Just What Did You Expect from Trump?

In the aftermath of weekend revelations concerning Trump's sexism and Monday night's presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, evangelical Trump supporters are rethinking their position.  Some have been "shocked" at Trump from the "hot-mike" comments made before a 2005 interview with Billy Bush for Access Hollywood.  Shocked that Trump views women as sexual objects.  Shocked that he goes after married women for sport.  Shocked that he assaults women because he can.  Just shocked!

Swimming Against the Riptide of Gender Bending

While on vacation at the ocean some time back, I was rafting some gentle waves and lost track of the shoreline.  When I looked up, I was far from land.  I immediately began to swim back for the beach but was caught in a strong current.  I fought hard for shore but was moving farther and farther from land.  There was a point where I thought I didn’t have the strength to make it back – in fact I had gotten very nearly to the point of no return.

I now have that same sense in regard to our culture.  Yesterday, the New York Times stated that the Department of Education would issue guidelines that schools should allow students to participate in activities and use facilities in accordance with the gender with which they identify.  These guidelines come with the threat of removing federal funds if schools do not comply.  I heard high school principals, state officials from around the country, and progressive educators explaining the benefits both for our students and our country.  Cultural elites are hailing this as a great day for fairness and an inevitable step of progress toward true equality for all.

Have We Abandoned the Rule of Law?

Whatever happened to the teaching of civics?  Does it still occur in American classrooms?  If so, what form does it take?  I just pulled the Kentucky Core Academic Standards (page 540) where I took a look at the section on US government and civics.  All in all, the topic list looks good, although the teaching could take many different forms depending on who is doing the teaching.  When I was in school a few (ahem) years back, our US government system was taught very simply and clearly from the time I was an elementary child.  At home, my father expanded my education in citizenship with messages of the privileges, rights, and responsibilities of being an American in a democratic republic.

Hurtling Down the Slippery Slope

(Author’s Note:  Though I originally wrote this post in July, I have been so busy that I have just now found a moment to edit it and step back into blogging.) 

I realize that the more I wade into this marriage water, the hotter it is going to get.  My views (though unchanging) are increasingly becoming politically incorrect and soon to be, if not now already, branded as “bigoted” and “hateful”.  I adamantly reject those labels and press on.  I suppose I want to get on record now so that as events and decisions regarding marriage play out in our country, a memory (however faint it may be) of these words may provoke others to consider what I’m saying.

Traditional Marriage – Facing a Painful Reality

I like war movies.  I guess I got that from my dad.  My father was a WWII veteran who lied about his age and volunteered as a 16 year-old to fight for America.  He was always quick to explain that his patriotism and desire for adventure greatly exceeded his knowledge of what he was getting into.  I have two sons of my own, the youngest of which is seventeen.  It is hard for me to imagine either of them going to Italy and fighting across the Apennine Mountains at the age of 17.   I can’t imagine having done so myself.  Yet my dad and many others did. I used to love to watch war movies with my dad and listen to him talk about the different battle tactics.

Is Olympic Pride a Bad Thing?

As I was doing some Bible study today, I came across a passage of Old Testament scripture that I don't often read.  It made me consider the topic of national pride.  I've always been a patriotic American, but is national pride always a good thing?  As I watch the Olympic games and smugly react when America leads other countries in medals, I have to step back and think about my attitude.

Ribeye Steak, a Polish Waiter and Being an American

For the first time in a long while, my wife and I have the chance to get away alone for a few days.  We chose to go back to Williamsburg, Virginia.  It’s been great so far.  I love Virginia.  The history here is incredible.  Both sides of my family have roots in Virginia dating back to the 1620’s in Jamestown.  During our tour of the Williamsburg capitol building, it was all I could do to keep from getting the tour guide’s attention and blurting out that my great-great-great-great…grandfather sat right here (well the capitol was actually in Jamestown then, but why quibble over historical details) in the 1623 House of Burgesses.  I was sure he would be automatically impressed and ask me to expound on my great knowledge of what it means to be an American.  Being the humble man that I am, however, I didn’t want to make others feel as if they were lesser Americans, so I held back. 

Now Flatulating Cattle are Driving Teens from the Church?

When I wrote my last post on Christians and climate change a few days ago, I had no idea the New York Times would publish the following article validating my points:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/science/earth/what-to-make-of-a-climate-change-plateau.html?_r=1&

Again, I'm not discounting the possibility of global warming - I'm just challenging the confidence of what we really know.  I've had some people come after me very aggressively for my views on the subject.  I just find an incredible amount of hubris in the environmental science world about an incredibly difficult to solve (mathematically) problem.  Forgive me if my wee bit of experience (OK, a little more than a wee bit) mathematically predicting physical phenomenon makes me skeptical of the confidence of the environmental climatologists.

All that being said, I want to reiterate that it really doesn't matter if the science is correct or not - Christians should be the first in line to take care of the planet, albeit without unnecessarily taking a "hair-on-fire" kind of approach.

Famine in Malawi and Flatulating Kentucky Cattle

Conservative Christians really get a bum rap when it comes to certain social movements.  Some of it is fair – we can be quick to oppose anything “the world” tells us is true.  I read an article today which made me think.  The article, titled "The church in a land of climate change" was written by Jonathan Merritt – a young Christian culture thinker and writer.  Merritt works hard not to reject ideas just because they originated outside Christianity.  I like most of his writing.  Heck, I liked this article.  I just don’t agree with his core assumptions. 

Ready the Millstone!

Matthew 18:6 (HCSB)
But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!

For someone who tries to communicate with others through the use of the keyboard, my reserve of written words is very low at the moment.  In fact, I am sickened to the point of being nearly speechless.  I have just finished reading an amended lawsuit filed by former members against a relatively small but (up to now) influential evangelical denomination.  I am disgusted.  I am sickened.  My blood is boiling.

Boston Bomber Proves that Idle Hands Are the Devil's Workshop

Your grandma told you it was so: "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop."  The story of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the elder brother of the Boston bombers, lends strong credence to this largely ignored wisdom.  In the article linked below, we see that Tsarnaev was apparently lazy before he was evil.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/tamerlan-tsarnaev-and-family-received-welfare_719056.html

Can Christianity and Freedom of Conscience Coexist?

I can't count the number of times I've heard what, to me at least, is possibly the most poorly reasoned charge leveled against Christianity.   It usually goes something like this:  "You Christians are so closed-minded and just want to force your beliefs on everyone else.  How arrogant to say you have 'the' Truth.  Why can't you just keep your beliefs to yourself?  Just go away!"  This attitude is getting a lot of play in the public square, with many people thinking they are doing the United States a favor by trying to suppress Christians from even admitting what they believe.  They apparently just want serious Christians to be gone.  Here's a recent example:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/teacher-fired-for-bible-nj-teacher-fired-for-giving-bible-to-inquisitive-student-93848/cpt

Is Rand Paul Channeling Jefferson Smith?

I don't know how many times I had the debate with Republicans in 2010.  "How can you support Rand Paul?" they asked me.  "He's too polarizing!"  "His father's a kook!"  "What we need in Washington is cooperation and compromise."  "He won't work with the established senators."  "He's one of those nutty Tea Partiers!" "He's a loose cannon!"

Playing "Chicken" with the Country

Here comes the next chapter in our 2013 political crisis calendar – sequestration.  We’ll see who blinks first in this coming head-on game of chicken between the big-government do-gooders and the small-government do-it-yourselfers.  In an article titled “Defcon Hill” by Jeremy Herb posted today on The Hill, we learn that if we haven’t resolved the budget crisis by March 1, up to 800,000 civilian military employees will be impacted with furloughs.  These furloughs could be as much as one day per week the rest of the year – effectively a 20% cut in pay.  The Pentagon notes that because the President has the power to protect active military personnel, the civilian workforce is the only place to turn to respond to the forced reductions which will be required by sequestration if we do not come to a budget agreement by then.

It's Not About the Guns

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Benjamin Franklin

On December 14, 2012, a deranged Adam Lanza entered the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut and killed twenty kindergarten children as well as six adults.  This was the second-deadliest mass shooting in United States History.  The heartfelt outcry was universal and immediate.  How could this have possibly happened again?  When were we going to do something about these mass murders?  What were we going to do to protect the innocent among us?  Shouldn’t we get rid of these powerful and high-capacity firearms that always seem to be used in these killings?  Wasn’t this the obvious answer?  Were there other solutions?  Better solutions? These are all obvious as well as very good questions.  

I Say "Pedal to the Metal" As We Approach the Fiscal Cliff

In my previous post, I looked at the astronomical debt ($700,000 per taxpaying family) America has accumulated right now, with millions more in entitlement obligations per family coming.  If we are going to survive this fiscal crisis, we have to do three things and do them fast:

1.       Balance the budget TODAY and stop the bleeding.  It is insanity to keep piling on to a problem that is about to get away from us in the form of obligated payments alone.  We have to stop the interest growth, and running budget deficits for one more day is ludicrous.  If you don't hear the word "trillion" in a budget reduction plan, you're not hearing a serious plan!

2.       We have to pay down our $16 trillion national debt.  That means we really aren’t looking for a balanced budget, but rather a budget with a revenue surplus.  We need to do better than balancing the budget!

3.       Get focused again on being an innovative nation that produces things of value which other countries want to buy.

The Tax Man Cometh

I wish I could say I'm surprised that Obama thinks we can tax our way into prosperity without spending cuts.    Either he doesn't understand basic arithmetic, or there something else afoot here.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/mcconnell-burst-laughter-geithner-outlined-obamas-plan_664210.html

See earlier post for a dose of reality from the numbers.

Coming Soon - Uncle Sam Wants His Cash!

Today, November 29, 2012, I made the mistake of looking at the national debt again.  Hours later I’m still depressed.  If you haven’t taken a look at this web site (usdebtclock.org), you should.  It is sobering if you weren’t concerned already.  As the numbers spin upward at a dizzying pace before your very eyes, you begin to get a visual picture of the growing mess we are in. 

Deja Vu All Over Again

On August 3, 2011, I sent one of a life-long series of such letters to my US Representatives and Senators which they are duty-bound to accept.  This one was to Senator Mitch McConnell in the wake of the bi-partisan agreement to once again raise the national debt ceiling.  I meant what I said then, and I mean it now.  Republicans were banking on 2012, and it didn't work out well for us.  This letter, along with my previous post, really sets the framework for the next blog posts which will lay out some thoughts on the pending "fiscal cliff".

Senator McConnell, 

I’m extremely frustrated, but not surprised at this debt ceiling compromise.

Economic Thoughts That Still Apply Today

I was cleaning up some files today and found the following copy of a letter I sent to former Secretary of Education, Dr. Bill Bennett, on September 24, 2008.  I've had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Bennett a number of times on his nationally syndicated radio program.  I've sent him a handful of such letters through the years, and he has graciously read some of them on the air.  Following were my thoughts in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis and first Obama election cycle.  I still agree with them by the way (at least as applied in a secular sense without spiritual solutions), and they will help set the stage for some subsequent thoughts in a blog post on the "fiscal cliff":

Bill,
 I have been trying to call, but can’t get through.  All the analysis I hear is hitting on the symptoms of the current financial crisis rather than the root cause.