Howard Dean's View of Teaching Morals

Howard Dean, the blustery chair of the Democratic National Party is the best thing to happen to conservative causes since Ted Kennedy. Whenever they open their mouths, you can count on the antithesis of common sense, decency, and moral principle to come forth. Dean so excels at putting his foot in his mouth that he should write a cookbook on suggestions for serving leather. The Democratic Chair is so over the top that fellow liberal, legislative reprobate Barney Frank even castigated Dean recently for his remarks concerning Tom Delay. Now that’s eye-opening!

One of Dean’s latest verbal antics had him asserting that Republicans have no business lecturing anyone on moral issues since they have their own issues of moral lapse which, in Dean’s warped little mind, I underscore little, means that they have no right to even speak of moral issues. Now let’s do something liberals rarely do; let’s follow the reasoning.

According to Dean’s guiding principle, if a police officer has himself ever broken the speed limit, he is disqualified from stopping you for the same. (Try that one out the next time you’re pulled over) If you have ever run a red light, that disqualifies you from touting the virtues of stopping at red lights. And if anyone has ever told a lie, that means talking about lying being wrong is utterly out of bounds. I think you get my point.

To be sure, having the moral high ground by way of example is certainly a superior position for which to strive but living imperfectly does not change the benefit or the rightness of living properly.

Lord knows that if Dean is right, I, and every other preacher in America, would never be able to open our mouths concerning God’s moral principles for life. But the fact that I cannot-or do not--live up to all of them does not change their rightness or virtue.

So, once again, Howard Dean demonstrates just how bankrupt the soul, motivated and guided by an unenlightened view of life, truly is.

Not a week goes by that I am not in my pulpit explaining God’s word to hundreds of people, not as one who has arrived at moral purity but as a fellow struggler, saved, thankfully, by God’s grace and mercy. Dr. Dean needs a touch from the Great Physician; only then will he see clearly.

Koran Desecration? What About Bible Desecration?

The Rev. Creighton Lovelace, made national news last week for the sign he posted on his church’s property. The sign read, “The Koran needs to be flushed!” Lovelace also reportedly stomped a copy of the Koran showing the wrinkled book to reporters saying, Jesus said only His word is holy making everything else unholy.
Now forgetting for the moment that the pastor’s conduct was a bit imbecilic, let’s not overlook the fact that while his actions were unwise, in my estimation, not serving any kind of redemptive or pre-redemptive purpose, his assessment of the Koran is accurate.
But with all the hype over the desecrated Koran at Git Mo which apparently never took place, is the demand for respect of the Muslim religion reciprocated with a like respect fro the Bible?
The answer is a resounding, no. Ali Al-Ahmed writing in the May 20, Wall Street Journal noted this hypocrisy. Whereas the Muslim heritage and relgion is taught, studied, and put on display in American museums, he wrote, in Saudi Arabia for example, having a Bible in one’s possession is not even allowed. Quoting Al-Ahmed, the director of the Saudi Institute in Washington, he writes, “the Saudi government burns and desecrates Bibles that its securtiy forces confiscate at immigration points into the kingdom or during raids on Christian expatriates worshipping privately.”
In fact owning a Bible in Saudi Arabia may get a person killed (like Sadeq Mallallah) or arrested or deported.

The Saudi embassy and other Saudi organizations in Washington have distributed hundreds of thousands of Qurans and even many Muslim books that have libeled Christians…” So he concludes by writing, “…the lesson here is simple: If Muslins wish other religions to respect their beliefs and their holy book, they should lead by example.”

How come we don’t read this kind of balanced thoughtful information in our newspapers? Instead we read the same old tripe about how hateful and horrible Christians are. Some over-the-top Christian somewhere makes one misstep that amounts to a stubbed toe and it makes the front page of national news and lasts for days; while a Muslim cuts off heads, or blows up babies and is proud of it, and if it makes the press at all it is buried deep within the bowels of the particular rag.

Sports fans, we are living in the last days; I hope you’re ready.

Let the Criticism of Judges Continue

Federal Judge Joan Lefkow testified before the Federal legislature imploring Congress to provide better security for federal judges and said Washington needs to stop making disparaging remarks about judges. Lefkow’s husband and mother were murdered in her home when Bart Ross entered the home to kill Judge Lefkow.

Ross, it seems was an embittered electrician who filed a malpractice case that was presented to Lefkow for ruling. Ross had part of his jawbone removed in an operation which left him significantly disfigured. Having seen a picture of Ross, it seems he had cause for complaint.

So when Lefkow dismissed his case-- which was by her admission, the end of his road for finding any kind of satisfaction through the courts, he sought revenge.

Now, don’t misunderstand my remarks; Ross, who later killed himself, was obviously a murderer and not justified in his vengeance in anyway shape, or form. But the problem is not Washington or anyone else making remarks about the out of control manner judges are conducting themselves.

By way of example, as I write this, U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon declared Nebraska’s voter-approved marriage amendment unconstitutional after a challenge by two homosexual advocacy groups.

The judge said the amendment, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, "imposes significant burdens on both the expressive and intimate associational rights" of homosexuals…” That’s odd, I thought he said it was unconstitutional yet there is nothing in the constitution that gives perversion a right to protection. So here again a single, unelected judge has usurped the rights of the people of Nebraska.

There needs to be an outcry; there needs to be disparaging remarks about activist judges who make up their own laws by fiat. So with my sympathies to Judge Lefkow, the answer isn’t to stop the criticism of wayward judges, it is for judges to start familiarizing themselves with something called the rule of law and making decisions that are JUST not merely legal.

When technicalities and loop holes become the key to winning lawsuits rather than right and wrong, society is upended and people go berserk. It’s called reaping what we sow. And I rest my case.

The Unceasing March of Homosexuality Presses Onward

Focus on the Family’s, Pastor’s Weekly Briefing announced the following”
The Montgomery County, Md., school system is facing a lawsuit over its plan to implement a new program in six schools that would teach junior high and high school students that homosexuality is natural and not changeable. The curriculum also includes a video demonstrating how to use a condom. The suit, which was filed by Liberty Counsel seeks a temporary injunction to prevent the program from being taught.
Excerpts from the program's instruction booklet make such claims as:
· "Most experts in the field have concluded that sexual orientation is not a choice."
· "Religion has often been misused to justify hatred and oppression."
· "It is no more abnormal or sick to be homosexual than to be left-handed."
· "One's sexual and emotional orientations are fixed at an early age ... certainly by age five."
This is just a smattering of course of the kind of indoctrination that is taking place not just in Maryland schools but also in your schools mom and dad. And if you don’t think so, you are not merely naïve, but pardon me, stupid!
I was involved over a decade ago in the Waterville public schools when they were implementing new sexual identity and sex ed courses that do precisely what this lawsuit is trying to stop. I assure you things have not improved over the intervening years. I get very frustrated with the myriads of parents who refuse to believe that these wicked perversions are taking place in their children’s schools. It’s always someone else’s school, not mine.
And I’m going to be honest and tell you that I am through fighting your fights for you. My role as pastor does not include being surrogate parent and surrogate citizen guardian over your community’s schools. So, you’ve been informed and now it’s on your plate. You can ignore it but you won’t be able to ignore the consequences on your children and in your home. The choice and responsibility is now yours.

Who Does Homosexuality Hurt?

I hate to keep harping on the various issues surrounding the purveyors of perversion but the fact remains that homosexuality is one of the most pressing social issues of our day.

One of the big talking points of homosexuals is that who they want to love is not hurting anyone so why don’t we just mind our own business.

The fact is homosexual sex is hurting many people not the least of which is the homosexuals themselves. Did you know that the average life expectancy of the gay male is 43 years of age? The average life expectancy of the heterosexual male is about 73.

Now let’s talk about minding our own business. It is estimated that the average smoker forfeits 8 years of their life and that doesn’t include the diminished quality of life during the years they are alive. That is why the government made it their business to educate people away from the dangers of smoking.

Heart disease is a huge killer as well and while I don’t know what the average number of years of life forfeited are, I know it isn’t any where near the 30 years homosexuals give up and yet the government has made it their business to educate people away from poor diet that exacerbates such disease.

The point is, any behavior that reduces one’s life expectancy by 30 years ought to be public health interest number one and that means educating people away from homosexual behavior rather than bringing it into our schools and encouraging kids to explore their sexuality and even encouraging and facilitating their pursuit of behaviors that will rob them of 30 years of life.

But beyond the homosexual being harmed what about all the other people infected by HIV through blood transfusions, and the millions of HIV babies. And yes it is true that homosexual behavior is not the only behavior that perpetuates the disease but it certainly is a big one and if this were any other disease born out of a particular behavior, the government would be doing everything it can to stop those behaviors.

But when it comes to homosexual sex, our society is blind, deaf and dumb being kowtowed by the forces of wickedness. We must stop every attempt to advance this lifestyle no matter how legitimate the reasons seem. There is no more discrimination against homosexuals in this state than there is against people who are obese; in fact it’s less, much less, and yet they receive special legislation to protect them against a discrimination that barely exists.

Hate Speech Double Standard Apparent Again!

I’m looking at a political cartoon that ran in the Saturday May 7th Sentinel.
Here’s the text;
Husband rants--
“These liberal activist judges must be stopped!”
Wife interrupts-- “Uh, Dear, I’ve been doing some research on that…”
“In the Terri Schiavo case the judges were not being activist they were merely following Florida law…”
“The majority of judges on the Supreme Court and most appeals courts are already appointees of Republican presidents”
“And despite what Tom Delay says, President Bush’s judicial nominees have been held up no more often than Bill Clinton’s”
“I’m starting to think we evangelicals re just being manipulated for political purposes”

Husband shrieks, placing his hands on his wife’s head, “Call in an exorcist. My wife’s been possessed by Nancy Pelosi”

First the cartoon is laden with half-truths and misleading statements. The judges in the Schiavo case were not following Florida law because according to Florida Law, one’s wishes regarding their care and treatment must be a matter of record. Schiavo’s husband, who had been in a long time affair with another woman, had never even mentioned his wife’s so-called “wishes” for seven years.” So the matter of record was the word of a man with a demonstrated lack of integrity and credibility. The judges ruled the way they did because they wanted to; that’s called activism.

Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy demanded that fairness insists these judges should be given an up or down vote. Oh wait, that was when they were his party’s appointments. The fact is, “Democrats set the low record for confirmations in one year in 1989, confirming just 15 Bush nominees and the high record in 1994, confirming 101 Clinton nominees.”

Finally, if you were to remove the word evangelical from the cartoon and replace it with the word homosexual there would be public outcry of bigotry, hate speech and worse. Such are the days in which we live here, in Gomorrah Maine. No matter what you hear, the playing field is not even and doesn’t look like it ever will be. So we keep our eyes fixed on the victory of the “not yet.”

Maine Senator's liberal tendencies hurt the State

Sometimes we have to look beyond the purview of the immediate decision to consider the repercussions of that decision. Thinking seriously is something Americans in general are not used to doing. We would much rather be told what to do, what to think, and how to act. Some call it the herd mentality but as people indwelt by the Spirit of God who not only sanctifies our bodies but our minds as well, we need to do a better job of thinking through the issues of our day.

Case in point, we have two senators who are supposed to represent the people who voted them into office. Yet our two senators are known in Washington as moderates which in my opinion is another name for a liberal who has a few inconstant tendencies toward certain conservative ideas, usually in the area of economics.

So by this time, the decision of which military bases and naval shipyards will be closed may have already been decided and I am praying that Maine escapes those cuts. Heaven knows we don’t have much left in this state to keep it afloat financially.

Sen. Snowe has already gone on record saying she will vote with against the President’s prerogative to nominate judges by voting with the opposing party to not allow the termination of filibusters to preclude up or down votes on the president’s nominees. While Sen. Collins has not made her view known at this recording, it is expected that she will follow suit.

Here’s my point; I too have some reluctance about the so-called nuclear option but our Senator’s are part of a team called Republicans. And in Washington, one hand washes another. So as decision makers are deciding which bases to close in which states, don’t think for a second that the way our senators vote on other matters does not affect the future decisions for or against our state. Washington is known to punish those who step outside party ranks. That’s just part of the whole game.

Which means, our senator’s reluctance to follow the party ideology puts you and I in a precarious position with respect to tall the other things we derive from the federal government. Remember that if Bath Iron works takes a hit and Brunswick Naval Air or Portsmouth naval shipyards are closed. It will be our senator’s responsibility in a big way for pushing their own liberal ideologies.

Laura Bush Knocks Em Dead at Dinner

I heard something on the radio the other day about Laura Bush and the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner; something about Ms. Bush cutting up the crowd with raucous laughter but having crossed a line of propriety. This sort of criticism coming from anyone in the media today raised both my eyebrows given their lack of moral turpitude.

So what on earth had Laura Bush said? Thanks to the wonder of the internet I was able to find a pretty good representation of her comedic stand up much of which was at the expense of her husband. But it was the charge of being bawdy and over the line that piqued my curiosity.

Having read her shtick, I have to say it was certainly out of character for the normally elegant First lady which was a refreshing relief from the previous administration. But with the exception of one joke which pertained to the president’s ineptitude in trying to milk a horse rather than a cow, there wasn’t much to it, other than the fact it was so out of character.

So honestly, I have to say first I am a little disappointed if only because Laura Bush had elevated the standard of ladydom.to new heights and it tumbled a couple points. But Ms. Bush is human, she is her own person, and she was after all reading a scripted monologue which while I don’t know, I would be surprised if she had not forewarned the people at whom she had poked fun.

And while it was a bit edgy and I would have preferred something else, Laura Bush is not America’s priestess, Deacon, Pastor, or head of some Christian women’s ministry. She is the first lady to every citizen of this country and while some of her remarks were edgy, from what I can tell, she really connected with the majority of her subjects—like it or not.

So on balance, I have to agree with Rush Limbaugh on this one and that is that we conservative Christians do, at times, need to just lighten up.

Justice Sunday

Justice Sunday was a satellite extravaganza you probably heard something about unless you have been out of the country for the past two weeks. The simulcast featuring numerous dignitaries from both the world of conservative political ideology and Christendom was focused on putting pressure on liberal Democrat and moderate Republican legislators who were inclined to support the democrats strategy to filibuster President Bush’s nominees to various courts rather than allowing them to receive a vote of approval or a vote of rejection.

While the rhetoric is heated with liberals making scandalous charges against the Republican party in general and Pres. Bush in particular for nominating “extreme” right wing judges, the fact is the President’s nominees all have the highest BAR Association rating possible and all represent what is actually the mainstream views of America. So what the liberals are fighting against is the loss of control of the courts which answer to no one since they know they can’t seem to win elections by the will of the people.

So keeping or gaining judges who value truth, law and real democracy is the death knell of liberal, minority ideology. None of that is new but what is new is truly scandalous.

Mara Liason, liberal political commentator for NPR, seemed put out that Bill Frist participated in this “religious event” yet has never said anything that I know of about the myriad of her party’s boy like Clinton, and Jackson, and Gore candidating in churches in violation of IRS code. Democratic Party head Harry Reid, asked of the simulcast Justice Sunday event, “What are people of faith doing involved in this issue anyway?”

Hello? Masa Reid; you’s might not know dis but we Christian’s was emancipated long ago and was giben da right to be involved in da politics of ah nation, Suh.

The fact is, people of faith are being discriminated against simply because they are people of faith Mr. Reid and we’re not going to take it lying down.

We’re sorry that rankles your feathers and that we won’t just shut up and go away but as long as you trample on the rights of America’s citizens who happen to believe in God you are in for a tough and long tenure. Frankly, I’m looking forward to making your life miserable even as you have made mine through your godless world view and values.

Sorry for being an uppity Christian Mr. Reid, but as long as I still have my citizenship, I still intend to act like an American. Like it or not.

Maine's New Anti-discrimination Law Unnecessary

Did you know that there is virtually no evidence of discrimination against gays in Maine?

This is from a recent newsletter of the Christian Civic League of Maine.

“A recent message posted on the official website of the Democratic Party in Maine claimed that there is no valid evidence of discrimination against gays in Maine. The author of the message stated that “despite numerous inquiries” to the University of Maine system, he was not able to find any “written complaints, investigated complaints or hearings.” He also stated that there were no complaints lodged with the City of Portland, which has a local anti-discrimination ordinance.”

Now is this what you would have thought listening to the media report on the Governor’s recently ram-rodded piece of legislation that is supposed to protect gays from discrimination? I told you several years ago, several times, in my columns for the Sentinel that the whole charge of discrimination against homosexuals in this state is a crock. So why did Gov. Baldacci feel compelled to trample on the citizenry of Maine and impose such a bill when the voters of the state had already rejected such a bill twice before?

It is simple. It is called pandering to what Baldacci perceives to be a powerful special interest group and puts him in good stead with the homosexual lobby of this state. Why would homosexuals want such a bill when discrimination is virtually non-existent? Because every piece of legislation that can keep their special interests in the news makes it that much more feasible for a gay marriage bill to be passed at some in point in the future. It is a means of wearing down people’s natural aversion to the perverse and immorality. And it is working—unfortunately.

And that is why the citizenry of Maine must overturn this current piece of legislation once again. So don’t believe the lies about how horrible homosexuals are being treated in this state. If anything, they are a privileged class whose lifestyle economics are much higher than the average Mainer.

Remember that as you the lies pour forth in the days ahead.

Christians and Politics--Thnking out loud

The weather this past Thursday was anything but idyllic for an outdoor rally on the steps of the capital. Actually it was horrendous! It had to negatively impact the turnout over all not to mention some of the plans to have petitions available for signing in a down- pour.

Do you ever look at a situation like that and think, “Gee, ya know a little help God might be nice. Whose side are you on anyway?”

There have been numerous occasions like that where the cause of right is being served and yet it’s like we’re not only NOT getting Divine help but almost seems like we’re standing on our own.

I have to admit that I didn’t go to this rally by design. Don’t misunderstand; I have been more active in the public arena than most in this state so it certainly wasn’t because of a reluctance to put myself on the front lines. No, I just pondered the whole rally objective and had to wonder what was the real point of it? What was it going to accomplish? How was this going to serve to overturn the Governor’s ludicrous anti-discrimination bill for which there is no apparent discrimination taking place? It seems like that should be the point of attack but I’ve been wrong before.

And while I am as quick and bold as anyone to allow my faith to impact and inform my citizenship, I guess I question the value of chanting a slogans and singing hymns on the steps of the place where laws are passed. We are blessed to be part of a representative system of government, which gives us the right to express ourselves and impose our values on others, and we need to do so.

But godless legislators don’t care that we are Christians so opposing any law on the basis of our Christian beliefs is totally irrelevant to those not of faith. The fact is, there are plenty of good, solid reasons to oppose the Governor’s bill that have little to do with our belief system.

So as I look at the weather of Thursday I wonder if the Lord wasn’t sending us the same message he sent Zerrubabel, namely -- It’s 'Not by might nor by power, [nor by chants and slogans] but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. Zech. 4:6

I’m just thinking out loud…