jgapinoy Thinks Outside Of The Box

I'm the joker who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to be the judge whether there's a madness to my method or vice versa.

Watermelons are good for you and quite inexpensive. If you get the seeded kind, they can be very sweet and tasty. But what about those pesky seeds? Perhaps you take a big bite and try to push the seeds out of your mouth with your tongue, one by one. But you're too busy fishing for seeds to enjoy the taste and the texture. Or maybe you pick at the slice with your fingernail, juice running down your hands. Try this: get a plate, a steak knife, and a fork. Cut the edible part into pieces of approximately one inch squared, just as if it was a steak. Use the pointed tip of the knife to pry out the seeds. Then just pop each morsel into your piehole with the fork. Enjoy the flavor without being messy or distracted.

The Pain of Separation

Andrew, a friend of mine in Facebook, recently posted this comment there:

there are so many people leaving me in the next couple weeks its ridiculous

He's got some friends going off to college, while others are leaving to start churches in faraway cities. So Andrew is starting to taste it.
My kids felt it about twelve years ago. Their mother, in her eagerness to reject me, also abandoned them for a time.
Several years after the divorce, I fell in love with a woman who lived 7000 miles away. We both experienced it until we were able to unite again (the third anniversary of our incredible marital bliss is next week).
Perhaps you also have gone through some painful periods of separation. But I have a loved one who has suffered like no one else ever has, and separation was a major part of his pain. (click underlined parts for more)

Be a blessing

I prayed a prayer that I often pray this morning: "Lord, make me a blessing to people today." But this morning, he actually responded: "Always seek first to be a blessing to me, and you will automatically be a blessing to others."
(for more, see comments)

"Meet" a funny video

Have you ever heard of a movie with an extremely promising premise, only to watch the film and be extremely disappointed at how they ruined the idea? We watched a video last night that did just the opposite: they took a lemon and made lemonade. I suppose the reason that Meet Dave was a box office bomb was that folks considered it a stupid premise for a movie--a space ship that looks just like a human arrives in NYC, and the ship's crew look human except that they're each about an inch tall. But as soon as Eddie Murphy reels you in with his brilliant performance, even the premise becomes a source of laughter. Because I don't do raunchy, I had only seen one Murphy film before--Daddy Day Care. He was good in that flick, but it didn't utilize his comedic talents the way Meet Dave does. Every gyration and every facial expression bring either a smile or a LOL. The rest of the cast does well, too. Yes, the plot is occasionally as senseless as the premise, but I think you'll find that that adds to the fun. So if you want some senseless fun, Meet Dave is highly recommended. Because of the premise, it'll be in the discount bin at Blockbuster, but don't let that hinder you.

Valuable

Just as a beat-up old doll has value because a four year old loves it, so I have ginormous value because the King of the Universe loves me.

I WAS DEAD in my sin--spiritually broke, busted, disgusted, and couldn't be trusted--but GOD saw fit to choose me--me!--to demonstrate his grace and love to.

Awe-inspiring.

Gratitude-inspiring!

WORSHIP-INSPIRING!

"Come Here, little Buford"

The Most Important Parenting Method That No One Ever Talks About:

I think it's very important to teach kids as soon as they can walk to come immediately whenever they're called or else. This is for safety's sake, obviously, but there's an added benefit. Before I had kids, I noticed parents would yell instructions at their misbehaving kids from across the house, and the kids would usually ignore them. You should summon them because:

--it's a mild punishment when they have to stop what they're doing and come to you (incentive not to misbehave)

--kids listen better when you look them in the eyes (no excuses like "I didn't hear you say that")

BTW, don't say, "Gertrude, come here now!" Putting "now" at the end of a command is redundant; it's also a sign of weakness and exasperation. Your child should come when you calmly say, "Come here", or you should administer discipline until he learns to do so.

"What In The World Are You Doing?"

The post office is desperate to get rid of people, so they offered to let me retire seven years early. The vast majority of the thousands who have received similar early-out offers have refused, for these reasons:

--We haven't prepared financially to retire now, so
--We'd need to find jobs until we can fully retire, and no one's hiring
--Our retirement funds have tanked with the stock market devaluation

So I went along with the majority, right?
Nope.
My wife and I have dreamed since before we were married of moving to the Philippines as soon as we can. We want to do charitable work to help some of the millions of poor children there. My son goes to off college in four years, so we decided that I should accept the early-retirement offer now, and find another job to pay the bills until we're empty-nesters and can emigrate in 2013. In the Philippine economy, we will be able to live comfortably with just my pension and our diminished savings.
We would appreciate your prayers for me getting a decent job, as well as for us deciding which charity we should join up with (or maybe we'll start a new one?). Here are the three that we are supporting as much as we can now:

--Child's Wish (if you're on Internet Explorer, you'll see a video on their home page in which my wife and I make a few statements )
--House of Light (my wife and I are written about on the bottom of their home page)
--Family Circus (I am the editor of their email bulletins)

Thank you for your prayers.
We hope to also inspire someone out there to use retirement as an opportunity to serve, to experience real adventure, rather than merely playing golf and watching Oprah for the rest of your lives!
(Some of you have never seen jgapinoy. Here's your chance--visit the links.)

Random Rants

An icon in the life of the Filipino people died Friday. Former President Corazon Aquino will be remembered there for a long time with much fondness, just like her husband Ninoy, who was murdered by the Marcos regime in the 1980s.

ABC's John Stossel Takes on ObamaCare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdx_2cuPgQQ

The NY Times reports that "Some X Games Bad Boys Turn Lives Around." The NY Times???

When they say, "We don't want a gov't takeover of health care", don't believe them.
In their own words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdk

The Cash-For-Clunkers program is a method for the feds to gain access to your computer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqfuZ7hiap0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efacebook%2Ecom%2Ftos%2Ephp%3Fapi%5Fkey%3Dca55612231318500789c068e036619e8%26next%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapps%2Efacebook%2Ecom%252Frealpolls%252Fvote&feature=player_embedded

From Dubai to Moscow to Bangkok, sex slavery is on the increase. There are more slaves worldwide today than ever before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19llq4OsuwQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efacebook%2Ecom%2Ftos%2Ephp%3Fapi%5Fkey%3Dca55612231318500789c068e036619e8%26next%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapps%2Efacebook%2Ecom%252Frealpolls%252Fvote&feature=player_embedded

This family is going to the wrong church if the kid hates it this much! (I think he'd like the third grade Sunday School my wife and I teach):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mleGU017KEE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efacebook%2Ecom%2Ftos%2Ephp%3Fapi%5Fkey%3Dca55612231318500789c068e036619e8%26next%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapps%2Efacebook%2Ecom%252Frealpolls%252Fvote&feature=player_embedded

Kim Dung Hill, The Sub-Human Dictator

By "Sub-Human", I'm not referring to his diminutive stature.

Everyone is now aware that North Korea has a menacing nuclear weapons program. Getting less media attention is the fact that while hundreds of thousands of his people are starving, "Dear Leader" Kim Dung Hill's army is very well fed, and he lives in Bill Gates-style opulence. Almost unknown is the fact that NK uses mentally handicapped children for chemical weapons testing.

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/24/noko-testing-bio-chem-weapons-on-disabled-children/
BTW, why do we continue to make treaties with him when he has broken every promise he has made?

God left his C.O.A.T. behind

Guest blogger Marty Clapp answers the skeptics: Is there really a God?

COSMOLOGY (Universe)
Memorization tool: B.E.G.A.N.- We want to know how the universe began.
-BEGINNING- Scientists now know that the universe has not always existed. Cosmologists tell us that space, matter, and time literally had a beginning.
-EXPLOSION- (Some of the problems with postulating the Big Bang theory as a “God-substitute”)
(question 1)- What caused the “original matter” to suddenly explode after existing eternally in a state of balance, equilibrium, and stability? Why would it suddenly become unstable? (consider the laws of inertia and the law of causality).
(question 2)- What kind of cause best explains this? There are two types of “causes” = “natural causes” (caused by something), and “intelligent causes” (caused by someone). Consider the following:
(2a) If everything simply exploded from some original material source, why are stars and planets so different from each other? Why are the planets themselves so different from each other? Wouldn’t we expect more similarity if they all originated from the same material source?
(2b) Explosions have a natural tendency to disorganize, not to organize. Yet, the universe, our solar system, and planet earth show a high degree of order and precision.
(2c) This event would have to be the “perfect explosion”. It would require such a perfect balance between the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force that it defies explanation by chance. In other words, if it expanded too rapidly, no galaxies, planets, stars, etc. would have formed. But, if it expanded too slowly, it would have collapsed back in on itself under its own gravitational pull. Paul Davies in “God and the New Physics” states that this degree of accuracy could be compared to taking aim at a 1 inch square target 20 billion light years away, and hitting the mark!
-GALAXIES- Scientists tell us that, for all practical purposes, stars and galaxies should not exist. Yet, they do. (Some of their theories on star formation actually require stars in order to make stars. (But where did the first stars come from?)
-ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE- The design and order of the universe and our solar system is so finely-tuned and well-balanced, it’s as though it was all made specifically for life, particularly on planet earth.
-ENTROPY- (a.k.a. the Second Law of Thermodynamics) The universe, just like everything in it, is wearing down and wearing out. The fact that it is wearing down and running out of usable energy tells us once again that the universe had a beginning.
Conclusion: Cosmology tells us that the universe had a beginning, and that the cause of the universe is best explained by an intelligent cause. Therefore, God is the most plausible explanation.

ONTOLOGY (Being)
(in combination with the design argument)
1) There never was a time when there was absolutely nothing. (Ex nihilo nihil fit- “Out of nothing, nothing comes”)
2) There are two possibilities:
A) A self-existent, eternal something (universe, matter, energy, etc.). In other words, something that was always there.
B) A self-existent, eternal Someone (God). In other words, Someone Who was always there.
3) Recent scientific discoveries confirm that the universe had a beginning, therefore, it did not exist eternally. In addition to this, we know that matter and energy, by their very nature, are subject to change and dependent.
4) Something that is subject to change and dependent cannot be self-existent and eternal. Thus, there cannot be a self-existent, eternal something.
5) A Someone is a more reasonable explanation for such things as design, order, specified complexity, and information systems (such as DNA).
6) Therefore, there must be a self-existent, eternal Someone (God).
(A summary of this argument)
There never was a time when there was absolutely nothing. This tells us that there must be something or Someone that was always there. A Someone is a more rational explanation for such things as design, order, specified complexity, and information systems (such as DNA). Therefore, God is the most plausible explanation.

AXIOLOGY (Moral Law)
(Definition of “Objective moral values”- To say that there are “objective moral values” is to say that there are some things that really are morally wrong)
(example)
In Germany during the 1940s, the Nazis were torturing and murdering millions of Jews. It would be unthinkable to suggest that the Nazis were doing the right thing because it was “right for them” or “right for their culture" to do so. It is obvious that torturing and murdering innocent people really is morally wrong (an objective moral value).
(A summary of this argument)
Objective moral values cannot exist without a Supreme Lawgiver.
Objective moral values do exist.
Therefore, there must be a Supreme Lawgiver. God is the most plausible explanation.

TELEOLOGY (Purpose and Design)
Design and purpose point to a designer.
There is great design in the universe.
Therefore, there must be a Great Designer of the Universe. God is the most plausible explanation.
(jgapinoy writes)
For more on teleology, see The Privileged Planet, available (in 12 parts) at YouTube or on DVD. If you happen to know me, I'll happily loan you my DVD.

On the Origin of Atheism

The atheists I've encountered often tell me how their conclusion (that is, their religion) is based on logic. Is it logical to insist that life arose, by itself, from non-living matter? Even Darwin hesitated to speculate on the origin of life (even though his seminal book was called "Origin of Species"), and Darwin had no idea how complex the simplest form of life is. No, atheism is based on PRIDE. Jesus Christ said, "How can you believe (in me), when you receive glory from one another, and you don't seek the glory of God?"

The Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Entertaining Ourselves To Death

The title of the post refers to both the quantity and the (lack of) quality of the entertainment that Western Civilization indulges in. I could go in several different directions about that, but the thing that's bugging me now is the movie industry. More specifically, films marketed to children. If Follywood had any morals, they would only make clean movies attractive to kids. Current feature Land of the Lost is not clean. It's filled with profanities (almost 100), illicit sexual content, and many other problems. I'd deem it for mature audiences only, but mature people would be repelled by the filth in this production.

LOTL is the latest in a long tradition of awful Hollyweird offerings that lure children. A glance at the "Family" section of an online video retailer reveals such trash as Marley & Me, Mike Myer's Cat In The Hat, and Steve Martin's Pink Panther.

There are films with no cussing and no sexual situations that are still dirty in my book. Inherit The Wind and Disney's Pocahantas are full of twistory--much of what is presented is the opposite of what happened. The Golden Compass is a Narnia-style tract for atheism.

"How am I supposed to know what's a good movie for my family?" I'm glad you asked. Simply go to pluggedinonline.com before you go to the theater or DVD store.

UPDATE: From HotAir.com.

Sanford Spirals Downward

A story line that goes back to David and Bathsheba and beyond--powerful male gambles everything on a fling in the hay. Yes, many women are attracted to men in power (even if they look like Mr. Sanford). But it takes two to tango. "What was he thinking?"--the question that always gets asked.
An acquaintance of mine was describing a hunting jaunt: The guys were in an open Jeep, scouting for rabbits. They saw a pair mating in the distance. As the hunters approached, the female broke away from the male's grasp to flee for her life, and the male was also running behind her, but not to flee. He soon tackled her and resumed his attempt to make baby bunnies. This gave the hunters a chance to catch up, and soon both of our furry friends were in a stew.
The moral of the story is that your sex drive can drive you off a cliff. It's like a drug or alcohol--under it's influence, you do things you otherwise wouldn't think of doing. Adultery is like a plague in America's homes, destroying families.
These three short chapters in the Biblical Proverbs are a powerful antidote to this influence.
Yes, this is a slightly adjusted reprint from my post 14 months ago. Sanford acted like Spitzer, so it was worth a second look.

Random Rants

Why does adultery destroy the careers of politicians, while apparently enhancing the careers of Follywood stars?

If Iran had a Second Amendment, the pro-mullah thugs who raid homes in the middle of the night would have Second Thoughts before doing so.

I occasionally see people jog while wearing heavy sweatsuits in 90 degree heat. I wonder, did it ever occur to them that they'll gain back the extra sweat-weight when they drink water?

It seems that the knee-jerk hostility known as Bush Derangement Syndrome in the angry Left crowd has been replaced by PMS: Palin Malevolence Syndrome.

I'll never buy another song or album. Why should I when it's so easy to custom-make playlists on YouTube that work just like albums?

I make the world's best smoothies. Today's creation: I threw 2 bananas, 5 strawberries, 4 ice cubes, some milk, and a small slice of cherry pie into the blender. Awesome.

One of the reasons I never use Google's search engine is that GoodSearch (powered by Yahoo) donates to my favorite charity every time I use it.

Observing the response to the immorality of Governor Mark Sanford, one sees a lot of hatred, a lot of irrational guilt-by-association arrows being shot. This is a more thoughtful examination of the episode. And I'm reminded of this.

Grim Remembrance

It's been 20 years today since Red China brutally crushed the hope of freedom in Tiananmen Square. Today, China is just as brutal, but the IOC awarded them with hosting the Olympic Games, during which NBC recklessly heaped praise on many aspects of that oppressed society, and GM CEO Obama just sold the Hummer portion of GM to a Chinese company, and Google still works hard to prevent the Chinese people from using the internet to advance the cause of freedom.

Please check out HotAir's take on the anniversary.

A Call For A Criminal Justice Revolution

Now that President Obama has spent half of our children's and grandchildren's life earnings on liberal programs and rewarding political allies, government needs some money-saving ideas. Ah-nold has threatened to release thousands of California's inmates from prison because of their especially awful budget crisis (is it a coincidence that the most leftist states are in deepest recession?), but he might not have to if he follows my prescription.

Simply put, you give inmates a choice. You can have a traditional sentence, or your sentence can be reduced by two-thirds if you agree to:

1) Solitary confinement with no visitors except family, clergy, medical and legal professionals;
2) Productive labor for eight hours a day at whatever task is assigned to you (this must be something that can be done within the prisoner's cell);
3) No media of any kind except reading materials that can be considered educational or spiritual; and
4) Excellent behavior.

What about exercise?
Millions have done aerobics in the few square feet in front of their TVs. Inmates can do the same, except without the TV. Not to mention push-ups, sit-ups, jump-rope, isometrics, and running in place.

It would be far cheaper to keep an inmate in "lockdown" all of the time. An inmate who accepts this offer wouldn't be able to intimidate or be intimidated by other inmates. He wouldn't be pumping himself up in the weight room to facilitate overpowering the guards during the next riot. Therefore the prison would need fewer guards. New prisons could be made smaller, especially since many inmates would leave 66% faster, so there would be fewer inmates. The prospect of solitary confinement keeps the incentive to avoid prison. And the fact that it's a choice made by the convict keeps the ACLU away.

Outrageous Money-Making Scheme

Hey, let's get a bunch of tall guys to put on silly clothes and fight each other over who's better at putting a toy ball through a metal ring. We'll need to get a ton of taxpayer dollars to build a place to play this game, of course, and maybe a lot of those taxpayers will actually pay a bunch more money to visit the arenas that they paid for because they'd really want to see these games.

OK, I guess it's a silly idea...no one would fall for such an outrageous money-making scheme.

Remember those who have paid dearly for our blessings

I searched the internet in vain to learn who this quote originated with, but it's still worth repeating:
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to his country for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'
Thanks to all who have served honorably in our armed forces, and a special appreciation goes out to those who have lost loved ones serving our country. God bless you.
A happy yet pensive Memorial Day to all.

Altruism, Vengeance Not Condusive To Darwinistic Survival

My Miniature Pinscher killed a sparrow. I didn't see it happen, but I heard and then saw the ruckus as the surviving birds swirled around, threatening revenge on Buster. Why would they do that? Why would they take turns swooping down within a couple of feet of the one who had just demonstrated his willingness and his ability to kill? (He's killed at least twenty birds in his eight years of guarding our home) It couldn't have been some maternal or familial instinct to protect the species, you Darwinists out there, because most of the eight or nine birds that were trying to intimidate Buster were pigeons or blackbirds. Only one sparrow sought to avenge it's bird-of-a-feather.
Again I ask, why would they do that?

Ten Non-Theological Reasons To Oppose Homosexual Marriage

If homosexual marriage becomes entrenched in the law...
1) there can be no rationale to refuse polygamists the right to legally wed...
2) there can be no rationale to refuse incestuous relationships the right to legally wed...
3) there can be no rationale to refuse inter-species relationships the right to legally wed...
4) through this precedent activists will force churches, religious counseling agencies, religious schools, and everyone else to hire homosexuals against their consciences...
5) every government institution (including schools) and every institution that has any government assistance (such as tax exemptions) will eventually be forced to portray homosexual marriage as normal...
6) it will become illegal to prevent children from being adopted or foster-cared by homosexual couples, even though more than ten thousand studies have concluded that the ideal for raising kids is having a father and a mother for a variety of reasons...
7) the health-care system, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents, many of whom are infected with STDs, including HIV...
8) the Social Security system, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents...
9) many retirement policies, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents.
Finally,
10) homosexual intercourse is disgusting, dirty, and unhealthy in and of itself, and homosexuals are much more likely to add even more dangerous and unhealthy sexual methods and instruments to their sexual expressions, and homosexuals are generally extremely promiscuous (not the marrying type). So it would be wrong for the State to sanctify homosexuality.
Instead, the State ought to promote the cure.
For further information, see
http://www.wevotevalues.com/11arguments.pdf
http://www.conservapedia.com/Homosexuality_and_Promiscuity

Counterintuitive

Being a mailman, I can’t help but notice that there are certain mags that always feature sex on the cover, whether it’s the how-to articles in every issue of Cosmo, or the "cheesecake" in many other publications. Not to mention that TV, movies, & internet (occasionally including HotAir) have lots of sex all ’round. So…why is erectile dysfunction continually growing (no pun intended) as a social phenomenon? Why the ever-increasing need for sexucation & sex therapy? And why are the sexually happiest couples those who use few or none of the sexual “resources” I’ve listed above?
http://old.mbconf.ca/mb/mbh3704/mattox.htm

A Call For A Health Care Revolution

John C. Goodman is the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis. His brilliant essay on the incredible depth, the cause, and the cure of our health care mess can be found here. I'll excerpt the cure part of it here:

Cleaning Up the Mess

The only sensible alternative to relying on a welfare state to solve our health care needs is a renewed reliance on private sector institutions that utilize individual choice and free markets to insure against unforeseen contingencies. In the case of Medicare, our single largest health care problem, such a solution would need to do three things: liberate the patients, liberate the doctors, and pre-fund the system as we move through time.

By liberating the patients I mean giving them more control over their money—at a minimum, one-third of their Medicare dollars. Designate what the patient is able to pay for with this money, and then give him control over it. Based on our experience with health savings accounts, people who are managing their own money make radically different choices. They find ways to be far more prudent and economical in their consumption.

As for doctors, most people don’t realize that they are trapped in a system where they have virtually no ability to re-price or re-package their services the way every other professional does. Medicare dictates what it will pay for, what it won’t pay for, and the final price. One example of the many harmful effects of this system is the absence of telephone consultations. Almost no one talks to his or her doctor on the phone. Why? Because Medicare doesn’t pay a doctor to talk to you on the phone. And private insurers, who tend to follow Medicare’s lead, don’t pay for phone consultations either. The same goes for e-mail: Only about two percent of patients and doctors e-mail each other—something that is normal in every other profession.

What about digitizing medical records? Doctors typically do not do this, which means that they can’t make use of software that allows electronic prescriptions and makes it easier to detect dangerous drug interactions or mistaken dosages. Again, this is something that Medicare doesn’t pay for. Likewise patient education: A great deal of medical care can be handled in the home without ever seeing a doctor or a nurse—e.g., the treatment of diabetes. But someone has to give patients the initial instruction, and Medicare doesn’t pay for that.

If we want to move medicine into the 21st century, we have to give doctors and hospitals the freedom to re-price and re-package their services in ways that neither increase the cost to government nor decrease the quality of service to the patient.

In terms of quality, another obvious free market idea is to have warranties for surgery such as we have on cars, houses and appliances. Many are surprised to learn that about 17 percent of Medicare patients who enter a hospital re-enter within 30 days—usually because of a problem connected with the initial surgery—with the result that the typical hospital makes money on its mistakes. In order for a hospital to make money in a system based on warranties, it must lower its mistake rate. Again, the goal of our policy should be to generate a market in which doctors and hospitals compete with each other to improve quality and cut costs.

We won’t be able to make any of this work in the long run, however, unless we pre-fund the system. Today’s teenagers are unlikely to receive medical care during retirement if they must rely on future taxpayers, because taxpayers of the future are unlikely to be agreeable to living in poverty in order to pay their elders’ medical bills. This means that everyone must start saving now for post-retirement health care. I would propose that everyone in the workforce put a minimum of four percent of his or her income—perhaps two percent from the employer and two percent from the employee—into a private account, invested in the marketplace, that would grow through time. These private accumulations would eventually replace taxpayer burdens.

In summary, if health care consumers are allowed to save and spend their own money, and if doctors are allowed to act like entrepreneurs—in other words, if we allow the market to work—there is every reason to believe that health care costs can be prevented from rising faster than our incomes.

The Market in Action

Let me offer a few examples of how the free market is already working on the fringes of health care. Cosmetic surgery is a market that acts like a real market—by which I mean that it is not covered by insurance, consumers can compare prices and services, and doctors can act as entrepreneurs. As a result, over the last 15 years, the real price of cosmetic surgery has gone down while that of almost every other kind of surgery has been rising faster than the Consumer Price Index—and even though the number of people getting cosmetic surgery has increased by five- or six-fold.

In Dallas there is an entrepreneurial health care provider with two million customers who pay a small fee each month for the ability to talk to a doctor on the telephone. Patients must have an electronic medical record, so that whichever doctor answers the phone can view the patient’s electronic medical record and talk to the patient. This company is growing in large part because it provides a service that the traditional health care system can’t provide. Likewise, walk-in clinics are becoming more numerous around the country. At most of these clinics a registered nurse sits in front of a computer terminal, the patient describes his symptoms, and the nurse types in the information and follows a computerized protocol. The patient’s record is electronic, the nurse can prescribe electronically, and the patient sees the price in advance.

We’re also seeing the rise of concierge doctors—doctors who don’t want to deal with third-party insurers. When this idea started out in California, doctors were charging 10-15 thousand dollars per year. But the free market has worked and the price has come down radically. In Dallas, concierge doctors charge only $40 per employee per month. In return, the patient receives access to the doctor by phone and e-mail, and the doctor keeps electronic medical records, competes for business based on lowering time costs as well as money costs, and is willing to help with patient education.

Finally, consider the international market for what has become known as medical tourism. Hospitals in India, Singapore and Thailand are competing worldwide for patients. Of course, no one is going to get on a plane without some assurances of low cost and high quality—which means that, in order to attract patients, these hospitals have to publicize their error rates, their mortality rates for certain kinds of surgery, their infection rates, and so on. Their doctors are all board-certified in the United States, and they compete for patients in the same way producers and suppliers compete for clients in any other market. Most of their patients come from Europe, but the long-term threat to the American hospital system can’t be denied. Leaving the country means leaving bureaucratic red tape behind and dealing instead with entrepreneurs who provide high-quality, low-cost medicine.

As these examples suggest, liberating the medical market by freeing doctors and patients is the only way to bring health care costs under control without sacrificing quality. Continuing on our current path—allowing health care costs to rise at twice the rate of income under the aegis of an unworkable government Ponzi scheme—is by comparison unreasonable.

Reprinted by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College.