How to Cut Spending, lower Taxes, Save social programs, and Make America Stronger in the World

As you know our economy is headed towards basketcase status, but there is a simple solution to saving our economy and it doesn’t involve a single tax increase to anyone in the United States.  However, those who believe war heals all wounds and is a preventative cure all will not like this solution because quite simply the most effective way to save the economy is to drastically reduce defense spending.  The way I see it we could reduce our annual defense spending by about 500 billion. We’d still be spending about 200 billion annually on defense expenditures, but  we’d still be spending more than three times as much money per year on defense than our leading competitors, and we’d still outspend them if they all combined against us.

2 France 61,571,330,000
3 United Kingdom 61,280,890,000
4 People’s Republic of China 61,036,400,000

For what its worth out of the second, third, and fourth ranked nations in yearly military spending (we are in first place at over 700 billion) only China could be deemed as a threat to our national security and they have an annual budget of a little more than 61 billion. You wanna toss in the big bad Russkies, they must be bad because I saw Red Dawn the other day, and you get another 50 billion per year. China and Russia together (arguably our biggest rivals) spend 111 billion a year on defense.  Somewhere out there at least one hawk is thinking about the doomsday scenario of what would happen if the Peoples’ Republic of China and the Russian Federation linked up with the two remaining members of the fantastical Axis of Evil.  As far as spending goes this would not be a problem as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea combined only spend 112 billion combined.   Iran, alone,  spends six billion a year on military expenditures, and I have to say that  I have to agree with John McCain a nation that spends that little on military expenses has got to be “an exististional threat to the United States.”  The other member of Axis of Evil, North Korea, spends 5.5 billion dollars.

Of course the member nations of the Axis of Evil may be looking for new members since uber evil and overwhelmingly powerful Iraq (you know the ones who were going to take out Israel, Kuwait and make Europe into a Caliphate before they marched through Downtown Manhattan, but who oddly enough were completely occupied in less than four weeks) was squashed.  So lets say, for hypothetical purposes, that the Axis of Evil in its usual comic book style knights Cuba and Venezuela as evil enough for membership.  Lets say for a moment that both Cuba and Venezuela (two nations with governments we don’t like so surely thats recipricol and not just empty rhetoric spewed from those in the military industrial lobbyists on K-Street) should combine their spending power with the traditional boogey men countries of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.  First lets examine Cuba, this tropical gulag is led by Castro who has to be the worst man alive considering the millions of man hours the CIA has invested, along with a billion or so dollars, over the years to kill him. Cuba spends 694 million per anum on defense. The other Latin candidate for the Axis of Evil is Venezuela. Chavez spends 4 billion per year on defense. Our biggest threats, as far as nation states go, spend a combined 127 billion a year. Which means that we could cut our spending by more than 500 billion and still nearly spend twice the amount of money a year on defense that they spend combined.

Oh sure, this would mean less foreign adventures such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. No cool quagmires or humanitarian disasters, not as many new toys either. We’d have to cancel our antagonistic manhood measuring contest, aka our missile defense shield, in Poland and the Czech Republic. We’d have to leave the Balkans, we’d have to stop training the Georgians on how to commit genocide and blame the Russians for it, but we’d still be able to have a well equipped Army, Air Force, and Navy.   Naturally, we would have to quit the cowboy diplomacy of the past eight years with actual diplomacy and we could do this and still have a defense budget that is more than three times larger than that of our nearest competitor.  We’d still be able to respond to threats and while we wouldn’t be able to do away with the yearly income tax we could give every single American tax payer a stimulus check for the amount of 2500 dollars.

So to reiterate, all we would have to do would be to cut defense spending from 700 billion to 200 billion (a slash of 500 billion) per year and we could either take that money and save social security, have universal healthcare, build new energy and transportation infrastructure, build and fund more schools and universities, or just simply give every American tax payer (all two hundred million) a 2500 dollar stimulus check.

All info regarding spending numbers was retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of…y_expenditures

He Died So For Less, and What Christmas is About

This is a season where we show thanks for what we have and consider the less fortunate, but unfortunately -like everything else in our materialistic society- this season has moved from a season where we celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus to a place of unabated avarice.  It is sad to see that in this nation we have forgotten how to love our neighbor, how to care about others, how to respect the lives of our countrymen and have become a nation of hedonistic spiritual bastards who have forgotten how to have love, kindness, self control, and basic human decency.  This “American” value system reared its ugly head on Blitz Day, current and former Wal-Slaves know the literal Hell on Earth that this is, which took place the day after Thanksgiving in a Wal-Mart Store in the suburbs of New York City.  What can only be described as a riotous mob decided that saving a few dollars on a television that they really did not need was more important than the life of another human being.

This mob literally broke down the front door to get at  bargains and stomped out the life of a guy who was doing seasonal work in overnight maintenance, which is arguably the worst position at Wal-Mart, just so they could save a few bucks.  Its really disturbing that this guy’s fellow associates were blocked by the surge of inhumanity from coming to his assistance so idiots could get bargains.  It was quite telling to watch the surveillance footage of the EMTs taking the guy to the ambulance and watching a customer just carelessly sauntering by with his 32 inch flat screen television without even giving a glance at the victim of avarice.  I really hope that the cattle who did this enjoy their Christmas and their cheap piece of Chinese crap and I really hope they are able to tell their children that they got a real steal and all it cost was a guy getting trampled to death.  What was even more shocking than the guy getting trampled underfoot was the fact that morons complained that they shut the store down to take care of the injured and the dead.  Yeah, ain’t that sad, they couldn’t get a bargain because some guy got trampled by a bunch of miserable excuses for human beings.

After the experience of working at Wal-Mart for about a year (praise Jesus that I no longer work there) and seeing what happened to this poor man I have reevaluated what Christmas is all about.  I never really took part, other than working retail, in the Black Friday insanity but I did try to get nice things for Christmas.  I realize now that this is not what Christmas is about.  This year I am going to attend Christmas Eve communion service, spend time with those I love, and I am also going to help those who cannot have a Christmas because of dire economic straits.  Christmas is not about gimme gimme gimme, its about giving of yourself.  Christmas is about emulating the love of Christ.  Its about giving to others.  This Christmas don’t shop for yourself, buy stuff for someone who has nothing.  Don’t look for bargains, but look for people whom you can be a blessing for.  If you know of someone who is struggling with their utility bills bless them by paying their bills for them.  If you know someone who is going hungry buy them groceries.  Many of us are blessed enough that we do not need gifts, heck I know this because last year at Wal-Mart lots and lots and lots of people were in the returns line trying to give back their gifts.  Instead of trying to get money for a gift you don’t want how about giving it to someone who may appreciate it.

Trust me folks there is not a foreign power strong enough to take us down, but our greed has a good chance of ripping us apart.  So this holiday season don’t be a selfish ogre, but be a blessing.  Teach your kids to be giving, this is not something they discover one day, so if they complain about what you give them then take something they love and give it to a kid who is less fortunate.  If this country does not learn about giving, generosity, kindness, love, and humility we will be brought low.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

Which is more Important, Saying you love your Country or Actually Loving Your Country?

Today we will explore what is more important, saying you love your country or actually loving your country. For the past seven years -ever since that terrible tuesday of 9/11/01 – the Republican party has wrapped itself in the flag, talked about how they support the troops, placed flag pins and ribbon bumper stickers on their cars and shrilly shouted “We love America.” Now this is all fine and good and I do respect patriotism and revere what our flag represents historically. However, there is something wrong when your patriotism stops at bumper stickers and lapel pins. Again, I am not against flag pins and patriotic bumper stickers as I have plenty and I love my country. No, the question is what is more important saying you love your country or actually loving your country?

During the past seven years the same Republicans who have talked about how much they love America have led the assault on the very documents and institutions that made America the great land that it is. We have a president who says God Bless America while writing FISA and the Patriot Act which undermind the civil liberties of Americans. The same Republican administration that says it loves America has taken away the constitutional rights of Americans from coast to coast and this is especially seen in the extraordinary case of Jose Padilla. Padilla, may or may not have been part of a criminal conspiracy to make dirty bombs, but whatever the case his constitutional rights were terminated which consequently undermines the constitution’s power to protect everyone else. His first amendment rights were squashed as he was busted primarily for being part of an Islamic organization (the clauses violated were the religious freedom clause and the freedom of assembly clause); his fourth amendment rights were also squashed as they searched him without warrant (a clear violation of Amendment four and the Miranda rights); his fifth amendment rights were violated as they attempted to hold him in a prison without trial until he confessed his guilt; his sixth amendment rights were violated as he was held for three years without trial or even the presentation of charges (habeas corpus); his eighth amendment rights were infringed as he was tortured during interrogation; and his fourteenth amendment rights were also violated. Please understand, even though he was found guilty of the charges against him that his constitutional rights were infringed upon. The government has also actively encouraged phone companies to track phone calls (warrantless wiretaps). Now we have a certain congressman from Pennsylvania who wants to

Sadly the DNC is no better than their GOP counterparts as they too have infringed upon civil liberties. In the District of Columbia (a strong bastion of DNC support) they have established curfews and checkpoints for their residents. The mayors of LA, Chicago, and Washington city have installed surveillance cameras to track their citizens, have essentially stomped out the second amendment (the constitution dictates that the right to bear arms is a right and not a privilege) by banning almost every type of firearm and making the registration of legal weapons compulsory and all of these cities are predominantly Democratic Party strongholds. Officially the gun bans/registrations are to curb criminal activity and the surveillance cameras in NYC, DC, and Chicago are to crack down on terrorism and violent crime, but it seems to me that these new tools of law enforcement are to control the movements and cow the general population. It was also under a Democrat president, Bill Clinton, that the federal government moved in to crack down on people who did not agree with the status quo (here I refer to Ruby Ridge and the Branch Dividian Compound in Waco, TX. I do not endorse the ideas that either of these groups stood for but their civil liberties were severely infringed upon).

Recently the state of Texas cracked down on a crazy polygamist Mormon sect without any substantial proof of actual child abuse. I say all of the above because these actions against civil liberties were made by those who say that they love America, but whose actions say something different. Some will be tempted to say that the recent violations of the constitution are justified because of national security in the post 9/11 world, but I argue that we must listen to the wise words of Benjamin Franklin that “those who surrender the essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty or security”.

The bottom line is that it is far more important to love your country than to say you do. Do not get me wrong, wear the flag pin, you see the flag and hear the national anthem take off your hat and place your hand over your heart, place the support the troops bumper sticker on your car, listen to Lee Greenwood, Randy Travis, and Toby Keith but ensure that your patriotism isn’t just something shallow. Do not get so caught up in symbolism that you forget the high ideas and honorable traditions that those symbols represent. Go out and support your country. Serve in the military, vote, serve on jury duty, pay taxes, but also know your constitution, be politically involved, keep in contact with your congressmen and your president. Write letters, join with your other citizens and make all your politicians know that they are your servants and are only there because you put them there. Pray for your leaders and hold them accountable.

McCain and Republicans Support the Troops in Iraq, so they Don’t Have to Support Them Here at Home

Ho boy looks like John McCain only supports the troops in Iraq so that he does not have to support them here at home. Back in May he was far more interested in his election than participating in the vote to renew the GI Bill. Now I don’t know about you but whether or not you support this war in Iraq you must support the troops by giving them the best equipment and training while in the field and the best of medical care, benefits, and support when they return from duty. Lest you think I am making this up here is the story about it from, of all places, Fox News:

Democrats are turning up the heat on John McCain in the one area that’s been relatively sacred this campaign season — military commitment.

Even as newly released medical records highlight the ailments McCain continues to suffer, stemming from his days as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, the presumptive GOP nominee is catching more flak for sitting out the vote on the GI bill expansion Thursday.

The measure would guarantee full college scholarships for those who serve in the military for three years.

“If our veterans want to go to college, they should be able to do so the minute their boots hit the ground,” says John Boccieri, an Air Force Reserve major and Ohio state senator, in the Democrats’ weekly radio address — in which McCain is a frequent target.

The Democratic Party released an early version of their radio address Friday, timed as millions of Americans head into Memorial Day weekend.

“Sadly, President Bush has threatened to veto the (GI) bill. Senator John McCain, who hopes to take his place, not only opposed it, but when given the opportunity to support his fellow veterans on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, didn’t even show up to vote nor express his concerns,” Boccieri says. ” … vetoing this measure will send a clear message that politics has defeated patriotism.”

The address was released after Barack Obama chided McCain Thursday during a Senate debate on the GI bill.

“I respect Senator John McCain’s service to our country. … but I can’t understand why he would line up behind the president in opposition to this GI bill. I can’t believe he believes it is too generous to our veterans,” Obama said Thursday. “I could not disagree with him and the president more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them.”

That prompted a nasty exchange between the two likely general election opponents.

McCain released a statement saying he was concerned the bill would discourage people from re-enlisting and cut retention rates

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/23/dems-turn-up-heat-on-mccain-over-military-commitment/

Really, Mr. McCain you abstained from voting to extend the GI Bill because it would discourage people from re-enlisting? Really, I am sorry but whatever happened to nothing but the best for our troops? McCain has his priorities wrong and it is obvious that he only supports the troops in Iraq so he won’t have to support them here at home. Among the things that this vote gave our troops was education assistance:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c110:9:./temp/~c110JuV2D2:e98674:

and Construction of housing for family members of navy and marine corps personnel:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c110:9:./temp/~c110JuV2D2:e7406:

Now some will say he was having health issues that day, and if this were true then I could forgive his failure to vote, but his comments and previous voting record suggests something darker and almost treasonous. His voting record on supporting veterans is rife with examples of how he does not really support our soldiers and their families.

McCain Voted Against Increased Funding for Veterans’ Health Care. Although McCain told voters at a campaign rally that improving veterans’ health care was his top domestic priority, he voted against increasing funding for veterans’ health care in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. (Greenville News, 12/12/2007; S.Amdt. 2745 to S.C.R. 95, Vote 40, 3/10/04; Senate S.C.R. 18, Vote 55, 3/16/05; S.Amdt. 3007 to S.C.R. 83, Vote 41, 3/14/06; H.R. 1591, Vote 126, 3/29/07)

Opposed an Assured Funding Stream for Veterans’ Health Care. McCain opposed providing an assured funding stream for veterans’ health care, taking into account annual changes in veterans’ population and inflation. (S.Amdt. 3141 to S.C.R. 83, Vote 63, 3/16/06)

McCain Voted Against Adding More Than $400 Million for Veterans’ Care. McCain was one of 13 Republicans to vote against providing an additional $430 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs for outpatient care and treatment for veterans. (S.Amdt. 3642 to H.R. 4939, Vote 98, 4/26/06)

Voted Against Establishing a $1 Billion Trust Fund for Military Health Facilities. McCain voted against establishing a $1 billion trust fund to improve military health facilities by refusing to repeal tax cuts for those making more than $1 million a year. (S.Amdt. 2735 to S.Amdt. 2707 to H.R. 4297, Vote 7, 2/2/06)

McCain Opposed $500 Million for Counseling Services for Veterans with Mental Disorders. McCain voted against an amendment to appropriate $500 million annually from 2006-2010 for counseling, mental health and rehabilitation services for veterans diagnosed with mental illness, posttraumatic stress disorder or substance abuse. (S. 2020, S.Amdt. 2634, Vote 343, 11/17/05)

McCain Voted in Support of Disabled Veterans Only 25 Percent of the Time from 2004-2005. While McCain claims he “has been a leading advocate” for veterans with disabilities, statistics show he supported the Disabled American Veterans’ interests only 25 percent of the time in 2004-2005. In 2006, that figure slipped to 20 percent of the time. (Project Vote Smart)

McCain Voted Against Providing Automatic Cost-of-Living Adjustments to Veterans. McCain voted against providing automatic annual cost-ofliving adjustments for certain veterans’ benefits. (S. 869, Vote 259, 11/20/91)

INCLUDING BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR GUARD AND RESERVISTS

McCain Opposed Increasing Spending on TRICARE and Giving Greater Access to National Guard and Reservists. Although his campaign website devotes a large section to veterans issues, including expanding benefits for reservists and members of the National Guard, McCain voted against increasing spending on the TRICARE program by $20.3 billion over 10 years to give members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families greater access to the health care program. The increase would be offset by a reduction in tax cuts for the wealthy. (www.johnmccain.com/Informing/ Issues/9cb5d2aa-f237-464e-9cdf-a5ad32771b9f.htm; S.Amdt. 324 to S.C.R. 23, Vote 81, 3/25/03)

McCAIN ALSO VOTED TO OUTSOURCE JOBS AT MILITARY FACILITIES

McCain Supported Outsourcing VA Jobs. McCain opposed an amendment that would have prevented the Department of Veterans Affairs from outsourcing jobs, many held by blue-collar veterans, without first giving the workers a chance to compete. (S.Amdt. 2673 to H.R. 2642, Vote 315, 9/6/07)

He Also Supported Outsourcing at Walter Reed. McCain opposed an amendment to prevent the outsourcing of 350 federal employee jobs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center—outsourcing that contributed to the scandalous treatment of veterans at Walter Reed that McCain called a “disgrace.” (S.Amdt. 4895 to H.R. 5631, Vote 234, 9/6/06; Speech to VFW in Kansas City, Mo., 4/4/08)

AND HE REPEATEDLY VOTED AGAINST FUNDING FOR THE VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

2003: McCain Voted Against $122.7 Billion for Department of Veterans Affairs. McCain voted against an appropriations bill that included $122.7 billion in fiscal 2004 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and other related agencies. (H.R. 2861, Vote 449, 11/12/03)

2001: McCain Voted Against $51 Billion in Veterans Funding. McCain was one of five senators to vote against the bill and seven to vote against the conference report that provided $51.1 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as funding for the federal housing, environmental and emergency management agencies and NASA. (H.R. 2620, Vote 334, 11/8/01; Vote 269, 8/2/01)

2000: McCain Voted Against $47 Billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs. McCain was one of eight senators to vote against a bill that provided $47 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs. (H.R. 4635, Vote 272, 10/12/00)

1999: McCain Voted Against $44.3 Billion for Veterans Programs. McCain was one of five senators to vote against a bill providing $44.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, plus funding for other federal agencies. (H.R. 2684, Vote 328, 10/15/99)

1996: McCain Voted Against a $13 Billion Increase in Funding for Veterans Programs. McCain voted against an amendment to increase spending on veterans programs by $13 billion. (S.C.R. 57, Vote 115, 5/16/96)

1995: McCain Voted to Underfund Department of Veterans Affairs. McCain voted for an appropriations bill that underfunded the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development by $8.9 billion. (H.R. 2099, Vote 470, 9/27/95)

1995: McCain Voted Against Closing Tax Loopholes to Increase Veterans Funding by $74 Million. McCain voted against eliminating tax breaks and closing tax loopholes to provide revenue to restore some of the proposed cuts in Veterans Affairs spending. (S.C.R. 13, Vote 226, 5/25/95)

1994: McCain Voted Against Funding the Department of Veterans Affairs. McCain was one of nine senators to vote against appropriating $90 billion in budget authority for the Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development departments. (H.R. 4624, Vote 306, 9/27/94)

this information is courtesy of the AFL-CIO
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/mccain_vets.cfm

but lest you think that they are lying to you then I advise you consult the voting record found extremely conveniently at the official website of the United States Senate:

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm

The bottom line is that he talks about putting country first and he talks about how he believes in supporting the troops, but when it comes down to it this is nothing but empty rhetoric. He does not support the troops now and from a glance at his voting record he has never really been in favor of helping our veterans. It saddens me how one can talk about how pro troops they are when their actions say something far different. Dark would be the day for our troops and our veterans if this man became our Commander and Chief.

Georgia on My Mind, or Why I Despise the Death Penalty.

The many Americans out there who support the death penalty, I call them death heads (note to born again believers who talk about the culture of life, if you are against euthenasia and abortion but allow for innocent men to die then you are not for the culture of life), really need to wake up and realize that this heinous procedure needs to be outlawed. Your average death head will say an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I will say there came the cross and Jesus pulled us out of the old covenant and replaced it with an agent of grace. Then they will say the gubmint say its okay so it must be. I’ll remind them that in Nazi Germany the Government thought exterminating Jews was acceptable and then they will say well uh innocent people don’t die. Wrong, and this is the issue I have with the death penalty. Innocent people die.

The death heads will say only about 2 to 3 percent of people on death row (only a few thousand) are actually later found innocent of their crimes, but a few thousand people is way too many. One is too many. Tonight in Georgia an innocent man is facing his his last day on this earth. Let us now talk about Troy Davis.

Early on the morning of August 19, 1989 an off duty police officer in Savannah, GA was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Savannah area Burger King. Troy Anthony Davis committed the duel crime of being at the scene of the crime and having eyewitnesses testify against him. Now, the issue here is that there was no physical evidence (in fact the gun that he allegedly used was never found). Furthermore, since his original 1991 conviction seven of the nine witnesses have either recanted or retracted their statements. So we have no gun, seven of nine witnesses who have changed their testimony or recanted their statements and we have a man who has asserted his innocence for nearly twenty years. Oh it gets better, Mr. Davis is scheduled to be murdered tomorrow night at 7:00 EST even though the United States Supreme Court is slated to hear his case starting next week.

This man is a United States Citizen, and he has been sentenced to die on no physical evidence and very weak eye witness testimony. Executing this man brings justice to neither the victim (Davis has still not been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt) or to Davis (getting killed for something you did not do is not my definition of justice). Considering that the United States Supreme Court, Amnesty International, the Vatican, and even the former GOP Congressman and pro capital punishment Bob Barr have spoken out in favor of Davis, I feel that he needs to be granted a new trial.

Davis typifies the enormous problems in the capital punishment system that the deathheads don’t want to address. He is a black man and he is probably on the lower end of the economic scale (lets face it OJ Simpson or Ted Turner do this crime they get a civil lawsuit to 10 years in prison with parole in two for good behavior). He was not the recipient of adequate legal defense due to his station in life because a good lawyer would have gotten the state to reexamine the facts of the case far sooner. Davis is an innocent man and tomorrow night he will die for something that he did not do. I have to wonder just how many people die on death row for things they did not commit. In other words the deathheads talk about only two or three percent of those on death row being found innocent, but what about those who have perished without benefit of appeal?

If you are going to put someone to death, then I implore you to be damn sure that you at least got the right guy. Lack of a weapon, and witnesses who have recanted suggest that Davis’ alleged guilt is highly suspect. If he is guilty lock him away for the rest of his life and never let him see the light of day again. However, if he is innocent and he should die then the state will have innocent blood on its hand. You sentence someone to life imprisonment without parole and they stay there until they die of natural causes, and sure this might cost money, but if new evidence (DNA, witnesses recant, material) is found that exculpates the wrongly accused then that person can go back into society and even restored to his former position. You snuff someone out who is innocent you say OOOOPS and no justice is done.

Sensual Hedonism, AKA What is Destroying America

Today’s topic is one that could be taken directly from the pulpit of a plethora of pulpits across America but it needs to be said. Sensual hedonism, overindulgence, and instant self gratification are wreaking havoc in our nation. There is an old song which seems to be our cultural anthem which essentially goes “I want it like that and I want it right now.” Many of our social problems including obesity, adultery, divorce, pornography, pre marital sex, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, alcoholism, violent crimes, theft, fraud, and identity theft is all caused by our society’s problematic addiction to instant self gratification.

Now if you don’t think our sensual hedonism is a problem then I encourage you to watch television (not cable, just basic broadcast television), browse the internet, and/or shop at Wal-Mart. On TV you will see skankish women talking shamelessly about all the sex partners they’ve had while selling medicines for penile enlargement pills. During prime time you will shows such as Desperate Housewives where people throw off the traditional norms of marriage -love and respect for the other person- and replace them with overt sexuality. Listen to the music of today, Rap, Rock and Roll, Country, alternative etc and you will be bombarded with messages of lust, license, rage, and general hedonism. Women and men are being portrayed by the culture masters in Hollywood as sex objects and vehicles for pleasure.

The websites, other than Myspace (which pedophiles and rapists find very useful for their hedonistic acts which have victimized so many) and Facebook (which is trying way too much to be Myspace lite) and other social networking sites, which draw the most views per page are pornography sites. Harlequin romance novels – face it ladies who read them- are nothing but porn without the pictures and quite amazingly many churches sell these in their book stores. Our culture is inundated with vice and self gratification and we are pounded with it from all directions including the internet, radio and music, television, and the movie theatre. Sadly, however, hedonism is not confined to the realm of mass media which can be shut out and ignored, no our hedonism and greed shapes policy, theology, philosophy, and much of our news headlines.

A place where hedonism is becoming more and more pervasive is the church house. Too many churches embrace the prosperity doctrine (essentially give minister X hundreds of dollars and Jeebus makes you a millionaire glory be and hallelujah), now do not get me wrong I believe the Lord does prosper his people and tithing is essential (not so much because you should expect things in return, but because it is commanded). Lest you say, “but I don’t go to a prosperity doctrine church so I don’t hear a hedonistic gospel” I advise you to consider the fact that way too many churches teach a feel good acceptable doctrine. I am not against churches teaching you to have joy in Jesus, and nor am I saying the church should teach rapture and/or Hell, fire, and brimstone every Sunday, but I am saying too many churches are teaching a cost free form of Christianity where you say a formula sinner’s prayer and glory be you have a fire insurance policy keep going on doing exactly what you did before uninterrupted. While salvation is free, there is indeed a cost of discipleship and while I cannot call out someone who claims to be born again, I will say it looks rather suspicious if you aver to accept Christ as savior and there is no change. There are too many churches, and they are growing ever popular, where there are miracles, healing circles, tounges, prophecy, up tempo movement, and yet sound doctrine is not being taught. Do not get me wrong, I believe in a miracle working God and that spiritual gifts (tounges, prophecy, healing by the laying on of hands, and casting out demons) are for today, but too often the pentacostal churches go to overflowing congregations because people are seeking the miracles and the gifts which are free, but are less than interested in the one who does the miracles and dispenses with the gifts. People are flocking churches (especially Pentecostal ones) to see a show, do some calisthenics, and watch pastors preach much ado about nothing. The gospel is obscured by the circus acts such as the amazing woman who stammers like a baby, the man who sounds like he is having . . . . well . . . . a sexual act, the woman who moos like a cow, barks like a dog, or wails like a banshe. Do not get me wrong the Holy Spirit is still alive, but too often I get the impression that people are trying to draw attention to themselves far more than the Holy Spirit. Bottom line is that the church is now where people go for a one hour feel good experience, but where they do not seek change. Far too many churches no longer equip people for spiritual warfare and help them with their physical and spiritual needs. The church has become a place where one goes to act like a holy fool for an hour on sunday before going back to the carnal old man -that Ephesians chapter Four says we are supposed to die to daily- Monday through Saturday.

Sensual hedonism has also latched onto the Federal Government and how it shapes policy. We are in Iraq because Bush wanted to make a boat load of money for his wealthy friends and because of this 1.3 million Iraqis have died and so have 4000 Americans. Sensual hedonism has led to Enron, the bank failures, adjustable rate mortgages, credit card debt, and the many scandals of the Bush administration. The fruits of the spirit, seen in the fifth chapter of Galatians, would have warded off many of the crises that this country has faced in the past decade.

On a more local level one only need go to Wal-Mart to see hedonism face to face. You will hear the Subway commercial that says “indulge yourself,” and if you worked maintenance there for any time frame you would go “oh please do not indulge yourself.” You will see the children not getting their toys (these kids are 4 or 5 at the oldest) and proceeding to tell their mother (s) to F*** off. There is no discipline, no patience, no self control, no peace, no joy or compassion left in the United States and it will be our downfall. Much as it was the downfall of The Soviet Union, Qing China, The French Aristocracy, the Romanovs, the Weimar Republic, Rome, Athens, Persia, Mongolia, Israel, Babylon and the list goes on and on and on. We are not special in the eyes of God. We are not selected by God- historically only Israel is given any such promise- and we are not his chosen people or generation. If we do not repent and turn from our wickedness and our hedonism then we will join the ever growing ash heap of history.

What gives with the Pot Shots at the Church?

Tonight’s discussion is one near and dear to my heart and it seeks the question of why does the world take so many pot shots at the Church? As you may have guessed I read a lot of left leaning message boards and read liberal type blogs and while I agree with them on an awful lot it really bothers me how caustically many of them regard the body of Christ. Now I realize that in 2000 years the Church -and by this I refer to both Catholics and Protestants has made its share of mistakes, but in terms of doctrine I do not understand what people’s problem with Christianity is.

These attacks on the church take various forms, a blog called the Edge recently did a story about why people vote Republican and while it did make many spot on observations the writer of that piece, one Jonathan Haidt, could not help himself and went out to try to show that Christians are somewhat less intelligent than the general population. Now while some Christian groups -to their great detriment- do not value or support education I think it is fundamentally wrong to call followers of Christ uneducated or unintelligent. Because I believe in letting people speak for themselves here is the link to the article in question:http://www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge256.html#haidt

Then there is an increasingly popular film, you can easily find it on Google videos, called Zeitgeist. It is a three part film which in order disputes the existence of Christ, talks about the government coverup on 9/11, and talks somewhat antiSemitically about how Jewish bankers run the world. This film not only goes after the divinity of Christ, but the very existence of Christ. It is incredibly popular and this is quite tragic because while this film is somewhat accurate about the origins of the Iraq War and raises interesting questions about 9/11 it is aimed to attack at the very heart of the Christian faith. Sadly, Zeitgeist is hardly alone in its ambitions and while it is somewhat obscure most Americans have at least heard of, read, or watched The Divinci Code which does nothing but bash Christians -especially Catholics- and Christ from the start.

The tragedy is compounded by the existence of two internet projects where it seeks soldiers and veterans who have rejected God and high school students who have rejected God. Now to me as a Christian and a historian this is somewhat alarming because once the religion that founds a civilization is undermined the decline and collapse of the culture that adhered to it is not far behind. We have seen this theme repeated over and over and over again in Egypt, Sparta, Athens, Rome, and even to an extent Japan and the Soviet Union.

Now I am not saying people should not take pot shots at the church because that is what skeptics do, but I find it very odious when the mainstream media spends time doing nothing but attacking Christianity. The Catholic Church has received the brunt of this wave of persecution, but the attacks on the faith have been seen on increasing levels against many protestant groups. Now when the Church makes a mistake it should seek to correct the faux pas, but to continuously lambast the church makes me a bit nauseas.

Lipstick on Pigs, McCain Can’t Use Emails, and Palin’s Black Baby Daddy. Give it A Rest

In the past we have had vicious campaigns, but at least we used to have intelligent arguments and reasons to note vote for someone, now we just have drivel. The sad thing is that both parties are equally culpable in the insipid idiocy found in this campaign. First we have the McCain/Palin campaign whining that Obama’s Lipstick on a pig comment is sexist to the core, although Palin did say she was a pitbull with lipstick in her own speech (hmmm, lipstick on a pitbull, does that not imply that she is well a bitch?). McCain said the same thing about Hillary’s healthcare initiative, so that makes him sexist too, right? Anyways this has derailed the campaign from being about the issues. I could care less about “sexist” comments especially when they are not sexist. There are also some, too many actually, who are still riding Obama because he said on This Week with George Stephanopolus that he is a Muslim. I really would like to know exactly why this is all that big of a deal. Now, some wingdings will go into the spiel they heard on Christofascist television shows such as Pat Robertson and John Hagee that Muslims belong to Wuhabi groups and want to take over the United States and persecute Christians. Hmmm, I better call my friends up in Minnesota and see if that Ellis guy has shut down the churches there in order to persecute faithful Christians (hold on, an actual call is taking place). . . .

twenty minutes later . . . .

Well Chris’s kids are doing fine, they had a bake sale the other day, but it seems that they are still open. So anyways what exactly -and I speak of the United States Constitution- would make Obama any less eligible for the presidency if he happened to be a Muslim? He is not, by the way, and he is not really into Black Liberation theology either.

Unfortunately the DNC is hardly clean when it comes to the nugatory nonsense found in Indecision 2008. The Democrats, fearful of falling behind in the prattle race, have ridden Palin’s daughter -Bristol- for having the child of a Wigga (a slang word referring to a white man who thinks he is black) or an African American. To this I say so bloody what?!?! The other finding of the Obama campaign is that McCain does not know how to use emails and does not have full fluency regarding computer knowledge. Again, so what?!?! There are lots of people, including me, who do not know much about computer technology and I am in my twenties.

The bottom line is that it is acceptable to attack the candidates based on their experience, or lack thereof; scandals regarding their record (abuse of power); flip flopping on policy issues; questionable voting records; embezzling taxpayer money; being owned by lobbyists; and flat out lies based on the issues and I would be all for intelligent attacks. However, we have not seen intelligent attacks, we’ve seen family smack, God smack, age smack, and all sorts of other nonsense that turns serious elections into high school popularity contests and I wish we would all just give it a rest and expect more from our politicians, our media, and ourselves.

Yup, The News Media is Bullocks, And the Proof is at Yahoo.com

I got up this morning because I was curious to know what the political candidates would do to commemorate 9/11, hopefully see that we finally nabbed Osama, and to track Hurricane Ike. Instead of the current hurricane and investigating what we are doing to find Osama bin Laden the front page of Yahoo news has as its top story, Judge mean to 4 year Old. Sorry, but how exactly does a talent judge on a show hosted by Jerry Springer merit the lead in your news source? It doesn’t. This is a worthless, and rather low rated and even lower brow, third rate talent show on America’s fourth ranked broadcast network.

To be fair they did have a link to a story about the latest Upton Sinclair/Teapot dome type scandal raking through the Department of the Interior, and they had a link to Hurricane Ike’s progression, a link about how this was the deadliest year so far in Afghanistan, but these stories were sandwiched between bunk about a tiny frog rediscovered in Australia, the new -skank whore, white trash, and ghetto girl- trend of infants and toddlers wearing high heel shoes and the St. Louis Rams being one of the league’s worst teams.

Really now, a girl being marked down on a show hosted by Jerry Springer is more important to the fears about Wal-Street, our troops in Afghanistan, and the Oil-esque scandal in the Department of the Interior? How low can the media go? I am so tired of the mixture of entertainment and news. I do not watch the news to see what my favorite celebrities are up to (actually I don’t have any favorite celebrities because I really don’t see films based on who stars in them), no I watch the news to get information.

I get nautious when I watch the news anchors talking about human interest stories, weird science, and providing commentary. Just present the facts, and let the people decide.

What Exactly Happened to Unity in the Body of Christ?

Today there are too many in the body of Christ (the church of all denominations if you will) who are engaged in mindless potshots against their brothers and sisters in Christ and I am sick and tired of it.  Paul, in his excellent blog to the Corinthian church (what they didn’t have computers back then like we do today so when they needed to express something they put the pen to the parchment)wrote at I Corinthians 1: 10-14

11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

14I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius

later in his first blog to the Corinthian church found at I Corinthians 3: 1-4 Paul writes

1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

and in I Corinthians 12: 11-27 Paul further expounds upon this when he writes

11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14For the body is not one member, but many.

15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Paul rails vehemently against fragmentation in the body of Christ and he would be alarmed at the schisms found throughout the body in today’s world.  In today’s world we have protestants who say that Catholics are not Christians, Catholics (western and eastern Rites) who are still dealing with the great schism of 1054, Baptists who criticize Pentecostals for speaking in tongues, Pentecostals who attack Baptists for not speaking in tongues, Calvinists attacking Armenians, and Armenians attacking Calvinists.  All this strife and dischord makes us look bad in the eyes of the world -you would call them the mission field- and weakens our ability to reach the lost.

Now I realize some of you will say the Catholics are not Christian and I will now call you out on this one.  Sorry, kiddies, especially my Baptist and Assembly of God friends,  the Catholic Church is the original church and ultimately all current denominations broke off from the Roman Catholic Church.  Oh yeah and Peter was the first pope and if you do not believe me lets look at the what our Lord Jesus Christ says in Matthew 16: 16-20

16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Now some protestants out there will say that the Catholics take this to say that Peter is the rock, negative.  This is not true, according to the Catholic Catechism (I’d buy it if you want to know church teaching because people sound ignorant when they say this is what the Catholics believe and they have no clue about what they are talking about) and Father John Corrapi, Peter and all popes are in a spiritual union with Christ but Christ is still the head of the church.

Well, now that we have debunked this lets talk about the Mother of Jesus.  Catholics -and this might take some time to sink in- DO NOT WORSHIP MARY.  The rosary dear friends is merely citing scripture and if you are against quoting scripture then you must not be that much of a Christian yourself.  Here is the essential rosary just for protestants who have no clue about what they are talking about.  This is the rosary according to

http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/rosary2.htm

Start by making the sign of the Cross:

the cross, that wretched tree which God used as the vehicle to breech the wall separating sinful man from God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The trinity.

Then recite the Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

Catholic here means universal, AKA the body of Christ.

Then say 1 “Our Father”, 3 “Hail Mary’s” for the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity; and then 1 “Glory Be”:

OUR FATHER, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

(my note: Jesus taught the disciples to pray this)

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.

GLORY BE to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

(My note: this is merely reciting scripture [ Luke 1:28-33, 1: 46-55])

Even if you disagree with the Catholic teaching on the mother of Jesus, you must admit that no other human shared the joy and sorrow of Christ’s ministry and passion like Mary did.  The various “mysteries” of the rosary all have a solid basis in scripture.  It is telling that Mary was the first one Christ visited on resurrection day.  Speaking of the passion of Christ, among Jesus’ last words on the cross was the statement found in John’s gospel chapter nineteen

25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

26When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

27Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

Now that this is settled lets look at the church throughout history.  I heard a dear Baptist sister once say that “The Catholics are not Christian and never have been” and this always struck me as odd.  The reason for this is that until the great schism of 1053 there was one universal and Roman Catholic church.  In 1517 the second schism was brought about when Luther left the Catholic church over the issue of indulgences and abuse of secular power.  A generation later there was a further fracturing in the protestant church with the emergence of the feud between Calvin and Arminius.  During the fifteenth century, predominantly because Henry VIII wanted a divorce and the Catholic church did not want to give him one ;and later because his descendant Elizabeth wanted in on the global empire game with Spain and Portugal, the church of England fragmented from the Catholic church in a powergrab by the English monarchy.  Henry VIII is on record as saying when the catholic church was established there were no christian kings, however, I am a christian king and I do not need the pope.

From the Church of England, yet more sectarians emerged.  Shortly after the death of Elizabeth I there emerged strife in England between three groups of people.  There were the Anglicans who felt Henry and Lizzy’s state church had reformed enough;The puritans (who eventually sparked off a civil war between the “catholic” royal government and “protestant” parliamentarians most notably Oliver Cromwell; and lastly but not least in any stretch of the imagination came the separatists (these are the mayflower pilgrims that kids dress up as in pagents seen every year on Thanksgiving).

All three movements were affected by the big geopolitical news event of the seventeenth century, namely the founding of thirteen fun little colonies that eventually became the rabble who established the United States.  The Anglicans were the power in Virginia, South Carolina, and after they kicked the Catholics out of Maryland they were there as well.  In America the Anglicans -sometime later- changed their name to the Episcopalians.  The separatists were a bit too small to survive independently and they were encompassed into Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Puritans.  Speaking of the Puritans they eventually led to the founding of the Presbyterians, Unitarians, and Congregationalists.

In the 1740s came the first great awakening and caught up in this new found fervor was John Wesley who established the methodist movement.  Wesley wanted to revive faith in the Church of England (the Anglican Church) and in fact desired to remain in that church, but his followers thought differently.  The Wesleyans -later called the Methodists- were popular in England and very popular in the American south among poor whites and slaves as they supported prohibition, abolishing slavery, and social reform.  At the beginning of the twentieth century the Assembly of God broke away from the Methodists.

Then there are the Baptists.  There is an interesting, but incredulous belief among some that say there has always been a Baptist church from the cross to the present.  However, no serious scholars and researchers have found no evidence of this.  That being said, the real history of the Baptist church is no less interesting.  In the early sixteen hundreds the Baptists followed the Puritans and Separatists in splitting from the Church of England.  The other wing of the Baptist church was created in what is now Germany in 1524.

Another shameful schism in the body of Christ is Sunday Morning segregation.  This was precipitated in this country by slavery.  Black churches and White churches were wrong when they were first founded and the idea is still putrid.

Another schism in the church that I am against is between Pentecostals and non Pentecostals.  First off, I believe in a miracle working God because as seen in Hebrews Chapter twelve God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  That being said I once heard a bitter baptist preacher in a large Kansas City area church belittling pentecostal faith healers, tongue speakers, and those who support the miracles of God.  He went so far as to say miracles do not happen today, but I really want to ask what is the point of praying to an impotent God who cannot help you out when you have reached the end of yourself?  I mean the guy was against healing, but if memory serves me right Jesus asked which is easier to say “Your sins are forgiven you, go and sin no more or Get up and walk”  In my humble estimation salvation is the greatest miracle there is and Jesus called it a miracle, so if God is not working miracles today then is he still saving?  Equally wrong is a certain Pentacostal I saw on TBN who said if you do not speak in tongues you are not born again.  Really?  I know several Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, and others who are upstanding believers who have more spiritual maturity and faith than those who speak in tongues.

Then there is the schism of Calvinism v. Arminenism and really both sides teach you must be born again.  Both say without Christ there is no salvation.  The petty schism between these two is unjustified.

Bottom line the church needs to leave its comfort zone, reconcile with their brothers in Christ who have slightly different doctrine than them, stop fighting each other, and open their eyes and see that all Christians worship the same Jesus, call the same God ABBA, and read the same bible.