Saturday, September 21, 2013

Our Obama Culture

Okay, President Obama doesn't decide school curriculum. He doesn't persecute Christians. He doesn't create the rules that say a child who points his finger at someone and says "bang" can be suspended for bringing a weapon to school. Nope. You know those crazy rules? He didn't do that. He needed help - or something like that.

On the other hand, I don't remember those crazy ideas existing anywhere before Obama came into office. So how and why did they begin at just the moment he was sworn in? Or at least it seems that way. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Barack Obama's election was perhaps the single most influential change in direction in our nation's history. In effect, it was a signal to every liberal ideology which heretofore had been held in check by the effect of the Reagan legacy. Obama not only killed the Reagan legacy, he resurrected liberalism. His election declared "open season and anything goes" for liberalism in all its gory glory.

Liberals held every dominate office and effectively held all branches of the federal government, including the Supreme Court. They could not be stopped by Republican token resistance. The outcome has been not only the most pervasive and invasive liberal government in our history. It has produced the cultural revolution that is hollowing out what heart remains of this once great nation.

In other words, Obama may not make all the decisions in our cockeyed country at the moment, but he created the culture that is responsible for those decisions. Our culture is the mirror image of his values, his tastes, his ideology, and yes, his politics. We are living in Obama's world.

Like the prodigal son, when we awaken to discover the mess we're in, then and then only we will have the desire to leave the hog pen behind and turn toward a better life. But, like the prodigal, we will have to do a lot of repenting to get there.

Repentance and salvation for our country is possible, provided we come to our senses. Pray we wake up before it's too late.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The Easter Bunny is a Christian? Who Knew?

It's a sign of the times. The principal of Heritage Elementary School in Madison, Alabama has banned the Easter bunny because, as she explained it, "people relate the Easter bunny to religion." Really? What kind of religion? Fertility rites? Actually, I've heard of people who think the Easter bunny is part of Christianity. These are the same people who see Christmas trees and Santa Claus as manifestations of Christianity. In other words, people are so gobsmacked ignorant of the Bible these days that even the most elemental acquaintance with Scripture is beyond them.

I talked recently with a man who assured me that although he isn't religious, doesn't know enough of the Bible to quote even a little bit, he doesn't need to go to church because "He lives it" - Christianity, that is.

Right. He lives it but he skipped all those parts about "If you love me, you'll keep my commandments" including the one about "forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is..."

When people are so stupendously ignorant of biblical truth, it should not surprise us when they try to insult Christians by doing things that only serve to display their own ignorance to the point of embarrassment, if they could be embarrassed. Like the student in one of my classes at Wright State University, a professed atheist who blurted out in class "Do you know the Bible teaches the world was created in 4004 B.C.?" Uh, no. It doesn't. That's Bishop Usher's dating system, not the Lord's.

So now we have this teacher who is trying to be politically correct by doing away with the Easter bunny so as to not show favoritism towards Christians. What she doesn't know is that many evangelicals have been trying to do away with the Easter bunny (and all those left-over, hard-boiled eggs) for years. Let's all pretend to be offended. Maybe we can be rid of yet another pagan attachment to the gospel.

I just hope the principal doesn't catch on. Come to think of it, I think we're safe.



Thursday, March 21, 2013

"Will You Pray For Us?"

The officer was not serious when he asked the question. Typical for that hour of the morning, we were spending our time enjoying some coffee before hitting the streets. It was not coincidence that we were loitering in one of the most often robbed convenience stores in the area. To say they were pleased with our lollygagging around is a massive understatement. The bad guys know our routine by now, no doubt. But there's nothing wrong with robbers knowing not to show up.
At any rate, the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee, sans doughnuts, provides more than enough time to rib one another unmercifully about most anything. That was the occasion for the unexpected request: "Will you pray for us?"
I replied in a bit more serious tone, "I always pray for you guys." And that is indeed the truth.
But the police officer was not quite satisfied.
"No, will you really pray for us?"
He was still laughing, not really serious, when he said it, but this time he struck a nerve with me.
How often do we pray for people like  we pray for a long list of missionaries? You know what I mean: "Bless the missionaries."
What does that mean?
Prayers so general that they really say nothing also accomplish nothing. If we are going to actually mean anything for anyone, we need to pray in ways that are more precise, more meaningful. The Lord might as well ask - and in fact, I think He has - "Would you like to be a bit more specific?"
Nothing could be more important than precise and meaningful prayer when we are praying for, say, police officers who are about to put their lives in danger. Or a loved one about to go through surgery. Or a family facing the death of a loved one.
You get the idea. There's a lot of difference between praying and really praying.
If you know what I mean.

Friday, January 25, 2013

What a Difference

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton uttered a question during her most recent visit to Capitol Hill that will live in American life far beyond her years: "What difference does it make?"
The question was her visceral response to inquiries regarding her involvement with and understanding of the cover up related to the raid on the American embassy in Benghazi, Libya. Mrs. Clinton's rational was that so much time had passed since events that took four American lives that what people knew or did at the time to cover up the case no longer matters. In effect, all those things happened a long time ago, so as for the cover up, what difference does it make? Telling the truth now won't bring back the Americans, so what difference does it make?

The logical - not to mention moral - fallacy of Mrs. Clinton's question cannot be overstated or underestimated. So let's take up these matters one at a time.

What difference do the facts make? The same kind of difference that causes police departments to take up "cold case" investigations. Justice makes a difference, so the cases are pursed regardless of how old they are. In this instance, four Americans were murdered and, in fact, the F.B.I. was called in to investigate. Try telling federal agents that their investigation no longer makes any difference; that catching the criminals no longer matters. See what kind of response you get.

Better yet, see what happens to the agent who says "These things happened a long time ago. What difference does it make whether we catch the bad guys or not?" I have a feeling he will soon be an ex-agent.

Do we really intend to tell the grieving families of these lost loved ones that finding the killers no longer makes a difference to anyone? Only in American politics (of the worst kind) can something as horrendous be written off - that it no longer makes any difference - because the event is old news. Or it is no longer politically expedient.

But there is a worse error, if possible, to Mrs. Clinton's remark. It is an example of the moral vacuum that permeates America and American politics today. She does not grasp the moral difference that works in this world.

Should people be stripped of a job because they lied years ago on their job application or test? Suppose the person who lied is a police officer, or fireman, or a pilot. Would you want an unqualified liar flying your aircraft? What difference does it make?

Or suppose your doctor lied and cheated his way through medical school years ago so he could obtain his medical license and now he is ready to operate on you. All those lies and cheating were years ago and this is today. So what difference does it make?

Or think of all the people who rejected Christ years ago and spent their lives in sin and some false religion of their own choosing. They had an opportunity to follow the right path but they didn't and now they face eternity uncertain and unprepared. They trusted the wrong savior. What difference does it make?

Do you suppose all the souls in hell could answer that question? Do you suppose the four dead men in Benghazi could? Do you suppose their families could?

I hope Mrs. Clinton has to live with that question the rest of her life because it's a certainty that our nation will, one way or the other. And if we do not begin to choose better leaders and a better way for our nation soon, what difference will it make?