Consequential

 

No consequences, no restraint

Without boundaries or restrictions, humankind’s instincts revert to selfishness and greed. We are born, helpless and dependent upon others for our needs, self-centered to the point that we cry when hungry, wet or cold until those needs are met to our satisfaction. Without rules or laws, humankind regresses back to our childhood, and our innate selfishness. Without consequences there is no need to restrain oneself in an effort to adhere to societal norms. Without consequences it becomes everyone for themselves. Without consequences we devolve into mere animals and anarchy and lawlessness reigns.

The defund the police movement promotes exactly the type of lawlessness we have witnessed over the last two years. Police are ordered to stand down and let the masses “let off steam” by rioting, looting and burning and we are surprised by the resulting chaos. Organized looting hits our cities and the elected leaders point fingers at one another. Would anyone expect any less when unlawful actions are ignored by the authorities? Laws are meant to protect the citizenry by placing constraints on inappropriate societal behavior. Law enforcement is the mechanism to administer those laws for the protection of society. The courts are to mete out the consequences of failures to abide by those communal laws.

In many of our blue cities, there is a movement to eliminate bail and to reduce incarceration. After all, it is not fair and equitable those that are arrested and sentenced to prison do not precisely mirror the current demographics of the population. Progressive District Attorneys fail to meet their obligations to remove from society those that engage in behavior that places others in danger. Prosecutors that engage in this misguided attempt to “level the playing field” are committing malfeasance in public office. Milwaukee County DA’s office, under John Chisholm, set inappropriately low bail for career criminal Darrell Brooks, who was freed on $1,000 bail after he assaulted his girlfriend and ran her over with his SUV. Chisholm’s policy of reducing incarceration, low bail recommendations and greater latitude for offenders of color, allowed Brooks the freedom to use his SUV to mow down more than 60 people, killing 6, at the Waukesha Christmas parade.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Police are ordered to stand down during the rioting in Kenosha, WI and Kyle Rittenhouse fills that void to assist in protecting property. Law enforcement, trained in crowd control, could have ended the violence and properly protected life and property, but Mayor John Antaramain decided to let the mob rule unabated. Far too many with a “D” after their names are embracing these destructive policies. There will be none of that in Washington County. The rule of law is respected and the responsibility to uphold those laws are fulfilled. Mob rule will not be tolerated in Washington County.

Laws are enacted to protect all citizens, their property and their Constitutional rights. Ignoring the law leads to chaos, which apparently is the goal of the progressive left. You see, in order to fundamentally change our nation, it must first be destroyed, then rebuilt. What does this reformed nation look like? Nations that embraced leftism devolved into socialism and then, totalitarianism. Venezuela transformed from a nation with a vibrant economy, to the current hell-hole it is today after electing Hugo Chavez and embracing socialism in 1999. If we fail to act to prevent our downward spiral towards socialism, we will be faced with the same harsh realities that the Venezuelan people are experiencing today.

The momentum that began with the parents petitioning their School Boards to demand accountability must continue if we are to save our country as founded. The Biden administration continues its’ deliberate descent in spending this nation into oblivion, greasing the skids towards the goal of creating a socialist state and threatening our very monetary system. If the dollar fails and is replaced as the standard currency of trade, your investments will vanish overnight. It is only because of the dollar’s status that we can continue to print currency without creating hyper-inflation. We must elect representatives that will stop this insanity. The policies of the left are intentionally destructive. The policies of the left create unrelenting and unpunished crime. The policies of the left teach our children to hate each other based on the color of their skin. It is time to reject all that is the left and re-embrace the visionary aspirations of the founding fathers.

Understanding the Left

While serving the public as a police officer in my former life, I learned two simple truths: Do not argue with or try to reason with a drunk or a mentally ill person. Truth and logic are concepts that they cannot grasp. As I have gotten along in years, and especially in today’s political climate, one other type of individual needs to be added to that list…..today’s progressive liberal. As the leftist agenda has been embraced by today's progressive liberal, they continue to rage against any and all things acceptable in a normal, civil society. From Anti-fa to Occupation to George Soros to the widespread attempt to shutdown conservative speakers on the college campus to Bernie Sanders and the new "democratic socialist" representatives, this new, progressive liberal ideology is falsely and loudly accusing their opponents of perpetrating hate speech, while they actually engage in hate speech and use violence to further their agenda. "Democrat" leaders adhere to the Alinsky tactic of "by any means necessary", using their bully pulpits to malign the President and anything contrary to their ideology. No longer can one reason with this unwavering marginal population, but understanding what their words truly mean can actually be helpful in maintaining one’s sanity. No matter how well versed you are in any subject, you will not be able to convince them of the truth, so don’t even try. Today’s progressive liberal/Leftist will not deviate from their accepted talking points. The following are a few of those talking points or catch phrases common to many of our leftist “friends” and what they truly mean:

We need to start a conversation….

I already consider you a hateful, homophobic, woman loathing conservative, so you need to listen to what I have to say and agree fully with it. Your opinion means nothing to me and if you try to disagree with what I believe, I will shout you down and belittle your faith, maleness, whiteness, politics or anything else that I deem offensive.

Health care is a right…..

The constitution, the bill of rights are outdated documents that mean nothing to me. I have been indoctrinated by public schooling that fails to teach the glaring inadequacies of socialism, failures of government run health care and the successes of the free market with its' ability to drive innovation in health care. I get the rest of my information watching CNN, MSNBC and other left wing propaganda outlets. I believe that government run health care will ensure that everyone has the same coverage and pays nothing for it, even though taxing the "rich" will not provide enough money to fund it and will significantly reduce availability. As a democratic socialist, I can make up my own rules as I see fit. You uncultured conservatives have no idea that the founders were nothing but a bunch of white slave owners that were simply too ignorant to understand the complexities of governing, especially now that we are at the pinnacle of enlightenment.

There is systemic racism in our criminal justice system…..

I don’t believe that the welfare state has actually caused horrific economic conditions, broken families and neighborhoods rife with crime. I don’t believe that minorities are herded into the inner city by democrat policies that give them just enough benefits to entice them to continue to vote for democrats that only care that their votes allow democrats to maintain power. I don’t believe that democrat policies have created a disheartened, discouraged and lost generation. I don’t believe that the unjust segregation of minorities, cleverly disguised by democrats as a “war against poverty” has anything to do with blacks committing the vast majority of crimes, logically leading to higher incarceration rates. I believe that white racist cops systematically hunt down unassuming and honest black men engaging in legitimate activities simply because they have nothing better to do than hassle and execute minorities. I also believe that black men will receive a harsher sentence for any crime they are (falsely) accused of, simply due to the color of their skin.

We need comprehensive immigration reform….

We need open borders and a free path to immediate citizenship so that the tired, hungry masses will continue to vote for democrats and take the wealth (and I want my share) from those who actually contribute to society.

Human activity is causing global warming cooling, climate disruption, rising sea level, falling sea level, etc. and it is settled science….

Global climate fluctuations have been and will continue to occur over time. Warming and cooling of this planet is cyclical. But, we need a convenient excuse to blame our perception of an iniquity in our economic system in order to find an easy way to redistribute wealth to those who are too selfish and lazy to work for their own success. And by the way, I don’t need to be environmentally conscious, I just need to spout off that you and your SUV are destroying the planet!

Black lives matter and “Hands up don’t shoot”….

You white racists should just shut up and go away. You and your opinion do not matter and I don’t want to hear it. Any talking point that consists of words no longer than 5 letters and can be printed on a sign, even if it is a proven false narrative, works for me if I can get what I want without having to work for it. Pigs in a blanket, fry em’ like bacon!

We need to have reasonable gun control….

Guns are bad. If we ever get back in power, we will take them away from you! See Virginia Legislature.

We can pay for free college, Medicare for all and the "Green New Deal" by making the 1% pay their fair share....

Young people are so gullible. Tell them we can pay for their tuition and forgive their college debt with other people's money and they will support an almost 80 year old socialist who has accomplished nothing in his life, listen to and elect a former bartender without a cogent thought in her head to Congress, and will vote to elect a self proclaimed "social justice warrior" to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  And we can save the climate with our "Green New Deal". What a bunch of morons! We know better than you and should be the ones who should make decisions for all you lesser intellects, and we'll do so by redistributing "your" wealth to line our own pockets, all the while reducing the quality of everyone else's lives while enriching our own.

The Republicans favor large corporations by enabling them to unjustly take wealth away from the middle class….

I believe that corporations rape the planet and those that live upon it. I believe that corporations steal resources, pollute with impunity and never use their profit to benefit anyone but themselves. I believe the rich have rooms full of money that they refuse to share with those less fortunate than them. I am completely convinced that socialism is the appropriate system to level the playing field. It will not lift anyone out of poverty, but it will bring down the rich to everyone else’s level and distribute what they have earned to those who refuse to make a positive contribution to society. Then I can continue to “attend” college, listen to my anarchist professors, and force the rich to pay for my education and everything else so that I will never have to grow up.

Abortion....You have no right to tell me what to do with my body, or better known as reproductive rights….

Since I do not possess a responsible bone in my body and am too lazy to properly utilize birth control, if I become pregnant, I want to have the autonomy to murder my unborn child, I mean to excise that unviable tissue, even after birth, with impunity. Since I am inherently selfish, abortion is a much more convenient way to dispose of the fruits of my irresponsibility than the daunting task of responsibly raising a child. I am far too enlightened to believe in God and care nothing about the sanctity of life. I want to continue in my selfishness because it is all about me and my self-esteem.

We need to get to the bottom of this....

We will only accept what we believe fulfills our ideologic ends. Any and all truth are irrelevant, and we will continue to obfuscate as we see fit. After all, the media will continue to parrot our talking points to cover for us.

Trump engaged in collusion and obstruction....

Holy crap, Mueller let us down. We thought that his partisan band of democrat donating attorneys would drum up enough baseless accusations that we could get rid of this buffoon. Now it looks like the tables have turned. Our criminal conduct may just be discovered and we may the ones frog walked into court. We'll just impeach the "M'fer" to obfuscate our complicity in a fake investigation. Oops, that didn't work out well, especially for Biden. Oh well, we'll just continue to drum up more false accusations and begin hearings on any actions by the President that we disagree with and impeach him again. Our base will love it! If we don't continue with investigation after investigation, some of us better start looking into taking a one-way trip to a country without an extradition agreement with the US.

Judges need to mete out justice and protect those who are oppressed by the tyranny of an unfair economic and legal system....

The Constitution is an outdated document, written by white slave owners and should be disregarded. Judges make law and any conservative laws need to be struck down and eliminated. Rule of law? We don't need no stinking rule of law, our appointed and elected judges make decisions based on leftist ideology, not the law, and you will simply have to suffer the consequences. See Sotomayor. 

We cannot impose a religious test.....

Now that the democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, they also chair all the House committees. No longer is it deemed necessary to end the swearing in of witnesses with that troublesome phrase, "So help me God" as God is not a part of our religion of big government, global warming and isn't appropriate for the global citizens we liken ourselves to be. It doesn't matter that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. Faith in anything other than what we believe is irrelevant. Take your God and don't bother us with your knuckle dragging homophobia, Islamaphobia and any other phobias we invent to describe those we disagree with in order to belittle our opponents.

We must stay at home to protect lives.....

Thank you China! We have finally found a way to crash the economy with the threat of a invisible virus. We really don't care how many die, but this gives us the means to finally get rid of the Bad Orange Man. The upcoming depression will make it easier to promote our socialist programs, setting us on a path to full blown socialism. Free everything. Take all the rich fat cat's money and spread it out. Open borders. We will have a democrat majority forever, if we don't completely destroy the country....Oh well, at least we will be in charge, not those evil Republicans and their stupid ideas of personal responsibility and the freedom to choose to make for yourself a better life with hard work and determination.

As a conservative, this post can assist you from becoming increasingly frustrated as your progressive liberal/leftist acquaintance prattles on about the things they have never bothered to properly inform themselves of. Knowing the true meaning of their rants can allow one to smile and shake our heads at the hypocrisy and insanity that is the left.

The Land of Confusion

“There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.” Luke 21:25-28

In these verses Jesus describes the day of His coming, the day of judgement. Confusion similarly reigns today, not only in our nation, but worldwide. Ideological differences confuse and paralyze our government and threaten the very fabric of our nation. Governmental agencies are used to target political enemies and political leaders use fractured and false testimony against those they disagree. More and more seem confused about their gender identity when selfishness and progressive ideology persuade them to abandon their biological reality. Confusing and conflicting religious doctrines are acclaimed by “progressive churches”. Many of the world’s religions are overtaken by radical factions that twist the intentions of their founders, spreading death and destruction in the name of their god. Far too many of God’s “churches” are preaching a gospel unrecognizable from that which our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ taught. Even worse, some of those called to preach the word, reach out against the very God they have pledged to serve.

Case in point, ELCA Bishop, Kristen Keumpel shared an article calling the Reverend Franklin Graham’s ministry, Operation Christmas Child (OCC) that prepares shoeboxes with presents and a message about Jesus Christ to impoverished children around the world. The recommended article contains the assertions that "Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham spews ever more hateful rhetoric about immigrants and Muslims" and that Operation Christmas Child is one of the "more toxic forms of charity." She goes on further to recommend that donations be redircted to the ELCA Good Gifts program instead of OCC. Bishop Keumpel’s ire was also directed at the Salvation Army when she retweeted, "A reminder this holiday season that the Salvation Army is a homophobic, transphobic, uncaring, garbage organization." Seems to me that casting stones at legitimate mission outreaches, such at OCC and the Salvation Army, is counterproductive to what is God’s church mission is to the world. I thought we were supposed to be on the same team with a goal to reach the lost, but apparently that is lost to those drowning in the apostasy that is the ELCA. Apparently, Christian organizations that fail to tow the line of the heretical teaching of the ELCA, are to be reviled and rejected.

What do we tell the world when those who dedicate their lives to Christ become enamored of the world? When Christ becomes secondary in the church’s teaching to diversity, homosexuality, abortion rights, transgenderism, borders, gun control, and any and all leftist goals and programs, it ceases being God’s church. I’m sorry, but if a church is so inclined to abandon their core beliefs in order to be more welcoming, diverse and tolerant, it is no longer performing the functions that our Lord and Savior intended. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

There is one thing lacking in these progressive churches that is all too apparent. Jesus Christ is simply an afterthought within the walls of many of the ELCA churches. There is far more emphasis on virtue signaling to an already lost world. Without our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the world spirals into disarray and chaos. Without our Lord and Savior, our great nation and its’ founding are at risk to the progressive, leftist agenda that seeks to replace our God with ever burgeoning government overreach. Without our Lord and Savior, we fall back into our selfish nature and society suffers as a result. Without our Lord and Savior to guide us, we lose our way, scurrying about like roaches in the light.

We are at a crossroads in this day and age. The progressive left is taking over God’s church. The progressive left is taking over the democrat party. The progressive left is taking over academia and the media. The progressive left is advocating for a global form of government. The progressive left has the same agenda as the prince of darkness and if we sit by idly, more and more will be lost to him. The time has long past for good Christians to rise up and speak out for our God. It is not too late to stem the tide if God’s good people decide to “go and make disciples of all nations” by proclaiming His Word to everyone. Let the world see that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ by not only your actions, but by your words.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Who's Your Bully?

President Trump is under fire for stating that he believes that professional athletes, particularly NFL players, are being disrespectful of their country with their National Anthem protests. He even took it further, suggesting that NFL owners fire these ungrateful miscreants. Although they have the right to free speech and can express their displeasure with any perceived slights they believe are afflicting Americans of color, the fact remains that President Trump is correct in his view. Athletes that have the skills necessary to perform on the public stage and earn a considerable amount of money for doing so, have to keep in mind that, although Charles Barkley may disagree, they are examples for those that pay to watch them, particularly young people, who can be unduly influenced by their actions. So, back to the question at hand, who is the bully? President Trump who speaks his mind and has an opinion, shared by a majority of citizens of these United States, or athletes that use the public stage to promote a reality that, truly, no longer exists?

Over the last 8 years we were exposed to President’s Obama’s opinion of unequal race relations in this country. From the Cambridge police officers questioning a black professor attempting to break into his home without the requisite identification on his person that were deemed to be “acting stupidly” by our commander in chief to his divisive comments about the police after the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and his suggesting that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin. Personally, I believe that President Obama’s outspoken criticism of the police has driven the spike in violence against police officers including the shooting deaths of 5 Dallas officers and any number of police that have been ambushed by persons of color that somehow believe that every white police officer begins his tour of duty with the intent to kill as many persons of color that he can. President Obama’s views on racial inequities could not be further from the truth.

Having been a police officer for 29 years, I think I have a clearer understanding of how law enforcement in conducted. Every time force of any nature is used by a law enforcement officer it is thoroughly investigated. Any use of deadly force is referred to the District Attorney’s office and if the officer is deemed to have used an unlawful level of force, he/she will be subjected to the appropriate criminal charges and the courts will prosecute. Video recorders on squad cars and on the police themselves, document almost all of the police interactions with citizens, to be used as evidence against the perpetrator, even if it is the police officer. Records of police interactions with minorities are monitored by the Justice Department and any agency with an inordinate number of contacts with minorities will have action taken against them. After Ferguson, out of 17,985 US law enforcement agencies, only 21 departments, including St. Louis and Ferguson, were under investigation by the DOJ due to civil rights complaints, amounting to just over .001% of all police agencies in the country.

Have all racial biases been erased? Not all, but claims that minorities somehow are being targeted by police has no factual basis. Take the incident involving Seattle Seahawks player Michael Bennett and the Las Vegas Police. Police responded to a shooting in progress. Everyone in the casino was ordered to lay down on the floor with their hands in front of them. Bennett decided to hide and not comply with the officers. He then thought it appropriate to try to flee on foot. I’m sorry, but he is extremely lucky that the officers had the prudence to refrain from assuming that he was the bad guy by shooting him and eliminating the threat he presented to them and the public. Now he has the temerity to complain and threaten a civil rights lawsuit. Talk about the world turning upside down. Then you have Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors vacillating about not attending a white house visit because he doesn’t like President Trump. President Trump says fine, then I’m rescinding your invitation and the left and media (I repeat myself here) goes on another “hair on fire” rampage. Now the whole team will not attend. Great, that will open up the calendar for President Trump so that he can continue to advance the people’s agenda.

For many, sports are an avenue to escape from the harsh realities of this out of control world. If I want to listen to politics, I will tune in to Fox News, CNN or any other news channel. I don’t need to be lectured to by any celebrity, including athletes, that don’t have the intelligence or can’t or won’t properly inform themselves. (See LeBron James, Leonardo DeCaprio, etc….) I think we can look no further than NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s response to President Trump. “Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.” Talk about calling the kettle black. And this is coming from the man presiding over the NFL’s fall from grace! These “protests” by NFL players are simply showing a lack of respect for the country that gives them an opportunity to become rich playing a game. This is the ultimate insult to all those who contribute to the money they make. Even if you do not watch or attend, you are paying, when the cost of items you purchase rise, in part, because of the advertising on the networks that broadcast those events.

Unqualified and erroneous “facts” are repeated over and over by the left and they attack anyone who fails to share their opinions. See illegal immigration, global warming, and especially the University of California, Berkeley and any number of college campuses that will use any means necessary to squelch any conservative speaker with the audaciousness to schedule an appearance at these “so-called” bastions of debate and free exchange of ideas, unless it fits their progressive, liberal agenda. Who is it that is really engaging in hate speech? The real bully is becoming more and more apparent, and he does not live in the White House.

Matter of Respect

Disrespect; noun, meaning a lack of respect or courtesy. "There is a growing disrespect for the rule of law". It is interesting, with the current demonstrations against law enforcement, that the Google dictionary chose that particular phrase to illustrate the word disrespect. In urban culture “disrespecting” another can cause much angst, often subjecting a person who committed a “perceived” disrespectful act to suffer retribution that often includes violence. And a perceived act of disrespect can be as simple as gazing upon someone who is simply looking for an excuse to act out in violence. Unfortunately, most of those who seem to be the most offended are those who have done nothing to merit respect. Those young men who father numerous children, yet take no part in their children’s lives are not due respect until they decide to accept their parental responsibility. Those young men, who place little value in women other than to be their bitches or hoes, deserve even less respect than they show to those women. Those young men who are able bodied, yet choose to be a drain on society by engaging in crime and violence have earned the frustration of society and are due no respect at all.

In our society there are those who do not need to earn the respect of the citizenry. Parents, teachers, clergy, your boss and yes, the police officers that are charged with maintaining the peace and protecting you are due the respect of society simply because of the positions that they have earned. Yes, earned. Hatred towards those that place their lives at risk on a daily basis is escalating at an alarming pace. Systemic racism is cited as permeating our law enforcement community. Black lives matter, is the rallying cry on all the banners that are all conveniently professionally printed. Ever wonder who pays for all those signs? Here’s some statistics for you to consider. From 1999-2011 police officers shot and killed 2151 persons described by race as white, 1130 persons described by race as black, and 2133 police officers were killed in the line of duty. In 2012, 49 police officers were shot and killed by assailants. In 2012, 123 black Americans were shot and killed by police. In 2012, 326 white Americans were shot and killed by police. Granted whites make up a majority of the population, but the results are not as skewed as the liberal media would have you believe. Roughly 62% of the US population is categorized as non-Hispanic white, 22% black and mixed race according to the 2010 US census bureau. In 2013, 59% of police shooting deaths were white, 41% black. This refutes those liberal estimates that state that blacks are as much as 30 times more likely to die at the hands of the police than whites. The numbers are still troubling, but are definitely not as disparate as some would like you to believe.

Most troubling, is the lack of any honest discussion about the underlying issues that cause more blacks to die at the hands of police, a ratio that greatly exceeds their percentage of the US population. Why are black men or anyone, regardless of race, placing themselves in the position to confront law enforcement authority? And let’s be honest about this. After almost thirty years in law enforcement, I dealt on daily basis with “No people” of all colors. Those were the persons, who violated a law, sometimes simply traffic violations, yet had the temerity to challenge authority, when they understood that their behavior was clearly unlawful. As the myth of “driving while black” is shouted from the rooftops by the liberal media, more and more black men are choosing to become “No people”, choosing to challenge and confront, rather than cooperate with police. This places more people at risk of escalating what may be no more than a simple traffic stop, into an arrest or worse.

Needless to say, personally I was more inclined to simply ignore simple traffic violations by persons of color, rather than run the risk of an incident that could spiral out of control. My tactic to avoid conflict was not an isolated occurrence in the law enforcement community. Sometimes it is just not worth it to get involved in the low priority incidents that, based upon the color of a person’s skin alone, would have a greater probability to spiral out of control and lead to any number of negative outcomes, both for the offender and the officer. Does having law enforcement turn a blind eye to the little things benefit the greater community? No consequences for those involved in minor offenses more often lead to greater offenses committed later, so I was indeed, doing my community a disservice. When the first black president, Barack Obama (although the US census would consider Obama mixed race, which would put him into the white American classification) was elected in 2008, it was to be the beginning of the end to racism. Not so much, as racial animosity is reaching a fever pitch.

In God’s eyes, there is but one race, the human race and all human beings are His children. All of God’s children are either my brothers and sisters in Christ or those brothers and sisters only waiting to hear the word and believe. 1 John 3:1, 16-18, ”See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” The color of our skin does nothing to differentiate us from each other. We are all the same in our Father’s eyes.

Progressives conspire to foment distrust among God’s children. Many of His churches stand with the progressive left and denounce those charged to protect and serve. ELCA leaders demonstrate to bring attention to homicides "committed" by police, inferring that crimes were committed by police. Are the ELCA, UCC and Episcopal churches upholding God’s will by promoting that His children love one another or are they blindly performing the evil one’s work by circumventing God’s commands with words that divide rather than unite? 1 John 4:9-12, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” No one’s life matters more than any other and proclaiming otherwise diminishes God’s kingdom.

As this post is being written, news of two New York police officers ambushed, shot and killed in their squad car is announced as breaking news. The evil one wins this battle, but we know who wins the war. It is time that we open our eyes and recognize that our relationship with Christ brings us all together. Our worldly desires and goals are what push us apart. When we focus upon that life giving cross, every other thing is simply a distraction meant to divert us from building His kingdom. We ought to learn to love one another if we want to properly love and respect our Lord and Savior. If we first live for Christ, we can then live together in love.

Equality of Opportunity

President Obama constantly berates those that have been successful in society. According to his logic, those who have succeeded have done so because the system is unfairly stacked in their favor. Speech after speech he promises to level the playing field and make those that he accuses “have succeeded on the backs of the poor” pay for their alleged crimes. His now infamous “you didn’t build that” speech ranks right up there with some of the most inane statements ever made by a politician, let alone a sitting president. Ever present in his arguments are vague accusations with no specifics, wagging his finger at the 1% while he touts that it is his goal is to set policy that lift up the middle class. Those who have more than they need should pay more than their fair share. Income disparity continues to grow. The rich are getting richer. Unfortunately, his policies are making the poor, poorer and the wealthy are taking advantage of the Fed propping up the stock market. The wealthy drive our economy by spending and more importantly, creating jobs and investing. Without the supposed “evil one percent”, those of us on the bottom rungs would have much less. Those that are foolish enough to trust in this charlatan’s rhetoric will only get what they deserve.

Protests to make the minimum wage a “living wage” spring up around the country. Wisconsin Democrat congressperson Gwen Moore brings “dignity” to her position by being arrested and charged with obstruction of justice during a protest in Milwaukee. One man complains that he has worked at McDonald’s for 22 years and cannot continue to live and provide for his family with an $8.00 per hour job. I don’t want to get too judgmental here, but a person with even one ounce of ambition would have been at least promoted to assistant manager by now. Progressives complain about the one percent and how unfair it is that the wealthy do not pay their fair share. Over and over they parrot talking points that blame the successful for the failures of the “Have Nots.” The United States has been engaged in a war on poverty since the 1960’s pouring billions and billions into programs that are supposed to end poverty. This welfare system conceived during the administration of President Lyndon Johnson and declared as the beginning of the “Great Society” simply invented a new method to keep the black man down. While some may decry the fact that we have done little to eradicate poverty, progressives continue to maintain their power on the backs of the poor. African Americans, freed from the cotton plantation, are deceived by the progressive scheme and move onto the plantation of welfare dependency. Entitlements become the chains that prevent them from escaping a life of poverty. Combined with propaganda to keep the flames of racial animosity burning, black America remains angry and suspicious of conservatives while maintaining dependence upon their new masters, thanking them with their votes that continue their enslavement.

Democrat run cities, such as Detroit and democrat run states like California continue to spend money they do not have nor will ever be able to repay, providing lavish salaries and benefits to their ever burgeoning bureaucracy, using their flawed argument that their free spending is benefiting those in the lower rungs of society. Isaiah 10:1-2, "Woe to those who make unjust laws,to those who issue oppressive decrees,to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless." As more and more democrats run their governments into the ground, they expect that others pay for their foolishness. Claiming bankruptcy shifts the burden of their reckless spending to other parts of the country that maintain financial stability. Republican run cities and states continue to provide necessary services while keeping taxes low but now will be punished in order to bail out the democrats yet again.

The progressive understands the danger that the “nuclear family” presents to their grand scheme and concocts programs to replace the father in the underclass, especially targeting blacks, dividing the country by creating class warfare. Destroying faith and family is necessary for the progressives to reach their objective. Once out of the way, government dependence becomes the new religion and government entitlements replace the necessity of the family. This is the blueprint to maintain minority dependence upon the very programs that stifle their ability to move out of poverty. In some states, a premium is paid to the mother for every child born into that poverty, giving incentive to conceive even more children that will become beholding to the very people that intend to use them to maintain their power and position. What a tangled web we weave. While conservatism actually more closely mirrors the values of most African Americans, the majority of African Americans look upon conservatives with contempt. A majority of African Americans are pro-life. A majority of African Americans remain opposed to same-sex marriage. A majority of African Americans are Christian. If one would look beyond the African American’s affinity to vote Democrat, you would believe that by their stated values, they would tend to vote for conservative candidates. But, by continuing to obfuscate and confuse, using innuendo and outright lies, the progressives preserve their power with the willing vote of a manipulated and perhaps permanent underclass.

So, how to combat this perceived “inequity”? Far too many African American children are raised without a father’s influence. More than 7 of every 10 births occur out of wedlock to African Americans. Some may argue that today’s African American male that concurs with the “Hip Hop culture” that relegates women as “Hoe’s and Bitches” would not make a good father anyway. But, God intended a family to be raised by a mother and a father. When a father takes the responsibility as a parent, the paternal instinct is a strong influence. Reconnecting with God and instilling the tenets of faith in the family structure will guide both the parents and their parenting. This is how we turn back the clock and take back our nation. We need Christian parents to raise their children to follow God’s will and take responsibility for their lives. If we can once again instill Christ as first in our hearts our nation will begin to heal.

It has taken the progressive movement a very short time to completely undermine the values of a nation that took hundreds of years to form this, what was at one time, a more perfect union. The fundamental transformation of this nation is not just underway, it is almost complete. But, it is not too late to turn the tide. We can return to the fundamentals that made this nation great, but it will take time and much hard work. Progressives maintain a strong foothold in academia, in the media and in government. We must begin by getting personally involved in government, first by becoming better informed on the candidates and targeting local school boards to elect those who would make certain that curriculum includes civics, history that is not revisionary and that political correctness dies a quick and painful death.

The truth will indeed set us all free. John 8:31-32, “Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Our nation was founded upon our forefather’s Judeo-Christian beliefs and we must return to those roots. We must reject the secular progressive’s goal of governing against the will of the people. We must use the power of the ballot box to rebuke those who would work to control our lives by taking away our freedoms. We must not remain silent any longer. We are a Christian nation and it is time to reclaim our nation by replacing the secular, progressive elite with those who would properly represent the electorate. If you want to take back our country, it is time to speak out. It is time for the silent majority to be heard. We need to make a statement to the world that we will not have our lives dictated to us any longer. The choice is clear. Sit and complain while a minority opinion drives our country’s decision making or cast your vote and make certain that everyone you know who upholds Christian principles goes to the ballot box and casts his or her vote. If this does not happen soon, it may never come about and our nation will be forever changed and there will be no opportunity at all.

Vehicle

It’s the thing that gets us to the thing. The new series on AMC, Halt and Catch Fire, uses this phrase to explain that completing the reverse engineering of a computer is simply one step that will begin to open the doors that create an opportunity to gain wealth and fame. It is not simply a task, but a plan entailing prescribed elements that must be completed in order to take the next step that eventually leads to that end goal. Each task may seem to be unrelated to the end goal, but accomplishing those necessary steps are essential to achieve the grand plan. Progressivism is overtaking much of our society. Academia, government and now the church is being overwhelmed by progressive ideals that look to destroy rather than lift up. Radical change is the goal of progressivism and conservatism is the great evil that is in the way. You see, those traditional minded, conservative based individuals champion concepts that progressives find repulsive: Traditional marriage between one man and one woman; the right to life of an unborn child; personal responsibility. the right to bear arms; enforcing the border of a sovereign nation; and especially objectionable is the concept of an all-powerful God that would not only have the temerity to have His only Son killed to satisfy His anger, but also imposes rules upon a humanity that has apparently reached the pinnacle of enlightenment.

But, progressives find many roads that lead to the achievement of their goals. The carefully calculated humanitarian crisis that has hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant children crossing the border is one example. “We must take care of the children!” “Any civilized society would protect those that cannot protect themselves.” Unless you happen to be an unborn child, or as Cass Sunstein would say, if the child is under two years of age. Think about that for a moment. Abortion, or what should be correctly called infanticide, is not enough for one of our President’s czars. He believes that a child, under the age of two, can be aborted. How can a person justify killing a living, breathing child? When one does not value life, anything goes. Back to the vehicle used to get what one wants. The progressive in government looks to that government to provide for, nurture and control the populace. In order to control the populace, having that populace beholding to a government that provides the means for their income, health care, housing and other necessary items gives that government a means to control that portion of the populace. Creating an ill- informed, permanent underclass by giving them free stuff creates a populace that tends to vote to continue their handouts. Make that number greater than half of the total population and you create a permanent majority that allows the progressives to maintain power. How better to build and maintain that voting bloc than by opening the border gates and allowing the poor and destitute to enter. Then create entitlements for those undocumented immigrants and add to those who vote to maintain those entitlements, or simply put, to continue getting all their free stuff. It’s the thing that gets us to the thing.

Make note of the professionally printed signs that most “grass roots” activists display today? Wasn’t Nancy Pelosi the one who coined the word “Astroturf” to describe the grass roots uprising by the Tea Party? Occupy, immigration, women’s reproductive health, and other progressive activist groups are very well organized. There are no spontaneous demonstrations when it comes to a progressive’s plans. Every protest, every march is dedicated to achieving the results that move them closer to their ultimate goal. The “Overton Window” shows that by simply using tactics currently employed by progressives, one can swiftly move society to accept what was once looked upon as aberrant behavior. First move the public perception from unacceptable to radical, next move from radical to acceptable. Then move from acceptable to sensible. Take the next logical step from sensible to popular. Then complete the transition from popular to policy. It doesn’t take as long as one would imagine. Abortion leapt from unthinkable to a woman’s right to choose in a manner of years. Out of wedlock childbirth went from a family disgrace to a badge of honor, once even glorified in a popular network TV show, within a few decades. And homosexuality flew out of the closet to first become hip and now applauded as “heroic” in a just a few short years.

A must read for any conservative should be Alisnky’s “Rules for Radicals“. After all, it is important to understand one’s enemy, especially one that is hell-bent at utterly destroying the competition. Is the radical Islamist the greatest threat to democracy? No, and if you truly understand the progressive, you will recognize that they pose the greatest threat to country, individuality and particularly, Christianity.

From “Rules for Radicals”

“The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists’ minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)

“Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)

Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

Sound familiar. The Evangelical Church in America has become quite proficient with these types of tactics. Take the time to read some of the current ELCA member comments on their own “Living Lutheran” website. Those that remain true to the authority of Scripture and believe as Luther taught are ridiculed and castigated by our ever loving, ever tolerant brothers and sisters from our former synod. As the ELCA proclaims, God’s work, our hands, their leaders push their members further away from the path God has set before them. God’s chosen, Israel is reviled by the leadership of the ELCA as they peddle outright lies to their membership to breed hatred while lifting up the plight of the very organization that wants to not only wipe Israel from the face of the earth, but also would destroy Christianity. Want to kill your unborn child? If you are employed by the ELCA, although the workforce continues to wane at Higgins Road, their insurance will pay for the procedure. Want to placate the selfish cravings of a sinful humanity and deny your Savior? All you need to do is invoke your bound conscience and you can not only have your same sex relationship recognized as a marriage by this wayward church, you can preach, unrepentantly from the pulpit as an ordained minister. These are the things that get them to the thing. And apparently that thing is elevating man above God and replacing Him with images of themselves.

Satan rejoices in the progressive movement. They are doing the things that get him to the thing he most longs for, a church that denies their God, a society that accepts murder, a society that replaces God’s will their flawed human sensibility, in fact, calling God a liar, and a church that is working to destroy God’s chosen people. With God out of the way, any perversion is possible. Jeremiah 23:25-27, “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.” The Baal that the leaders of the ELCA worship is tolerance, acceptance and diversity. Their leaders bow in worship at the altar that lifts up the desires of a sinful humanity and leads their membership into the abyss ruled by the evil one. Remain in fellowship with the ELCA and one day you may find yourself falling into the trap of the evil one with no escape. Luke 13:22-25, Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Pray unceasingly for the hearts and minds of those trapped within the ELCA to be opened to the truth

Punching Your Ticket

An article entitled, “Drifting toward universalism?” from the April 2014 Lutheran Core Connection by Pastor Don Brandt, really demonstrates just how far some in the ELCA have fallen. In the article, Pastor Brandt cites an essay written by Peter Marty, entitled “Who Gets Saved”, published in the March 2014 edition of The Lutheran. Marty is an ELCA pastor from Iowa and a regular contributor to the Lutheran, but based on the content of his essay, his words actually hinder the Kingdom of God. It is sad enough that so many in the secular world do their best to persecute and demean Christianity, but Marty does as much or more harm to the faith as any member of the Freedom from Religion Society. Lutherans are typically very good at finger pointing and getting stuck in the law. Far too many of us fall into the trap of charging those who disobey God’s law as sinners, unfit to gain salvation. But, Marty revels in his accusations, rather than pointing to the proper way to behave as a Christian, celebrating his harmful words that chastise Christians and demean the faith he has been charged to uphold.

Marty wants credit for any use of his words. So be it. I hope he is proud. I hope he properly appreciates the controversy his words have prompted. I hope he asks God for forgiveness for his disregard of the promise he made when he pledged to preach the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ and endeavor to lead the lost to Him. Marty seems to exude a gleeful defiance as he chides those Christians that he claims believe that they belong to an exclusive club and hold tickets to that velvet roped VIP section in heaven. While the leaders of the ELCA preach unity, Marty elects to use words that divide. As with most essays penned by the learned clergy of the wayward ELCA, it is littered with words that appear to be so right. Believers do have responsibility to testify to help others know God’s love is for all. After all, God does love all of His children unconditionally. Unreturned love is another matter. If someone is born in India, it is the Christian’s responsibility to bring the Gospel to them, so that through the power of the Holy Spirit, they may come to belief in the Risen Christ. Sorry Marty, it does matter whether or not we believe. Just because the ELCA neglects our Lord and Savior’s call to reach the lost, instead relying upon their doctrine of accompaniment, or the more literal translation “we’ve already done enough evangelizing in the world”, does not relieve you of that responsibility.

Yes, we Christians that believe in the authority of Scripture often do get it wrong. Yes, we often place far too much emphasis on the law and neglect the fact that it is all about the saving grace granted to us through the sacrifice of our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How about an essay about forgiveness, that since we have received the ultimate gift of absolute forgiveness, we should endeavor to learn to share forgiveness more freely? It certainly is easy to sidle up to those progressive “Christians” that reinterpret Scripture to better co-exist with our modern, secular society. After all, they host the better parties. Accolades by the secular elite apparently carry much more weight and secure the instant gratification, especially when it entails disparaging those knuckle dragging Bible thumpers. Pleasing God is not often accompanied by such an immediate response.

Then there is the idea that Christ is not held bound by any religion. Christ is there for everyone. One only needs to open their heart and allow the Holy Spirit to enter. Only then can we come to believe. No, Christ is not bound to any religion, we are bound to Him. Without belief in the Risen Christ there will be no salvation. Jesus said in John 14:6-7, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Not much to challenge in that statement. If someone is born on the other side of the world to a family that does not know Christ, it is our responsibility to witness to him or her. It is our responsibility to make disciples of all nations. Neglecting our duty to God in this matter only shows that we are ashamed of Him. Jesus said in Luke 9:23-26, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” No, this was not said at a theological summit, but trust me, through His words it is certain that my God, Jesus Christ, is better than your god! Our faith begins at the cross and is fulfilled at the empty tomb with Jesus’ resurrection. Without our Risen Savior, there is nothing but a broken humanity on the outside looking in.

It is all well and good to rile up the faithful with heretical statements and it may please the secular elites, but it does nothing to promote God’s Kingdom. Marty casts his accusatory rhetoric at fellow Christians, all the while patting himself on the back for his supposed open-mindedness in bestowing grace upon the world. Marty, I don’t think it’s up to you to make that decision. Just sayin’. Seems to me that if our Lord and Savior said that there is but one way to gain salvation, that is good enough for me. It should be noted that while some of us “inerrancy folk” are accused of taking Scripture out of context, Marty simply cites verses he imagines that bolster his claims. Marty cites John 3:16 as evidence that Jesus is universal Lord and Savior, he neglects to place that verse in the full context as Christ was quoted. John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

Marty infers that Christians receive a club access card because we uttered a specific theological formula about Jesus and that by virtue of our faith believe that we have a privileged access to God. This is simply a false narrative. He uses this conspiracy theory to bolster his idea of an ideal religion, not the faith that our God intends. Yes, we all need to be filled with the Gospel every day. Yes, we need to remember that is not about us and all about Him. Yes, we need to forgive as He first forgave us. We are a broken humanity that needs Christ to fill our empty and sinful hearts. Knowing this is a good start to live in a manner that pleases God. The verdict is in, Christ does want to gather ALL people to Himself and it is our responsibility to lead them to Him. It is time to leave the chastising of those who believe and respect the authority of Scripture to those influenced by the evil one.

If a Tree Falls.....

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Many a philosopher and now even an auto insurance commercial wrestle with this question. In today’s hyper-partisan environment, when certain events occur, nary a peep is made. As the media controls the narrative of the day, only that which they deem important makes the news. In the former Soviet Union, propaganda filled the pages of Pravda and the airwaves. The Politiburo determined what it wanted its’ citizens to hear, think and say. Dissidents were jailed or simply disappeared, some ending up in Siberia with what amounted to a death sentence. In this bastion of freedom, known as the United States of America, we are hearkening back to those days behind the Iron Curtain. The narrative that drives our current day media outlets focuses upon progressive ideals, scoffs at conservative values and ridicules those foolish enough to profess their Christian faith. Our President, so longed for and expected to heal everything from the racial divide to our very planet, uses the arms of the government, such as the IRS to exact political revenge upon those seen to oppose his agenda. Yes, political retribution has been refined to a fine art by this current “Chicago style” administration. Wisconsin, which is becoming the poster child for partisanship in the aftermath of Act 10, has taken political retaliation to an entirely new level.

Israel Ozanne, democrat district attorney for Dane County, filed felony voter fraud charges against a republican state representative’s staffer. As you may know, Wisconsin democrats have been fighting tooth and nail to defeat a voter ID bill that they say will disenfranchise minority voters (when all it will really do is make it tougher for democrats to cheat and overturn the will of the people). Milwaukee’s democrat mayor, Tom Barrett denies that voter fraud is even an issue, complaining that there is nothing to see here and asking over and over to show him the violators if there is a problem. A 2004 report by Milwaukee Police found that between 4,600 and 5,300 more votes were counted in Milwaukee than the number of voters recorded as having cast ballots during the national election that year. Absentee ballots were cast by people living elsewhere; ineligible felons not only voted but worked at the polls; transient college students cast improper votes; homeless voters possibly voted more than once. 65 felony charges of voter fraud involving 35 individuals have been issued since 2008. One of those cases an Oak Creek man submitted 54 fraudulent voter registrations while working for the Community Voters Project, a liberal based organization. Common to each of these cases was the intent to commit voter fraud. Cue the crickets as little attention is given these cases by the media. However, the case of Marcie Malszycki, who cast her votes in 2008 and 2010 at the district where she lived before becoming a staffer for Republican State Representative Warren Petryk, apparently is a big deal. Her mother lives in that district and Malszycki resided there before moving to Madison. She did not cast a vote in either of those elections in Madison or any other polling place. This makes the front page of local newspapers and TV news reports. Ozanne, a democrat, also refused to issue charges against a Cross Plains woman who made repeated e-mail threats to kill Republican Governor Scott Walker and his family. Nary a peep on this issue either. I guess all is fair in love and war.

While the Obama administration is embroiled in a seemingly endless stream of scandals that would likely overwhelm any other administration, those abuses are decried as “phony” or contrived by the Tea Party and Fox News. Impeachable offenses by Obama and his administration are largely ignored or minimized by the main stream media, while any misstep by a conservative is blown out of proportion. (See Chris Christie and “BridgeGate”) Far worse are the thousands upon thousands of Christians that are being murdered throughout the Muslim world and yet the media remains silent. Repeated rocket attacks against Israel, targeting civilians are largely ignored. Even Secretary of State John Kerry claimed that there were no deaths in Israel due to terrorist attacks in 2013, ignoring the 6 Israelis that were murdered by Palestinians and that attacks in the West Bank more than doubled in 2013 -- 1,271 as opposed to 578 in 2012.

And then we have those athletes that announce their homosexuality and are immediately proclaimed heroes by the media. Keep repeating after me while watching the shiny object. There is no liberal bias in the media… The producer of the new epic film “Noah” complains that negative reactions to pre-screenings of his movie are unfairly being driven by a small minority of conservative Christians. Sorry about that, but if you are going to take creative license with a Biblical story, perhaps you should stick a little closer to the story line, after all it is about a historical figure. And since we are bringing up minorities that drive narratives, how does the minority LGTBQ community drive the opinion of so much of our secular society? Seems like a group, that consists of less than 5% of our population has much more clout than any other class of people in this country. When the mini-series, “The Bible” was broadcast, for the most part keeping true to the Word, it became the most viewed cable series of all time. Perhaps when conservative Christians speak up, Hollywood may behoove itself to listen.

All Christians can be assured that while the devil does his best to turn our world upside down, everything that happens, does so for God’s purpose. God’s plan continues to drive the events of our world, even those that seem to run contrary to His will. Each and every trial and tribulation is used by our Father in heaven to mold us. We can use these, sometimes troublesome events, as God intends or we can give in to our selfish nature and do as the evil one would desire, complain, blame God or behave in a manner unpleasing to Him. Every person placed into a position of authority is done so at God’s command. Those leaders that behave as they do, even when it appears that they are doing the devil’s work, are doing so for His purpose. When President Obama proclaims to the world that the United States is no longer a Christian nation, sleeping Christians wake up and work to restore their faith. When the leaders of the ELCA lead the faithful astray, a new revival begins and denominations true to the Gospel break away and thrive. We can never truly understand why God allows evil people into positions of authority, but know this, our Father in heaven is in charge and while we are called to submit to the authorities appointed by Him, we are not called to lay down as sheep being led to slaughter. Do not allow anyone to drive you away from your calling to be a disciple of Christ. Do not be frustrated when it appears that the powers of darkness seem to be winning every battle. The story has been written and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has triumphed over the evil one and his minions..

1 Peter 2:13-18, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

This world is but a brief existence for God’s children. When we focus on what is truly important, submit ourselves to Gods’ will and work to further His kingdom here on earth, we come to understand our role in all of this. Do not be afraid to speak out for our Lord. Do not be afraid to speak out at the ballot box by supporting candidates that uphold Christian values. Do not be afraid to do the things that are pleasing to God.

1 Peter 1:23-25, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.”

Kinder and Gentler

Since the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin trial, there has been much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands. The race baiters continue to prattle on, all in the name of justice for Trayvon. Little has been discussed about the culture of violence that permeates our society, particularly in the inner city. The “unfairness” doctrine is cited whenever violence rears its ugly head, with blame cast at a society that leaves minorities without an equal chance to succeed. Few have the courage to discuss the inherent reasons why these terrible outcomes occur over and over. What those who espouse a more progressive agenda often fail to understand is that actions do produce consequences. While some of these consequences are unintentional, some are calculated and very intentional. In an effort to create a kinder and gentler society, progressive activists use tactics that sound so very inviting. How could one challenge government programs to take care of the poor? How could one not support giving minorities a leg up when applying for jobs and college since so many have suffered discrimination for far too long? How could one possibly dispute protecting our environment? A women’s right to choose what to do with her body? Striving for social Justice? Combating bullying? Fighting obesity? The list goes on and on, each objective more appealing to the sensibilities of society than the last.

Disproportionate numbers of minority offenders housed in prisons cause activists to rave on about the inequities of our criminal justice system. While it is true that the prison population does not mirror our society’s racial composition, little emphasis is given to the reasons that cause this disparity. Those advocating to “fix” our broken justice system look to lessen the penalties for law breakers, especially for those who commit “non-violent” crimes, to cut the prison population rather than determining why it is that criminals choose to commit crimes. Bill O’Reilly produced an op-ed piece entitled The Color of Hope that addressed one of the root causes of criminal behavior in the inner city and called on minorities to take responsibility for their lives. This brought out the race baiters in force, calling O’Reilly a racist and worse. It’s easy to point fingers and place the blame on everyone but those who should be held accountable. It’s also easy to find real solutions, if we simply open our eyes, hearts and minds.

73% of all births to African Americans are out of wedlock, setting the stage for a life of poverty. Many of those children are raised without the influence of a father. Lacking the direction a father could give, many black children, especially males, are drawn into gangs in an effort to replace the vacuum in their lives. There is a reason that the Lord intended a family to consist of a mother and father, and that they, together raise their children. Deuteronomy 11:18-21,  “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.”Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Progressives look to the government to supplant the role of the father by granting entitlements that provide little more than a living wage to families in need. These subsidies bestowed upon them by a “caring” government are not enough to provide a way out of poverty, subjugating those who have become dependent upon government to remain in poverty with little or no hope of ever breaking those chains of bondage. Progressives not only desire to remove fathers from the family, God is also prohibited. So, where does God’s church stand and how are they responding to the violence that so permeates society, especially in the inner city. The largest Lutheran church in America, the ELCA, has this to offer. No statements from the bully pulpit of the new presiding Bishop rallying the troops to encourage men to take responsibility for the children they father. No affirmation of marriage to combat broken families dependent upon government for their livelihood. The 2013 ELCA churchwide assembly simply issues another social statement, passed overwhelmingly by the way, decrying the large number of those incarcerated and especially the disparity in the racial proportion of the prison population. Does the leadership of the ELCA truly believe that those incarcerated did not truly commit the crimes for which they are being punished and that society is not safer with criminals off the street?

In order to solve a problem one must determine exactly what is causing that problem. Why would one choose to commit a crime knowing that their actions will likely have negative consequences? Does lessening the criteria for punishment do anything to rectify the underlying issue? Not at all. The prison system is overcrowded because too many decide to break the law and commit crimes. Simply releasing non-violent offenders is not an answer. Reducing penalties does nothing to diminish the resolve of a person that chooses to commit a crime. Instilling the values and morals of a loving and just God is the answer. All these supposed men and women of God that spew nonsense about inequalities and social justice need to start doing what they committed to do when they chose to serve the Lord. It is only through the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ that the solution to society’s ill resides. Preaching the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is not as popular with the "In Crowd"as promoting homosexuality or protecting creation, but He is the way and truth and the life forever.

Who will have the courage to stand up to the progressive elites that now seem to populate so many churches hierarchies? John 8:42-27, Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” It has become obvious that the leadership of the ELCA is no longer listening to God and have refused to do so for far too long. The “new” things that they are promoting lift up human desires and are simply the evil one’s bidding.

Pray unceasingly for the eyes, hearts and minds of those trapped within the apostasy of the ELCA to be opened to the Truth before it is too late.

In God We Trust

Trust is something that is difficult to earn, yet easily lost. In order to gain someone’s trust, you must first be proven to be truthful. You must place the needs of others before your own. You must be able to step out of your comfort zone and be there for that someone when times are tough. Losing that trust can happen in an instant. Even a minor indiscretion can break a trust. There is only one trust that can never be broken, our trust in our God. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” When we believe, we have an absolute trust in our Lord that He will fulfill His promise to us. As Christians, we also have an innate trust of the body of Christ, His church. We believe and trust that those that are called by God to preach the Word and lead the church are empowered by the Holy Spirit and, as such, our God is speaking to us, through them. When we are in the pews on Sunday, we believe that we are hearing the Word of God, spoken through one that is indeed inspired by God. The thought that the message from the pulpit or that the leadership of the church is misguided or unsound doctrinally, is just not on our radar screens.

For years many of the more liberal ELCA seminary professors have taken it upon themselves to reinterpret God’s intent through His Holy Word, the Bible. These progressive professors that are so enamored with the secular world have taken to ignoring God’s will and reinterpreting His word to transform the message to incorporate the opinions of society. As the years have progressed, more radical thinking theologians have been elevated to teaching positions in the seminaries and the truly biblically based professors have been phased out and have become a dying breed. Theological discussions among these new, enlightened and progressive professors have led to the teaching of seminarians a diluted form of Christianity. Universalism, affirmation, social justice, and tolerance have replaced faith, forgiveness, sin and making disciples of all nations as the tenets of this new enlightened church. Papers submitted by seminarians that fail to follow these progressive professor’s new interpretations are deemed unacceptable and required to be resubmitted. Our future pastors are being taught a religion that believes that a Savior is pointless, since sin and forgiveness are unimportant and superfluous. These enlightened professors are teaching a new generation of pastors to lead the ELCA into the future, and that future is looking more problematic with each passing year. So, now when we worship or read our Bishop’s statements that he makes on behalf of the 4.6 million ELCA members, we must do so from a different perspective. Our trust in the ELCA’s message has been severely damaged, and as long as the current leadership persists on the path that they have chosen, it will likely remain broken beyond repair.

Those traditional Lutherans that adhere to the truth that is the foundation of our faith are looked upon as trapped in an archaic belief system rooted in a 16th Century understanding of Scripture. The leaders and scholars of the ELCA consider our founding confessions irrelevant to their new and improved interpretation of Scripture. The problem is that these progressive scholars only disapprove of those verses of Scripture that deny them their modern cravings. Those verses that lift up or are ambiguous enough are cited as the rationale to reinvent Scriptural intent. Traditional understanding of Scripture does not fit in with the way our modern society views morality. The leaders of the ELCA long to have their church looked upon favorably by the secular world, so Biblical morality is obsolete, to be replaced with the more politically correct world view.

What of those leaders of the church that are no longer faithful to our Lord and lose the trust of those that they are called to serve and protect? 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, 4-5, “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” Those who pervert the Lord’s church will be exposed for who they truly are. Their motives are known by our Lord and they will have to answer to Him for leading His flock astray. Psalm 118:8, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” Trust not in man and his wicked schemes, but put your trust in God. While the leadership of the ELCA continues to preach a gospel other than the Gospel our Lord preached, we have no choice but to find a new church, true to God’s word, that we can walk faithfully upon the path that our Lord has set before us.