theJesusfreak

Merry Christmas

2005-12-17T09:16:00.000-06:00

This week I was in a major chain store. After I made my purchase the cashier wished me a Merry Christmas. I thanked her for wishing me a Merry Christmas rather than "happy holidays" and told her she was the first cashier that had wished me a Merry Christmas this year. She looked at me a bit sheepishly and told me that the chain had reversed its policy banning the phrase and now allowed it due to complaints from quite a few customers. This conversation led me to ask myself a couple of questions.

First, why is the phrase "Merry Christmas" verboten? I know the argument is that some people might be offended or feel excluded. My family doesn't celebrate Halloween because we feel it conflicts with our Christian faith. However, I don't feel the least bit offended or intimidated if someone wishes me a "Happy Halloween". I certainly don't feel excluded, after all that's the whole point, I don't want to be included. I certainly don't want to be so self-absorbed that I want the 90% of Americans who do celebrate Halloween to pretend they aren't celebrating by substituting the generic "holiday" for Halloween. I wouldn't expect people to replace witches with colored leaves the way we are expected to replace the Christ child with snowflakes during Christmas. I suspect the real agenda the "tolerance" crowd has is not inclusiveness, but rather imposing their worldview on the majority.

Perhaps the people who are offended by the birth of Jesus could start their own holiday in the same way Ron Karenga did in the sixties with Kwanzaa (disclaimer for the hyper-sensitive; I am not suggesting people who celebrate Kwanzaa are atheists, it's just an recent example of starting a new holiday). They could celebrate Darwin's birth, call it "Charlesmas". Instead of "Peace on earth and good will to men" they could greet each other with something like "Random chance and survival of the fittest to you!".

The thing that really has me puzzled is this; why do Christians put up with this silliness. After all, we don't have the KGB or Gestapo monitoring our mail and pulpits for forbidden speech; at least not yet. Yet we send cards celebrating the same mysterious snowflake holiday as non-Christians. I know of many Churches that are going to be closed this Christmas because they know no one will show up. After all, we know that the true meaning of the "holiday" is about spending time with family and watching football. It is no longer about celebrating God putting off the imperishable to come to this earth in the form of a helpless baby with the express purpose of taking the punishment we deserve for breaking God's laws by dying a cruel death on a cross. Merry Christmas.

We are a bunch of manly men we're not a bunch of sissies!

2005-05-05T18:48:00.000-05:00

I just "discovered" a blog called Cerulean Sanctum by Dan Edelen. I really like it. He really seems to try and make people think about things from a real Biblical perspective and get them out of the "we have always done it that way" mode.

Dan has a great post on men and the church that goes along with some things I have been thinking about lately.

Here is a snippet from Dan's post Another Look at the Church's Missing Men :

"I alluded to this earlier in my post "Advertising Ashes." The main reason that men are not in church is that they simply are not seeing the Holy Spirit move in power. At the risk of alienating the many women who read Cerulean Sanctum, I want to make a bold point: even if the Holy Spirit were not present in a supernatural way in our churches, I still believe women would still show up on Sundays. The Church has no problem attracting women because women are naturally drawn to the community and relationships that a church provides. However, this attractor does not work for many men. Men need a profound experience of God in order to get them to sit up and take notice. If the Holy Spirit doesn't fall on them in power, then the positives a church can provide outside of the supernatural make little difference. A church can hypermasculinize itself to death and still not break that three women to every two men ratio if the Spirit is barely discernible on Sundays. Men have a better built-in B.S. detector than women do and function more out of the rationale of "prove it to me." Without the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit in our gatherings, we have little to combat a set of crossed arms and a raised eyebrow."

He is right, there is no power of the Holy Spirit in a lot of our churches. I also think the reason men aren't t excited about church is that they see it is not changing the world. Churches are all about being comfortable and safe. We can't take any risks because we have to pay the mortgage and pay the staff and we certainly wouldn't want to lose our tax exempt status.

God created us men to "fight the good fight" as Paul put it. Give us a challenge that is bigger than ourselves, a battle to fight if you will, and we will be there. I think the issue of the Holy Spirits presence and changing the world go hand in hand. Could it be that we don't see the Holy Spirits presence in our Churches and our preaching is that we are just preaching and doing Church for preaching and Churches sake?

As Dan put forth in his post The Gospel's Only Choice: For Him or Against Him? if we preach a message of power then maybe we will get the Holy Spirits power behind it. Of course, like the Apostles before us, we might get a few riots also! :-)

I like his blog. He has some great pictures to go with his posts, not to mention some great things to say. I am going to add him to the blogroll. Check him out.

The Christian carnival is up

2005-05-05T17:47:00.000-05:00

The Christian Carnival is up at Kentucky Packrat. I haven't gotten through a lot of them yet but there seems to be quite a few thought provoking ones. Quite a few good discussions on some "controversial" subjects sportsfans! Check it out.

Brain Damaged Firefighter Makes Recovery

2005-05-03T08:33:00.000-05:00

"I want to talk to my wife," Donald Herbert said out of the blue Saturday. Staff members of the nursing home where he has lived for more than seven years raced to get Linda Herbert on the telephone.
It was the first of many conversations the 44-year-old patient had with his wife, four sons and other family and friends during a 14-hour stretch, Herbert's uncle Simon Manka said.
"How long have I been away?" Herbert asked.
"We told him almost 10 years," the uncle said. "He thought it was only three months."
Herbert was fighting a house fire Dec. 29, 1995, when the roof collapsed, burying him under debris. After going without air for several minutes, Herbert was comatose for 2 1/2 months and has undergone therapy ever since.
News accounts in the days and years after his injury describe Herbert as blind and with little, if any, memory. Video shows him receiving physical therapy but apparently unable to communicate and with little awareness of his surroundings.

Read the entire article...

Great post from Byron Harvey

2005-04-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

Byron Harvey writes Why I am NOT "Anti-Abortion".

Byron writes (right before his tee time, by the way):

"I am pro-life. That means that I believe that innocent life ought to be protected by law...
... Note the terms that the media uses: they will call our side “anti-abortion”—though that is not what we call ourselves; they will oblige the pro-abortion crowd, calling them the benign-sounding “pro-choice”—which sounds so positive, so tolerant, so reasonable..."

It never ceases to amaze me how the liberal types can take a word or phrase and turn it into a prejoritive. For example, "Fundamentalist". Seems to me if you want to be a good golfer, baseball player or Christian you need to study the fundamentals. As you can tell from the title of my blog I consider it an honor when people use these sort of terms in regard to me. Next time someone calls you a "right-wing fundamentalist extremist" don't get your feelings hurt and lash out at them. Tell them, Thank you for the compliment!". You will be surprised at some of the dumbfounded looks you will get.

Anyway, I am not sure "anti-abortion" works as well as they would like. It's kind of like saying someone is anti-slavery or anti-holocaust. Most people would agree. I suspect the media will take up the mantra that I have heard some of the liberal leaders use lately. The term "anti-choice". Look for the term in a newscast near you, after all what reasonable person could be against "choice"?

Grace and works are not mutally exclusive they are indeed friends.

2005-04-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

Great insight from the Jollyblogger.

He writes:

"He has fallen into the same mistake that many conservatives make and that is making enemies out of friends. Salvation and good works are friends in the mind of Jesus, with the latter flowing from the former. On the one hand good works are based on salvation. A good work cannot be a good work unless it is done from the basis of faith (salvation). However, a "salvation" that doesn't issue forth in good works is no salvation."

Amen brother. There are so many things we take up sides on and argue over that really are not mutually exclusive. Works versus Grace has been a big one over the centuries. JB is right, works and grace are two sides to the same coin as it were.

We just have to remember that works don't earn us grace, Jesus' finished work on the cross is what earned it for us. For those of us that are of the Baptist persuation, we just have to remember that "Faith without works is dead".

How To Be A Christian In Politics

2005-04-20T07:53:00.000-05:00

I wanted to direct you to a post that John at blogotional put up in response to a post at 21st Century Reformation commenting on a post at Through a Glass Darkly.

The two posts John commented on basically said that Romans 13 says we should obey the governing authorities, the courts are "governing authorities", laws and facts are open to different interpretations and we must submit to their rulings without name calling. John contended that WE are the governing authorities in this country. I agree.

Here is a snip from John's post:

"I can't argue with the spiritual reality of being humble and gracious, but I wonder what that really means. Jesus called religious authorities "vipers," never denied who He was, and made a mess of the Temple courtyard. I think being "humble and gracious," at least according to the Lord's example, may include quite a bit of behavior that we do not normally associate with those words."

I have seen quite a few blogs complain about "name calling" by Christian bloggers in the Schiavo case. I would like to see some specific examples. If by name calling they mean we pointed out he has been lawless and flouting the US constitution I would say that is an accurate description not name calling. I would say since Judges Greer works for us and since "we the people" are in authority over him we have every right to point out when he is disobedient to the law.

You can read more about what I think on this in my post, What is the Christians responsibility in government?

Here are the comments left about Johns post:

Thanks for the trackback. I think you need to be a bit careful about using Jesus' statements to the Pharisees and his overturning of the money changing tables in the Temple courtyard as normative for Christian political involvement. First, neither of those examples were primarily political. In addition, neither example represents the actions of an ordinary citizen in a democratic society. Rather, they are instances in which the perfect Son of God expressed some of God's righteous indignation at how the religious leaders had misled God's people and perverted true worship, and asserted His authority and His claim to messiaship. As members of both the Church and of a civil society, our responsibilities to the civil authorities are primarily spelled out in Romans 13, which makes clear that our attitude should be characterized by respect. We represent the King of Kings, but in obedience to Him, we arrange ourselves under the governmental authorities, and serve society as salt and light until He returns.dopderbeck Homepage 04.19.05 - 8:30 am #

John,I was going to say the same thing doperbeck said. Our calling of the church which directly works in the name of the Lord must be called to not take that name in vain. Jesus in these instances "Matt 23 - 'brood of vipers', is calling the leaders of the church 'hypocrites'. This supports my point strongly. Christians to be faithful need to call the church to repentance and purity especially in this day. With respect to the world, our primary role is to call the world to Christ. re: "really, really important' . My attitude toward politics is going from I am going from really really a big distraction from our calling to build the church and witness to the world. Now, I am starting to say that, if we remain a witness of respect and love then we can speak into the political realities...but to treat the world like the church and call them 'hypocrites' is to simultaneously bring the world up and the church down.brad Homepage 04.19.05 - 10:02 am #

I guess I did not speak well.We are in a very different situation governmentally than Paul was then. Our government is based on our participation. respecting that authority means we do particpate, not simply submit. If it was an autocracy, then I would agree with you, but we are in a democracy.My comments in the post were primarily to say that, yes, political discourse today is much more coarse than it used to, but I do not think we violate our calls to humility and grace if we participate, even if we have to shout a little to be heard.John Schroeder - Blogotional Homepage 04.19.05 - 10:09 am #

John,Good post. I think I understand your point about Jesus and his sometimes harsh words. While it is true the words you quoted were directed at religious leaders I think the point was that Jesus isn't always as warm and fuzzy as we would like to believe. I doubt the money changers he drove out of the Temple were religious leaders either.I think sometimes Romans 13 is sometimes used as an excuse not to be involved. Since Paul, the writer of Romans 13, wrote a good portion of the New Testament from jail and all of the apostles except for John were executed for being disobedient to government somehow I don't think Romans 13 means what we say it means.You are right, "we the people" are the authorities in this country. I think God will hold us accountable for what He has intrusted us with.The key in involvement is to follow the example of people like Daniel and Paul who stood up for God while doing it with integrity.Mike Bennett Homepage 04.19.05 - 6:35 pm #

Drop by John's place and join in the discussion.

Stay tuned, I am working on a project to discuss exactly what the "Gospel of the Kingdom" is and how we apply it to our world.

We have not been given a spirit of fear

2005-04-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

Ok, here I go being unpopular and politically incorrect again.

I enjoy reading Vox Day. Not because I agree with him, I probably disagree with half of what he writes, but because he does make me think. He has written an excellent commentary called "What would John Wayne do?" which I am in full agreement with.

Here is a snippet from the article:

"And while there is something about the modern American man that is absolutely worthy of criticism, I don't think it's exactly what these feminists had in mind. For you see, the main problem with men today is that they are not men, but frightened little boys – afraid of their bosses, their wives, their girlfriends and their government. They are afraid of their employees, their children and their children's teachers.

They are not men because the hallmark of a real man is one who is not ruled by fear. Consider the real men of history, the immortals whose names we still honor today. Leonidas and his Three Hundred did not run before the Persian army at Thermopylae even though they knew they would fall before the host of Xerxes. Winston Churchill, a military and political failure, did not quail before the might of Nazi Germany, but inspired the nation of Britain to stand with him. And not even years in the Soviet gulags could silence the brave voice of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, whose iron will enabled him to outlast the very government that imprisoned him.

Can you imagine one of these men meekly submitting to the harsh words of a boss? Can you imagine Cicero cowering before the sharp tongue of a nagging wife, who did not cower before an emperor? Or the Apostle Paul remaining silent for fear someone might take offense to his words?"

Now, I would probably insert Jesus' name instead of John Wayne's because Jesus is the toughest, most manly man I know of. Some may find the previous statement offensive or surprising. I think whether they realize it of not, most people think of Jesus as this sort of milque toast, Mr. Rogers kind of man. You know, he goes around with a lamb under his arm and always says nice, happy, non-confrontational things that wouldn't offend anyone. Since we are to emmulate Jesus as believers we do so according to our stereotype of Him rather than going by the picture painted for us in the Scriptures. You know, be seeker sensitive, non-combative, non-offensive.

Please do not get me wrong, Jesus is clearly the most loving and compassionate man that ever walked the face of the earth. However, we must have a balanced view of Him. This Jesus was the man who called them like he saw them. He called hypocrites hypocrites. He called people a brood of vipers and whitewashed tombs. He beat the money changer out of the Temple with a whip. He stood before the Pilate and told him he had no power over Him. The toughest act of all was the excruciating death he willingly suffered on that Roman cross.

If you look at most modern Christian men the most important thing to them seems to be safety and comfort. We are a bunch of air bagged, helmeted, seat belted, insured, non-confrontational sissies. We are raising our sons to be the same. We don't let them do anything dangerous or risky. We put knee pads on them so they don't skin their knees for crying out loud. We teach them to be "nice".

The days of chivalry are dead and gone. No longer do boys pass tests to prepare them for manhood. We tell them not to climb that tree, they may fall out and hurt themselves. Now, I am not advocating that we let our sons go out and do something that may seriously injure them, but we should let them run and climb and jump and do all of the things that boys naturally do instead of training it out of them. God must have designed those things into men for a reason don't you think?

I have a seven year old boy. I had no idea what kind of a sacrifice that God made in giving up His Son for us until I had a son of my own. My first two children were girls. I love them dearly but I have found there is a special bond between a father and son. I suspect there is a similar bond between mothers and daughters. The point is that I would do anything, including giving my own life, rather than let my son die. Yet that is exactly what The Father did for us. I just can't fathom it.

I want to raise my son to be the same kind of man that The Father raised Jesus to be. I am not afraid to let him skin his knees once in a while. I want him to grow up not fearing the battles that will undoubtedly come his way in life. I want to raise him to speak the truth in love. To rescue those in trouble, the damsel in distress if you will. To stand for what is true and lovely. Most of all to stand for the Gospel of Christ fearlessly.

I have been told their are some 365 "fear nots" in the Bible. Perhaps God was trying to tell us something. I have been asked how I can go in front of a group of people and share the Gospel without being afraid. I ride motorcycles and raced them in my younger days, people tell me how dangerous they are and how afraid they are of them. The thing is we have gotten our emotions confused with reality. Feeling fear is not the same as being afraid.

Sure, I feel afraid sharing the gospel or standing up for what is right or doing things that are "risky" by most people's definitions. The fact is that everything is risky. Motorcycles are risky but the fact is that more people are killed on bicycles and on foot in traffic every year than on motorcycles. People don't consider those activities risky however. The fact of the matter is that the only way to avoid risk is to not get out of bed in the morning. I indeed do feel afraid all of the time. I would only BE afraid if I let those feelings win out and I failed to do something.

It has been said that everyone in battle is afraid. Fear does not make you a coward however. Acting on those fears is what makes you a coward. Stonewall Jackson was asked how he remained so serene in the middle of battles and this was his answer, '"Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me." He added, after a pause, looking me full in the face: "That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave"'

Men, God has ordained the number of your days before you were even born; go out and live like it! FEAR NOT for the LORD thy God is with you!

DO NOT MAKE A LIVING WILL!

2005-04-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

It seems there is a doctor that is in agreement with the stance I have taken against living wills (Do you think a "living will" or "end of life directive" will save you?) It is interesting that he wrote this warning in 1992. Who says the slope isn't slippery. It would seem Dr. Byrne called it correctly even though I am sure many accused him of being paranoid and extreme.

"Do not sign a living will or any of its variants. If you have signed one,rescind it immediately and destroy every copy. Do not sign an advance directive that would deny you treatment on the basis of vague and life-endangering language. Don't be deceived by "pro-life" packaging. Before you sign on the dotted line, read Dr. Byrne's informed analysis.

by Paul A. Byrne, M.D.Past President, Catholic Medical Association

In 1990, Congress passed the Patient Self-Determination Act. As much of the legislation enacted amidst the escalating disrespect for life that ensued in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade and Karen Ann Quinlan, the Act does not enhance but debases the legitimate rights of patients and physicians, while undermining everyone's right to life. Under the law, anyone entering a healthcare facility that receives any federal funds will be proselytized, if not pushed, to sign the misnamed "living will."

Read the rest here...

The starvation of Clara Martinez from Blogs4Terri

2005-04-18T13:13:00.000-05:00

Thirty Days without Food
Pastor Guillermo Espinoza knows that he is fighting against the odds for the life of Clara Martinez, a stroke victim who has been purposefully deprived nutrition for close to 30 days. As pastor of a church in her neighborhood, he has chosen to speak out on her behalf.
Following a debilitating stroke one and half years ago, Clara has been incapacitated but able to consume water orally. She was cared for in the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center and an intermediate care facility before being taken to her home.
Until recently, she received nourishment through a gastro-intestinal tube that was connected to an external pump. As reported by La Raza, her husband Salvador Martinez, 35 years old and also Mexican, resolved that his wife should not live “artificially”. He signed a “Do Not Resuscitate” order to keep her from being revived artificially and and is now withholding nutrition.
According to Espinoza, a doctor disconnected the pump but left the tube in place with the hope that her husband would change his mind. She has apparently lived for the past four weeks on water alone.

Read the rest...

More on Mae Magouirk and living wills

2005-04-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

As I have been saying, if you think a living will is going to save you, forget it. DO NOT make out a living will, it is a death sentence. As I have said, living wills are just grease to make the slope more slippery.

Here is a snippet from a UK Telegraph story on Mae. "Here is a woman who was not comatose, she was not in a vegetative state, she does not even have a terminal condition and, more egregiously, she has a living will that states that she wants to stay alive, and what happens? Her grand-daughter snaps her fingers and decides her time is up," Mr Mullinax said.
"Everyone said during the Terri Schiavo case, 'Oh, if only that poor woman had made a living will.' Well, Mae Magouirk had a living will and it counted for nothing."

Funny you have to either read a blog or a UK newpaper to find out about this. Our crack (or is that "on crack") media are only interested in stories that promote their agenda.

Read the rest of the story...

Judicial voodoo vs. the cross

2005-04-15T08:43:00.000-05:00

Here is an article from a former ACLU lawyer named Rees Lloyd. It would be interesting to know what turned him from the "Dark Side".

At any rate, it a great article and Rees hits the nail on the head. The judiciary of this country are now our "Caesars". They can tell congress and the executive branch what to do, they can legislate and they can overturn the Constitution at their whim. Rees agrees with what I have been saying for weeks that "IT IS OUR FAULT".

He says:
"This most recent judicial decision on the West Coast, like that of the judicial order to starve an American woman to death on the East Coast, where a governor was ordered by a court not to act to save an American life, is further evidence that the American people should and must stand up against and stop an out-of-control ACLU, and an out-of-control judiciary.
Manifestly, there is a need for Americans, the "We the People" of the Declaration of Independence, to stop acting as sheep before lawyers sitting as judges who are usurping the powers of the legislative and executive branches, and are sucking freedom and democracy from our republican form of government."

The Government derives it's power from the consent of the people. When the people don't take action the government perceives this as consent.

Read the article...

God Bless the Child

2005-04-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

Catez Stevens at Allthings2all shares with us some of her experiences in street ministry. Very powerful.

Makes me wonder what I am waiting on when it comes to loving the unloved. I don't need a big budget or staff to do what she is doing, all I need is a vehicle and a little time. Why aren't I doing it?

Good Question.

Here is a bit of the article...

"Later, in the heart of the city we stop in a dark side street. We know this street now. It's where a group of child prostitues congregate and get picked up. There's just two of them there when we arrive. I sit on a low concrete wall and share a drink and some converstion with one, while another woman from our team does the same with her friend. I ask how old she is and she says 24. I can tell she's about 15-16. "I've got a knife for protection", she tells me. She's small, slim, and obviously wouldn't get far against an adult man if she was attacked.

I ask her why she is prostituting. "For the money", she says. "I like clothes". Across the road on another corner are two young men sitting watching - waiting for us to go so they can muscle the girls money away from them. The girls know they are there and why they are being watched. We talk for a long time. I gain an understanding of why money is so important to this kid who is trying to be sophisticated. "I can only handle one night a week of this", she says. What can I say to a girl whose parents think she is just having fun in the city and don't know she is selling herself on a street corner? What is my answer to a girl who was introduced to prostituion by an older relative - who promised it would be a means of independence and extra money to buy self-esteem? I listen, and she is open to things I have to say."

Read the rest here...

More on the where do we go from here front.

2005-04-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

General Announcement For BlogsForTerri Crew

Expect several upcoming action announcements to come very soon. BlogsForTerri will continue to coordinate very closely with the Terri Schiavo Foundation and TerrisFight.org. The Terri Schiavo team is about to take on a more activist role, and will be coordinating with other groups in supporting respect for life and the defeat of the euthanasia movement. A third website, JusticeforTerri.org, will become a resevoir and aggregate for a substantial investigatory activity - to be fed by both blogsForTerri and TerrisFight.org. BlogsforTerri will continue to be a primary get-out-the-message medium for Terri's fight - one that has just begun.

Politicians and judges that have voted and ruled against life are our special targets. Republicans and Democrats alike, begining with the nine Republicans led by Don King in Florida. For a basic hint of where we are going on items such as this, read the Empire Journal article here. And don't think for a minute, not even a nanosecond, that we have finished with Michael Schiavo. We plan to see to it that he is remembered - infamously, for a long time. And we certainly expect that he will also remember Terri Schiavo, TerrisFight.org, and BlogsForTerri.

Many BlogsforTerri bloggers have posted extensively on background elements in Terri's injury and death, and will be asked to participate in an "investigative team" for past and future items of interest. Please be patient and understand that much is going on in the background, and we all have a big job ahead of us. Those of us that support life have a lot of catch-up work to do, the pro-death crowd and the MSM started early and have been working overtime. Our job of catching up and keeping up won't be easy.

Surveys: Young Adults Search Spiritually

2005-04-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting article.

"They are often tarnished with labels like "self-absorbed" and "materialistic." But young adults are actively engaged with spiritual questions, two new surveys suggest, even if they are not necessarily exploring them through traditional religious practice.
One of the surveys, of more than 100,000 freshmen who started college last fall, found four in five reporting an interest in spirituality, with three in four searching for meaning or purpose in life, and the same fraction discussing the meaning of life with friends. The incoming freshmen also reported high expectations that their colleges would help them develop spiritually.

"The first surprise for all of us is we didn't expect the students to be in that much of a spiritual quest," said Helen Astin, professor emeritus of higher education and a senior scholar UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute, which produced the survey, to be released Wednesday. "We had focused on the materialism of students, the 'me' generation, only focusing on their jobs and the future."

The reason Helen Austin is surprised maybe because higher education has tried so hard to train spirituality out of students for the past fourty years. The problem is that the article stated that not all of them are turning to Christianity. Still it seems we may have some hope in turning the tide.

Read the rest of the article...

Here we go again

2005-04-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

I just found out about this from BlogsforTerri. I haven't been able to research this yet, but I would like to hear the pro-death crowd justify this one. Of course, they will have the same "defense" that they had for killing Terri. That being that pro-life people are hypocrites and that it "happens all the time". The old, "If you can't attack the message, attack the messenger ploy". That and the adolescent, "Everybody else is doing it" argument.

This also goes to prove my point that everyone putting their faith in a "living will" are kidding themselves. A living will only helps you if you want to be put to death. If however, you want to be kept alive because you believe stem cells or some other medical advance might help you then a living will is not going to save you. The living will is only designed to do two things. One is to get permission to kill someone therefore making it easier on the killers. However, the main reason living wills are being promoted is to make the killing of the helpless acceptable to society. Living wills are effectively "grease" to make the slope a little more slippery.

From: The Family of Mae Magouirk
To: BlogsForTerri and their readers
Subject: Family Seeking Help From BFT Bloggers and MediaApril 6, 2005

Contact: Kenneth Mullinax Ph: 205-408-7598
mailto:Mockingbird@compuhelp.net

Why is Hospice LaGrange, Ga. withholding nourishment?

Mae Magouirk is being withheld nourishment and fluids and the Provisions of her Living Will are not being honored at the Hospice-LaGrange, (1510 Vernon Street, LaGrange "Troup County" Georgia, (706-845-3905) a subsidiary of the LaGrange Hospital in LaGrange Georgia.

Her family is desperately seeking to save her life before she dies of malnourishment and dehydration.

Mae Magouirk IS NOT comatose and she IS NOT vegetative. She is not terminal!

Despite these facts the Hospice and Beth Gaddy (706-882-9124), a school teacher at LaGrange's Calloway Middle School and granddaughter of Mae Magouirk(who according to "heresay," may have been mismanaging funds of the 85 yr-old woman) have been denying her proactive nourishment or fluids (via a nose administered feeding tube or fluids via an IV) since March 28 without prior legal consent; against the wishes of her Living Will and against the wishes of Mae Magouirk’s closest living next of kin. Mae Magouirk's next of kin are: Mr. A. B. McLeod (Her Brother 256-236-1331) and Mrs. Lonnie Ruth Mullinax (Her sister 205-408-7598) both of nearby Anniston, Alabama.

Read the rest...

The Christian Carnival is up.

2005-04-07T08:09:00.000-05:00

I have to appologize as I am a bit late in plugging it, but the Christain Carnival is up at Proverbs Daily. Jeff has done a great job, check it out.

Scary

2005-04-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

This one of the scarier things I have read lately.

Imagine Terri Were a Toaster...
An economist considers the Schiavo case.
By Steven E. Landsburg
Posted Monday, March 28, 2005, at 12:27 PM PT

It all depends on what question you ask.

2005-04-05T12:38:00.000-05:00

People should completely ignore polls. Why? For one, you can get any result you want by asking questions that produce the answer you want. Two, it makes absolutely no difference what the majority of people think about something as to whether something is right or wrong. There have been plenty of atrocities committed in the history of mankind that the majority of people thought were OK.

I was made aware that something was wrong with polling back in the mid-nineties. I was contacted by the Gallup organization by phone during the welfare reform debate. They asked me about ten questions. Most of them were demographics questions like was I male or female, how old was I and so forth. Sandwiched in the middle they asked me the question, "Are you for welfare reform even if it means some children might go hungry?". Now how are you supposed to answer that? No one wants to see children starve.

After I answered their questions I tried a Rumsfeld on them and told them I didn't accept the premise of their question. All I got in response was click, dialtone.

In the Terri Schiavo situation Zogby asked the question in the way that actually reflected the situation that Terri was in. He got starkly differing results than the rest of the media got because they all prefaced the question that Terri was in a coma, on life support and left definite instructions to be starved to death.

Here is one of the questions Zogby asked:
"If a disabled person is not terminally ill, not in a coma, and not being kept alive on life support, and they have no written directive, should or should they not be denied food and water," the poll asked.
A whopping 79 percent said the patient should not have food and water taken away while just 9 percent said yes. "

Read the rest of Zogby's poll results.

The Open Late Cafe

2005-04-04T11:51:00.000-05:00

New Zealand blogger Catez at allthings2all has a great post called "The Open Late Cafe".

She points out that the Christian life does not revolve around buildings but revolves around relationships.

Here are a couple of snippets:
"I'm writing this in repsonse to Mark Olson's call for posts on building cathedrals. We have some cathedrals here in New Zealand. There's one called the Holy Trinity Cathedral which is beautiful. But I have to be honest. I'm not a cathedral builder. As much as I appreciate the artistry and aesthetics - I prefer a cafe...

...What does this have to do with building Christian community? My observation is that often Christians wait for some-one else to have the initiative. We wait for some-one to organise something for us. Yet I think creating Christian community is really much more simple than we might think. Everyone has neighbours. Everyone has the opportunity to invite neighbours over for coffee, a meal, or a barbecue...

...And then there are those on the outer. Every church has them. You see them on Sunday morning - or you are or have been one of them. The Christians who are not part of the in-crowd. They somehow get overlooked. Or they are a bit different to the norm, and are avoided. I love those people. I have found so much treasure making friends with those on the outer. And here's the thing - I remember being new in a church and I started making friends with those on the outer and those not quite in with the cool crowd. We ended up being a group - we did stuff together. We met in each others homes, went places together, prayed with each other, called each other and encouraged each other. Somehow we went from being on the outer to being a vital lively group of people within the church. I know not all churches have an inner and outer as marked as that one did. But I also know that there are always those in need of some open late cafe type love.In essence I think of Christian community as something that should always be expanding. I don't see it as an insular, completely cut off, social club for the privileged few with grace. My understanding of the gospels is that Jesus didn't model a closed off mutual appreciation society. He crossed the fringes. It isn't really that complicated. The heart of the matter is to think of others, and to understand that we lose our lives in order to gain real life. I see this as going across to others rather than bending down. As much as I've enjoyed finding the treasure that has been ignored, I have to say that I've benefited in more ways than I can describe. I quite simply want to be with Jesus at an open late cafe. In my home, on the street, in some-one else's home..."

Well, said. I have been meaning to add Catez to my blogroll as she has some great insights. I think I have just gotten around to it.

Schiavo case spurring statehouse debate, unusual coalition of conservatives and liberals

2005-04-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is encouraging. I hope Terri's case is a wakeup call that can unite us all.

Where do we go from here?

2005-04-02T08:59:00.000-06:00

The United States of America is the best country that man has conceived in the history of the world. It has done more good than any other country man has ever conceived. Before I get too many amens on this, lets think about those statements a moment.

Don't get me wrong, I love my country very much, but lets look at it from God's perspective. We established this country fighting for our freedom while we denied other men their freedom. One half of our nation thought it so important to keep his fellow man in bondage that they were willing to go to war for the "right" to enslave them resulting in the deaths of 600,000 Americans. Even after it became illegal to keep slaves we still established laws saying that some people were less than human and had to sit in the back of the bus and generally "bow" to us as we walked by. Even now, we have created a surf class to serve us in the form of illegal aliens. I hear all of time that these people do the jobs that Americans won't do. What they really mean is that they do the jobs Americans won't do for $2-$3 per hour.

We found it OK to sterilize "undesirables" in the 1920's. We have found it OK to declare unborn babies less than human and kill 40 million of them in the last thirty years. Now, we are starting to declare people without what we healthy people consider "a quality of life" sub-human and starving them to death. I don't want to minimize the good this country has done as it has done a lot of good. However, I don't want to ignore the bad.

The thing is that in all of the thousands of years that men have been trying to establish governments that will bring about a man made utopia, this is the best we have been able to do. We need to stop looking to government and start looking to God.

I think we as Christians should stop thinking of ourselves as Americans, Republicans, Democrats or Libertarians and start thinking of ourselves as citizens of The Kingdom of God. It seems to me that no matter which party is in power nothing ever changes. Republicans may say they are against abortion and less government but in reality we just get more of the same when they are in power as when the Democrats are in power. It's as if the two parties are playing a game of "good cop, bad cop" to achieve their goals. Their strategy is to divide and conquer the citizens; if they can get us to focus on hating each other we won't notice what they are doing.

As Byron Harvey says, I am going to stop drinking the Republican Kool-aid. I think Amy has come to the same conclusion. I do think God has given us a mandate to be involved in our government, see my thoughts on this in "What is the Christians responsibility in government".

Here is the deal, I don't really have many answers as to what exactly we should do. Everyone, including myself, always have plenty of things they are against without providing an answer to what should be done. I am at a loss. I believe Libertarianism is merely a combination of being a small government conservative and an "anything goes" moral liberal and I am not even completely sold on the Constitution party. I am not even sure we should be advancing the Kingdom of God through some sort of political party. I do however, know that Jesus commanded us to seek first the Kingdom and that forceful men should advance it. I also know that we can't compartmentalize our Christianity. Our Christian life is not seperate from the rest of our life. I just don't know how to go about it and would love to see some good discussion on the subject.

One thing I believe; evangelism should be at the top of our list. If the majority of Americans become Chrisitians then this will become a Christian nation by default. We can't change hearts by legislation. We can only do it by introducing people to the "Heart Changer".

Any other ideas?

Update: I just ran onto an offer from Dan at Getting Elected Blogline to help any one that wants to run for office get elected. That might be a place to start.

Dory also gives us some wisdom on this subject in, "Let's Stand on Common Ground and Save Some Lives"

A Growing Collection of Possibilities from The Powers that Blog.

BlogsForTerri and the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation are planning to join forces in a long-term mission to support life, and to defeat the emerging culture of death in America and the judicial system that supports it.

This from Citizen Soldier.

God Bless Terri

2005-04-01T08:10:00.000-06:00

I have really been at a loss to write after the passing of Terri. I have thought of many things I could say but none of them seem to be appropriate.

Let me just say I am so thankful that so many people worked so hard to do the right thing. Even though it didn't turn out the right way, take comfort in the fact that you fought for her and can stand before the Father with a clear conscience.

I want to thank everyone who blogged on her behalf. You all spent many hours in research and writing. I especially want to thank Richard and the guys over at BlogsforTerri. They did a phenomenal job of making sure that this was brought to the publics attention. So many times people can commit evil in anonymity. BlogsforTerri didn't allow that to happen in this case. They also let all of us that have lesser known blogs get our thoughts and information out there when normally we would have very few reading our posts.

I also want to thank the liberals who supported Terri like Joe Liberman, Jessie Jackson, David Boyce, Lanny Davis and many others that strongly supported Terri and quite frankly made the case better than most conservatives. I think we are very quick (speaking mainly for myself) to criticize those we disagree with; I think we should be equally quick to point out when they are right. (For a more definitive list of liberal support see Dory Zinkland's post here).

Speaking of Dory, I believe she deserves a lot of credit for her hard work on Terri's behalf. I respect her greatly and I want to leave you with some advice she gives us as Christians that is right on the mark and gives us great direction on how we should react and proceed from here.

Please read Dory's post: "Terri Schiavo Has Died". In it she gives us this great advice; "While Terri Schiavo lived, we fasted and prayed and sought for her defense. Now that she has died, we should do as David did and get ourselves up and worship the Lord."

Where do we go from here? Dory also gives us some wisdom on this subject in, "Let's Stand on Common Ground and Save Some Lives"

Once again, thank you all and may God Bless you,
Mike <><

Propaganda department a CBS at it again

2005-03-30T21:45:00.000-06:00

Worldnetdaily is reporting that CBS jumped the gun on reporting Terri's death. Now, I can understand how a news organization could have a story about an anticipated event ready to go and someone pushes the wrong button and publishes it.

What I find appalling is some of the "facts" they reported on an event that hasn't happened yet.

They reported that, "Surrounded by stuffed animals and medical equipment in her small hospice room in Pinellas Park, Fla., Theresa Marie Schindler Schiavo died. ... "

Certainly sounds wonderful and pleasant.

Now, here is the really good part, "Michael Schiavo, who was at the bedside of his wife Terri when she died, told Larry King that he lives now with another woman with whom he has two children.
"I can love more than one person," he told King. "Everybody can do that."
According to friends and relatives, Michael Schiavo was Terri's only love. His big-but-tight-knit family took in Michael's bride, and she befriended his siblings, including his brother, Scott.
"It's so sad they've turned this wonderful person into a sideshow," Scott Schiavo told the [Washington] Post. "It's such a shame. It really is. The one that's hurt the most here is Terri."

If this isn't propaganda what is?

Sick.

Read the whole story here.

Do you think a "living will" or "end of life directive" will save you?

2005-03-29T14:10:00.000-06:00

I have heard a lot about putting your end of life wishes down on paper because of the Terri Schiavo case from all sides. Now, I suspect what this really means is "give us permission to terminate you".

However, if you decide that you would not like to be terminated do you honestly think a piece of paper is going to save you? If a county probate judge can ignore orders from congress, what makes you think your measly little piece of paper is going to do anything? Why can't he just decree that whatever state you find yourself in is not covered by your "directive" and therefore he knows you wouldn't want to live?

If you won't fight now, don't lull yourself into a false sense of security because of a piece of paper.

Joseph Farah on the powerless church.

2005-03-29T13:45:00.000-06:00

I wanted to direct your attention to a great article by Joseph Farah at Worldnetdaily.

He points out why the church is becoming increasingly irrelevant and why we need more heros of the faith like Pastor William Rice of Calvary Baptist in Clearwater, Fla. He had the courage to ask Judge Greer to leave the church he pastor's because of his conduct.

Farah writes:

"Rice has my highest regard for that decision. Too many pastors in this country don't require obedience to God as a prerequisite for church membership. They seem to believe in a kind of "cheap" grace that comes with regular attendance or tithing rather than a Christian walk. They seem to have no minimal standards for fellowship and communion with the saints..."

"...Do you want to know why the church doesn't have influence and impact in our increasingly secular world today?
Because there are too many so-called Christians like Judge George Greer and not enough like Pastor William Rice..."

"... Christians can go on blaming others for the problems we face in this country. Or we can go into the churches and start cleaning up the messes we have in our own houses of worship. It's time to take back the churches. It's time to renew the idea of standards. It's time to make church membership mean something again..."

Farah also brings some great quotes from Pastor Rice:

"Tread carefully if you think this is simply about a dying woman being allowed to die peacefully," Rice wrote. "Remember when we were told that Roe v. Wade was simply about helping women who had been raped or whose lives were imminently threatened? Today, few abortions fall into that category, but millions of human lives have been sacrificed upon the altar of selfishness. And the slide down the slippery slope continues."

Read the entire article here...

Terri is being given morphine?

2005-03-27T09:02:00.000-06:00

CNN just reported that Terri is being given morphine? WHY would you give someone morphine if 1.) You are in a PVS and you can't feel anything and 2.) Starvation is such a painless peaceful way to die?

How can most (if you believe media polls) Americans not see through this tragedy?

What is a Persistent Vegetative State exactly?

2005-03-26T19:21:00.000-06:00

I figured out something rather interesting today. I thought I would do a little research on what exactly constituted a persistent Vegetative State. I went to three different online medical dictionaries and searched for the definition. Funny thing, none of my searches produced any results. I thought, "how can this be?". We have all of these doctors running around giving their opinions on whether Terri is in a PVS so there must be a definition somewhere I thought.

This got me to thinking about the wording of the term. Would doctors who use all sorts of Latin and technical medical terms use a term that sounds so agricultural. I think they would use a term such as a "persistent comatose state" or perhaps a "persistent unconscious state".

I did more research and guess where I found the definition of PVS. In statue 765.101 of "The 2004 Florida Statutes". In other words, PVS is not a medical term, but a legal one. Here is what the statue defines PVS as;
""Persistent vegetative state" means a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is:

(a) The absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of any kind.

(b) An inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment. "

(I thought we were all upset about congress practicing medicine Sunday night?)

You may be saying "so what?" Well, here is the "so what?" all the government has to do is find a doctor willing to pronounce that you are in a PVS and bingo! You go from being a human being with rights to a plant that may be uprooted with impunity.

Think of it, people used to be against abortion until they came along a redefined a baby as a "fetus". Ok, it's not human it's a fetus so it's OK to "terminate" it. Terri is redefined as a vegetable, not a human, so people think their is nothing wrong with killing a turnip.

What's next? Perhaps the pro-death crowd would like to bring back the Roman practice of exposure of unwanted children after birth. Perhaps we could call infants pre-viable organisms until they can put food in their own mouth and swallow it on their own. While they are in the "pre-viable" stage we could simply put them in a room and not feed them till they die a "natural peaceful death". After all, if they were viable they could feed themselves. Don't laugh, that is exactly the argument they are using with Terri.

Good Friday Meditation

2005-03-24T15:08:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Good Friday. It is the day we remember and celebrate the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My family is going to observe it by going to see "The Passion of the Christ" again. Afterwards, we are going to share in the Lord's Supper. I hope to answer for my children the question that has been asked at the Passover meal for thousands of years and that was indeed asked at the Last Supper; "Why is this night different than all others?"

During the Easter season we sometimes put more emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus than on his death. The resurrection is no doubt very important, it is the proof that Jesus was who he said he was and the guarantee of our own eternal life and resurrection. But, the central focus of the Bible, indeed of all history, is the Cross of Christ. In the Bible, Christ's death is mentioned in the third chapter of Genesis and the central figure of the Revelation is the "lamb, looking as if it had been slain". Indeed, the cross is the central message of everything in between. You see it in the sacrificial system of the old testament. God even instructed the Israelites in the wilderness to set up their camp in the shape of a cross (see Numbers chapter 2) with the tabernacle in the center! His death on the cross was the atoning sacrifice for our sins. It is what makes us righteous, reconciled to God and deserving of eternal life. As Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished!".

I want to share with you something that I think is very significant in the account of the crucifixion. Read the account of the events from Matthew 27 of Christ's death on the cross and as you read it pay close attention to all of the details of things that happened.

"MT 27:27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

MT 27:32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"

MT 27:41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

MT 27:45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

MT 27:47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

MT 27:48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

MT 27:50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

MT 27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

MT 27:54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" “
When I study the Bible I always try to pay particular attention to things that seem unusual as I read. Something unusual appears in verse 45 when Jesus cries out; "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" . The thing I find remarkable about this statement is that the Bible records that the statement was spoken in Aramaic when nothing is mentioned about what language anything else in the story is spoken in. Most modern teaching says that the reason Jesus said this is that at that moment all of the sins of the world were on Jesus and since God is holy he can not look on sin and so he had to turn His face from Jesus. I will explain later why I don’t believe this is the case.

I believe the scripture tells us that this was spoken in Aramaic because God wants us to realize who that statement was intended for. You see, virtually everyone who witnessed the crucifixion were Roman and spoke Greek or Latin and would not have understood Aramaic. Jewish people would not have attended a crucifixion as it was Passover and being around blood and dead bodies would have made them unclean and unable to participate in Passover that week. There was one group of Jews that were present: 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
MT 27:41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, "I am the Son of God."

That group was the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders. These folks understood the language and more importantly the message he was speaking to them. You see, the priests and the Pharisees memorized all of the Old Testament as a part of their training and they knew immediately that was the first verse in the 22nd Psalm. They also knew what the rest of the 22nd Psalm said:

"PS 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
PS 22:2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
PS 22:3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.
PS 22:4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
PS 22:5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
PS 22:6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
PS 22:7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
PS 22:8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."
PS 22:9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
PS 22:10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
PS 22:11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
PS 22:12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
PS 22:13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
PS 22:14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
PS 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
PS 22:16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
PS 22:17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
PS 22:18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
PS 22:19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
PS 22:20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
PS 22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
PS 22:22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
PS 22:23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
PS 22:24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
PS 22:25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
PS 22:26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him--
may your hearts live forever!
PS 22:27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
PS 22:28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
PS 22:29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
PS 22:30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
PS 22:31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn--
for he has done it."

The 22nd Psalm was written some 700 years before Christ and detailed everything that the people at the crucifixion had just witnessed, from Jesus hands and feet being pierced to the guards dividing up His garments! I don’t believe it is any coincidence that Jesus uttered this statement immediately after the priests and Pharisees heaped insults on Him. I believe the message He was giving them was, “Boys, you just killed the Messiah”!

Another one of those interesting things happens in verse 6 of the 22nd Psalm. Jesus calls Himself a worm! When I first read that I wondered why in the world Jesus would say such a thing about Himself. A little bit of study revealed the answer. This worm was not just any worm. The Strongs lexicon gives this description of the worm in question:
"1) worm, scarlet stuff, crimson
1a) worm-the female 'coccus ilicis'
1b) scarlet stuff, crimson, scarlet
1b1) the dye made from the dried body of the female of the
worm "coccus ilicis"
2) worm, maggot
2a) worm, grub
2b) the worm "coccus ilicis"
++++
When the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give
birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of
a tree, fixing herself so firmly and permanently that she would
never leave again. The eggs deposited beneath her body were
thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to enter
their own life cycle. As the mother died, the crimson fluid
stained her body and the surrounding wood. From the dead bodies
of such female scarlet worms, the commercial scarlet dyes of
antiquity were extracted.

What a picture this gives of Christ, dying on the tree,
shedding his precious blood that he might "bring many sons unto
glory" (#Heb 2:10)! He died for us, that we might live through
him! #Ps 22:6 describes such a worm and gives us this picture of
Christ. (cf. #Isa 1:18)
( from page 73, "Biblical Basis for Modern Science", 1985,
Baker Book House, by Henry Morris)"

AWESOME!!!!!!

By the way, that thing about God hiding his face from Jesus while he was on the cross, the 24th verse of the 22nd Psalm says: “ For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

In conclusion, the 22nd Psalm says:
PS 22:26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him--
may your hearts live forever!
PS 22:27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
PS 22:28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
PS 22:29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
PS 22:30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
PS 22:31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn--
for he has done it.

This Good Friday let us bow down before Him, serve Him and proclaim His righteousness.
God Bless,
Mike

Death of the Republic

2005-03-24T14:02:00.000-06:00

Is the Terri Schiavo case only about the life of one handicapped woman? Is it perhaps about the rights of all handicapped, old and infirm Americans? True, it is about these things, but is it about something even bigger? I believe it is something much bigger.

As I write this Terri's last chance seems to be Gov. Jeb Bush. The Federal Courts have all backed up a county (Yes, Greer is a county judge, not a state judge as has been widely reported) probate judge that has thumbed it's nose at the Congress and the President of the United States of America. The Congress and the President have both stated that they have done all that they could for Terri. If they have done all they can then they are completely impotent.

Last week congress decided to have an investigation of it's own into this case to decide for itself what the merits of the case are. They issued subpoenas for Terri and Michael Schiavo, among others, to appear before congress to testify. It is a Federal offense to disregard a congressional subpoena or to tamper with a witness. I think killing a witness is probably tampering. Think of it, a COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE tells the Congress of the United States of America to go take a flying leap and they do NOTHING! They should have sent Federal agents to Florida to jerk Greer out of his backwater courtroom and bring him before Congress to prosecute him for contempt of Congress. Congress is completely impotent, they might as well disband it. I know I am going to get hate mail for saying this, but so be it.

Judge Greer has pretty much set the Reichstag on fire. If a lowly county probate judge is more powerful than our elected representatives and unelected Federal Judges backs him up then we have no representation in our government. We are at the mercy of a tyrannical oligarchy.

Are we are all too blind or fat and happy to see it?

We have many liberals in our society that love to remind us of the evils our country has perpetrated in the past to the Indians and slaves among others. I say let them look in the mirror, we can't do anything about our past sins but we can darn well do something about our current ones. To see our current sins one only has to read the news. Put on your thinking cap for a few minutes and think about some of the things you accept as fact without questioning.

Take the Social Security debate. Our society is getting older and that is putting a strain on the system. When Social Security was designed it was intended to have 40 workers in the system for every retiree. I believe it now has three workers for every retiree. Why is this? We have been told that it is because the baby boomers have been retiring. Is this true? I am not so sure that the concept of "baby boomers" is all that convincing. The theory is that all of these GI's came home from WWII and started making babies. I wonder about the half a million potential fathers that didn't come home from the war. What about their potential progeny? Shouldn't that offset it somewhat if not totally?

So what has caused the aging of our society? I say it is the result of the holocaust of the murder of 40,000,000 of our fellow taxpayers; a large portion of which would now be working and paying taxes since the Roe vs. Wade decision happened in 1972. We tried the eugenics experiment in the twenties and people saw through it so the social engineers came up with a new twist. If we can't sterilize the undesirables lets kill their offspring through abortion. You say I am being too extreme or radical? Go read the writings of the hero's of the abortion movement like Margaret Sanger and see if I am not telling the truth. Look at the abortion statistics and see who's children are being killed. The thought of killing people because they are inconvenient or undesirable or some undefined quality of life is beyond my understanding.

Think about the logical result of this evolutionary social engineering. If you create a society that is strained by having to care for too many elderly people what do you do. Well, you get rid of the excess elderly people. Is the location of this travesty lost on everyone. Where is the largest population of elderly people located and where is the medical system the most strained by them. That's right, Florida.

If "We the People" don't do anything about this we will be living in a brave new America where we have no representation and more importantly no rights except those granted us by black robed dictators.

If you're only response to this is to call me extreme or radical don't bother as that is no argument at all. If however, you have a reasoned counter argument to this I will be happy to be proven wrong. My fear is that I am not wrong.

Michael Schiavo comes out of the court house

2005-03-24T11:44:00.000-06:00

I have been watching CNN this morning. They have been going on and on about how the devoted husband has been right by Terri's side since they took her food from her. Well, they have been showing a picture of the county courthouse all morning and guess who just came out the front door at 11:40 central time? None other than the loving husband himself. Of course they immediately cut away from the picture.

They haven't announced it yet, but since he has left the building that means that Heir Greer the backwater county judge has given the expected ruling against Terri.

Sad.

Turned down by the Supremes

2005-03-24T10:17:00.000-06:00

Well, I can't say I am surprised but I just learned from BlogsforTerri that the Supremes just turned Terri down. All eyes are now on Gov. Bush. Rumor has it he is supposed to show up in Pinellas at noon when Heir Greers restraining order expires to maybe take her into protective custody. We will see.

I think I smell a carp and his name is George Felos

2005-03-24T09:23:00.000-06:00

Code Blue Blog reports:

CSI MEDBLOGS: FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF CT BRAINS TURNS UP NEW ASTOUNDING EVIDENCE

Terri Did Not Suffer Her Brain Damage Outside The Hospital--It Occurred While She Was Hospitalized

The gist of the post is that the first two CT brain scans of Terri's after her injury and admittance to the hospital were normal. Suddenly, a few days later, the next brain scan was very abnormal indicating that the injury happened in the hospital. Someone else comments and says it is pretty normal after a brain injury for the first couple of scans to be normal. Now I am not a doctor nor have I played one on TV but Code Blue Blog's conclusion does seem to make some sense.

However, I believe the greater story here is the one that The Empire Journal put forth in outlining the evidence that Terri is not in a persistent vegetative state. I am not sure how they obtained this information, but if true, it is certainly damning to Felo's case.

Here is an entry from the record I found particularly striking:

"9/11/1999
Dr. Letter Jeffrey Karp, M.D.
pt is in a persistent vegetative state per Florida Statutes provided to me by Mr. Felos"

In other words, Dr. Karp (here in Missouri we recognize a carp as a rather smelly, ugly, bottom feeding creature) declared Terri to be in a PVS not by a medical diagnosis, but by a definition made by a legislature and delivered by a carp-like lawyer. First, does anyone see a conflict of interest here besides me? Isn't our carp-like lawyer a bit too cozy with our Karp doctor who made the "medical" pronouncement of PVS condemning Terri to death?

Conspicuous is the absence of those who cried foul when they alleged that the US congress was making medical diagnosis' when they commanded the Federal Courts to give Terri a new trial. A new trial that the Federal Courts refused to give as they exercised their supremacy over the branch of government that in fact writes the law the courts are supposed to rule according to.

And the Crowd Said: "Crucify"

2005-03-24T09:07:00.000-06:00

Great read from Getting Elected Blogline. Here is a snippet:

"Terri Schiavo's life is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. In the meantime, Terri's life is slowly slipping away. She is being starved to serve "justice". However, she has committed no crime.Several recent polls say that a majority of Americans believe that starving Terri is OK. God help us...

...It is clear. The final appeal must now be made to God. Only He can save her. Jesus said: "Father, if it is your will remove this cup from me". I pray this prayer for Terri.

Ironically, the chances are good that Terri will die as Jesus did, on Good Friday.

The polls have been taken and the crowd is still calling: "Crucify!"."

Read the rest...

Christain Carnival is up at "A Nutt's View"

2005-03-23T23:12:00.000-06:00

The Christian Carnival is up at "A Nutt's View"

A letter to Roy Blunt

2005-03-23T18:53:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share with you a letter I just sent to my Representative Roy Blunt.

Mr. Blunt,
I just witnessed you on TV saying that you and congress had done all you can for Terri Schiavo. As one of your constituents I am very disappointed.
All you have succeeded in doing is finish making Congress completely powerless and irrelevant. You have let a state court and two Federal courts thumb their noses at acts of congress. Yours is the legislative branch of government that makes the law that the courts are supposed to follow.
You ordered the Federal courts to give Terri a brand new trial. They refused. You have let them establish that they are above the Congress and worse above the law.

Disappointed,
Mike Bennett

Judicial terrorism

2005-03-20T21:02:00.000-06:00

David Bass has a great article at Worldnet daily called "Judicial Terrorism". He is right about judges being terrorists. We already knew that however. I think the point below is more important.

"America considers herself a civilized nation. We eschew the barbaric practices of ancient Rome, the religious conflicts of the Medieval period, and the mass genocide that took place in wars throughout the 20th century. Yet now, a entirely innocent woman, one who committed no crime other than requiring more love and attention than most other Americans, is starving to death on our watch. Are we really any less barbaric than Rome, or have we simply learned new ways to veil our wickedness behind the curtain of science, choice and a so-called "right to die"?"

We are a society of barbarians.

Read the rest....

They are asking the wrong question

2005-03-20T20:37:00.000-06:00

Dory has a great post I wanted to share with you. She is right, most people don't take time to think about what they hear. We keep hearing this is a "right to die" case. It's not, it is a right to live case. Why is Terri in a hospice when she is not dying. As Dory has asked, she is not being "allowed" to die. She is not dying. She is being killed.

Here is a snippet of Dory's post:

"No one has suggested that Terri should be "allowed to die" because she is dying anyway. What is being suggested is that she should be caused to die because her life is not worth living. "I wouldn't want to live that way," people are fond of saying. Well, thanks for sharing, but that's not really the point, is it? What if I decided that I wouldn't want to live as a diabetic with all the challenges that disease presents. Does that then justify me killing a diabetic child or spouse? Dare I argue that to suggest otherwise is to interfere with "a personal family decision?"

Read the rest...

I am shocked, SHOCKED!

2005-03-19T08:38:00.000-06:00

I was just watching the Today show and Lester Holt was interviewing some researcher who had done some research and found out that men and women are different! Whoda thunk it!

Lester asked him something to the effect, "You mean men and women think differently because differences in thier DNA, not just because girls grow up playing with Barbies and boys grow up playing with G.I. Joe?"

It is a shame that left-leaning people are so decieved that this would come as a surprise to them.

New Site Layout

2005-03-19T00:47:00.000-06:00

Well, I have the remodeling on the site pretty much done. I still am going to try to design a graphic for the header. Let me know what you think or if you are having any problems viewing the page.

Thanks and God Bless,
Mike <><

This from Hyscience - Terri told what is happening: Terri cried

2005-03-18T15:13:00.000-06:00

Terri told what is happening: Terri cried

Federal representatives served subpoenas on the Hospice house earlier today, citing intent to have Terri Schiavo appear before Congress on March 28, 2005. Judge Greer has ordered that the subpoenas wouldn't be entertained and that Terri's feeding tube would be IMMEDIATELY removed.
It is unclear if this has happened yet or not.
Attorney Barbara Weller was with Terri earlier today. She told the media that, during her visit with Terri, she explained to her what was happening. According to Weller, Terri began to cry and could not be quieted. She tried to coach Terri to say "Let me live" but she simply was having too much difficulty.
Congress is reported by local news to still hold be holding hearings on this matter. It is unclear at this stage who will win this tug of war - the United States or a probate judge from Clearwater. All that is known is that an innocent life is in the balance.
If you can be at Hospice, now is the time.

Terri's execution has now begun; Greer declares himself Grand Exaulted Emperor.

2005-03-18T14:58:00.000-06:00

From Terri's parents sometime in the last hour:

Friday - Terri's nutrition and hydration have now been withheld from her. It is unclear if the port that accommodates her feeding tube has been surgically removed as her family was ordered to leave her room.

There is evidently no higher authority in the United States of America than George Greer. He sees no "cogent" reason to obey a directive of Congress. How about the separation of powers for one?

Judge OKs Removal of Schiavo Feeding Tube

March 18, 2005 2:01 PM EST
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - The presiding judge in the case of Terri Schiavo ruled Friday that the feeding tube keeping the brain-damaged woman alive must be removed despite efforts by congressional Republicans to have her appear at hearings.
Pinellas Circuit Judge George Greer refused a request from U.S. House attorneys to delay the removal, which he had previously ordered to take place at 1 p.m. EST. Greer determined that removal must go forward about an hour after another judge issued a temporary delay blocking it.
"I have had no cogent reason why the (congressional) committee should intervene," Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer told attorneys in a conference call, adding that last-minute action by Congress does not invalidate years of court rulings.

Read the rest of this disturbing article.....

Terri to appear before congress

2005-03-18T11:28:00.000-06:00

Lawmakers Widen Schiavo Right-To-Die Fight

March 18, 2005 11:52 AM EST
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - As a deadline loomed, U.S. Senate Republicans sought to keep severely brain-damaged Terri Schiavo alive Friday with an invitation to bring her to Washington, and an attorney for her parents said they hoped the move would buy them more time.

The Senate Health Committee has requested that Terri Schiavo and her husband, Michael, appear at an official committee hearing on March 28. Earlier Friday, a House committee was issuing congressional subpoenas to stop doctors from disconnecting the tube....

Read the rest from the AP...

Great analysis from an anonymous poster on Shiavo's Nightline appearance.

2005-03-18T08:55:00.000-06:00

I wanted to make sure everyone saw this. An anonymous commenter left this on the post I made about the Nightline appearance. He lets Schiavo hang himself with his own words. Too bad Nightline wasn't interested in calling him on it. I wish I knew who this was so I could give them credit.

Anonymous said...
BURY: You did receive something of a malpractice settlement north of $1 million at one point, is that correct?

SCHIAVO: Yes.
FELOS: Well, no.

Which is it? Make up your minds you two.

BURY: And what happened to that?

Great question!

FELOS: Michael didn't receive those funds. Those were received in Terri's guardianship and it was a bank who was her guardian of the property that administered those funds.

Michael didn't receive the funds. Felos did, to the tune of $400,000 and rising.

BURY: But the question remains: What happened to those funds?

Ding, ding. Round two with the great follow-up

FELOS: Well, those funds have been used for Terri's medical care and guardianship expenses and costs and fees over many, many years.

If medical care stopped in 1992, then "guardianship expenses" are itemized where? "Costs and fees over many, many years" are itemized where? These people need a serious audit.

Those funds are virtually gone, and Mr. Schiavo is not going to inherit or gain one penny by the result of Terri's death.

"inherit"? He already has his hands on the money because he is her guardian!

BURY: And so, Michael, who is now — and let's get the camera over to Michael if we can — Michael, who is now paying for Terri's case?

Ding, ding. Round 3 with the great question!

SCHIAVO: Actually, right now, she's listed on the indigent list for hospice. They were taking care of her. They take very good care of her.

How can she be "indigent", penniless or homeless? Oh, that's right -- Michael lives with his fiance and children and has Terri's money, too!

BURY: It's got to be very expensive.

Not really, especially on the no-food and water mealplan that Michael has ordered.

SCHIAVO: She had — I haven't received any bills from it, so I couldn't tell you how much it would cost.

He has not received any bills since 1992? Medical facilities not looking for reimbursement? Not in my universe!

Please pardon my construction

2005-03-18T08:34:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to revamp my website while trying to teach myself HTML. I hadn't planned on publishing this to the web until it was a bit more finished. Someone posted a comment and I guess that causes the blog to republish. That's why it looks a bit goofy at the moment. Stay tuned for other updates.

The Mind of George Felos

2005-03-17T08:38:00.000-06:00

Cait has a great post giving us a look into the mind of George Felos' mind through a book he wrote. His mind is a scary place.

Felos is a devil
By Katrina Maguire.

OSCAR Schindler endangered his own life to save the lives of Jewish people. A true hero, a man to be admired and emulated, he placed the lives of others before his own.

I wonder if somewhere in the perverted mind of Florida attorney, George Felos, Terri Schiavo nee Schindler has to die, because of the role of her namesake in saving more than a thousand Jews from their role as "sacrificial lambs?" Felos is the attorney representing Michael Schiavo, the man who wants to starve to death his estranged and brain damaged wife.

On the face of it the question may seem frivolous but when one is confronted with the writings of Felos all thoughts of frivolity quickly evaporate.

Consider the following passages from his book, Litigation As Spiritual Practice."The Jewish people, long ago in their collective consciousness, agreed to play the role of the lamb whose slaughter was necessary to shock humanity into a new moral consciousness. Their sacrifice saved humanity at the brink of extinction and propelled us into a new age."

Read the rest...

Michael is starvation really painless?

2005-03-16T11:36:00.000-06:00

Along the lines of my last post Blogs4Terri has this on the Nightline interview last night. Great Post!

More on Terri Schiavo

2005-03-16T11:27:00.000-06:00

Nightline had Michael Schiavo on last night to do an apologetic for killing the handicapped. You can read the transcript here.

Here is an excerpt I thought was particularly lame:

"BURY: Your wife's family and their supporters have been arguing in the most graphic terms that what you are going to allow happen on Friday, in their words, is in effect condemning your wife to a cruel death by starvation.
I'd like you to address that charge from them.
SCHIAVO: That's one of their soapboxes they've been on for a long time.
Terry will not be starved to death. Her nutrition and hydration will be taken away. This happens across this country every day.
Death through removing somebody's nutrition is very painless. That has been brought to the courts many of times. Doctors have come in and testified. It is a very painless procedure. Terry can't she has no cortex left. She doesn't feel pain. She doesn't feel hunger.
So what's going to happen is slowly her potassium and her electrolytes will slowly diminish and she will drift off to a nice little sleep and eventually pass on to be with God. "

Shiavo makes the claim that they aren't going to starve her, they are merely going to take away her food and water. Isn't that the same thing? Of course, it's no big deal, it happens all the time and besides, she will just drift off into "a nice little sleep". Of course, the interviewer didn't call him on this idiocy.

More on the "idiocy" front from Judge Green. He made two rulings here and here this week. In the first ruling the "Judge" ruled against a motion by the Schindlers to try some new therapy that might allow Terri to speak and swallow food on here own since it has already been documented that she can in fact swallow. The second motion that was denied was one asking that the Schindlers be allowed to try and feed her by mouth once her feeding tube is taken away.

The judge's reasoning for turning down the first was because it is not known if the new therapies would work therefore he considered them "experimental". His convoluted reasoning in denying the second was that he had already decided in his previous decision that trying to feed her was "experimental" so therefore he couldn't disagree with his first ruling. Talk about circular reasoning! Here is an idea, rather than declare feeding her experimental and therefore we don't know if it would work, let's try it and see if it would work! Yea, I know, don't confuse this guy with facts, his mind is made up.

Here is the judges denial of a motion for rehearing on the basis that a ruling he previously made was in error. Dory had a post explaining the mistaken ruling here that I commented on here. The Schindler's attorney used the case Hensel vs. Hensel as a precedent for getting a (b) (5) motion. Evidently a (b) (5) motion allows for a motion that is "no longer equitable" because of new evidence to be overturned. The judge weasels out of it by saying the motion is not the correct vehicle because the Schindlers argued the ruling was "never correct".

He then has the audacity to admit that his ruling was based on faulty facts so he changes the reasons he gave in his previous ruling in this ruling. In effect, "yeah, I was wrong, but I could have said this instead so you can all go jump in a lake". What a crock!

Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that the people who are trying to save Terri and future handicapped people from extermination are named Schindler? There was this fellow named Oskar Schindler that saved many Jews from extermination in the Nazi holocaust. Let's hope we can make a film someday called "Terri's list".

We have already dropped the ball as far as the abortion holocaust is concerned, let's not drop the ball on this one! Call your congressmen, write letters to the editor, call the President, call the governor, call and write your friends. WE CAN STOP THIS!

The Christian Carnival is up.

2005-03-16T11:19:00.000-06:00

The Christian Carnival is up over at Christweb. There is a good discussion on the merits of Christian Libertarianism. Personally, I think its a rather untenable position to hold. These guys really have both sides laid out well so I recommend reading them and coming to your own conclusion.

The Readability of Well-Known Blogs

2005-03-15T12:45:00.000-06:00

This is really an interesting post from Belief Seeking Understanding. It would be interesting to find out what level I write on but I am afraid I would find out it is the level of Kindergarteners with crayons!

Here is a snippet:
Jakob Nielsen's latest newsletter observes that lower-literacy readers have different strategies for reading web-sites than higher-literacy readers. It got me wondering, because there are some bloggers who write on relatively complex subjects. When I say that, I'm thinking about the contributions of Parableman and World of Sven to the latest Christian Carnival. Isn't readability a virtue?

Check it out....

Vox Apologia IX is up at Razorskiss

2005-03-15T09:14:00.000-06:00

Vox Apologia is up at Razorskiss. Joshua has started a great thing with this, very interesting, thought provoking and of course defending the Gospel. You can even check out my humble entry.

Head And Stephen Baldwin Plan Line Of 'Cutting-Edge Christian Products'

2005-03-14T08:18:00.000-06:00

This is pretty interesting. This has got to be the first time I have ever linked to MTV! I think it is great that God has saved these guys. I always wonder how Alec has taken Stephen's conversion?

Head And Stephen Baldwin Plan Line Of 'Cutting-Edge Christian Products'

Stephen Baldwin

Brian "Head" Welch may have severed creative ties with his former Korn bandmates following his conversion to Christianity, but he's found at least one new partner in the youngest of Baldwin clan.

The born-again actor said that he and Welch have been talking about launching a line of "cutting-edge Christian products" in an attempt to give young people of faith some pop culture they can actually be proud of.Welch left Korn last month, noting that his newfound Christianity made it impossible for him to continue to play Korn's music and live the band's lifestyle (see "Brian 'Head' Welch Leaves Korn, Citing Moral Objections To Band's Music"). Since leaving the band, Welch has spent considerable time working with members of the Valley Bible Fellowship in Bakersfield, California, and has also sought out Baldwin, who went through his own very public conversion to Christianity.

Read the rest....

Church Gunman Said Upset Over Sermon

2005-03-13T22:20:00.000-06:00

This is awful. I don't quite know what to think about it. Please pray for the victims and their families and pray that God will use this for good and His glory.

Church Gunman Said Upset Over Sermon

March 13, 2005 10:10 PM EST
BROOKFIELD, Wis. - The man who fatally shot seven people during a quiet church service before turning the gun on himself was on the verge of losing his job and upset over a sermon he heard two weeks ago, investigators said Sunday.
Terry Ratzmann, 44, left no suicide note and gave no explanation for the killings during Saturday's weekly meeting at a suburban Milwaukee hotel. It was unclear what specifically upset him, but Ratzmann was a member of the Living Church of God, a denomination whose leader recently prophesied that end times are near.

Read the rest of the story....

A Physicist's Perspective

2005-03-13T21:57:00.000-06:00

I just found a great blog through the Christian Carnival. It's called "A Physicist's Perspective"

David has some very though provking stuff over there. Mikey likes it!

Check him out.

The Kingdom of God, the kingdom of man and the root of sin.

2005-03-13T13:30:00.000-06:00

Vox Apologia: Glory to Man in the Highest: Humanism's Dangerous Claim.

PS 10:4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there
is no room for God.

What is at the root of sin? I believe it is pride. When Satan fell it was his pride that motivated him. Satan declared, "I will ascend to heaven;I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." Satan appealed to Adam and Eve's pride when he tempted them to eat the forbidden fruit so that they could "become like God". It was Adam and Eve's pride that was their motivation to give in to Satan's temptation. Adam and Eve's pride is what caused this world we live in to be fallen and cursed.

This was illustrated to me several years ago on a trip to see the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. There are several things to do on the grounds before the play that you can see and do. One of those was called the Holy Land Tour. What you do is walk along a road that is about one-half mile long and along the road are exhibits that demonstrate things from the Bible such as how the Israelites made bricks in Egypt, a cistern and a Bedouin tent like Abraham might have lived in among other things. At the end of the tour was a full scale replica of Moses Tabernacle. A man dressed as the High Priest gave you a tour of the Tabernacle and explained the significance of each thing in it. It was especially interesting because the man in the role of the High Priest was a Messianic Jew. He was able to explain things from a Jewish and a Christian perspective.

When he took us through the Holy of Holies the thing that was striking to me was his explanation of the unleavened bread. The Bible uses leaven, or yeast, as a symbol of sin. The "priest" explained this from a Jewish perspective. He drew the analogy that the yeast puffs up the bread the same way that pride causes us to be "puffed up".

Satan is very good at deception. He has several methods of deceiving us which work very well. One is the same one he used with Adam and Eve, an appeal to our pride. He also takes the good and Holy things of God, twists them and creates evil counterfeits to replace them with. In other words, he takes a lie and ads enough that is true and good to make it believable. A little sugar helps the medicine go down sort of thing.

I believe that God has given us a desire to seek Him. To fill that God shaped hole as some have put it. I also believe that he has given us a desire to "Seek first the Kingdom of God". Satan's ruse is that we can create Heaven on earth ourselves without God. We can be the most exalted beings in this humanistic kingdom. In effect we can have our cake and eat it too.

I once entered into a year and a half conversation with an atheist named Reg Reid. Of course, he was constantly extolling the virtues of communism and I, of course, defended the Godliness of capitalism. Reg kept insisting that the philosophy of Jesus was communism and I kept insisting that Jesus was a capitalist. Reg was, of course, wrong but he got me to think about it a little. I was wrong also, Jesus wasn't a capitalist. As a matter of fact, I don't think Jesus cares a whit about economics and political philosophy , what he cares about is people.

Reg, kept telling me that Jesus advocated selling one's possessions and giving to the poor which is true. However, that is a bit different than government taking ones possetions by force and giving them to others. It got me to thinking about why capitalism works and communism doesn't. Capitalism doesn't work because it is virtuous, it works because of two factors. One is that I believe God has designed us to enjoy our work and the fruit of our labor if you believe what Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes as I do. The other is that people are greedy.

The reason that Marxism fails is because they take away the only reason that one would want to share his possessions and put the needs of his neighbor ahead of his own at the beginning. They declare that their is no God and man is the highest authority in the universe. This is a very easy sell as it appeals to our sin nature and pride. We don't want to be under the authority of that ole' cosmic kiljoy God. We want to be our own God. The trouble is that if we won't restrain ourselves by living by God's laws and a changed heart through the Gospel of Christ then we must be restrained by the raw power of an iron fisted government.

After enough friends and love ones disappear because of non-conformity and after it becomes apparent that no matter how hard one works that your lot in life is going to be no better than others who do little or no work, the sham begins to crumble. The sham is that we believe we can have the Kingdom of God on earth without God. We want to have a kingdom of man utopia with no god but ourselves.

The next time you wonder how supposedly intelligent people can believe in idiocy like evolution and that it is OK to kill the unborn or the old and handicapped because they are inconvenient remember that it is because they will raise their throne above God. In other words, pride.

It is said that there have been more people killed in the name of God than anything. What a crock. Humanism has killed 40 million from abortion in this country. It has killed about 60 million in Communist China. Stalin killed about 100 million in the name of humanism. I could go on and on. I hear a lot these days about being "humane". For example, it's the "humane" thing is to kill handicapped people like Terri Schiavo. I hope no one ever tries to treat me "humainly", I can think of nothing more scary. If it is a question of whether the Godly way or the humane way is better it is no contest. Humanism is completly bankrupt.

Terri Schiavo Deserves the Same Rights as Ted Bundy

2005-03-13T12:02:00.000-06:00

Great Post from Hyscience on Terri.

Here is a clip:

"Capital felons in Florida are entitled to a trial by jury, independent counsel, competent representation and automatic review of their death penalty by the Supreme Court of Florida. By contrast, Terri Schiavo has received none of these protections. Perhaps even more ironic is the fact that if the most heinous of mass murderers were to receive a sentence of death by starvation or dehydration, the courts would overturn that sentence as a violation of the Constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment."

Read the rest...

Mel Gibson pleads for Terri

2005-03-13T08:24:00.000-06:00

Worldnetdaily reports:

Gibson pleads for Terri's life Encourages parents to be vigilant, pray, condemns 'cruel starvation'
Posted: March 12, 20051:42 p.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
In a personal telephone conversation yesterday with Terri Schiavo's father, Bob Schindler, actor-director Mel Gibson encouraged the Schindler family to "never give up and continue to pray."

Shortly after the telephone conversation Gibson sent a fax to the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation with the following statement to be read at today's rally in Pinellas Park, Fla.: "I fully support the efforts of Mr. & Mrs. Schindler to save their daughter, Terri Schiavo, from a cruel starvation. Terri's husband should sign the care of his wife over to her parents so she can be properly cared for."

Read the rest...

The Ten Commandments and hills to die on.

2005-03-11T22:51:00.000-06:00

I was checking one of the new blogs in Nick Queen's Out of the Wilderness showcase called A Ticking Time Blog by Byron Harvey. He's got a great blog going over there and I am going to add him to my blogroll when I get a chance. He has a post over there called Dying on Ten Commandments Hill that I just had to comment on. One the purposes of my blog is to examine commonly held beliefs today in the Body of Christ and hopefully change some paradigms in light of what scripture tells us with the ultimate goal of advancing the Kingdom of God. I am going to make an attempt to do that here. I hope this isn't taken as disparaging Byron, Paul or Cal as that is not my intent, I just want to offer a different perspective.

Here is the post:
Dying on Ten Commandments Hill?
Another tip to Paul McCain for a fabulous article by Cal Thomas questioning the wisdom of so many evangelicals making such a bigfathairydeal out of the posting of the Ten Commandments.
If its true that we need to pick our hills to die on, this surely isnt one of them

I think Cal has a mistaken idea what the commandments are about. Cal states in his article:
"Christians, who sometimes seem so bellicose about these things, think Jesus Christ fulfilled every one of the Ten Commandments and thus became the perfect "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Christians also think "a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 2:16) and "all who rely on observing the law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10). They think anyone who wishes to be judged by the law falls short and is condemned.

If Christians believe such things, why would they "settle" for the posting of the Ten Commandments through which they believe no one can be saved? Why not lobby for the display of their favorite verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16)? The display of that verse on public property would surely be ruled unconstitutional, but at least Christians would be consistent with what they believe."

I think Cal makes the mistake many believers make; that is, that the since we are under the New Covenant somehow that renders the Old Testament and the Law of Moses irrelevant. Cal illustrates this thinking when he states: "There are some amusing things about this case. First, it is a group of conservative Christians behind the effort. Not many, if any, Jewish groups are petitioning government for this right even though the Ten Commandments are uniquely Jewish. Moses was Jewish, and the Ten Commandments preceded all other laws that followed." In other words, the Commandments don't really have anything to do with us as believers, they are just a "Jewish thing".

I would contend that the entire Bible from Genesis to "maps" is a book about Jesus Christ and his death on the Cross. As Jesus said, "I have not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, I have come to fulfill them". The Law of Moses points to the Cross.

Posting John 3:16 would be great but without the Ten Commandments it really doesn't have meaning to the uninitiated. Most people think that they are a pretty good person. (Stay tuned for an essay I am working on about humanism and pride) We Christians know that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". But again, to people that think they are pretty good that really has no meaning. You see, the Ten Commandments isn't something you follow to obtain righteousness, it is a yardstick to measure one's condition against. That is why Satan works so hard to hide the Commandments from public view. That is why atheist's and humanist are offended by them. They show them that they are not the good people they think they are.

Let me share an illustration from another post I wrote.
My experience has been that one of the big obstacles in sharing the Gospel is that most people think they are a pretty good person and therefore they use themselves as the standard for what is good and evil rather than the laws of God. I think maybe this is a result of all the obsession with "Self Esteem" we have in this country or maybe it is just part of the human sin nature.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. My wife and I went on a cruise a few years ago. If you have been on a cruise you know you sit at the same table with the same people for all of your meals. At each meal my wife and I would quietly pray before we ate. There was a lady at the table that was with a guy she had met in Vegas a couple of weeks prior.

I guess she had taken note of our praying and made the suggestion that we all hold hands and make some sort of a new age wish kind of thing. We politely declined and said we would rather just pray. She proceeded to tell us she thought that praying was the same thing as making a wish. Eventually, the conversation came to the point that I shared the Gospel with her (and everyone else at the table by default). I asked her if she thought she would go to heaven if she died. She said she would because she was a good person, after all she had never killed anyone.

So, I went through the Ten Commandments with her. Ok, you haven't killed anyone, but have you ever lied? Yes. Have you ever stolen anything? Yes. Ever commit adultery? Yes. Ever coveted anyone else's possessions? Yes. Ever taken the Lords name in vain? Yes. I told her it looked like she had broken all of them except killing someone. I suggested maybe she wasn't as good a person as she thought and maybe she would need some help getting into heaven. She told me she had never looked at it that way and perhaps I was right.

Her reasoning was the same as most people. Since she was a good person she measured others against the standard of herself. She is good, she had never killed anyone, therefore a bad person was someone who had committed murder. After she measured herself against the Ten Commandments her self-righteousness disappeared. That is why Satan is working so hard to hide the commandments from public view.

Cal made a good observation when he said, "No human has ever obeyed them all." That is why Jesus died on that hill 2000 years ago. When Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and the Apostles before us were told by the government they couldn't acknowledge God they thought that was a hill worth dying on. When our government tells us we can't acknowledge our God by displaying the Ten Commandments, praying or reading the Bible in the public square isn't that a hill worth dying on?

"Life" - Great post from a great blog.

2005-03-11T08:42:00.000-06:00

I just ran across a blog called New Wineskins Outres Neuves from France. I haven't gotten to look around there as much as I would like, but early indications are that this is one of the best blogs I have seen. Check them out.

Here is a sample; an incredible post from Frederic:

(Click to enlarge the picture) A friend send me this..Here is the story..

"One of the most amazing photographs that you'll ever see -- is this picture of Samuel, a 21 week old baby boy, whose tiny hand reaches out of the womb and grabs the finger of the surgeon who was operating on him, as if to say, "thanks doc, you did a wonderful job." It should be seen by the WHOLE WORLD."
Read the rest......
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A Sort of Notebook

2005-03-10T22:42:00.000-06:00

I have been checking out Waterfall's new blog A Sort of Notebook. This lady goes by the name Waterfall and loves to backpack. My kinda' girl!

Check her blog out.

The Christian Carnival is up at Belief Seeking Understanding.

2005-03-10T22:27:00.000-06:00

The Christian Carnival is up at Belief Seeking Understanding. I haven't had the chance to read many of the post yet but Doug has done a great job of hosting. Check it out.

A Voice to Speak for Others

2005-03-10T22:17:00.000-06:00

You must read this. Dory has done a great job of interviewing a very remarkable woman, Kate Adamson.

Dory writes:
A sign hanging over Kate Adamson's hospital bed read,"THIS IS A HUMAN BEING LYING HERE, PLEASE TREAT HER AS A PERSON. SHE UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING YOU SAY." The sign spoke volumes about frustration, a tenacious will for survival,of love, and of hope...
...Kate was in an intensive care unit, totally aware of her surroundings, but unable to respond. As she laid there, she listened as doctors, assuming she could not hear them, discussed whether or not to treat her. Kate had suffered a double brainstem stroke and her life hung by a thread."If she lives," her husband was told,"she will be a vegetable." .

Read the rest...

HELP TERRI NOW!

2005-03-09T08:38:00.000-06:00

Please, please, please, contact your congressman and voice your support for this bill as I have. Not only for Terri, but for all of the old and infirm who's lives hang in the balance.

LIFE AND DEATH TUG OF WAR

Federal bill introduced to save Terri SchiavoMeasure gives
incapacitated same due process as condemned inmates

Posted: March 8, 20052:54 p.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Two Republican lawmakers from Florida introduced legislation in Congress today they hope will save the life of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman whose parents are battling a court order to remove her life-sustaining feeding tube.
Sen. Mel Martinez and Rep. David Weldon say the Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act will give Schiavo, and others in similar situations, the same constitutional protection of due process as death-row inmates.
Current law leaves the rights of disabled persons at the mercy of courts instead of the Constitution, the lawmakers argue.

Read the rest....

The Court and the evolving standards of decency.

2005-03-08T08:15:00.000-06:00

For those that have chided me for not respecting the Constitution because I don't respect rulings of the Supreme Court and the inferior courts below them; I would like to present an excellent column by David Limbaugh that illustrates that the courts do not base their rulings on the Constitution. They base them on whatever their current beliefs are, what they "feel" is right or even on the constitutions and laws of foreign countries.

Limbaugh writes:

"Adding insult to injury, the Court doesn't even deny its staggering presumptuousness. In the words of the ever-disappointing Justice Kennedy, writing for the majority, "To implement this framework we have established the propriety and affirmed the necessity of referring to 'the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society' to determine which punishments are so disproportionate as to be cruel and unusual."

I am a strict Constitutional constructionist and believe it should be followed to the letter or should be amended through the legal legislative process rather than by judicial fiat. Once again, a judges ruling and the Constitution are not the same thing.

The column Limbaugh writes is pertaining to the case where the court ruled that anyone under 18 cannot be sentenced to death. My purpose here is not to debate the death penalty, but rather to highlight what the Courts are actually basing their rulings on. It is not on the laws or constitution of our country, rather, they base them on a political agenda. We the people must put our foot down and reign in these lawless tyrants.

Read the rest of Limbaugh's column here.

Bible Reading and Study Plan

2005-03-07T21:44:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share what I use for my Bible reading and study. I hope it helps you out in your walk with the LORD.

Here is an excerpt from my Bible Reading Page:
I talk to guys all of the time who struggle with Bible reading. One problem I hear a lot is that the Bible is pretty exciting to read for the first couple of books and then things kind of get bogged down when they hit Leviticus, Numbers and so on. Several years ago, I ran onto this Bible reading plan by a fellow named Michael Coley that solves the problem! The plan consists of readings from a different part of the Bible for each day of the week (see the outline below). It makes the reading very interesting and you will be amazed how, even though the readings are from different parts of the Bible each day, God puts each days readings together to speak to you!

Read the rest...

Email From Bobby Schindler: Blogs Please Swarm Need For Habeas Corpus Protection For Terri

2005-03-07T17:05:00.000-06:00

Hysience passes this along today. Please do your part and write your congressmen.

Email From Bobby Schindler: Blogs Please Swarm Need For Habeas Corpus Protection For Terri
- via Email received from Bobby Schindler minutes ago: Since this Bill is going to be introduced tomorrow in Washington, please ask Terri's bloggers to swarm the need of emphasizing the importantance of this legislation in saving her life.
The US Congress will consider a bill titled the Incapacitated Person’s Legal Protection Act on Tuesday, March 8, 2005 . This bill, if signed into law, would entitle incapacitated persons to the federal review of their rights (known as habeas corpus) and would help ensure that they have been fairly represented. You can encourage your representative to give favorable consideration of this act. Habeas corpus protections are currently available to the worst convicted criminals; this new law would make it clear that disabled Americans are entitled to at least as much legal protection.
Please contact your representative in the US House of Representatives immediately and plead for their support of this legislation on behalf of Terri and all incapacitated persons.
Cross posted at BlogsForTerri

Terri Schiavo: A New Motion to Correct an Old Mistake

2005-03-07T16:33:00.000-06:00

Dory at Wittenburg Gate brings this on Terri Schiavo.
Terri Schiavo: A New Motion to Correct an Old Mistake

New Motion Filed
In February 2000, the courts ruled that there was a lack of clear and convincing evidence that Terri Schiavo had expressed her end of life wishes, and ordered her food and water to be withdrawn. In explaining this decision the judge discounted the testimony of one witness. A friend of Terri's had testified that in 1982 she had shared a tasteless joke about Karen Ann Quinlan, a comatose young woman whose parents had withdrawn life support. The friend reported that Terri did not find the joke funny, but responded with irritation, and went on to strongly say that the parents were wrong in not continuing life support for their daughter who had been on a respirator...
...On the basis of this error, the Schindlers this week filed a motion for relief from that 2002 decision of the court that ordered Terri's food and hydration terminated. You can read the motion here.

The court was presented evidence in 2000 that Terri disapproved strongly when Karen Ann Quinlan was removed from life support. A friend of Terri's testified that in 1982 she told Terri a tasteless joke about Quinlan and Terri didn't approve. Terri also relayed that she thought is was awful what Karen's parents were doing to her.

Since they were discussing Karen in the present tense using words such as "is" and "are" and the Quinlan case was decided in 1976 the illustrious "court" ruled that the conversation must have taken place when Terri was eleven or twelve rather than in 1982 when Terri would have been nineteen because Quinlan would have been "dead" in 1982. Pretty, sorry reasoning even if you ignore the fact that Quinlan didn't die until 1985 and the story was still very much in the news.

The fact is that the court wanted her executed so badly they just pulled anything they could think of out of the air. They didn't even bother to check out the actual facts, even though a woman's life hung in the balance.

I guess the courts motto should be, "Don't confuse me with facts, my mind is made up!"

Shameful.

How America has become a multicultural madhouse

2005-03-07T11:59:00.000-06:00

Great column from David Kupelian:

How America has become a multicultural madhouse

Posted: March 7, 20051:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
This is a true story about America, about how the magnificent Judeo-Christian culture of my youth – which represented the hope of liberty for the world's oppressed – was so easily turned into mush in my lifetime.
Let me begin with a brief story about my father. When he was only three years old, my dad was sentenced to death. That's right. The Turkish government was engaged in a deliberate campaign to force him, his mother and infant sister, along with hundreds of thousands of other Armenians, into the Syrian desert where they would die of starvation, disease, or worse – torture and death at the hands of brutal soldiers or roving bandits.

Read the rest...

The Problem of Death Before the Fall

2005-03-04T11:51:00.000-06:00

Dory at The Wittenburg Gate has a very interesting conversation going on the topic of The Problem of Death Before the Fall.

Check it out here and here.

36 Christian Ways To Reduce Stress

2005-03-04T11:29:00.000-06:00

Soldado at The LORD my Dad has some great advice in his post: 36 Christian Ways To Reduce Stress

B.C. not P.C. for students

2005-03-03T13:21:00.000-06:00

B.C. not P.C. for students
Educators' move to change 'Before Christ' to 'Before Common Era' sparking outrage

Posted: March 3, 20051:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
In what's perceived as a case of political correctness trumping history and everyday usage, students in Australia are now seeing the calendar term B.C. – which stands for "Before Christ" – being replaced with BCE, meaning "Before Common Era."
"This is political correctness gone mad," Shadow Education Minister Jillian Skinner told the Sydney Daily Telegraph. "You ask the average mum and dad out there how they refer to time and calendars, they will use Before Christ [B.C.]."

Read the rest of the story...

Funny though, the birth of Jesus is still what separates BCE from CE. A rose by any other name is still a rose!

The Christian Carnival is up.

2005-03-03T08:11:00.000-06:00

The Christian Carnival is up at Crossroads. Diane has done it in a Soap Opera format. Pretty inventive! My particular entry is under the Guiding Light.

I thought I was more the Bold and Beautiful type. OK, if you've ever seen me, maybe not! :-)

49 great entries, check it out.

Update on Ten Commandments case

2005-03-02T16:28:00.000-06:00

MY WAY News reports:

(AP) Christian Ministers from Kentucky demonstrate outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington while...
Full Image

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ten Commandments displays should be allowed on government property because they pay tribute to America's religious and legal history, the Supreme Court was told Wednesday, in cases that could render a new definition of the role that religion plays in the life of the nation.
"The idea of having a fence around the Ten Commandments to make clear the state has nothing to do with it, I think that is bending it too far," said acting Solicitor General Paul Clement, in arguing against a strict First Amendment wall between church and state.

Read rest of story:

Oh no, we are doomed, DOOMED I tell you!

2005-03-02T08:16:00.000-06:00

Cell Phone Use While Driving Increases

March 02, 2005 8:28 AM EST
WASHINGTON - More people than ever are driving under the influence of their cell phones, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The survey showed 8 percent of drivers, or 1.2 million people, were using hand-held or handsfree cell phones during daylight hours last year, a 50 percent increase since 2002 and a 100 percent rise in four years.
All that talking is a potential safety issue, said NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson.

Read the rest...

Maybe the folks at the NHTSA would prefer we eat a whopper while trying not to get any on our shirt as we drive. Maybe they would prefer we put our mascara on in the rear view mirror while we drive. Maybe they should make a law that cars can only have one seat so that the driver won't be distracted by talking to other occupants in the car. You know, you might look in the rear view mirror while talking to someone in the back or turn your head to look at the person in the passenger seat while talking.

If you can't talk and drive at the same time, as Brad Stine would say, "Put a helmet on!"

You will notice the article states that increased cell phone use is a "potential" safety hazard. Evidently, there is no evidence that it IS a safety hazard or they would have presentented it.

I guess we need to be protected from anything that is not a hazard but has the potential to be!

Here is another way you can help - from BlogsForTerri

2005-03-01T22:48:00.000-06:00

February 28, 2005
BlogsForTerri Prepares For USA Today Ad

The BlogsForTerri ad compaign continues....
Having just completed our first fire across the bow of the mainstream media via our BlogsforTerri ad in the Tampa Tribune, we are now preparing to place an ad in the "USA Today" on Friday week. That day has been chosen for both maximum readership and also timing within the narrow window of opportunity to contribute to the growing grassroots campaign at the nation-wide level to save Terri.

Several groups have already expressed an interest in joining with BlogsForTerri by co-sponsoring the ad that is expected to cost almost $20,000. We have already contacted USA Today and are working with the Schindler Media office and others, to prepare the content and layout of the ad. BlogsForTerri expects to be prepared to raise about one-third of the total cost.
Blogs are encouraged to help get the word out. Pledges are requested immediately in order to be prepared for the placement of the ad next Tuesday for the Friday, March 15, just three days before Judge Greer has scheduled Terri's execution to begin. [click here]

In related news on the BlogsForTerri campaign to draw attention to Terri's plight, we were interviewed by a journalist with the New York Times over the weekend. Details will be released on the interview by the NYT sometime in the next two weeks when the article is expected to run that weekend in one of their weekend features.

PLEASE CONTACT JUDGE GREER - THIS IS REDICULIOUS

2005-03-01T22:38:00.000-06:00

Terri Schiavo and her family flagrantly denied due process by probate judge

Clearwater, FL – On February 28, 2005, the parents of Terri Schiavo were informed, through their Attorney David Gibbs, III that Judge George Greer of Pinellas-Pasco’s Sixth Judicial Circuit has denied, without access to hearing, motions filed by Terri Schiavo’s immediate family for
Updated neurological evaluations based on new MRI testing protocols;
A motion to compel the deposition of Michael Schiavo;
A petition for extraordinary authority to provide Terri Schiavo with updated rehabilitative protocols;
A petition for divorce, citing open adultery on the part of Terri Schiavo’s husband and guardian;
An objection to the guardian’s annual guardianship plan ;
A motion to remove Michael Schiavo as guardian, citing his failure to comply with Florida Law mandated guardianship requirements. This motion dates back to November of 2002, but the court has never ruled on it.
Judge Greer has stated that he will only consider motions from Terri’s family as they relate to the death process, which include but are not limited to a motion to allow Terri Schiavo to die at home instead of a Hospice facility, a motion for a Florida burial, and a motion allowing her immediate family uninterrupted access to her throughout the death process.
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation finds the actions of Judge Greer reprehensible and a clear denial of the due process rights afforded to Terri Schiavo under Federal and Florida law.

Here is this guys contact info.
Contact him and tell him what you think of him and his rulings

George W. Greer
Rm. 484, 315 Court Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-3933

email: courts@jud6.org

Don't sic the Blogs on us!!!!

2005-03-01T22:04:00.000-06:00

This is interesting. It shows a couple of things; one is that the blogs are making a difference for Terri and that the main stream media are realizing they can't get away with the usual propaganda without the blogs exposing them. You guys really are becoming pretty powerful. Just remember, as the great philospher Spiderman said, "With great power comes great responsibility".

February 25, 2005 BlogsforTerri Pulls Ad After Censorship - Updated
Source: BlogsforTerri
Update 2(by Richard)
At 5:30 PM this afternoon, after earlier attempts had failed to reach me at a time that I that I could speak with him, I received a phone call from Mr. Eric Myers, National Sales Manager for the St. Petersburg Times. Mr. Myers told me that the St. Petersburg Times was prepared to run the BlogsforTerri ad exactly as it was originally presented, without the changes that they had earlier insisted upon(I received the required changes by email as did the Schindler's press office). I was told that they were not censoring the ad and that they didn't want the blogs using the word censorship when in fact they were now willing to run the ad, and definately wanted to run the ad this Sunday as originally requested by BlogsforTerri.
Continue reading "BlogsforTerri Pulls Ad After Censorship - Updated"

Case may overturn the Lemon test

2005-03-01T16:51:00.000-06:00

I just found this over at The LORD my Dad. Soldado reports that there is a case to be heard by the Imperial, oops, I mean the Supreme Court that will seek to clarify that a display of The Ten Commandments is not a law establishing a religion but mearly an acknowledgement of religion. This is precisely the point I was trying to make (probably not very well) in my last post. Please pray over this and I will try to find out more.

What is the Christians responsibility in government?

2005-03-01T07:26:00.000-06:00

"But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your States as well as in the Federal Government." -- Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address, March 4, 1837

"LK 12:42 The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, `My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
LK 12:47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." -- Jesus Christ

What is the Christians responsibility in regards to his involvement in government? The answer to that question depends on in which country you live in. Let me try and explain.

Christians are like about anyone else, they have certain paradigms they have grown up with they just don't question. I have a curse, I didn't grow up in church so when I came to Christ I didn't have any idea what church and the Christian life were supposed to look like. I would read the Bible, compare that with what we actually did and wonder why the difference. We have an unfortunate habit of reading the Bible as a collection of individual sentences (verses) that one may pick and choose from, pasting them together to "show" what the Bible says on a particular subject, instead of as a whole, in context like one would read any other book.

For example, look at the way we do church. We build huge buildings, hire pastors and staffs and require that people be at that building every time the doors open. If anyone questions why we do so one will commonly hear two things quoted. Do not muzzle the ox and do not forsake the gathering together of the brethren. Even if those verses aren't taken out of context I don't really see how they equate to "Thou shalt build a building, hire a staff and attend the services faithfully".

When I look at the New Testament I see churches who met in homes, had no paid staff, didn't necessarily have one pastor and they didn't consider the people they met with as distinct from the church at large. Now, I am not trying to insinuate that any pastors or denominations have any less than honorable intentions, I am suggesting that things like this are done the way they are done because we have always done it that way and it doesn't even occur to anyone to question it.

A verse that is commonly quoted to discourage Christians from being involved in government is:
ROMANS 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

As Paul wrote these words his "governing authority" was the Roman Government and ultimately Caesar. The Roman empire started out as a Republic much the same as our country but by paul's time it had pretty much deteriorated into a dictatorship. Another interesting thing is that Paul spent a great deal of time in Roman prisons, wrote many of his epistles from prison and was eventually executed by the Roman government. So, in the above passage do you think Paul intended for us to passively go along with anything the government tells us to do?

Lets look at the United States, who are the governing authorities here? Is it the President? Maybe Congress? How about the ultimate authority, Supreme Court Justices? I think that is what our paradigm tells us. Lets look at the truth.

We live in a country that started out as a republic, evolved into a quasi-democracy and is fast approaching an oligarchy (an oligarchy is rule by a group of dictators). The dictionary definition of a republic is, "A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them. "

You and I are the governing authorities in America, the "supreme power" if you will. As Abraham Lincoln said, we have "government of the people, by the people and for the people". As the first three words of the constitution state "We the people". The next time you question God's wisdom in putting Clinton or Bush or whoever in the White House remember; God put you and I in charge and WE put the President in office. I believe that we, like other leaders, are going to be called to account for what we did with the power He entrusted us with.

We need to let remind our leaders who the boss is. When they get out of line and do things that are unconstitutional we need to let them know that they serve us, not us them. We, as Americans have been dropping the ball for quite a long time. The first big fumble happened in the Supreme Court case Marbury vs. Madison. The Court bestowed the power of judicial review on themselves in the case, effectively setting themselves up as the supreme legislators of this country. This power was not bestowed on the Supreme Court by the constitution. The Constitution actually gave them a very narrow set of powers and purposely made them the weakest branch of the three. I can't quite figure out how the court got by with this coup, especially since the Madison in the case was none other than James Madison, the man who wrote the constitution. Nonetheless, they did and we the people did nothing to stop it.

I think Thomas Jefferson's response to Marbury vs. Madison is quite instructive:

"To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions [is] a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges are as honest as other men and not more so. They have with others the same passions for party, for power, and the privilege of their corps. Their maxim is boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem [good justice is broad jurisdiction], and their power the more dangerous as they are in office for life and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to the elective control. The Constitution has erected no such single tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands confided, with the corruptions of time and party, its members would become despots. It has more wisely made all the departments co-equal and co-sovereign within themselves."

"But the Chief Justice says, 'There must be an ultimate arbiter somewhere.' True, there must; but does that prove it is either party? The ultimate arbiter is the people of the Union, assembled by their deputies in convention, at the call of Congress or of two-thirds of the States. Let them decide to which they mean to give an authority claimed by two of their organs. And it has been the peculiar wisdom and felicity of our Constitution, to have provided this peaceable appeal, where that of other nations is at once to force."

Just to illustrate the evils of this power grab, the next time they overturned the legislature, was the abominable Dred Scott case. If you are not familiar with the case, the illustrious court determined that blacks were "beings of an inferior order" and as such could never be citizens of the United States and were not included in the "all men" of the Declaration of Independence and had no rights under the Constitution.

In our time, in Roe vs. Wade they declared the unborn sub-humans who could be killed for any and all reasons because of some phantom "right to privacy" which I have yet to find in the Constitution. The courts are in the process of declaring the handicapped non-humans with no right to life as in the case of Terri Schiavo.

Judge Roy Moore has rightly noted in his travails with the courts that case law is nothing more than fiats that amount to judicial legislation. The rule of law requires we adhere to laws made in the legislature and given in the US Constitution and the various state constitutions.

So what can we do? Most Christian leaders propose amending the Constitution to prevent judges from legalizing same sex marriage or other ficticious "rights" they "find" in the Constitution. I believe this is an unwise trend to start. Besides, they are ignoring the Constitution as written, what makes anyone think they won't ignore anything else added to it?

The constitution provides methods of controlling judges. One is impeachment. We need to put the pressure on the legislature to impeach these usurpors for bad behavior and illegal conduct. The legislature can also just ignore the courts edicts and tell them to try to enforce them without the aid of money and resources that must be given to them by the legislature.

We must also put pressure on these judges ourselves. When the courts rule that some child cannot mention God in a commencement speech because of the First amendment we need to inundate them with letters demanding they explain how they came to this conclusion. The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion; nor preventing the free exercise thereof...". Ask the judges what in the blue blazes congress had to do with the child's speech. The justification for this in their alleged minds is that through a misuse of the 14th Amendment "Congress" can be applied to state and local governments, school boards, etc.

Fine, my next question to them would be who made a law? The child, the school board, the principal? Think of the absurdity of such a ruling. The courts arguments hold absolutely no water and we need to let them know that we are not stupid enough to fall for it and we will hold them to account.

Even if we lived in a totalitarian government we still have an obligation to put God before the Government no matter the consequences. As followers of Christ we must follow the example of the Apostles, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and many others. If the government mandates that we follow other gods or even no god at all, we must follow God rather than man. Even if we must pay a price.

Whom do you fear, God or man?

What an honor!

2005-02-27T16:33:00.000-06:00

Man,
I feel honored, Julian P. Lance himself left a comment on my blog! I can't believe I got a comment from such an intellectual giant™!

You need to go check out the AACLU website it's pretty funny!
The sad part is that even though its meant to be funny it's not very far from what the ACLU believes and pushes.

At 3:32 PM, Julian P. Lance said...
Greetings there, fellow intellectual™!

I am sincerely pleased that in your quest for true knowledge™ and the preservation of civil liberties™, you have happened upon the web location for my organization. I wish you the best in your endeavors toward turning this nation into a truly free, Godless society, and invite you to join us here at the AACLU in advancing democracy™.

Yours Flamboyantly,
Julian P. Lance
Exec. Dir. of the AACLU

Picture from the Freak Deck cam

2005-02-27T16:11:00.000-06:00

I enjoy taking pictures and I thought I might start sharing some of them with you. No this is not a self-portrait. This is a picture I took of one of the "neighbors" this morning from the deck. We recently moved to Branson, Mo. and I feel blessed by God to live in such a beautiful part of the country. Hopefully, as I share some of the pics you can get a little feel for what it's like around here.

Terri Schiavo backers hopeful

2005-02-26T16:50:00.000-06:00

WORLDNETDAILEY REPORTS

Terri Schiavo backers hopeful
Attorney sees options, activists gearing up

Terri updates

2005-02-25T16:54:00.000-06:00

Dory at Wittenburg Gate gives us this update:

"Florida Department of Children & Families Asks for 60 DaysFlorida's DCF has asked Judge Greer for a 60-day stay on Terri's starvation and dehydration so they can have time to investigate possible abuse against Terri. They do not name a suspected abuser. LaShawn Barber has blogged on this and leads us to a news source here.

UPDATE! They got it! (Well, some of it!) I just heard on Fox News that a stay has been issued until March 18th! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!"

Thanks for the good news.

Donald Hawthorne at Anchor Rising has this great post bring to light a lot of things about Terri's story that I haven't heard in the media for some reason. (imagine that!) Here is a the conclusion he comes to:

"And that leads us back to the more fundamental question about what value we will place on human life, including that of an ill woman. If we begin to say it is okay to kill off "weak" human beings, think where that will take us over time. It will take us to a place where certain people will seek to play "God" so they can set the criteria for who lives and who dies. Why not then an elderly parent or a young child, should either become a financial or emotional burden? The freedom to do such great evil will only invite more profound evil over time.
Holocausts do not begin with operational concentration camps; they start on a smaller scale and steadily break down our resistance while many people plead that they are "too busy" to pay attention and get involved.
The stakes are enormous here and there is no neutral ground. Not to decide is to decide. The fight for Terri’s life is another battle to determine whether we are to live in a culture of life or a culture of death."

Read the rest...

Latest update on Terri

2005-02-25T08:01:00.000-06:00

Terri Schiavo before suffering severe brain damage in 1990.

Worldnetdaily reports:

LIFE AND DEATH TUG OF WAR
Terri Schiavo's life in balance again
Judge will decide today whether to begin her starvation

Posted: February 25, 20051:00 a.m. Eastern
By Art Moore© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

As a Florida judge prepares today to decide the fate of Terri Schiavo, a state investigation of alleged abuse, possibly by her husband, is bringing another new twist to the protracted battle over the brain-damaged woman's life.
Terri Schiavo before suffering severe brain damage in 1990.
Michael Schiavo won a legal order to remove his wife's life-sustaining feeding tube, but Pinellas-Pasco County Judge George Greer decided Wednesday to extend an emergency stay to 5 p.m. today so he can determine whether Terri Schiavo should have additional medical tests.

Read rest of story...

The AP reports:

Delay Sought in Schiavo Tube Removal
February 25, 2005 8:43 AM EST
TAMPA, Fla. - An attorney for the parents of Terri Schiavo say Florida's social services agency is seeking a 60-day delay in the removal of the woman's feeding tube while it investigates new allegations of her abuse and neglect.

Matt Davis, with the law firm representing Bob and Mary Schindler, said Thursday the 11-page confidential document was shared with attorneys in the life-or-death legal battle between the Schindlers and their daughter's husband, Michael Schiavo. A spokesman for the Department of Children & Families declined to comment.
Circuit Court Judge George Greer already is expected to rule Friday on whether to grant a longer stay in connection with other filings in the case involving the severely brain-damaged woman.

Terri Schiavo collapsed 15 years ago Friday, when a chemical imbalance caused her heart to stop beating and cut off oxygen to her brain. She is now 41.

Read the rest of the story...

Since judge Greer holds her life in the palm of his hand, here is his contact info so you can try and reason with him.

George W. Greer
Rm. 484, 315 Court Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-3933

email: courts@jud6.org

You can help Terri

2005-02-24T18:16:00.000-06:00

The Center for Reclaiming America has a petition drive set up to help Terri. They are also encouraging us to contact George Bush, Jeb Bush and Florida congressmen. Below is a copy of the email I got from them that tells how to sign the petition and the contact info. for the others.

I would also suggest you contact Judge Greer and let him know how you feel. Here is an email I sent to him. You may, however, want to be a little more diplomatic than I was!

UPDATE: Here is judge Greers contact info:
George W. Greer
Rm. 484, 315 Court Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-3933

email: courts@jud6.org

+ + TERRI SCHIAVO UPDATE
Center for Reclaiming America
Dr. Gary Cass, Executive Director

(Please forward this to your friends!)

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

Mike,
We just heard the news that Terri Schiavo has been given twomore days.Judge Greer will now rule Friday afternoon on whether to upholdthe court-ordered forced starvation of Terri Schiavo.+ + I am heading to Tallahassee on Friday.
On Friday, I will be in Tallahassee for a major news conference atwhich I will present the Center's Emergency Petitions. I am also finalizing plans to meet with Terri's parents, as well as Florida government leaders.

I need your help!+ + Help me rally 100,000 citizens to "Save Terri"43,207 citizens have already signed our EmergencyPetition. Thank you! In fact, earlier today, over 6,000 peoplesigned in one hour!I want to present 100,000 petitions this Friday in a massive showthat the "court" of public opinion has spoken -- and we can do itwith your help!

Please take a moment right now to sign by clicking here:http://www.cfra.info/213/petition.asp?RID=8002106(Note: If you have already signed, please understand that eventsare moving so rapidly that I felt I needed to rush this update out toyou immediately.)+ +

Also--Phone calls needed!Thanks to you, the phones are beginning to ring, but we must domore. Please make your phone calls today -- every day untilTerri's life is secured!

Here are your contact numbers:
Governor Jeb Bush(850) 448-4441 http://www.blogger.com/
Senate President Tom LeeTallahassee: (850) 487-5072District Office: (813) 744-8683E-mail: lee.tom.web@flsenate.gov
Speaker of the House Allan G. BenseTallahassee: (850) 488-1450District Office: (850) 914-6300E-mail: speaker@myfloridahouse.gov

Also...Call President Bush and ask him to personally intervene:President George W. Bush(202) 456-1111 president@whitehouse.gov

Thank you again!
Dr. Gary Cass
Executive Director
Center for Reclaiming America

P.S. Remember, I will be meeting with Terri's parents on Fridayand holding a news conference to present your petitions.

Please sign today!

+ + Sign the Emergency Petitionhttp://www.cfra.info/213/petition.asp?RID=8002106+ +

Breaking News Update on Terri:http://www.reclaimamerica.org

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +The Center for Reclaiming America, established by Dr. D. JamesKennedy, is an outreach of Coral Ridge Ministries to inform theAmerican public and motivate Christians to defend andimplement the biblical principles on which our country wasfounded. The Center, led by Executive Director Dr. Gary Cass,provides non-partisan, non-denominational information, training,and support to all those interested in impacting the culture andrenewing the vision set forth by our Founding Fathers.Questions? cfra@coralridge.org

Why is Michael Shiavo so insistant that Terri be killed.

2005-02-24T08:49:00.000-06:00

Someone left me a comment on my post: Terri given emergency stay - praise God! I know others have made this point, including Terri's parents, but I think that Mr. Schiavo is afraid that Terri would implicate him in attempting to murder her. What if she were to suddenly be able to communicate like Sarah Scantlin did after being in a "coma" for twenty years? He already has 1.5 million dollars from insurance and a lawsuit and has spent a good chunk of it trying to denigh Terri therapy and ultimately have her murdered.

The anonymous commenter asks a great question, since Schiavo has his money, a new family and Terri's parents want to take complete responsiblity for her and her care, why not just take the money and get on with your life? The only logical answer is that Schiavo has blood on his hands and he is a fraid he will be found out!

At 5:46 PM, Anonymous said...
The problem I have now like before is why want the husband just dovprce her and leave her alone. It is clear he does not love her anymore. Give her care back to her parents. I wonder how the husband would feel if it were one of his (excuse the expression) bastard children.Jean
At 9:48 AM, Mike Bennett said...
Thanks for the Comment. You would think that would be the simple solution wouldn't you? There seems to be some mysterious circumstances that caused Terri's condition. Since Mr. Schiavo already has his insurance money, the only reason I can think of that he is so desperate for Terri to die, is that he is afraid of what Terri might tell people if she were to regain the ability to speak or communicate. I believe he wants to "finish her off" before she talks.

Terri's stay has been extended to friday

2005-02-23T16:05:00.000-06:00

La Shawn Barber reports that Terri's stay has been extended to friday. Praise God!

La Shawn's report:
"Breaking News: Terri Schiavo’s Feeding Tube Remains Until Friday
Kim at Musing Minds just e-mailed me: “Fox News just reported that the Judge has extended the stay for Terri until Friday, February 25th at 5 p.m.”
I hope my life never hinges on a judge’s whim.
Developing…"

Fox News story

Christian Carnival is up at Wallo World

2005-02-23T12:26:00.000-06:00

This weeks Christian Carnival is up and is being hosted by Bill Wallo over at Wallo World. I did a little snooping around Bill's blog while I was there, he seems to be a pretty good guy for a lawyer ;-). I am going to link to him.

The Curse of Self-esteem

2005-02-22T22:21:00.000-06:00

Diane at the Crossroads has a couple of great posts called The self-esteem bust. She says: "I've seen this coming for a long time. And, I've also seen the implications for the church for a long time.Picture a BIG pot of stew. Here is what's in the pot:*a false self-esteem not built upon honest hard work, but on "participation" and effort, no matter how little.*Little or no discipline because "we don't wish to injure the child's self-esteem."*A self-centeredness rising from the parents, teachers and the marketing world creating the world all around the YOUTH.*An extreme child centered parenting and educational system as a back lash to the extreme parent-adult centered system of long ago ("children are seen not heard.")And now we have brought this BIG pot of stew into our churches and Christian schools. The children know they hold all the cards. They know they can blackmail the adults.All they have to do is threaten to not come to Sunday School; or, pull out of the Christian school, and the adults go beserko. After tearing their hair out as to the loss of money if this should happen (yes, always follow the money trail to see what really is often happening in churches and Christian schools), they do anything, and I mean anything to placate these spoiled self-centered children."

Great observations. I believe our problem is not low self-esteem but rather pride. Pride is the root of all sin. Pride is what caused Satan to try and exalt himself above the throne of God. Pride is what cause Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit so that they could "be like God".

I don't know about you, but when I get down on myself I tend to tell myself that I shouldn't have failed at this or that because "I" am better than that. When I sin or fail I tend to say to myself "I" should have done better, it may be OK for so and so to do that but "I" should be able to do better. In other words, its OK for you to fail but "I" am superior to you so "I" shouldn't.

Sure, you or I don't consciously say that or think that when we get down on ourselves, but isn't that really what we are saying when we get right down to it?

Wouldn't we be better off to reflect on our wretched state in humility rather than in the pride of our own so-called accomplishments? The only thing we have to take pride in is what Jesus did for us on that Cross.

If we were to walk humbly before the LORD and worry about meeting others need than worrying whether other Christians or a Church is meeting our "needs" then I suspect that we would start to become the spotless bride of Christ that God intended us to be.

The LORD my Dad

2005-02-22T21:54:00.000-06:00

I came across this blog called "The LORD my Dad" by Soldado De Oracion. I have checked it out a little and it seems to me Soldado really has a sweet heart for the lord.

Check it out!

Terri given emergency stay - praise God!

2005-02-22T15:42:00.000-06:00

Judge Greer has had a momentary change of heart. The prayers and work of all of you out there are paying off. Keep it up, maybe he will have a permanent change of heart! I may even take back some of nasty things I said to him.

On the subject of the judges heart, lets pray for his salvation and please join me in thanking him for doing the right thing.

Emergency Stay Issued in Right-To-Die Case

February 22, 2005 3:08 PM ESTDUNEDIN, Fla. - The case of a severely brain-damaged woman remained locked in a legal stalemate Tuesday after an appeals court cleared the way for her husband to remove her feeding tube only to see a judge promptly block the removal for at least another day.The 2nd District Court of Appeal offered no specific instructions in a one-page mandate issued in the case of Terri Schiavo, who was left brain damaged 15 years ago. That meant her husband, Michael Schiavo, could order his wife's tube be removed.But Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer later issued an emergency stay about an hour later blocking removal of the feeding tube until 5 p.m. EST Wednesday. Greer, who has been overseeing the long-standing dispute, scheduled a hearing on the case for Wednesday.Read the rest of the story...

The Matrix is real.

2005-02-22T11:46:00.000-06:00

I never have understood the human need to be popular with majority of the population no matter the consequences. All you have to do is tell someone everyone else believes something and every smart person believes that thing and only stupid people don't believe it and you can get the majority of people to go along with anything.

Witness the holocaust; Hitler told the people that the Jews were an inferior species and getting rid of them would clean up the gene pool which would benefit the human race. Survival of the fittest would eliminate the Jews anyway so why not speed up the inevitable. All of the "smartest" Nazi "scientists" agreed with this idea so that would make one stupid and extreme if they didn't believe it. Can't have someone call us stupid or extreme now can we? What pride!

You say we could never fall for that in this country? Why is it when a child is unwanted it is a fetus and when it is wanted we call it a baby? When was the last time you heard someone say they just had a ultrasound and their fetus seemed to have female characteristics, but of course it is not a girl because we all know it is just a blob of tissue which is not human at all?

Take the separation of church and state. The First Amendment to our Constitution says; "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion; or preventing the free exercise thereof...". Tell me, if a child prays at graduation or a local government erects a Ten Commandments display what did congress have to do with it? Well, you say, they took the fourteenth amendment and used it to apply the first to state and local governments.

Ok fine, that still leaves the "make no law" part. When some child prays on school grounds exactly who made a law? The child? The school board? Pat Robberson? If you accept that logic, then using the same argument if someone is ordered by a state official not to pray or take down a plaque, then isn't congress making a law preventing the free exercise of religion? Call me stupid and extreme if you like; but the Emperor still ain't wearin' no clothes!

We all know there is something wrong. How can so many people around the world have common philosophies that call evil good and good evil? Time and time again people are deceived into going along with mass exterminations of their fellow humans. They are like sheep led to the slaughter. You must be thinking there must be a conspiracy. Well, you would be right, but it is not the Tri-lateral Commission or the Bilderbergers behind it, it is Satan. He has been deceiving man since the beginning of time.

David Kupelian in his excellent article for Worldnetdaily called "The Media Matrix" sums this up perfectly:
"The real matrix
In truth, the news media, just like the entertainment media, politicians, the government school system, cultural leaders – in short, the "authority" class the average person looks up to as experts and role models – are themselves just pawns in a great cosmic game of deception. In a very real sense, they're also caught up in, and subject to, a "matrix program" that's been running, not only during this generation or for the past century, but for as long as man has been around.
And this real-world matrix is every bit as powerful, consuming and seemingly inescapable as that in the science-fiction thriller.
The problem, dear reader, is that the real "matrix" of deception in this world, of which the news media are only pathetic channels, is the dark spiritual dimension that "waits upon" the human race to tempt, ensnare, deceive and otherwise prevent any mortal from finding the Kingdom of Heaven. "

This article is a must read for everyone.

For all of the Christians who are really into cospiracy theories I pray that you will really try to see how deep the rabbit hole goes and more importantly WHERE it goes.

SWALLOW THE RED PILL!

Black Robed Dictators

2005-02-21T12:41:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share with you an email I sent to Judge Greer. Judge Greer is the Judge that has sentenced Terri Schiavo to death by starvation. I am sure most of you know the situation but if you don't you can learn more here. I firmly believe it is time we stopped taking these sort of things lying down. For those of you who are at this moment preparing to flame me saying that my email was not Christ like, I want to tell you I believe it is. Jesus had some very unflattering things to say to the lawyer-judge types in his day who opressed the innocent. You know, the brood of vipers, whitewashed tombs, etc. I believe we have a Christain duty to help the helpless. If you would like to join me you can email his majesty Judge Greer here.

To the Dis-Honorable Judge Greer,
Sir,I have my doubts that this communication will ever reach your desk as you probably have people, payed with the money that is extracted from my paycheck, that filter out communications that might hurt your feelings. Never mind that I am your employer and your sole job is to serve me and my fellow citizens. Having said that, I think I shall feel better having written this none the less.

Now, I am not a lawyer and I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn express last night, but contrary to what you black robed despots think of us, the ignorant unwashed masses, I am capable of reading. I know that the founding document of our nation states that we are endowed by our Creator with certain rights, foremost among them is the right to life. I am also aware that we have the right not to be deprived of our life and liberty unless we have firstly violated a law and secondly been convicted of said crime by a jury of our peers. You Sir, have usurped the authority of God and the Constitution of the United States of America. You in fact believe you are a god and the ultimate legislator of this country and have the authority to decide who is worthy of life and death in America. You believe that the infirm and handicapped, useless eaters as dictators before you have called them, must be killed as to not impose an undue burden on others lifestyles and society in general. Somehow you black robed oligarchs believe that if some mass murderer is convicted by a jury of his peers, that menace to society must be spared, while someone who has done nothing worthy of death must die a long and tortured death by starvation. Even the few convicted murders who somehow manage to get their sentences carried out despite scumbags such as yourself get a "humane" lethal injection and aren't required to suffer even though they may deserve it.

How can you be so sick and twisted as to have a philosophy like this?

Terri Schaivo has violated no law and you know darn well she is NOT in a coma and could have some quality of life if sick people such as yourself would let her have proper therapy. If I starved a lame dog to death like you are starving Terri to death you would throw the book at me if I came before "your" bench (it actually belongs to the people).
You Sir are a despicable despot and are worthy of impeachment and in my opinion your conduct is reprehensible enough to deserve prison. If you had a conscience and knew the difference between right and wrong you would do the right thing and spare Terri.

I pray that someday the citizens of this great republic will figure out that they are really the ones with the power to rule, not self-appointed dictators such as yourself. I pray that someday the people will realize that the courts have usurped supreme power in this country all the way back to Marbury v Madision (as if Madison, who wrote the constitution did not know what powers were actually given to judges) and take it back from scoundrels such as you! I pray the people of this great republic will call your bluff.

SIR, DO THE RIGHT THING AND GIVE TERRI A STAY OF EXECUTION.

With disgust,
Mike Bennett

2005-02-21T09:50:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share a project that Dory at Wittenbvrg Gate has started to help save Terri Schaivo. Please visit the post, spread the word and most importantly pray for her.

Bloggers' Best for Terri Schiavo
The interest and passion of public opinion is often dimly reflected in the main stream media, however here in the Land of Blog, a multitude of voices can make their opinions known in an instant. Those voices weave together and form a rich and varied tapestry of differing interests, perspectives and opinions. Every once in a while, however, an issue becomes a prominent thread in that tapestry as a large number of those voices join together on a common issue. The protection of the life and rights of Terri Schindler Schiavo is just such a cause.
For the Bloggers' Best for Terri Schiavo, I have invited bloggers to submit their best post for Terri to be gathered together here in one place. I also opened up the invitation for others without blogs to submit articles, thoughts, or just their best wishes. Though the deadline is past, I will still accept more links. Send them here. If you wish to leave short thoughts, please use the comment section.
May God hear the prayers that have accompanied the writing and the reading of all these posts, spare the life of this innocent woman, and allow for her to have the care she needs.
Continue reading "Bloggers' Best for Terri Schiavo"

Letter from Terri Sciavo's father

2005-02-18T09:15:00.000-06:00

This situation is a tragedy. Please go to Terri's website to learn more about her plight. Just remember, someday you may be ill and unable to defend yourself!

PLEASE HELP SAVE MY DAUGHTER FROM STARVATION!
Dear Friend of Life:
By now you have probably heard about a young woman who is threatened with starvation in Florida.
That young woman is my daughter, Terri. In 1990, through circumstances which are shrouded in mystery (and may involve a criminal act by Terri's estranged husband), my daughter was left severely brain-damaged.
But before I go any further, I must put an end to the LIES and MISINFORMATION that are circulating around the country through the media concerning my daughter's condition.
Contrary to anything you may have heard, Terri is NOT brain dead; Terri is NOT in a coma; she is NOT in a "persistent vegetative state;" nor is she on ANY life-support system.
Terri laughs, Terri cries, she moves, and she makes child-like attempts at speech with her mother and me. Sometimes she will say "Mom" or "Dad" or "yeah" when we ask her a question. When I kiss her hello or goodbye, she looks at me and "puckers up" her lips.
This may not seem like much to you, but it means everything to Terri's mother and me. It tells us she is still here, she still knows us, and with therapy and time she can have some level of recovery.
I know that there are some hard-hearted people who believe that due to my daughters condition, she is better off dead. Words cannot describe the pain and anger such sentiments cause us. This is our daughter, our little girl, and even in her disabled condition, she still has the right to life and the right to be loved and cared for by her family.
Why, you may ask, is Terri in danger of death by starvation?
It is a long and outrageous story, but I'll give it to you as briefly as I can.
After the "incident" that left Terri in this condition, her husband Michael Schiavo sued various members of the medical community for money, saying that they did not treat or diagnose her properly at an early stage, and that he needed this money to provide for Terri's therapy and rehabilitation and care.
After lengthy court battles, he finally won upwards of $1.7 million under the guise of caring for our daughter, and then to our horror, he immediately began spending the money on himself and his Playboy lifestyle.
Terri's estranged husband Michael Schiavo has been living with another woman for years, and has two children by her. He is determined to see Terri dead. Why? We believe it's because he gets to keep whatever money is left... and he may have even darker motives than that.
To add insult to all of this injury toward my daughter, Michael Schiavo is still her "legal husband" and therefore is her "guardian." And since they are not legally divorced, he controls whatever health care she will and will not get. We are not even allowed to know if she is getting aspirin.
In 1993, my family initiated litigation against Michael Schiavo solely for the purpose of acquiring medical, physical and neurological assistance for our daughter Terri. The litigation escalated in 1998 when Michael Schiavo petitioned the court to stop Terri from receiving food and water, thereby starving her to death.
In filing this legal action, he retained the services of a high profile euthanasia attorney and the financial backing of powerful euthanasia organizations. He also used Terri's medical rehabilitation money to underwrite much of the legal expenses associated with his effort to starve our daughter to death.
We know that he has spent nearly $500,000 of Terri's money in attorney's fees for just one attorney trying to obtain a court order to have Terri starved to death. The very money that was supposed to be used for Terri's rehabilitation is being used to have her killed.
We very quickly discovered it was impossible for us to compete with the abundance of financial and legal resources the pro-death organizations were providing Micheal Schiavo in their effort to kill Terri. They are pouring time and effort into her starvation because they want to use this case to further the agenda of legalized euthanasia.
My wife and I are not wealthy people. Throughout those years, we did not have any large organizations trying to help rescue our daughter. Consequently, we had to rely on the generosity of attorneys who were willing to offer their legal expertise at no cost or at reduced fees.
The bottom line is that we are in the final weeks or months of our struggle to rescue our daughter from an untimely death by starvation. Death by starvation is very slow, and extremely painful. As you must know, it is against the law to deliberately starve an animal to death. There are members of the Florida court who would not treat a dog the way they plan to treat my daughter.
At this point we must pull out all the stops in our fight to rescue our daughter.
As parents, we are desperate to save our daughter's life. As people who love life, we are determined to deprive the euthanasia advocates of successfully legalizing this form of homicide. We believe that their efforts to kill Terri are designed to set a precedent for the future eradication of defenseless disabled human beings. I was alive when Americans fought the Nazis; I do not want my daughter to meet the same fate of thousands of disabled people in Nazi Germany, and I do not want our country to go down that same dark path.
Friend, though we have never met, I'm asking you for your help. We desperately need your financial assistance to help our family continue the battle to keep our daughter from being starved to death. There are so many expenses in a case like this it is mind-boggling and overwhelming. Please click below to make a contribution now:
https://secure.cartlight.com/merchant/terri/?afid=wnd
Our adversaries believe that by our family's financial attrition and difficulties, they will attain their objective of killing our daughter. Presently, Terri's starvation may only be a few weeks away, unless we find the financial resources to prevent this atrocity from becoming a reality.
I implore you to please help us. We are writing to you, because we believe you have a heart for justice and mercy. I'm asking you to put yourself in my shoes, and then do whatever you can to help our family. Whether it is $10 or $1000, we are desperate for the resources to fight this battle for our daughter's life at this critical juncture.
Please do whatever you can, and forward this e-mail to any friends or family that you have who you think might be interested in saving Terri's life.
I thank you for your time, your concern, and I solicit your prayers for Terri and our entire family. These have been very trying times for us all.
Bob Schindler Sr.
CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE NOW

THIS JUST IN; ACLU AND AU OPPOSED TO CRITICAL THINKING AND HAVING AN OPEN MIND!!!!!!!!!

2005-02-18T07:53:00.000-06:00

As many of you probably know the Anti Christian Liberties Union (also known as the ACLU) and Americans United for Separation of Logic, I mean Church, and State have sucessfully sued to have a sticker that states: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered." removed from the textbooks in Cobb county Georgia.

I wonder when these guys will start the inquisition for all of those who don't hold to the official State religion of the Almighty Darwin. I can see it now...

Grand inquisitor Right Rev. Barry Lynn: "Now young man, bow before me, kiss my ring, and recite for us your doctrine of the origin of all things. Extol for us the virtues of His majesty Charles Darwin and the miraculous workings of His Glorious Son, Random Chance".

Elementary school student: "Well, uh, your Worshipfulness, you know I was thinking that I don't really understand how the universe just appeared from nothing and how could every bit of life evolve from single celled organisms that became better and more complex from mistakes in their DNA. I guess I just don't understand it all and would like to think about it and read more on the subject from different perspectives."

Grand inquisitor Right Rev. Barry Lynn: "There, need we hear more? How dare this young heretic even consider the possibility that the official state dogma, I mean science, is not true! Off to the stake with him, he shall burn for his transgressions and the cleansing of his DNA for return to the sacred pool!"

Seriously, I think we as Christians have a duty to stand up like Daniel, Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego. We need to say that I will not follow your gods, only the one true God.

Go here to sign a petition in support of the Cobb county school board.

Gary knows whats best for his children.

2005-02-17T09:48:00.000-06:00

Gary Peterson over at Country Keepers has a great post about the GoDaddy commercial during the superbowl. He makes basically the same point I made in my post "You have to get them lost before you can get them saved".

Here is a little snippet: "Any way, Mr. Parsons sets out to answer some of the criticism he’s received over the ad in an article on his weblog. In it, he defends the ad by saying that it showed nothing “worse than what you might see while walking down the street on most summer days". That may well be true, but that comparison is irrelevant and misleading.
He’s comparing the activity in his ad to what goes on in the world. And the world is a poor excuse for a moral standard. Yet it is the very standard that most people seem to apply to their lives. That kind of argument goes like this:
“I don’t swear as bad as you do, so I’m not so bad.”
or
“I’m just reading Playboy, not downloading pornography from the Internet.”
or
“This outfit doesn’t show any more of my skin than her outfit does, so it’s okay to wear.”
That kind of an argument takes God completely out of the equation, and that’s the problem with it. When you base your own moral standards on the world, you’re chasing a moving target."

I agree, when you base your righteousness on yourself or society rather than God you have no hope.

The thing I really found interesting about the deal was the comments left by others. Most of them castigated Gary for things that had little or nothing to do with the post. One guy calling himself "athiest" accused Gary of setting up a straw man to knock over and then proceeded to set up a straw man that the Bible and Garys worldview are fiction and he is wrong, well, because what he believes is stupid. Of course, he left no logical arguments or proof, just the typical "A = Christians are stupid, B = You are a Chrisitan, therefore A+B = You are stupid.

The American Anti-Christian Liberals Union

2005-02-14T08:39:00.000-06:00

Finally, a group of open minded intellectual free thinkers who can combat the narrow-minded inbred Christian puritanical bigots and usher us into a new enlightened utopia without the oppression of God!

You guys have to check this out it's a hoot! It also does a great job of illustrating how silly the current crop of God haters are.

Enjoy!

This weeks Christian Carnival is up

2005-02-09T12:10:00.000-06:00

This weeks Christian Carnival is up and is brought to you by Dunmoose the Ageless, Protomonk. I like this guy, he is pretty imaginative. He has organized the posts as a tour through a virtual abbey. Pretty cool!

BTW, there is a contribution there by Yours Truly.

Check it out!

Ronald Reagan's Birthday

2005-02-07T16:33:00.000-06:00

Ronald Reagan's birthday is February 6th, 1911. In honor of the occasion I wanted to share a couple of notable quotes about the Gipper from the Federalist Patriot blog. Happy birthday President Reagan.

"As I look back, I really believe that God was working in this country and across this globe to achieve His purposes through Ronald Reagan. God's timetable was better than Dad's. Had my father won the presidency in 1976, I think there's a good chance the Berlin Wall would not have come down and the Cold War would not have ended. Why? Because a number of key players were not yet in place. One key player was Pope John Paul II, who would join with President Reagan in taking a stand against the 'evil empire' of Soviet Communism; he was not elected by the College of Cardinals until 1978. Czech dissident Vaclav Havel did not publish his influential essay 'The Power of the Powerless' until 1978. President Reagan's strongest European ally, Lady Margaret Thatcher, did not become prime minister of Great Britain until 1979. The occupation of the Gdansk shipyards in Poland, led by Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, did not take place until 1980. And Mikhail Gorbachev, who ushered in the era of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (reform), did not achieve office until 1985. Though Dad was disappointed to lose the nomination in 1976, he was right on schedule, according to God's timing. Dad won the election in 1980, exactly when God had planned. The pieces of the global puzzle fell into place, a hunger for freedom swept Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union imploded, the Berlin Wall toppled, the Cold War ended, and the world is a better place to live in — all in God's good time." —Michael Reagan

"Ronald Reagan will go down in history as one of the greatest Presidents that America has ever had. Historians will undoubtedly focus on his enormous political impact, both domestically and internationally. But his emphasis on moral and spiritual values was one of his greatest contributions. Mr. Reagan made Americans feel good about themselves, no matter what the problems were. More than that, he pointed them to the moral and spiritual foundations which have made this nation great — foundations derived from the Biblical Judeo-Christian heritage." —Rev. Billy Graham

"Senator Kerry has a long record as a defeatist and obstructionist. Back in 1971, he said, 'we cannot fight communism all over the world' — adding in the same arrogant tone he uses today, 'I think we should have learned that lesson by now.' Ronald Reagan never learned that lesson — and hundreds of millions of human beings are free of communist tyranny today as a result. But during all the years when President Reagan was building up our military forces and our intelligence agencies, Senator Kerry was consistently voting against the appropriations required to do so. What both men were doing was consistent with their respective assumptions and goals. Senator Kerry was just one of the defeatist elitists who regarded the communist bloc as a 'fact of life' which we could only accept and which it was futile to waste resources opposing. They imagined themselves to be so much wiser than other people that condescension was only natural, as they brushed aside any other viewpoint with such dismissive words as 'cowboy' or even 'stupid.' The fact that events proved the defeatist elitists dead wrong in the Cold War — and now again in the Iraqi elections — has not yet broken through their smugness. Probably nothing ever will. But that does not mean that the rest of us need to keep taking their high opinion of themselves seriously." —Thomas Sowell