#72 - THE SUNDAY SPECIAL - Just Call Me A Jackie Groupie

When you were a teen, who were some of your favorite music personalities?

It might surprise you to know, but though I was a teen during the decade of the Beatles (yes, I am that old!), I really did not care for them. If I was a fan of any music performers, it was The Carpenters. Their music never had an edge or a message; it was just music that made you feel good singing the lyrics on your own. I even remember being crushed when I was overseas and read that Karen Carpenter had died; it was like losing someone in my own family

Today, teen music stars include Justin Beiber, Lady GaGa (sp?), Katy Perry (whose parents, I just learned this morning, are evangelical pastors, though you would not guess that with the outfits she wears). I’ve not had a teen singer I enjoyed for almost 30 years, but about a month ago, I think I actually became a groupie for a pre-teen, a ten-year old named Jackie Evancho.

As I alerted you earlier this month, Jackie had been performing on a national talent show that went on for months called “America’s Got Talent.” I will never forget the night she first performed. The judges, the audience, and I’m sure the millions who heard her were as stunned as I was because her operatic voice was so clear and powerful that you couldn’t believe that it was coming out of a diminutive little girl. So many other acts were flashy, Las Vegas style acts. But suddenly, there was this little girl, in a simple dress, singing like you would expect angels in heaven would sound. It just took your breath away. That first night she performed on national television and EVERY time I’ve seen her perform, the audience rises to give her a standing ovation.

Maybe I find myself so fascinated by her is not just her music, but because she calls us back to a time when performers simply performed. Jackie reminds us older folks of a time when they didn’t need flashy clothes or an edgy reputation or persona to get you to listen to them. As one of the judges said, she’s just pure talent. For me, the fact that two of her songs – “Pie Jesu” and “Ave Maria” – touches a spiritual cord in me that moves me to tears, something that even many Christian music cannot do. And I don’t even understand the words as I don’t of any opera performance.

I can only pray that, by the time she gets to high school (around 15 or 5 years from now), Jackie isn’t remade into another product of Hollywood. The world certainly doesn’t need another Britney Spears or Lady GaGa. The world needs more performers who can take your breath away by their pure, God-given talent. Maybe that’s why I’m not ashamed to say I’m a groupie of a 10-year old.

By the way, you might pray for she and her family as it was revealed AFTER the contest that they have been in danger of losing their home because they can’t keep up their mortgage. (It’s interesting and noteworthy that the person who beat her out for the million dollar prize kept talking about using the money to buy his grandparents a new home, their having lost their through Hurricane Katrina. I have to wonder if the needs of her family were made known during the contest it might have made a difference in swaying enough people to vote for her. Oh yeah, I voted for her the 10 times maximum you were allowed; I’ve never voted on a call in show for anyone before.)

I invite you to go to her website: www.jackieevancho.com (Just her home page makes you want to smile.) Click on the button at the top of the home page labeled “Media,” and you can listen to any of her four of performances. (If you listen to only one, I suggest you check out “Pie Jesu.” I would love to know what YOU think!

#71 - Politics, Economics and Morality

(1) As always, please be sure to check out “The Coral Ridge Hour” this Sunday (5 pm, Ch. 40.1 in Orlando) This week’s entire broadcast will be about heaven and hell, two subjects you don’t hear spoken of directly very much despite their centrality to the gospel and the Scriptures.
(2)Be sure to check out Crossexamine.com to find out the CABLE broadcast of this new series by the Coral Ridge ministries to help believers understand key issues from a Biblical perspective.
(3)Be sure to check out this week’s editorial cartoons at: http://www.worldmag.com/editorialcartoons/
(4)Be sure to check out (my health permitting) my Sunday Special post this week.

Not So Fast
By: Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com, September 9, 2010

The politicians just don’t get it: Our nation’s economic health depends on our moral health. Summer is over, but the heat is on. I have just learned from people who would know, that the Republican congressional leadership, in preparation for the mid-term elections, may be stepping away from issues we Christians hold dear.

The Republican leaders, you see, are so confident they can sweep back to power by focusing only on economic issues, that they are ready to promote an election agenda that ignores the party’s historical commitment to life, marriage, and religious liberty. I believe that we, as Christians, need to tell them they are dead wrong. And here’s why. You’ve heard me say many times that the Church can never be captive to a political agenda, that we can never place our hope in any political party.

But we are always free to let leaders in both political parties know that they must hear our concerns. They must realize our allegiance is not to their party, but to those causes that promote the common good. This is why we launched the Manhattan Declaration—to make an unequivocal statement in support of human life, traditional marriage, and religious freedom. And I truly long for the day when both of our great political parties will embrace these causes.

Now, you may say that what the Republicans are doing is just good election strategy. The economy is in the tank, people want jobs and they want Obamacare repealed, so concentrate on those things. But there’s a flaw in that logic. Actually, it’s an enormous blind spot. If the Great Recession of 2008 has taught us anything, it’s that you can’t detach economic prosperity from moral issues. Greed, imprudent spending by individuals and by government, debt, all of these things brought our economy to where we are today. As I’ve said many times on BreakPoint, our economic collapse is the result of our moral and ethical collapse.

We don’t teach our kids that there are such things as right or wrong, and we wonder why they grow up to cheat and steal. And the social costs of disintegrating traditional families in terms of crime, divorce, juvenile delinquency, are truly staggering. You don’t think supporting traditional families—and marriage—matters? Well, then you’ve never been inside a prison, like I have. You haven’t met the thousands of young men and women I have who have told you about their missing fathers or their drugged-out moms.

No society that rejects the moral good can possibly stay solvent. The price tag for moral corruption, as we have learned, is simply too high.

So here is what I want you to do. Call your congressmen and senators, Democrat and Republican alike, tell them you support the sanctity of human life, traditional marriage, and religious freedom. And then tell them you vote.[Note the buttons to the left to help you to locate your Senators and Congressman(or woman).]

Next, also contact information for House Republican leader John Boehner and Republican Whip Eric Cantor.

Let them know you expect the Republican Party to stay true to its traditional support for these supremely important moral concerns. Because America’s economic health depends on America’s moral health.

Further Reading and Information
Representative John Boehner’s office:Kevin.smith@mail.house.gov Phone number (202) 225-6205
Representative Eric Cantor’s office: Kristi.way@mail.house.gov Phone number (202) 225-2815.
The Republicans' Agenda Dilemma in the 2010 Elections, Robert Schlesinger | July 28, 2010 | US News
Fiscal Focus Splits GOP on Social Issues, Ralph C. Hallow | The Washington Times | June 10, 2010
The Manhattan Declaration, Life, Marriage, Religious Liberty | Manhattandeclaration.org

Email sent to Senator Mitch McConnell, (Republican) Minority Leader of the Senate, September 9, 2010

Dear Senator,
As Senate Leader, I assume that you can pass on this message that I was unable to post on the RNC website.
I hope that all of you in the Republican leadership will NEVER take the votes of us registered Republicans for granted. While I take comfort that you at least have taken stands against President Obama's outrageous actions, I am alarmed to hear that you are planning to just focus on the economy and "shut up" about the social issues. This kind of "strategy" to win more elections just will not work with a lot of us Republicans.
In case you don't get it, that's what's given birth to the Tea Party movement. It's not just folks upset about economic policies but folks who are tired of our "representatives" more interested in maintaining their power than in truly representing the views of the majority of people in their party.
I am and will maintain a Republican PRIMARILY because of it's stand on issues of the Sanctity of Life, the preservation of marriage, and the protection of religious liberties. If you choose to remain silent, let alone change your traditional positions on these issues, and you can count on millions of usually Republican voters like me to SIT OUT on your candidates that "shut up" on these issues just so they can get elected.
Senator, for that reason, I will NEVER be sending money to the RNC but will only support candidates who will NOT "shut up." I will always vote on principle, and I don't ever mean economic ones in the main.
Lead the party otherwise, and be sure that I am far from being alone in what I say.
Sincerely yours,
Stan M. Yonashiro

#70 - Obama Tax Hikes Defended by Myths and Straw Man Arguments: Summary

(1) As always, please be sure to check out “The Coral Ridge Hour” this Sunday (5 pm, Ch. 40.1 in Orlando) This week’s entire broadcast will be about heaven and hell, two subjects you don’t hear spoken of directly very much despite their centrality to the gospel and the Scriptures.
(2)Be sure to check out Crossexamine.com to find out the CABLE broadcast of this new series by the Coral Ridge ministries to help believers understand key issues from a Biblical perspective.
(3)Be sure to check out this week’s editorial cartoons at: http://www.worldmag.com/editorialcartoons/
(4)Be sure to check out (my health permitting) my Sunday Special post this week.

Straw Man: Extending current tax policy will not stimulate the economy.

Reality: Extending current tax policy will provide at most a modest boost to the economy, but raising taxes will slow down recovery.
This is a straw man argument because proponents do not argue that continuing current policy would add much to stimulus. Effective economic stimulus requires some new policy.
Myth: Preventing a tax hike is a tax cut.
Fact: Extending the 2001 and 2003 tax provisions is not a tax cut; failure to extend these provisions is a tax hike.
Failure to extend current tax policy would impose massive tax hikes on millions of Americans. Preserving current tax policy is not a tax cut.

Myth: An extension of the tax cuts must be paid for.
Fact: It is neither necessary nor logical to raise taxes to avoid a tax hike elsewhere.
The “fact” in this case may seem so obvious as to be perplexing. Extending current tax policy is not a tax cut; it is the prevention of a tax hike and the deficit is not increased thereby.

Myth: Higher tax rates would not weaken the economy in the short run.
Fact: Higher tax rates would sap the recovery.
Raising taxes on work and investment would mean less work and less investment and can be regarded only as an overtly hostile anti-jobs policy.

Myth: Small businesses would be only marginally impacted by higher taxes rates.
Fact: Successful, growing, hiring small businesses are especially targeted by higher tax rates.
Many Americans report business income from hobbies, sideline businesses, etc., thus inflating the number of so-called “small businesses.” True small businesses have employees and machinery, offer goods and services widely, and are far fewer in number. Yet they earn most of the small business income that would be subject to the higher rates.

Myth: Tax rates matter little in the long run.
Fact: Tax rates have their most powerful effects on long-run growth and wages.
The effects of tax changes take time to manifest fully because major business investments typically require extended evaluation, planning, and implementation. Similarly, while workers respond quickly to changes in tax rates, a full response takes time as they adjust their spending and budgets accordingly.

Myth: The country cannot afford not to raise taxes.
Fact: The problem is spending, not revenues. The country cannot afford to let current spending levels continue.
Taxes as a share of the economy will soon exceed the historical average. The current and projected unsustainable deficits are due to Obama’s spending surge, not a shortage of revenue.

Myth: The Obama tax hikes would alleviate the long-term budget crisis.
Fact: The Obama tax hikes, while enormous in their own right, are almost inconsequential compared to the size of the unfunded spending in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Tax relief enacted a decade ago did not cause excessive entitlement spending. Tax increases today and in the future would do little to address the long-term fiscal picture.

Myth: A strong economy would solve America’s budget woes.
Fact: A strong economy would help, but only aggressive spending reductions would restore a sound fiscal policy.
A strong economy would increase revenues to federal coffers but would not by itself restore a sound fiscal policy. Only significant spending reductions can simultaneously preserve a strong economy while establishing a sustainable fiscal policy.

Myth: President Bush intended the tax cuts to expire.
Fact: The tax cuts were to be permanent and were enacted on a temporary basis solely to overcome a parliamentary hurdle.
President Bush proposed permanent tax relief and repeatedly called for it to be made permanent.

Spending Is the Problem
Obama and his allies have increased spending radically. A sound, responsible budget policy absent tax hikes does not demand radically lower levels of spending but only reversing Obama’s radical spending. Congress should make current tax policy permanent and then get about the business of paring government spending to sustainable levels.

J. D. Foster, Ph.D., is Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of Fiscal Policy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

[For another perspective on the President’s view on taxes, check out: http://online.worldmag.com/2010/09/16/obama-vs-castro/]

#69 - Statism and Scripture

(This upcoming election is more about the out of control growth of our federal government for many years now, but especially over the past 2 years. The following commentary addresses this issue from a Christian perspective.)

Kudzu Government
Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com, May 14, 2010

Many Christians are uneasy with the growth of government in American life. They just can’t quite explain why.

From General Motors to health care. From bank bailouts to national anti-obesity campaigns. Government is becoming more and more involved of every aspect of American life. Most Christians are rightly uncomfortable with this. But most of us can’t explain to our friends and neighbors why that is. That’s one reason I broadcast BreakPoint every day—to help Christians understand and defend a Christian worldview as it applies to every area of life. It’s also why I launched the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. At ColsonCenter.org, we feature the work of respected theologians and worldview thinkers—people like T.M. Moore, my long-time colleague.

As part of his weekly “ViewPoint” Bible studies, T.M. Moore has written for us a fantastic study called “Kudzu Government: The Lust for Autonomy and the Roots of Statism.” http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/viewpoint The fundamental principle of a statist worldview, T. M. writes, is the belief that “government is in the best position to create the conditions and provide the framework for maximum human flourishing. When such becomes the operating principle of a nation, then nothing is off limits for government intrusion, revision, redefinition, and control.”
T. M. compares this kind of government to kudzu, a rapid-growing, leafy vine. Kudzu has its proper place—as an ornamental vine in a garden. But when it grows unchecked, it literally devours everything in its path. Any of you who have ever driven down a country road in the South know exactly what I mean.

Likewise, government has its proper, biblically sanctioned role—which is to restrain evil and promote justice. But as T. M. writes, “When government becomes a law unto itself...it breaks the bounds of its proper confines, and forcing its ways on every other area and aspect of life, it smothers and chokes everything it touches—values, institutions, establishments and entities—and replaces them with itself.” The statist worldview is particularly dangerous to religion. As T.M. writes, “Few things rankle the kudzu state more than the loud-mouthed prophet who simply won’t go along with the program.” So statist regimes either silence religion altogether (a la Communism and Nazism), or, just as insidiously, co-opt religion to use as a tool for government power and policy.

Look at the situation in America today. I’ve talked many times about the threat of abortion and gay marriage to religious freedom. Revoking non-profit status, laws about anti-discrimination in employment, revoking medical or pharmaceutical licenses—these are all “soft” ways that government can seek to force religious individuals and institutions into conforming to government policies. What makes T. M.’s study on “Kudzu Government” so useful is the way it employs Scripture to illustrate the dangers of statism. The story of Jeroboam, Joseph in Egypt, Ahab, David, and Solomon—all of these illustrate the tendency of those in power to want to assert more and more authority over their subjects’ lives.

Please come to ColsonCenter.org to download a free copy of “Kudzu Government.” Use it yourself, and give it to your small group. And be sure to come back every week for a new ViewPoint study by T. M. Moore on topics of great interest to Christians—all from a thoroughly biblical perspective.

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
Rex Lex: Kudzu Government Part 1, T.M. Moore | Colson Center | May 10, 2010
To Be as God: Kudzu Government Part 2, T.M. Moore | Colson Center | May 11, 2010
What’s Yours Is Ours: Kudzu Government Part 3, T.M. Moore | Colson Center | May 12, 2010
Redefining Religion: Kudzu Government Part 4, T.M. Moore | Colson Center | May 13, 2010
Troubling the Truthful: Kudzu Government Part 5, T.M. Moore | Colson Center | May 14, 2010
It’s the Culture: What Makes a Good Society, Chuck Colson | BreakPoint Commentary | May 13, 2010

#68- The Mosque Controversy, Part 3: A Unique look at Islam; Also A Commentary on the Koran Burning Controversy

[As every Sunday, please turn into “The Coral Ridge Hour" this SUNDAY 5-5:30 pm (over-the-air, channel 40.1 in Orlando). They will have the second of a two part feature on Radical Islam. Also, if you have cable, please call 1-800-295-5869 for the broadcast times of their new program called “Cross-Examine” - "to help viewers examine everything in life through the lens of the cross of Jesus Christ.” (or go to their website: www.crossexamine.com)]

(On this 9th anniversary of 9/11, I am reminded that on that day, I was at my desk in the office when I heard people rushing to the conference area of the office. As I saw people gathering around a television set, I saw on the screen a plane flying into a building. My first thought was, “What are people doing watching a movie?!!” Then, as I stood there, I saw the second plane crash into the second tower and suddenly realized it was not a movie but a live news report!! It was all so surreal, and I still don’t remember when or how any of us got back to focusing on whatever we were working on that day. So, what’s YOUR memory of that tragic day?)

George Sada, an ethnically Iraqi Assyrian CHRISTIAN and a hero in the former Iraqi air force, wrote a book entitled: “Sadam’s Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied and Survived Saddam Hussein,” (2006). In it he says:

“I’m often asked about militant Islam and the threat of global terrorism. More than once I’ve been asked about the meaning of the Arabic words “Fatah” and “Jihad.” What I normally tell them is that to followers of the militant brand of Islam, these doctrines express the belief that Allah has commanded them to conquer the nations of the world both by cultural invasion and by the sword. In some cases this means moving thousands of Muslim families into a foreign land-by building mosques and changing the culture from the inside out, and by refusing to assimilate or adopt the beliefs or values of that nation--to conquer the land for Islam. This is an invidious doctrine, but it’s …being carried out in some places today by followers of this type of Islam.” (pp.285-6)

“[They] won’t be stopped by appeasement. They are not interested in political solutions. They don’t want welfare—their animosity is not caused by hunger or poverty or anything of the sort. They understand only one think: total and complete conquest of the West and of anyone who does not bow to them and their dangerous and out-of-date ideology of hate and revenge.” (p.289)

“What I want to say next is not easy for me to say but I think I must say it anyway. One of the nicest things about the American people is that you are generous and friendly people, and because of this you are sometimes naïve and overly trusting. You want to be friendly, so you open up to people and then you’re surprised when they stab you in the back. Many brave young soldiers have died in Iraq for this reason, but I think this is also a big part of the problem with the State Department and others in government who fail to understand the true nature of this enemy” (p. 289-90).

(I know that this event has now been canceled but I thought I’d go ahead and post it anyway just for the insight it presents.)

A Bad Idea - International Burn a Koran Day: by Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com, September 8, 2010
Remembering the terrorist attacks of 9/11 is something we should do. But there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to do it.

Pastor Terry Jones’s thoughts about Islam are simple and direct. The title of his book says it all: Islam is of the Devil. The same thought is on a sign outside of his church, the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, and on the T-shirts and coffee mugs the church sells. In order to raise greater awareness of the dangers of Islam, Jones has designated 9/11 as “International Burn a Koran Day.” According to their Facebook page Jones hopes, and I quote, “To bring awareness to the dangers of Islam and that the Koran is leading people to hell. Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can lead people to so we want to put the Koran in its place—the fire!” End quote.

Every Christian believes that no man can come to God but through Jesus Christ. That’s not a bigoted remark, that’s simply the truth claim that underlies Christianity. And I would expect that Muslims would tell me that my religion, Christianity, is a false religion. The unique thing about the United States is that we are prepared to fight for and defend every single individual’s right to his or her choice to practice the religion of their choice. We learn to respect our differences in a free, pluralistic society. I have also referred repeatedly on BreakPoint to the dangers of the Islamist movement, which is an ideologically extreme perversion of the Islamic faith. And this is why so many armed conflicts around the world involve Muslims—often fighting other Muslims.And the attempts to inject parts of Sharia Law in the United States and Britain are a hazard to our constitutional order.

All that being said, I find Jones’s plan to burn the Koran foolish and contemptible. It poses dangers Jones has either overlooked or chooses to ignore. As Dr. John Rankin, president of the Theological Education Institute correctly notes, if Jones burns the Qur’an, “the images will reverberate on the Internet internationally, and this could lead to unparalleled fury in the Muslim world.” And most of that fury will be directed into violence against Christians in Muslim areas throughout the world. If Jones goes through with this horrid plan, people—Christian people—will suffer and some will die. General Petraeus has even expressed fear for our troops in Afghanistan.

Second, Rankin comments, “The Gospel would thus be slandered.” The Apostle Peter tells Christians that we are to be good apologists, but as we give people reasons for our hope in Christ, it has to be “with gentleness and respect.” Burning the Koran will be taken as the height of disrespect by the Muslim world where copies of the Koran are treated as sacred objects and are handled with the utmost care and reverence. Nothing in the Bible encourages us to treat Muslims or any other religious group with this kind of contempt. Rankin concludes, “The stakes are high in terms of the reputation of the Gospel and protection of innocent lives in tinderbox sections of the Muslim world.”

My most fervent prayer is that Jones will reconsider and cancel the Koran burning in the name of the Gospel of Peace. Part of a Christian worldview is the ability to articulate what we believe and why we believe it in the face of competing worldviews like Islam. But we detract from our witness if we allow anything except the Gospel to offend our unsaved neighbors.

Further Reading and Information

Far From Ground Zero, Obscure Pastor is Ignored No Longer, Damien Cave | The New York Times | August 25, 2010
Gainesville church plans to go ahead with Qur'an burning, James A. Smith, Sr. | Florida Baptist Witness | September 7, 2010
John Rankin Blog, Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Seven Questions for the Pastor Who Wants to Burn Copies of the Koran on 9/11, Fox News | Rev. John Rankin | September 3, 2010
[http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/09/03/rev-john-rankin-pastor-terry-jones-dove-world-outreach-center-bureau]

#66 - The Mosque at Ground Zero. Part 1

Sense and Sensibility
By Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com., August 6, 2010

Earlier this week [of Aug. 6th], the proposed New York City mosque at ground zero cleared its final hurdle. Nothing seems to stand in the way of its construction. I am appalled that peace-loving Muslims would want to do this on what is, for most Americans, hallowed ground. I am even more appalled that the mayor of New York is in favor of the idea. It would be like the Japanese building a Shinto shrine at Pearl Harbor! At a speech in front of the statue of liberty, Mayor Bloomberg made the case for the mosque on the grounds of tolerance. But tolerance isn’t the issue here. And certainly not tolerance as Bloomberg means it.

Tolerance used to mean listening respectfully to others’ opinions, even when you disagree. Tolerance as Bloomberg understands it, means “I won’t say no to you for anything you want, and you don’t say no to me for anything I want.”—The ultimate expression of political correctness, and the most certain formula for moral chaos. But the construction of the mosque at ground zero is not about tolerance. And it isn’t about religious liberty. This is about prudence: the good sense to do what is right. That’s one of the four classic, cardinal virtues given to the West.

Let me give you an example. It isn’t a violation of tolerance or religious liberty when a local zoning commission tells a church, or a synagogue, that it cannot build a sanctuary in a residential neighborhood. Parking issues, traffic, could adversely affect the neighborhood. So, local government can make the prudent decision to tell the church to build somewhere else. So it would not be an act of intolerance to deny the construction of a mosque at a certain location—particularly one, ground zero, where the mosque will serve as a daily reminder to New Yorkers of the terrorists, who, motivated by their Islamo-fascist beliefs, killed 3,000 innocent people in the name of Islam. Go build the mosque somewhere else.

Earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal, columnist Bill McGurn wrote about a marvelous example of prudence in a similar situation during the early 1990s. Catholic nuns had moved onto an abandoned building at Auschwitz—the site of the Nazi death camp—to pray for peace and the victims of the Holocaust. The Jewish community was quite outraged. Although the nuns had the legal right to be at Auschwitz, Pope John Paul II intervened. Recognizing Jewish sensitivities, he ordered the nuns to move somewhere else to carry on their work. And they did.

Because I believe that the vast majority of Muslims are peace loving citizens who do not support terrorism, I can’t imagine why they would want to tempt us to think otherwise by building a mosque at the site where their co-religionists perpetrated the most barbaric acts of modern times. If they—and Mayor Bloomberg—don’t have the prudence to respect the sensibilities of others, then Congress ought to step in. With the upcoming elections, I’m sure your congressman will be all ears to your concerns. I understand the dilemma of religious freedom in this case. But as Bill McGurn pointed out, “having the right to do something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.” The Pope understood that at Auschwitz, and the Muslim community ought to understand it at ground zero.

Further Reading and Information
The Mosque Controversy and Religious Freedom, Cathy Young | RealClearPolitics | August 5, 2010
WTC Mosque, Meet the Auschwitz Nuns , The Wall Street Journal | August 3, 2010
Strange Tolerance, Stan Guthrie | BreakPoint Features | August 5, 2010

[Don't miss Part 2 on this subject THIS FRIDAY!]

#65 - The Sunday Special

Dear friend,
Today, I’d like to begin a new feature of this blog, “The Sunday Special.” As you know, my postings during the week tend to be geared toward helping you understand the issues of the day more fully so that you can be more fully informed as a citizen of this republic. I also know how the subjects covered can be “heavy” and often hard to absorb.
Obviously, during each week, there are other things I observe or learn that are not as “heavy” that you might also enjoy reading. Maybe enjoy more, though I hope you will take the time, if even on the weekends, to read over the postings I’ve made for the past week. (Once in awhile, I may just post one of my “Letters to the Churches” that will be on the “heavy” side but which I hope you will be sure to read.)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new feature I hope to make available every Sunday. (It should be posted by the time you sit down for Sunday dinner, wherever you are.)
As always, I would enjoy if you would post on the blog site your comments and feedback.
Thanks, Stan


#1 - HAVE YOU HAD EVER HAD PROBLEMS BEING MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT? The other day, I was reading the book “The Obama Diaries.” (I’ve possibly read every book about our President since he was inaugurated, which is at least a dozen books. Many are very technical as they analyze his political philosophy and actions. While they are informative, they are sometimes dull reading that can be overwhelming. This book stands out as doing the same analyzing without getting too “heavy.” Unless you refuse to consider any analysis other than what the mainstream (liberal) press feeds you constantly, I encourage you to borrow this book from your public library. It’s a great, and sometimes even a fun read.)

ANYWAY, at the end of a chapter that talks about Mrs. Obama’s anti-obesity campaign, the author, Laura Ingram, talks about the importance of physical fitness. I started to just glance over that section as it seemed to say the usual stuff about eating right and exercising. (Heard it, tried it!). What surprised me was that the author talked about it in the context of trying to shovel snow from her driveway in order to get to work one winter. She describes her getting winded and wondering if she would be able to carry her children to the nearest hospital if there was an emergency and she couldn’t otherwise get them there.

The author makes the point that we need to see our need for physical fitness not just in a selfish way, merely as to how it would be good for us. But instead, as citizens, we need to consider whether, in any emergency situation, if we are able to help not just those we know but also strangers who are in need of help. For the first time, its occurred to me that, while I may not care whether or not I’m just another “fat slob,” I need to think of my being physically fit in a truly selfless way (Of course, there’s every reason to also think of it in a “selfish” way.)

Just as there once were (still are?) official volunteer firemen, we each need to be ready at a moment’s call to help others in an emergency. I think of the guy who was at his child’s school and suddenly saw a parent lose control of their car and drive into a retention pong. That guy was fit enough to immediately dive into that pond and pull out the children who would have otherwise drowned. I don’t know about you, but this perspective has given me a new motivation to get into and stay in shape. [Isn’t it amazing how you can get motivated about something when reading it in the context of something entirely different, in this case motivated about losing weight and being physically fit while reading a book on political analysis?]

#2 - Doctors Have Health Problems? I just got an email from a long time friend whose a doctor. In it he tells me that he is praying for my sleep problems and asks for prayer for himself as he is also struggling with sleep problems. It just occurred to me that I can't remember when I heard a doctor share that he had some kind of medical problem. I've always just assumed that doctors are always feeling well - ie, have no health problems - because they are "in the business" of helping others with THEIR health problems. Here's a thought: The next time you visit your (a?) doctor, take a moment at the end to ask HIM OR HER how they are feeling. You might expect a "fine" but then, you might get a different answer. Either way, it would be a great opportunity to ask that doctor if you could just take a moment to pray with them for them. An opening to share the gospel? You never know!!!

#64 – Economist-In-Chief or Commander-in-Chief?

(Don't Miss...: As always, please check out "The Coral Ridge Hour" this Sunday. (5-5:30pm, channel 40.1 (over the air), in Orlando.) Last Sunday, they began a four part series on why Christians should keep abreast of the public policy issues, ie "politics," in our country. I am saddened by the great number of Christians who do not believe this. I believe that this view is unbiblical citizenship. I'm sorry if you missed last week's broadcast, "Will the Church Forget." It is one of the most challenging and powerful messages I have ever heard. If you live in Orlando and would like to borrow my DVD copy of it, just call me at 407-382-3735. Also, please check the ministry website at Coral Ridge Ministries.org and click on the "Equip and Grow" button. One of the downloads you can get is entitled "The Christian and Politics." I strongly urge you to check it out.)

Obama Turns Page, Treats Iraq as a Distraction
The Foundry: Conservative Policy News – A Feature of The Heritage Foundation
http://blog.heritage.org/2010/08/31/obama-turns-page-treats-iraq-as-a-distraction/
Posted By James Phillips, August 31, 2010

"President Obama’s wooden speech tonight, ostensibly focused on Iraq, actually gave short shrift to the war in Iraq and failed to convincingly articulate a vision of Iraq’s future, his own Iraq policy, or America’s role in the world. The President talked about ending the war, but not of victory. Apparently in a rush to put the war in the past, he gave little attention to why the war was fought, what was at stake, or how the war related to broader U.S. goals in the Middle East."

"Instead, Obama maintained that “now it is time to turn the page,” and focus on restoring the economy—“my central responsibility as President.” Clearly more at ease acting as the “Economist-in-Chief” rather than the Commander-in-Chief, the President then devoted a surprisingly large portion of the speech, only his second from the Oval Office, to vague rhetoric about fixing the economy. But protecting America’s security and leading the nation in war should be his highest priorities as President, not to mention the paramount focus of a speech about Iraq. Unfortunately, the televised address sounded more like a campaign speech from a politician rather than a message from the Commander-in-Chief of a nation at war. He said that “Our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq’s future is not.” But he gave no inkling of what that commitment entails, why America has a vital interest in Iraq’s future, or his Administration’s vision of Iraq’s future."

"Unfortunately, President Obama missed a golden opportunity to reassure anxious Iraqis and nervous U.S. allies elsewhere that the United States is a dependable friend that is determined to consolidate the long-term security of Iraq—not merely make a rush for the exit. While the speech may have helped him with Democratic voters, it is likely to undermine confidence in American leadership not only in Iraq and the broader Middle East, but in many other areas of the world. President Obama’s proclamation of his “central responsibility” for economic matters, shoe-horned into a major speech about Iraq—one of the world’s most important international security issues—will only encourage foreign doubts about his Administration’s commitment to finishing the job in Afghanistan, winning the struggle against Islamist extremism, and protecting U.S. allies around the world."

For more on what the speech should have covered, see: Obama’s Iraq Speech Should Stress a Resolute U.S. Security Commitment
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/08/obamas-iraq-speech-should-stress-a-resolute-us-security-

[Also, I found it sad that, while the President acknowledged President Bush's love for the troops, he failed to give the former President any credit for the troop surge late in his administration that turned the tide for the "good guys." It was a great opportunity for him to demonstrate humility by acknowledging the contribution of his predecessor. But as he has done often with other such opportunities to show himself as one who unites, he lacked the leadership to do so.]