California Bans Gay Marriage

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The Presidential election was not the only clear political signal on Tuesday. California has passed the controversial Proposition 8 denying same-sex couples the right to marry. Perhaps it was not so controversial after all.

Florida and Arizona also got in on the movement and defined marriage as between a man and a woman. It appears that same-sex couples that wed after a recent judges ruling will have their unions annulled.

Measures on the ballot designed to limit abortions were uniformly defeated. the Colorado initiative was crushed. Arkansas passed a ban on gay couples adopting children and the Colorado proposal to end Affirmative Action seems a dead heat the morning after while it passes handily in Nebraska. Medical marijuana will be arriving in Michigan.

The First Black President

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Barack Obama has been elected the new President of the United States. While I continue to have doubts, concerns and issues about the change that is coming to America, I will pray for our new leader. Sadly, I have already heard from some folks that they plan to fight him every step of the way.

I will follow Mr. Obama closely as he acts on campaign promises and makes decisions on matters raised during the election cycle. If he seeks to repeal protections for unborn babies I will certainly oppose him. If he seeks, as he promised, to streamline government and eliminate wasteful spending he will have my support. Other issues, such as Islamic fanatacism, defending Israel, government spending, healthcare, taxes, will arise and I will participate in the process.

For Christians, we are commanded to follow, respect, pray for and even submit to our political leaders in an appropriate manner. It is a part of what has made our country great, in my opinion. After a hard fought campaign, it is time to gather behind our new leader and do what is best for our country.

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Roundup for Today

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The quote for today:

“You don’t pay taxes – they take taxes.” – Chris Rock

Christian news you can use –

John MacArthur will be offering his online material for free.

I don’t think people have a duty to die because they are imperfect.

Here is The Happiness Manual.

Guess what? Biologist’s believe life begins at conception.

The oldest Hebrew text has been discovered.

Some news for the political junkies –

Five myths about the Great Depression is a must read.

Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe.

Obama wants to skyrocket energy prices and bankrupt coal plants.

Even Chris Matthews admits that Obama’s ‘tax cuts’ are really welfare.

Pre-marking Spanish ballots is voter fraud

Oops! Sarah Palin is not guilty after all.

No one is surprised that Obama has been helped by the press and foreign donations.

I Voted Today

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Whatever you political, economic, social, or ethnic affiliation, make sure you vote.

I am in favor of informed, thoughful voters. However, you forfeit your right to complain when you fail to vote. Don’t sit on the sidelines and complain. Get involved.

Vote today!

Praying for Obama

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Madelyn Payne Dunham, Barack Obama’s grandmother, died today, she was was 86 and had been battling cancer. She died peacefully in her sleep.

The prayers of our family are with Mr. Obama and his family.

Psalm 27:1 – The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Denying The Holocaust

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When the Allied Forces, under the direction of Supreme Commander, Gen. D. Eisenhower, found the Nazi death camps, the General ordered photos be taken from every possible angle. He also ordered that local villagers be led through the camps so they might see the horror first-hand.  While his reason is variously quoted, it was essentially, “Get it all on record now – get the films – get the witnesses -because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened”.

Our short-term memory is suffering on a global scale. Perhaps this is the natural result of post-modern thinking:  “Everyone has a right to create their own truth.”

This “personal truth” eliminates the historical fact that 5 million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and thousands of priests were “victims of ethnic cleansing” under the most brutal and barbaric circumstances imaginable.

They were murdered, beaten, gassed, shot, killed.  In modern political speech, they were victimized.

Recently, Britain removed teaching the historical details of the Holocaust because it offended Muslims. This despite the fact that denying the Holocaust is actually illegal in most European countries.

Brian Cuban, a new blogging friend, has an article that prompted my writing. He accurately points out the impact of social media, like Facebook, on defining truth. In his article, The Face(book) of Holocaust Denial, he writes

A British judge has dismissed a case against a South Australian man who is wanted in Germany for Holocaust denial. Fredrick Toben was arrested at Heathrow airport earlier this month while he was in transit from America to Dubai. He is wanted in Germany on charges that he is a Holocaust denier, after his Adelaide Institute website published claims that there was no mass murder of Jews by the Nazis.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has recently described the Holocaust as a “myth”  He has stated:

“They (Israel) have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets,”

The ugly face of Holocaust Denial is still smiling across the globe over 63 years after the last concentration camp was liberated at the end of World War II.  It has become especially virulent in the area of social media where anonymity protects deniers like a white sheet.  Facebook is a prime example. The following groups promoting Holocaust Denial are currently active on Facebook (as of the writing of this article).

Conspiracy theorists claim the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11 was an inside job. I wonder how long will it be until Muslims begin to deny that the Towers fell. Until they say of that day, like the Holocaust, “It Never Happened.“

Cave Of Crystal Giants

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Massive beams of selenite dwarf human explorers in Mexico’s Cave of Crystals deep below the Chihuahuan Desert. These crystals are the largest yet discovered on Earth

Carsten Peter ©2008 National Geographic

Cave of Crystal Giants.

The Obama Infomercial

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The recent #Obama Infomercial was polished, poignant and compelling. It is everything you would expect from what may be considered the most hip media campaign in history. However, the abundance of style could not cover up the lack of substance. Obama has repeatedly made promises and accusations that have gone largely unchecked until now.

Obama is not telling the truth says Calvin Woodward of AP.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was less than upfront in his half-hour commercial Wednesday night about the costs of his programs and the crushing budget pressures he would face in office.

CBS, in an article titled Reality Check, points out a series of Obama inconsistencies. Take for example Obama’s plan to spend savings from the war in Iraq.

Most of the time he spends the Iraq savings in the context of the roads he wants to build; sometimes it’s for the teachers he wants to hire. Tonight, he riffed rhetorically on the savings, asking how many scholarships could be funded, or how many schools could be built. In the end though, presuming he really saves $90 billion, he can only spend it once.

Remember he also mentioned rebuilding the military ($7 billion/yr); his education initiative ($18 billion/yr); and his energy initiative ($15 billion/yr). He did not mention the $188 billion that he would spend on the brand new stimulus package he has proposed.

If he closes every loophole as promised, saves every dime from Iraq, raises taxes on the rich and trims the federal budget as he’s promised to do “line by line,” he still doesn’t pay for his list. If he’s elected, the first fact hitting his desk will be the figure projecting how much less of a budget he has to work with – thanks to the recession. He gave us a very compelling vision with his ad buy tonight. What he did not give us was any hint of the cold reality he’s facing or a sense of how he might prioritize his promises if voters trust him with the White House.

Larry of My Take has a great article on my favorite topic (the old MSM double-standard) pointing out the “too little, too late” fact checking of the MSM.

Will wonders never cease? One of the main complaints I have had with this election cycle is how the mainstream media has given Barack Obama a pass when it comes to questioning his facts and what he plans to do if he wins this election. They have refused to question him on his past relationships with William Ayers or ACORN and tried to sweep it under the carpet when he made his “spread the wealth” statement to Joe the plumber. It appears that for the time being, at least, they have decided to call him out on some of his facts.

It seems the media is hoping to finally do their job in a way that will not damage Obama too much but give them enough credibility to claim they actually did their job. The nation is the biggest loser here.

Jesus Can't Kick a Field Goal

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Brian Cuban has good article on a very touchy subject. Church leaders, like me, are concerned about the growing anti-Christian bias in American culture. The ‘Establishment Clause’ has strong legal standing but my concern is that the media, schools, courts, etc. have moved far beyond the intent of the Constitution.

The Founders clearly did not want a State Church or State Religion. The ‘Wall of Separation’ was intended to keep the government out of the church’s business. Given the recent, sweeping accomodations we are making for Muslims, I have the sense that we are straining at gnats while swallowing flies elephants.

Brian’s legal analysis should be helpful to everyone.

Anyone who has seen the movie Hoosiers will remember this scene where the coach of the small town and over-matched Hickory Huskers watches while his team is lead in prayer by the team chaplain right before they slew the big city Indiana-South Bend high school team dramatizing what in real life has gone done as one of the biggest upsets in high school athletic history.  Even in deep in the heart of ultra-religious Baptist country Coach Norman Dale must have known what was coming down the road by not joining in on pre-game prayer.

East Brunswick High School football coach Marcus Borden must not have seen Hoosiers. The coach has asked the court to review a ruling from the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in April in which an appeals panel reversed a 2006 ruling that permitted Borden to silently bow his head and “take a knee” with players as the team prayed. The judges said the school board’s policy barring school staff from joining in student-led prayer was constitutional. Coach Borden later quit the team rather than be prohibited from participating in team prayers.  Classic Establishment Clause separation of church and state issue. Should the Supreme Court take a new look at this issue?  Can the coach add his prayers to the mix for Jesus to help kick the game winning field goal?  If you look at previous Supreme Court decisions, it appears that Jesus will shank this one “wide right” when the Supreme Court rules.

Can Jesus Kick A Field Goal?