Ponder Pesky Pragmatism and Palin

Since August 29 when John McCain unleashed his bomb shell news that he was selecting Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, I’ve read many opinions about the legitimacy of a woman running for one of the highest offices in the land, with the good possibility that she may ascend to the the highest office in the land should her 70+ year old running mate kill over from old age after they win the election.

The opinions run the gamut from those who think Palin can do no wrong to those who can’t stand her, and everything in between.  There’s a whole host of people who oppose her because she is so conservative.  I will admit that I have not read much of these opinions.  As a very selective consumer of news I don’t subject myself to the typical liberal blather you see on network television.  We don’t even own a TV.  The closest thing I get to secular news is my occasion review of the Wall Street Journal when I have time to read it.  So, for those who can’t stand Palin because she is pro-life, pro-gun, and fiscally conservative…this article is not targeted at you.  If you are an Obama supporter, you may stop reading now.  I personally like Palin’s politics and I can’t stand Barack Hussein Obama’s politics.  Yet, I join with several other brothers in Christ in opposing Palin’s nomination due to the biblical prohibition on a woman in leadership.  I’m in good company.  Some of the men I admire who have publicly opposed Palin’s nomination are Doug Phillips, Paul Vaughn, Voddie Baucham, Scott Brown, Kevin Swanson, Terry Morris, Bill Einwechter, and many others.  Lest you think this is a “men’s club” who have conspired to subjugate women, there is also a host of lady writers who share this opinion.  They include Jennie Chancey, Bethany Vaughn, Jasmine Baucham, Anna Sofia Botkin, and Elizabeth Botkin, plus many others I have failed to mention.  It is my firm conviction that these godly brothers and sisters have done a fine job of expounding the scriptures and arriving at the same convictions that John Knox arrived at when he authored The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women.  I’ll not expend my time and effort in making the same case many of my friends have made.  Besides pointing out one obvious fact that many seem to be overlooking….it is John McCain that is running for President – not Sarah Palin…I want to address another angle on it.

The biggest accusation I have faced in my opposition on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket is this:  If you don’t vote for McCain/Palin, then you are, by default, casting a vote for Obama/Biden.

Is there any truth in this?  Maybe, maybe not.  At the top of this article, I dismissed all those who I consider blatant enemies of righteousness.  Hopefully all the Obama voters have already stopped reading.  I now invite all you McCain/Palin lovers, those who think the McCain/Palin ticket is the greatest thing since sliced bread, to go read something else and leave me to my musings.  OK, what I’m left with now is an extremely large group of Christians who don’t really care for McCain and may or may not like Palin.  Yet, to all those who are left reading this article, the thought of a pro-abortion mohammeden leading our country is “obaminable.”  (sorry, couldn’t resist!)  I daresay that the bulk of you will enter the voting booth in November and pull the lever for McCain while holding your nose, thinking all the while that you are doing the best thing for our country.  Many of you look at people like me, who refuse to vote for McCain, as part of the problem and someone to blame if Obama rises to power.  But I want to put this thought before you.  Who is sovereign?  God or man?  It is God who raises up and puts down leaders.  I submit to you that God has already determined the outcome of this election before the first vote is ever cast.  Certainly, in the United States God uses the votes of the people to put the President in office.  Yet, is man so powerful and God so weak that we thwart His will with our votes?  Perish the thought!  I trust God to place whom He will in authority in the highest office in the land (or the world for that matter).  I can only do my duty to vote for someone who would be a godly leader.

I plan to vote for Chuck Baldwin for President.  As has been pointed out in other blogs I have read, by other men I respect, Baldwin is not perfect.  He is a sinner like the rest of us.  However, he has given his positions on the things I care most about on his website (http://www.baldwin08.com) and the policies that he supports are the very same policies I support.  Not to mention that his running mate is not a feminist woman.  He is also a godly, Christian man, Darrell Castle.

Will my vote for Baldwin propel Obama to the Presidency?  Not unless God so wills it.  To think otherwise is to set pragmatism above trust in Almighty God.  Think about it this way:  If Obama would sentence 10,000 babies a day to die by abortion (the current actual number is about 4,000) and McCain would only sentence 1,000 babies a day to die by abortion, are we holding to a moral standard by voting for the one who would sentence fewer children to their death?  Or do you agree with me that a vote for anyone who would allow abortion to continue for even one more day is a vote that is soaked in blood?  Maybe this is hard for you to visualize, because even our actual number of 4,000 innocent children dying every single day is hard to imagine.  It’s equivalent to 9/11/01 happening every single day for 35 years.  If this is hard to imagine, think of it this way.  Hypothetically you are a parent of four children, and for the sake of “overpopulation” Obama declares that three of your children must die.  Yet, in this same hypothetical world McCain is much better and only requires one of your children’s lives, would you actually vote for this guy?  Though this situation is entirely hypothetical, the truth is that Obama is a rabid pro-abort, and McCain is a moderate fence sitting pro-abort (with exceptions).  There’s no such thing as being “pro-life” with exceptions because you don’t make exceptions when it comes to the issue of life.  Any “exception” to a pro-life stance makes you a “pro-abort.”

 You have three choices in November (actually 5 if you count the other two third party candidates):

1.  A rabid pro-abortion muslim democrat.

2.  A wishy-washy pro-abortion republican with a feminist running mate.

…or…

3.  An imperfect, but God fearing man, Chuck Baldwin, who would do everything in his power to end abortion in this land.

 

Will you vote your conscious or will you ponder pesky pragmatism and Palin?

McCain’s Running Mate

As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
-Isaiah 3:12

It’s been announced. John McCain’s running mate is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. I know very little about this woman besides the few accolades that I’ve read in the press this morning. Apparently, she is a defender of life to the point of giving birth to a Down Syndrome child. She is also a defender of our second amendment rights. These issues are near and dear to my heart. However, she is a woman. Isaiah tells us that it is a sign of God’s judgment when our rulers are women.

America is the last major nation on Earth not to have a female ruler in this high of an office. God has set His order in place according to His own design. Don’t get me wrong. Men are not superior to women. Many women excel many men in many areas. I do not question their competence. My beef is that Gov. Palin is rebelling against God’s order by accepting this nomination.

Earlier this year, it seemed as though the Democrats would be the ones to seek to place a woman in the highest office in the land. Yet, it is now the Republicans who have actually set this up as a likely scenario. It’s entirely possible that John McCain could die in office. Palin would then rise to the position of president. It’s also likely that if the McCain presidency is popular, Palin could be the presidential nomination when McCain’s two terms are over in 2016.

So, this November, we are left with the choice of electing a Muslim in Obama, or a woman in Palin. There is a third choice. Sadly, though, many Christians will ignore this choice. Chuck Baldwin is running as the Constitution Party candidate. If all nominal Christians would vote for him, he would be a shoo-in. However, we are living in an age when Christians vote for the “lesser of two evils” rather than casting a vote for the best *man* that is running. It is my prayer that this philosophy would change over the course of the next few generations. God help us, though, in this present age.

Spitting in the Face of God

But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
-- Genesis 13:13

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
-- Genesis 19:4-7

Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
-- Genesis 19:24-25

Today at 5:00 PM Pacific time, California will become the second state in the nation to legalize same-sex “marriage.” Adding to this madness is the fact that this was done in direct violation to the will of the people. Proposition 22 was passed by a 61.4% majority of the people in 2000 which explicitly defines the union of a man and a woman as the only valid or recognizable form of marriage in the State of California. Yet, through today’s renegade judicial activism, sodomites will be lining up to “exchange vows.” Californians will have to wait until the November elections to vote for an amendment to their constitution to try and undo the damage.

I’ve heard it said, As California goes, so goes the nation. As we stand by and watch our falling dollar, ask yourself if maybe this is just the beginning of God’s judgment on America. Abraham interceded on behalf of the people in the following conversation with God:

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
-- Genesis 18:23-32

Now read the sobering truth:

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
-- Romans 3:10

God help us.

Chuck Baldwin for President!

Are you feeling, like I am, that there are no good choices for president when viewing the top contenders of the Republican and the Democratic parties?

If there were ever a time when the American people are poised to choose between the lesser of two (three?) evils, it is now.

On the Democratic side, we have an ultra liberal woman who wants to slaughter even more babies through abortion than are being killed today. She wants to force a nationalized health care plan on us. She is anti-family, believing that it "takes a village" to raise a child. How anyone could vote for her is beyond me.

On the other hand, the Democrats offer to us a Muslim, masquerading as a Church of Christ Christian. Remember the old Sesame Street tune, "Which of things is not like the other? Which of these things just doesn't belong?" Consider these presidential names: Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Obama. Wait...Obama? How different is that from Osama? And it's not just his name that faults him. He's on the same boat as Hillary when it comes to slaughtering unborn children and shoving a national health care plan down our throats.

So...what choice does the Republican party give us? John McCain. The very same McCain whose name stood alongside Russell Feingold on the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002. This is a slam on the First Amendment rights of all Americans. Like his Democratic cohorts, McCain is no friend to unborn children. While slightly less vitriolic on the subject as compared to Hillary or Obama, his voting record has been much less than perfect on this very important issue. Yet, the only thing McCain has going for him is that the Democratic choices are so evil, that he is clearly the lesser of the three evils that are in the front running position.

Thankfully, we don't have to choose between the absolutely evil Democrats or the slightly less evil Republicans. We can vote for real change in our country. The Constitution Party has nominated Chuck Baldwin as its candidate for president. Listen to his acceptance speech and I think you'll agree that he is the right man for the job. All others represent God's judgement on our country.

Scrimmage Game 2008

There's a time in high school football when there are two groups of players contending for separate goals, yet regardless of the score at the end of the game, the home team is always the winner. Sometimes one side may be a little better than the other. But in the end, it doesn't really matter who wins. This particular game makes no difference in the team's season record. The type of game I'm referring to is that of a "scrimmage." For those of you familiar with high school football, this isn't a difficult concept. It's simply the same team, splitting their players into separate groups, and playing each other for practice. While there may be a bit of competition going on, the guy across the line from you is your buddy. You'll both be fighting for the same goals when it really matters. In fact, sometimes these scrimmage games can determine who the "starters" are. So, yes, there's a competition there, but when all is said and done, both of these groups form the same team.

So it is in today's presidential race. When I look at the slate of candidates, by and large, they all support the same things, whether they are Republican or Democrat. Some talk a different talk. Some "change their minds" where they stand on such important issues like abortion (i.e. Mitt Romney) when it seems politically expedient to do so. But by and large a vote for any of these tricksters is going to be a vote for four more years of "status quo." That's an optimistic attitude. The pessimist side of me is concerned that the status quo will not improve, but degrade—regardless of who wins the presidency. On the issue of abortion, we see that after eight years of the Bush presidency, a baby can still be killed through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason whatsoever, despite the rhetoric concerning the Partial Birth Abortion Ban. This is utterly unacceptable, considering he had a Republican Congress and Senate for half of that time. On the issue of sodomy, we see that President Bush has appointed far more sodomites to high ranking government positions and ambassadorships than President Clinton ever did. Likewise, under Bush's watch, we've seen sodomite "marriage" or "domestic partnerships" flourish in several states. Those are just a few of the social issues. On the financial side, we've seen Republicans raise taxes and increase spending just like the Democrats have done…repeatedly. Sure, Bush gave us some needed income tax cuts. But he didn't decrease government spending, but rather increased it. I'm only picking on President Bush and the Republicans because they have made themselves out to be the friend of conservatives. Yet, from what I've observed, I'd be hard pressed to say they were conservative by looking at their actions. It goes without saying that the Democrats are no saints themselves.

So, what do we do about it? There are only two candidates currently for whom I'd consider casting my vote. These candidates are Rep. Ron Paul and Gov. Mike Huckabee. Of the two, I perceive Rep. Paul to be a better agent in producing real change, though I tend to think Gov. Huckabee's position on abortion and sodomy are stronger. Short of either of these two winning the Republican primary, I think the general election is going to simply be a "scrimmage" game where no matter who wins it's the "bad guys" who'll be in power.

Lung Cancer Vaccine

Consider this scenario…

Merck, Inc. has just released a brand new vaccine that will inoculate people against the dreaded disease of lung cancer. Now, the drug hasn’t been tested or proven yet. But none-the-less, it is a vaccine. Hooray! Now, everyone in the country can start smoking again! No worries about the dreaded consequence of lung cancer. After all, Merck has assured us that their vaccine works.

Now, suppose there is a certain Texas governor, who for this article will remain unnamed, who just so happened to receive a $5000 contribution from Merck, Inc. for his reelection campaign. How could this very grateful governor return the favor for this contribution? Well…although it is illegal to sell cigarettes to minors, and there has been a major push through public service ads to discourage smoking by minors, we “all” know that kids are going to smoke anyway, no matter what we tell them. So, this very grateful governor has a wonderful idea! Let’s force all sixth grade aged children to receive this vaccine before we allow them to enroll in their friendly neighborhood government school! What a service this will offer to children! Now parents can sleep well at night knowing that if these children light up after being told not to, at least their lungs will remain healthy. Side effects? Who knows? But, the most important thing is that Merck, Inc. survives another day to bring us more miracle drugs.

Far fetched you say? Well, this scenario has played itself out with only one difference. The disease being battled isn’t lung cancer. It’s human papillomavirus. And the students targeted for this campaign contribution payoff are limited to females signing up for government indoctrination at their local Texas public school. This Texas Governor, who I have already promised not to name (initials….RP), by executive order has mandated that all sixth grade girls receive this brand new, untested vaccine. It makes no difference that HPV is only contracted through sexual contact, which should not be happening at least within the walls of the school. It makes no difference that parents of “good children” don’t want this drug injected into their little girl. If people want to take the “free education” offered by the government, they will succumb to this treatment.

Christian groups are up in arms about this. Letter campaigns have been organized to write to this supposedly conservative Governor Per..(oops almost slipped)… encouraging him to return to the conservative platform that he campaigned on. He needs to be reminded that parents are the ones who should decide what, if any, vaccines their children receive. Of course, coming to his defense, it is most likely assumed that parents gave up these rights when handing their children off to the state for their education anyway. Right or wrong, this seems to be happening on a much broader scale than just vaccines. Regardless, it’s hard to argue with big money. I have a feeling that a $5000 contribution is only the tip of the iceberg.

So, if you are a Texan living in Texas…unlike myself living in Indian Territory…call your state congressman and senator. Call the Governor’s office. Express your disapproval. But more importantly, reclaim your parental authority by pulling your children out of an abusive organization that would inject drugs into your child against your will. If you are concerned about HPV, teach your children abstinence from sex. After all, we seem to trust that approach in regard to smoking. Abstinence produces amazing results, whether we are talking about lung cancer or HPV.