What Moral Values? Whose Moral Values?

I know I have said it before but the longer the election season goes on, the clearer it becomes. I used to hold out hope that perhaps the influence of Christians in society could at least hold off the down fall of our once great land but alas, I see more and more, Christians falling in lock step with the prevailing views of culture. The following is from the Pastor's Weekly Briefing published by focus on the Family.

"The phrase moral values is often used by political commentators and journalists to mean the issues important to the "Christian Right" and some conservatives. The issues political commentators typically refer to are abortion, gay rights, same-sex marriage and stem cell research.

When the public uses this phrase, however, they mean something quite different. Most are referring to the character of the candidate, such as honesty, integrity, trustworthiness and the likelihood of "doing the right thing."

Using the phrase as the public understands it, most people (85%) say moral values are important when deciding who to vote for and are "very important" to 46 percent of the public, according to a recent Harris Poll.

The survey revealed that when most people talk about "moral values," they are not referring to the agenda of the Christian Right.

From a list of 12 issues, those surveyed said abortion and gay rights were the least important. Health care, Social Security, economic issues, taxes, the war in Iraq, the war on terror, immigration, education and the environment are all important to many more voters. Among those who believe moral values are very important, only 13 percent mentioned abortion and six percent mentioned gay rights."

Maybe you're saying, "yeah, so?" Well, that's what I mean. The so-called moral issues of our day are not exactly what the Bible would label as moral issues. Some of them might be prudent, even beneficial but to call them moral means they issue from the character of God and are non-negotiable. The only real "moral issues" listed were abortion and homosexuality and where did they come in? 13% of the population and when you consider 80% of America claims a Christian faith, well, like I said, we're in deep doo-doo.

Fox's New "Reality" Show Is Just Plain Evil

Fox Television debuted its new "reality" show last night and I determined to watch the first episode, at least part of it, precisely for this commentary. The premise of the show is that the contestant who tells the truth through all 21 questions wins a half a million dollars. In the pre-game screening the contestant has been wired to a lie detector and is asked a series of 50 questions from which are taken the 21 questions actually used on the show.

In other words, once a contestant makes it on the show, they are keenly aware of what questions "may" be posed. This is stupefying to me. I watched only the first 40 minutes or so of the first show. In the early going, some of the questions are rather benign; slightly embarrassing perhaps, in a silly way, but as the money gets larger, the questions become more difficult; more destructive.

But here's the thing; as I said I only watched the very first couple of tiers of questions--in other words, the "easy" ones. With the first contestant's wife and two friends sitting there to add to the pressure and awkwardness of the situation, the man is asked something close to, "Have you not had children yet because you don't think your wife is the woman you want to start a family with?"

The contestant, squirming, lied but the polygraph revealed it was true. So there sits his wife of two years, nationally embarrassed, personally devastated, and because he lied, he walks away with zilch. Great fun eh?

Honestly I don't know who is worse; the creators of this evil show or the people who are foolish enough to sell their self respect, their privacy, their friends their family and their marriage for the chance to make some quick cash.

"He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it will come to him. He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf." Proverbs 11:27-28

If you watched this show's debut, I hope you will never watch it again; it is inspired by the devil himself and God's people have no business reveling in the sin of others.

The Fall Of Another Rising Star

Another wildly successful, rich, handsome, popular, got-it-all celebrity is dead after less than three decades on this earth. My first recollection of Heath Ledger is from the movie The Patriot where he played the brave son of Mel Gibson defying his father's wishes and joining the American Revolution. He dies as the tragic hero fighting for the burgeoning nation's freedom. Some sacrifices are not only honorable but admirable if not necessary. Many others are not.

It would be presumptuous of me to brand Ledger's death, naked and alone in a Brooklyn apartment, a hideous picture of the man's fate who pursues "life" apart from the "Life-Giver."

Never-the-less, Jesus did say in John's gospel, "I came to give life and give it more abundantly." For many, that's a great sentiment so long as you keep that "religious stuff" confined to a white, steepled building, but the reality of what Jesus promised is routinely lost on sojourners in a land of prosperity.

Rising star, actor/comedian Freddie Prinze, was only 22 when he shot himself; River Phoenix, had one year on Prinze when he overdosed outside a nightclub. Jonathan Brandis, hanged himself at 27 and David Strickland died in like fashion almost making it to thirty.

They were all rich, handsome, popular, got-it-all celebrities who had everything by appearance yet willingly cashed it in for nothing, believing, or at least hoping, that death is more preferable than life.

Apparently all their "everything" wasn't nearly enough to palliate whatever sorrow and meaninglessness compelled them to look for solace in the grave.

Heather Nauert of Fox news seemed sincerely baffled that someone with Ledger's profile would take his own life. That is understandable if your only point of reference for judging life is by the standard set by affluent, westerners. There is a disparate assessment however, by a wise, old soul who made it his goal in life to figure such mysteries out.

The first and last chapters of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes contain bookend statements framing Solomon's inspired assessment of the world's offerings of satisfaction and joy. He writes, "Meaningless! Meaningless! …Everything is meaningless!"

Solomon is often misunderstood by his critics seeing him as the consummate pessimist. To the partially informed, Solomon saw the glass not simply half empty; but broken. But that's not the whole story. Solomon explains: "…as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 5:19)

There were plenty of rich people in the Bible and their wealth was clearly the blessing of God on their lives. But Solomon warns, lose sight of the One from whom such good things come, and despair is only a sword--or a pill bottle--away.

I cannot judge the late, young actor's heart or what was taking place in the mine field of his soul. But spiritual journeys--of which we are all active or passive partakers--bear certain marks of the roads on which we are traveling.

I truly hope I am wrong about Ledger's; only God knows, and that is all that matters for He is a gracious and perfectly just judge. If only the multitudes blinded by bling would learn that success and wealth are not a matter of fame and fortune, but of knowing, and being known, by one's Creator.

It is naïve perhaps but I trust maybe somewhere along the line of such high profile tragedies, a few will put it together. At least that is my prayer.

Religious Exemption Clauses Mean Little

Every time any kind of legislation is put forth increasing the normalization and necessarily, the desensitization of homosexuality, the community of the faithful should be rigorously opposed. As the years move along and the social bludgeoning of those with a morality informed by the wisdom of God continues, homosexuality gains ground. Often times it is with the reluctant approval of followers of Christ because of a false sense of security engendered by some "exception" clause written into the legislation exempting religious people and organizations.

Thinking that "live and let live" is somehow an easy way out, the "faithful" throw in the towel with a sigh believing that "at least I won't be affected…"

But here this well: No matter what kind of "religious exception clause is written into pro-homosexual law, push will come to shove sooner or later and religious exemption will fall to the homosexual juggernaut.

Enter Seton Medical Center, San Francisco where a man walked in wanting to have sex-change surgery. The hospital refused to do the surgery and predictably, the hospital has been sued.

The case has gone to the San Francisco Superior Court. Family Focus reports that "Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, has offered to represent the hospital [saying] “If this hospital is required to deny its religious beliefs in order to function as a hospital, then the protection of religious entities — even churches — could be on the chopping block..."

Regardless how this particular case turns out, religious exemption clauses are merely temporary concessions to silence people of conviction and common sense and pass immoral laws. You have to understand that the people pushing such laws are committed to their very soul that not only is their view of gender and sex the right view, but that the traditional views of those with a religious informing grid, are immoral and stand in the way of a truly free and happy society. So they will gladly toss a bone or two to the religious fanatics of the culture knowing full well that in time, those exemptions will be challenged and removed.

I see it playing out as each year ticks off and even the most ardently moral people are becoming resigned to the inevitability of a society where homosexuality is every bit as accepted, and endorsed as a heterosexual one. I do believe we will lose this struggle for decency, never-the-less, we must never give in to it becoming part of the problem.

Update on California's SB777; a Very Confused Law

You might remember just a couple weeks back I mentioned that California's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 777 in to law putting homosexuality on equal footing with heterosexuality in matters of public education. The people of California failed to obtain the nearly half a million signatures to put it to referendum.

The new law means that a student’s sex is no longer determined by genetic make up but rather as his or her “gender identity." In other words, in California, you are no longer a boy or girl based on how the genes were doled out and expressed at birth but rather what you feel about yourself. So if you feel you're a boy but you are a girl by birth, according to law, you are now a boy. I can hardly believe I am writing this it seems so unbelievable not to mention absurd but it is what it is.

Arguably there is far more empirical evidence as to the reality of one's physiological make-up than there is one's professional make-up. So what I want to do now is carry this asinine view of biological reality to other aspects of the realities of life.

Why can't we have SB 778 which, like SB 777 in the absence of all reason, would redefine one's occupation based not on degrees, training, certification and experience, but on one's feelings about who they are in the work place?

Under SB 778: Overheard at LAX: Governor, this is your Pilot, Pat who just finished high school. He has a neat little set of pin-on wings and a really cool U.S. Airways hat! He's never flown any type of aircraft but he will be your pilot today; he says he really feels like an aviator…"

Overheard at UCLA Medical Center: "Okay Governor, we're ready for your appendectomy. Bruce here, who just walked in off the street, said he feels like a doctor today and is really sincere and excited about doing your surgery."

I am willing to bet the Governor would be less than cooperative. What one feels about one's gender does not change the reality of who they are anymore than it changes the reality of what they can do and no one would stand for such a thing; yet SB 777 remains law for now.

This "Terminator" governor deserves to have his political career terminated for acute stupidity.

Are You Looking For a Leader Or A Likable Candidate?

My wife and I were driving south on the highway Monday listening to shout radio. Shout radio is where you listen to show hosts giving their commentary on sound bites of people where the sound bites often have two people shouting on top of one another so that you can't really hear either of them. It's good fun in small doses.

But we were listening to a sound bite of Hillary Clinton before the New Hampshire primary answering a question about Barak Obama being more likable than she. To her credit she answered tongue in cheek saying, it hurt her feelings. Then she paused and said, "But I'll try and go on."

Then my wife eloquently shouted herself, at the air, "We're not voting for someone we like, we're voting for a leader. The American people are idiots, and you can quote me on that." So I did.

Because she is right. This election year, like so many others in its wake, sees candidates assigned handlers, image consultants, makeup artists, and stylists so as to present the very best pretense of a human being.

How many times have I heard references this year to, Mrs. Clinton's likeability factor or lack thereof? How many times have I been told how charming Barak is or how boring Fred Thompson is. With Clinton's showing in New Hampshire, many pundits are saying it was because of her melodramatic answer to a question about how she manages to get up each day and keep going in the face of her sliding popularity.

Many said her win in New Hampshire was because she finally connected "emotionally" with the voters. I fear they are right which makes me gag! Are we hiring a public relations Diva or a world leader? I couldn't care less how likable a candidate is if they have their head screwed on straight, and they are emotionally and physically tough enough for the grind as President.

And I don't care if they look particularly good on camera or whether or not they "look presidential." Is this the depth of the American public? Honestly, I have to say YES, it is. That's why we have mock debates which ask questions like, "How would you win the war on terror?" and you have 60 seconds to answer.

This nonsense has to stop--but it won't. For such have we become and we reap what we sow.

Mr. President, You Got Some Splainin To Do!"

I have never been anything but an ardent supporter of the current president. That has never meant that I don't have some big differences on some pretty important areas of policy but in most of the major areas of life, the president and I have always seen eye to eye with the exception of immigration. But his present position concerning Israel and the so-called "Palestinians" has me absolutely dumbfounded. Finishing his trip to the Middle East last week He used words like "the occupation that began in 1967," "Palestinian homeland" "compensation" and "lasting peace."

Now I happen to know this president is not stupid but I cannot for the life of me figure out what he is thinking concerning Israel and the centuries old strife between Jews and Arabs.

Israel has never been an occupier of anyone's land but their own and I am not even referring to their claim of Divine right (which happens to be valid but that is another book…) I am referring to the dictates of the League of Nations and later, the United Nations which clearly gave the disputed land to the Jews long ago.

Bush said that establishing a Palestinian state would increase the security of Israel. Huh? The "Palestinians" (a misnomer since everyone living in that area of the world are all "Palestinians") are the people who swear on their mother's camel that there will never be peace until Israel is extinct. This has nothing to do with borders and I know the President knows this. I am befuddled but the President continues and chides Israel for "undermining Palestinian efforts to modernize the Palestinian Authority's security forces." Excuse me? Israel is doing nothing that we wouldn't do and haven't done when our national security was in jeopardy. We set up a blockade around an island south of Florida to keep Russia from "modernizing their security forces." I am wondering if the president didn't inhale some of the second hand smoke his predecessor didn't.

I understand legacy building and all that and I understand election year politics enough but this is selling out a nation and pretty well signing their death certificates. So Mr. President you got some 'splainin to do!

American Library Association Continues To Defy Federal Law

I have written about the American Library Association (ALA) numerous times before. It sounds like it should be such a wholesome organization. It is anything but. They sponsor the annual charade called Banned Books Week which is, well, a total charade and they are deeply in the pocket of the infamous ACLU.

In Florida, the ALA, is trampling on the health and welfare of children in circumventing the federal ban on pornography at public libraries.

In 2003, the Children’s Internet Protection Act was signed into law. It requires public libraries to use filtering and blocking technology if they are to keep federal funding.

So when a young girl noticed a man viewing porn at a library in Florida, the man was simply asked to close the site. The library maintained they were legally required to allow such access to any and all sites.

According to Citizen Link Magazine Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America said, “We know that the ACLU and other organizations are using the First Amendment and saying this is an infringement on First Amendment rights for libraries, and it infringes upon the rights of the individual using the library."

That of course is horse pucky but abuse of the First amendment is the bread and butter of the ACLU. They use it like a horse whip cracking it loudly whenever anything virtuous rears its head. It always draws more contributions by those who despise morality and virtue.

So while the library may use blocking filters to maintain their federal funding, they unblock any site whenever anyone wants to view one even if little children are swarming and such trash is in clear view. That is in clear violation of the Children's Protection Act which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Not to be deterred by considerations of child welfare, virtue, or the law, the ACLU has recommended that the ALA turn down federal funds refusing "censorship" and thus keep the smut lines clear. The ACLU--bastion of illicit lawyers that it is--still doesn't understand the difference between censorship versus the public's forced funding of someone else's perverse agenda. The only solution is to keep pushing the law and making sure it gets enforced.

Unhappy Christians and Happy Pagans Do Exist!

A recent poll by the folks at Gallup tell us that a majority of Americans are "happy " or "very happy" with their lives. In fact, more than 8 out of 10 (8.4 to be exact) Americans make such a statement. So how does that statistic square with your notion of having a relationship with God?

I am certain that nowhere near 84% of the population have a vibrant relationship with Jesus and yet if "happiness" depends on living in right relationship with the Creator, what do you make of it all?

We Christians need to understand that God didn't come to earth to make us "happy." He came to deal with our sin. But our culture is driven so much by experiential prosperity that we tend to make God and happiness inseparable. But casual observation should challenge that in both directions--meaning; I know some pretty miserable Christians, and some pretty happy pagans.

What this means practically is we need to shun the sales pitch for our God that if you're not happy, you need to come to Jesus and that will all change. If that is true, what do you say to the pagan who says, "But I AM happy! I don't need your God."?

I have heard Christians actually say, "No you're not happy; you only think you're happy." That is not going to sway anyone. The fact is, people can be "happy" without Christ; but they're still doomed.

The carrot that many preachers hold out to their congregations is the carrot of existential well being! "Come to Christ and all your wildest dreams will come true." But that omits a significant segment of the population who don't know God, don't care to yet are reasonably well adjusted people with relatively healthy and happy lifestyles. Do we concede they don't need Christ?

Not at all; Christ didn't come to make us happy. If you are, great, but He came to solve the damning issue of our sin not merely to give us a sense of well being. You may be happy as you march into hell, but you won't be happy once you get there. And that needs to be the thrust of our message--Come to Jesus because without Him you will perish, even if you're happy--for now.

California Still Leads The Way In All The Wrong Ways

The normalization of homosexuality is the greatest internal threat to civilization's healthy existence.

This past October, Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) signed SB 777 into law requiring all curricula — even that of private schools — to treat homosexuality and heterosexuality "equally."

According to Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, "Under this mandate, teaching students about the benefits of traditional families will be considered discrimination."

You can't possibly remember back to the scores of articles I wrote for my award winning columns in the Central Maine newspapers on the subject but I wrote over and over again, that the goal of the homosexual juggernaut was not mere tolerance but wholesale endorsement and advocacy.

Quoting Perkins, "Schools will no longer be asked to tolerate, but to advocate a lifestyle with devastating consequences to public health and conscience."

This will infect every area of educational pursuit including historical studies of "famous gays" which is problematic even from a factual stand point. Homosexuality in days past was anathema. People didn't show case their perversion and so today, there are many "stories" and "rumors" of "famous people that have been made factual history by pro-homosexual forces about men and women who were supposedly homosexual. But the evidence is either scant or fabricated.

Of course this law will demand certain perverse teachings about sexuality and sexual practices as well as lifestyle issues of health and well being.

A group of parents is trying desperately to force this law to a referendum but they will need over 400,000 signatures to do so and even then the outcome is unpredictable.

And I hope you listening do not just shrug and say, "Well that's California; what do you expect?" The trend is that what happens in California generally sweeps the country moving to the East coast within seven years. My experience tells me that is an old axiom and that it doesn't take nearly that long anymore. And with a state like Massachusetts to our south and our own liberal leadership of this state, I suspect it would be less than half that before we see something similar here.

Bury your head in the sands of sin if you wish, but we are all that stands between wholesale corruption and some semblance of peaceful existence.

How Perverse Can We Get?

How perverse can we get? Well, each year that ticks off, the old standard of "normal" is downgraded so it is hard to say but one thing is certain; we will continue to experience social degradation until the Lord returns. Our only consolation is that godly leaders in places of influence can reduce that rate of decline and along the way--hopefully and prayerfully--influence some along the way to see what is good and right.

So we start the new year with Elizabeth Santiago of Massachusetts' Northern Essex Community College filing a discrimination complaint against the school for not allowing her to use the men's locker room. Elizabeth calls herself "Ethan" and claims she is uncomfortable using the women's locker room.

The school has resisted fearing that a sexual assault might occur if she were to use the men's facilities. I am trusting that is only the school's public reason given for refusal and that the fact that she IS a female in spite of what her deranged self image portrays, is the real reason for refusal.

Several months ago I noted that when we begin looking at serious presidential candidates there are two issues that should trump all others. Our greatest national threat externally is Islamic terrorism which means we need a president who is truly resolute and hawkish on terrorism. Our greatest national threat internally is homosexuality which means we need a president who will not fear public rancor and excoriation for upholding the common sense decency of mankind where men and women remain distinct entities defined, not by their sense of perception, but by biological reality.

There is no such thing as gender confusion; only gender perversion and that perversion is a direct consequence for rejecting the God of the Bible. That, by the way, is not an assertion but the clear teaching of Scripture. I refer you to Romans chapter 1:18 and forward.

So when you get overwhelmed by the myriad of issues (important issues to be sure) tossed about in these days of candidating, remember the two defining issues of our civilization; terrorism and homosexuality. If everything else is in place but those two salient issues are not; you're just rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. Remember you heard it here first.

Grumpy Christians and Happy Pagans

A recent poll by the folks at Gallup tell us that a majority of Americans are "happy " or "very happy" with their lives. In fact, more than 8 out of 10 (8.4 to be exact) Americans make such a statement. So how does that statistic square with your notion of having a relationship with God?

I am certain that nowhere near 84% of the population have a vibrant relationship with Jesus and yet if "happiness" depends on living in right relationship with the Creator, what do you make of it all?

We Christians need to understand that God didn't come to earth to make us "happy." He came to deal with our sin. But our culture is driven so much by experiential prosperity that we tend to make God and happiness inseparable. But casual observation should challenge that in both directions--meaning; I know some pretty miserable Christians, and some pretty happy pagans.

What this means practically is we need to shun the sales pitch for our God that if you're not happy, you need to come to Jesus and that will all change. If that is true, what do you say to the pagan who says, "But I AM happy! I don't need your God."?

I have heard Christians actually say, "No you're not happy; you only think you're happy." That is not going to sway anyone. The fact is, people can be "happy" without Christ; but they're still doomed.

The carrot that many preachers hold out to their congregations is the carrot of existential well being! "Come to Christ and all your wildest dreams will come true." But that omits a significant segment of the population who don't know God, don't care to yet are reasonably well adjusted people with relatively healthy and happy lifestyles. Do we concede they don't need Christ?

Not at all; Christ didn't come to make us happy. If you are, great, but He came to solve the damning issue of our sin not merely to give us a sense of well being. You may be happy as you march into hell, but you won't be happy once you get there. And that needs to be the thrust of our message--Come to Jesus because without Him you will perish, even if you're happy--for now.